A Mayfield Family Romance Lady Sabrina endured an abusive marriage, a miscarriage, and early widowhood to emerge as a smart, successful, confident woman who found a way to make her mark in a man’s world. She has friends and purpose, but cannot hide from the emptiness she feels when the parties are over and the friends have gone home to families she will never have. Harry Stillman may be … have.
Harry Stillman may be charming and handsome, but he’s a gambler and a rake who has made a mockery of his privileges. He turns to the mysterious Lord Damion for financial relief from his debts, but still ends up beaten nearly senseless by thugs and left in an ally.
When Lady Sabrina comes upon Harry after the attack, she remembers the kindness Harry once showed to her six years ago and brings him to her estate to heal. Though their relationship begins on rocky footing, it soon mellows into friendship, then trust. But Lady Sabrina needs to keep Harry at a distance, even if he is becoming the kind of man worthy of her heart. After all, she is keeping a secret that, if exposed, could destroy everything she’s so carefully built.
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I was completely surprised by how much I loved this book. Don’t get me wrong! Josi Kilpack is a fabulous writer but I was not sure that anyone could make me like Harry after being introduced to his character in the previous books in this series. However, I underestimated just how compelling a story of redemption can be.
Harry had to reach the bottom of life’s barrel, plus some, to admit that he needed to change. It took someone believing he could do it, and caring that he does, for Harry to want to change and find the necessary fortitude to stay the course. The character development felt natural and the plot was well-paced. The slow-burn romance was sweet and clean and delightful. I loved the other books in the Mayfield Family series and this one was no exception!
I received an advance copy but am voluntarily leaving a review of my own opinions.
Harry Stillman has truly reached rock bottom. He has lost all his money, pushed away all, his friends, and his uncle refuses to pay his debts. A mysterious Lord Damion offers to settle those debts if he changes his life and Harry takes the chance. But leaving behind the vices he has live by is not so easy, even when a beautiful woman is there to encourage him to do so.
Having followed the series from the beginning and seeing the other Mayfield romances, I was eager to read about the rake of the family. Harry is your typical young man of the Regency era. He has lived to enjoy himself and sought to improve his fortune at cards. His uncle’s offer to give him an inheritance if he married well was not something he wanted. The author said this was her first attempt at a “playboy” character, and it shows.
Opposite our drunkard is Lady Sabrina, who is the illegitimate daughter of a duke and survivor of an abusive marriage. She has spent her years as a widow trying to help those who she believes are capable of turning their life around. She travels, acts as hostess for her brother, and is content with her independence.
On the surface, it seemed as though this would be a sweet and fun read. My biggest problem, however, is that there was no romance. Attraction, yes. Harry is described as a handsome and charming man, and Sabrina is witty and fierce. However, the story took a while to set up. In fact, I believe I was halfway through the book before they had a conversation where Harry was sober and in his right mind. A month was not long enough for there to be love.
I definitely have enjoyed other novels by this author a lot more than this one. I’d give this one a 3.5 stars, rounding up to be generous. Still, I am curious how the series will continue.
I received a free copy from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.
Rakes and Roses is a story about two broken people coping with trauma and fear in different ways. While one drowns in self-fulfilling, irrational desperation and weakness, the other finds strength they never knew they had to face adversity and save others from a similar fate. This reads more like a historical mystery than a typical sweet/clean Regency romance. The relationship between hero and heroine is slow-burning, although their wariness is realistic given the extreme disappointments in their pasts and their resulting self-doubts. It was an intriguing character study with an authentic yet satisfactory conclusion.
Josi S. Kilpack has the knack of creating incredibly detailed characters who inhabit worlds that seem as real as our own. This book is no exception, with two damaged characters who find a way to heal each other and find love in the process. For many readers of romance, here’s a slight warning. This is a dark book, despite the hopeful conclusion. Harry Stillman is not the happy-go-lucky rake; he is a man who lived on the edge to the point that he has no bridges left to burn. Lady Sabrina is a survivor of an abusive marriage and miscarriage, yet uses her widowhood to change lives. She is a strong, compassionate woman. A true s-hero. She falls in love slowly, but won’t compromise what she wants just because of a handsome face. Harry also is an incredible character, someone who actually understands the waste of his life and truly wants to change — he doesn’t just regret his wrong choices, though, he takes his second (third, fourth?) chance to move forward. The device Kilpack uses to create Harry’s opportunity is a worthy twist of a wonderful writer. Poignant, moving and in the end, uplifting. We can change, not because someone is forcing us, but because we love ourselves and them enough to do better. I can’t recommend this book enough. (I received an ebook advance copy from NetGalley. Opinions mine.)