Anna continues to build this series. This couple is steamy and fun. The adventure mystery and finding a resolution continues. I highly recommend this series but they need to be read in order. I received an advanced reader copy from the author. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review and all opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed the latest instalment in Anna Harrington's Lords of the Armory series; Alec and Olivia are passionate and engaging protagonists whose adventures engaged me fully. The intrigue and adventure captivated me, as I followed along in their hunt for Sceptre. I love that Anna Harrington's heroine is independent and dedicated to the causes and people most important to her, and Alec's dedication to seeking out the truth and protecting those he cares about while resolving the challenges of his childhood gave him a level of depth that I appreciated. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the next book in the series, A Remarkable Rogue, due out in July 2022! Anna Harrington is one of my favourite regency era romance writers, her books are excellent and engaging reads.

This was my second Anna Harrington and it won't be my last. I love a working woman, a spy as a hero and the adventures that they take. Anna was a guest on my podcast.

Olivia and Alec have fantastic chemistry and a wonderful opposites-attract romance. They have some amazing banters, which is equally funny, teasing, antagonistic, sexy, and tender.

From their first meeting, you can feel the chemistry between them, and that carries throughout the story. Though I didn’t love his initial reaction to and treatment of Olivia when he found out her secret, I did like how hard he worked to earn back her trust and forgiveness. I also like how both characters learned more about themselves and each other and emotionally grew throughout the story. They are both complex and layered characters that complement each other well.

I would definitely recommend A Relentless Rake to lovers of historical romance or romantic suspense. It’s a great story with wonderful, layered characters and a swoon-worthy romance. Though it’s part of a series, A Relentless Rake can be read as a standalone.

I voluntarily received an eARC of "A Relentless Rake" via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A Cinderella retelling with a not as innocent as she looks school mistress and a fairy godmother that is a masked man sneaking into your room.

Though the Cinderella aspects are used in the first half of the book it does tone down a lot once the romance starts heating up. Got to say I loved having the hero take on the fairy godmother role though as its laced with delightful sexual tension and blackmail.

Throughout this romance is a mystery concerning an attempted assassination one inwhich the hero, Alexander the Earl of Sin Clair, is investigating the heroine, Olivia Everett's brother. This made for a lot of great will they won't they as Olivia didn't know who to trust.

Though I really likes this romance there is a point where Olivia is honest about her past and Alec does not handle it well. And considering everything about how they met and him it really annoyed me.

TW for discussions of abuse by physical and sexual.

I Loved It! Suspenseful and Riveting. The fourth in Lords of the Armory series does not disappoint. From the first page to the last A Relentless Rake will keep your attention from the moment you begin the journey with Olivia and Alec until the very end. It unfolds beautifully as it weaves a story from beginning to end with a strong plot that brims with tension building twist and turns, espionage and danger. Anna Harrington has given readers a book that is well-written, with sizzling passion, filled it with great cast of characters that come off the pages and pull you into this emotional ride, full of secrets and mystery, snappy dialogue, and with one fantastic plot that leaves you eagerly anticipating the next in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley.

A Relentless Rake is the fourth title in the Lords of the Armory series and delivers a delightfully charming story sizzling with chemistry and intrigue.

Alec and Olivia despise secrets and being lied to… yet, each is keeping secrets for their own reasons, and while they might have good reasons for the deception those secrets will play a large part in their trust issues with each other. Alec is on the hunt for the nobleman who was part of a plot to assassinate the prime minister, and he has good reason to believe that man is Olivia’s brother, Henry. He’s also uncertain of Olivia’s part in this – is she as innocent as she appears or is that underlying secret of her’s an implication of guilt. Alec has no problem allowing the ton to believe in his former reputation, although he’s brought himself into a better place in his life he does not announce that fact to the entire world. Let them think what they will as the ton’s opinion of him helps him perform his duties as part of an undercover group of men protecting the government in many ways. He is rigid in his beliefs, often to the point of being somewhat abusive in his responses to those he deems unworthy of his trust… like Olivia. He knows she’s hiding something, and until she opens up about that secret she’ll remain enticing but untrustable.

I adored Olivia. Yes, she has a secret, one born of an impulsive youth and society’s rules. She’s done everything possible to walk a very thin line of respectability as life as she knows it depends on no one learning of her past degression. She’s strong, at times impulsive, loyal yet untrusting, and prays that the rumors about her brother are not true but still suspicious about him herself. She’ll do anything to save Henry but must that include trusting a rake like Alec?

I am torn on Alec. He’s definitely a sexy, controlling man. Yet the way he often treated Olivia, his attitude upon learning her secret took him down a few notches in my good opinion of him. He wants trust from others but refuses to give it in return. I think Olivia soften me towards Alec, but he isn’t my favorite hero of this series.

A Relentless Rake is full of danger, secrets, sexy moments, sizzling chemistry, lies, and hard-won truths. I enjoyed myself, but I still find that my favorite of this series continues to be the first story, An Inconvenient Duke. If you enjoy a story filled with intrigue, history, a sensuous couple fighting their way toward a forever kind of love then you’d enjoy Olivia and Alec’s story.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Firstly, I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of the book. This review is based on my personal opinion and enjoyment of the book.

The author is correct in the rioting and mini attempted revolutions of the late 18th and early 19th century. In all of Europe there was unrest, but Britain managed to contain theirs., although often brutally. This has left us with stately homes and aristocrats with majestic acres, parks and gardens. Even if they can't always afford to maintain them without a lot of help - see National Trust.
I do just wonder about the 2 young sweeps though who had expected a job..
Minor plot issue.
Overall, a nice story well expressed and detailing the issues of Regency society with its inequalities and poverty.

The search for the identity of the Scepter continues in “A Relentless Rake”, book 4 of Anna Harrington’s Lords of the Armory Series. Alexander Sinclair, Earl of St. James has a battered past and an annoying tendency to view things in black and white. Olivia Everett has a huge caring heart and appears to be a proper school mistress. Looks can be deceiving and some people keep secrets in order to survive the unfairness of the times. Surrounded by mystery, drama and intrigue, these two fight their attraction to each other for a multitude of reasons. Will Alexander come to his senses before its too late and acknowledge that life is indeed filled with shades of grey.

My thanks to the Author, Net Galley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC copy. This is my honest review.

Every instalment in the Lords of the Armory series by Anna Harrington has had the perfect blend of romance, suspense and danger, and this fourth novel in the series is no different.

Alexander Sinclair, Earl of St James, gets tasked by the Home Office to find the men who are conspiring to assassinate the prime minister, a shadowy group known as Sceptre. To exploit his natural competitiveness, the Home Office decides to pair him up with his half-brother, the result of one of his father's affairs. Sinclair's investigation leads him to Olivia Everett, a brilliant schoolmistress whose mathematician brother Henry has been working with Sceptre. Olivia wants nothing to do with Sinclair, even if his masked alter ego came to her rescue while she was looking for her missing brother in a bad part of town. As Sinclair's investigation brings him closer to Sceptre, Olivia's situation becomes more and more dangerous. They'll have to trust each other to survive. But trust doesn't come easy for two people that stubborn.

The plot is solid, building on the previous three books. We're still hunting down Spectre, but it never feels like that part of the story is moving too slowly. There's a perfect balance between the romance in each book in the series and the necessary progress in finding and battling Spectre. This one even managed to surprise me a few times with the direction the story took.

The characters are, as always, fully formed creations. Harrington brings them to life perfectly, in a rich setting that does an excellent job at drawing the reader in and not letting them go until the story has finished. The main mystery was built up perfectly, with a satisfying conclusion that leaves just enough loose threads to entice the reader into the next instalment. The romance develops slowly enough to be believable, but for me the stand-out aspect of this story was Sinclair coming to terms with his past and the abuse he endured from his father. It was handled beautifully, and it really showed the growth this character experiences throughout the story.

Despite being the fourth book in the series, you don't need to have read the previous three to enjoy this one. You'll be missing out on some Spectre backstory and the full romance stories for some of the characters that pop up in this one. But beware, you'll love this story so much that you'll end up reading the other books in the series anyway, so you might as well read them in order.

I love this series, it took a couple of books to get into the Sceptre plot but this one is more about the couple.

Rake and spy, Alec Sinclair, Earl of St. James, is tasked with following mathematician, Henry Everett to find those behind Scepter and the bombings. He quickly realizes that Henry's sister, Olivia, is the true genius behind Henry's acclaimed work. Alec pursues Olivia in secret and in the ballroom and they work together to figure out how Henry is involved.

I LOVED the antagonistic relationship between Alec and Olivia. This was a fun enemies-to-lovers/rake reforms story. Alec, in his bid to get close to Olivia, flirts and annoys her by breaking into her bedroom masked, inviting her to family events, and following her everywhere she goes. Their scenes were so enjoyable and the spy plot took a backseat to their interactions.

I didn't love that the central conflict between them was because Olivia is not a virgin. I thought this could have been handled differently. I don't think that was the author's intent when writing those scenes but Alec came across as a condescending hypocrite and frankly Olivia deserved better. Maybe the point was to be polarizing, it worked and thankfully they work everything out.

The next book focuses on Alec's illegitimate brother Captain Nathanial Reed.

Title: A Relentless Rake
Author: Anna Harrington
Pages: 329

Alex Sinclair, hides behind sins and revelry, making sure that nobody looks too deep at what he might be hiding. He is on a mission to discover who conspired to kill the Prime Minister. His investigation leads him to Olivia Everett, a schoolmistress who also has a few secrets of her own.

Olivia is used to not being noticed, but when a rogue in a mask and an Earl starts noticing her, she does not know what to do. She cannot be noticed for fear of the truth coming out. Yet she feels oddly attracted to the rogue in the mask, despite the problems it might cause.

This book had me fanning myself, the chemistry so expertly woven around the characters, that it is hotter than any sex scene. It had me giggling from the sweet moments and had me stressed at the intrigue. Before this book, I have only read one of Anna Harrington's books, but after this, she is fastly moving up on my list of favourite historical romance authors. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series.

Alex is such an amazing character, with well throughout reasons behind his decisions and the internal conflict with him is just perfection. I adore how much he adores Olivia and this man had my heart pumping.
Olivia is such a strong character and I felt for her not being able to truly show how brilliant she is.
The intrigue continues into the next book and I truly cannot wait for the mystery to be solved.
Alex and Olivia and the games they play had me along for the ride and 100% invested in their story and relationship.

Once again I ask, where is my rogue in a mask?

This is the fourth installment of Ms Harrington's Lords of the Armory series. Although I have not read any of the other books in the series, I had no trouble reading this as a standalone. The story was interesting and caught my attention from the start and held my interest till the very end. Alexander Sinclair, Earl of St James, is given the task by the Home Office to find the men responsible for the attack on the prime minister. His search leads him to Olivia, a schoolmistress and mathematician. Given his rakish reputation, Olivia wants nothing to do with Alec. Running a reputable school, she needs to stay as far away from scandal as she can. When Olivia learns some unsettling news regarding her brother, she then relents and agrees to assist Alec in his mission. Plenty of intrigue and drama kept me interested and the witty banter between the two was quite enjoyable. The constant back and forth they had going showcased clearly the chemistry that sizzled between them. I found this to be a very entertaining and enjoyable story filled with intrigue and mystery and wonderfully delightful characters. I enjoyed the build-up of the romance between Alec and Olivia. Such an interesting and captivating story, I plan to go back and read the books that I have missed.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital ARC. This is my unbiased and honest review.

I've been on a Regency /historical romance kick lately and this book looked like it would be just the thing. I was intrigued by the summary and looked forward to this read.

This is the first book I have read by this author. This is a book in a series but I didn't feel like I had to know what had gone on in previous volumes: this worked as a stand-alone. The writing is good. The setting and plot are also interesting.

Alexander (Alec) Sinclair, the Earl of St. James and a part of the Armory, is recruited (along with his bastard half-brother, who really deserved more character development in this book) to investigate a cell of revolutionaries bent on toppling the monarchy and Parliament. Their clues lead to one Henry Everett, a respectable but poor mathematician and school teacher, who runs a school for girls with his sister Olivia. Henry has secrets he is keeping from his sister and the investigation by Alec brings Olivia into the midst of this intrigue when Henry goes missing.

A chance encounter in a dark alley is the basis of Olivia and Alec's introduction and from that point on Alec focuses on her, in his bid to find information about Henry and the secret assassination plot brewing. It's not long before his interest in her moves from professional to far more personal.

I wish I liked the characters more. I wanted to like this book. I went into it with the expectation that I would. But I wasn't truly engaged or attached to them, particularly the hero, Alec.

Olivia is the best character in the book in my opinion. Followed by Alec's sister Elizabeth his mom and his quirky Aunt Agnes. Olivia is intelligent, resourceful ,kindhearted, and loyal.

The men in this book are simply not as appealing,

I do have some significant issues with Alec. I wanted to like him, I really did. He's had a difficult childhood and young adulthood. He's brought his family back from the brink and been a champion for his mother and sister, to his own detriment at times. He's smart and suave, brave and resourceful himself. But he's just not consistent in my opinion. There's chemistry between Olivia and Alec but I feel his behavior ion this book did him no favors.

Olivia has been a paragon of virtue as far as everyone knows. She's the epitome of a proper schoolteacher--prim and proper, eminently respectable in her behavior and attitude. She keeps herself rigidly on the straight and narrow to ensure the continued sterling reputation of her school. But she has a secret of her own, carefully guarded, that involves a painful past that could reflect very poorly on the school and rob it of its patrons, spelling ruin not only for Olivia and Henry, but also the charity students they take in.

And this is where I really took issue with Alec. He's had a difficult past, his father was an absolutely terrible individual with reprehensible secrets of his own. But that deceitful behavior of his father's is very different from the secret Olivia is keeping ( and why she is keeping it). His reaction to her trusting confidence is more about himself and his issues than hers. He overlays his betrayal by his father on her confession and I didn't like it.

Particularly because he is unrepentant in the seduction he entertains with Olivia before her revelation, SPOILERS AHEAD! He is actively doing things that could greatly compromise her reputation (and thus the school's) and he's not bothered. Breaks into her bedroom at night, locks himself in a dressing room with her when she is partially unclothed, attempts a seduction in his own garden bower during a garden party, basically seduces her in.a public park! He's putting her in terribly compromising positions and I don't think her eventual consent to this quite matters--he's willfully, knowingly doing this when he knows what it means to a woman's reputation in those times and he knows he won't marry her, based on their societal differences at this point in the book but he does it anyway and then has a total meltdown when he finds out her secret and gets all judgmental on the fact that she's not a virgin! He's part of a society that puts such importance on a woman's reputation and he is fine seducing her but once he finds out she's had a single previous encounter he's all bent out of shape and feels justified in calling her a liar and untrustworthy and more. He knows how important a woman's reputation is--he's a somewhat reformed rake himself, so it's not as if he's unaware. Blaming his reaction on his father's deceitful history is disingenuous. This really turned me off on him as a character, which is really too bad as the book would have been fairly good without this issue.

They eventually figure things out and he somewhat apologizes but I don't think he's quite as remorseful as he should be for basically shaming her for a situation that she found herself in and where she was treated very poorly and has moved forward from it to be where she is today. This entire plot situation really put a damper on this book for me.

I'd likely have rated it higher if this hadn't been handled in this way with Alec. I'll give it three stars, mostly for Olivia.

A special thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters in this book. I liked how the two protagonists each had their own struggles and flaws and I enjoyed watching them come together and learn to understand one another.

Harrington's novel was a fun and easy read and definitely will appeal to most regency romance lovers. It definitely leaves you wanting to read the rest of the series. Overall, I would highly recommend this book, the romance was fun and believable.

Anna Harrington always writes fun Romances, and this one is yet another one. Alec and Olivia seem like opposites because he, as the title suggests, is a relentless rake, and she is a proper teacher. He breaks rules while she follows them. Chemistry and hijinks ensue as they try to catch some killers together. This book has everything: a mystery, romance, and lots of witty banter. I love that this heroine is clever and stands her ground. There are times when Alec is a bit overbearing for me, but I take that with a grain of salt as he lives up to his alpha type. If you like a historical romance, you'll love this one.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

This was a great mix of romance, action, and intrigue. Alex is trying to find out who was behind an explosion that killed people and stop the culprits before it happens again. His one clue leads him to Olivia.

Olivia is a school teacher and Alex is an earl. Not a combination that would be acceptable in London's society. He is also working with his half brother on this mission.

They each carry past hurts and secrets that lead to misunderstandings and a very hurtful rejection. Other secrets are revealed then Alex and Olivia are able to get their HEA!

Thank you NetGalley for a great read. Olivia and her brother Henry have a school for young ladies. Henry has gotten himself into some trouble. Olivia worries about him. When she is out looking for him one night she is saved from an attack by a masked man. The man turns out to be the Earl of St James. He is so impressed by Olivia and her honest and straight forward way about her. Henry seems to have gotten into some trouble with Scepter, a group working against the crown. The more Olivia and the earl come in contact the more they are attracted to each other. Must read to see how they work it all out.

A like Anna Harrington’s writing a lot, and Relentless Rake was no exception. Her characters are believable, and the setting and plot is exciting. Number four in the Lords of the Armory series, you can read and enjoy this book out of series order, although its fun to know more of the background.

I was disappointed in the hero of this story. Alexander Sinclair. He makes a major misstep, and doesn’t have enough runway to recover. The reconciliation and ending felt rushed and unmotivated.

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