Frequent readers of historical romantic fiction may sometimes feel they’ve seen every character and read every story before.  Led Astray By A Rake will help reassure even the most jaded romance readers that they can still be surprised and delighted.

In this first installment of her Husband Hunters Club, author Sara Bennett presents Olivia Monteith, recent graduate of Miss Debenham’s Finishing School, and Lord Dominic "Wicked Nic" Lacey, a notorious scoundrel who has sworn to remain a bachelor.  Even so, Olivia has her heart set on marrying him. Ignoring the facts that he hasn’t spoken to her for the past three years, has a terrible reputation as a womanizer, and is despised by her parents, she shows up at his home shortly after graduation and suggests that they get married.

When her outright proposal fails, Olivia resorts to nearly drowning herself in a stream so he can save her and then brazenly offering her virtue to tempt him into a marriage proposal.  Cad that he is, Nic has trouble resisting her offer, even though he is plagued with problems and in no position to marry anyone.  Suffering chronic pain from a leg injury, stressing over his estranged mother, and guarding a devastating secret, Nic can’t compromise his current lifestyle by courting an innocent, despite Olivia’s persistence and the well-meaning interferences of their servants.

Bennett delivers a well-plotted story with a likeable and unique heroine who deserves better than her apparent circumstances dictate.  The twists and turns of the story will keep readers involved, and the romantic tension builds consistently throughout the novel.  Led Astray By A Rake offers a delicious diversion that fully utilizes the historical time period (through customs, ethics, cuisine, clothing, transportation, weaponry, medicine, etc.) as it slowly reveals its secrets about the lives and loves of its characters.