Review: To Catch a Rake

To Catch a Rake (Rake's Handbook - Book 3) by Sally Orr

Publication Date: 02/02/2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Casablanca
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 352
ISBN-10: 1492630039
ISBN-13: 978-1492630036

(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, itunes

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Books in the series:

Rake's Handbook

1. The Rake's Handbook
2. When a Rake Falls
3. To Catch a Rake
The Rake's Field Guide

Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from To Catch a Rake, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

No Good Rake Goes Unpunished

When George Drexel used his vast experience with women to write and publish The Rake's Handbook: Including Field Guide, little did he realize the havoc it would cause. Now years later, the rumor of a second edition has London's naughtiest widows pounding on his door, begging to be included. But George has given up his roguish ways and wants nothing more than to be left alone with his architectural pursuits...until beautiful Meta Russell tempts him from his work and leaves him contemplating an altogether different sort of plan.

The handbook may be years out of print, but it still has the power to ruin lives. Desperate to save her sister-whose inclusion has left her jilted-Meta tracks down the rake responsible, only to find a man who steals her breath and leaves her reeling. Banding together to put things to rights, George and Meta find themselves drawn inexorably together...but can Meta truly trust her heart to a man who wrote the book on being a rake?

Thoughts:

The Rake's Handbook series continues with the third novel, To Catch a Rake. Author Sally Orr captivates readers with eccentric characters and an interesting premise. Orr uses the historical building of the Thames Tunnel to give her novel credibility and authenticity. Readers who enjoy a good romance from this time period, with snippets of accurate historical detail will love this one. Orr shines in her third book in this popular series!

What I liked:

I love historical romances. I love the setting and the opulence. I love the characters and social norms in these kinds of novels. But the most important thing for me in finding a historical romance that I really enjoy is accuracy. Having read a ton of historical romances, it is easy to pick out those authors who have done their homework and those that just write with a lick and a promise. Sally Orr is a writer who knows what she is doing. It is obvious from all of her books that she has done her research and cares about adding real historical events that bring the period to life.

In To Catch a Rake, Orr uses the building of the Thames Tunnel as a backdrop to her romance. George Drexel, Orr's leading man, is an architect who is working on the project. What makes this interesting is the fact that the tunnels exists and was being constructed during the time period in which the book is set. I loved the historical detail and thought this added so much to the already wonderful romance. I love it when an author gets it right and Orr certainly does here.

The romantic aspects of the book also very well written and enjoyable. Meta's sister Lily has just lost her fiancee due to the fact that her initials may appear in a rather controversial novel, The Rake's Handbook. George is a driven and ambitious architect, but he also the author of the dreaded book. Meta sets out to prove that her sister is not one of the women that George has written about, but when she meets him she is completely blindsided by his charm and wit and his duty to his family. 

Orr gives readers a hero that is kind and generous, but who is also very intelligent and charming. George was a great hero. One of those men a lady wished she could meet. But he obviously has a bit of a wild side, because The Rake's Handbook is quite detailed. It was a fictional account and really had nothing to do with Meta's sister, but it brought the hero and the heroine together in this book, and made for a really unique story. George wasn't a brooding hero, he was just a man on a mission, driven and a bit eccentric. He was quite enjoyable to read about.

Meta, the heroine, is a widow who takes care of her younger siblings and her family. Family means everything to her and when her sister's reputation is at stake she has to take steps to put the situation to rights. She goes to George with intentions of making him change things for Lily, but she doesn't expect to find someone she is very attracted too. I loved watching her let down her guard and finally let George into her heart. This was one of those romances that has some steam and passion, but one that will also make readers feel warm and fuzzy and generally satisfied by the romance.

Bottom Line:

This one could have been your typical run of the mill historical romance, but Sally Orr makes all the difference with heartfelt romance and wonderful historical detail. I fell in love with George and his tunnel project. He was eccentric and passionate. Meta would have done anything for her sister and as a heroine she stood out among the many. Loved this one! You will too...

To Catch a Rake is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Sally Orr is a recovering scientist who worked for thirty years in medical research. One day a cyber-friend challenged her to write a novel. Since she is a hopeless Anglophile, it's not surprising that her first book is a Regency romance. She lives with her husband in San Diego, surrounded by too many books and not enough old English cars.

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