Cover Image: The Rake is Taken

The Rake is Taken

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Member Reviews

Tracy Sumner has done it again and worked her magic spell over The Rake is Taken.

The other day, I was in the mood for a romance novel, which seems to be happening frequently this summer. (Go figure, right?) I wanted a historical romance, as they seem to be one of my favorite "escape" reads. I had read The Lady is Trouble earlier, so I grabbed the next book in the League of Lords paranormal Victorian series.

Author Tracy Sumner reintroduces the readers to Finn, the ultimate bad boy who knows exactly what a woman wants...and not just because he can hear all her thoughts! Spicy!!

What I really like about Sumner's novels is the character development and the action. Seriously this book had as much action as it did romance, and I love that! Finn and Lady Victoria Hamilton hit if off with sparks flying in every direction.

The supernatural element really gets to me as well, especially since it is not presented in a mystical witchcraft way...but more in a Regency X-men type of special abilities. Tracy Sumner definitely has a good imagination and uses it very well to show the reader what it is like to be Finn - as he longs for the one woman in London that he can not have. She also shows what it is like to be Lady Victoria with all her insecurities and doubts.

Perhaps this young couple and all their friends are the ancestors of the X-Men characters from our time. This is one of my favorite series because of the interplay between the characters, the supernatural abilities and secret organization, and the romance! My only wish is that there were more details about all the dreams that link Victoria and Finn... I feel like I just had a good sampling, but I want more!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this temporary advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

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Simply great! I loved everything about this story. I love the "family" and how these people all care so much about each other. Finn is suc a doll, he is beautiful inside and out. Victoria is a great addition to the League. She is strong and loves totally. Enjoy.

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This book is brilliant!

Tracy Sumner accomplished the combination of romance and paranormal and she made it look so easy! The characters are well-thought out and the romance is so natural, you could literally feel yourself fall in love with the Blue Devil!

I do so look forward to reading more of her works.

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The Rake Is taken by Tracy Sumner is about Fin who can read minds and dreams of a woman, Victoria who can erase a bit of memory from someones mind. Fin doesn't know why he's dreaming about her so he goes on a search to find out why. This was a great read i had a hard time putting it down i absolutely enjoyed all the characters. They are vivid, detailed, and we'll thought out. This book was different from other historical romances. It was a breath of fresh air something different and tantalizing all the way through.

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A romance with a supernatural twist. Finn Alexander can read minds, hearing the thoughts of everyone around him. Yet when he meets Lady Victoria Hamilton, he finds that she is the only whose thoughts are hidden from him. Victoria finds herself drawn to Finn, and with him, she feels valued. With her parents showing little interest in her, and only marrying her off for money, Victoria finds in Finn, someone who loves her despite her supernatural skills. Yet Finn is of lower social standing that Victoria, the daughter of an earl, and so their romance seems doomed from the start.
This was an entertaining read, with two great main characters who despite their difference in background, share a common understanding. Their attraction is very obvious – plenty of sparks! The plight of women is very true to the story and the limitations of class, yet the paranormal aspect gave it a refreshing slant. A great read!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Finn Alexander has lived a hard life as a child in the worst part of London. He is rescued by a benefactor who calls him brother. His dreams of the past connect him to Victoria Hamilton. He thinks she has the answers. They both have special gifts. He can read minds, she can block thoughts and briefly change time. She also has dreams of his past. Their connection grows at the same time it begins to tear them apart. Finn is a nobody and she is the daughter of an earl. Love is a very powerful emotion that hopefully will bind them together. Another paranormal romance in Victorian England.
The second book in the series, I recommend reading The Lady Is Trouble first. I liked it one star more than this one.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

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Lady Victoria has always heard it described it as a parlor trick by her maid Agnes when she has taken away people's memories. She's been successful in keeping out of trouble though she doesn't really fit into society. Finn and Victoria saw each other in dreams before they ever met. Since Finn's dreams often mean potential danger, he has been following Victoria around. Even though Victoria's family has her betrothed to a repulsive duke, Finn persuades her to visit his family home to explore her gift. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This is an interesting read, which has a few steamy scenes. There were a couple of phrases that I thought were a tiny bit crude within the book. I really liked that Victoria was able to look behind Finn's facade and really care for him. There are good secondary characters in Agnes, Piper, Julian, and Humphrey that add to the story. I wish there was more suspense around Victoria's gift, but overall I liked the book.

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Finn Alexander(Blue Bastard) called such because of his eyes. He had been left at an orphanage when he was about three. He had very few if any recollections of his childhood. He trusted no one and he had been running since he was nine. When his brother found him, he got the word family the one thing he yearned for. It could break him when nothing else had. Not the knives under his chin, or putting a cheroot out on his wrist, not even the worst handling of his person had been able to break him. He had dreamed of them on more than one occasion and so they led him to a waiting hackney. He only dreamed about those that mattered. His gift was he could read minds.
Victoria's parents had locked her in her room, she had an unusual gift that only her brother and Anges knew about. That she stole little pieces of time that a person had lived to make them forget. Last time they had locked her in her room for two days without food or water. Now they kept some food in her room. She felt unloved especially by her parents.
An unusual story about paranormal talents. The main characters were gifted and could be generous. Even though Finn was a rake of the first class and if it was bad for him he had to do it. There are some twists to this tale and keeping the ends straight is quite the job. The author does a great job of keeping us interested and entertained. It has a strong plot and well written. It is definitely worth the time to read.
I received this ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.
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This is a great read, well written and entertaining. The story revolves around individuals who have powers beyond the normal. Victoria can cause people to lose pieces of time and erase memories. Finn knows what people are thinking and is constantly hearing the thoughts of people passing by on the street. The voices are constantly surrounding him except when Victoria is near and then the voices disappear. There is a lot going on in this story including the League that is a safe haven for people with special powers, a marriage arrangement brokered by blackmail, and lost family. This is a story worth reading and I would highly recommend it.

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I found myself enjoying this book more than The Lady is Trouble. I thought the story between Finn and Victoria was more interesting and less angst-ridden. The pacing and plot are good which also makes this a quick and easy read. My only complaint is that there is so much going on that some parts are not fully developed. Primarily the parts involving Simon and Belle. Belle's part in the story is huge, but she's only really in 2 chapters - I'm sure she'll be back in a story of her own, but I would have liked more between her and Finn. More with Victoria's dreams would have been good too - we don't really get a good idea of what visions she was having. I would have also liked at least one more scene between Finn and Simon with Finn talking to Simon about the changes he was making in his life. I really don't think a couple extra chapters to expand on these characters would have hurt the overall story. As with The Lady is Trouble, I would have liked to have more with the characters exploring their powers. I am definitely looking forward to the stories for Ashcroft and Humphrey!

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Another chance at something different and intriguing flipping because the characters were so annoying that I could not like either of them!

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Many Thanks to Net Galley, BookBuzz.net and Tracy Sumner for the chance to read and review this book.

A historical romance with psychic paranormal elements, The Rake is Taken is book #2 in the League of Lords series by Tracy Sumner but it can be read as a stand-alone as each book, I believe, has a different couple in focus. Finn Alexander, called the Blue Bastard by the ton, coz of his extraordinary eyes, has always been able to read minds of the people surrounding him. The gift or curse as the case maybe has left him always a touch distant from the countless relationships he’s engaged in always affecting an indifferent nonchalance among the crowd. When he becomes haunted by dreams that involve Lady Victoria Hamilton, Finn makes sure that lady in question is invited to Harbingdon estate where he seeks the help of his brother of heart Julian and his wife, Piper to understand Victoria’s psychic abilities.

It is the psychic parts of the story with the members of the League that makes this book extremely fascinating and the chemistry between Finn and Tory is undeniably scorching hot. The author writes a very passionate and alluring story with two people who are quite different and begins collaborating as friends but the sexual tension between them is hard to ignore. Each and every character in the story was brilliant and hopefully the Duke of Ashcroft has a separate story that will follow in the series. I would have loved much more action with the dreams and the link that connects Finn and Tori as that part of the story seemed a bit rushed.
There’s enough drama to keep the story going as both of them denies their love for various reasons but the resolving of issues and making up of minds was entertainment at best.
Lovely!

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I had been having a bad few days: washer quit, faucet leaking, I decided to read for a while and try to regain my sanity. All I can say is " This book hooked me from the very beginning. A heroine who is not typical at all:, practical, and willing to go toe to toe for what she thinks is rightfully hers. No shrinking violet here! The hero is handsome, .' if you like strong heroines, flawed but gorgeous heroes, and witty dialogue....this is it!

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This is my fair and honest review, voluntarily given and in my own words, for this ARC. Another series (I DO love series). What a quirky, supernatural, amazing cast of characters. Talk about intertwined! Outcasts who aren't in their group. Just a bunch of semi-normal people who desperately need each other. Well crafted tales that you will completely enjoy. Get the entire series!!

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****The Rake Is Taken by Tracy Sumner is an entertaining Regency period novel with a paranormal twist. Victoria can erase time...or at least the memory of time spent. Finn can read everyone’s thoughts except hers. Recognizing her talent and the danger it poses should it become publicly known, Finn arranges for Victoria to meet other members of what is called The League. Finn wants to protect the woman who has occupied his dreams and relishes the fact that his mind is quiet when she is around. Her father has promised her to another, but there’s no way Victoria and Finn can control the heat that is between them. Will two people who have never known love finally recognize the feeling? This is a well written story with interesting characters who have extraordinary talents.

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