Book Review For Saved by a Rake by Em Taylor

Saved by a Rake

By: Em Taylor

 4 stars

Reviewed by:Tonya
Format:Kindle

Published:Em Taylor
Source:Purchased Copy Gene: Historical Romance

Blurb

When Lady Rebecca Eversley is left ravished by the Earl of Newthorpe and facing ruination, she has the choice to point her pretty little nose in the air and face the gossips of the Ton or scurry off to the country to live out her life as an old maid. When she meets Lord Daniel Ramsey, a notorious rake, she decides on the former course of action.

Daniel has been given an ultimatum, marry before his father dies or lose the majority of his inheritance money. Rebecca seems the perfect candidate, especially once rumours about her start to circulate in the drawing rooms of Mayfair.

When Newthorpe is found dead on the morning of their wedding, the people they care about find themselves suspects in the case. Who murdered Newthorpe and can Rebecca ever get over what he did to her?

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Excerpt

As his lips briefly touched hers, the carriage jolted, pushing him closer to her. He caught her around the waist to ensure she did not bounce off the seat, then, without thinking, covered her mouth with his.

He noted a moment’s hesitation from her before she moved her lips and reached up to tangle her gloved fingers in his curls. Tentatively she touched her tongue against his, causing him to stifle a groan. He had been without a woman for over a month and now his pretty little wife had her arms around him, kissing him as if she had done it a thousand times. She was a quick learner as she explored his mouth with her tongue, pressing herself closer to him.

Devil take it. He had been struggling all day to stop himself becoming aroused. Her wedding gown had been low cut and her stays showed her breasts off perfectly. He had been distracted throughout the service and the wedding breakfast as images of disrobing her later had flitted through his mind. He wanted to see those breasts again.

He unfastened the three buttons on her pelisse, peeling the material away to her side, then pulled out of the kiss and began to pepper light kisses along her jawline. God, he wanted her, and he was most definitely aroused now.

He kissed her neck and was about to place his hand over that beautiful inviting orb, when he sensed her tensing. He pulled away slowly, tugging the material of her pelisse back over her. When he looked into her eyes, they were bright with confusion, passion and fear, all clearly warring within her. He cursed himself for being too impatient. Then he cursed Newthorpe for what he had done and could not help thinking that death was too good for the blaggard.

“No. That’s the only word you ever have to say and I will stop,” he said simply.

“I am sorry, my lord. I just expected some time before… well I expected to wait until we were in the coaching inn tonight.”

“Yes, of course. It was very impatient of me. I beg your forgiveness.”

Rebecca nodded and looked out the window.

The streets of London rushed by as they headed for the Great North Road. He studied the view out of the other window, and they sat in silence for a long time. Eventually Rebecca spoke in a small voice which sounded as if she was on the verge of tears.

“I fear I will not make you a very good wife if a mere kiss frightens me.”

He turned and took her hand in his. He wanted her to be comfortable and not think he was going to pounce on her and ravish her at any given opportunity.

“I have no doubt that you will make a wonderful wife, Rebecca. You just need time and patience and I have an abundance of both.”

She turned large, tear-filled eyes towards him. “You should take a mistress as soon as we reach Scotland.”

He could not possibly have heard correctly. She was giving him permission to have a mistress? Surely not. But her mouth was set in a firm line as if she had made up her mind. A stab of hurt hit him. She thought of him as a rake who would be unfaithful.

He pursed his lips and considered her. What should he do? He wanted to rail at her and tell her he had no intention of being unfaithful. He had taken vows only a few hours previously and yet now she was giving him permission to break them. But maybe the idea of him having a mistress brought her comfort. She was clearly terrified of intimacy between a husband and wife.

“We shall discuss it once we reach Scotland, my lady. I have no wish to think beyond our present journey.”

“Do you not see that I can only ever tolerate the marriage bed for the sake of giving you an heir,” she wailed, pulling her hand away from his. “He ruined me in more ways than you can ever know.”

“You are only ruined if you allow him that power. A skilful lover could make you feel very different about certain aspects of a marriage.”

“Well, I have heard enough tales to know that you are a skilful lover, Lord Ramsey. But I think you should save it for your mistresses.” Her tone was almost venomous but he ignored it, knowing that it was fear that drove her.

She turned her head to look out of the window again. He was at a complete loss. She thought him almost as bad as Newthorpe. Well, not quite but she did not think he would be faithful. A long silence stretched out between them as he considered what to say to her. Her back was rigid, and she swiped at her cheek with one gloved hand.

“What he did to you…”

“What he did has destroyed me, and I am not sorry that he is dead. I wish I had been the one to kill him.”

“Please, Rebecca…”

She burst into tears and fished in her reticule for a handkerchief, he presumed. He held his out to her and with a large sob she accepted it. He untied her bonnet and threw it onto the seat opposite before gathering her in his arms.

She tried to move out of his grip but this time he held firm, knowing that she would accept his comfort, which she did, weeping as she buried her face in his coat.

As her sobs turned into sniffles, which turned into silence then light snuffles of sleep, he held her and wondered how he was going to help his beautiful young wife over her fear of physical love.

Our Review

Saved by a Rake starts off with Rebecca going through what no woman should ever have to go through. And more tragic she lives in a time when a woman is considered ruined even though she is not at fault. But I loved her fight, her will to rise above idol gossip mongers and try to find happiness in the aftermath.

Her parents and brother want to protect her yet they truly are not like the normal society and allow her to remain with them, I am so glad they did, because oh how I love Daniel, rake or not this man is gorgeous. Or as Rebecca calls him an adonis. I agree, and more than that he sees past what was done to her, sees her beauty, wants to protect her. There is an immediate chemistry and this man who did not want to marry until he was ready, may just be rethinking all that. And not just because of his dying fathers ultimatum.

Lady Rebecca stopped to admire one of the roses. Still a relatively young Bloom cupped in her hand.

“It’s so beautiful…so pure and undamaged.”

“It is well protected from the elements here. But flowers which are not so well protected are just as beautiful.”

“But not pure.” He blanched. She sounded so defeated – as if by his insult, Newthorpe had stolen the last of her fight. He waited a moment, choosing his words carefully.

“There are different kinds of purity my lady. I believe purity in heart and mind are most important. A flower may have a blemish which was cause by a violent storm, but its fragrance will remain sweet and its beauty intact.”

Ohhhhhhhhh this rake won me over right then and there with that statement. And right then I was rooting for him to take her and make her his forever. I wanted Rebecca to have her happily ever after.

So I read this book in one entire sitting in about 5 hours and OMG I LOVED THIS BOOK. I can not say that enough. How absolutely tender and patient Daniel was with Rebecca, how as much as he did not want to admit to being in love, to falling in love, to thinking he would just marry to have an heir to please his father, Rebecca changes all of that.

And Rebecca accepting his hand in marriage thinking it is a nice offer and really her only hope of ever being married learns with Daniels tender touch that marriage and love with a man is not anything like what she first experienced.

Of course what is a book without some twists and there are some in here and Daniel and Rebecca certainly have their bumps along the way, but in the end, wow what these two share is so amazing. The love scenes are always so tender, enticing, exciting, titillating and oh make you want to hurry through the in between parts to see how they interact in the next scene, will she explore more, will he be restrained or will he finally just show her everything. Oh man I could not put this book down and once you open it up neither will you.