'Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake' by Sarah MacLean follows the story of Lady Calpurnia Hartwell, a wallflower who decides to break free from societal expectations and embarks on a journey to experience scandalous adventures. She enlists the help of Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston, and as they break the rules together, they find themselves falling in love. The plot revolves around Calpurnia's quest for self-discovery and empowerment, intertwined with a budding romance with Gabriel. The writing style is described as light, charming, and humorous, with engaging characters and witty banter that keeps readers entertained. is praised for its well-rounded characters, carefully crafted storyline, and the delightful escapism it offers to readers.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings may include discussions of societal norms regarding women's behavior in the historical setting and potential angst related to romantic misunderstandings.
Has Romance?
Yes, the romance is a central element in the story between the main characters.
From The Publisher:
A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.
Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried-and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.
But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss-to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston-charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.
If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all-the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love . . .
Ratings (32)
Incredible (4) | |
Loved It (17) | |
Liked It (7) | |
It Was OK (2) | |
Did Not Like (2) |
Reader Stats (53):
Read It (35) | |
Want To Read (8) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (9) |
2 comment(s)
Yay, my first historical romance! It was a lot of fun! Okay, I will admit that I had a hard time not giggling through some parts of it... the constant refrain of "and then he plundered her mouth" was pretty hilarious. But I still really liked it. It was like my yummy, witty, beloved Jane Austen books... but far far less PG-rated. I may have to search out recommendations for more things in this vein.
Re-read August 2017
This was my first ever HR, and I was curious whether I would love it as much in a re-read, now that I've had more experience within the genre (I've read hundreds of HR since my first read of this book). Well, I am happy to say that I adore it. It is remarkably sweet, funny, heart-warming... I just love Gabriel and Callie. This definitely stays on the favorites list.
Re-read Feb 2024
Since this book kicked off my HR craze, I have gone through the cycle of getting glutted on HR, getting bored with it, and abandoning it for a few years. But I think that's just how I go - I love reading several different genres, and sometimes I just get super in the mood for one genre and read nothing else for like a year. And then become kind of frustrated by repetitive tropes, and drop it for awhile. Anyway, I picked up a new HR a few weeks ago that I enjoyed, and that prompted me to re-read some old HR favorites. Given that this was my first ever HR, I had to give it a re-read. It's still fun! I am glad that Callie doesn't let her new sense of adventure get easily crushed as things happen in this book - it is enjoyable watching her discover who she is and refuse to back down from it.
Reread 21-7-22
While I still enjoyed this book the 2nd time around I hadn't quite realised how much of its content is just them kissing each other. I don't think there was a single scene between them that didn't end up getting physical. It left me thinking, what exactly did they fall in love with. They barely talked or got to know each other. The impression I got was it was just a case of falling in lust. They were obviously attracted to each other and Callie spend 10 years being infatuated with Gabriel. But nowhere did I get the sense they got to know each other beyond the superficial. I can't imagine them just being content with each others presence without things getting physical. All in all they reminded me of hormonal teens.
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Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake?
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