A review by oofie
My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh

lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

3.75 - liked it a lot

This book follows Lady Grace, daughter of an earl, and an avid herpetologist. She's mostly sworn off thoughts of romance and marriage in favor of her studies, though she does have a crush on fellow life sciences scholar, Mason Fredericks.

When her father has a heart attack (or something like it), he worries about her future, and asks her to find someone to marry. Grace already has Fredericks in mind, except he's never looked at her as a viable bride. 

Grace comes up with a plan to change this: turn her good friend and fellow scholar Sebastian Holloway into rake. Specifically, a rake interested in her, to make her perceived value higher. Sebastian agrees, because he values Grace so much as a friend. Although...he's definitely hsdns crush on her for their entire friendship.

The two spend a lot of time together due to their plot, and Grace begins to wonder if she's pursuing the right man at all.

I liked this book a lot. It's regency era, but Grace not like your typical regency heroine. She's brilliant, determined, sensitive, and not naive to sex, like the normal heroine is. She's more than just a woman who needs to secure her future by marrying. She's got a bustling social network and standing in the scholarly world, despite her sex and the disadvantages the time period gave her.

Sebastian is a wonderful love interest as well. I love sensitive, considerate, kind love interests. He's a big softie, and not at all toxic. It's lovely. I also liked his issues with social anxiety and him working through them. His humanify only endeared himself to me (and likely other readers as well).

Overall, the book was well written and enjoyable to read. Would definitely recommend if you like regency romances, strong heroine, and kind love interests.