Romancing the Rake

By: Nichole Van

Narrated by: Rosie Akerman

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Lady Sophronia Sorrow considers herself an unlikely heroine. Why, just her name alone proves this. Sophronia Sorrow sounds like a girl from a Gothic penny novel - the foolish miss who falls prey to a rake and becomes an object lesson for the true heroine to avoid. No, despite her mawkish name, Sophie refuses to spend her life invisible and unwanted, relegated to the margin of the text. Despite her eccentric, bluestocking ways, there must be a place where she is wanted. If only she could uncover the identity of her natural father, perhaps she would belong there?

But one thing Sophie knows for sure - unlike that foolhardy miss in a novel, she will not succumb to a rake. No matter how thoroughly the rakish Lord Rafe Gilbert may tempt her.

Lord Rafe Gilbert longs for freedom - freedom from his controlling father, freedom to live his life as he chooses. He knows playing the rake keeps his autocratic father in check, but Rafe longs to determine his own destiny. Case in point, he fell in love with Lady Sophie years ago, but his father’s threats and his mother’s health prevent him from pursuing Lady Sophie in earnest. So when Fate thrusts Sophie into his path, Rafe knows he must turn her away and distance himself. But doing the right thing has never been so impossibly difficult.

Sophie and Rafe soon find themselves on a journey together from London to a castle in the Scottish Highlands. Along the way, can two kindred souls heal from past hurts and seize a second chance to write a love story of their own?

©2020 Nichole Van (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

great storyline!

love this storyline. this is book 2 and it's a nice love story thats not a sex in a week book. really like the mystery too and how it ties into book 1.cant wait to hear book 3

Wonderful story!

I loved this story of Rafe and Sophronia. She and her classifications of people in society are adorable. I really liked the first book in the series, but this one is my favorite - so far. I am looking forward to the remaining three. The narrator does a good job, though I think her Scottish accents are not great. However, as an American, I am perhaps not the best judge.
As a grammar nerd, I have to mention the several split infinitives that occur. However, most readers probably don’t mind. It is a minor point for a highly entertaining story.

Excellent Story and Narration

The narration is wonderful as is the story itself. The only mishap is with the recording. Through the audio there are about a dozen instances when the text is repeated much like a skipping record. I though at first I had mistakenly swiped at the screen but it happened again and again so I tested it and it was in fact how the finished recording is. It doesn’t take away from the study or narration. It’s just an FYI to the listener .

Male versus Female performance

I enjoyed the female performance but would have liked to hear the Clan of the Black Tartan in a more masculine voice.

exciting romance, full of twists and turns

Nicole Van does what she does best. Romance full of sparks, without being explicit, and exciting intricate plots that keep you on the edge of your seat, characters that are complex and interesting, with their own satisfying journeys. This one is long, but don't let it put you off, because it doesn't ever drag or slow the story down. And don't let the rake put you off either. I don't do rakes either but this one has a secret or two. Do yourself a favor though and read the first book in the series first. it'll help you enjoy this one more since the MMC is featured in the first one as a side character and there is an overall plot in the background you won't want to miss.

Exceptional Story

This is a fantastic book. A clean romance that is not cheesy or shallow. The characters are mature and the banter is clever and quick. I found myself chuckling many times throughout and sitting on the edge my seat at other times. The plot is well thought out and engrossing. I could hardly stop reading!

The performance was solid. The narrator did a great job with the emotion and the nuances of inflection. Her Scottish accent is not good and often sounds more like a speech impediment and the way she voices some of the male characters is off-putting. However, the timbre of her voice is quite pleasing and the theatricality of her performance draws you in without being over the top.

Unfortunately, the producer was sleeping on the job. One or even two production glitches happen from time to time-to-time but there must be at least a dozen instances where the audio repeats — clearly where a re-recording was inserted because the phrasing will be slightly different the 2nd time — and that’s outrageous. Shame on Dreamscape Media. The author’s and the narrator’s hard work deserved better.