Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady - Bronwyn Scott

First of all, I confess to immediately sympathizing with the heroine Julia prentiss.  Being talked over for marriage as if she is a cow about to be purchased is not only humiliating but disgusting!  Worse still that the prospective bride-groom is an old man who makes Julia's skin crawl with fear and hate.  She must remedy this situation by taking an extreme measure.  If her virginity is not intact Mortimer won't want her - or so she thinks.  She has exactly until morning to ruin herself, deciding on doing so with the most notorious rake her innocent ears have caught ear of. 

Paine Ramsden, third son of an earl, rebellious and wayward, is now the owner of a gambling hell (a low-repute gambling bar) after his return from traveling to exotic and pagan countries.  His exile, followed by his daring return and history with the ladies, makes him the perfect choice for Julia.  Paine is more than happy to take her up on her offer to take her virginity and 'ruin' her.  But when the night is finished he finds it hard to let her go. In fact, he refuses to let her go after he discovers that the man she's running from is the same man who was responsible for his exile - his number one enemy Mortimer Oswalt who is known for stopping at nothing when he wants something badly enough. 

When the danger of Julia's situation becomes more apparent, Paine must wisk her away to the safety of the aristocratic family he has been estranged from since before his exile.  Yet, as the danger closes in around them, it becomes obvious that Paine must make more than one decision.  First and foremost, to what lengths will he go for Julia?  And why?  Can it be he's feeling what he swore he never would for a woman?  Will the efforts he takes protect Julia from a ruthless and evil plot that stretches beyond sanity?

This is an excellent historical book!  While I thought some of the elements weren't in keeping with the time period, especially some of the character's bold actions, they still fit within the story.  I found myself cheering and rooting for Paine and Julia, and hating the villain Oswalt.  As for the love scenes they were sizzling.  In fact, I have to confess to learning some new things about eroticism from foreign countries.  Made me blush a few times.  A sensual and engrossing story.  I have another Bronwyn Scott novel that I'm about to read - The Pickpocket Countess.

I give Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady a 4.5* on my opinionated rating scale of 1 - 5.

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."

- Mark Twain