Just reviewed Enoch’s “A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes” at SBR

Folks, A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RAKES by Suzanne Enoch is one of those books that just makes you want to scream if you have any knowledge of history at all.  This book is set during the Regency Era, just after the British defeated Napoleon; it was not a time when women could operate legal gambling dens inside their residences. 

That said, the romance here between Diane Benchley and Oliver Warren — both titled members of the English aristocracy — was actually good.  The dialogue, while somewhat anachronistic, was crisp and sharp.  I believed these two loved each other but really would’ve preferred not to do so, and enjoyed watching the sparks fly.

Basically, this novel didn’t pass the “smell test” — that is, I couldn’t suspend my disbelief long enough in this plotline to get past all the anachronistic elements.  But if it had been alternate history, where a strong-minded woman could’ve indeed opened up a legal casino inside her own residence, I’d have enjoyed it thoroughly.

The only way around such a problem is to discuss it head-on, which I did in my review, which is here:  http://shinybookreview.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/a-beginners-guide-to-rakes-fun-but/

Enjoy!