How to Romance a Rake [Mass Market Paperback]

First off, major accolades to anyone who has actually gone through the harrowing processes of writing, editing, and publishing a complete work. It's a major accomplishment in itself, and one which I fully admit I haven't ever engaged in myself. Like all reviews, take this with a grain of salt and a dash of personal bias. That being said, I felt How to Romance a Rake was a mildly entertaining historical romance that carries a clearly defined plot, but pulls no real emotional heartstrings. I guess I'm a girl who loves a few more tears before I can believe any angst is truly slain by the HEA.

The main characters are all interesting, but (in the best-worst way possible) they fit together just a little too easily. Collins provides a back-story for each character that contains enough trauma that would make any reader automatically root for the final success of the hero and heroine. But rather than show any emotional growth--from tragedy to trust to love--Collins lets her protagonists fall into synch just a little to easily, and her villains just happen to be conveniently crazy enough to provide a few macabre hints that move the plot along. And once all the characters (hero, heroine, and a not-uninteresting backup crew of characters from the previous book) reach the inevitable resolution, it feels a bit like the Scooby Gang has just pulled the mask off another old kook. The characters all accept the identity of the villain, and then proceed to have tea and chit-chat as if nothing has changed in their scone-filled world. Throughout the book I was being told how the characters have grown closer, without really being shown how the characters and their relationships are developing.

A couple of major pros for the book:
-The heroine is physically disabled and manages (fairly realistically) to overcome challenges in her life.
-The hero is caring and kind without seeming a total wimp.
-Supporting characters from previous and future books in the series make appearances that actually contribute to the story without overshadowing (or swallowing) the main H and h.
-Good balance in the historical descriptions, specifically with regard to aspects of the h's injuries (realistic but not too dry).

All in all, Collins is clearly a good writer who has a passion for the era, but I think she can do better. Major props to Collins for creating characters you care about and for diving into unique plot scenarios and situations. I'm looking forward to reading the final book in this series, but it would be a library pick-up, rather than a purchase for me. The only major pet-peeve I have with the book is that there seems to be confusion as to which foot the heroine's injury was inflicted on. The injury is such a critical element of the character's story, that I find the confusion in such an important detail frustrating--it's more an editorial mistake than a writing error, but I still have to issue a slight "grrrr" and "grumble."

I'm giving this three stars (based on my totally subjective and somewhat silly grading system) because I don't regret picking it up, but I probably won't bother reading this book again. If you're like me and tend to look for titles based on a theme(s), you might enjoy this if you're looking for books that touch on the topics of:

Major themes:

-Disfigured hero or heroine (heroine in this case)
-Secondary plot (i.e. not the romance between H and h) with a mystery [specially missing person(s)]
-Books in a series (3 female cousins who don't "fit in" with the ton)
-Outsiders/Geeks/Freaks/Those who don't quite fit in, finally getting their HEA (see above)
-Heroes with a troubled past [the book opens with the hero having successfully overcome the reputation of his dastardly father (dead) and jerk uncle (alive)]

Minor themes:
-Supportive families
-At least one female snob/b*tch you just love to hate
-Art
-18th Century medicine/war trauma
-Dancing

Miss Juliet Shelby lives on the fringes of the ballroom, a wallflower who does her best to go unnoticed. She wasn't always that way. As a young girl, she was the most animated of the three cousins who have been dubbed the Ugly Ducklings by a spiteful young woman of the ton. But, as a young teen, while living in Vienna with her parents, Juliet was critically injured in an accident, resulting in amputation of her left foot - an injury that left her self-absorbed mother horrified and embarrassed by her now "crippled" daughter. Juliet returned to London two years later a changed person; quieter, more subdued, telling no one of the severity of her injury, not even Maddie and Cecily, her cousins and two best friends.

Juliet isn't the only one who has grown up with a less than perfect parent. Lord Alec Deveril has spent the past several years trying to undo the damage done to his family name by his reprobate of a father in order to insure a good future for his younger sisters. A gorgeous man, he is a leader of the ton's young fashionable set but, as of late, as grown weary of it and knows it's time to find a wife and settle down. His criteria is simple: find someone likable but for whom he feels not one iota of passion. His late parents offered him a front row seat to the devastating consequences of a passion filled marriage. He briefly considers Maddie as a potential candidate but it's the quiet, self-possessed Juliet who continues to draw his eye.

When Mrs. Turner, Juliet's beloved music teacher, a woman who, over the years, has been more a mother to her than her own mother goes missing, it's Alec who offers his help in the search. As Juliet and Alec spend more time together, they forge a friendship and gradually a fondness for one another that then blooms into desire and, finally, love. But there are many obstacles to a happy ending for these two. Juliet's mother is determined to marry her off to a slimy older man Juliet has good reason to fear, her mother has done her best to convince Juliet that no man will ever find her desirable once he knows of her amputation and Alec fears the reprehensible actions of both his father and his uncle will make it impossible for him to love a woman passionately and bring her happiness. Then there's the mystery of Mrs. Turner's disappearance with twists and turns aplenty and a lurking danger that could put both Juliet and Alec in harm's way.

I loved this story so much. I've read it three times and have no doubt I will read it many more times in the future. I applaud Manda Collins for creating Juliet, a physically imperfect heroine who is absolutely perfect in the eyes of her hero. Collins knows the subject well and brings to her character the realistic physical and emotional challenges as well as the quiet strength and determination that make Juliet one of my favorite heroines ever. Watching her grow throughout her journey and finally come into her own was wonderful. I cheered for her, hurt for her, feared for her and wanted to do unspeakable things to her witch of a mother for her but not once did I ever pity her.

I usually prefer my heroes dark but Alec just may have won me over to the blond side. He's a wonderful man with a kind heart who champions Juliet, protects her, desires her and, ultimately, loves her with every breath of his being. The scene when they first make love is so exquisitely beautiful it brought tears to my eyes and the declaration he makes about Juliet after the villain is vanquished shows how much he respects and understands her and made me want to stand and cheer.

The passion sizzles in this book and while Collins delves into deeply emotional issues she also infuses her stories with plenty of humor along with a terrific secondary cast. One of my favorite scenes is between Alec and Maddie while they wait for Juliet to be fitted for new gowns at the dressmaker's. I won't give away any spoilers other than to say it gives the reader a peek into the inner workings of Maddie's mind, something that has Alec pondering how useful she would have been to Wellington during the war, and has me anticipating her book even more. I have the feeling she's going to lead Monteith a very merry chase!

If you haven't read Manda Collins yet, now's the perfect time to start. How to Romance a Rake is going straight to my keeper shelf. I highly recommend it!

~PJ

The second book in the Ugly Duckling series is sexy and romantic.

Juliet Shelby is used to hiding in the corners and not letting anyone know her secret. Even her closest friends and cousins, Cecily and Maddie, don't know the truth about the injury she sustained as child. Juliet is an unusual heroine - she has a prosthetic leg. Due to an accident she lost her foot and has hidden the injury from everyone in her life. Although they see her limp and she uses a walking aide, no one knows the extent of the injury. She comes into her own with the help of an unlikely friend.

Lord Alec Deveril has spent his adulthood working to overcome his father and uncle's reputations. To that end he plans to marry someone that doesn't elicit great passion and that will allow him to maintain his fashionable status. His plan is interrupted by an unwanted attraction to a certain debutant and her need for someone to help her find a friend that has gone missing.

Alec and Juliet's romance is wonderful. I love the way that their relationship develops from friends with an attraction to each other to full blown love. The feelings between them progress slowly and sweetly. I loved the progression and how they take time to get to know each other before acting on their feelings for each other.

The two characters have one thing in common that bonds them together - their parents. Juliet's mother has hidden her daughter away since her accident, not allowing her to build a life of her own. She treats her terribly and tries to force her into a marriage that would be a disaster in many ways. Alec's father was physically abusive to his mother and Alec fears that he will become just like him. Together they learn that they aren't like their parents and that they are so much more than they were raised to believe they were.

The mystery of what has happened to Juliet's former music teacher and friend adds the right amount of intrigue and action to help move the story along. Her whereabouts and what happened to her serves as a catalyst to Alec and Juliet spending time together. There were a few times in the book that it seemed as if Juliet had forgotten about Mrs. Turner. Instead of feeling like a loose plot line, these lapses felt organic to the story. With all of the drama and changes happening in Juliet's life it made sense that she would have trouble focusing.

The writing is superb. The characters have a rapport with each other that is entertaining and helps the reader learn so much about the characters and their actions. The descriptions are realistic and add so much to the story.

Ms. Collins is an author that will be on my auto-buy list from her on out. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

If you are a fan of Tessa Dare, then you love Manda Collins.

Reviewed by Carrie

Originally published on The Season website (theseasonforromance dot com)