Review: lovely novella while you wait for the next book in the series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 6, 2013
What a fun novella! I usually avoid them because 98% of the time I'm left unsatisfied, but this novella felt like a full novel from beginning to middle to ending. As part of the Sons of Sin series, Days of Rakes and Roses has some familiar faces in the form of Jonas Merrick, Camden Rothermere and Sir Richard Harmsworth, the hero of the upcoming full length novel A Rake's Midnight Kiss.Days of Rakes and Roses is Lady Lydia Rothermere's story and a story about rekindled love.When Lydia was only 17 she was caught in a compromising situation with Simon Metcalf, by her uncompromising father. After that night, Simon fled England and Lydia became the very image of propriety. Ten years later, Lydia is engaged to a man she doesn't love and Simon has come rushing home to try and win her back.I adore rekindled romances and this was no exception. At 27, Lydia is now a distinguished, proper beauty in society but on the inside she's still the same insecure, lonely girl she was when she was caught with Simon. As stubborn as she was about her feelings for Simon, I understood Lydia's dilemma. She had so much pressure placed on her as a child and the one time she tried to take happiness for herself, she was punished severely. I was pleasantly surprised at Simon. I expected an out and out scoundrel and at times he was, but he was more focused on winning Lydia for himself and was honest about his feelings. Lydia was the one in denial and it was a refreshing switch for me. Simon never denied he was in love with Lydia ten years ago and he didn't deny it when her brother asked him point blank. It was refreshing.Naturally since Days of Rakes and Roses is a novella, it unfortunately doesn't take long to finish. As much as I loved Simon and Lydia, I understand why their story was a novella and not a full length novel. However, I enjoyed it nonetheless and recommend that if you've read Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed and liked it, you should add Days of Rakes and Roses to your collection.