How to Romance a Rake Audiobook

What's a nice girl like Miss Juliet Shelby doing at a place like Lord Deveril's ballroom? With her shy demeanor, she's a total stranger to the dance floor and a source of mockery for the ton. So imagine her surprise when Deveril gallantly comes to her defense—and offers to teach her to dance! Juliet can hardly believe the most handsome bachelor in London would notice her, until he takes her in his arms and sets her heart ablaze.

Lord Alec Deveril has never felt such a spark of attraction for an unmarried lady before. Unlike the "fashionable" ladies he's accustomed to, Juliet possesses a generous spirit, a fiery intelligence—and an explosive secret. Deep in the London underworld, a dear friend has vanished, and Juliet fears the worst. Deveril insists on helping, escorting her through the darkest alleys in town. But he too is hiding a shocking secret—and the only way he can defeat the devil in his past is to seduce the angel in his arms . . .

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"Miss Juliet Shelby has always made sure to blend into the background in society following an accident that now has her in need of the assistance of a walking cane. Her mother has made it quite clear that no respectable man is going to want a disfigured young lady for a wife and does not allow her to call any attention to herself. But when Juliet is being mocked yet again by some of the tons notorious bullies, she receives an unexpected offer of help from Lord Alec Deveril. He comes to her defense and then offers to teach her to dance to help her feel more comfortable. Juliet can not believe that one of the tons most eligible bachelors is paying her any attention but she sees no way to gracefully refuse. Dancing in his arms is a dream and when Alec comes across Juliet in distress again, this time for a more personal matter involving her missing music teacher, the pair start a quest to find out the truth and along the way, discover some truths about each other that they both have tried to keep hidden. Lord Alec Deveril has his own secrets to hide. He has a great fear of ending up like his father, the Devil Deveril, and harming any woman he may come to marry. He is adored and liked by all of the ton and knows he must marry but the quiet, unassuming Juliet unexpectedly captures his attention. When he witnesses one to many acts of cruelty at the hands of her mother against Juliet, he steps in and takes matters into his own hands. He has no tolerance for abuse and knows he must protect her, but at what cost to himself? Manda Collins is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! I adored this book! Juliet was a true delight to read--she was strong, kind, compassionate and lovely. And Alec, sigh. He sees everything and forgets nothing in his bold, caring way and was the perfect person to help Juliet discover that her handicap was no handicap at all. And wow, we usually see fathers doing low and dirty business involving their daughters but this time we had Juliet's mother, Lady Shelby. This is a mother I would not wish upon anyone with her cold and heartless nature. I believe she loved her daughter in a small way but her own happiness and importance in society was valued much higher. I also liked the mystery aspect of this story involving Juliet's missing music teacher and the possible connection to some disturbing paintings. I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong as to the nature of the villain and I thought the entire situation played out nicely. It didn't overwhelm the story for me, the romance was still front and center, but it added some nice weight to the storyline. If you are looking for a romance filled with warmth and wit (I was laughing quite a bit!) mixed with a bit of mystery to keep you on your toes, Manda Collins delivers! 4 stars Review copy provided by author through netgalley.com"

— Lisa (4 out of 5 stars)