Book Review #therakesdaughter #annegracie #netgalley #berkley
Anne Gracie has a lovely way with words and she is able to always craft a charming and comforting read. The Rake's Daughter is the second installment in Gracie's The Brides of Bellaire Gardens and it is a perfect way to spend an afternoon. Gracie's writing is delightfully accessible and her plot is crafted with delight and lighthearted moments while being character driven by a variety of personalities.
When Izzy is left on her father's doorstep as a young illegitimate child, she never expected to find her true family, but her sister Clarissa refuses to give her up and these two form an unbreakable and non judge-mental bond as they grow up together. Year later, after their rake of a father's death, they find themselves under the guardianship of Leo, a new Earl, who is not convinced that launching both young ladies into society will be a good idea. When Leo is called away to his country estate, Izzy and Clarissa find the perfect opportunity to launch themselves into society on their own terms and to great success.
This novel becomes the exploration of both Izzy and Leo seeing their own value past what society says about your parents and their marital status when you are born. This is also a slow and sweet exploration of two people who are drawn to the other and must learn to love themselves first before they can fully open themselves up to another person. A beautiful strength of this novel is really between Izzy and Clarissa, who both love each other so strongly and always want the best for the other. I love that they are true sisters and they will not let others dictate their relationship to each other. I really enjoyed watching Leo learn to open himself up to Izzy and learn to look past his prejudices towards things in his past that are coloring his views of what his future could be. This novel is sweetly romantic with a calming and comforting pace that creates a lovely low angst read, perfect for a quiet afternoon.
If you are a fan of sweet and calmly romantic historical romances, Anne Gracie is a fantastic author to check out. Her novels are always gently comforting and bring a smile to your face. Definitely check this novel out if you are a fan of Mary Balogh's work and have never checked out Anne Gracie, I think you will definitely find another must read author for yourself.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an eARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.