ARC Review: A Good Rake is Hard to Find by Manda Collins (Lords of Anarchy 1)

Title: A Good Rake is Hard to Find

         Lords of Anarchy 1

Author: Manda Collins

Release Date: March 31, 2015 (ARC Version)

Published By: St. Martin’s

Category: Historical Romance - Regency

Type: Digital – Paperback – Audio

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Blurb: 

A DANGEROUS GAME

Heartbroken by the loss of her brother, Miss Leonora Craven vows to uncover the truth about his "accident," which seems to have been anything but. Jonathan Craven was involved with the Lords of Anarchy, a notorious driving club, and Leonora can't help but suspect foul play. But the only way she can infiltrate their reckless inner circle is to enlist the help of Jonny's closest ally, Lord Frederick Lisle. If only he didn't also happen to be the man who broke Leonora's heart…

AN UNDENIABLE DESIRE

Frederick isn't surprised to find gorgeous, headstrong Leonora playing detective, but he knows that the Lords of Anarchy mean business—and he has no choice but to protect her. A sham engagement to Leonora will allow Frederick to bring her into the club and along for the ride. But it isn't long before pretending to be lovers leads to very real passion. With everything to lose, is their tempestuous affair worth the risk?

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Favorite Lines:

“I suppose there are some things that will forever remain a mystery to us poor ladies. What with our feeble minds and sensible emotions.”  ~  Leonora

“By refusing to tell me the truth you did the same thing you’re always railing about when it comes to men’s treatment of women. You made the decision for me. As if I didn’t know my own mind and hadn’t the sense to make the right choice. You robbed me of agency in the matter.”  ~  Frederick

Excerpt:

          Some sixth sense told him that someone causing a scene at the door of Brooks’s was not going to bring glad tidings of great joy. 

          And when he reached the door, followed close behind by Trent and Mainwaring who were not willing to miss such a diversion, he knew he was right. 

          “I might have known I’d find the three of you together,”Miss Leonora Craven said, her generous red lips tight with annoyance. “Though you needn’t have brought your little friends with you to the door for protection, Lord Frederick. I’ve no intention of harming your person no matter how you might deserve it for getting my brother killed.”

          Keenly aware of the curious glances they were getting from the club members who stood on the steps just behind her, Freddy turned to Ned. “I realize that ladies are not allowed in the club, Ned, but is there some small anteroom where we might be private for a few moments?”

          It would do Leonora’s reputation little good to be seen going into a room alone with the three of them, but then again, if her reputation was her first concern, she’d not have come to St. James Street at all. 

          “Of course, my lord.”Ned ushered them to a door just off the hallway. “I’ll bring some tea for the lady.”

          He didn’t think Leonora would be there long enough for tea, but Freddy agreed, then shepherded her into the small sitting room, surprised, as he always was, by how tiny she seemed considering how large her personality could be. 

          The chamber was outfitted with a few club chairs, a settee, and a low table. Leonora stalked into the room, her dark head held high, while Freddy followed and took a place before the fire. Trent and Mainwaring, perhaps sensing that this was a private matter, had slipped away with Ned. 

          “Well, Nora,” he said, once the door closed behind them, “you’ve got me here and made a hash of your reputation in the process. I hope it will be worth it.”

          Her green eyes flashed with anger, and Freddy couldn’t help but notice the shadows beneath them. Her dark hair was just as glossy as ever, and framed her heart-shaped face in a halo of loose curls, one caressing her cheek like a kiss. But she looked thinner than the last time he’d seen her. The day she’d broken off their engagement and sent him on a reckless tear that ended with his leaving England for the freedoms of the Continent. 

          He’d expected their first meeting to be difficult, but to his surprise, much of the resentment he’d felt had dissipated in the years since they’d parted. It was true that she had not been particularly kind in breaking things off between them. Indeed, she’d never told him the true reason for it. Had tried to fob him off with some silly tale of being afraid of giving up control of her own life. It was something that had not once come up between them, so when she declared it to be why she was ending what had up to that point been a perfectly agreeable connection, he had been dumbfounded. And hurt that she would dismiss him without any more explanation than that. 

          Even so, in the intervening years, he’d had a great deal of time to think. And he’d come to realize that whatever her true reason for breaking things off, it had been something serious. Something that was more important to her than her own happiness. For they had been happy before she ended things. 

          And though he was not yet sanguine about what had happened, he was no longer consumed with bitterness over it. 

          Which did not mean he wasn’t annoyed that she’d sought him out in Brooks’s without a care for either of their reputations. It was the sort of reckless gesture he’d have been prone to in his wilder days, but now he was trying to mend his reputation. Having a woman pursue him to St. James Street was not going to help things. 

          Leonora, however, obviously did not care. 

          “You know as well as I do that my reputation is able to withstand more than that of the usual society lady thanks to my writing,” she responded, waving off his concerns. “And besides that, in this instance, I wished to make a scene. I relish it, in fact.”

          “To what purpose?”Freddy demanded, growing tired of her taunts. “My reputation is already not what it should be. So if you’re thinking to ruin me, you’re missing the mark.”

          “Of course I know that,” Leonora said, her eyes bright with emotion. “But I’m not all that concerned with such things at present. I want only justice for my brother. And I wish to know what you plan to do to make your cousin, to whom you introduced my impressionable brother, pay for Jonny’s death.”

          Ah. That’s where all this came from. 

          “I’m not sure what you mean, Miss Craven,” he said with stiff formality, despite the fact that he and his friends had been discussing this very matter only moments ago. 

          “Oh, give over, my lord,” she said sharply. “You know as well as I do that Jonathan’s death was no accident. He was murdered by that vicious club and I can prove it.”

Dialogue Highlight:

          “Is that any way to treat your dearest siblings, Freddykins?” asked Lord Benedick Lisle wickedly, his clerical collar shining white against his dark coat. “We wanted to meet this paragon who has agreed to leg-shackle herself to you for the rest of her days.”

          Freddy glanced at Leonora to see what her reaction was to the crowded room. To his relief she seemed to be taking the surprise family reunion with aplomb. 

          Turning to Benedick, he frowned. “You’re a vicar, for pity’s sake,” he protested, his arm tightening around Leonora’s waist. Damned fellow was too handsome by half. It was a wonder he’d not been killed by the husband of some lovesick parishioner. “I would expect this sort of remark from Cam, because he’s a heathen scientist, but you? I thought it was against the church code or some such to embarrass one’s siblings in front of their fiancées.”

          “You’d be surprised about what is and isn’t against the church code, old fellow,” retorted Benedick as he stepped forward and bowed over Leonora’s hand. Only Freddy noticed that his eyes lingered on her bosom as he did so. 

          Vicar or no, he was going to bloody his brother’s nose as soon as his knuckles healed. 

          “I hope you’ve been warned about this one, my dear,” Benedick said to Leonora with a grin. “I’m afraid he might be the least civilized among us. Though I do suppose he’s right about Cam, who lives in primitive surroundings and collects rocks, being a heathen. Really, I’m the best of the lot, as you have doubtless noticed.”

          “They are specimens,” Cam interjected, edging out his elder brother so that he could kiss the back of Leonora’s hand. Like Benedick before him, his eyes brushed slowly over her bosom. 

          Mentally, Freddy added Cam to his list of future victims. 

          “Lord Cameron Lisle at your service, Miss Craven,” his brother said, the gold highlights in his light brown hair glinting in the firelight as he held Nora’s hand a bit longer than entirely appropriate. “I hope you will give me the chance to prove to you that not all of us are—”

          “I apologize for these barbarians, Miss Craven,” interjected another brother, elbowing Cam out of the way. “I’m Lord Archer Lisle, my dear. The handsome one.”

          “The newly married one,”Freddy said with a growl as his youngest brother bowed over Nora’s hand. So far, he’d been the only one of the Lisle brothers to keep his eyes to himself. 

          He supposed he could thank Perdita for that small wonder. 

          Even so, he wasn’t going to put up with any funny business. “Don’t think you’re going to turn her head with your diplomat’s tongue, Archie. I don’t care how handsome you are.”

          Leonora sniggered beside him but Freddy couldn’t stop himself. “Nor you, Cameron. No lady wants to talk about rocks all day. She’d die of boredom in the first quarter-hour.”

          “Speaking of rocks,” Benedick said as Freddy led Leonora to a chair by the fire. “Who’s been throwing them at your face?”

          Freddy was saved from replying by the arrival of yet another Lisle. 

          “Boys,” the Duchess of Pemberton, matriarch of the House of Lisle, said as she stepped into the room and surveyed it until her eyes lit upon Leonora. “All of you are being boorish. Stop it at once. You know how to treat a lady better than that.”

          In unison, as if they were all still in the schoolroom, the brothers said, “Yes, Mama.”

          “You must tell me later how you manage that,” Leonora quipped, looking round the room in wonder. “It is a rather impressive skill to have in one’s quiver.”

          Freddy just bet she’d like to be able to quiet him as easily as that, he thought grimly, remembering their argument earlier. 

          “They are a rowdy lot, but my own,” his mother was saying as she handed Leonora a glass of sherry. “And here is my husband to show you where they got their charm.”

          Turning, Freddy saw that his father had indeed entered the room. A still handsome man in his fifties, the duke’s brown hair was shot through with silver now, but no one would mistake his age for feebleness. The Duke of Pemberton had been a man of power for some years, and would be for several more to come. 

          “It’s my pleasure, Miss Craven,” he said as he crossed to take Leonora’s hand in his. Fortunately, his back was to Freddy, so the bosom test was not possible. Which was all well and good, because if he caught his father looking at her bosom, he’d just have to blind himself with one of Cam’s rocks. 

          “I’ve long wished to meet the lady who has the power to tame Frederick,” the duke said to Leonora. “He’s the most troublesome one, you know.”

          “I’m still here,” Frederick said sulkily from his post against the mantelpiece. To Leonora he said, “Pay no attention to these people, my dear Miss Craven. They have a fondness for exaggeration and half-truths.

          ”Before Leonora could respond, Archer spoke up. 

          “Did you hear something, Cam?” he asked with a puzzled frown, cupping his ear. “It’s like a bee buzzing.”

          “Now that you mention it,” Cam said, cupping his ear, too. “Yes, I may have heard a wasp.”

          “You are hilarious,” Freddy said in a flat tone. “Really, you must be loads of fun at children’s parties.”

          “My dears,” said Perdita, coming to his rescue. “You mustn’t tease your brother. Or his fiancée. You’re being very rude to mob her like this on her first visit to Pemberton House.”

          “Hardly mobbed, Mrs. Lisle,” Leonora said with a laugh. “Though I can see now where Lord Frederick gets his quick wit. It’s rather overwhelming to be in the room with five of him.”

          “I quite understand, Miss Craven,” Perdita said with a smile. “They can be intimidating, can’t they?”

          Freddy had yet to see the day that Miss Leonora Craven proclaimed herself to be intimidated. He knew quite well that it wasn’t today.

Review: 

Leonora (Nora) knows her brother was murdered, and she aims to prove it but she needs help. Frederick is the perfect solution, past history notwithstanding. Nora broke their engagement five years previously for a reason she felt was justified, except she never told Freddy why she jilted him. Their reunion instantly sparks the passion they shared in the past and obviously never lost. But the engagement is a sham, created simply to gain access to those who assassinated her brother. When it comes time to part ways, it’s much harder than Nora anticipated, and Freddy isn’t letting her go so easily this time. But the truth may end all chances for them to have a future together and she isn’t sure she can handle a permanent rejection. At least if she makes the break, she still holds a bit of control because Lord knows when she is in Freddy’s arms her wits tend to disappear.

Frederick (Freddy) knows that the only explanation surrounding his friend’s demise is foul play. When Nora brings him proof of his suspicions, he quickly ponders a way to ferret out the truth. It won’t be easy and the people they will be associating with are nothing short of dangerous. He knows he will have to protect Nora and the only way he can do so effectively is to keep her close under the guise of a fake engagement. Parting with her the first time nearly destroyed him – a second time will seal his fate. Once the culprits are found and brought to justice, he vows to find out what drove her away from him. He has no intention of letting his second chance with Nora slip through his fingers and he will fight relentlessly to make her see just how perfect they are together.

And, just like that, another series has been born that I will definitely be a part of. Positively enchanting. True to form, Ms. Collins has brought us another wonderful story, sure to please all lovers of historical romance. Freddy is the perfect example of a rake, but with more freedom, because he isn’t the heir apparent. And as suspected, his heart could only be conquered by a woman as strong as he is. Nora is his match in every way. I enjoy that Ms. Collins always presents her female leads as those who are intelligent and mold breakers in the face of societal expectations. In this case, Nora is a writer and strong-minded about the rights of women. Her biggest flaw being that despite her independence and convictions, she takes Freddy’s ability to make his own decision away in a very serious subject which causes her to reflect over her actions. Many authors have successfully portrayed strong female leads for their counterparts, but Ms. Collins surpasses by placing her women in positions that allow change – maybe small change in some cases, but change none the less. Additionally, the dynamic within the Lisle family draws you in completely, leaving you longing to be a part of it yourself. I absolutely adored the Lisle’s simply from their whimsical dinner scene and will definitely be back to find out more about each of them.

In constant motion, and never stalling in action, this book engages the reader completely. I have never once been disappointed with any of Ms. Collins books in any way. She is my number one go-to author for historical romance. I’m am completely entranced each time I read a book she has written; once begun, always completed within the same sitting. The detail in every single scene is unique and vibrant; her characters perfectly splendid. I don’t know how she maintains such consistency from story to story, but she has a gift and I could not be happier to have discovered her work. Each character is invaluable to the story and created in such a way that the reader feels kindred; as if they are a part of their lives and could be living just down the street. The wit and snark are completely refreshing, making the characters that much more loveable and relatable. I was going to show a different highlight, but the comical prowess displayed in the portion of the scene I chose was too fantastic to pass up. You should be able to get a great sense of compatibility with Ms. Collins writing style by those passages alone. If I had a complaint, it would be that somehow, I failed to understand the timeline of how Nora came to realize the reason for breaking her engagement with Freddy. Trying not to provide spoilers here. It would have had to occurred prior to their engagement but would have been a situation that triggered ruin – so that part was a bit off. However, the complaint is minuscule in the grand scheme of the book and not nearly enough to turn me off from the series. I will be back very soon to experience the rest of the Lisle family as well as the daring Lords of Anarchy.

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/St. Martin’s in exchange for an honest review.