When a Rake Falls by Sally Orr

When a Rake Falls

by Sally Orr

 

To win a race to Paris, dashing Lord Boyce Parker hires a balloon. He expects to be crowned the victor and become famous for his courage and intelligence. Only then can he regain his father’s respect from the scandal of publishing the naughty book The Rake’s Handbook: Including Field Guide.

Bluestocking Miss Eve Mountfloy makes a bargain with the handsome Pink of the Ton. She’ll fly the balloon during the dangerous crossing to France, if he lets her finish her scientific experiments to predict violent storms and thereby save lives.

Eve proceeds with her studies, but the results are not what she expected. Chafing to keep warm creates unusual sensations everywhere. Then when Lord Parker asks if she is curious about the heat generated by a kiss, well, she is curious. It seems Lord Parker is performing experiments of his own that will forever change Eve’s perception of the word "results."

 

 

*Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC for review*

 

My goodness, Boyce is a funny man!  I'm used to reading books with heroes who are dark and brooding, so it's refreshing to find a character who is lighthearted and funny.  Boyce is sweet, charming, and he loves to sing at the oddest moments.  I found myself laughing constantly because of his funny quirks and inner monologues. He is also very tenderhearted.  He shows a lot of concern for animals and even insects and isn't afraid to show affection.

Eve wasn't quite as interesting as Lord Parker.  I still enjoyed hearing things from her point of view...but let's be honest here, it's mostly because I get to hear more about Boyce.  There were times that I just wanted to slap Eve silly. 

I enjoyed this book quite a bit and would definitely recommend it to people who like historical romance and lighthearted heroes.

 

***slight spoiler ahead***

There was some good tension between the characters throughout the story.  This would probably be a good book for those who don't want much sex in their romance.  Besides some light make-out sessions, there is only one sex scene late in the book and it is pretty tame compared to most romance books.  It isn't spelled-out or very explicit.