I very much enjoyed Janna MacGregor's latest novel, "Wild, Wild Rake," the sixth book in the Cavensham Heiresses series. It reads as a complete standalone, and I recommend it for both new and existing readers of the series.

The main characters of "Wild, Wild Rake," Avalon, Lady Warwyk, and Mr. Devan Farris, were briefly introduced earlier in the series, but in this story we quickly learn that neither of them is exactly who they first appeared to be. Devan, for example, has carefully cultivated a rakish reputation over the years and resisted all of his older brother's matchmaking efforts, but secretly, he longs for a love match like the one his parents enjoyed. Avalon has developed quite a reputation as well, but as an ice queen who loved nothing more than to spend her late husband's money on extravagant gowns and jewels. In reality, she was a deeply passionate woman who loved her son, younger sister, and community, and the proceeds from her husband's "gifts" were actually used to fund her charitable endeavors.

Even though they didn't realize it at first, Avalon and Devan were very well matched. There was a fun enemies-to-lovers aspect to their relationship that I really enjoyed, especially because of the amusing conversations and bickering between them as they got to know each other. In addition, I loved Avalon's character growth over the course of the story. She was such a strong woman and fought so hard to create an independent life for herself, but it was difficult for her to lower her barriers and trust that Devan wouldn't hurt her. Considering how terribly her parents and first husband treated her, that was completely understandable. Devan was worth the risk, however, and it was easy for me to cheer them on to their HEA.

I look forward to reading whatever Ms. MacGregor writes next!

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Young Avalon is happily envisioning her future, married to a beloved distant cousin. Her dreams are shattered when her parents announce that she’s to marry Marquess Warwyk. When Avalon balks, she is threatened with never seeing her younger sister again. Heartbroken, she marries the cruel lord, who is only too eager to tell her that he despises her. Warwyk has a mistress, one he’s totally devoted to, and one he would have happily married, had he not been forced to marry Avalon. When Avalon becomes pregnant, Warwyk sends her away, and installs his mistress in his home. This humiliating scene is witnessed by Warwyk’s mistress, as well as his two friends, Gavin and Devan.

Devan Farris and Avalon have somewhat of a history, as Devan is a dear friend of the cousin Avalon hoped to marry. Not knowing the true circumstances, Devan has always resented Avalon for jilting his friend, he thinks, to marry a titled lord. Devan is the fourth son of an earl, and while he would have preferred to be a soldier, he was forced into becoming a clergyman. It seems that being a vicar has not tamed Devan, as he has a rakish reputation, which he revels in. He has cleverly (so he thinks) dubbed Avalon as “Lady Warlock,” a name which has continued to haunt her.

Ten years have passed. Avalon has made a comfortable life for herself and her son, with her younger sister now also living in her household. Warwyk died about a year after their marriage, never having any desire to even touch his son and heir. Avalon lavishes love to her son and to her sister, but presents a calm and icy façade to the rest of the world. She is passionately devoted to her charity of helping unfortunate women, and the only flaw in her life is her son’s guardian, Gavin Farris, who seems determined to send her son off to school, and to stick his nose into her business. When Gavin installs his brother, Devan, as the new vicar of Avalon’s village, she knows that things can only get worse.

At this point, I was telling myself that I was really, really going to hate this story. I’m not a fan of enemies to lovers, as I don’t like all the bickering and sniping. I also was already not fond of Devan, as the man who has a biting wit and says hurtful things, yet hides it behind a charming exterior is not my idea of a hero. And what’s up with a vicar being a rake? But, I read on…

OK – I admit it. I was wrong, so very wrong. From this point on, WILD WILD RAKE really takes off to become a wonderful and emotionally touching romance. There is initial conflict between Avalon and Devan, but it soon becomes clear that he’s not leaving. It also becomes apparent that he has a genuine calling and is a gifted clergyman. He develops a wonderful friendship with Avalon’s son, and soon, even she can see the kind of man he truly is. As Avalon slowly lets a little of her guard down, Devan begins to see the awesome and strong woman she is.

Devan and Avalon embark on a stumbling journey to love that has to overcome their own misconceptions, her insecurities, and a vindictive rejected young lady. There are some surprising twists in the story, especially Avalon’s relationship with her late husband’s mistress, as well as the truth about Devan’s reputation as a WILD WILD RAKE. I ended up loving this well plotted, well written, passionate romance, as well as its stellar hero and heroine, and I give it my wholehearted recommendation.

Wild, Wild Rake is a surprising romance. From the description, you know there is tremendous difficulty between Avalon, a Cavensham heiress, and Devin, the new vicar. From an earlier time, there was been discord between them, hurt and a lot of mistrust.

I love that we get to see the growth of Avalon. She becomes a woman who takes good from the pain inflicted by her husband. Even the relationship she forms with his mistress shows the goodness in her heart. Avalon absolutely does not want to have Devan in ‘her’ community. He was from her past, a past connected to her deceased husband.

Devan is a surprise in that he did not want to ‘spy’ on Avalon for his brother. And, tells him so. He openly tells his brother, Avalon’s son’s guardian, that he will tell her why he was sent there. His compassion is evident from the very beginning of this story.

I love the openness that develops between Avalon and Devan. It’s as if their hearts connect before their minds connect. Their bond is thin at important times but is still a bond. There is a strong sensual nature to this book, yet Ms. MacGregor keeps Devan true to himself and his calling as a clergyman – loved that!

I enjoyed Thane’s kindness and sincerity as he is growing into the marquess. I appreciated his mother giving him love from his father. Thane might not have been the same without that.

I was so excited going back to the Cavensham Heiresses series, especially knowing it is about Avalon, she was the subject of our hero’s past heartbreak in Rogue Most Wanted, and I was not let down. I really liked Avalon as the heroine, she showed a lot of character growth throughout the book, although her insecurities really tested my limits at times. Even though I had a problem with the insta-love between her and Devan, our “tomcat” hero, I did like how the author took time to develop their relationship, there was no miscommunication or anything thrown out of proportion, that is something I really appreciated in this romance novel. I’m so sad this is the final installment to the Cavensham series, I recommend this series to anyone who likes reading romance novels with strong willed heroines.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for allowing me to read an ARC for an honest review.

Ratings (out of of 5):
Heart: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat: 🔥🔥
Terrific ladyness: 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻
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Lady Avalon Warwyk’s first marriage was an utter failure - one she has sworn never to repeat. She has built a life for herself at her late husband’s ancestral estate with her 10 year old son and has poured her heart and soul into creating a community of support for woman seeking a better life. When her son’s guardian begins to worry about Avalon’s spending, he sends his brother, Vicar Devan Farris to spy. Devan has long loved to rile Avalon, calling her Lady Warlock, but she’s bewitched him. Secrets abound in the countryside, however, and all is never as it seems. Can the Reverend “Jack Among Maids” win Avalon’s carefully guarded heart and, together, save the day?
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There are so many things to love about this book, friends:
✅ Strong heroine
✅ Feminism
✅ VIRGIN HERO
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“But I’d have a husband, one who would control me and my fortune just from the fact that we were married. Why would I do that, gentlemen?” Avalon is OUR heroine, friends. She has been so deeply wounded but did not turn that hurt into bitterness. Rather, it fueled her compassion. She has devoted her life to ensuring that women have choices for their lives and that selling themselves against their will, either their bodies or in marriage, isn’t the only one. She is bold, bright, and kind and I liked her immediately.
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I didn’t know what to think of Devan at first - and neither does Avalon. At first look, he is everything the scandal sheets say - a flirt, a charmer, and a rake. And yet first impressions never show the complete picture. Our Vicar is actually deeply kind, genuine, considerate, and funny. I found him utterly loveable and was cheering for this couple HARD.
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If you like a Regency romance that is rompy and fun but also attempts to correct the injustices of the time in its own way, give this one a read. I flew through it and thoroughly enjoyed every page. @JannaMacGregor has a new fan in me.
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Kiss and Tell:
This book features a taste of many things: kissing, hand play, oral, and p&v penetration, all of which is written with a delicate, deft hand. MacGregor doesn’t linger in the bedroom with lots of explicit description, but her scenes are lovely and tender.

A Lady Avalon la conocimos en el libro pasado donde nos enteramos de que había prometido casarse con William Cavensham cuando eran jóvenes pero, sin explicación alguna, va y se casa con otro. Todos, incluyendo el mejor amigo de Will, Devan Farris, creen que fue por mera conveniencia pero fue mucho más que eso.

Al principio no me gustó mucho la actitud de Devan hacia Avalon, la molestaba mucho y aun cuando veía que ella se entristecía, seguía llamándola Lady Warlock. Eventualmente esto se convirtió en su nombre de cariño cuando ella se tomó el sobrenombre a pecho y vio las partes buenas de ser llamada una bruja. No entendí muy bien la relación entre los personajes. Tanto yo como Avalon creíamos que Devan la odiaba por lo que le hizo a su amigo él nunca lo mencionó y fue hasta mucho después que supo la razón del matrimonio de Avalon con esa persona.

Me gustó más la evolución que tuvo el personaje de Avalon, siempre fue fuerte y sabía lo que quería. Lo que le hizo su marido, que realmente fue horrible, la dejó desolada pero ella salió adelante. Creo que soy un poco rencorosa porque yo no hubiera personado a nadie en toda esa situación. El único problema que tuve con ella fue casi al final donde se sintió que dudó de Devan sin razón. Casi parece que la autora metió esa pequeña incertidumbre solo porque siempre hay algo así en este tipo de libros. Sin dar contexto, ella comenzó a creer que solo estaba con ella por un dinero que iba a recibir, lo culpó de crear toda la situación en la que fueron envueltos con el fin de obtener ese dinero y lo tonto de que pensara de esta manera es que ella fue la que pidió ese dinero, la idea salió de ella y nadie más así que esta acusación realmente salió de la manga y no me encantó.

A pesar de esto disfruté de la relación entre los personajes. Me gustó la firmeza de sus convicciones de Devan y la fortaleza de Avalon. No se si va a haber más libros en la serie porque ya se nos acabaron los Cavensham pero si hay un séptimo libro, seguro que lo leo.

4.5 stars. I truly and thoroughly enjoyed this Janna MacGregor book! I think it is the best of the series -- so far!

Our heroine, Lady Avalon Warwyk has survived a bad marriage. Upon the death of her husband she is left with a young son, a lot of money and her dignity, but also with a very damaged heart. She lives at the family's estate and devotes her time to her son, Thane, and a program to assist women in trouble.

Devan Farris, vicar and younger brother of Thane's guardian, is assigned to the parish to check on Avalon's activities. The previous interaction between Avalon and Devan was not pleasant so she was not happy to see him in her area. However, a friendship and attraction slowly grow.

My favorite part of the book is Devan. I love a good guy hero and Devan is just the ticket. He is friendly, kind and funny, besides being a handsome hunk. All is not what it seems when it comes to Devan. He was just the guy to break down Avalon's barriers and win her heart. This was a very good book and a pleasure to read.

ARC provided through Netgalley.

Title: Wild,Wild,Rake

Series: The Cavensham Heiresses

Author: Janna MacGregor

Genre: Historical romance

February 25,2020

Rating:4.5

My thoughts

Would I recommend it? Yes

Would I read more of this series? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

Loved this story and the characters , and how they interacted with each other .And while it's part of a series I never had any trouble fellowing along with the story ,I do want to go back and read the rest of the series infact the only other book in this series I've read is book 3 . And out of those two I would say this one is my favorite one .Its just as passionate and intense as the other book ,maybe a lot more , because once I start reading I just couldn't stop , with the said I want to thank the publisher as well as Netgalley for inviting me read and review it .

This is the story of Lady Avalon Warwyk. At 17, she is sold off by her parents to marry a Marquess. She has no choice in the situation and neither does he, as he's being blackmailed by Avalon's parents. But he is cruel man and treats Avalon abominably. He flaunts his mistress in front of her, moving a very pregnant Avalon out of his house and moving his mistress in.
This is also the story of Devan Farris, Vicar. He's met Avalon many times throughout his years as a Vicar. In fact he nicknamed her Lady Warlock. Not because she's as cold as ice ,as her husband claims, but because she bewitched him.
Years later, they meet again when Devan becomes the Vicar of the parish of Thistledown, where Avalon lives.
Avalon is now a widow and devoted to her son and her charity work. She wants nothing to do with the new Vicar as he was apart of her husband's life.
Devan is determined to get to know the real Avalon, not the one her husband talked about.
And so the enemies to frenemies to love story begins.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought the heroine strong and the hero determined.
I want to thank Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this book.

Troubled times for a lady! __________ 3.5

A couple of tropes happening here, the enemy turned to lover and the unexpected virgin--with a twist. Avalon, Marchioness of Warwyk, was married at a young age to Richard Pearce, the Marquess of Warwyk. He was a cad and bully. Her parents had forced her into this marriage, well both of them actually. Warwyk despised her for that even though he was the architect of his own problem, whilst Avalon was merely her parents' pawn. Yet she is painted by society as a cold hearted woman who trapped her husband into marriage. For goodness sake, Warwyk lost his favorite property, Bumble Green to Avalon's father whilst playing cards. He chose that action. He could have refused to marry Avalon but he wanted the land. So he trapped both himself and Avalon. Talk about being too much of a coward to take responsibility for his own actions. Warwyk consummated the marriage and left. Avalon fell pregnant and only saw her husband once more at their London, whilst heavily pregnant, where he threatened her. When Warwyk threatens Avalon, Mary Bolen, her husband's mistress, steps in between them. Avalon walks away, never to stay in Warwyk London home again. She is forever grateful to Mary and that relationship forms an important background to Avalon's story.
Avalon, or Lady Warlock as she's been dubbed by the less than saintly vicar, Devan Farris and younger brother to Lord Larkton, gained the reputation of being a cold hearted woman who spent extravagantly. (What she was really doing was buying jewelry and other valuables that could be readily converted to cash should her husband ever leave her with nothing.) She was right to be worried.
From that moment Avalon begins to build a community for women fallen on hard times.
Ten years late Warwyk dies, leaving Larkton as the appointed guardian for her son Thane. Larkton is worried that Avalon might be funding her project to rehabilitate fallen women, and a foundling home, from her son's inheritance. He organizes for his brother to serve as the vicar of Thistledown, the Warwyk seat, to spy on Avalon.
The bones of a good story are here. Unfortunately it becomes complicated with too many coincidences. I'm still wondering about Devan as a rake? That just doesn't fly, given his position. What Vicar romps around ton parties and drinking hells with his mates without being censured?
For me the best part was the opening chapter when Avalon stands her ground and is spurned and reviled by Warwyk's friends, Devan amongst them. Avalon grows into a woman, dedicated to her worthwhile mission (and obviously from MacGregor's notes women and children have born the brunt of society's whims down through the ages), assisted by Mary Bolen which rounds the story nicely.
The storyline does become increasingly elaborate with the various threads crowding out the main plot.

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley

One description of Wild, Wild Rake by Janna MacGregor calls it a sweeping, emotional, witty, and sharp romance. It is just that! Wild, Wild Rake is the sixth and final book in author MacGregor’s Cavensham Heiresses series. It was the first book in the series I had read and in fact the first book I had read by this author, but it won’t be the last. Each story works as a standalone, but I enjoyed Wild, Wild Rake so much that I intend to read the entire Cavensham Heiresses series and am looking forward to her new series.

It’s a sweet romance, but with depth, action, danger, a well-developed plot and an eye-opening look into life in this time and what usually happened to fallen women – or women unlucky enough to be forced into a loveless, miserable excuse for a marriage as Lady Avalon Warwyk was. It’s a story full of compelling characters with interesting backstories and depth.

Lady Avalon Warwyk and Vicar Devan Farris are a charming, delightful pair. Avalon is not as weak and beaten down as you might expect her to be after marriage to a cruel, selfish man. She is in fact strong and formidable, helping fallen women become businesswomen, and raising a son into a fine young man. Devan isn’t what you might expect him to be, either. His reputation as a wild, wild rake isn’t quite accurate. He’s actually a strong, caring man. It was fun watching the friction and attraction bounce between the two of them as they learned more and more about each other, and as they faced very real danger together.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of Wild, Wild Rake via NetGalley. I was not required to provide a review and all opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Lady Avalon Warwyck was married off to a man she didn't love and he didn't love her. In fact he bed her once and got her pregnant and that was the end of that. He kept a mistress which he ended up flaunting in front of he because that was his love. Then not to long after that she became a widow. She lives freely and helps woman who are in dire straits and become businesswomen. Avalon vows she will never get married again or do as a man says. Then Devan Farris comes into her life. He was sent to spy on her by his brother who is in charge of Avalon's son's fate into his teen years. Devan is also the Vicar and now in her town. He has always called her Lady Warlock. He has a wild reputation with the women. But he has never given his body or heart to anyone and he will prove it to her and show his true self to her.
I really enjoyed reading this book and the characters were a lot of fun together. There was instant chemistry between them.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins for the ARC to review.

Widowed Lady Avalon Warwyk was not happy that Devin Farris has been appointed as the new vicar. Devin was there at her most humiliating moment of her life. When Devin starts working in the parish and tutoring her son, Avalon starts to see a new side to Devin. I received a free copy of this eBook from the publisher. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I really liked Devin after we were able to see past his facade, He is really a sweet and honest man. Avalon is a strong woman who has made a good life with purpose in her parish. She was very admirable about how she rose above the hurt of her first marriage. I really like this sweet and sometimes steamy romance. I also like how Devin utilizes the Song of Solomon. I also like that each chapter starts with a quote, which some are biblical and some are fictional. I enjoyed reading this book.

I really enjoyed this story even though it was tough for me at times because of what Avalon went through with her first husband. I loved the chemistry between her and Devan. Janna never disappoints with the heat/chemistry between the 2 characters and this one is no different. I can’t wait for her next book!

Wild, Wild Rake, by Janna MacGregor, is available at booksellers on 2-25-20. Wild is part of Ms MacGregor's The Cavensham Heiresses series, but I found it to work well as a stand-alone story. It was nice at the end to catch up on the members of the other books, especially my favorite, The Duke of Southart. Oh my, Paul is delicious *grrrr*. This small insight into other characters will whet your appetite for the previous books in the series. Go for it.

I've been waiting for this book, the hero was a delight in the previous stories & I wanted more. Devon Ferris is now my all-time favorite good guy historical hero. He's such a nice person you can't help but love him. He cultivated a rakish reputation as it protected him from letting others into his business. Now he is a flirt, he's witty and fun. These traits made it easy for people to pigeonhole him, if he spoke with a woman the papers said it was an affair. He's refreshing after my steady diet of bad boys. It's also nice to have a God fearing man who's not dull or pious. I'd love to be the lady he turned eyes too. That happens to be Avalon, Marchioness of Warwyk. Avalon is a widow from a super bad arranged marriage. She's a great strong female character. I like that she took charge of her life & made it work. She's lovely.

I can't, and won't, tell you too much about the plot, it's a terrific read and I want you to enjoy it for yourself. I was invested in the characters and their HEA. I do hope that Ms MacGregor will follow up with at least a novella about Sophia and Marcus. You'll understand what I mean by the end. Happy reading. I voluntarily read and reviewed and advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#Netgalley #JannaMacGregor #Wild,WildRake #CavenshamHeiresses #Historicalromance #StMartin'sPaperbacks

Wild, Wild Rake is the 6th book in The Cavensham Heiresses Series, but can be read as stand-alone, by Janna MacGregor. This is the first time I've read her and I'm so pleased to discover a new historical author with a pleasant and enjoyable writing style. I'd say this book emphasizes on the feminist side, focusing on the journey of an independent widow who dedicated her life to serving and caring for her community and her family. Our hero is quite an unexpected character in a good way, and a swoon-worthy supportive beta hero 🥰.

Lady Avalon, Marchioness of Warwyk, was forced into matrimony at a young age and suffered from the loveless marriage at the hands of her cruel husband. After his death, she devoted herself to raising her son and her younger sister and taking great care of the ancestral estate. She worked tirelessly for her charities to provide shelter and support for fallen women and their children. A new vicar taking post at her local parish was the last man she wanted in the haven that she’s spent her life building and nurturing.

Devan Farris is the youngest brother of the Earl of Larkton, who was Avalon’s son’s legal guardian. At his brother’s request that he spy on Avalon’s funding situation, Devan had a chance to know more about Avalon’s true character. Knowing her painful past, Devan was always patient and supportive to Avalon, slowly thawing the ice around her heart. With much time spent together, they realized they both were not who people think they were. She was compassionate and independent, yet misunderstood as a ruthless money-sucker; he was a reputed rake, yet that was only a name he was making up to ward off marriage traps...

I quite enjoy Ms MacGregor’s writing style, it has a nice flow and good character development. I did feel frustrated at Avalon at some point for her distrust in Devan, but I understand it stemmed from her past experience, and his rakish reputation did not help as well 🤷🏻‍♀️. Though the beginning was a bit slow to me (you could say slow-burn 😅), it picked up the pace in the second half as unexpected events unfolded 🤩. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable read with medium 🔥, swoony and touching moments. 4.5-⭐️ read for me.

*Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press for sending me the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Wow, Janna MacGregor does it again. A fun, Historical Romance that pulls you in from page one and does not let you go.

Avalon Warwyk has lived most of her life beholden to a terrible marriage, unloved and outwardly scorned by her husband. Devan Farris, a vicar with a roguish reputation, has not always gotten along with Avalon, (he once blamed her for spurning the love of one of his friends) but Farris finds his heart softened a bit by watching Avalon’s strength in the face of her husband’s cruelty. Both find themselves thrown together years after Avalon’s husband dies, and they begin a friendship that is sincere and heartwarming (not to mention sexy and delicious!) Farris is also, despite his reputation and his smoldering charm, one of the most genuine hearts I have read in recent romance novels.
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Janna MacGregor has done it again, making me fall absolutely in love with a family that begins broken but finds their missing pieces in one another. Her well paced plot, well developed characters with their captivating charms, and witty prose had me wanting to fall into the story and never leave.

Wild, Wild Rake is the sixth book in author Janna MacGregor’s “The Cavensham Heiress” series.  Although sixth in the series, I do believe this book could easily stand alone. This is actually the first book I’ve had the pleasure of reading from Ms. MacGregor and I’m hooked! Going back to read the rest of the series!

Lady Avalon Warwyck did not have a happy marriage. Her parents forced her to marry a man for the benefit of the family who treated her cruelly, humiliated her, and flaunted his mistress in front of her. The only good to come from her disastrous marriage is her son. Nine years have passed since her husband’s death and Avalon has no desire to allow another man to control her life again…

Devan Farris is the youngest brother of the Earl of Larkton. A dutiful Vicar, who has a reputation for being a consummate flirt, a rake, and always on the lookout for an heiress to marry. Devan and Avalon have not gotten along ever since she jilted his best friend and married her husband, Richard Warwyck.

What an absolutely fabulous story and couple! Not being familiar with this series, I was a little concerned I might be lost considering this was the 6th book in the series. I’m happy to say I had no issues keeping up with the storyline and the mentioning of characters from past books. But I will say it made me very curious to read the past books and plan on reading the entire series as soon as possible!

From the moment I met Avalon, I liked her! She had a disastrous marriage and she was not raised with loving parents, but she is a loving, devoted mother who is committed to her family and community. Her work helping women with questionable reputations to make a new life for themselves, made me admire her for giving back after all she endured. I understood her reluctance to trust and felt if she would get to know the real Devan they would be perfect for each other. Oh my Devan, what a fabulous hero! Although Devan has a wicked reputation, all is not as it seems. He’s a caring, loving, giving man with honor and integrity and I’ll admit I fell for him! Both Avalon and Devan have misconceptions about the other and I enjoyed watching them discover the truth and see their friendship eventually grow into love.

Ms. MacGregor did a fantastic job with this story and couple. I enjoyed her style of writing and felt the story flowed well. Fabulous secondary characters along with our main hero and heroine made this an extremely enjoyable read. I’ll definitely be reading and reviewing the previous books in this series and look forward to seeing what Janna MacGregor has in store for us next. Highly Recommend this book and happy to have another author to read and follow!

This is my second Janna MacGregor (I also read #5). This book can be read as a standalone, but the characters from the previous book (and possibly others) are in it. Also, the heroine from this story is the one that ruthlessly broke the heart of the hero in book 5. It's not a huge part of the story, which is why I say it can be read alone, but as usual with a series you will get more from the characters if it's read in order.

Avalon has had a horrible first marriage. Widowed, she is happy to raise her son alone while helping fallen women get back on their feet. Her son's guardian sends his brother, Devan, to keep tabs on her and her spending. As Devan is a vicar, he takes up residence in the town. Well known to have a rakish reputation, he is fooling everyone with what's truly underneath.

I think you should give this story a try if you are looking for
the ever elusive virgin hero!
You prefer widowed heroines
You like a bit of enemies to lovers feel, though not overwhelming (a bit of push and pull, but their relationship progresses well before the end of the book, enough that they don't feel like enemies for long)
You like a lot of plot devices going on, things to keep the book rolling right up to the end
You want a different kind of hero – with him being a vicar and a virgin, Devan just felt different than other heroes I have read lately
You like a child in the story and watching those family dynamics form with the main characters.

Personally, there were a few things that put me off this book. Some parts were overly dramatic to me, especially the beginning. I did get past it and enjoyed a bit of the middle, but then again the book started having a lot going on that pulled you outside of the actual relationship of the two main characters. If you like a book that keeps you busy and moving, you will probably like this more than me. There were a number of others things, but I'll include those under a spoiler header in my goodreads review.

I love the cover!