Something I’ve realized that I love about historical romance, and romance more generally, is that although the synopsis creates a sense of conflict and light hardheartedness there’s typically a lot of depth behind it. I loved that MacGregor created characters that seemed fully fleshed out and understandable.

I felt like Avalon and Devan’s characters were interesting and real despite that facade of regency era romance. Avalon experienced a brief but abusive marriage and her parents were social climbers. After the death of her parents and husband, Avalon has clawed out a home of her own within a kind village and has set up a sort of underground railroad for women wanting to get out of prostitution and away from abusive partners. Avalon has a number of reasons for her high walls and chilly demeanor. While Devan’s rakishness is a cover for his hope of finding a woman to love and call his wife forever. Both of them have to let down their walls to find their happiness and I thought the author did an excellent job!

I devoured this book in two days so it thoroughly held my attention! I thought the pacing was good (though it always astonishes me with the plot of a book takes places over only a few weeks… seems unrealistic at times but is consistent with the genre). This can be read as a standalone, thankfully, but I have a feeling I’ll be going back and reading the first five books now that I’ve been introduced to this series and author!

What I really love about Janna MacGregor's Cavensham Heiresses Series is that you do not need to have read the others to read the newest one, but if you have read them all, you get these fun easter eggs.

In this particular installment, the book opens with out heroine in a disastrous marriage. We don't normally start a romance book with a terrible couple, but Janna MacGregor uses this relationship as the perfect base to build a host of complex characters.

Because of her terrible first husband, the heroine, Avalon, hides her insecurities with a false tough exterior. What we come to discover, is that Avalon has hidden her issues for so long that she has even fooled herself. She is often surprised by her own genuine responses, having spent her entire life repressing her actual thoughts and feelings in order to please someone else or hide her own pain. This creates a woman who does not truly know herself when she tries to envision a life joined with someone else.

Then there's the hero. He is not terribly likable in the beginning, as he coins Lady Warwyck's, Avalon's, dreadful nickname of Lady Warlock. I have to say, while not very original, it does fulfill its purpose in making Avalon seem dreadful. Then we slowly begin to understand why he dislikes Avalon, but like any good historical romance, his less than amorous feelings are based on false assumptions. So when he discovers the truth about Lady Warwyck, he sees the strong, beautiful, and broken women he has helped torment for years.

Through a series of miscommunications and hopeless shenanigans, our two main characters find their way to each other. Their paths are tricky, and even once they come together, their previous actions have the ability to drive them apart.

Wild, Wild Rake is a really good historical fiction romance novel that does a brilliant job showing that you can't believe everything you hear about someone. It's always best to listen with an open heart and make your own decisions, because you never know what's inside a person.

Wild Wild Rake

5 stars

Well this book started off with a bang. What initially drew me in was it’s easy and engaging writing style. The kind that captivates from the very first sentence and continues to enthrall throughout the novel.

There's a scene at the very beginning that sets up the rest of the story and that scene utterly destroyed me. In a matter of two pages I was beyond livid and so wholly invested that anyone would have had to pry the book from my dead body to get me to stop reading. It was fast paced with never a dull moment and honestly one of the best love stories I’ve read in a while.

Regency romances, in general, are a new love of mine and this was one surpassed my expectations. It checked all my marks (and then some) and I cannot recommend it enough. If you’re looking for a wholesome, endearing, and charming romance with charismatic characters and a riveting love story then it doesn’t get any better than ‘Wild Wild Rake’!

Love this story. Nicely written. The characters are fun, entertaining and relatable. I enjoy when the author writes a child in instead of keeping them in the background. As always Jenna doesnt disappoint

Lady Avalon Warwyck and her husband did not like each other. He was to the point of being cruel. They did have a son though and Avalon took very good care of him. Her husband died leaving a mistress who he did love and they had a son. Lady Avalon decided to help those women who are pressed into prostitution and then left pregnant with no help for themselves or their child. When her husband dies his friend, becomes the guardian of her son. He sends his brother, Vicar Devon Farris to her parish and to spy on her. They are attracted to each other. Can this developer into something more? They have to get past a lot of baggage.

Wild, Wild Rake by Janna MacGregor is one wild ride full of temptation, hope, and new beginnings. I fell instantly in love with both protagonists. The minor characters added to the story and were just as real. This is the sixth historical romance novel in the Cavensham Heiresses series. Some of the previous characters were found in this delightful tale. Janna MacGregor never disappoints. She always writes a book full of humor, love, and enough action to keep readers addicted. I enjoyed following these main characters as their journey deepened.

In this book, I met a kind yet clever heiress. She was forced to wed a man she didn’t love nor loved her. Her parents did what no parent should do. Force their daughter’s hand to a terrible man. Avalon wedded a rich and powerful Marquess. He only consummated their marriage once. That one time got Avalon with child. Avalon has to deal with her husband’s cruelty and his unfaithfulness. But it is with that, that she met a woman who ends up becoming her best friend. From their, Avalon’s life changes.

Next, there is the wild rakish vicar that tempted feelings Avalon never thought she would ever feel. She felt like a wanted woman. A woman who is desired. Vicar Devan is sent to spy on Avalon. From there things become complicated and romantic. Devan is an honest man. But he is also very blunt and teasing when it comes to his Lady Warlock, aka Avalon. He’s the kind of hero that all women would love to have in their lives.

Overall, I loved every bit of this story. Janna MacGregor is a talented writer. Her characters are unforgettable. The stories she writes keep me begging for more.

I had a really hard time getting into this one unfortunately. Normally this author's book's keep my attention and I can't put them down. But this one just didn't do it for me. The writing itself is, as always, excellent. But I had a very hard time connecting with the characters. The heroine just seemed to get on my nerves and I hard time even liking her. The hero made it worth to keep reading but I honestly doubt I would re-read this one. I just didn't like it. That's not to say that other's wouldn't, but it just wasn't for me.

Wild, Wild Rake is the sixth book in the Cavensham Heiresses series and I was glad to finally have a book that featured Devan Farris. I wasn't so sure about Avalon Warwyck but there had been enough mention of her in previous books that I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about her; I figured there was something else going on in her life and it was good to finally know what it was. However, I have never been a fan of insta-love, and although Devan and Avalon have known each other for years, they actually disliked each other, so to fall in love so quickly just made me want to grit my teeth.

First of all, I am a huge Devan fan; he was funny, kind, loving, and kind of innocent in many ways. I feared that he would be taken advantage of simply because he was so nice and seemed to always be the one bending over backwards whenever there was a disagreement; I do like a man who can stick up for himself and not always appear as if the woman is right simply so he doesn't hurt her feelings. Backbones, people, backbones. And, sometimes he seemed this way with Avalon in order to keep pursuing her as he knew she had been deeply hurt in her previous marriage. And while I am all for sensitivity, I am never for putting everyone else first after yourself all of the time. Luckily, a lot of dialogue later, and I mean A LOT of dialogue later, Avalon and Devan managed to work out their differences and come to a mutual understanding which led to marital bliss. All without some silly misunderstandings that create huge drama. I was quite happy about this although for it to happen so quickly was unexpected.

There were times though, when I wasn't exactly crazy about Avalon. I did think she was sweet and lovely and treated others with kindness and understanding, and I definitely loved the charity work she was doing, but her lack of self-confidence did drive me crazy as she kept questioning everyone's motives, particularly Devan's. Luckily that didn't create too much drama or I don't know if I would have continued with the book. However, the drama came from another direction entirely and, to be honest, I felt like the author was just tying to come up with something dramatic for the book as it didn't really fit well with what was happening. Could the author have used any other way to create drama? Yes, I think so. Now, I did like one thing that happened out of all this and it has to do with Avalon's son. Wonder if there's another story waiting there?

Wild, Wild Rake was a sweet, romantic novel that moved both a bit slowly and a bit quickly for me. First of all, I got a bit tired of Avalon's continuous mental dialogue of how she could never let another man rule her or her life, and I was a bit worried that Devan would never grow a backbone. I did like how both of these characters learned to trust each other over time as they grew to know each other and realized how little they actually knew about each other despite all the years of being thrown together. And while the pacing was a bit slow, the events actually took place in a short amount of time which I didn't care for. Overall though, it was an enjoyable read, and I am always happy to see some Cavendish men and women show up at any time. Always fun to run into a familiar face, so to speak. Do I recommend this book? Yes, definitely, as well as the whole series.

Historical romance is not a genre that I normally gravitate towards, but I made it a goal of mine to read more of them in 2020. And Wild,Wild Rake kicked things off for me, this year. Rake (well not the tool to collect leaves) and vicar were fairly new terms to, so it was interesting to learn about what that actually entailed in this one.

With this being my first read by Janna, I was completely sucked in from the very beginning. She even had my heart breaking and about ready to break down and cry because of what Avalon was put through by her horrible husband. Ten years later and a widow, she definitely made the most of her life and of course, Devan was coming to shake things up. And I was here for every moment of it.

I liked that they definitely had that enemies to lovers sort of relationship or well, just the constant dislike for one another. Because it really played into their present and made their story a lot more exciting to read about. However, Devan had some making up to do, but of course, it didn't take him too long to win me over.

These two had a lot of growth during the story, I loved that Avalon was finally able to get past her insecurities and let her walls down. There were times when Devan seemed to play around a bit too much, but he totally ended up being the man that Avalon needed. 

I haven't read a lot of historical fiction and the language is definitely something to get used to. I enjoyed this one immensely and can't wait to pick up my next read by Janna!

Hello and welcome to my review of Wild, Wild Rake by Janna MacGregor! Wild, Wild Rake was released last week, and I was happily provided with an advanced reader copy in exchange for taking part in the blog tour. Being a Janna MacGregor newbie, added to the fact that this is the sixth and final book in her Cavensham Heiresses series, I was a teensy bit worried that I’d be lost, but I caught on fairly quickly and all in all, quite enjoyed myself.
Lady Avalon Warwyck suffered greatly in her marriage to the late Lord Warwyck, a vicious and egotistical man. After being forced to marry him by her social climbing parents, then emotionally abused and humiliated by him during their brief marriage, she vows to never put herself under the power of another person. Enter Devan Ferris, our wild rake, or so the society pages would have you think. Lord Larkham, the guardian of Avalon’s son, has sent his brother Devan to check up on the lady and her son. Avalon has despised Devan and his roguish reputation for years and will have no part in his meddling with her carefully cultivated life and family. Devan for his part has always admired Avalon, always teasing her when they meet, trying to set her at ease, which she was misinterpreted as dislike. Now they’re in close proximity, he’s hot, she’s hot, I wonder what happens next. If you haven’t guessed that they fall in love, what kind of romance reader are you?
I found Devan to be so refreshing, especially in his occupation as the vicar. Don’t get me wrong, I love a duke as much as the next girl, but you just don’t see many vicars in romance, it was a nice change of pace. If you’re thinking, how could a vicar have a reputation as a wild rake, just remember, don’t believe everything you hear. Avalon was harder for me to get on board with. Granted, her parents and later her husband were terrible. Her husband was a total…let’s just say he wasn’t a nice person. That being said, he’s been dead for going on nine years, her horrible parents are gone as well, yet she remains extremely disdainful toward men in general. I hated even thinking it, but during the first 20% or so, she bordered on shrewish and she felt very man hating to me. I could understand her being closed off to love, but her general disregard toward Devan as a person, let alone love interest was frustrating. The intensity of her bitterness almost made her unsympathetic, however, MacGregor opens her up at just the right moment and before I knew it, I was all in.
This is a hard one for me to rate. After a rough start I ended up really liking it, but it did take a while for me to warm up to it. I definitely want to go back and read the other books in the series, so if that isn’t a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is! 4 Stars.

This book didn't really hold my attention but I loved the concept. The hero was my favorite although I thought it odd that a vicar was a rake. Overall an okay read but I wish I had read the previous ones so I understood the characters more.

Wild, Wild Rake was my first Janna Macgregor AND my first historical romance with a vicar hero, and I absolutely adored it! I definitely need to go back and read some of her backlist, I was captivated from this story from the very beginning and loved her writing.

This is the last book in the series, but I read it as a stand-alone and it worked well for me.

If you’re looking for a historical romance with a unique plot, try Wild, Wild Rake! Lady Avalon Warwyk was a great heroine, not only was she strong and didn’t put up with any nonsense but I loved that she helps fallen women become self-sufficient. The book starts with her pregnant and married to a man she hates. Soon after meeting her husband’s pregnant mistress, she becomes a widow and vows to help women avoid the situation she was in.

Ten years later, one of her deceased husband’s friends, Devan Ferris, is sent to keep tabs on Avalon and her son. I ADORED Devan! He’s a vicar (and a virgin!!) who is passionate about his job, and about Avalon.

It’s a bit of a hate to love, the banter between the two is great. He calls her Lady Warlock quite a bit and there’s a lot of teasing going on. But the chemistry between the two is so enjoyable. Towards the last half of the book one of my favorite tropes comes up, and I was PUMPED about it!!! What a way to make me adore this story even more Wild, Wild Rake was a 4.5 star read for me! (Rated 5 for Netgalley)

This story features that rarest of Regency heroes; the virgin rake. Yes, that’s right, the HERO is the virgin… with the reputation of a rake. He’s mainly got this reputation because he’s charming and good-looking, which to be honest seems a bit unfair, especially since he’s also a vicar. Frankly, Devan just seems to be a bundle of contradictions. He’s trusted by his bishop to sort out problem parishes, and when his older brother the earl asks a favour of him, he’s happy to oblige… but he is, frankly, absolutely terrible to the heroine. We first meet him right after he’s given her a really cruel and horrible nickname, for no reason I can discern, despite knowing she was at the time married to an appalling husband. And then when he’s sent by his brother (the executor of her late husband’s estate and guardian of her son) to make sure she’s not squandering estate monies - on zero evidence that she is, just his brother’s concern that she’s helping other people and getting the money from Somewhere - he’s arrogant and rude.

I just couldn’t reconcile all these different things about Devan. Avalon, the heroine, obviously couldn’t, either, because she couldn’t bring herself to trust him even after she wound up married to him, taking the word of a proven liar over Devan’s on at least one occasion. I really liked Avalon and her little family and the community she’d built, but I just couldn’t buy into Devan as the right partner for her from the very beginning of the story. His thoughtless arrogance and cruelty to a woman he didn’t even know, one who was suffering in an untenable situation, were an instant turn-off and I couldn’t bring bring myself to root for them as a couple. There was a really bizarre plot involving a villain which suddenly popped up right at the very end of the book which felt like something the author hastily shoehorned in to add a bit of danger and honestly just should have been left out.

This wasn’t terrible, but I was disappointed. I’ve read other books by this author and thoroughly enjoyed them, but I really couldn’t get into this one. Three stars.

I found the story easy and quick enough to read but it did start off slow but I did enjoy this book.

This is book 6 in a series but you can just read it as a stand-alone.

Didn't realize this was part of a series until after I finished this, but it worked perfectly fine as a standalone which made me really happy. I am curious about the others...

The story follows Lady Avalon who had a terrible, loveless marriage. She becomes widowed and now is free. Devan Farris is a vicar, but he is also rumored to be a reputed rake. He is the brother of Avalon's son's guardian and is forced to spy on her to see where she is getting the money her charity project. He doesn't want to meddle in her affairs, but he becomes entranced by her.

Oooooo poor Avalon. She had such a terrible husband. And people are so cruel! Judging her as if she was the problem. Screw them! I'm so glad she didn't let those terrible people bring her and her good heart down. I am happy Mary was there and the complexity of their relationship. Made me smile.

I was worried about if I would like Devan especially when we find out that he was friends with Avalon's husband. He had judged her pretty harsh at first until he realized she wasn't horrible like the husband said she was. I didn't trust Devan either at first, but he grew on me and I loved the twist to his story.

There was insta-lust. It seemed like love, but it took a while for them to realize that it is true love. I'm glad it took a while especially since Avalon had been in a terrible marriage and she had terrible parents who used her like a tool. Loads of trust issues for sure.

I enjoyed this a lot, but...I did have some issues with the side story with Penelope. Sure, I felt for her when we learned more, but I just didn't care overall about her. Penelope had no redeeming qualities for me to really get on her side and root for her.

All-in-all, this worked extremely well as a standalone and I enjoyed this a lot. It took a while for the two to get truly together and realize they need each other. Not crazy about the side story with Penelope...but I get why it was there. This was a good one and I am curious about the previous novels. I'll give this 4 stars.

The 6th book in the Cavensham Heiresses series, Wild, Wild Rake is a fun addition. While not my favorite of the series thus far, it still has a lot to offer fans of historical romance.

Lady Avalon Warwyck is a widow and happy to be free from the abuse she suffered from her first husband. And she's happy being single, raising her son.

Devan Farris is a vicar, a renowned rake, and charged with looking after Avalon. (His brother is the guardian of Avalon's son). And of course, Avalon wants nothing to do with Devan, especially given his reputation as a womanizer. But of course, things aren't always as they seem. And our hero, Devan the vicar might be more aligned with stereotypes of a virtuous clergyman than a rake, despite his reputation.

Their love story grows over time as Avalon learns to trust Devan, and Devan navigates his new responsibility of "looking after" Avalon and her son with respecting her independence.

It's sweet and in the end we have our lovely Happily Ever After.

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
Lady Avalon Warwyk, a Cavensham by birth, is married to a brutish husband who humiliates her by running off with a prostitute, leaving Avalon alone to raise their infant son, Thane.
A decade later, defiant Avalon, has now been freed from the chains of a brutish humiliating husband... thank goodness.
Widowed, Lady Avalon Warwyk, aka Lady Warlock, has earned this reputation because her husband when he was alive, led people to believe negative falsehoods about her, He conveniently casted blame on her just to justify his on vices.
The Earl of Larkton, is Lady Avalon’s son, the Marquess of Warwyk guardian and estate conservator. Has grown extremely suspicious as to means of the fundings of Lady Avalon new found goal, the rehabilitation of ladies of questionable morals.
He sends his younger brother, vicar and reputed rake Devan Farris, to investigate on her and discover exactly what is going on.
Avalon is a headstrong and aims to right the wrongs in Regency England, by helping those less fortunate, who have fallen into a disreputable line of work, by choice or by circumstances. Remembering Devan as the man who taunted her with the nickname Lady Warlock, and his rakish brother and the crowd they were in. Devan Farris, vicar, was undeniably a very handsome and charming and had a reputation as rake, whether it was truly earned or not.
This passionate romance, with a swoon worthy Vicar and a strong willed courageous lady will keep you engaged from start to finish. A wonderful Cavensham Heiresses Regency with a sweetheart of hero, and some creative twist that will keep turning these delightful pages.

When Lady Avalon Warwyck's arranged first marriage ended, it was a relief as her husband was cruel and selfish. She can raise her son alone and focus on her charities for women in need. The new vicar has a rakish reputation and as the youngest brother of her son's guardian, makes Avalon question his intentions. Can Devan Farris prove to Avalon that a happily ever after is possible?

I loved this book! It's part of a series but I had no trouble reading it as a stand-alone. This is an enemies to lovers romance with strong main characters. Avalon is resilient and fiercely loyal to the villagers who have befriended her. The title is a bit tongue-in-cheek as our hero couldn't be farther from being a rake. Devan is a compassionate man doing his best to make his way in a world that doesn't give a fourth son many options. As usual my favorite parts of the book were the humor and the fun banter between the couple. There were several steamy scenes that were well done. This was a swoony read that I highly recommend! Thank you to Saint Martin's Press and Netgalley for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is definitely a 5-star read. There is history of abuse for Avalon which makes us feel deeply for her struggle and success. Devan has a wicked reputation for a Vicar but he is kindhearted and not at all as rakish as he is believed. Thane, Avalon's young son, is very astute and tries to force Avalon and Devan together. I could not put this book down, although life got in my way and I found myself rushing to get back to reading it. I highly recommend this book and the series.
I received this book free for review from the publisher.

Everything I have read by this author in the past has been an absolute blast, unfortunately I personally felt that this book didn’t meet my expectations, which were pretty high, I’ll admit. The “enemies to lovers” trope is one of my favorite. This novel does deliver on the banter, rivalry and friendship. I couldn't put this down because Janna MacGregor's storytelling is addicting, but at the same time, I didn’t really feel the romance all that convincingly.

Avalon is the heroine that I found truly admiring. I certainly loved her spirit, her generosity and her determination. She is the shining star in this installment, she’s just a delightful character to follow. I loved her confidence and uniqueness. I loved how strong she was even during tougher times. I loved how mature she was. Her backstory really made me feel for her. Her first marriage was a sham, and she was deeply hurt by her late husband’s actions. As a widow, she has gained her independence and has opened a home for former prostitutes and foundlings. Her son’s legal guardian wants to take control over her estate and has sent his younger brother, Devan, to spy on her and discover where she received the funds to do her charitable work.

Devan Farris took a while for me to warm up to. He did end up growing on me but I still didn’t end up loving this character. I liked that he was thoughtful and had a solid relationship with his brother, but I thought that he wasn’t fleshed out enough for me to like him. His relationship with Avalon's son was sweet.

The plot and its pacing were the main downfall for me. The first part of the book drags on. The tension between the two main characters wasn’t enough to keep me engaged. I just wanted something to happen. Then, everything happened in the last part of the book, and I just wished some subplots didn't take away from Avalon and Devan’s storyline. But despite some of the contrived drama, this book does hit the mark for a sweet romance and I really enjoyed the ending. 3.5 stars