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A review by katsbooks
The Rebel and the Rake by Emily Sullivan
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Another foray into historical romance was a success! Meg from @meggatzabookclub recommended this to me. If you're even slightly interested in the genre, this lady will have a recommendation for you based on your taste!
I really enjoyed this novel. It is technically the second novel in the series but it can easily be read as a standalone. I know because I haven't read the first one yet! This wasn't your run-of-the-mill romance. (At least, I don't think it was. It's a massive genre and I've only read a couple books so far!) The story is also a mystery. Someone is blackmailing Sylvia and Rafe is Crown Agent so it was a lot of fun to figure out who the villain was.
The spice level was alright. About 2-3 chili peppers? I ended up being more intrigued by the tension between Rafe and Sylvia, not only romantically but the main conflict revolves around how they both have goals that are in conflict with one another. I was quite convinced at several points that Sullivan wasn't going to be able to make a romance work between the two of them, despite knowing the book was a romance! While I expected romantic tension, the tension from the mystery was a lot of fun. The suspense added a fun element to the story. I also really loved the relationship between Sylvia and Georgiana. We love strong female friendships here.
I was really intrigued by Sylvia and Rafe's past, especially Sylvia's past as a "political radical." I was excited for a character who had strong and progressive morals, I was hoping for a little bit more from her past. The same can kind of be said of Rafe. I feel like there was just something missing with the character development. I can't quite put my finger on it.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and will probably pick up other novels in this series and by Sullivan. They're fun and quick reads. I read this mostly over a weekend away on my phone and appreciated how easy it was to put down. Maybe this is a weird thing but I didn't want anyone to think I was purposely avoiding socializing so having the book on my phone made it look like I was just scrolling and, since this was such an easy read, I could just pick it back up later, regardless of where I stopped. I think these will definitely be my go-tos for travel now!
I really enjoyed this novel. It is technically the second novel in the series but it can easily be read as a standalone. I know because I haven't read the first one yet! This wasn't your run-of-the-mill romance. (At least, I don't think it was. It's a massive genre and I've only read a couple books so far!) The story is also a mystery. Someone is blackmailing Sylvia and Rafe is Crown Agent so it was a lot of fun to figure out who the villain was.
The spice level was alright. About 2-3 chili peppers? I ended up being more intrigued by the tension between Rafe and Sylvia, not only romantically but the main conflict revolves around how they both have goals that are in conflict with one another. I was quite convinced at several points that Sullivan wasn't going to be able to make a romance work between the two of them, despite knowing the book was a romance! While I expected romantic tension, the tension from the mystery was a lot of fun. The suspense added a fun element to the story. I also really loved the relationship between Sylvia and Georgiana. We love strong female friendships here.
I was really intrigued by Sylvia and Rafe's past, especially Sylvia's past as a "political radical." I was excited for a character who had strong and progressive morals, I was hoping for a little bit more from her past. The same can kind of be said of Rafe. I feel like there was just something missing with the character development. I can't quite put my finger on it.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and will probably pick up other novels in this series and by Sullivan. They're fun and quick reads. I read this mostly over a weekend away on my phone and appreciated how easy it was to put down. Maybe this is a weird thing but I didn't want anyone to think I was purposely avoiding socializing so having the book on my phone made it look like I was just scrolling and, since this was such an easy read, I could just pick it back up later, regardless of where I stopped. I think these will definitely be my go-tos for travel now!