Book Review: Between a Rake and a Hard Place by Mia Marlowe and Connie Mason

Between a Rake and a Hard Place is the third book in the Royal Rakes series by Mia Marlowe and Connie Mason. Serena Osborne is a wealthy heiress who feels like her father is determined to sacrifice her on the marriage altar, but is resigned to her fate. Serena just wants to have a few crazy adventures before she is married. Sir Jonah Sharp comes to her rescue on one of her adventures, but has ulterior motives. He is being blackmailed into stopping the marriage, but finds himself falling for his mark. The pair each have their own agenda, neither of which includes falling in love. But as we know, things rarely go as planned.

Between a Rake and a Hard Place is a case of the promoted summary being completely different from the book.Thankfully, the book was wonderful and while not as full of daring do as the blurb promises, it is still great fun. Serena is a woman with intelligence, and independent spirit, and a sense of duty to her family. Jonah is a man of honor in service to the king. As Serena makes her way through a list of things to do before marriage, without finding herself on the wrong side of society's favor, Jonah is trying to stop the marriage while not ruining a woman he has come to care for. I loved the slow burn and development of their relationship. The characters are great, and well developed, as are the historical settings and complications. This book also wraps up the mystery in the larger story arch from the series about the possible treason charges.

I enjoyed Between a Rake and a Hard Place was a fun and entertaining read. I really enjoyed Serena's character and the way she looked at the world. I would recommend this book to regency romance fans and highly recommend it to those that have read the two previous books in the series. The read is quick, with fun and romantic moments that took me away from the winter weather that just wont seem to leave.