This book had some stuff I hated, some stuff that was just fine, and one thing that I absolutely loved… what does that even add up to?

First, what I didn’t like: in this monster + historical romance genre mashup (the mashup of my dreams), the histrom part wasn’t giving. For me, at least. And I think this is really personal, depending on what you look for in your usual historical romances. What I want is that Jane Austen-y feeling of a couple getting to know each other in a world of crushing social etiquette, chaperones, and the way they can’t just… date. And that was very much not present in this book. This couple went from unchaperoned dinner dates to booty calls in a way that felt 0% histrom, 100% contemporary.

Also, there were so many steamy time moments that had me cringing 🙈 He “suckled her like a babe,” she made a “high-pitched wheeze” when she came, his balls were like “two fat aubergines,” and there was a moth + “pussy flower” metaphor that was hurting my eyes—it all started to get to me 😂

What I felt was ‘just fine’ is perhaps the most controversial part of the book: the rake reformation arc. 

Now, I like to imagine there’s three Levels of Rake™️:
Level 1: off-page rakishness before he meets the heroine
Level 2: off-page rakishness after he’s been intimate with the heroine
Level 3: on-page physical intimacy with other women after he’s been intimate with the heroine 

And this was very much a Level 3 Rake situation—which I love. The deeper the hole he digs for himself, the more epic the arc. However, the hero’s growth and apology didn’t pack that Level 3 punch… it was more of a Level 1-2 rake reformation arc, which just didn’t match imo.

But—there was something I loved. For a good chunk of the romance plot, our heroine knew the hero was a rakish player who was just messing around with her… but she let it happen anyways, in the most emotional way possible. It was messy and angsty and I ate it up.

So… three stars?