Review by Booklist Review
The irony of Cornelia Ludgate's situation is not lost on her. Cornelia has spent her adult life vehemently protesting the tyranny of married life all while being legally--yet secretly--hitched for 20 years to horse breeder Rafe Goodwood. But now, as the new Duke of Rosemore, Rafe needs a wife at his side to help with his plans for reforming Gardencourt Manor. As for Cornelia, well, she really could use the five thousand pounds she will inherit as a married woman from the recently deceased former Duke. Playing husband and wife in public seems like the logical solution, but what might that mean for their actual, long-ago love for each other? Two years after the launch of her Society of Sirens series, Peckham (The Rakess, 2020) is back with a vengeance, delivering another stunningly sensual love story that boldly pushes at the boundaries of historical romance with its refreshingly older protagonists, thoughtful exploration of societal and gender equity, and embrace of the importance of diversity in all aspects of life.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Peckham joyfully revisits the society-flouting women of Regency England's Society of Sirens, moving away from the heavy gothic tone of the first installment, The Rakess, to introduce portraitist Cornelia Ludgate. Mixed-race orphan Cornelia was raised as the Duke of Rosemere's ward until she was compromised at 18 and fled a forced marriage for Italy to build an art career. Only one man knows that her flight was built on an (extremely implausible) Gretna Green elopement--Rafe Goodwood, her white groom, now elevated to Rosemere's dukedom by a string of Spinal Tap--worthy fatal mischances befalling all other possible heirs. When Rafe knocks on Cornelia's door after 20 years apart, Cornelia perceives him as an unwelcome reminder of monogamy's strictures. Moreover, he's presumably a Tory, embodying everything that radical Cornelia loathes. But he carries news of an inheritance (with strings) and owns a lavish estate perfect for staging Society of Sirens shenanigans. In short, he's both risk and reward, and Cornelia doesn't hesitate to grasp opportunity--and its pleasures--with both hands. Her principled glee in demolishing social norms brings a welcome breath of fun to this series, and Rafe's hidden depths make him a worthy love interest. Readers will be swept away. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
The Society of Sirens needs money to build the Institute for the Equality of Women. Upon her uncle's death, Cornelia Ludgate, a painter notorious for her feminist works, learns that if she marries, she'll receive an inheritance, which would fund the institute. To claim it, however, she will need to reunite with her estranged husband Rafe Goodwood, with whom she secretly eloped 20 years ago in a marriage of convenience. Rafe, meanwhile, has been spying on the Tory aristocracy for years in his role as a respected horse breeder. Now the Duke of Rosemere, Rafe can finally start publicly working toward reform. The two agree to host a masquerade ball, where Rafe will announce his true political affiliations and Cornelia, his secret duchess. All goes according to plan until rekindled passion interferes. Rafe impulsively declares his love for Cornelia openly at the ball, but Cornelia is terrified that reciprocating his love will mean losing her hard-won freedom. VERDICT Peckham (The Rakess) sensitively introduces a heroine battling prejudice and censure, while also delivering a romance full of political machinations, surprises, and steamy sex scenes. A captivating sequel guaranteed to thrill.--Eve Stano
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An unexpected duke and his surprise duchess shock society. When Cornelia Ludgate ran away to Gretna Green to elope with Rafe Goodwood, it was out of desperation. Unlike the other couples at the anvil, however, they were mostly friends, there just for a quick marriage of convenience to free her from being the ward of her awful uncle. Though their trip inspired strong mutual attraction (and a consummation of the same), they went their separate ways the next day. She grew into her talents as a painter and a notorious activist, and he became a renowned horse breeder and a secret anti-monarchist. When they finally meet again 20 years later, Rafe has become the Duke of Rosemere through a series of accidents. And that means that Cornelia is, secretly, a duchess. It turns out she needs their marriage of convenience again, to come into an inheritance, which means they need to go public with it. They're both willing to do so in a radical way, using their new visibility to unsettle the institutions they despise. But to convince everyone it's true that they've been secretly married for the last two decades, they'll have to spend a lot of time together, and that quickly rekindles a lot of feelings they've both been avoiding--and want to keep ignoring. In exploring these feelings, readers won't believe it's possible, but somehow the second book in Peckham's Society of Sirens series pushes more boundaries than The Rakess (2020) did. And though an explicit ménage à trois early on will surprise some historical romance readers, it's more than just really steamy (though it is that!). It's also the setup for a romance that respectfully imagines what a poly happily-ever-after could have looked like in 1797 and that also celebrates complicated human emotions. Cornelia, who is biracial, is another of Peckham's trademark rule-breaking heroines, and readers will enjoy watching her explore ways to be herself within the framework of the genre. Rafe is not quite as well developed a character but is winningly sweet, and even when the plot falters a bit, their connection carries the book. An open-minded duke and duchess find true love together and spread the heat around. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
