How to Ruin a Rake by Kate Pearce
Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: Rakes of London, #2
Release Date: September 29, 2026
After her sister started a scandal, Lady Allegra Musgrove and her family decide to lay low in the country until the gossip dies down. She is waiting for the carriage when she is abducted by a very drunk masked man and told that she will be released shortly. Allegra, not one to play the damsel in distress, argues with her captor, and knocks him out by throwing a book at him. She thinks she will be released soon, but hours later, when the carriage crashes, she realizes how bad her situation really is. She finally wakes her abductor, who turns out to be the notorious rake, Max Devereux, Marquess of Blanchard. And she learns that she was taken by accident, but now they are stranded in the middle of nowhere with limited resources. Max promises to return her to her family and stifle any gossip, but the journey will not be without pitfalls, and their story won’t end when he gets her home.
Max Devereux, Marquess of Blachard, the very bored heir to the Duke of Barfleur, has made a huge mistake. He planned to abduct Allegra’s sister Lady Carenza and convince her to be seen with him in public, so he could win a wager. Instead, he was knocked unconscious by her younger sister, thrown from a carriage, his friend who he thought was driving is nowhere in sight and apparently, he stole his purse, and left in the middle of nowhere with a very angry Lady Allegra. He promises to return her to her family, with no one the wiser. He never expected to like her, or desire her or ever see her again after fulfilling his promise, but as they say, the best laid plans…
This was a well-written, nicely paced, fun read with very likable characters. Both Allegra and Max were easy to like, Allegra for her intelligence and Max for his charm and wit, I enjoyed watching each character grow and evolve, especially Max. This story has a lot going on; there is a wager gone wrong, abduction, a road trip, force proximity, a daring escape, steamyish love scenes, a marriage of convenience, real character growth, a serious lack of communication and finally a happy ending. I liked this story better than the first book, but I did feel like Allegra seemed to turn into a martyr towards the end of the book which seemed out of character and I do wish the book had an epilogue, but overall, it was a fast, fun, enjoyable read which I would happily recommend. This is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title with no problems.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for a DRC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *
