Romantic, beautiful and sexy fun. Great book! I love historical novels best of all. I recommend this novel 100%

This series has been a bit of a miss for me and yet, I continue reading it. This one may have been the most unbelievable if the bunch. I could not understand how a Vicar would be traipsing around London and garnered the reputation as a rake. I mean, he’s a literal virgin at 30 some odd years old. Not only that, but he harbors ill feelings towards Avalon based on no fact.

I received this arc from the publisher for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book, but i have to say that i had a hard time reconciling a vicar as a rake. Avalon was strong and she'd been hurt in the past, but she fell in love anyway after a while.

This is another example of me, starting in at the middle of a series and hoping that it won't impact my ability to enjoy the book. But MacGregor has written a book that stands on it's own merit and was a pure delight to read. I'm not a fan of prologues, but this one was so heartrending, it puts you firmly on the side of Lady Avalon Warwyck. This is super important because the heroine is not particularly lovable all the time. However, MacGregor deftly uses the prologue to earn the reader's sympathy. You understand why she behaves as she does and honestly, I will always throw hands for Avalon. She had a terrible husband who humiliated her in front of his mistress, resulting in a brittle and unhappy marriage.

When her husband eventually passes away, Avalon is left with a son she must raise on her own. But the boy's guardian sends a disreputable, wild rake of a Vicar by the name of Devan Farris to supervise her upbringing of the boy. Avalon can't stand him. However, as time passes, she finds herself attracted to the Vicar and grows feelings for him. She realizes that the reputation and the man have little to do with each other.

I was a little put off sometimes by Avalon's and Devon's interaction at the beginning, as it appeared a bit harsh. However, as their relationship progresses, there is less bite to their sniping and turns into banter heavy with the promise of physical passion. Avalon and Devon are well-rounded, complex characters who engaged me and made me buy into them as a couple. They are courageous, honorable, passionate and good. Avalon's son is sweet and sees in Devon someone who can make him and his mother happy.

The best part is that Devon's reputation is completely unearned. Our rakish Vicar is really a virgin and that's always a treat in a genre that prizes sexual virility, even promiscuity in the male lead. Devon is gentle and kind, and he handles Avalon with the gentleness she should have always received. She has a lot to work through, but Devon is just the man to have at her side.

Wild, Wild Rake left me with all the feelings. I love a cranky heroine and a sweet hero and all the sparks and warmth that come from such a union.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Wild, Wild Rake is a conundrum, but in a good way. This book hits the tough spots when it comes to marrying out of necessity rather than love for this heroine. And the hero isn't what he's portrayed to be, or is he? I enjoyed this book and do recommend.

Wild, Wild Rake
by Janna MacGregor

Wild, Wild Rake is a fun read with a rollercoaster ride of the feelings, a heart-rending pursuit as the characters face their fears and uncertainties. A story that has a bit of everything: hearsay, manipulation, misjudging, lingering scars, doubts, hostility, trust issues and a bit of romance. A page turner that keeps the readers interest from the first chapter, setting the pace of the book and defines the future of the stories characters.

The characters are well-developed and are perfect for one another; a greedy social climber and a victim of circumstance. Our heroin is strong and brave woman, and Our hero is sent to spy on her. The strength of hero was spot on, and he challenges her and provokes her, just to see the sparkle in her eyes and she unsettles him at every turn. They realized the goodness in each other, which helps build on this story and they have found their happily ever after.

Ms. Janna MacGregor has a talent for writing wonderful characters that are far more complex than what they appear, they are multi-faceted. Janna MacGregor speaks to her readers with her writing and pulls them in with her creative words, finding that love truly can win at the end of the day and redeem those who thought never thought to have it. Her writing is perfect, the characters are amazing, and their interaction make for a delicious read. I expected nothing less from this talented author. I am a new Janna McGregor fan and love how she wrote this book, and this is the most amazing book.

Readers should be prepared to be swept of their feet while reading Wild, Wild Rake, which is more a tale of healing than one of hostility. They will be thoroughly captivated by the love/hate battle between the two main characters then developing into a teasing/sensual banter as the sparks began to fly. I read it in one setting and I highly recommend reading this book. I was gifted an ARC of Wild, Wild Rake, which deserves a 5-star rating.

This was entertaining, fun, and passionate.  I liked the characters; especially the back story for Avalon, the flashback at the beginning created the emotional tether from her to the reader that carried for the whole story. I did like that Avalon and Mary became friends even with the difficult situation created by her husband. I would love to see Mary have a story, I wanted more with her and I don't understand how she could stand Richard for treating Avalon the way he did.  Devin wasn't as strong as a character, like Avalon, but I liked him with her; and I kind of wish he hadn't been a vicar, I think that was what made him a bit standoffish for me. Their story was sweet and romantic and I enjoyed the whole thing. The conclusion added a bit of drama when they had to rescue her sister and friend. Otherthan his profession, I have no negative thoughts about the story.  I do like when the male lead is a rake in truth who learns the errors of their ways, rather than a rake in name only who finds the one woman he saught from the moment they met 10 years earlier. Overall, very enjoyable, passion was great, and the plot was entertaining and strong.

Guest Review by Joann Maggio
Wild, Wild Rake by Janna MacGregor

I have read several of Ms MacGregor’s books and I am never disappointed. She is a talented write and an imaginative author.

In this story you feel from the beginning these two main characters if they could step back and listen to each other they might realize how they were made for each other.

Lady Avalon Warwick was a victim of a terribly abusive marriage until her husband died.
Devan Farris comes from a rich family and carries a reputation of being a rogue. Ms MacGregor creates a rogue virgin vicar but it works.

This was a perfectly crafted book both sweet and romantic

What I liked: The story came at a time I needed a lighthearted romance, and this undertook that well. Avalon and Devon are adorable together.

Avalon's betrothal felt authentic to the time: an arranged marriage and a courtesan who becomes a mistress, then a life mate. Through all of that, it was refreshing to see Avalon develop a loose friendship rather than the standard jealousy and vindictiveness. Due to her marriage situation, the mission Avalon adapts is a worthy one. She is doing a very charitable thing by aiding those down on their luck. Avalon does not feel like the typical reserved, snotty, and stuffy lady of wealth found in that time frame, and this endeared her to me pretty quickly. Devon is splendid as the witty, charming Victor. He uses that appeal to gain favor, but not in a sleazy way. Not once did I feel Devon was unsincere in his actions or words.

What I didn't like: The romantic conflict felt pretty thin to me. It almost felt a little insulting to Avalon's intelligence, but I could be projecting. The situation did not ruin the experience for me, only a minor irritation. Ultimately, the resolution was satisfactory.

Wild Wild Rake is an incredibly enjoyable Historical Romance. I thoroughly enjoyed Avalon and Devon's tale.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I’d also done a post during the Blog tour for this novel last month, you can see that here.

I’ve read all of the books in the Cavensham Heiresses series up to now and after Avalon and Devan were introduced to us in the last novel in the series I was very interested in reading their story. I’m very glad that I got to read Avalon and Devan’s story, though it was a bit cheesy for me. There was a LOT of flowery love mush, to the point where it felt like overkill. Which was weird because at the same time there were a number of parts in the book where I thought Avalon needed to be a little more romantic – it seemed like she was having a lot of trouble trusting (understandably) but I felt bad that Devan seemed to have to do most of the work. And Thane’s character was a little too articulate for a ten year old in my opinion, it felt unrealistic. Other than that I really liked the story and the romance was great. The points that I didn’t like didn’t stop me from enjoying the story at all, this one just didn’t end up being my favorite because of them. I would still recommend the series overall though, it is a good one!

I have enjoyed Janna's books from her debut and this one did not disappoint! I love the unlikely way her characters fall in love. Very romantic! All the feels! Brava on another great romance!

Wild, Wild Rake (The Cavensham Heiresses #6)by Janna MacGregor Another great book in this series...So many feels... questions answered....Wonderful characters and story.

I was honestly disappointed in this title, because I think the author was trying to be more modern and empowered with her female lead, but it fell flat and reverted back to the traditional ways. I thought it might be a bit of a "twist" on the typical genre characters, but alas.

Fans of the “Cavensham Heiresses” series are already familiar with Avalon and Devan and like myself were probably not fans of Lady Avalon Warwyk. We knew her as the woman who jilted William Cavensham in order to marry a wealthy aristocrat. But in “Wild, wild Rake”, we find out that Avalon is far from being a calculating, materialistic woman. In fact we see that she was forced to marry and didn’t have a single day of happiness with her late husband.

She is now a widow with a ten year old son and has made it her mission to help fallen women find financial security and save and protect them from the dangers of the streets. She has no intention of remarrying and has no hope of ever falling in love. All she wants is to protect her son and the people who depend on her.

Devan Farris has made a reputation for himself as the wicked vicar. A ladies man and a flirt. He has never hidden his disdain for Avalon and has nicknamed her “Lady Warlock”- much to Avalon’s displeasure. So when Devan’s brother, and Avalon’s son’s guardian, sends him to her village as the parish vicar, he has no choice but to accept. Upon his arrival at the village he notices that Avalon is far from being the frivolous, careless and carefree woman he has thought her to be. She is compassionate, hardworking and selfless when it comes to the ones she loves. Together, Avalon and Devan form a pact to help the people of the parish while Devan tutors Avalon’s son, preparing him for Eton. They soon start to realise that they were both wrong in their estimations of one another and find that their mutual attraction is undeniable and unstoppable.

A great addition to a wonderful series!!

An engaging read, that had enough plot lines and twists to keep the reader engaged to the end. Avalon, our widowed heroine having just come out of an abusive marriage, is now free to live her life as she chooses. Raising her son at their country estate, which she manages, while helping “fallen” women find a new path, is more than enough to keep her busy and fulfilled. Then along comes Devan, the brother of her son’s nasty guardian, and the new parish priest. Yet Devan has a reputation as being quite the rake (hence the title of this book), and has been sent to keep an eye on Avalon. The plot then becomes an enemies to friends story, with the romance building from there. I enjoyed the many plot lines in this book. It kept things interesting and engaging. The characters were well developed, and allowed to grow and change during the story, as their relationship did the same. A bit of romance, a bit of intrigue, and we have a good book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my freely given, honest review.

Wild, Wild Rake drew me in in so many ways, but another aspect that especially stood out to me was its timing. As the book went on, I found myself wondering, “This happened, what else is going on through the next X pages?” Full disclosure: I stayed up far too late one night to finish the last several chapters!

I’m crossing my fingers to read more of Janna MacGregor’s Cavensham Heiresses series soon, and can’t recommend this one enough in the meantime.

*Full review on Pencils & Pages*

This was one of those stories that almost hurts. You sympathize so much with the characters that you just want to crawl in the book and tell them what's going on! I loved the story and the characters and can't wait to read more.

Wild, Wild Rake by Janna MacGregor is the sixth book in the Cavendham Heiress series. The super sexy read follows the slow building romance between Avalon and Devan. Readers will enjoy this intense romance between a woman with a heartbreaking history and the vicar that can mend her soul with love in this new historical by Janna MacGregor.

I greatly enjoyed McGregor's enemies to lovers tale, with two stubborn souls who discover that beneath their bickering might be the embers of a great romance. An enjoyable read.

The premise between Vicar Devin and Lady Warwyck, the aforementioned warlock is a classic opposites-attract romance and despite the lady's nickname misidentification (warlock-Warwyck - slight eye-roll) Wild, Wild Rake is an amiable read. Everyone's got a secret in this romance, which makes the reveal charming as the vicar and the lady build an affinity that is charming, although the "flirting" in the beginning is decidedly subpar in its childishness. Additionally, the sub-plot loses much of the story's charm. On the surface the sub-plot is a compelling portraiture of an independent woman in the Regency time-period and her efforts to help other women, however, the conclusion is so ridiculous that any goodwill is soon lost.