review: how to ravish a rake by vicky dreiling

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Will needs to marry a wealthy woman so he can pay off his gambling debts; Amy needs to marry because, well, that’s what women did in 1818. When the pair end up locked in a wine cellar, they’re forced to marry to avoid scandal. Although they don’t really know each other, the marriage fulfills the very basic requirements both need; however, this also means it’s a long time before the two get romantic. In fact, they sleep separately the night they’re married. Amy is quite prudish initially, balking at Will seeing her naked in the bath, but after a slow seduction that involves posing nude for Will’s painting, they finally consummate the marriage. There are sweet scenes and it was nice to see a couple take things slow since so many romance novels have the characters immediately jumping into bed. Despite the sweetness, Will and Amy were a little boring for the first 100 pages or so. I enjoyed these two as secondary characters in Vicky Dreiling’s previous books, but I didn’t find them strong enough to carry How to Ravish a Rake on their own.
2/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Forever Romance.