Review: How many rules do I need to break to read MacLean’s debut novel again for the first time?! 

“Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake” is the perfect regency romance that alternates between Lady Calpurnia “Callie” Hartwell’s and the Marquess of Ralston’s, points-of-view. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading from Callie’s perspective because I could see so much of myself in her. At the beginning of the novel, she views herself as too plain, too ordinary, and too curvy in comparison to the women around her. She believes that those qualities are the reason why she has been a spinster for so long. Instead of continuing to live a life dictated by society, Callie decides to let go and embrace adventure. Her newfound carefreeness paired with her natural kind and loving nature ends up ensnaring the Marquess of Ralston.

Gabriel St. John, the marquess, never planned to fall in love with Callie. In fact, he swore off love altogether the day his mother left the family and broke his father’s heart. Not wanting to experience the same pain his father felt, he chooses to live the life of a rake. But the more time he spends with Callie, the more he learns what love really is and how badly he wants to give up his lifestyle for her. He sees Callie’s beauty and is set on helping her see it too. 

As a reader, I loved Callie and Ralston’s development as characters and the little moments that they shared. Their late night adventures, dances, fencing matches, and horseback rides are swoon worthy and only grow more intimate as the novel progresses.