Wild, Wild Rake is the 6th installment in Janna MacGregor’s The Cavensham Heiresses series and it lives up to the reputation of the previous books. Avalon and Devan were briefly introduced in Rogue Most Wanted and it was clear they were not friends. Avalon abruptly threw over Devan’s close friend William Cavensham, and he has still not forgiven her.
Avalon was forced into a marriage of convenience with a man who, to show his derision for her, would ridicule her in front of his friends. He went as far as having his mistress live in his home and sent Avalon to live in the country. When her husband dies, she vows to never again live under the thumb of a man. She is happy to stay in the country and raise her son and help other women have a second chance at life.
Devan, being the younger son of a duke, becomes a vicar. Unfortunately, his brother pulls the strings of which parishes he is sent to work, and Devan can’t complain as this is his form of income. He is sent to the parish where Avalon lives to spy on her and determine how she is managing her son’s funds and the estate at Warwyck Hall.
Avalon and Devan are distrusting at first, based on their reputations and previous interactions. She seems cold and mysteriously helps women start new lives (where is she getting the funds?). He is known as a notorious rake in London. Both reputations are far from reality. Sparks fly (bad and good!) as they spend time together while Devan learns about the management of Warwyck Hall.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it! Ms. MacGregor’s prose immerses in the story and you can “see” what is happening. The witty banter between the main characters was great and had me laughing. It was wonderful to see two caring, loving souls come together.
I happily read an ARC I received from NetGalley and the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to like this book, but just couldn't. The premise of a widow taking in prostitutes and creating a safe haven in her village interested me.
Unfortunately, the first 30% is essentially a yo-yo of actions and thoughts between a wishy-washy heroine and a rather unlikable hero, that left me wondering 'why'. These two needed to talk... And they did. As far as I was concerned, the book was done at 30%.
And as a note: the correct phrase is not 'could care less'. In that context, it's 'couldn't care less'. That was misused several times.
Sorry. This one didn't do it for me.

3.5 stars really.

Didn’t expect this to be about a vicar and a widow. The vicar thing put me off a little. How can a vicar be a rake?

But still it’s a nice story. Was curious on how they’d end up together. Clever clever Avalon. And smart and sweet Devan, who was more than I thought he was.

You gotta admire Avalon for her strength. And you can’t blame her for being wary.

I do like how the regency romances I’ve been reading have been nice lately.

Thank you St Martin’s publishing for this book!

MacGregor switches things up a little bit from the traditional regency romance of two titled individuals falling in love. Avalon is a marchioness, who suffered great indignities and emotional abuse in her brief marriage. Devan is the fourth son of an earl, and with no money or estate to call his own becomes a vicar after his brother denies him a commission in the military. Devan's brother is also executor of Avalon's son and he sends Devan to spy on Avalon and her perceived reckless spending. What Devan finds is quite different - a woman who gives prudently to help others and someone worth falling in love with. Unfortunately the books has parts where it feels choppy, cliché, and awkward. Of course the two characters start off disliking each other before falling madly in love. Of course there's an obstacle in the course of their happiness. I can get over those things a little more easily than the speed at which they fall for each other, and then because they've fallen in love halfway through the book they have to spend most of the rest of it with Avalon constantly needing reassurance from Devan that he truly loves her and wants to be with. While this may be justified based on her first marriage it just ended up being obnoxious to me.

Excellent Regency romance. Our hero starts out as quite the jerk. His brother is friends with our heroine's husband. A husband that goes past being a jerk and into cruel. He didn't want to marry her and always lets her know that he blames her because he had to make a deal with her parents.
After he impregnates her he introduces her to his mistress, who just gave birth to their son.
This is the kind of romance that we all love to read. A strong heroine and a redeemable rake.

Historical romance which is a bit different. Good characters with human flaws. Lots for the two main characters to work through before a happy ending.

This is the sixth in the series, but each one can be read as a standalone with only some overlap of characters. 

I prefer others in this series, but it was still an okay read. One thing I have to applaud the author for. the characters actually speak to each other. They don't allow miscommunication to hinder their relationship. They are honest with each other. I hate it when most of the conflict can be resolved with a simple conversation. Avalon and Devan are adults and are willing to communicate. 

While there are some exciting moments in this book overall, I found it to be forgettable. I will still continue with the series. Hopefully, they will be more enjoyable. 

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Janna MacGregor has penned a remarkable book whose wry title references a virginal rector whose flirtatious manner has given him an undeserved reputation. Faced with a widowed heroine whose prior marriage was abusive and unhappy, he bridges her reservations and moves from an initially acrimonious relationship to a teasing and loving one. There are false allegations of malfeasance, rescuing of worrisome lass, and still more love and affection develops after initial doubts arise. The author, as always, has delivered an excellent enthralling romantic tale.

I really enjoyed this book, it was easy reading and I found myself unable to put it down. The two main characters were strong and hot as hell. This book has a really good story and I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen at the end while at the same time didn’t want this book to end. I recommend this book.

4 Stars! This was a really good book! It can be read as a standalone. I’ve read every book in the series and couldn’t wait to read Devin’s story!! I definitely recommend this book and the entire series!
*I received this book at no charge from the publisher and I voluntarily left a review.*

Jenna know's how to pull you into the book from the start to finish. Just couldn't put it down. One of the best books so far. She is on my must read list but this one was awesome. Can stand alone but the whole series has been great. If you haven't read her books and love historical books pick one up you won't regret it

A widow, Lady Avalon Warwyk, aka Warlock, has managed her life and her work for the village on her own. When the younger brother of her son's guardian turns up as the new vicar, Avalon knows he's really a spy for his brother. Their conceptions of each other will change, but not before going through some compromising situations. Devan definitely has his work cut out for him. If anyone can charm and calm a lady, it's Devan Farris. I absolutely adore Devan, even if he is a vicar known as a rake, or is he? Another fabulous read in the Cavendish heiress series!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Avalon’s disastrous first marriage has lead her into helping other women that need help escaping . Devon is a Vicar and the brother of her sons guardian. They soon find out each other is not what they had seem to be. The characters are strong and I enjoyed the playful way their romance grew.

I must confess that the story of this book started really slow and I just wanted to leave it unread. On the other hand since I love historical romance I felt that something bigger would be coming my way. I’m glad I didn’t give up on this book because the story suddenly became enthralling and I started enjoying both characters. There was a freshness reading about a man who faced the wedding night with a pure soul. Avalon, our heroine instead, is so admiring for what she endured with her previous marriage. So on the whole once the reader starts reading this book I advice his/her to go further and start feeling the complete dedication of a woman towards her community and a man who has never lost faith in love.

This is the first time I have read Janna MacGregor but was intrigued by the synopsis, so eagerly downloaded. The beginning starts with devastating scenes showing the backstory of the story’s heroine, Avalon. I have seldom read a crueler or more heart wrenching scene…especially not this early on in the book. It does a beautiful job, in a minimal amount of words, setting up sympathy for one of the MCs. I love how the other woman is not the bad guy (no easy virgin/whore modelling going on here) and that we see two women within a love triangle being graceful, elegant, and sympathetic. Instead, it’s the dude who is an absolute a-hole.

In retrospect, I also love the way MacGregor teases (maybe unintentionally) that this could’ve easily been a love story with Lord Warwyck and his mistress whereby Avalon is demonized as the social/money climber who traps him into marriage and presented as a villain/foil. I have seen this plot before, and in fact, MacGregor actually uses this a bit as later conflict…which I did not love. Although MacGregor ends up making her second foil sympathetic as well, I really responded to the first and the idea that we were finally seeing the “other side” of the story. It was refreshing and interesting.

MacGregor also deals with scenes, conflict, formula, plot, etc in a different way that was at sometimes very effective and other times jarring. The result of this was to make me feel like the last quarter of the book was draggy and saggy, with a lot of inconsistent melodrama thrown in that I was not prepared for given the beginning and middle of the book. I think had I not found much of the first three quarters of the book novel, however, then I would have DNFed. So those looking for formulaic presentations/plots probably should steer clear.

The titular MC, Devan, is anything but a wild, wild rake. He is actually a virgin (which the synopsis reveals…so no spoilers there) who is hella hot so everyone assumes he is a rake. No 40 year old virgin awkward nerd. Instead, he reveals himself to be a man of deep faith and conviction. So yes, there are Christian themes, some preaching/scripture references, and generally some content that skirted inspirational romance. I liked him as a Beta type man (hey, I have been transparent about my preference) but he wasn’t necessarily my particular brand of Beta. Maybe it’s the religious elements, or maybe that I wanted him to at least be a little wild, but meh. He did nail it in the sack the first time around, however, and those scenes were pretty sexy (albeit vanilla-ish), so readers who like the choir boy type Beta will go wild for him, I think.

MacGregor gives her heroine something to fight for, and there is a strong sense of found family which readers may respond to. I liked the idea of her focusing on building her own community in response to rejection on many levels. That message was certainly empowering. MacGregor also gives a lot of elements of historical detail and conditions to make good use of the era and showcase her research. Regency era is used to help bolster the story, rather than as wallpaper, so Reg readers will enjoy the historical elements.

Overall, I think this was an entertaining read with much to recommend it. As part of a larger series, I am sure MacGregor offers up readers a chance to play with some of their favorite tropes and MC types, so its worth searching The Cavensham Heriesses series to see if one of them might float your boat. There were intimate scenes, adult themes, and some violence, so better for mature readers who don’t mind on the page sex and violence.

Content warning: domestic violence, assault, and sex worker/sex worker violence

★★★★★★
4 out of 6 Unlikely lovers find solace and power with each other

As a young girl Avalon was forced by her parents to jilt the man she loved to marry a very cruel man who treated her terribly. Devan, a friend of the jilted man, despised her. Their mutual dislike carried on for OVER TEN YEARS! During those years, Avalon was widowed and and raised her son alone. Devan, known as a terrible rake, was forced by his brother to become a vicar. Whenever their paths crossed, Devan “teased” her mercilessly and called her a vile nickname. Forced to become the vicar of Avalon’s parish in order to spy on her for his brother, Devan has the quickest change in personality in the history of fiction. From one page to the next he goes from vicious to warm-hearted. The rest of the book is down right sappy. Avalon’s ten-year-old son Thane speaks like a seventy-year-old man. Can you tell this is not my favorite book of the series?

When a lady’s heart reawakens in presence of a rakish vicar, can they hope for more than attraction...

I preordered this book immediately when it was proposed, even if I had reservations about Avalon, after all she was “portrayed as one of the villain” in Rogue Most wanted.
So it is there that resides Mrs Janna MacGregor’s talent, her characters are one sided ones, they are multi faced, and they are far more complex than what they appear to be.
In the previous book, she was called a greedy social climber, yet the end of it, presented in a different light, still I wondered if I would be able to like her.

And now, pffffff ....
What a rollercoaster ride of the sentiments it was, if I hadn’t worked today, I would have read it in one setting. While I do remember how I was upset at Avalon when she “jilted” William, and now I know how wrong I was, I forgot the mask people shows is not always who they are. The first chapter sets the pace and defines the future Avalon.
At first, I was unsure about Devan, he too misjudged Avalon on the hearsay, and in between hurt her too.
When they meet again, he provokes her at every turn, he angers her, yet in doing so, it brings sparkles back in her eyes.
In fact, they are perfect for one another, he challenges her, she unsettles him.
When Avalon was a victim of her circumstances, she tried to better herself and uses her own experience to help others around. Devan is manipulated by his kin, but it is willingly he follows the road drawn in from of him.
Why he has a long way coming ahead of him to win her trust as very few persons did stand for her in the past, the scars are still lingering and she needs only a spark to fire her doubts.
I loved they did not throw barbs all along the book, in fact once they passed the first enmity, they realized there was goodness in each other.
Their story of more a tale of healing than one of hostility as Devan is the right cure for Avalon’s heart and soul.

So be prepared to be swept of your feet while following Devan and Avalon in their moving quest as they will have to face their fears and uncertainties.
I can only give 5 stars but it deserves more.

I was granted an advance copy by the author and publisher St Martin Paperback through Netgalley and prior to it preordered my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Dedication:
For those who ever felt they didn't fit in or weren't welcomed, but forged ahead and created their own place in the world.

2.5 stars rounded up because it has main characters who actually talk openly and honestly about things and there was no stupid misunderstanding blown all out of proportion!!!!! I cannot even begin to say how happy that makes me. The focus was really on the characters' growth and the relationship between Avalon and Devan developed naturally and over time.

I initially didn't like our heroine very much. It wasn't that she was cold and reserved, she has her reasons, but the way she leapt to conclusions about our hero while always complaining about people who do just that did not really endear her to me in the beginning. But she grows a lot over the course of the book, and I really enjoyed her journey. In the end, she showed just how amazing she truly is, and I loved that even though it was terrifying for her she learned to trust and open up, and didn't shy away from awkward conversations.

The best part for me was our hero, Devan, though. He was kind, and sweet, and just loveable. In the beginning, I feared he and Avalon wouldn't really suit, but after all, there was so much open talking that I was convinced. They were a truly wonderful couple!

The only thing I didn't enjoy was the pacing. Avalon and Devan get married fairly quickly because of some drama, and after that there was a lot of drama that had nothing to do with their relationship. After I knew those two were happy, I honestly skimmed a bit because I couldn't care less about the side character whose lies and drama caused all the problems and resulted in a pistol-wielding madman coming out of nowhere to threaten everyone. I just don't like last-minute drama.

Wow, this is a super book. Davan Farris is a vicar with a past of being a Rake. The rumors have him as a lady's man of the first order. Only problem is as with most gossip it's not true. He watched his mother and father in a love match and wants the same for himself. He decide long ago to not give himself to anyone but his wife, so he is a virgin still... When he is sent by his brother the Earl Of Larkton to teach his ward Thane and spy on his mother, Lady Avalon Warwyck he refuses.
He will teach Thane and see if he is ready to start Eton, but will not spy on Avalon and tells his brother he will have to tell her why he is there. Devan has always found her intriguing.
As both Davan and Avalon work for the village, and spend time together they will learn much about each other they never knew. Even woman should have a man like Devan once in her life.
This is a fast moving story with love, laughter, sorrow and danger too.
You really need to grab a cup of coffee a nice blanket and get ready to read till the book is done.
you will love it.
I want to thank Netgalley and the author for sending me and ARC and am giving my honest opion
voluntary. Don't miss this one or any of the books in this series

It was a bit of a slow burner, but it's one that should be stuck with because it developed into a nice little story. It stood on it's own quite well but fit into the series nicely.

Its a nice, sit beside the fire with hot chocolate, type of read.