Taming the Rake

by Erica Ridley

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURB:

Enjoy a fiery, passionate enemies-to-lovers revenge romance from a New York Times bestselling author!

All her life, Miss Gladys Bell was a wallflower whose parents despaired of her ever attracting a suitor. Then she met the man of her dreams, who said she was the woman of his. One passionate night later, Gladys awaits a marriage proposal that never comes. Reuben Medford, the ton’s most notorious rake, doesn’t even remember her name.

Thanks to his cold-hearted callousness, Gladys lost her reputation, her dowry, and her chance at love. But now she’s back, and bent on revenge. He’s trifled with the wrong woman: This wallflower has thorns. Once Gladys holds that damnable rake’s arrogant, fickle heart in her hands… She’ll crush it, just as he did to her.

This time, he’ll remember her name.

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EXCERPT

She gazed back at him, neither indicating she’d held any curiosity as to why they hadn’t met before, nor asking any of the obvious questions, like Why would you avoid the aristocracy? Or, What have you been doing instead?

“May I accompany you through the maze?” he offered.

“What about your friends back at the grotto?”

“They…” don’t mean anything to me was absolutely the wrong answer. 

In fact, Reuben couldn’t think of a right answer. It was as though his mystery woman had laid a verbal trap for him, which was absurd. Reuben himself had chosen to entertain his harem in the grotto. It was nobody’s fault at all that this woman happened to walk past an extremely public place in the center of a celebrated landmark in the middle of a festival.

He ground his teeth in consternation. Usually he was much smoother than this. Or rather, usually he needn’t try to be smooth at all. The women he surrounded himself with didn’t much care what Reuben had to say. They wanted what his body could give them, and he was happy to comply.

Being forced to impress a woman in a rapidly diminishing minute-and-a-few-seconds was dizzying and confusing. He’d never had to work this hard. If anything, he’d never had to try at all. He was the one who could pick and choose, who never dallied with the same woman twice, who had a waiting list a mile long.

“Are you staying for the entire festival?” he blurted out.

“I had planned to.”

“Are you here to find a husband?”

“Are you here to find a wife?”

“No,” he answered honestly. If she didn’t know of his wicked reputation, the least he could do was set that much straight. “I’ve no intention to marry.”

“No one has caught your eye?”

Everyone caught his eye. It was his heart that would never be caught.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of witty, feel-good historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, starring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?

In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!

Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England. 

When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Central America, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.

https://www.EricaRidley.com

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https://www.bookbub.com/authors/erica-ridley/

https://books.apple.com/us/book/taming-the-rake/id6443430309

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFP2NPBC/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taming-the-rake-erica-ridley/1142269126?ean=2940186632672

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/taming-the-rake-1

https://books2read.com/2TamingTheRake