Review: Rake with a Frozen Heart by Marguerite Kaye

Waking up in a stranger's bed, Henrietta Markham encounters the most darkly sensual man she has ever met. The last thing she remembers is being attacked by a housebreaker—yet being rescued by the notorious Earl of Pentland feels much more dangerous!

Since the cataclysmic failure of his marriage, ice has flowed in Rafe St. Alban's veins. But meeting impetuous, all-too-distracting governess Henrietta heats his blood to the boiling point.

When she's accused of theft, Rafe finds himself offering to clear her name. Can Henrietta's innocence bring this hardened rake to his knees?

Review:

Rafe St. Alban, Earl of Pentland, is a rake and he’s not afraid of his reputation, but he isn’t the typical rake because he has standards. He’s quite a mystery and due to experiences in his past, he has closed himself off to others emotionally. One day on his way back to his country home, he comes across an unconscious woman on his property. Even when unconscious, there’s something about her that he’s drawn to.

Henrietta Markham is such an innocent young woman. She believes greatly in the ideals of her parents, and as a way to gain some experience to help in their endeavor to set up a school in Ireland, to takes a position as a governess. Unfortunately this just leads her to trouble, which led to her needing to be rescued by her handsome neighbor. Even when she tries to do the right thing she finds herself accused by her employer of theft. She panics and runs away and decides to stow away in a carriage in hopes to get to London, only to find herself once again in the company of Rafe.

Although I liked the plot of the story, I felt that the wrap up of Henrietta being accused of theft, well just seemed to go away. I did like the added suspense afterwards where Henrietta just leaves Rafe well because they are both too stubborn to own up to their feelings of each other and she can’t stand to say goodbye. I really liked Rafe, he made such a great tortured hero. He wasn’t the type of hero I was expecting with the title referring to his “frozen heart”. I was pleasantly surprised with the depths to Rafe and his experiences that have led him to be the man he has become. I liked how Kaye did not reveal all of Rafe’s past all at once, but a little at a time and it kept me wanting to find out all there is to him. Henrietta kind of annoyed me with her innocence/naiveté, but I did enjoy her honesty and frankness and how she doesn’t even seem consider herself above anyone else’s needs.