The Rake and the Rose by Eva Devon

Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: Once Upon a Wallflower, #3

Release Date: October 30, 2023

Years ago, Rose Digby learned that you can never trust a rake, the point was driven home when their father, a renowned artist and rake, was dumped by his patron, and the family was evicted from their home. Her father died in an asylum and their mother wasted away to nothing, dying not long after, despite Rose’s attempts to save her. These events hurt, but that pain was nothing when compared to the betrayal done to her by her friend and secret crush, Alexander Markby, the son of her father’s patron, The Earl of Derby. After their eviction, Alex cut off all communication with Rose and her brother, Hugh. Now years later, Rose has dedicated her life to warning others of the dangers of overindulgence and the overreaching power of the nobility, writing books and pamphlets on the subjects. But when she is investigating a new story and is denied entry to an exclusive club, she sees the answer to her dilemma walking out the door. She confronts Alex in his coach and all but demands that he help her. He agrees, but she wonders if she has made a huge mistake by agreeing to pose as his mistress. There will be lessons learned on this adventure, but will she learn that pleasure is not the root of all evil, or will her stubborn nature prevent her from finding true happiness?

Alex Markby, the new Earl of Derby was a young man with no power when his father cast out the Digby family and has spent the years since his father’s death trying to right the wrongs done to them. His best friend, Hugh Digby appreciated his help but felt that Alex was too much of a rake and forbade him to have any contact with his sister Rose. Alex is heartbroken, but agrees, not wanting to taint Rose with his reputation. But when Rose demands his help, he sees the opportunity to show Rose that he is not the rake she believes him to be and that taking pleasure is one of life’s joys and not the road to ruin she believes it to be. But Rose is a tough nut to crack and just as he thinks he is getting through to her, things begin to fall apart and he will have to face the fact that her fear may be a barrier he cannot break.

This was a good story, a bit darker than the previous books, but still very good and quite emotional. My heart broke for Alex, he truly has a heart of gold and was constantly judged by the Digby siblings. I began to wonder at Rose’s supposed intellect when she clearly couldn’t see the truth about Alex and her steadfast and unrelenting prejudice against him. I understood she had suffered, but she held on to her disdain for much too long and didn’t grovel nearly enough. That aside, the book is filled with lots of emotion, secrets, misinterpretations, misconceptions, steamyish love scenes, a hero with a heart of gold, a no-nonsense grandmother, an overprotective brother, dukes who talk too much, and finally a HEA. This is the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title as the series is very loosely connected. I enjoyed this book and would be happy to recommend the title to my fellow historical romance readers.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

The Duke and the Dressmaker by Eva Devon

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Once Upon a Wallflower, #2

Release Date: September 4, 2023

Despite being the granddaughter of a rich and powerful duke, Lily Martin has not had an easy life. Her grandfather disowned Lily’s mother when she married for love and she and her new husband fled to France. They raised a family and lived quite happily in France, but then the revolution claimed her parents, leaving Lily all alone. So Lily took her baby sister Violet and escaped the terror by returning to England, but England was no refuge for them when her grandfather refused to see them. Lily got work as a seamstress and soon found herself working long hours for pennies, and no matter what she does, there seems to be no way to stop being a drudge and fulfilling her dreams of owning her own shop. But all that changes when a very bad decision ends up changing her life for the better.

American shipping magnate, James Blakefield, never expected to become an English duke and had no desire to stay in England, but he too has dreams and knows that being a rich and powerful duke could come in handy for stopping the atrocities being done by the East India Company. He just needs to find a way to garner support in Parliament, and then find someone trustworthy to manage his estate, so he can return to Boston. But first, he must find his ward – the old duke’s granddaughter Violet Martin. So far he has had no luck, but a chance encounter in a tavern with a damsel whom he thought was in distress, turns out to be his ward’s sister and may be the answer to all his problems. He just needs to convince her that they can solve each other’s problems, without any messy emotions like love getting in the way. It is a perfect plan until it isn’t…

This is another well-written, nicely-paced installment of the “Once Upon a Wallflower” series, this time featuring Lily, the best friend of Elizabeth from the previous book. It is clear from the start that Lily and James share an amazing connection, but they have both been hurt by those who should have loved them, and both refuse to let themselves fall in love. But they both soon learn that love doesn’t always give you a choice and that trusting someone with your heart may be the scariest thing you have ever done, but the reward is far greater than the risk if you are willing to take a chance. This book is filled with dreams, fears, great secondary characters, bad choices, grand gestures, friends who tell it like it is, second chances, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I enjoyed this story, not quite as much as the first book, but still a book I would be happy to recommend. This is the second book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title as the books are loosely connected.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*