#Review; The Wrong Way to Catch a Rake by Lara Temple. #TheWrongWayToCatchARake @laratemple1 @MillsandBoon

I am delighted to be sharing my review of the utterly gorgeous; The Wrong Way to Catch a Rake by Lara Temple. Thank you to the author for my complimentary arc copy, which I voluntarily and honestly reviewed.

The Wrong Way to Catch a Rake by Lara Temple

Enjoy this exciting Regency romance set in Venice.

Can she unmask the rogue…

…among the canals of Venice?

So far Phoebe Brimford’s experience of Dominic, Lord Wrexham, is that he lives up to his reputation as a dissolute rake. But he’s also frustratingly charming and distractingly attractive! And while undercover spy Phoebe knows entangling herself with such a character is the wrong way to go about her mission, the closer she gets to Dominic, the more she suspects he’s not as lost as Society seems to think he is…

Review

Sensual, seductive and oh-so-good!

My goodness, I am in utter love with this book, and that was just from seeing the cover – I mean come on, isn’t it fantastic? It suits Pheobe and Dominic perfectly, top marks to the art department, another winner!!

For those who have read Lara Temple’s previous book; The Earl she Should Never Desire you will have already met our hero, Dominic, I know I for one was hoping he would get his own story and you cannot believe how elated I am to be sitting here having just finished it. He was worth the wait, I knew this complex man who take me on a sweeping and emotional ride but even I am in awe of the story before us.

Just so you know, if you haven’t read the previous book, don’t worry these really are stand-alones you don’t need to fret that you’ll miss out, just read each beauty at your own pleasure and enjoy!!

When we first met Dominic in; The Earl she Should Never Desire I was instantly taken with him, even though in that story he was just a supporting character he was so brilliantly written you knew that this charismatic and mysterious man needed a story and am I pleased that he has one of his own or what? Rhetorical question, no need to answer! This Dominic is everything and much, much more than I expected, he is a brilliant character there are so many layers to his personality which are slowly stripped away throughout the story. From drunken wastrel, flirtatious rake, and mysterious traveller to the vulnerable and complicated gentleman. He has so many secrets and so many masks which he dons depending on who he’s talking to and what situation he’s in, there is so much to discover about him. Oh, my gawd, how much do I love this guy!!!

The journey he goes on as a man is beautiful and emotional, then we have his ‘other mysterious life’ which I won’t go into as it will give far too much about the plot away, let’s just say that he is a surprise and that part explains a lot of the man he is and his actions.

Pheobe – well she is a mystery wrapped in an enigma too, but I didn’t think she was as complex as Dominic. Yes, she has secrets and the really big one isn’t revealed to Dominic until right at the end, the reader though you get this inkling of who she is pretty early on, there are scenes which just shout out the truth but even so just how deep her involvement into the hidden world she inhabits is still eye-opening.

I loved the subtle ways she allows the ‘real’ her to be revealed to Dominic, and that she instantly saw something other than the drunken rake persona he was hiding behind. Their journey isn’t easy, they both have serious issues that they need to resolve before lowing the drawbridge. Their relationship is a master class of writing dynamic romance, I bow down to historical romance Queen Lara Temple!

I have to mention the food – my goodness, I have gone up a dress size just reading, those seductive and sexy meals between Pheobe and Dominic are sizzling. Every time Dominic swept her away to a secret meal at his favourite restaurant I was in a tizzy, not just with the glorious food – I mean seriously the tantalizing descriptions of each dish were sublime, and now I’m hungry again!

I must – I repeat I must mention the stunning setting, the richly atmospheric descriptions of the beauty that is Venice is magical. I was swept up in the mood of the city, the sights, the sounds and most importantly the food. I am a foodie, so yes that appealed, especially when food becomes sexy! A simple amble down a street evoked so much atmosphere and vision I was literally transported, I will most likely never visit Venice but reading this made me envision that I was there and it was magical.

The Wrong Way to Catch a Rake is a damn fine romance, it’s sparkling and tantalizing, with enigmatic and unforgettable characters, a beautiful setting and a dynamic love story which will stay with you long after closing the last page.