Cold-Hearted Rake Audiobook By Lisa Kleypas cover art

Cold-Hearted Rake

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Cold-Hearted Rake

By: Lisa Kleypas
Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.29

Buy for $24.29

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Lisa Kleypas is back with a stunning new historical romance!

Listeners have long waited for the return of New York Times best-selling author Lisa Kleypas to historical romance - and now she's back with her most breathtaking yet.

A twist of fate...

Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities...and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are still occupying the house - along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon's own.

A clash of wills...

Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny - and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:

Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most dangerous man she's ever known?

©2015 Lisa Kleypas (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers
Fiction Historical Fiction Regency Regency Romance Romance Series Essentials Victorian Heartfelt
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Featured Article: The top 100 series of all time


The feeling of discovering that your favorite new listen is actually the start of a series is euphoric. That you can immediately hit play and re-enter a beloved new world, or love story, or era from history is a gift to the devoted listener. But how to pick just 100 of these unique and immersive listening journeys? We defined a series as having a minimum of three books, and—after some debate—we decided the titles had to be anchored in fiction. From YA to horror to historical fiction, from fresh voices to seminal tales, hours of discovery await.

What listeners say about Cold-Hearted Rake

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,870
  • 4 Stars
    723
  • 3 Stars
    210
  • 2 Stars
    57
  • 1 Stars
    27
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,046
  • 4 Stars
    462
  • 3 Stars
    100
  • 2 Stars
    21
  • 1 Stars
    19
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,646
  • 4 Stars
    670
  • 3 Stars
    235
  • 2 Stars
    59
  • 1 Stars
    31

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Chef's Kiss

I have re-listened to this book (and series) multiple times now. MJW was absolutely perfect and can beautifully deliver scenes regardless if they are steamy, funny or action packed. Her character voices are distinguishable, and are consistent throughout the series.
Lisa Kleypas can really set up a great character story line. Each character is written in to the story very naturally and holds my interest. My least favorite character ends up becoming my favorite character as the series continues (I'm looking at you Pandora).
Her characters also do not follow a familiar trope. There isn't a typical eye rolling frigid lady that must be thawed out by the rake. They feel like real people with real back stories and the chemistry and interactions are entirely believable and understandable.
The story line doesn't feel like a layout of a familiar trope formula where characters and events are plugged in. This story sets up many of the characters for the other books but it doesn't feel like an obligatory introduction book that is so caught up in setting up the series it lacks substance in it's own story. It certainly stands alone beautifully, but I became voracious for more.
I wish this had not been my introduction back into regency romance since my teens because while I enjoy other authors, LK somehow can always make me laugh, cry, rage, clutch my pearls and fan myself. I have been chasing this kind of writing for while and cannot find another authors that delivers stories with so many of my favorite elements seamlessly woven into a novel. The scenes can be HOT but this isn't an erotic novel. There is great humor but it isn't a comedy. It is a regency romance but there are so many other non-romantic relationships that captivate me in this story as well.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another engrossing love story

Lisa Kleypas continues to share with us the world of the Ravenels. The characters are unique and so well described , you feel like you know them and delight in them. The story is intricate and everything falls into place delightfully. Another book I couldn’t put down. The narration is a pleasure to listen to.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I loved yet another book by Lisa.

Excellent.this is the second time I read it.great. Can not wait to read about Helenn. Easy to follow. Likable characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sweet but satisfying

Well written and engaging, with excellent character development.

Narration was excellent with each voice clearly recognizable and both genders well done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love the narration

Great story, plenty of character development, plausible enough for this genre. The narration is breathtaking. Mary Jane brings each character to life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Story

I enjoyed the story and excellent narration.
However the main character is to uptight and annoying.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story and superb performance!

This story is delightful, with engaging characters and believable conflict. Love strong female characters! Mary Jane Wells is among the best narrators! Lisa Kleypas never disappoints!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Cold Hearted Rake

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put the phone down listening on Audible. From the car to the house I listened. It was well written and flowed to a crest and down and back to a crest. I like that all characters had a rolled including the butler.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

good, but far from her best

What made the experience of listening to Cold-Hearted Rake the most enjoyable?
The characters were strong, very clearly drawn so I had a clear understanding of what drives them. The descriptions were also detailed but not tedious...not always an easy thing to do.

What did you like best about this story?
I liked the younger brother best as far as characters went. He was funny and engaging, but all too human as well.

What about Mary Jane Wells’s performance did you like?
I thought she did a very good job, and her accents, for the most part, were convincing.

Any additional comments?
I found the H/h to be rather unlikable. They were both prickly and mistrustful. There wasn't much to draw them together except physical passion. Maybe I missed it, but there was no spark of love (not lust) between these two, and no blissful, weepy moment at the end. I really missed Kleypas's usual humor in this book. It's much darker than her other historicals, IMO. I've missed her historical romance, and so I've been looking forward to this for months. I was more than a little disappointed by this book...it's not as engaging as the Hathaways series or the Wallflower series. Still, it's better than most of other authors historicals, so I give it a solid four stars.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The Earl And The Widow

Well, it's not Lisa Kleypas' best, but it's still pretty good. I was not captivated by the main characters at first, but they did grow on me. The hero, Devon, inherits an earldom along with a rundown indebted estate, and it was a bit unrealistic when he does a quick turnaround from wanting to dump it, to deciding to make a go of it, after meeting Kathleen and her sisters-in-law. But OK, I'll roll with it. Kathleen, the heroine, is the widow of the previous earl. However there is barely any backstory on either the hero or heroine, just a few small hints about what made them the kind of people they are. For instance, why is the hero such a commitment-phobe? Family background? Previous bad experiences in love? I have no idea. Certain plot points, like the conflict about cutting up tenant farms to bring through a railroad line, sort of got dropped and never picked up again. But there is lots and lots of detail about Victorian mourning garb, more than I needed to know. After about the halfway point, there is not much plot development at all, but a lot of long drawn out love scenes. And although they are well written and enjoyable, some of them were, dare I say it, gratuitous to the story?
What happened was, as soon as Rhys Winterborne appeared, and he started to become involved with Helen, the oldest sister-in-law, I started skipping through the pages, looking for the parts about them. I was more captivated by this subplot than the main story, and I will totally be counting the days until "Marrying Mr. Winterborne" is released.
I also enjoyed Devon's younger brother as a character, and Helen's two younger sisters, as silly as they were, made for good comic relief.
Like I said, not a whole lot of plot, no villains, no spies, no wars, no mystery, no major issue that would prevent the H&h from having a happy ending. There is one traumatic event, which I won't give away, but no permanent harm comes to anyone. This review actually sounds more critical than I meant it to be, because Kleypas writes as well as ever, and even her not-best is better than a lot of other stuff out there.
P.S. Terribly inappropriate cover, because the heroine is in mourning for her late husband, and wears nothing but black throughout the entire book.

Mary Jane Wells was good with the delivery of the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful