A Beginner's Guide to Rakes is the first book in the Scandalous Brides series. I absolutely adored this book. Seriously, this is a prime example of why I love reading. An awesome story line, a kickass leading lady, and a charming bad boy hero.
Our leads are Oliver Warren and Diane Benchley. These two have a past, and as a result are somewhat... hostile towards one another. Diane has learnt the hard way that you can't rely on anyone but yourself. Her husband was a compulsive gambler who gambled their wealth away, leaving Diane destitute. But that's okay. She's got a plan to get back on her feet, and it involves a very unwilling Oliver.
Diane plans to profit from the very vice that left her penniless. She set on opening a gentlemen's club, but in order to do so she needs... an expert's assistance. That's where Oliver comes in. Oliver has spent most of his adult life frequenting gambling halls and gentlemen's clubs, so if anyone knows how they operate, it will be him.
These two spend more than half the book bickering. Given their history, and Oliver letting Diane down in a big way, their relationship is rocky to say the least. I have to be honest here: I loved the cracks and barbs these two flung at each other. Diane wasn't one of those insipid heroines who just fell at the hero's feet. Oliver disappointed her when she needed him most, and she wasn't ready to simply forgive and forget. I think Diane may well have been my absolute favourite female character in a historical romance. In fact, in the face of Diane's sheer awesomeness, Oliver was somewhat overshadowed. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the guy. I just thought that maybe Diane was a little too much for him to handle.
An example of Diane setting Oliver back on his heels happens early in the book, when they're discussing the opening of Diane's club. See, Diane doesn't want some typical gentleman's club. She wants her club to stand out. The best way to do this, she thinks, is to employ an all-female staff. This is a little snippet of Diane's conversation with Oliver:
"That explains the lady butler at your door. You do have an elderly fellow in your stable, however."
"I never said men aren't capable of shifting manure. You seem supremely well suited for it in fact."
The first thing that went through my mind at this point?
Once the problems were solved though, these two were an absolutely adorable couple. I loved this story, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a historical that doesn't follow the same old patterns.
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