Only Rakes Need Apply

This sparkling Regency series starter from bestseller Pearce (the Sinners Club series) kicks off with widowed Lady Carenza Smythe-Harding confessing to her friend Olivia Sheraton that she misses sex. The women decide to place a newspaper to ad find her a lover: “Titled lady seeks experienced, unmarried rake for afternoon dalliance. Please reply to this advertisement with precise measurements including height, age, length and girth of male member, and current financial statements. Interviews will be conducted before the end of the month.” The ensuing interviews are as comical and unfortunate as one might expect, with none of the prospective candidates appealing to Carenza. But when her longtime friend Julian Laurent discovers Carenza placed the ad, he offers up his own “sexual services.” Their affair is intense and highly sensual as they indulge in clandestine trysts. Meanwhile, in two suspenseful subplots, Julian faces accusations that the orphanages he supports are fronts to lure children into prostitution, and the wife of Carenza’s late husband’s heir accuses Carenza of stealing family jewels. The riveting friends-to-lovers romance makes the pages fly while Pearce’s commentary on the gendered double standards in Regency society adds depth. It’s hot, heartfelt, and addictive. (Oct.)