Title: The Rake
Series: Boston Belles
Author: LJ Shen
Release Date: February 16
This is a DARK, royal standalone and the last book in the Boston Belles series.
𝐁𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲.
Emmabelle Penrose has cruised through life never needing a man, a plan that has worked stunningly well until about five minutes ago, when she decided she must have a baby.
Devon Whitehall is 6’2” of premium DNA, financial security, and British royal titles. Best of all, he fears the one thing she dreads the most: getting hitched.
Emmabelle figures it’s a no-brainer when Devon offers his services—sperm and involvement in her future child’s life.
What begins as an innocent, modern-family arrangement, quickly erodes into a web of lies, dark pasts, and unfurled secrets.
Inside this chaos, Emmabelle and Devon are forced to face the awful truth—they are capable of love.
Even worse, they might feel it toward each other.
Ok, first while there are some trigger Warnings to be had with this book, it wasn't necessarily dark by any means. That being said I actually enjoyed this book after the last two didn't win me over.
The Rake follows Emmabelle's and Devon's relationship- if it can be called that. They made a agreement to have a baby together- making the baby is the fun part- but everything that comes after, they might not be ready for.
Emmabelle's life is a mess- not to mention in danger. Devon's has a marriage hanging over his head since he was fourteen. Neither may be currently in the position to have a child- but Belle is short on time, and Devon doesn't hate the fact he may have someone to pass down his title and inheritance to.
There is just one problem - neither wants a relationship, or have anything to do with intimacy and feelings... But what happens if they might actually be falling in love with one another?
So, I did enjoy the book- the story of Emmabelle and Devon, and it tied off the Boston Belles series nicely. Emmabelle was fiercely independent, hated men and didn't need help from anyone. Devon was rich, was a rake-slept around without commitment. Both had past traumas, their past shaping them into who they became. They bantered, and fought, they had crazy sex, and shared weird facts. But they didn't get personal. Their relationship started with sleeping with each other, to a business arrangement to drama before becoming something more. They didn't seem to fit together well, and their attraction - besides the sex- didn't leap off the page for the readers.
Don't get me wrong, Belle was great. I loved her quick wit and sassy attitude. I felt for what she had been through. I felt for what Devon had been through. But I didn't see their connection to one another. It didn't make sense (something they pointed out themselves). They fought, pushed each other away and had crazy sex. One was demanding and practically controlling (for the others safety) the other didn't want to relinquish any control, and because they didn't want to accept help was sometimes reckless.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book, it was ok, but I just didn't see or feel the connection between the characters.
4⭐ out of 5⭐.
Trigger Warning: sexual abuse/rape, miscarriage, child abuse/endangerment.
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