I enjoyed the relationship between Avalon and Devan, both were strong characters. The story was interesting and I also liked the many secondary characters. 4 stars.

Lady Avalon Warwyck was forced into a horrible marriage with a man decades her senior and, forced into giving him an heir. Problem was that after she found she was pregnant, her husband chose to bring a madame and, some of her 'ladies of the night' into their London home and, kick his wife out!
When Avalon moved to the ancestral home away from London, she became a leader of the town by taking in poor women who wanted to get out of prostitution and, women who were pregnant and unmarried.
Devon Farris has been sent to Avalon's town by his brother, who control's Avalon's son's inheritance, to head the parish and, see what Avalon is spending her money on 8 years after her husband died..
Devon has always disliked Avalon because she dumped his best friend for her husband. However, as he spends more time with her, he begins to realize how utterly amazing, thoughtful and strong she really is.
problem is that Avalon is determined to never open her heart again and, Devon is just a determined to never marry.
This story was a bit slow to start but, soon became a story that I absolutely loved!!!

Enjoyable book. Avalon was a very damaged character but with time and patience, she finally trusted again. At one point, she got on my nerves with her doubts toward the end but it was worth it in the end. I loved Devan. It was hard to get a read on Devan's brother, the Earl of Larkton. He was presented mostly through the damaged viewpoint of Avalon, that along with the fights with Devan made him seem like an ass. Seems to me, he needs a HEA, too.

This is Lady Avlalon Warwyk and Devan Farris’s story, sixth in the Cavensham Heiresses series; a standalone, happily ever after, no cheating, historical romance with sizzle.
Avalon has a huge wall wrapped around her and Devan gently removes each brick. Nicely developed love story between unlikely characters. 3.75 stars rounded to 4.
I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Wild, Wild Rake by Janna MacGregor is the sixth book in her The Cavensham Heiresses series. It can be read as a standalone, characters from the other books feature, but there is no sense of missing out on something essential to understand the story. Lady Avalon Warwyk was forced by her parents to marry a man that they blackmailed into marriage and her husband angry that he could not marry the woman he loved mistreated her and behaved in a childishly cruel manner. Vicar Devan Faris gave Avalon the nickname Lady Warlock when he perceived that she dumped his good friend to marry for a title, not understanding at the time that she had no choice. A decade later, they meet up again when Devan’s brother, guardian to Avalon’s son, sends him to keep an eye on Avalon because he thinks she’s up to something and is concerned she is spending money belonging to the estate. Devan discovers that the woman Avalon has become is kind, strong, fiercely independent and just perhaps the woman of his dreams. I enjoyed this enemies to lovers story very much and recommend it as well as the other books in the series. Medium Steam. Publishing Date February 25, 2020. #NetGalley #WildWildRake, #JannaMacGregor #historicalromance #StMartinsPress #StMartinsPaperbacks #bookstagram #enemiestolovers

Janna MacGregor has written several of my favorite books, the first three are outstanding, I defy anyone to read them, and not be thouraghly entertained. However, this story for me, has some problems. We have a young girl married off to someone she does not want to wed, which was not unusual during this time period; Lady Avalon has an uncouth Marquis for a husband, he is beyond the pale, and she is not sorry when he dies! She is left a young widow, with a son she adores. Then we have Devan Farris, an Earl's youngest son, who should be addressed as Lord Devan, and not Mister Farris, he has gone into the Church as his profession. He is handsome, kind, witty, and loyal, he loves his family. He has a nickname for Lady Avalon, her married title is Lady Warwyck, he calls her Lady Warlock! Due to her first marriage, she cannot trust his good intentions, which I could understand at first, then grew tired of her whiny insecurities, how often does this man have to reassure her? The next problem I have with Lady Warwyck is her incredible adoration for her husband's mistress!? Her charity that she started is in her honor!? Mary, a Madame of a brothel, plays a huge part in Lady Avalon's life! I find this attachment appalling, it would have been different if Mary, who is wealthy, stopped being a procuress, and turned her life around, but no, she continues to degrade women, this was too much for me, considering Lady Warwyck's mission to help former prostitutes, to idolize such a woman. As I said, I love this Authors first three books in this series, this one no. However, I will continue to look forward to her next book.
Thank you. Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee

This was a well written, entertaining book. Avalon is raising her son after her husband passed away and has no interest in remarrying. Devan is sent to town as vicar and Avalon's son's guardian asks him to report back about what Avalon is doing. I enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author.

I really liked these characters. Avalon and Devan are so good together but both are looking at each other through the past. Devan was mad at her because she jilted his best friend. He didn't know the circumstances. Avalon didn't think much of Devan because of his reputation. She didn't know the true person. Once they could look past preconceived notions, they found very likeable people. Avalon survived her first marriage and was never going to let a man have any kind of hold over her ever again. Devan is making her rethink that. Can they find common ground?

Forced into an unhappy marriage at 17, even after she becomes a widow, Avalon closes off her heart to personal happiness instead she lives for her son and charity work. She is dismayed to learn that her nemesis Devan Farris (best friend of the man she was forced to jilt as a young girl) is to be the new vicar in her home parish. Over a period of time each learns to appreciate the other and Devan learns the truth about Avalon’s past. Unforeseen circumstances lead to a hasty marriage but all is not plain sailing due to Avalon’s insecurity/self doubt. I loved the character of Avalon and how she had managed to make a life for herself despite the lies told about her and whilst I didn’t like Devan’s treatment of her in the early part of the book, he redeemed himself after he fell in love with her. Recommended read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars
Lady Avalon Warwyk never did love her husband Richard, he was arrogant, selfish, cruel & in love with someone else.It’s a blessing when he dies of a fever & she’s left to raise her son Thane all by herself. Finally, Avalon can live freely and do the work she loves: helping fallen women become businesswomen.
Devan Farris—charming vicar, reputed rake, and the brother of Avalon’s son’s guardian—is reluctantly sent to town to keep tabs on Avalon and her son. Devan wishes he didn’t have to meddle in her affairs.
This is the sixth book in the series & is easily read on its own but characters from earlier books do make cameo appearances & of course we’d met both Devan & Avalon in earlier books. I loved how their verbal encounters went from squabbles to confessions. I also loved how their attraction grew & how they became friends whilst all the time falling in love. It was a well written book that flowed well. It was slightly uneven in pace going from a saunter to a mad dash but I actually enjoyed that as life isn’t always lived a breakneck speed. Oh Devan who wasn't anything like his reputation, strong, kind, loyal & loving. Avalon hadn't had the best of lives but hadn’t wallowed in self pity but had made a fruitful life for herself. I loved the wrong assumptions & misunderstandings also their insecurities & how they worked to resolve them. A lovely read that had me enthralled from cover to cover
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Another book in the Cavensham Heiresses series, but can be read as a standalone. Lady Avalon is not very lucky in her marriage. He's cheated on her and lavishes his mistress with things that rightfully should go to her. After he dies and she has his baby boy, she devotes herself to him and their community. Devon Harris comes to town as the new vicar to spy on her and her son for his brother. As he spends more and more time with her he sees what a wonderful, caring woman she is and he starts to fall in love with her. The more time Devon spends around Avalon she realizes that she cares for him as well, with lots of misgivings. I don't want to give any spoilers, but this is definitely a great addition to the Cavensham Heiresses series!

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

When I was a young teenager we had a priest join our parish who was young and gorgeous. We aptly dubbed him Father WhatAWaste. Devan is the embodiment of that priest in my mind (except Devan can marry). I thought the portrayal of him as a vicar was sweet and right on point. His being a virgin because he wanted to save himself for love is downright swoon-worthy. The “foreplay” with the remarks and verbal jousting is hilarious and brought Devan down to earth. Can you tell I am digging on him. Not to mention that Lady Warlock (Avalon)...hehe, his name for her, was a worthy opponent. This story has all of the feels that makes it a five star read.

Avalon knows that she is doing the right thing by saving these women, she doesn't want them to have no chance at a good happy life. But now that there is a new vicar in town she knows that she needs to make sure that he try to take over. Devan knows that he needs to be careful and not lie to Avalon about why he is here. Can she trust him after everything that she has been through with her dead husband? But someone intends to destroy their new found friendship how far would Avalon go to save him? Is she willing to allow love in or will her past haunt her forever? Will Devan do whatever he can for the woman that thrives? Will they get their happy ever after? A good read of second chances. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from netgalley & publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

Wild, Wild Rake is the 6th book in Janna MacGregor's The Cavensham Heiresses series. I have not read any of the book from the series, and I still enjoyed this as a stand alone perfectly well. I WILL definitely go back and read the rest - I really enjoyed this regency period.

Lady Avalon Warwyck is a widow, and happily so as she was married to a nasty and cruel man, and was also raising her son Thane by herself. Avalon is an amazing heroine and helps fallen women become businesswomen.

Avalon crosses paths with the handsome vicar Devan Harris who has quite the reputation and was sent by her son's guardian to spy on Avalon. But Avalon is an independent, strong woman, who doesn’t need to rely on anyone and keeps her guard to prevent being hurt again.

As we get to know Avalon and Devon more, we realize that their attraction for each other is definitely one for the books! I highly enjoyed this swoony read and the amazing development of their story. Loved it!

Lady Avalon Warwyck's marriage was unhappy to say the least. Not only when she was confronted by her husband with his "true love" when Avalon was close to nine months pregnant, but when he then proceeded to banish her from his London house. Needless to say, she wasn't mourning his death two years into their marriage. He left her with a wonderful son and she's since built up a wonderful community in their country home of Thistledown where she, mainly, helps women who find themselves alone, abandoned, possibly with children or a child on the way. Many of them are "fallen" women whom she helps become thriving businesswomen in their own right.

Of course, Avalon's built community is under the constant scrutiny of the Marquess's guardian. A man who was good friends with her departed husband and, therefore, suspicious of how Avalon is keeping the community running. So, Devan Farris, is entered into the mix when he's appointed as the new Vicar of Thistledown. Avalon and Devan have a history in that she, years ago, seemingly spurred his best friend therefore earning her the moniker of Lady Warlock. Devan is tasked with spying on Avalon and relaying any and all information back to his brother.

But Devan also comes with his own baggage as The Midnight Cryer will attest this Vicar seems to have a reputation as a - you guessed it - Wild, Wild Rake a misconception that Devan isn't quite to dissuade. But it also doesn't endear him to Avalon who is determined to get him out of her community. Once these two cross paths, however, they'll know they've finally met their match.

It wasn't until toward the end of Rogue Most Wanted, that I knew I absolutely wanted Avalon (a Cavensham cousin) to have her own book. And I was really happy when I found out this would, indeed, come to fruition.

Avalon inhabits the role of strong woman excellently. The life that she built for herself, despite the spurning of her husband, is admirable. She was barely out of girlhood when all the terribleness went down with her husband, but she picked herself up, not only for herself, but for her young son, and her younger sister, whom she comes to care for after the deaths of her parents. Thus begins a life where her wants and needs are brushed aside, not because she doesn't feel like she deserves these things, but more because her focus is squarely on helping other. Also with a dash of trepidation that history will repeat itself were she to get into a new relationship.

Devan, similarly, being the fourth son, didn't have any say or choice when he went into the seminary. His dream was to buy a commission in the army but his oldest brother wouldn't put up the money. So Devan put aside his wants and needs and instead serves others. It's a job that he's made for honestly as he has a kind soul and he listens well. But, like Avalon, it's a role that was more forced, or chosen, for him than one he went into readily.

Together they make a good match. Even if their exact circumstances don't match, they are similar enough to have a wonderful understanding of one another. They've both also grossly misjudged the other. I'm always a fan of, when this happens, seeing it begin to dawn on the characters how wrong they had been. But it's not so easy to move on when you've had a traumatic experience such as Avalon has. But their romance was built up so wonderfully. The attraction was there, but as far as acting on such feelings goes well....let's just say Janna MacGregor certainly knows how to build the tension.

I think that Janna MacGregor did a great job with the pacing and the detailing of the story here. The inevitable conflicts that arise really fit well together and were such plausible and understandable circumstances that I never felt an overabundance of one thing or another. I thought the resolutions were done well too.

I know that this is the final book in the series, but I would be lying if I didn't want a spin off with either Devan's brother or Avalon's sister (not together however, for reasons). As a debut series, I've really enjoyed every book. I highly recommend them. You can read each as a standalone, but will love seeing characters from the other books pop up througout the series for sure!

Wild, Wild Rake is the 6th book in Janna MacGregor's delightful The Cavensham Heiresses series. I've read the 4th and 5th books and absolutely loved them, so I was eager to get my hands on this one. If you haven't read any of the preceding books, never fear, as they stand alone perfectly well. Like me, you WILL want to go back and read any that you've missed. When reading I highlight passages that I particularly like; I swear half of this book is highlighted on my Kindle!

Lady Avalon Warwyck is a widow raising her son Thane by herself. Ten years after losing her husband, she's glad to be rid of him; he was an incredibly cruel, nasty man to her. Avalon has a mission in life - she helps fallen women become businesswomen. Her son's guardian sends his brother, the Vicar Devan Farris, to spy on Avalon; the guardian wants to know how she's paying for the work she's doing for these fallen women, and to see if Thane is ready to go off to Eton. Avalon is not happy to see Devan; he saw her at her lowest ten years ago, and he refers to her as Lady Warlock. He has quite the reputation as a rake, but he's got a bit of a secret about that... Devan refuses to spy on Avalon, but he's happy to tutor Thane and determine if he should go to Eton. Though Avalon is terrified of being hurt again, she can't help but be drawn to the handsome-as-sin vicar.

Our heroine and hero in this story were absolutely fascinating! Avon was betrayed by her husband and he treated her like dirt, so she was afraid to give her heart to any man. In the ten years since her husband died, she became an independent, strong woman, but she was still haunted by her past. She felt great attraction to Devan, but just knew that she would end up being hurt again. And then there's Devan...he's moved up close to the top of my favorite heroes ever list! He was a handsome charmer, but was a genuine good and decent man. There wasn't insta-love here, thank goodness. Avalon and Devan were friends first before their attraction began to really grow. Though he had a reputation of being a wild rake, he was actually saving himself for the woman he would fall in love with and marry! ~Sigh!~ The supporting characters here were also wonderful: Young Thane (growing up way too quickly for Avalon's taste), Penelope (who was trying to entrap Devan), Avalon's younger sister Sophia, and Avalon's extremely unlikely ally in her mission to help the fallen women. This is truly one of those books that had me giggling at one moment, taking an ice bath at others, and then tearing up feeling Avalon's heartache and Devan's kindness. Please don't miss this one!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Wild, Wild Rake is a compelling regency novel of betrayal, loss, trust and love.
The widow, Lady Avalon, is a shrewd businesswoman. Some would say or perceive an ice princess. The only good thing to come from her failed marriage is her son.
When the handsome vicar, Devan Farris, is sent by his brother, to keep an eye on Lady Avalon’s finances, Lady Avalon takes a burn to his interference.
Try as she might to get him to move on to another community that may need him, Devan is steadfast in his determination to stay. As each day passes, his attraction grows for Lady Avalon despite her lack of attention toward him.
As Lady Avalon gets to know the kind heart of the vicar, she tries to avoid her feelings, fearing that her independence will once again be shattered by a man.
This is my first Janna MacGregor novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it and its characters! Written extremely well.

I veered back and forth from a 4* to 2* rating for this romance. 4* for the honest communication between the hero and heroine as they negotiated their way through their initial misunderstandings. 2* for some of the implausibilities that I couldn’t get past. (Virgin Vicar with a reputation as a wild rake; Heroine who doesn’t trust the hero, but then switches on a dime; strangely adult son of heroine…)

I’ve read all the books in this series, and enjoyed them. I’ll definitely continue to read this author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have been a fan of Janna MacGregor’s writing and the Cavendish Heiresses series since book one. I literally loved the twist in this book of character shift with the woman, Avalon, having the title and the money.... and the impoverished man, Devan. Not the usual set up of a regency romance! I enjoyed the descriptions and character growth of both Avalon and Devan. As with any book of this type, you know how it will end, but its the journey of love that has to pull you into the story, and Ms. MacGregor skillfully does that once again. The outlying supportive characters help to define the dilemmas and personalities of both Avalon and Devan and how they became the people they are during this story. Avalon’s self-proclaimed mission of her life to help provide for “women of ill-repute” and befriend them, and Devan’s mission as a vicar meld well into the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book in return for an honest review, which this has been. #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

Wild, Wild Rake by Janna MacGregor 4 stars

According to some sources this is last book in the Cavensham Heiresses series. It is not the best in this series, but I enjoyed it. We meet the main characters, Avalon and Devan in one of the final chapters of the last book, Rogue Most Wanted. Avalon is the widowed marchioness who was badly treated by her husband and her parents. Devan is a vicar and a younger son of an earl who didn't want to be a clergyman in the first place. Circumstances have them getting lemons in their lives and making lemonade. Avalon does this by supporting women who have been abused and raising her son. Devan learns to love his job and has been sent by bishop to several parishes to fix things that went wrong. Since Devon's older brother is the guardian to Avalon's son, he sends to Devan to report to him about the status of the estate and parish. Avalon know that Devan is a spy wants him gone; what starts as a semi-antagonistic relationship grows into admiration and love. I found the conflict on the mild side; in fact the mandatory bad guy didn't show up until very late in the book.

If this is the last that we will see of the Cavensham's, the send off is a sweet story of courage, character, determination and resilience.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.