Review: The Rakes Mistake by Mary Lancaster

Fun, witty, humorous, and heart-stopping are the variety of terms I’d use to describe The Rakes Mistake by Mary Lancaster. 

Title: The Rake’s Mistake

Author: Mary Lancaster

Series: One Night in Blackhaven

Page Count: 275

Publication Date: September 17, 2024

Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc

ASIN: B0DB9QJJ1V

Summary of The Rake’s Mistake by Mary Lancaster

This book is probably one of the most fun Regency romances I’ve read in 2024. I think that’s all due to Aubrey Vale! Vale is the hero who, for much of his life, was confined to his bath chair with asthma. He is also the fourth youngest brother of the Vale bunch. Basically, he gives a baby of the family vibe even though there are a few younger siblings than him. That’s probably because he was coddled by his family for the first 20 years of his life. His asthma improved during adulthood, and he is determined to live life to the fullest. For much of the book, he is a fun-loving rake who drinks too much and flirts with every beautiful woman in Blackhaven. 

However, he soon realizes his mistake and grows up before the reader’s eyes in double time. Quadruple time even, for it seems to happen in a single moment. But let me back it up: I’m getting ahead of myself. 

Vale met the heroine of the story, Henrietta, at the assembly ball at Blackhaven. This is the sixth book of the series, and so far, that is where all of the siblings have met their significant others. The meeting at the ball is where Vale makes his first mistake, a stolen kiss that both shocks Henrietta and begins to stir her emotions surrounding the rakish hero. 

That mistake is nothing in comparison to the next little blunder, or even the next. In fact, for the first half of the book, Vale makes mistake after mistake with Henrietta. She takes it all in stride, though. That is until the moment my heart dropped. Quiet, literally, I gasped, for Aubrey Vale made the BIGGEST mistake of all. I was going to write what it was, but I simply cannot because I don’t want to spoil this fantastic book. But I will say this: it is not a mistake that many men can recover from.

This scene is written so well that it will literally give you a jolt; it did me, anyway. I was not only shocked, but it threw me 100% over to team Henrietta and against team Vale if there were such a thing. If you love emotion-provoking Regency romances, then you have to read the book for this one scene! 

Anyway, everything changed for both characters after this point. Henrietta engages herself to the dry collector in the book, who has been sniffing around her because of her beauty. He’s in and out of the book as a rival against Aubrey Vale, but that isn’t only the rival that Vale has for Henrietta’s affections. 

On Vale’s side, he launches himself into a writing career with books and a newspaper. (And being a writer myself, I love books in which the main characters are writers!) He throws himself into his family’s affairs by being a second in one brother’s duel and helping another brother with his ex-mastery problems. He also wrangles in his twin siblings as much as they can be wrangled in by giving them several tasks. It’s all in a bid to make himself a better man and be worth enough to marry Henrietta. 

Alright, now that I’ve given you a feel for who Aubrey Vale is, let me talk about his love interest. Henrietta is the daughter of a baron and the sister-in-law of one, too. Her brother-in-law is known as the “Mad Russian” throughout the series because he is not a man to be trifled with. Not only does Vale have to make himself a better man in Henrietta’s eyes, but he has to win the approval of this eccentric, protective member of the ton. 

In the end, though, this book has a beautiful, happy ever after. 

Who is this book for?

Overall, the book is fast-paced, with tons of witty banter, fun moments, and shocking elements. The main trope is rakes and debutantes. However, that’s not the only way to classify this book. I’d say there is a little bit of an age gap element. However, the age gap is small for the Regency era, sitting at around seven or so years.

Regency Romance Mood Board

The Rake’s Mistake’s cover is so aesthetic and beautiful! Not only is it soft and whimsical, but it also has a summer beach book feel to it. With the beautiful modest dress and the young woman looking over her shoulder, it definitely fits into the Regency Romance genre. The book itself also has a crazy, untrainable, loveable huge dog named DOG! I have been really into creating bookish mood boards, so I just had to make one for this book, too!

Now, let’s talk songs! If you want a feel for this book before you read it, listen to Trying Not to Love You by Nickelback. While the music itself is a touch too brooding, the lyrics fit Aubrey Vale perfectly!

My Favorite Quotes

There are so many moments in this book that stick out to me! However, I found two lines that I absolutely loved! Both of which are from Henrietta’s perspective.

Review Summary

Just as a disclaimer, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review on Netgalley! However, this is a completely honest review. I read the other books in this series through Kindle Unlimited, and some of them are even featured in my August 2024 Best Regency Romance Books blog post. I was completely ecstatic, however, to get the chance to review this book before it hits shelves!

https://books2read.com/u/47BldRThe Rake’s Mistake by Mary Lancaster is a mixture of witty banter and fun adventures. There are a few moments that will make your heart drop because they come up so suddenly in the book and completely change everything for the characters involved. Overall, the book is an excellent addition to the Regency Romance genre, and more specifically, the Rakes and debutantes trope. If you love sweet and clean period dramas, then this is the book for you!

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