Between a Rake and a Hard Place - Connie Mason & Mia Harlow (Sourcebooks Casablanca - Jan 2014)

Series: Regency Rakes (Book 3)

Lady Serena's List of Forbidden Pleasures

Attend an exclusively male club.

Smoke a cigar.

Have a fortune told by gypsies.

Dance the scandalous waltz.

Sir Jonah Sharp thinks Lady Serena Osbourne will be just like any other debutante, and seducing her will be one of the easiest services he's ever done for the Crown. Then he catches her wearing trousers and a mustache in his gentleman's club and she demands he teach her to smoke a cigar. But what will truly be Jonah's undoing is finding out he's an item on her list too, which makes him determined to bring her all the forbidden pleasures she can handle.

Fun book to read.  Serena is one of several young women in line to become the wife of one of the royal princes.  While she's not excited about the idea she knows her duty to the family and will do so if necessary.  However, she's got a bucket list of things she wants to do before she's trapped in marriage, if she can manage it without getting caught.  She starts out by disguising herself as a man and sneaking into Boodles gentlemen's club, but is discovered by Jonah.  Rather than give her away, he helps her escape before she is unmasked.  

Jonah has been watching her for several days.  He is being blackmailed into stopping any chance she has of becoming a royal bride. He initially thinks she's like all the other debutantes, but soon realizes that she is smart and adventurous.  He finds himself being talked into helping her with her list.

I loved Serena and Jonah together. They have great chemistry that builds as the book goes on. They also have some great conversations that show just how well suited they are for each other. Serena is willing to do what her father wants, but she also wants to live a little before she does.  Her initial meeting with Jonah shows her that she can trust him with her secrets.  I loved seeing her surprise him with her list and what she wants help with. Jonah is conflicted. He knows what he has to do in order to prevent scandal from ruining his family.  But he is fascinated by Serena and her zest for life. He wants to help her with her list, any of which would ruin her if found out, but finds himself wanting to protect her from scandal, not cause it.

As the two of them spend time together they get closer. The love is a relatively slow growing one. Serena sees an honorable man who seems to be haunted by something that isn't letting him be happy. She also finds herself thinking about him far more than is wise for someone in her position.  Her feelings for Jonah are growing and the idea of a royal marriage is losing its appeal by the day. I loved seeing her get Jonah to open up to her and how much she wanted to relieve his pain.  Jonah's work for the government has worn him out.  He's not so sure anymore that everything he did was for the better and it is eating at his soul.  As he gets to know Serena he starts to care for her and doesn't want to cause her harm.  I loved the way he did everything he could to help her with her list (and then some!) without risking her reputation.  His love for her really shows in the way he wants her to make her decision without any pressure from him.

This also concludes the ongoing mystery through all three books.  We finally learn the story behind the battle that has created the problem for the three heroes.  The bad guy is unmasked and stopped through a very interesting twist in the plot.  The final confrontation was very good and I liked the way it turned out, especially Serena's part and what she said.

Waking Up With a Rake - Connie Mason, Mia Marlowe (Sourcebooks Casablanca - Jan 2013)

Series: Regency Rakes (Book 1)

The Fate of England's Monarchy Is In The Hands of Three Notorious Rakes.

To prevent three royal dukes from marrying their way onto the throne, heroic, selfless agents for the crown will be dispatched...to seduce the dukes' intended brides. These wickedly debauched rakes will rumple sheets and cause a scandal. But they just might fall into their own trap...

After he's blamed for a botched assignment during war, former cavalry officer Rhys Warrick turns his back on "honor." He spends his nights in brothels doing his best to live down to the expectations of his disapproving family. But one last mission could restore the reputation he's so thoroughly sullied. All he has to do is seduce and ruin Miss Olivia Symon and his military record will be cleared. For a man with Rhys's reputation, ravishing the delectably innocent miss should be easy. But Olivia's honesty and bold curiosity stir more than Rhys's desire. Suddenly the heart he thought he left on the battlefield is about to surrender...

This was a really fun book.  Olivia is in the running to marry one of the royal dukes, even though she is a commoner.  She's not thrilled with the idea but she doesn't really have a choice.  Rhys has been sent to evaluate her suitability, but there is an underlying mission also.  He is supposed to public seduce her and ensure that she does not become the duke's bride.  He expects it to be accomplished easily, thereby receiving the information he needs to clear his name.  He doesn't expect to actually like her and begin to regret what he is being forced to do.

There were a lot of sparks from the moment Rhys and Olivia met.  She is innocent but not naive and is quite taken by his looks and his forthrightness.  Rhys is equally attracted to her and expects that he will have little trouble accomplishing his mission.  I loved the fact that he was completely honest with her about being a rake and warned her that she probably shouldn't trust him.  Olivia is very intelligent and also independent so she likes to make up her own mind about things.

Rhys is pretty outrageous in the things he says to her, even tricking her into using his first name.  He is patient in his attempts to get close to her and is therefore on hand to save her from an accident that turns out to be no accident.  He begins to think that there is someone out there that wants her permanently removed from the competition and is determined to protect her.  He wagers her into letting him stay in her room at night and starts his efforts to seduce her at the same time.  Olivia turns the tables on him when she decides that she wants to know more about what goes on between a man and a woman before being stuck in a loveless marriage.  These scenes are fantastic as it becomes obvious that Rhys has bitten off more than he expected.  When Rhys accomplishes his mission without actually doing anything he ends up married to her.  The scene with Rhys, her father and the absinthe was hilarious.

Olivia has admitted to herself that she has fallen in love with Rhys but doesn't know how he feels about her.  As they spend more time together she is able to get him to tell her more about his life.  Rhys isn't sure how she did it but he even told her about what happened in France and what haunts his dreams.  He is surprised at how just telling her about it has relieved some of the guilt he feels.  As they spend time together on their honeymoon in Scotland they learn more about each other and how to merge their lives.  There are some truly spectacular confrontations in which Rhys usually ends up on the losing end.  I also enjoyed the arrival scene and Olivia's reaction to the woman who embraces Rhys.

When another threat against Olivia shows up in Scotland, Rhys realizes that it was never about the possible marriage.  He is determined to find out who is behind it and ensure her safety.  To that end he takes Olivia to his father, who he hasn't seen in three years, knowing that he will keep her safe.  He is also finally able to have the discussion with his father that was denied him back then and start to repair their relationship.  That scene was very emotional as both admitted to their mistakes.  

The final resolution to the mystery of the attacks on Olivia was very good.  There was a hint of who was behind it earlier, but the twists of the background were very well done.  The final confrontation was quite intense.  You know it will end happily (it IS a romance) but getting there was quite nerve-wracking.

I enjoyed the epilogue and the glimpse into the happy future of Rhys and Olivia.