ARC Review: The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham

“…the romance doesn’t stand out as much.”
~ Under the Covers

I’ve been wanting to read this book since the cover was unveiled. More importantly, I’ve had Scarlett Peckham on my list of authors to try since THE DUKE I TEMPTED came out. As you can tell, I’m terribly behind.⁠

THE RAKESS is an unconventional gender bender historical romance that surprisingly also has a soft side. Our heroine, Seraphina, has a reputation of being well… a rakess. She makes no apologies for her sexual choices and desires or even her drinking habit. There’s a strength and freedom in her that is not often seen in historical romances. ⁠

That was something I both liked and at times I found her to be too much. Especially when it came to her interactions with the hero of this story. It reached a point where the cruelty of her behavior felt like without regard for his feelings. I don’t know that I would’ve been ok with that had it been the hero’s behavior towards the heroine for so long.⁠ I wanted to really love her as the leader of this feminist movement but I also found that a bit too mild until the end of the story.⁠

And then there’s the hero. Adorably sweet, but also a bit clueless. Ultimately a nice guy but left me wanting more. I wasn’t a big fan of how things were handled at the end of the story. ⁠

But like I said, there’s something sweet at the core of this story even if the romance doesn’t stand out as much. The connections between Seraphina’s friends and her provided some interesting side stories and I’m certainly curious to find out more about them in the next books.⁠

 

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[about-author author=”Scarlett Peckham”]

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