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Caroline Linden
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A Rake's Guide to Seduction Mass Market Paperback – June 1, 2008

by Caroline Linden (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 440 ratings
See all formats and editions
He Must Rely On His Talents In The Bedroom. . .

Anthony Hamilton cannot help it. The way he looks, the way he lives, his past--it all conspires to make him a man men fear, women desire. His name fills gossip circles in a seemingly endless, lurid drama. But he's never forgotten the only woman he's ever truly wanted--yet could never have. . .

To Make Her Fall In Love. . .

Celia Reece knew Anthony well before he forged his scandalous reputation. The young man she remembers spoke kindly to her, made her laugh, and his devilish good looks always quickened her pulse. But Celia's mother had other designs--designs that didn't include marriage to Anthony. Now, Celia is widowed, and her mother is intent on finding her a new husband. Refusing to let any obstacle stand in his path this time, Anthony sets out to win Celia's heart by using the same skills that made him London's most irresistible rake. . .

Praise for Caroline Linden and her novels. . .

"A skillful blend of scorching sensuality and the tenderness that tempers passion. . .don't miss it!" --Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling author

"A fast-paced, can't-put-down romance." --Kat Martin, New York Times bestselling author
Previous page
  1. Book 3 of 3
    Reece Family Trilogy
  2. Print length
    352 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Zebra
  5. Publication date
    June 1, 2008
  6. Dimensions
    4 x 1 x 7 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0821780514
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0821780510
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

During her first season in London, Celia Reece won the affection of a number of eligible suitors. Unfortunately, the only man who intrigues her is Anthony Hamilton, England’s most scandalous rake. As far as Celia’s family is concerned, marriage to a notorious rogue is out of the question, and so Celia weds the infinitely more acceptable Lord Andrew Bertram instead. Widowed four years later, she once again runs into Anthony, who is determined to become Celia’s next husband, even if he has to use every one of his rakish skills to convince her to marry him. Beautifully nuanced characters, elegant writing, and a dash of danger are the key ingredients in Linden’s latest expertly fashioned Regency romance. --John Charles

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zebra (June 1, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0821780514
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0821780510
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4 x 1 x 7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 440 ratings

About the author

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Caroline Linden

Caroline Linden

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Caroline Linden was born a reader, not a writer. She earned a math degree from Harvard College and wrote computer software before turning to fiction. Since then the Red Sox have won the World Series four times, which is probably not related but still worth mentioning. Her books have won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award, and RWA's RITA Award, and been translated into seventeen languages.

Join her VIP readers' newsletter at https://www.carolinelinden.com/ to get informed about new books, special bonus features, and a free short story exclusively for members. She can also be found on Facebook (@AuthorCarolineLinden), Instagram (@linden.caroline), and Twitter (@Caro_Linden).

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
440 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Lady Wesley
5.0 out of 5 stars A Hero You'll Fall For!
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2012
Verified Purchase
Delightful story!

What I Liked
*Anthony! Not exactly a tortured hero, but certainly a mistreated and misunderstood one. Yes, a rake, but also honest, caring, and proud of accomplishing so many things without the love and support of his mean earl of a father. He longs for Celia for years, but thinks he's not worthy of her love.

*Celia. Although she starts out as a typical girl having her first season, her unhappy first marriage matures her. She takes a little too long to come around to accepting Anthony, but once she does she's loyal to the core.

*Celia's diary. The diary covering Celia's first marriage is well done -- heartbreaking, really.

*Celia's depression. Well, I didn't like her depression, but I admired the author's ability to depict her feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. I don't really understand the reviewers who said the book was too depressing; that's really just one small part of the overall story.

*Great sex! But what else would you expect from London's most accomplished lover?

What I Didn't Like
*The murder/kidnapping/wife plot. This felt tacked-on at the end (much like the counterfeiting excitement in What A Gentleman Wants). What was the purpose, other than to show that Anthony and Celia were willing to risk their lives to save the other.

*Rosalind. She verged on becoming as annoying as Mrs. Bennett.

*The rest of the Reece family. I would have enjoyed seeing a bit more of Celia's brothers and their wives. I expect it's hard for authors writing a series to get the right balance of old and new faces, but Mary Balogh has perfected the art, IMHO, in the Bedwyn series.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and recommend it. It works just fine as a stand alone (and is by far the best of the trilogy, so you needn't bother with the first two).
2 people found this helpful
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lark
4.0 out of 5 stars Good story! Good characters!...3.5
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2014
Verified Purchase
I'm happy this book was recommended to me. I've tried three other Linden novels and just couldn't get through them. This one, though, did not disappoint.

The plot was interesting and not the usual rake/terrace/ruin cliché. It kept me turning pages which is a victory in itself. I loved the diary - so poignant, and the notes -tender and romantic. I loved Anthony and Celia, two wonderful people.

I liked the secondary characters (the "villain" doesn't count.) I had to laugh while reading one review expressing great annoyance with the Dowager, comparing her to Mrs. Bliss. NO ONE is as awful as Mrs. Bliss! lol

***SPOILER*** ***SPOILER***
Mention of the villain brings me to the part, near the end, that I could have lived without and came close to making this less than a 4 star story. Childress should have just left and joined his fellow deadbeats on the Continent. I didn't need Gothic melodrama.
***END SPOILER***

5 stars for almost all of story
-1 star for silly melodrama
-.5 star for incorrect forms of address

Except for the nonsense near the end and the author's apparent inability to Google titles and forms of address, it was a pleasing story.

Enjoy your reading! :)
3 people found this helpful
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Robin
5.0 out of 5 stars Timing is Everything....❤️
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
This was a re-read, and I liked it just as much the second time around...five stars then, five stars now. It's actually one of the best historical romances I've read in awhile. This one was all about missed opportunities and timing in the lives of the leads (Anthony and Celia) which actually turned out in their favor as it gave them four more years to grow, gain life experience and realize what they could have in each other by the time they re-connected for their HEA. First love scene was astoundingly halfway through the story, but it still felt well-paced and that love scene and the others that followed were made even more steamy and romantic because of the anticipation of them. 🔥🔥🔥 Linden does such a wonderful job with giving us well-developed characters in her books who are full of humor and heart, with emotions and vulnerabilities that keep us invested and make us care.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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S. D. Whitethread
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2020
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Great story, interesting and enjoyable.
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Cindy Emes
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on June 23, 2017
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GREAT BOOK
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Emmanuelle U.
5.0 out of 5 stars Le résumé ne fait pas honneur à ce livre ...
Reviewed in France on October 9, 2016
Verified Purchase
Sans aucun doute le meilleur de la série. Les deux personnages sont attachants, leurs passifs crédibles, leur histoire romantique à souhait ...
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Beatrice Berger
4.0 out of 5 stars Unbedingt übersetzen - Teil 3
Reviewed in Germany on March 10, 2009
Verified Purchase
Anthony Hamilton, dessen Vater behauptet, er sei nicht sein Sohn, liebt Celia Reece, die Schwester von Marcus und David. Gerade als er es wagt, bei ihrem Bruder um ihre Hand anzuhalten, wird ihre Verlobung mit einem anderen verkündet.

Vier Jahre später ist Celia nach eines desaströsen Ehe eine unglückliche Witwe. Um sie aufzuheitern, hält ihre Mutter eine Hausgesellschaft in Ainsley Park, und David lädt seinen alten Freund Anthony ebenfalls ein. Es kommt, wie es kommen muß: Anthony und Celia werden in flagranti in der Bibliothek erwischt, ihre Brüder wollen Celia nach den Erfahrungen ihrer ersten Ehe nicht zwingen, einen Mann zu heiraten, dessen sie sich nicht sicher ist. ..

Caroline Linden ist eine echte Entdeckung. Interessant finde ich, daß sämtliche ihrer Heldinnen keine Jungfrauen mehr sind (was der Handlung in jedem Falle gut bekommt): in den drei Teilen der Reece-Trilogie sind es zwei Witwen (Celia und Hannah) und ein Mädchen, von dem man das auch nicht erwartet (Vivian). Damit sind die erotischen Szenen bei ihr wirklichkeitsgetreuer als bei vielen anderen Autoren. Die Handlung finde ich: gut komponiert, an keiner Stelle ermüdend, die Personen sind stimmig geschildert: sowohl der etwas unterkühlt wirkende Markus als auch David, den die Schatten seiner Vergangenheit heimsuchen und Anthony, der vor allem gelernt hat, sich, auf sich allein gestellt, in der Gesellschaft zu behaupten. Die Frauengestalten sind eine Spur schwächer ausgearbeitet, ohne daß das störend ist.

Diesen Band finde ich zwar etwas schwächer als die ersten beiden Teile (weil die Episode, in der geschossen wird, vollkommen überflüssig und nicht im geringsten handlungsfördernd ist), aber dennoch lesens- und übersetzenswert.
6 people found this helpful
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Rosewood
4.0 out of 5 stars Liked it but it could have been a winner.
Reviewed in Canada on January 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
A nice story but it could have used more action - the characters were well-developed from the other two novels in the series - Anthony was totally different from the gossip and the scenes he had been in from the prior books and of course after 4 years of a bad experience in her first marriage, Celia was far from the happy all the time girl she had been - could have used some humor because it was too sterile at times, with the whole family there through most of the story it should have been happier.
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