She’s about to face her biggest challenge yet…
Since she was a girl, Miss Kitty Beckett has been adept at finding trouble: sneaking brandy, running away, and getting under the skin of the boy who, like her, was an apprentice to an architect. Now Kitty’s a talented heiress who can take a dry building plan and breathe life into it with her pencils and paints. Also? She can spot a rake at a hundred yards—and she won’t be tricked or charmed into marriage. Certainly not by a man who might interfere with her dreams. When Bellehaven Bay announces its first ever architectural design contest, she vows to win—with a little help from her childhood rival.
Turning her buttoned-up nemesis into a certified rake.
Leo Lockland, a hardworking architect with a gift for numbers, has returned home after a few years in London, and he has secrets. The biggest? He’s been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices. She refuses to give her heart to any man, but Leo’s determined to beat the odds—even if it means learning how to be a rake. Fortunately, Kitty’s willing to tutor him in the nuances of fashion, flirtation, and seduction in exchange for his help with the contest. But the whole plan would fall apart if she knew how he felt, so he’ll have to be very convincing.
Let the lessons begin…
Leo proves to be a surprisingly quick study in the ballroom, on the beach, and in the bedchamber. Before long, he’s softening Kitty’s hard edges with his wicked words and kissing his way past all her defenses. Perhaps she’s a bit too skilled at teaching, because her lessons are threatening to backfire, putting her closely guarded heart in grave danger…
Release Date: Jan 23, 2024
Series: Rogues to Lovers
Book: 3
Heat Level: Warm/Sensual
Publisher: Macmillan
Imprint: St. Martin’s Press
Price: $8.99
“’You were foolish to trust me- your competition. And you’re foolish to trust him, too,’ he added, gesturing toward Leo. Kitty curled her fingers into her palms. ‘He is nothing like you. He is honorable, loyal, and good.”
“She turned toward Leo and let her love for him wash away her anger. ‘It seems that despite my best efforts, I was unable to change who you are at your core. And if you want to know the truth, I’m glad. Though you can be extremely vexing at times…. I wouldn’t want to change a thing about you.’”
Kitty Beckett and Leo Lockland have been rivals since childhood, but Leo has a secret. He has been in love with Kitty for years, and now that he is back in town, he is ready to win the love of the woman he has been pining after. Kitty doesn’t care about marriage or men; all she wants is to be taken seriously as an architect. When a competition to design a new building in their seaside paradise, Kitty vows to win at all costs. She will lose something more important that the contest when her heart gets involved.
It’s no secret that I am a huge Anna Bennet fan. Her books are something different from the astronomical amount of historical romances that I’ve read where the heroes always have daddy issues and claim the line will end with them or the heroine is a clever and beautiful spinster whose avoided marriage until she is 26.
Anna always gives her characters interesting quirks and hobbies, but they don’t come off as pretentious. Her heroines always seem very genuine to me, and Kitty followed that trend. She had hopes and dreams more than marriage, and she was a talented architect in her own right. She has a mistrust of people, and Leo had to work extremely hard to gain her trust back from his previous mistakes. When he broke it, she didn’t immediately forgive him, which was refreshing. His grand gesture to show Kitty he loved her was adorable. It showed how much he respected her and her talents.
Leo was a sweetheart. Probably my favorite hero of Anna’s. He is so thoughtful and intentional with Kitty. Everything he does is to win her heart, and he is a genuinely good man. I thought this was delightful and was easily my favorite in the series.
If you’re a fan of other low angst historical romances like those of Vivienne Lorret or Christy Carlyle then you don’t want to miss this release.
~ Michelle
Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Google Play