Taming of the Rake

This is the fourth book in The Gentleman Courtesans series by Victoria Vale. Each book is written as a standalone, however, you should start with the first book so you David Graham is a true lover of women. He thoroughly enjoys being a Gentleman Courtesan. When he has to return home after the death of his father he discovers a crumbling estate and a huge cash flow problem due to embezzlement. Benedict offers him a contract with a widow close to his home. Regina Hurst is a recent widow who had a miserable marriage. When her husband was on his death bed, she wasn't even sure if she would even get her widows portion. She hires a Courtesan so she can finally have a baby. I loved the relationship between David and Regina. It is wonderful when a rake finds his true love and falls hard. The story is fast paced and the characters are real. I like that the characters from previous books are incorporated. It feels like you are meeting old friends. This book is sizzling. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by the Author. Thank you! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Victoria Vale never ceases to amaze me! I loved David and Regina's story because they complement each other so well: Regina, who had suffered for years from the hands of her abusive husband until his death, doesn't know anything about intimacy between a man and a woman, while David's personal aim in life is to please women (big sigh). When she hires David with a peculiar request, he hesitates first, but then out of desperation for restoring his family heirloom, David accepts the assignment and their story begins, and love slowly and cautiously starts to blossom. If you love unusual stories (the male character is a courtesan after all), romantic heroes and steamy, panty-melting sex scenes, then this is your kind of book. Though it is part of a series called 'The Gentlemen Courtesans', it can be read on its own, but I strongly recommend reading the other books as well, because they are so good! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Taming of the Rake is the fourth book in The Gentleman Courtesans series by Victoria Vale. It can easily be read as a standalone but as there are scenes where characters from the other books are mentioned then if you don't want spoilers you should maybe read those books first. I thoroughly enjoyed this story because although having some steamy, passionate moments in it, it wasn't sex just for the sake of it, for selling books as it were. There was a fabulous story involving David, one of the Courtesans and the woman, Regina, who hires him. The last thing David is thinking of when he returns home to bury his father and take on the troubled estate he has inherited is taking on another Courtesan job. But when he realises that he desperately needs the income he asks his employer to find a 'keeper' for him. Fortunately, Regina lives close and is in need of his services. BUT she is nothing like he expects and that's where the story really gets interesting. Add to that all that is involved with David and him finding out the whys and wherefores about the condition of the estate and why his mother and sisters are wearing threadbare mourning clothes and you will find yourself intrigued with what has happened. More intrigue comes from London where Ben, the founding member of the Gentleman Courtesans has to fight to stop a secret gossip from revealing all to the public about his business and the men who work for him. He can't have their reputations ruined especially as they are his friends, plus some of them are married and the last thing they want is for society to find out what they used to be. The story really had it all, it made me run the gamut of emotions including tears at one point, so don't forget to have a tissue ready. Regina and David are perfect for each other, but can he convince her of that. Will she insist on sticking to their contract which could break both of their hearts. Just a heads up if you have been reading the series, the epilogue in this book is a doozy in preparation of the next book which is about Ben. I will say no more but be prepared for a surprise.