Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
Series: Love by Numbers Series Book #1
on March 30, 2010
Genres: Fiction / Feminist, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency
Pages: 432
Goodreads

Readers will delight in New York Times bestseller Sarah MacLean’s debut novel—featuring her sexy, funny, emotionally rich writing and one of the fiercely feminist heroines that made Entertainment Weekly crown her “the utterly intoxicating queen of historical romance.”

There are things a lady simply does not do. She does not smoke. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never, ever sneaks into a men’s club for a night of gambling and…other excitements.

Calpurnia Hartwell has spent a lifetime following the rules and, as a reward, she’s been forgotten at the edges of society, unnoticed…and unsatisfied. So, what’s a girl to do, but break the rules and get a taste of the life she’s been missing?

Once Callie throws herself into a bold new world, she fast realizes a taste won’t ever be enough. She’s going to need a partner—someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, Marquess of Ralston—charming and handsome, with a scandalous reputation matched only by his wicked smile.

But the further Callie ventures into this new world, the further she gets from her family’s expectations and all she once held dear. Will she be brave enough to leave her old life behind? Because she’s about to break the most important rule of all—the one that says pleasure-seekers should never fall in love. . .

This book was magnificent – toe-curling romance, tearful sighs, laugh-out-loud moments and a swoon-worthy hero. I truly felt touched by this story. The heroine is so real and vulnerable that I could relate to her. She is a spinster who has decided that she is weary of living her life confined to the strictures of Regency era society. I did struggle a bit with the hero’s attraction to the heroine. She has plain brown hair but suddenly the hero sees her with brilliant auburn? It wasn’t always believable, but I still enjoyed this story.  There are numerous steamy scenes for mature readers. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.