The Art of Taming a Rake

Legendary Lovers #4

by Nicole Jordan

Sparks abound in this sizzling new Legendary Lovers tale from New York Times bestselling author Nicole Jordan, in which a seductive rakehell must woo his spirited but love-shy bride while unmasking a mysterious assailant.

Despite his notorious reputation, Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne, has mostly honorable intentions. So when beautiful Venetia Stratham boldly enters a gentlemen’s club, demanding that Quinn stop courting her sister, he does what any bachelor would do: He kisses her. With her sharp wit, intoxicating passion, and surprising vulnerability, Venetia is irresistible—except for all this nonsense about threatening to shoot Quinn. But when clandestine enemies make an actual attempt on the earl’s life, Venetia is implicated. To save her good name, Quinn does what any true gentleman must do: He proposes.

Thus Venetia finds herself wed to arrogant, wickedly sensual Quinn, whose devilish ways are as legendary as his rumored skills as a lover. Yet vexingly, her body rebels against her vow to remain immune to his many charms. If only she could reform the infuriating nobleman—without diminishing his undeniable allure. As Venetia discovers that a true rake is hard to tame, Quinn faces an even greater challenge: winning his wife’s fragile trust . . . while defending both their lives.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Enemies To Lovers

373 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 26, 2016

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Nicole Jordan spins delightful tales that simmer with passion and sensuality. In her former life, Nicole grew up as an Army brat, moving frequently and attending high school in Germany. She later earned a civil engineering degree from Georgia Tech and spent eight years as a manufacturing manager making disposable diapers and toilet tissue! Currently Nicole lives in the Rocky Mountains of Utah with her real-life hero (her husband) and beloved kids (her horses).

With over two-dozen historical romances to her credit and four million books in print, set in numerous eras and locales, Nicole now enjoys chronicling the sparks that fly when Regency lovers play the matrimonial mating game.

One of her novels had the dubious honor of being humorously spotlighted by Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show." On a more serious note, Nicole's romances regularly appear on numerous bestseller lists, including The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today, and have earned such honors as RITA finalist, RWA's Favorite Book of the Year, the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Historical Romance, and the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence, presented by a group of over one hundred romance reviewers.

Reviews

[Geri Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this one. The rake falling for a disgraced virgin is a tried and true formula in historical romances. Quinn Wilde is a libertine with a scandalous reputation. Venetia called off her wedding during the ceremony when her intended arrived at the church straight out of the bed of his mistress. This earned her the ire of her own family and society in general because a woman in her position should've ignored her fiance's philandering apparently. But Venetia couldn't stand idly by. Because of this, she was vanished to France.

Two years later, Venetia is back in London after hearing word that her younger sister caught the eye of a certain rake, Quinn. Not wanting her sister to go through the things she went through, Venetia goes to Quinn to try and convince him to leave her sister alone. But when Quinn's life was put in danger and Venetia got involved, Quinn had to convince her to marry him to save not just her already sullied reputation but her sister's as well.

Like I said, I enjoyed this book. I wish I could give it more stars but story wise, it's nothing I haven't read before. There were some fun banter and hot sexy times but I wasn't over the moon in love with it. The characters were okay but there wasn't anything particularly interesting about them that stood out to me. Quinn didn't really live up to his rakish reputation. He was a bit boring, to be honest.

So overall, The Art of Taming a Rake was a good book, it just wasn't phenomenal.

ARC provided by Ballantine via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expected release date: January 26th 2016 by Bellantine Books

Story Rating ~ 4 Stars
Hero Rating ~ 5 I LOVED HIM Stars!
Heroine Rating ~ 5 Perfect Heroine Stars!
Romance Rating ~ 5 BIG Romantic Stars!
Heat Level ~ 3.5 SENSUAL Stars!
Ending ~ 4.5 Happy Stars!
Overall Rating ~ 4.5 I Believe You Stars!

Let me start by saying that Nicole Jordan once held the spot of Queen of historical romances in my eyes. Way back when I started reading, I was ALL about reading historical romances. It just took me reading one of Nicole Jordan books and I was hooked. Over the years I would go crazy waiting on her next book to release. I can honestly say that there are still a few of her books I read that are still in my top favorite reads. Then the unthinkable happened, the heat was turned down to a simmer and I lost interest in reading her books. I’m not saying that they were bad by any means but I really enjoy sensuality and some good steam added into my reads. Then I saw The Art of Taming a Rake offered up on Netgalley and lately I’ve been craving to read more historical romances so I thought YES, I’d LOVE to see if Nicole has added the spiciness back into her books. I got my answer to that question as I read and the sexual tension between Quinn and Venetia heated up the pages quite nicely for me. I could feel it blazing off the pages with just a look, with just a kiss. I REALLY felt their attraction throughout this book and I LOVED every moment.

The story line was really good and kept me interested all the way through. Quinn our hero was dead set against falling in love due to something that happened to him in the past. It did not help that Quinn was front and center when he brought Venetia’s former betrothed to the church on their wedding day while her betrothed was drunk and straight out of his mistress’s bed. Needless to say that Venetia was not some simpering miss and called the wedding off right then and there. Now it is years later and Venetia has been an outcast from her family and society because of the scandal of her calling off her wedding. She finds out that Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne has taken an interest in her younger sister and that won’t due at all. Venetia does not want her sister to marrying a rake who will undoubtedly cheat on her and make her life unhappy. So Venetia sets out to a brothel in disguise wanting to find Quinn and stop him from having anymore contact with her younger sister.

There is someone who is out to kill Quinn, as he is escorting Venetia out of the brothel before more scandal befalls upon her, someone shots him as Venetia holds a gun on him trying to get him to agree to leave her sister alone. Now everyone thinks its Venetia that shot him. In order to STOP even more scandal in Venetia’s life, Quinn decides that they should get married and just have a marriage of convenience until they find out just who is trying to kill him.

I loved reading how these two grew closer as they tried to figure out who was after Quinn and why. There was a lot of different things that played a role in who and why someone was out to kill him. It took a while for this to all play out. The whole time Quinn and Venetia feelings grew stronger as they worried about each other’s safety.

Quinn was so generous and tender with Venetia. He always held an attraction to her from the very moment he laid eyes on her. When they finally could not resist each other and hit the sheets for the first time IIIIIEEEEEEEEE the heat kicked up and had me squirming in my seat. Of course with most romances they both tried VERY hard not to fall in love. But with danger around every corner they finally realized that they were indeed the perfect match. When they finally declare their love for one another it was SO ROMANTIC! I was smiling and sighing the whole time.

In the end, the bad guy is found and Quinn and Venetia are happily married. The only reason I gave this book a 4.5 instead of a 5 star rating is because I wished there would have been an epilogue offered up, just a small look into the future would have been greatly appreciated. Nicole did do a great job of setting up a next book up to this series. I will be anxiously waiting on its release.

In closing I just want to add that even though The Art of Taming a Rake is book 4 in the series, I read it just fine as a standalone. The only thing is, I now want to read the first 3 books in the series too.

* I received an ARC from Bellantine Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3 stars

Frowning slightly, she thought back to what she remembered of Shakespeare's comedy. Katharina, the headstrong elder sister of modest daughter Bianca, had scared away all of Bianca's suitors with her shrewish tongue until Petruchio appeared and promised to turn Katharina into an obedient bride.
When understanding dawned, Venetia gave Quinn an arch glance. "So I am the shrew?"
The gleam was back in his eyes, and so was the provocative devil. "You must admit you can be a real termagant when you choose. And you blighted your sister's prospects of marrying me."
"You never mentioned the parallels before."
"Because I knew you would bristle. I was bristling myself at the idea of being Pygmalion. Kate should have known better than to think I would ever want a statue for my wife."
"No, I can't imagine you would," Venetia returned with genuine amusement.
"I would rather have a shrew."
"Would you?" she asked skeptically.
"A shrew is more interesting by far. I am happy with the sister I married."

Although, I felt a little lost in the beginning and a little towards the end when more past characters came around, it wasn't too much of a trial to start the series here with book 4. I rather liked calm and cool Quinn and felt for Venetia every time she bristled because her view of men had been colored and she didn't have the life experience to see them any other way. I read some reviews that complained Quinn wasn't "rakish" enough to be called one but I thought that was one of the points the author was trying to make, he wasn't really one. The "tabloids" of the day sensationalized him and his doings to sell papers and Venetia fell for it. I do think the author could have emphasized this more by having more point of views from Quinn and giving the reader better insight to him. It's mentioned that he was always attracted to Venetia but as his friend grew attached to her first, he never made a move but he always liked her; this should have been played up more.

I thought after they were married and went to the country, about 35% in, is when the story really slowed down. Instead of having the couple grow to know each other with deeper interactions, most of it felt like filler. There would be hints to Quinn calmly but surely breaking through Venetia's misconceptions but other than tiny little look-ins to this, we mostly just get Venetia thinking "oh hey, maybe he's not a rake"; their time alone in the country felt like a wasted endeavor and I felt it all could have edited out.

I don't know if it was a consequence of having not read the other books but the whole assassin plot felt extremely tagged on, especially in the beginning. It consisted of three random short lived attacks on Quinn and then at the end it spun into a past generation decades old grudge that really didn't have anything to do with our couple.

The tropes of (sort of) enemies-to-lovers and forced marriage are often found in romance but I still found myself liking this story. There was a little more focus on the sensual aspects of our couple's relationship but I liked the way those scenes were written, in fact I found the whole story to be very affable. I wish we could have gotten more scenes from Quinn's point of view (I ended up liking him a lot with his calm, cool, but also unassuming teasing manner) and Venetia could have turned the corner a little quicker on her attitude towards Quinn but it captured my attention enough that I'll definitely check out the previous stories in the series, I hear talk of a pirate in the family! :)

[Lady Gabriella of Awesomeness (SLOW) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 Teeth-pulling Star :(

“I don’t know if I can believe you. I am no longer the naive, trusting girl I once was.” ~Said the heroine,LITERALLY for the whole freakin book *signs in frustration*


Look,I get that she was burnt by love before *cough*ex-fiancé!*cough*,but that DOES NOT give her a right to go around and blame the hero or the WHOLE MALE GENDER for literally everything,even though the whole situation on which this plot is built was actually the heroine's doing.

Best two words to describe the heroine-Angry & Bitter


All she does is curse the male gender and suspiciously cross questions the hero on little everything bytwisting his words.
God ! I really hated her character with passion!...until we reached CHAPTER 15 or 16,that is.
When all of a sudden while experiencing a moment of glorified passion with the hero *rolls eyes* the heroine suddenly realizes that she is DESPERATELY in love with her husband and becomes all together,a brand new (ie,unbelievably sweet) person !



After this chapter the author all together abandons the hero and heroine to their own devices and rushes about to bring about certain incidents that were required to create a climax for the story.In fact it was so rushed..It almost seems like the author forgot that there was a sub-plot to this story.

I for one kind of figured out the villian,almost immediately and to be honest so did the characters as well,as they raced against time to bring justice. The last quarter of this book ,like I said,super rushed..The whole thing kind of resolved within a chapter or two and the hero and heroine ended up getting their HEA without much of the predicted angst.



The last 4% deserves a star for good effort,but other than that I can't see to bring myself to rate this book any higher after all the pain and misery it put me through to reach it's ending.

All in all would not recommend.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Summary 
Quinn Wilde, the Earl of Traherne is not what he appears to be. To many he is known as a disreputable rake, and to Venetia he is everything that rumors claims him to be. But for Venetia Stratham, she has reason to distrust Quinn. They have a history. Venetia previous bethrothed, she learned on their wedding day, that he had a mistress even though he claimed to love her. Venetia ended their bethrothal and a scandal erupted and Venetia had to deal with the fall out. She doesn't trust any man, especially since Quinn was once friends with the one man she gave her heart to and broke her trust in men. But when she learns that Quinn has been rumored to have taken a sincere interest in her sister, Venetia is determined to make sure that doesn't happen. She will do anything for her sister. But when Quinn and Venetia are caught in a horrible scandal, Venetia and Quinn will need to marry or the fallout will effect her sister in the worst ways. Neither Quinn or Venetia are looking for a love match, but when the unexpected happens will they embrace it or scorn it?
The Hero 
Our hero, Quinn Wilde is such a delicious character. Boy did I have a blast reading him. Quinn is one of the Wilde's, very protective of his family, intelligent, a bit of a scientist and has been known to gamble, drink and enjoy the pleasures of the fairer sex. Quinn is quite well rounded, at first I would never have expected to see the depths of his character come forth as the story unravels. When we learns of his history especially considering his parents. He is driven to succeed and a bit of a mystery sleuth. But he isn't all seriousness...in fact he can be quite mischievous and devil may care at times. We see various facets to his character and this made him all the more charming and engaging. We also see that even though he doesn't believe in love, he has honor and integrity.
The Heroine 
Venetia Stratham, is quite a match for our hero. Although I feel like her character isn't revealed bit by bit...we see her in her full glory from the beginning which was diffferent. Venetia hasn't had the best luck when it comes to men. She is bold, daring and says what's on her mind when the situation warrants it. She understands the culture that she wa raised in, and the strict code of honor and scandal she has to live by. She can be rash at times, but this aspect of her character is what makes her seem so vibrant in the story. She has this spirit that I loved, and on some level I connected with her. She was once betrayed, but she still believes in love and wants to have it for herself one day. Venetia has a quiet inner strength that I admired greatly.

She only knew that she intended to fight for his love with every ounce of strength and determination she possessed.

Her parents set her aside to live in France, when the scandal errupted. They refused contact with her younger sister, with whom she was very close to. We see how devoted she is to her sister, and what lengths she will go to to protect her....even if that means thretening Quinn with a pistol. She was quite a unique character.
Plot and Story Line 
The Art of Taming a Rake was simply fantastic and I honestly couldn't get enough of these two!! I did have a bit of a headache while reading it, whihc I think contributed to not being able to enjoy it as much. However despite that...I found a very charming and likable romance and I adored getting more of a Legendary Lovers theme. Now this series is based on famous lovers. This book resembles "Taming of the Shrew". Its not a play I am super familiar with however. But I still enjoyed seeing these two fall in love. I can't help but admire the Wilde family...they are a very engaging and fun family. I love their sense of closeness, and I love the set up of each of them finding a love match for life.

In this story, we have a book that is very engaging. What I have always admired by this author is the way that she pulls the reader into her story. Nicole Jordan is quite unique and her writing style is one I can never get enough of. Both characters are simply wonderful for each other. In many ways they understand each other's needs. I really loved seeing the way these two work through mistrust and find a common ground. This book was such a quick read, and I couldn't believe it when it was over. I was thinking...wow did I just read all that??!!! But yes I did. What we see at first is a great chemistry between these two.

Her lips trembled under his. Encouraged, he changed the slant of his head and took her mouth more thoroughly, coaxing her to participate in her own seduction. When finally she opened completely to him, Quinn felt the unexpected impact like a jolt of lighting: heat, pleasure, excitement, sheer satisfaction

They could set a match to a forest fire with the heat that passes between them. I loved seeing the sexual chemistry grow into something more tangible with emotion.

Another great aspect to the story that was one of my favorites...was the mystery and a bit of "cloak and Dagger" themes. We have a mystery that Quinn is trying to solve about his parent's deaths. He suspects that it was no accident. But when he has multiple attempts on his life, he knows the killer is after him because Quinn is getting too close to the truth. This adds a unique element to the story that raises the bar. I found that this portion of the story is very much needed because this is what brings Quinn and Venetia together and makes them realize what they mean to each other and admit their feelings at the right time.

If you put your heart in my hands, I swear to cherish it and keep it safe always

The ending was simply perfect and I got a bit teary eyed while reading it. I loved how it leaves us fully satisfied with the romance, while giving us a teaser for the next book. *eek....I can't wait!!*
The Cover 
What a beautiful cover....pure love!! The pose is so sensual and romantic. I love the mix of colors that really pop with the bright yellow and pink. Seriously....this cover is one you want to jump right into.
Overall View 
The Art of Taming a Rake is a stimulating romance that takes us into another Legendary Lovers romance, we see passion, hidden depths of emotion and a thrilling tale to keep you excited from beginning to end.



[foogallery id="19406"]

[Bubu · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 30%

I'll be the one who goes against the majority of my GR friends who have read this book and I'm sorry, but no. This book didn't work for me at all.

The heroine drove me mad. At one point she and the hero are being shot at, she has an unloaded gun with her, and I have to read this:

She started to aim her pistol, for what purpose she wasn’t certain since her weapon wasn’t loaded and she couldn’t return fire.

For what purpose this scene was built in I had no clue. And this is how she acts most of the time, clueless, headless, brainless. There are so many more scenes like the one above, I just gave up.

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was good. It just didn't seem all that different from the hundreds of historical novels I have read. Quinn is a misunderstood rake who has been attracted to Venetia, his friend's former fiancée for a long time. Venetia goes to a gaming den to spy and warn Quinn off her sister. Toss in someone trying to kill Quinn, a disgruntled former mistress, and a "scandal" necessitating marriage and voilà, you've got this story.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story of two people, burned by love, who find themselves joined in a marriage of convenience. Two years earlier Venetia broke off her engagement on the steps of the church when her fiancé showed up for their wedding drunk, disheveled, and straight from his mistress's bed. Thanks to the resulting scandal, her parents banished her to France and refused to have anything to do with her. She has returned to England after hearing that Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne and notorious rake, is courting her younger sister. She is determined to prevent Ophelia from suffering the same heartbreak that she did. To that end, she disguises herself and confronts Quinn in the gentlemen's club where he is playing cards. But it does not go quite as she expected.

Quinn has earned his reputation as a rake. Years ago he fell in love with a woman who only wanted him for his title and his wealth. Since that time, he has avoided allowing his emotions to get involved, limiting his liaisons to women who know what to expect. In this instance, he has the best of intentions. He has long felt guilty for his part in Venetia's disgrace and has decided that appearing to court Ophelia will raise her up in Society's eyes. He is surprised by Venetia's appearance and somewhat amused by her demands.

I enjoyed this initial confrontation. Venetia is bold and determined to do what she must to protect her sister. Unfortunately, she gets into a bit of trouble when she is accosted by a drunken gambler. Quinn, who recognized her almost immediately, comes to her rescue by claiming her as his own with a searing kiss. A short discussion and agreement to meet the next day has them leaving by a discreet back entrance. Things go a bit sideways when Quinn is attacked by three thugs, but he fights them off and gets Venetia to safety. A second attack the next day delays his meeting with Venetia, and impatient; she shows up at his home, angry at being stood up. During another contentious discussion, Venetia pulls a pistol on Quinn at the same time someone takes a shot at him. Initially implicated in the attack, to protect Venetia's name, Quinn proposes marriage.

Venetia is not easy to convince. She had resigned herself to the life of a spinster thanks to the scandal of her non-wedding. Plus, the thought of marrying a man cut from the same cloth as her ex-fiancé does not make her happy. However, to keep her sister from suffering from the effects of another scandal involving Venetia, she agrees to a marriage in name only. Quinn had never seen himself entering into marriage but finds himself very protective of Venetia. Besides wanting to save her from more scandal, he is also afraid that whoever is trying to kill him would also hurt her.

I loved the development of their relationship. Venetia is determined not to trust Quinn. Because of her attraction to him, she can see herself being hurt when his inevitable infidelity occurs. Quinn is attracted and fascinated by Venetia but refuses to allow himself to fall in love. As they leave London for a time to allow Quinn's injury to heal and his friend to investigate the attacks, Venetia and Quinn are given the opportunity to get to know each other. As they do, Venetia discovers that Quinn is not the unrepentant rake that she thought he was. Instead, she finds an intelligent, charming and amazingly kind man that slowly overcomes her trust issues. For his part, Quinn finds Venetia to be honest, vibrant, and fun to talk to. Underneath it all is a simmering attraction that draws them even closer together. Though both resist the idea that they are falling in love, they don't deny the ever-growing passion. When they finally give in to it, the result is a far deeper connection than either expected. I loved seeing the mutual protectiveness, as Quinn worried about the assassin going after Venetia, and Venetia concerned that Quinn is putting his life at risk in attempting to draw the attacker out. It's rather fun to see them try to deny the feelings that are driving them while at the same time trying to figure out how to make the other one want to continue their marriage. It isn't until Venetia is in danger that Quinn can admit his feelings to himself. I loved his big moment at the end when he exposes his vulnerability to Venetia. It was a sweet and romantic beginning to the rest of their life together.

The mystery of the attacks on Quinn was very well done. The intensity of the attacks built with each incident, along with the puzzle of who is behind them. Quinn wonders if the attacks have something to do with the jewels that were supposedly lost during his parents' shipwreck deaths, but one of which is being worn by a former mistress of his. Or perhaps it is related to his work in building a steam-powered ship. Personally, I suspected the scorned mistress. The final confrontation was fast-paced and intense. One of my favorite things about it was that Venetia wasn't the helpless damsel in distress, but took an active and quite clever role in it. I did ache for Quinn when the motives behind it all were revealed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the various family dynamics. Quinn's relationships with his family members are close and loving, but also realistic. I loved his dual motivation in "courting" Ophelia - help her, and also get his cousin and sister off his back regarding getting married. I loved that they were there for Quinn when he needed them, both in making Venetia welcome and later in catching the bad guy. Venetia's relationship with her parents was starkly opposite. Their rejection of her because she refused to marry her cheating fiancé was so wrong. Even after she married Quinn, it took some not-so-veiled threats from him to get them to loosen up even a little bit. I did like her sister Ophelia, who was sweet and loving.

[Juliana Philippa · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some good components to this book, and I was looking forward to it given the premise, but unfortunately it just ... fell flat for me. About halfway through I started to get really bored — frankly, I would have put the book down and stopped reading, had I not received the book as an ARC and thus felt compelled to read the entirety so I could give a comprehensive and fair review.

Plot Summary. Venetia Stratham (~21) is convinced that her younger sister, Ophelia, is in danger of being ruined and/or unhappily married to a rake of the first order: the Earl of Traherne, Quinn Wilde (31). Two years ago, Venetia caused a scandal by breaking off her engagement the morning of her wedding; her almost-husband showed up late, smelling of perfume, hungover, and looking rumpled and horrible — which will happen, when you go straight from your mistress's bed to the church. Her parents essentially disowned her, and she's been spending the last 2 years in France with a widow friend of hers. And now she's back, to scare the big, bad wolf away from her sister!

Turns out, Quinn is not a bad guy after all, and kind of had a thing for Venetia from the beginning (he's not an a-hole though; he left her alone because she was engaged to his friend). The reason he's been asking Ophelia to dance at balls and paying attention to her is to try and undo some of the damage that Ophelia inherited from Venetia's scandal. He feels some guilt from the whole thing, since he knew what this friend was like and never said anything or tried to stop him, so he's trying to make it up by bringing Venetia's family back into the warm, and loving fold of the ton.

Quinn wants Venetia to keep pestering him though, so he doesn't tell her the truth upfront; unfortunately, when she's on another one of her confrontational bents, someone tries to shoot Quinn, and somehow the rumor starts that it's Venetia who shot him. Oh no! Wait, there's a way to fix this: marriage of convenience in order to avoid scandal! Thus the adventure begins: they're on the run from an unknown killer, trying to solve a decades-old family mystery (kind of), and falling in love with each other though they don't want to but once they realize they have then they don't want to show the other because they're both afraid of love and being hurt, etc. etc.

My Thoughts. I liked Venetia and I liked Quinn. Venetia was put in a really difficult situation, and that she would stand up for herself in that day and age, given the consequences, I thought was pretty fantastic. She's gorgeous and Quinn is so attracted to her and blah, blah, blah, but while normally that turns me off from the beginning, in this instance her unusual character background intrigued me. Quinn, it turns out, though he is a charmer, doesn't seem to be a man-slut from anything we've seen, and from the beginning has a clear sense of honor and duty. He respects and admires Venetia greatly for what she did that day, and he feels a sense of responsibility. We never see the supposed douche-bag side of him, and Venetia eventually sees that she's painting him with the same brush as her fiance without real reason.

I don't like the instant lust thing or the constant lust thing and there was far too much of that for me. Everything was very repetitive, really, that was the overall problem. I honestly wish I had counted — they secretly / surprisingly / whatever feel protective of each other and tenderness toward one another SO OFTEN, like every other page; it was so tiring. There was also their feelings of attraction, followed by the backing away; then the constant not wanting to fall in love, because they didn't want to be hurt, due to past experiences; then the realizing they love each other, but can't just tell the other person, so have to try to secretly sway them into wanting to have a real marriage (they'd agreed to separate once the murderer was found); etc.

I also didn't find the mystery very compelling; in the end, it is all pretty far-fetched and is obviously just a plot driver.

The Series. You can read this book without having read the others (as I did), and not get lost. Overall, the Wilde clan seems to be fun and I might check out some of their stories, even though Quinn's really didn't do it for me; Katharine is next/last, and I liked her character and that she's such a romantic.
Book 1 — Princess Charming
Book 2 — Lover Be Mine
Book 3 — Secrets of Seduction
Book 4 — The Art of Taming a Rake

Bottom Line. Never like saying this — believe me, would much rather love a book and have a fabulous time while reading it — but skip it; not worth the time.

*This is a review of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher

(Written January 31, 2016)

[Kiltsandswords · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Art of Taming a Rake by Nicole Jordan

Overview by Netgalley:

Despite his notorious reputation, Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne, has mostly honorable intentions. So when beautiful Venetia Stratham boldly enters a gentlemen's club, demanding that Quinn stop courting her sister, he does what any bachelor would do: He kisses her. With her sharp wit, intoxicating passion, and surprising vulnerability, Venetia is irresistible—except for all this nonsense about threatening to shoot Quinn. But when clandestine enemies make an actual attempt on the earl's life, Venetia is implicated. To save her good name, Quinn does what any true gentleman must do: He proposes.
 
Thus Venetia finds herself wed to arrogant, wickedly sensual Quinn, whose devilish ways are as legendary as his rumored skills as a lover. Yet vexingly, her body rebels against her vow to remain immune to his many charms. If only she could reform the infuriating nobleman—without diminishing his undeniable allure. As Venetia discovers that a true rake is hard to tame, Quinn faces an even greater challenge: winning his wife's fragile trust . . . while defending both their lives.

There is something so wonderful about reading a book from an author that you love. You know that the writing will be superb, the story well developed and it will be enjoyable. I recently read a book that was a disappointment. The story was all of the place, it was frustrating and ultimately unsatisfying. I was so relieved when I saw that a book by Nicole Jordan was next on my to-be-read list. I have never gone wrong reading one of her stories.

One thing Nicole Jordan does really well, is that she creates amazing chemistry between her lovers. She writes such hot scenes, full of wanting and desire that they stay with you. I can still remember with amazing clarity some of the spicy scenes she has written in past books. This story did not let me down. Quinn is so confident and sexy. He has all the charisma and charm that you want in your Regency lover. Venetia was a fabulous character who was strong and fiesty. Nicole Jordan gets creative and imaginative with her love scenes and the reader is the very lucky beneficiary of this!

Her books are not all about the sexual chemistry of the characters. There is an excellent plot here. The story develops quickly, which is fabulous as many stories take a long time to unwind. I actually couldn’t believe how far along I was in the book as I was enjoying it so much. This story doesn’t just feature a great love story. There is family strife and mysterious assassin attempts to keep the plot moving along. This book is never boring and never strays outside of the excellent formula she has created.

I could talk about how Quinn had to work really hard to gain Venetia’s trust and prove to her that he was not a licentious rake, but it’s so much more fun to read all about the convincing!

If you are a fan of Nicole Jordan’s work, then you will enjoy the secondary characters in this book. Many of them have been featured in their own books or other series she has written.

This is a great story. I think what was so great reading this book was that I KNEW I was in the hands of an accomplished author who has the skill and imagination to create a great adventure. I highly recommend checking out this book!

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.

The Art of Taming a Rake features one of my favourite historical romance tropes: the marriage of convenience.

Venetia Stratham has returned from the continent after hearing rumours that Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne is paying court to her younger sister. Not on Venetia’s watch he’s not.

Burned by her rakish betrothed years ago, Venetia sets out to make sure that her sister does not suffer a relationship with a lord that is incapable of being faithful. Naturally, Venetia decides she must confront Quinn in a gentleman’s. Just managing to skate ruin (again), Venetia heads over to Quinn’s mansion to confront him once again having not received the definitive answer she wanted. When Quinn’s shot and Venetia found holding the pistol, Quinn decides to do the honorable thing and proposes marriage, otherwise Venetia will be the talk of the ton and her sister’s chances at a successful marriage will be ruined. Since saving her sister was the whole point of her escapes, Venetia reluctantly agrees to the marriage with the caveat that she can return to the continent when Quinn determines who’s out to harm his person. As is expected, this marriage of convenience becomes something less than convenient very quickly.

Considering the whole “marriage of convenience” element to The Art of Taming a Rake I had really high expectations of this book. And while I did like The Art of Taming a Rake there were a few elements that I wasn’t a fan of. First, there was a lot of flowery language - and a lot of usage of the word “tenderness”. I suppose this could have conveyed a deeper sense of emotion between Quinn and Venetia, but for me, it conveyed an artificiality that didn’t appeal to me. The language used also seemed to hide the relationship development rather than have readers participate in the slow burn between Quinn and Venetia. Readers are told that these two are talking and getting closer, but readers don’t actually “see” this happen. Personally, I would have liked a bit more emphasis on Quinn and Venetia’s relationship outside of the bedroom. The author did a great job conveying Quinn and Venetia’s physical intimacy but something was lacking in their emotional intimacy.

In addition to a writing style that was more tell than show, I also found the reasons for Quinn’s reluctance to fall in love a little unrealistic. Venetia’s reasons, those I buy. She jilted her betrothed on their wedding day after he arrives at the church unkempt having just left his mistress’s bed. Yeah, I think Venetia’s warranted in her trust issues. Quinn, on the other hand, was apparently burned by a fortune hunter in his youth (I think he was 18). Now as a thirty-year-old man, Quinn is still hung up on this betrayal. Really? This adult can’t get over having his heart broken as a young lordling? Somehow I can’t believe that, nor did I feel that it fit within Quinn’s character. Since readers have very little information about this betrayal, it seemed an issue with out of proportion consequences to Quinn and Venetia's relationship.

While the initial banter between Quinn and Venetia was done really, really well, by the end I felt something was missing. There’s a large chunk of their relationship that I just feel like readers were not privy to. Venetia seemed to “tame” Quinn rather quickly with Quinn only putting up a token resistance. The Art of Taming a Rake is a nice read, but ultimately I was looking for stronger character development between the leads.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Netgalley for honest review.

Venetia, our heroine is on a mission. Her mission is to stop our hero, Quinn from pursuing her sister and marrying her. Venentia is well aware of the hero's reputation as a rake and of the many hearts he has broken.

She has first hand experience in dealing with rakes and heartache. On her wedding day Venetia watches in horror as the man she is about to marry arrives in cloths from the prior evening and hungover from a night with his mistress. And it's none other then Quinn who is assisting/carrying him to the church, being his friend and doing what he believes is the correct and honorable thing to do. Being true to herself Venetia flees the church knowing there is no way she could marry this man. In doing so she caused a scandal that her parents couldn't forgive. Veneita flees to France for two years until she hears of her sister possible courtship/marriage to Quinn and knows she need to return and save her sister.

And the story opens with Veneita entering a gentleman's club searching for Quinn and hoping to do whatever she can to stop him from pursuing her sister. Quinn recognizes Venetia immediately, even though she is wearing a mask and a turban. He see's her trying to resist a man's advance and comes to her rescue. And so begins the development of their romance. Veneita and Quinn find themselves physically drawn to each other (Veneita struggles with her attraction knowing he's a rake) and circumstances put them in a situation where they have to marry. They slowly begin to see sides of each other that they admire and respect. Veneita begins to realize that there is so much more to Quinn then she first thought. She was coming to admire and like him, a lot. Quinn was becoming very protective of Veneita and developing tender feelings towards her.He was beginning to realizing how much she had been hurt and had given up these past two years.

Both MC had past hurts that skewed their beliefs/feelings on relationships. Each found the other attractive in the past but knew they couldn't really go there. But now as they both find themselves in a new situation and with these feeling that are now evolving, they begin to see possibilities for true and real love.

Okay I have to say right away that Quinn was hands down swoon worthy and was the star of this story. Wow what a darling of a hero. The way he treated and spoke to Venetia had me melting. She was one lucky heroine. These two had instant attraction and chemistry that had some hot moments in the book. There is a little bit of a suspense, in that someone is trying to kill Quinn but felt that was more of a back drop really. The romance was front and center, which was fine with me.

The pacing and character development were good. Had me engaged and involved pretty much throughout the book. There were a few times that I felt it lagged somewhat, but not bad. Enjoyable read!!!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2016/01...

Regency England meets Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in The Art of Taming a Rake . Nicole Jordan gives playful nods to the Bard while still managing to deliver a story uniquely her own in this fast-paced, sexy, highly entertaining romance.

Quinn is an utterly delicious hero. He’s got that easy, natural charm I adore, a sinfully sensual nature, is intelligent, loyal, and honorable. How can a reader resist a hero like that? Quinn was burned in the past by love and has lost loved ones, so he’s determined that he will guard his heart and never fall in love. Of course, it’s obvious from the start that he’s completely entranced by Venetia and could easily lose his heart to her. She’s an outcast, a lady who dared to publicly call off her wedding after learning of her fiancé’s infidelity. Since that fateful day, Venetia has been living abroad, honing her talent as an artist and living a life quite unlike the one she had been raised to lead. Like Quinn, she was hurt, badly, by someone who should have loved her. Quinn used to be close with her former fiancé and his rakish reputation is well known, so no matter how tempting she finds him, Venetia resists her attraction to him. Her sharp tongue and independent nature may intimidate much of the ton, but not Quinn. When he and Venetia find themselves wed in a most unusual set of circumstances, the forced time together gives them the opportunity to truly see the person they have married. It was delightful watching them grow close, even as they try to fight the inevitable. It isn’t easy for them to open their hearts, to trust each other and their growing closeness enough to risk everything on love, but Ms. Jordan makes every bump in the road worth it. Venetia and Quinn have powerful chemistry and this makes the pages of The Art of Taming a Rake fly by.

The Art of Taming a Rake is the fourth book in Ms. Jordan’s Legendary Lovers series, but it can be easily read as a standalone. But fans of the series need not worry – Quinn’s family members play strong supporting roles and add even more liveliness to the tale. Their appearances made me want to go back and revisit the first three Legendary Lovers books again, and it made me more eager than ever to see what Ms. Jordan has in store for the only unmarried Wilde left – Katharine. So whether you’re a dedicated Legendary Lovers fan or just enjoy a sexy and fun historical romance, you won’t want to miss The Art of Taming a Rake !


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5 stars

I thought I would enjoy this more than I did. It started off really good. I liked that Quinn & Venetia were dealing with an assassin, it added some mystery & adventure to the story. Once they removed themselves from this danger, though, it kind of slowed down for me. That's when they started to get to know each other and began falling in love. I don't mind that but for my tastes, there were too many sex scenes. I know these books are going to have that and that's when I kind of skim over because that's not why I read romances. I read them specifically for the romance not the sex. However, I did like the characters and the writing was good. (Towards the end, they also brought the element of mystery back, for which I'm thankful for.) Since I liked Kate, cousin to Quinn, I would like to read her book, which, I believe, is the next one in the series.

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinn has a little hellion on his hand girl knows where to hit him where it hurts, leaves him with blue balls, “you have already hurt me, love. This is twice tonight that you have left me aching.” There was an unmistakable spark of humor in his voice as he glanced down at his satin breeches and the large bulge there that proclaimed his male arousal." Well now Quinn is a caring man, he likes to share his excitement with his woman, "covering her hand with his, Quinn wrapped their joined fingers around his erection. “This is for you, sweet Venetia. Only for you.” Venetia was sassy and I like my lead females to be sassy. I really enjoyed this book.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

review to come

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The heroine was wonderful and refreshing. In the beginning I felt the hero was a bit flat, but as the story progressed he gained dimension. I liked his humor and easy going nature.
There were moments when I felt the story lagged and the villain was a bit predictable but this was a solid read.

[Adria's Musings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on Adria's Romance Reviews

* A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review.

Basically Venetia Stratham wants notorious Quinn Wilde, the Earl of Traherne to stop courting her sister so she tracks him down to a gentleman’s club to demand he do just that. Somewhere among her threats to shoot him and his kissing her, an actual attempt is made on Quinn’s life. Since Venetia threatened to shoot him in front of witnesses, she’s quickly implicated in the attempt. Quinn, being nobler than anyone gives him credit for, proposes in order to erase suspicion, and with no other option, Venetia accepts. The threats against Quinn don’t stop and the two have to work together to solve the mystery of who wants Quinn dead and why, all while fighting the growing attraction between them.



This was way more than just a marriage of convenience, it was a marriage born out of necessity and for me that added more interest in Quinn and Venetia as a couple. Quinn started out as indifferent towards Venetia, noticing her as he would have any pretty woman but nothing special and Venetia all but loathed him for courting her sister with his reputation. It was their determination to make the best out of their circumstances that gave them the chance to fall in love. The physical attraction was already there but Quinn and Venetia needed more than that to make their marriage work. The steady progression from physical to emotional connection was mixed with the adrenaline rush of attempts on Quinn’s life and the mystery of who was behind it all.

I loved Quinn, he was such a revelation. On the outside he appeared to be an amoral rake who seduced every woman he came in contact with, all without remorse but in reality he was a man who did love the ladies but would never stoop so low as to hurt an innocent woman. He was surprisingly gentle and nurturing for a titled man and so considerate of the lower class. There was no chance I wouldn’t fall for this character.

Venetia was a little harder to like. What appealed to me was the fact that she was strong willed enough to take her future into her own hands against her family’s objections and loyal enough to want to protect her sister from what she perceived as Quinn attempting to add her to his list of ruined women. What I didn’t like was that she sometimes acted immature and lacked a logical thought process especially when it came to Quinn. Even when she had proof and facts in front of her, Venetia would still vehemently deny that Quinn was a good man and that she was wrong about him. That stubborn pride combined with her immaturity gave me a few eye roll moments and had me doubting her appeal. It wasn’t until the last 30% of the book that she started to grow up and think like an adult rather than a petulant child.

Despite her shortcomings I think Venetia was a good match for Quinn, he could be himself with her and show her his softer side and she not only accepted him but fell in love with him because of it. I loved the pace of their relationship. It wasn’t insta-love and they had to really get to know each other a bit because of how their marriage came about. I liked that it wasn’t too fast to be unbelievable or too slow and boring. Quinn added an element of fun and playfulness to the relationship that Venetia didn’t expect but enjoyed nonetheless.

I will say that The Art of Taming a Rake did bump around a bit in the conflict department. I felt that there were one too many conflicts for just one story. More than once Quinn and/or Venetia were derailed in their search for the person responsible for wanting Quinn dead. I really didn’t think those side trips were necessary since the bigger issue was the unknown assailant.

The lack of interference from Quinn’s family was a blessing. My biggest complaint with this series has been how meddlesome his cousin Katherine was. She annoyed me to no end with her persistent nagging that each of the Wilde clan was destined to find love based on legends of the world’s greatest lovers. Kate does make several appearances in The Art of Taming a Rake but thankfully her overbearing, nagging personality was toned down A LOT.

Final Verdict: While this series isn’t on par with Jordan’s earlier books, particularly her Courtship Wars series, it’s still enjoyable and The Art of Taming a Rake has so far been the best one. Kate’s story is next and long time fans of Jordan’s will recognize the name Brandon Deverill from yet another earlier series, The Paradise series.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful romance with strong characters, one who believes that marriage should be for love , but afraid of being hurt . The other determined not to love; because it hurts too much.

Quinn Wilde, the Earl of Trahene is an honorable man, not that the gossip section of the papers would support that, they read more along the lines that he is a gambler and an all out libertine.
Miss Venetia Stratham fully believes that description, afterall Traherne is the one who brought her fiancée to St George's two years ago on her wedding day directly for her fiancee's mistress bed, ruff tumbled and smelling of cheap perfume. What is the saying birds of a feather. What did she get for not wanting to marry a man who could obviously not be faithful, shun by the ton and banished by her own family.
Two years later Venetia has returned to London, why , because Tranerne has made the gossip columns as courting her younger sister Ophelia; and Venetia would be damned if her sister would have to suffer a rake, she should be able to marry for love and not her parents aspirations!

Venetia is determined to stop Quinn from perusing her sister but in doing so. She puts herself time and time again in compromising positions, the first by showing up at club sin and leaving herself open to advances by drunken rakes and dandies . Quinn however recognizes her behind her half mask and the advances of these men sends him into an outright protection mode, of course it was no hardship kissing her in front of a room full of people to make it quite clear he had claimed the lovely lady for the night.
What Venetia did not expect was to feel what she did during that kiss or the lingering desire it ignited ,nor did Quinn expect to have any lingering feelings , of course he always wanted her but one did not do that to ones friend and her former fiancée had been a friend.
Venetia continues to insist upon speaking to him and dissuading him from courting his sister, what she does not realize he has been paying attention to Ophelia in order to generate interest in her by the other gentlemen to offset what happened two years ago. Promising to meet with her tomorrow he is able to get her to leave club sin, but Venetia is drawn in to mystery when they are set upon by a group of men intent upon hurting Quinn while he was taking her to her coach.
Now drawn into this mystery , Quinn is even more intent upon protecting Venetia. And protecting her leads to a lot more kisses and some very intimate moments..
Arc copy provided via Netgalley for an honest review .

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book four in the "Legendary Lovers" series. I have read the other books in the series (I actually thought this was the best book so far!) but I feel that this is a stand alone book. It did have some of the previous characters but only has 'secondary' characters in this book...so it was just nice catching up with them. Our heroine, Venetia Stratham has been ostracized from society due to the fact on her wedding day her future husband came to her wedding in his clothes from the day before, he was drunk and had been with a women of "the night"/lady bird. So she walks out of her wedding making a scandal by doing so. Her family disowns her as they can't understand her reasoning. Years later she hears that her younger sister is being courted by Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne who she know to be just as bad as her former husband to be... Quinn is the one that brought her future husband to the church. So, Venetia heads to find Quinn and see what he is about. Venetia knows she can catch him doing something that would turn her sister off. Quinn has always felt he had a part in making Venetia turned out by society. So when he meets her again, he finds that he is still attracted to her and a situation they find themselves in leads to him proposing marriage to her. Venetia knows that Quinn is only asking for her hand so that he can save her and her family again from scandal. They both have been hurt in the past by other people. They both have had a lot of trust issue.. they have to overcome that. Not to mention that someone is trying to kill Quinn. I really liked this story and could not put it down... I had to read it in one sitting! I hope that you will love it too!!

[Ruckasaurus Rex · Rating 4 out of 5]

**advance reader copy received via NetGalley**

This was my first Nicole Jordan book, and it is the fourth book in her Regency era series titled Legendary Lovers. The premise of the series is very interesting; a young female member of the wealthy and scandalous Wilde family has decided that eligible relatives will find love linked to the myths of legendary lovers such as Pygmalion, Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella. The Art of Taming a Rake is loosely based on The Taming of the Shrew, and the author does not disappoint with the characters or the story. This fourth book in the series focuses on disowned and scandal-tainted Venetia Stratham, who comes after renowned rake Quinn Wilde with both barrels blazing. No, seriously, she pulls a gun on him.

I enjoyed the male lead in this story because he was very active and had a lot of depth. The author allowed for limitations of character and reality without dragging the plot to a standstill, but managed to keep things real. I especially appreciated Venetia’s character, which was written quite strongly for a woman in the Regency period. I am not a fan of wilting females, and Jordan wrote a ferocious heroine who retained her delicacy while retaining an acceptable amount of hesitancy and fear when appropriate. The plot was good, the overall line of the series appears to be solid, and I will be following up on the earlier books as soon as I can. While the fourth book stands alone amazingly, I feel that reading the first three books would enhance the story even more.

Check out my full review at https://romancereviewsbyruckie.wordpr...

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than the second in the series (the only other book by Nicole Jordan I have read). The hero starts off as an unlikable rogue jerk but not irredeemably so. By the end of the book, I loved both him sndand his countess.

The book was easy to read, held mystery and intrigue, and provided seductive love scenes. After so many mediocre books, it was refreshing to be drawn into a story.

[Lisa Pineo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm happy to say that this book was much better than the previous one in this series, just like I expected. This novel got back to the fun, charming, sexy feel of the first two books in the series while still having a plot revolving around an anonymous assassin. The marriage of convenience trope worked well in this story and I was happy to see the character of Quinn kept the same charming, skeptical, untrusting personality characteristics for his story that were shown in the previous books. Venetia was a great love interest for him and the quick pace, different settings, side characters and evolving plot kept me entertained and guessing until the end. 4.5 stars rounded up.

[AnnMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Art of Taming a Rake is the 4th book in the Legendary Lovers series by Nicole Jordan. I haven't read the previous books in the series, so can safely say that this one can be easily read as a stand alone one.

It is a beautiful story which revolves around the main characters, Venetia Statham and Quinn Wilde, the Earl of Trahern. He has an awful reputation of being a seductive rakehell, and Venetia believes he has his heart set on wedding her sister. She is determined that her sister makes a better match than Quinn, and with that in mind she follows him to a Gentlemen's club in order to warn him off her. He says that he will give it some thought on the condition that Venetia kisses him. She agrees and they are both overwhelmed with the depth of passion they experience from that kiss.

When Quinn offers to see Venetia out of the club through a more discreet back exit, after all, women of class shouldn't be in gambling clubs, he is set upon by 2 men. Venetia ends up helping to defend him and thankfully the skirmish is over quickly. But the question arises as to why he was set upon in the first place. Could it be something to do with the reason he was in the club in the first place?

That is the start of the intriguing part of the book, and also the start along the road where Venetia finds herself having to marry Quinn. On the one hand she is thrilled to be married to him because not only does it keep her sister safe from him, but also although she has sworn off love thanks to a past hurt, she does appreciate the passionate side of herself that Quinn brings out in her. On the other hand though, she knows his reputation, she thinks he was out to corrupt her sister, and she wonders just how she will cope being married to such a man.

Quinn never saw himself as the marrying kind, but finds that being married to Venetia is much better than he thought it would be. Could a marriage of convenience end up being a true love match. Can he convince Venetia that he truly loves her and not her sister? What will the latter think about Venetia coming in and snapping up the man she hoped to become betrothed to? Can the family ever be whole again, first there was their falling out which had Venetia exiled to France, and now she has made it worse by marrying Quinn? He is determined to see fences mended for her and is more than happy to use his status as an Earl to get her parents to at least act civilly

Of course, while all the wonderful romance and passion is happening, we also read about more attempts on Quinn's life. He has to discover just who has it in for him and why, and he now not only has to keep himself safe, and solve a mystery, he also has to keep Venetia safe.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story because it has the perfect mix of romance and passion, along with the added excitement of mystery and danger. The characters and their backgrounds are so well written that it was terribly easy to get involved with their stories, and a couple of times I even found myself getting emotional over a scene or two. The story had me gripped from when Venetia stormed into the club to have words with Quinn, right up until the very end. I definitely recommend it, and I am absolutely going to be reading the rest of the books in the series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange form my honest review.

[Catherine (The Sassy Bookster) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Venetia Stratham fell from grace with the ton two years ago when she broke her engagement to her rakish fiancé on the day of her wedding and even her parents turned their backs on her in favor of their social standing. She's given up on the idea of marriage and has been living in France as a companion since then, but the news that her younger sister has caught the eye of a notoriously wild earl has Venetia determined to save her sister from a fate similar to hers, especially because the earl in question is a good friend of her ex-fiancé .

Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne is on a quest to uncover the mystery surrounding the sudden appearance of a piece of jewelry that was his mother's and was believed to have sunk with a larger collection when his parents' ship went down in a storm. His quest finds him in a gentleman's club where he matches wits with Venetia. Quinn has always been attracted to Venetia, but did the honorable thing and stayed away from her due to her betrothal to his friend. His attention to her sister is his way of making up for his role in Venetia's fall from grace and when an attempt is made on his life and she is falsely blamed, he knows that she and her family would never recover from another scandal and offers a marriage of convenience to save her.

The marriage of convenience is an all-time favorite story-line in historical romances. Some of my favorite books have combined that trope with some suspense and action for a very interesting read and with the action-filled start, I was hoping for the same from THE ART OF TAMING A RAKE. Both Venetia and Quin have been hurt by love and are no longer open to it, but their marriage gives them the freedom to explore other similar interests, at least until the mystery surrounding the attempts on Quinn's life has been solved. Quinn hopes that he can convince Venetia to give him and their marriage a real chance, while Venetia fights to resist his appeal, making for some delightful dialogue and passionate interludes.

However, while I enjoyed Venetia and Quinn's characters and their interactions, the rest of the story fell flat for me. It started out with a lot of momentum that fizzled out in the middle and made the revelation of the villain at the end feel like filler and unnecessary, instead of an integral part of the story. I feel like the beginning and the end could have been one book and the middle another, both interesting on their own. This is a new-to-me author and while this book did not blow my socks off, I'll be checking out the rest of the series.


Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.



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[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

The Art of Taming a Rake was an enjoyable read with a charming romance between a notorious rake and a scandal-ridden heroine.

Venetia Stratham is determined to protect her younger sister from scoundrels and sets out to stop Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne, from courting her by any means necessary. After Venetia pulls a gun on Quinn to convince him to stay away from her sister, a hidden enemy shoots Quinn causing Venetia to take the blame. To save her reputation, Quinn does the honorable thing and proposes to her. After finding themselves quickly wed, Quinn sets about trying to win over his new wife while attempting to figure out who is trying to kill him before Venetia ends up caught in the crossfire.

Venetia is a bold woman who always says what’s on her mind and is willing to stand up for herself. She has a tendency to act without thinking leading to some problems for her. When her betrothed showed up to their wedding still drunk and right from his mistress’s bed, Venetia calls off the wedding despite knowing it will cause a scandal. Now she is considered an outsider by society as well as her family, but she knows she did the right thing. Even after her fiancé’s betrayal, Venetia still believes in love and wants that for herself one day.

Quinn has quite the scandalous reputation and is considered by society to be a rake due to past behavior as well as some of the company he keeps. Quinn isn’t nearly as much of a rake as the gossip papers say but no one would be inclined to believe otherwise. Quinn is a very calm and collected person and he considers himself to be a bit of a scientist with a propensity to gamble. While he is devoted to his family and loves them dearly, he doesn’t believe in love for himself due to past experience.

Venetia and Quinn’s relationship gets off to an interesting start considering she’s there to warn him away from her sister. Venetia has resented Quinn for years as he was the one to deliver her betrothed to the wedding in his drunken condition. She holds on to her grudge against Quinn for quite some time over that and I felt she blamed him for a bit too long. I did like that Venetia was able to resist Quinn’s charms for so long despite her attraction to him and that she didn’t simply fall at his feet. When they do finally progress to a physical relationship, it’s quite steamy and very well done. While I wish things had been sped up slightly in that area, the sexual tension was fantastically done.

The plot surrounding who actually took a shot at Quinn at the beginning of the book was interesting at first, but lost a bit of steam as the book went on. There was a nice twist towards the end of the book that ramped up the tension which did help with the mystery aspect. The bad guy was one I didn’t expect and while I questioned his motives, he did end up being a convincing villain.

The Art of Taming a Rake ended up being a fun read, but wasn’t my favorite book in the Legendary Lovers series as I wasn’t fully invested in the couple. I did still like the book though and would recommend it in addition to the rest of the series.

[Lekeisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted over at Lekeisha The Booknerd

Ahh, it feels good to be back! I can’t count how many times I borrowed one of my Aunt Catherine’s HR novels, back in the day. She had hundreds on her shelf, and I think Nicole Jordan was her favorite author. I was a sucker for the covers back then, because they always screamed “forbidden” to my teenage mind. I’m quite sure my Aunt knew that I was reading them. I wouldn’t say this is the best Regency Era romance that I’ve read, but it got me back into the groove.

Venetia– She captures your attention from the very first page. Bold is a word I’d use to describe her. After the scandal (HR is all about the scandal) that befell her years before, you’d think that she’d still be hiding under a rock. Her reason of being at a brothel fit her character. She wanted to stop Quinn from pursuing her sister. Their coupling would only lead to heartbreak; something she knows all about. Her plan falls apart the moment Quinn kisses her. Oh, and the fact that someone is trying to kill Quinn. Scandal doesn’t even seem like the right word to use.

Quinn– I love his character. Despite what Venetia – and most of society, thinks about his nature, he really isn’t a bad guy. He can’t help that he’s hot as sin, and women fall at his feet. When Venetia enters the brothel, Quinn immediately zeros in on her. After his near brush with charged gunpowder, Quinn can think of only one thing to do – marry Venetia until he can figure out who is trying to kill him.

I enjoyed this one, mostly because it brought back all the reasons why this was my favorite genre years ago. The writing is great, and there wasn’t a time that I felt bored. However, there were a few eye-rolling moments when it came to Quinn’s and Venetia’s feelings towards each other. It wasn’t instant (thank God), but it took me a minute to actually let it sink in that they are actually a great match. There are steamy moments, and the mystery behind Quinn’s would-be-assassin kept me reading. Overall, this is a good Regency romance to read. This is number 4 of the Legendary Lovers series, but it can be read as standalone. I had no problem getting lost with these characters, and I think the ending wrapped up nicely. Definitely recommended!

[Ermione Pickwick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this is a typical case of too many irons in the fire.

However, I regrettably say so, in fact this novel has great premises, those I like; the protagonists have a not-particularly-cheerful joint background, the heroine can't stand the hero, she holds him partially responsible for a past scandal involving her and which has brought her to take distance from her family, beloved sister included.
The hero on the other side has always hidden a soft spot towards the heroine but, although it could be hardly held guilty for the above mentioned scandal, he very humbly accepts her distaste.

I found his behaviour towards the heroine very sweet, even though he tries very badly to hide his feelings and even though he doesn't really make strong attempts to justify his reasons that brought him the heroine's dislike. I thought his behaviour very modest, generous and therefore praiseworthy.
Quinn, the Earl of Traherne, is definitely the strong point of this romance.

On the other hand we have the heroine, Venetia Stratham; my relationship with her has been fluctuating, I can't say I didn't like her but at the same time I can't even say to be her top admirer. I've found her slightly too strict on her positions from time to time, unreasonably so.

However, here, the problem is not the heroine, and much less the hero, the fact is that there are too many side dishes in the plot. The love tension and the protagonists background alone, in my opinion, could have been more than enough for a successful story...I don't really understand the decision to add more factors, the whole "thriller" sub-plot, occasionally, has strained the reading.
This is a pity because the love story is very catching and fast paced, I did enjoy it very much.


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** I received an ARC copy of this book on courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine in exchange for an honest review, thank you for the opportunity!

[Shauni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally Reviewed For: Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
What legendary lovers are you and your spouse like? Can you imagine finding the love of your life by comparing yourself to said lovers? Well that's exactly what Nicole Jordan has designed in her Legendary Lovers Series, a group of cousins finally finding love but not just any love, a love of the ages..

It's worked out pretty well so far. But what if your oh so helpful family chose the wrong woman, setting up for the wrong legendary lovers to emulate? Or worse what if one of the lovers, really didn't want to be part of the plan? Let's just say life can get difficult.

Venetia Stratham is determined to keep the local lothario Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne, away from her sister. She's even willing to go to some rather drastic measure to ensure he keeps away. Of course those measures may keep him away from her sister but totally sets his sites on her. Now how is she going to handle that?

Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne is thoroughly disgusted with his family, sure he loves them but seriously he wants no part of their plan. And isn't really interested in the woman chosen. Frankly speaking she's just not his type. Of course her sister is an entirely different matter. Not that he's really interested in marrying her either. But living in an age where reputation is everything when Quinn's life is threatened and somehow Venetia is thrown into the middle of it all, in order to save her reputation, he marries her.

Not the ideal circumstances for marriage but not the worst either. At least not in Regency England. But Venetia is a strong willed woman and being married to a man who is a rake is hard to accept, falling in love with him is even harder to accept.

I really enjoy this series.. it's wicked fun, it's also a feast on the senses. And The Art of Taming a Rake lives up to it's predecessors.. well worth the read.

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of The Art of Taming a Rake, provided by netgalley.

[Tracy Emro · Rating 5 out of 5]

** I received a copy of this ebook from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I loved this book. Quinn and Venetia are really likable characters. They have both been burned by love before and neither is going to willingly fall in love again.

When Venetia learns that Quinn is courting her sister, she is determined to get him to stop. She was hurt by the rake she was betrothed to and as Quinn was a good friend of his at the time, she assumes he is cut from the same cloth - there is no way she is going to let him marry her sister.

Quinn is not quite the rake Venetia has portrayed him as and unbeknownst to her - he has no desire to marry her sister. His plan is twofold - first to let his sister and cousin believe he is courting a woman so they will back off with their matchmaking and second to restore Venetia's sisters status in the ton. He feels some guilt about his part in Venetia's failed betrothal and her exile.

Neither is prepared for the attraction that simmers between them and when circumstances force them to marry, the agree to a marriage in name only. Ah, the best laid plans :)

Someone is trying to kill Quinn and unfortunately Venetia is caught up in the attempts. So before they can go their separate ways - they have to catch the killer. This gives them time to get to know each other and to explore the attraction they share.

This book was very well done. The mystery is good, but doesn't overshadow the romance. The love scenes are very warm and well paced. The book is well written and flows nicely and finishes nicely (even without an epilogue). It could easily be a standalone read. But you will get the most enjoyment by reading the series in order.