St. Martin's Press
Featuring: Lord Frederick Lisle; Leonora Craven
320 pages ISBN: 1250061067 EAN: 9781250061065 Kindle: 1250061067 Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List
A GOOD RAKE IS HARD TO FIND is Book one in the Lords of
Anarchy series by Manda Collins. I adore A GOOD RAKE
IS
HARD TO FIND -- it's the perfect blend of mystery and
romance. Lord Frederick Lisle is very sympathetic as a
hero: tender and sweet with the heroine as well as being
a true gentleman, a man of action and a champion.
There are two important parts to A GOOD RAKE IS HARD TO
FIND -- the "second time around" romance between Leonora
and Frederick, and the mystery of the suspicious death of
Leonora's brother Jonathan. Both aspect of this story are
equally compelling and well-developed. When Jonathan
Craven dies under mysterious circumstances, both his
sister and his good friend have similar thoughts about
investigating. There are so many elements that are
deliciously evocative of an early Agatha Christie mystery
that I love it. Leonora and Frederick working together
amid shady characters, members-only clubs with wicked
activities and danger at every turn only serves to
heighten the suspense and romance throughout A GOOD RAKE
IS HARD TO FIND. The excitement builds with each chapter
and new development. I couldn't put this book down.
The complicated history that exists between Frederick and
Leonora make their current romance more interesting.
Leonora does want more independence than what is usually
accepted for women at the time, but her inner demons are
really what stop her from finding happiness with
Frederick. In historical romances, it's usually the hero
who pushes the heroine away "for her own good". However,
in this instance it's the heroine who tries to push the
hero away out of a desire to protect his feelings. I love
when Frederick calls Leonora out on the double standard --
that if the roles were reversed, she'd resent his high-
handedness. The love that never went away between them
creates a very emotionally powerful romance.
A GOOD RAKE IS HARD TO FIND is both an exciting mystery
and powerful love story. This is good story-telling at
its best and a page-turner. I love the wonderfully
complex supporting character of Lady Melisande Fincher
and hope to see her turn up in a future story. I can't
wait for the next book in this series by Manda Collins to
see what's in store for the other characters!
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?