Interesting book of two young girls that were the daughters of an English Earl that was a rake. One daughter Clarissa Marie Studley was the legitimate daughter of the Earl. The second daughter, Isabel Burton Studley, was the illegitimate daughter of the Earl. The Earl was truly a evil man. He made no provisions for his illegitimate child and even took the home away from his legitimate daughter. Upon his death left the guardianship of Clarissa to the Earl of Salcott (“Leo”). The daughters had become very good friends and Clarissa shared the provisions left to her by her grandfather with Izzy. After the girls arrived in London they were given over to Lady Scattergood the Aunt Olive of the Earl of Salcott because he was a single man. The Earl was having difficulty dealing with the girls because they were determined launch themselves into society ignoring the the birth if Izzy. When Leo, the Earl, went to his country estate for a couple of weeks the girls managed to launch themselves into society. Interesting book with the many activities of the girls. Enjoyed reading the book and it would be one that I would buy for myself and recommend to others. Our library doesn’t purchase paperbacks but does receive them through donations.

The Rake's Daughter imparts a fun twist on a regency romance: Leo, the Earl of Salcott, learns he's the new guardian of an infamous rake's daughter. It's up to him to launch Miss Clarissa Studley into London society and find her a suitable husband. However, what he isn't expecting is for her beautiful illegitimate half sister, Isobel, to come in tandem. Worse, the two of them are not only inseparable but intent on entering society together--Isobel's disreputable parentage be damned!

The audacity of the sisters is enough to turn poor Leo's life upside-down. Make his head explode. Their plan simply cannot be borne. A woman of questionable birth simply will not be accepted into aristocratic society, and they must come to understand that.

As it it turns out, though, the girls are hopelessly devoted to one another and are full sisters in heart if not in blood, and so try as he might, nothing Leo says or does will convince them to separate let alone persuade them that Clarissa must come out alone. They're in it together or else!

Called away to his country estate one day, he leaves them to their own devices. Instructing them, in the strictest of terms, to stay quietly at home, venture nowhere, and consider their options. The girls have no intention of sitting idly by, of course, and by the time he returns they have launched themselves in society to smashing success and he has no choice but to follow suit, bracing for any potential fallout that might ensue.

Much to Leo's chagrin, however, the Studley sisters take him by surprise. They know what they're doing, the risk they're taking to their reputation. It soon follows that the busier he becomes with shielding Clarissa from scandal the more drawn in he is by Isobel's beauty and stubborn charms.

This was easily bingeable. Perfect for readers who are in the mood for a lighthearted regency romp.

I have to say the sisters' implacable bond and loyalty to one another was my favorite part, but I also got a kick out of Lady Scattergood and Mrs. Price-Jones. Their eccentricities were amusing. (One of them is an agoraphobic recluse; the other, a marriage-minded widow with a singular fashion sense.) Leo, I could take or leave. I understand some of his judgments/attitudes were shaped by the time period, but I didn't like the air of disrespect they often left behind. That said, the romance was still enjoyable. Sweet, only a little steamy. There's also a lot of bickering and clashing between him and Izzy and that kept things entertaining.

Hoping Clarissa and Lord "Race" Randall's story is next!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

"An earl is forced to play matchmaker for the daughters of a rake in a smart and witty new Regency romance from the national bestselling author of The Scoundrel;s Daughter.

Recently returned to England, Leo, the new Earl of Salcott, discovers he's been thrust into the role of guardian to an heiress, the daughter of a notorious rake. Even worse, his wealthy ward has brought her half-sister, the beautiful but penniless Isobel, with her. Leo must find Clarissa a suitable husband, but her illegitimate half sister, Izzy, is quite another matter. Her lowly birth makes her quite unacceptable in London’s aristocratic circles.

However, the girls are devoted to each other and despite the risk of scandal if Izzy's parentage is discovered, they refuse to be separated. To Leo’s frustration, nothing will convince them otherwise. Even worse, sparks fly every time Leo and Izzy interact.

Called away to his country estate, Leo instructs the young ladies to stay quietly at home. But when he returns, he's infuriated to discover that Izzy and Clarissa have launched themselves into society - with tremendous success! There's no going back. Now Leo must enter society to protect Clarissa from fortune hunters, and try not to be driven mad by the sharp-witted, rebellious, and intoxicating Izzy."

Here for ALL the Regency and ALL the Rakes!

The second book in Anne Gracie’s Brides of Bellaire series will sure to delight those who enjoyed the second season of Bridgerton.

Gracie has always excelled in presenting women in not ideal circumstances attempting to move amongst the ton, and this story is no exception. The illegitimate daughter of an awful man who was raised under his roof due to the insistence of half-sister, the two are prepared to take on the world once they’re finally brought to town. However, her sister’s unwitting young guardian has different ideas altogether.

An interesting setup, that doesn’t pay off as fully as it could. The first book in this series did a wonderful job of balancing two romance storylines that weaved together the perfectly. One could have expected the same as both sisters take on the Ton but instead it seemed as if we were given to spin our wheels for a good portion of the book as we watched Izzie and Leo grapple with their feelings for each other. Mainly Leo whose reasons for not wanting to admit his feelings for Izzie, whom he frequently disrespects, don’t feel as believable on the page as we’re told they should be.

During the story, we do get peaks into other series by Gracie, particularly that of the world of the Chance Sisters. With stops at Daisy’s shop and a detour to the literary society which still appears to be going strong, as well as, the horrible Gastonbury musicales, and a small peak in on Alice and her stepdaughters from book one in this series, but those mentions often feel cursory and more about linking this story to the Gracie universe.

While all signs point to the next story dealing with Izzie’s sister, Clarissa, being the heroine of the next story, I wish we’d been given more moments with her during the book, as the story opens with a prologue from her viewpoint. I will most likely be tuning into the next installment to see what happens with Clarissa, but wish I had more of an inkling of what was to come. Her previous books I felt did a better job of setting this up.

Leo, the new Earl of Salcott, returns home from a grand adventure on the continent to find that he's been named the guardian of Miss Clarissa Studley, the daughter of one of his father's friends. He has no idea why he's been named guardian, and he plans to marry you off as soon as possible. Except there's a problem. Clarissa arrived in London with her half-sister Izzy who she refuses to be parted from. Leo refuses to let Izzy be presented to the ton with Clarissa because of her illegitimate birth, but he's no match for the Studley sisters as they go behind his back and forge their own way into Society. Leo is appalled, but he can't stop thinking about Izzy and her irresistible boldness and beauty, but how can he fall for the young woman when her circumstances make her off-limits to him?

This was an interesting book about the unshakeable love between two sisters who refuse to be parted from each other. Their devotion and cleverness in getting around Leo's ultimatums were well done. The secondary characters--Leo's valet Mateo and his aunt Lady Scattergood--added some light-hearted levity to the story and were quite enjoyable. I wasn't so enamored with Leo though. He ran so hot and cold toward Izzy throughout the book and bungled so many things that I found it hard to forgive him as easily as Izzy did. Although he wasn't my favorite hero, I was glad when he finally confessed his feelings for Izzy and they got their HEA. I'm looking forward to the next book and hope it's Clarrisa's story.

Not the daughter I expected. A slightly different take on sisters. Loved both. Found the Earl very stuffy. Very entertaining

Leo, the new Earl of Salcott, returns to England to find that he's been named guardian to an heiress, daughter of his father's friend and notorious rake. But the girl comes with baggage. Clarissa refuses to be separated from her half-sister Isobel. Leo must introduce Clarissa to London society and find her a suitable husband, but her illegitimate half sister, Izzy, is quite another matter.

Why I started this book: Requested this title on Netgalley because I've enjoyed Gracie's previous titles.

Why I finished it: I have to admit that the best relationship in this book is the sisters. Gracie is a talented author, provided in story after story the necessary care, emotions and characters that her readers expect.

The Rake’s Daughter’s premise is original - a legitimate aristocrat’s daughter and his “natural” born daughter teaming up to enjoy a “Season”
.
I really liked the bond between these sisters. They were loyal, supportive, and their personalities complimented each other so well. The supporting characters of Lady Scattergood and the chaperone Mrs. Price-Jones were wonderful.

I didn’t like Leo. Leo was so hot and cold with Izzy.
There are 18 chapters in this book and while reading Chapter 15, I thought how is the author going to redeem this character in the short amount of time left in this book.

Leo showed his true colors again and again. He was disrespectful of Izzy and her mother. He prejudged and misjudged time and time again. Leo was judging her based on a letter from her dissolute father and the past behavior of the women in Leo’s life, not on the behavior Izzy showed right in front of him.
The way he treated her after their first time together was atrocious, I didn’t think he could come back from that, and it was hard to reconcile that a woman like Izzy could forgive him over and over.

I liked the first book in The Brides of Bellaire Gardens series and enjoyed seeing Mrs. Tarrant in this book.

I hope the next book is Clarrisa’s HEA. In this book you become invested in her character so I hope we hear from her again.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The heroines in this well constructed story by Anne Gracie are half sisters with the same father. One is legitimate and one is illegitimate and unacknowledged. They meet as young girls in desperate circumstances and become inseparable as they aid each other in surviving the cruelty and neglect of their self-absorbed, high-living father, a notorious rake.. Upon his death, Clarissa, the legitimate daughter, is made a ward of Leo, Lord Salcott. Clarissa insists that Izzy, the illegitimate daughter accompany her to his home. Leo is reluctantly determined to launch Clarissa into Society while trying to disentangle Izzy from her sister and send her on her way. The girls refuse to be separated and when Lord Salcott is called away, they take matters into their own hands. This is a well written romance with a fine twist at the end.

A very compelling romantic story. Clarissa and Izzy are half sisters who refuse to be separated and are put in the care of Lord Salcott. Because the women are in their twenties Lord Salcott is trying to marry them off. But along the way he starts to fall for Izzy and she falls in love with him. There’s also a great bond between the sisters and how they will do anything for one another. A very good read!

3.5 stars. Newly minted earl Leo makes an unpleasant discovery on returning to England--he's inherited guardianship for a young lady. And when she arrives from the countryside, she has her (illegitimate) half-sister with her. Leo has no desire to take on responsibility for launching either of them into society, but he may have no choice. And as hard as he tries to separate the scandalous Izzy from her sister Clarissa, the less he can resist her.

This was an entertaining premise, and I enjoyed watching it play out. I was very aware, though, of how extremely young Izzy is--both in terms of actual age, but also naivete. Leo is almost 30, and it was just such a big gap in both maturity and physical age. I had a hard time getting past it, even in the context of a historical romance.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Two charges is one too many in this romance novel with a guardian who takes his responsibilities very seriously, well at least for one two young women that have been thrust into his care. The beautiful Izzy won't be blamed for her parentage and her loving sister Clarissa won't allow it. Leo on the other hand is still trying to figure out how to handle them. The best relationship in this book is the one between Izzy and Clarissa and I hope Clarissa gets her own story to continue this sister story.

I just finished reading this title and as expected, loved it. Ms. Gracie not only delivered an intriguing original romance with this couple but also included characters from the first book in the series, including the 3 daughters and their cat. Just a lovely, engaging, charming read.