I loved the beginning and the ending of this book. However, I thought that it lacked a strong middle. The book reminded me of a bridge where the two end sections were solid but the middle was still under construction. However, given the publication date of this title, I am sure it will go through another round (at least) of edits.

The message of the multidimensional nature of people really resonated with me. So many times people are put in boxes, and this was a nice exploration of the idea that identity is more multifaceted than that.

I liked the way the relationship between Kieran and Celeste developed from a business arrangement to one in which they learned to trust and support each other. I thought it was the strongest piece of the book.

I read another ARC with a Beverly Jenkins cameo so I assume this is a trend. If so I approve of it wholeheartedly. Ms. Jenkins is rightly a legend in romance and deserves her flowers. I was less enamored of the focus on Kieran wearing eyeliner. It was mentioned too often for me without being mentioned in context with other ways he disguised his appearance.

As of right now, this book is a 3.25 for me but with a stronger middle section it could easily be a 4.0.

This was yet another enjoyable story from Eva Leigh! I admit I had high expectations for The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes, and it did not disappoint. While there were some obvious tropes (enemies/friends to lovers, secret identities, etc.), they were done in a way that made them still super interesting and it added to the story. Celeste and Kieran were delightful characters. The suspense towards the end (without giving anything away) played out in very interesting ways that made me want to keep reading well past my bedtime. If you like regency romance with a touch of humor and intrigue, this is definitely a book for you.

This is the second book that I've read by Eva Leigh where I thought it was enjoyable reading. The "Good Girls Guide to Rakes" is about Keiran, the younger brother who aides his best friend Dom to leave his betrothed at the alter. After this fiasco, he is forced by his father to find a bride in order to gain his inheritance and he sets his eyes on Dom's sister, Celeste as a possible end to his need. As a result, Keiran and Celeste are in need of each other's services and find themselves building more than just a friendship of quid pro quo but a budding relationship starts to ensue.

In the beginning of the story, it was bit dry and transitioned slow for me. My interest in the story came about half way through the book. Both characters are likeable, the attraction is there and as with all my reads, I anticipate a fair amount of steaminess between both....this was a bit moderate considering Kieran is this known rake. The story and plot were well-written. As I have not read many books by Eva Leigh, I look forward to reading more from this author to finding a 4-5 Star novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Well this was lovely. A take as old as time-the rake needs help finding a bride and the heroine wants help finding adventure and fall for each other along the way. Nice little details having Kieran be a poet and wear eyeliner. Celeste’s independence was there all along but needed opportunity to shine.

Definitely gave me some mild Peaky Blinders vibes with the friendship among Kieran, Finn, and Dom. And of course, the Beverly Jenkins cameo is a wonderful touch.

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!

Eva Leigh remains in my top 5 HR authors. I loved this one: poet hero, theater sex, sevret rendezvous. And the poems were GOOD!

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for this Advanced Readers Copy. This book releases on February 22, 2022.

Ok I really liked this book! It took me a bit to get into it, but once I was- I couldn’t wait to read it. (Shakes fist at life getting in the way of reading!) I was swept into Kieran and Celeste’s love story. I was rooting for them and basically just completely wrapped into their love story. I loved how the drama resolved in the end.

4 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5 steam
(The steam rating on this novel is for verbiage more than content. )

While reading this book I kept thinking of the song Free Spirit by Khalid. If you haven’t heard it….shame on you! But aslo- listen to it! I’ll even give you a taste of the lyrics…


”We were runnin' onto somethin'
And we didn't say "forever, " but it's all we wanted
You were so in love with simple things
And now we're searchin' for the fire, drippin' kerosene
I've been lovin' more, livin' less
Off of highs and lows, so obsessed

Couldn't get nothin'
But we're never runnin' out, we'll be

Free spirits, free spirits
Can you hear me callin'?
Oh, it's all or nothin'
When you're free spirits, free spirits
Can you hear it callin'?
'Cause I don't wanna live and die alone, don't let me go”

The things that were harder for me in the book was all of the setup for the two future books in the series. I should mention that I will read the other two in the series and I’m excited about them! But there was some build up for those within the pages of this book- which sometimes affected the flow of this book. The ending of the book featured a lot of proclamations of love. I am a big fan of these communicative moments but this felt a bit excessive.

I can’t wait to read the other two books in the series! It looked like book two was coming out Fall 2022! EEEK! I can’t wait for Finn’s story!

This review provided for ARC.

I enjoyed the Good Girls Guide to Rakes! This was my first read by Eva Leigh and I would certainly enjoy reading one of her books again!

Kieran is a disgraced younger brother to the peerage. After aiding his best friend Dom, Celeste’s brother, to leave his fiancée at the alter, Kieran is forced by his family to select a suitable bride in order to receive his inheritance. New to Londonderry elected society, Celeste is a good girl in all respects, and is even promised to Lord Montford. She enlists Kieran to help broaden her horizons, and along the way they discover their admiration for one another.

I liked the storyline to this book and even enjoyed the OM drama. I would have liked to see the characters pine for one another a bit more— but really enjoyed Leigh’s writing story and plot.

Overall 3.5 rounded to 4
Steam2
Relationship development 4
Plot 4
Subplot 4– can’t want to read about Dom!

Once again Eva Leigh brings us to a world of strict social rules with characters who love nothing more than to break said rules. Kieran Ransome is your typical rake on the outside but this is Eva Leigh we are talking about, her characters are anything but ordinary! He needs to find himself a literal good girl or he will lose everything. Now, this is one of my favorite tropes of all time, a rushed marriage of convenience between a rake/rogue/scoundrel with your social good girl. I am here for it and I will read it over and over again! Celeste Kilburn is supposed to be marrying an Eral, but when her BROTHER'S BEST FRIEND, oh yes we have that going on to, ask for her help, she can't say no. A bargain is struck, and thus begins the slow burn we all crave. If you have ever read an Eva Leigh book then you'll love this book, it's a first in a new series and if it's anything like her others then we are in for a good time with all the spice and all the feels!

I'm already excited to read the rest of this new series by Eva Leigh. The series set up is easy. Two brothers, after helping their best friend jilt a bride at the wedding, find themselves and the groom in hot water. Both families promise to cut off all three if they are not married within a year to respectable women. Kieran Ransome is the youngest son of an earl and enjoyed his rakish ways, never planning to marry. He asks he best friends sister Celeste Kilburn to help reform his reputation and introduce him to proper young women. Celeste agrees but only if he shows her some of the wilder sides of London before she is forced to settle into her engagement.

I've seen this trope before but Eva Leigh brings wit, humor and wonderful main characters. Celeste is her own woman but the reputation of her whole family is falling on her shoulders. Kieran is a lover and poet. Together they are fantastic. I know the other two men will get their stories but I found it odd that neither seem as concerned as Kieran about the family threat. This is a fun and steamy romp. The Last Chance Scoundrels series is absolutely on my lists for future reads. Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Eva Leigh does it again! This is the exciting first book in her new Last Chance Scoundrels series.

Kieran Ransome is a notorious rake. His father issues an ultimatum that Kieran must find a respectable bride or he be financially ruined. Kieran asks for help from the only respectable woman he knows, his best friend’s sister Celeste.

Celeste is the perfect society woman who never makes a mistake. Her father has pinned his hopes of lifting the family from the ranks of the wealthy merchant class to the aristocracy on his daughter. Celeste feels trapped by her father’s expectations and her presumed future marriage to an earl.

Celeste makes a bargain with Keiran that she will help him meet an appropriate society match if he will show her the parts of London which have closed off to her a good society miss. Together they explore gaming hells and proper musicales. The more time the spend together the greater their attraction grows. Will Celeste’s obligations to her family keep her from love or will love save the day?

I received an ARC for my honest review.

The Good Girls Guide to Rakes begins as Kieran Ransome and his brother help stop the wedding between his sister and his best friend. Outraged by their selfish and impulsive actions, his parents and the groom’s parents issue an ultimatum – Kieran and the other two men involved in the disaster must marry respectable women within the year or they’ll be cut off. So, Kieran turns to the only respectable woman he knows, his best friend’s sister.

Celeste Kilburn is the very definition of proper. However, she longs for more. So, Celeste and Kieran agree to help each other. She will introduce him to polite society and suitable, marriageable women if he shows her some of the less reputable activities and adventures she longs for. The more time they spend together, the more their feelings for each other grow. What will the pair do when someone learns of their exploits and threatens to reveal the truth?

Celeste and Kieran have a fantastic love story. He is so poetic and passionate and romantic, and his feelings for Celeste are beautiful. There are many incredibly swoon-worthy moments in the story, and one of my favorites is when Kieran reads one of his poems to Celeste. It is clear she is his muse, and the poem is so romantic! That scene epitomizes his feelings for her and shows how deeply moved he is by her. It’s wonderful!

I really like the inclusion of poetry and the way the author used poetry to show Kieran’s growing feelings and trust in Celeste. Kieran’s poetry is lovely, and it’s so moving when he shows Celeste this side of himself, as he doesn’t show it to many. I think this is something Celeste and Kieran have in common – lack of familial support and acceptance forces them into personas that they don’t wholly embrace.

Celeste and Kieran have much in common even though, at first glance, they seem so different. They both feel alone even though they have family around. I like that they both see past the rumors, the personas, and the families’ judgments and see the true person underneath it all. Kieran isn’t a rake, and Celeste is more than a proper debutante. I like that they encourage each other to accept all parts of themselves. It shows how deeply they care for each other and how completely they accept each other, and it leads to some really powerful transformations.

Overall, I think this is a fun, entertaining, and romantic story with great messages, dynamic characters, and some amazingly swoon-tastic scenes! The characters have a ton of chemistry, and there are also hints of potential romances in future books in the series. I’m eager to see how these develop and if the men find their loves before their year is up. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Avon, and Eva Leigh for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

A good girl wants to know what’s it’s like to be bad before getting married, so she makes a devil’s bargain with her brother’s hot friend and they end of having more fun doing naughty things together than by themselves.

Eh, meh, it was ok. The author writes well and keeps things moving along, but there’s a lot of inner dialogue- maybe more inner than outer which is frustrating bc the story stands still while we’re exploring feelings - so many feelings. And the thing keeping these two love birds apart isn’t really a big deal. Also, it opened badly - a groom (not the main character) jilting his bride to be but then we hear no more - why? Why start with someone else’s story and then say nothing more about it? Maybe change that up, have more action, and don’t spend the last two chapters with cringeworthy devotions to one another and trumpeting on about teaching the poor to read - this is such a fall back in this novels to show someone has a good heart but it’s never practical.

AMBER Machado <machado283@gmail.com>
Tue, Sep 28, 10:09 PM (16 hours ago)
to me

Imagine that you are trying to do the right thing, you are trying to save your sister from making the worse marriage mistake. The groom is even convinced that he is not good enough for your sister so, you help the groom make his hastily exit leaving your sister at the altar. Then, a few weeks later your parents are basically cutting you off for the whole fiasco and that you will not receive any penny of your inheritance until you are married. Well, that is what happened to Kieran. While he doesn't know very many ladies who fit the bill he is a determined man! Celeste is a respectable woman in society and while she agrees to help Kieran in his endeavors she will only do so at the price of freedom. Before Celeste is forced into a marriage she basically wants a taste of freedom and to be able to do as she pleases. Now with these two forces helping each other a bit of love starts growing between the two and things blossom from there.
This is a quick romance and it's also very entertaining there will be laugh-out-loud moments along with the moments that you are like what the hell is he thinking. I enjoyed this romance and while it was the first by the author that I've read I would definitely enjoy more of her work! Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read and review

Who doesn't love a gold hearted scoundrel?

Keiran is a regency-era "bro" and like all good bros he helps Celeste's brother jilt his bride-to-be at the altar. Naturally, both families are in an uproar and Keiran's father threatens to disown him unless he mend his ways and find himself a good girl bride pronto.

Celeste is about to get betrothed to a a man who doesn't make her heart sing, so in exchange for introducing Keiran to potential brides, she asks him to help her sow her wild oats before settling down into domestic bliss.

This one's fun and funny and the characters are endearing.

Thank you to Netgalley & HarperCollins Publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★★★★ stars

"My hands burn because they want to wrap around your throat and hold you still as I pleasure you."

✍️ One Sentence Synopsis: Society darling Celeste Kilburn and rake Kieran Ransome enter into a bargain--where Celeste helps Kieran become a refined man eligible for marriage in society's eyes, and Celeste gets a taste of the roguish lifestyle before her inevitable marriage to an imposing man--which soon grows complicated as feelings flower between the two.

💭 Overall Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this steamy and hilarious historical romance! Celeste holds a special place in my heart, and Kieran was positively swoon-worthy. And we love a man who's in tune with his artistic side!

What I Liked:
👍 The romance: I’m an absolute SUCKER for brother's best friend trope. Although I felt that the steam of this trope was dowsed a bit by the fact that the MCs brother was in a relationship with the LIs sister, I still enjoyed certain of the "sneaking around/forbidden romance" scenes. I loved Kieran and Celeste's banter, and sweet respect for each other's freedom to be themselves.
👍 Characters: Celeste was wholly relatable and lovable. Her desire to break free from a stifling upbringing and future-- I wanted to cry with how much I felt for her. I loved to see Celeste take on a nickname and discover who she was in the comfort of her guise, until she was ready to emerge as her full self. Kieran was such a sweetheart when giving her the space she needed to find herself, and simply reveled in all that she was. I ADORE this dynamic.
👍 The humor: Several scenes of this book had me cracking up. Particularly one scene where a blonde Lady Carenford (AKA Karen) was requesting to speak with the manager of Catton's over cold tea. This author's humoristic style of writing was present throughout the book and was highly enjoyable.

What I Didn’t Like:
👎 The Steam: Brother's best friend is one of my all-time favorite tropes. I love when it's a massive scandal, forbidden, and there's anger at the big reveal of the relationship. While this book served along some of those lines, I felt the overall forbidden-ness of their relationship was detracted by the fact that the brother in question was (formerly) engaged to his own best friend's sister. So in essence, this trope had already been seen and the LI was accepting of his best friend dating and marrying his little sister. This made the whole trope feel less steamy to me, which is unfortunate.

💞 Read this if you liked: Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare, Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

⚠️ Content Warnings: Blackmail, threats, violence

"Some men loved breasts, others were enthralled by arses or legs. But Kieran could write stanza after stanza on the allure of a women's neck."

3.5-star read!

After having a hand in helping their best friend Dom jilt his bride (who happened to be their sister) at the altar, Kieran Ransome and his brother Finn were given an ultimatum by their parents that they both must marry a respectable lady within a year or they would be completely cut off. As a strategy to fix his reputation as a notorious rake, he approached Celeste Kilburn, Dom's sister and a perfectly prim and proper lady, to help him get back in good Society. In exchange for this reformative quest, Celeste also wanted something in return...

This is my first book by Eva Leigh, and while it flows nicely, I just feel the voice is a bit modern for a historical context. I could feel the strong attraction between Kieran and Celeste, but overall I wasn't completely invested in the story. It felt quite dragging and slow sometimes, and I didn't have the urge to get back to it. If you're looking for a best friend's sister romance with some nighttime adventures in the London underworld beyond sparkling ballrooms, this book is for you!

*Special thanks to Avon Books for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.*

-Release date: Feb 22, 2022.-

Kieran and Celeste come together In their agreement for their own benefit. Kieran to restore his social standing. Celeste to experience life and adventure., so she becomes Salome.
I struggled a bit with Kieran’s sudden “connection” with Celeste. He’s known her for some time but has never found himself wanting to know her more. I felt he did not really like her until he saw her as “Salome”.
Overall, I found their story entertaining.

I really enjoyed this romance. This is a common trope, but this romance added a fresh feel to the theme. I really liked the characters and can't to read the next book. Although I am frustrated that we have to wait until the last book to read about Dom! I don't know if I can wait that long!!!

So this book was really different. I kept picturing the gilded age when I read this book even though I think it was supposed to be regency England. After convincing his friend to abandon Celeste's sister at the alter, Kieran is forced to consider matrimony or be cut off by his parents. Celeste wants to explore life outside the rigid restrictions of the ton.

This was an extremely enjoyable read but it was so wildly different than your typical historical romance. Keiran is more middle class than aristocracy so you get to see another side of life in London outside the ton. I loved their story and how they help each other and end up falling in love. Eva Leigh is an excellent storyteller and her books always take twists and turns you don't expect. Honestly, I can't wait for the next book in this series.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were like able answer I found myself rooting for them. The plot moved quickly and I felt the connection between the characters. The main storyline resolved quickly and ultimately resulted in a Happy ending . I cannot wait to read the next installment! I’d highly recommend.