Shana Galen’s If You Give a Rake a Ruby, Jewels of the Ton#2

[Nicole]

If You Give a Rake a Ruby, the second installment of the Jewels of the Ton series, tells how two people who were not looking for love find love. Does that make sense?

Fallon (not her given name) is called the Marchioness of Mystery. Her origin is unknown to the ton. Everyone just knows her as one of the Three Diamonds who are celebrated courtesans. I was drawn to her character, from the very first scene where she demonstrated her self-defense skills. Later on, I learned she has other incredible skills too. Fallon is not a damsel in distress. She has her own fears and flaws, most of them from her awful past, but she tries to overcome them. She is very smart – intellectually, physically, and emotionally.

Warrick, who works for the Foreign Office, has a very important mission. He learned that Fallon could be instrumental in his search for a deadly crime lord. I loved him from their first “meeting” in Fallon’s bedroom. Many times he could have acted on his intense attraction to Fallon, but he resisted. He is a real gentleman.

Fallon and Warrick complement each other very well. Fallon needed someone to warm her cold heart. Warrick needed someone to heal the wounds of his past. They unknowingly played those roles in each other’s lives. I loved that they made each other stronger and better.

Will Fallon and Warrick have their HEA? It will be answered. However, the plot continues in the next and last installment, Sapphires are an Earl’s Best Friend.

Read If You Give a Rake a Ruby if:
- you love Shana Galen!
- you love historical romance
- you are looking for hot, steamy scenes
- you want to keep guessing what’s going to happen next
- you like suspense / action

This book might not be for you if:
- you are not comfortable with these themes: sex, violence

This review has been previously posted on my blog.