Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (Love by Numbers, #1)

by Sarah MacLean

[Angie]

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake was so adorable! I love Historical Romance where the heroine decides to challenge society and do whatever the heck she wants! Callie is no great beauty. At least that's what her mother, aunt, and the snobby ton have her to believe. At 28, she's firmly on the shelf and has resigned herself to being a spinster. However, she refuses to be seen as passive anymore. She wants to live a little! So Callie devises a list of activities that young, unmarried men are allowed to do, but would be improper for a woman. First on that list: kiss someone passionately. And she has just the man in mind.

Nine Rules to Break was just super fun! I loved Callie from the beginning. She's not overly innocent. She knows what goes on behind closed doors, and she wants to experience it herself! In fact, she gets drunk and then heads to the Marquess of Raltson's home to get her kiss! She's mistaken for a prostitute by his butler, but no matter! He has a reputation, so he does indulge her, but he wants something in return: help his long lost sister come out into society! Callie has the most squeaky clean reputation of anyone (as long as no one finds out about her list), so she'd be perfect to assist his "low born" sister. From there, it's one adventure after another!

There's also a bet plot, which I wasn't the hugest fan of. The Duke of Oxford claims that he can get Callie to marry him. He's not interested in her at all, just her very generous dowry. Ralston bets a ridiculous sum that it'll never happen! Of course, bets never turn out good. At least he didn't bet that he would be the one to marry her. But the big confrontation near the end left me a bit annoyed. Callie has every right to be upset that she was part of a bet, but she also knows that half the things Oxford was saying were false. He's a delusional drunk, but she never pauses to think about the straight up lies he told. I guess she was just upset that the man she loves would enter a bet over her at all, but still. Don't listen to the drunk!

I really enjoyed Nine Rules to Break! I loved witnessing Callie complete all of the items on her list! There's plenty of gender-bending, since she needs a way to get into a gentlemen's club for gambling and fencing. I also thought Raltson's twist on "riding astride" was clever! You, rake, you! Not to mention the duel! It was just a lot of fun!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.