Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

Sarah MacLean

Mar 2010 · Love By Numbers Book 1 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

Readers will delight in New York Times bestseller Sarah MacLean’s debut novel—featuring her sexy, funny, emotionally rich writing and one of the fiercely feminist heroines that made Entertainment Weekly crown her “the utterly intoxicating queen of historical romance.”

There are things a lady simply does not do. She does not smoke. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never, ever sneaks into a men’s club for a night of gambling and…other excitements.

Calpurnia Hartwell has spent a lifetime following the rules and, as a reward, she’s been forgotten at the edges of society, unnoticed…and unsatisfied. So, what’s a girl to do, but break the rules and get a taste of the life she’s been missing?

Once Callie throws herself into a bold new world, she fast realizes a taste won’t ever be enough. She’s going to need a partner—someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, Marquess of Ralston—charming and handsome, with a scandalous reputation matched only by his wicked smile.

But the further Callie ventures into this new world, the further she gets from her family’s expectations and all she once held dear. Will she be brave enough to leave her old life behind? Because she’s about to break the most important rule of all—the one that says pleasure-seekers should never fall in love. . .

Ratings and reviews

Avid reader here...so I feel like I've experienced enough stories to be able to say Callie is such a well written heroine that you can see and imagine yourself feeling and acting just like her. Callie is so "real" with the exact insecurities we all face ourselves that its almost impossible not to "root" for her. This novel stands, in my humble opinion, as one of "the greats". One that sticks with you long after you are done reading it. Becoming emotionally involved in a book, rather than merely being words on paper, is astounding to me. Those are true rarities. There are only 26 letters in the alphabet, but depending on how you arrange them you can create/weave stories that create an emotional response within the person reading them. Think about that... I just thank this author for telling all of us Callies story. It is beautifully written. 1Epic line... "Feel beautiful, just once." Sticks with you. Be warned. Books like this are priceless and unforgetable.

This book was magnificent - toe-curling romance, tearful sighs, laugh-out-loud moments, and a swoon-worthy hero. I truly felt touched by this story. The heroine is so real and vulnerable that I could relate to her. There are numerous steamy scenes for mature readers. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

Couldn't stop reading this funny, adventurous, romantic story. I Love It.

About the author

A life-long romance reader, Sarah MacLean wrote her first romance novel on a dare, and never looked back. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romances translated into more than twenty languages, a romance columnist, and the co-host of the weekly romance novel podcast, Fated Mates. A graduate of Smith College and Harvard University, she lives in New York City.