4 stars 
 Helen and Rhys stole the show and my heart in Cold Hearted Rake . I couldn't wait for this novel! Now that I have put down the much awaited book, I can't say it lived entirely up to my expectations. 
 I felt like some of the most memorable and meaningful interactions between Helen and Rhys happened in the last novel, and the few chapters of Marrying Winterbourne, where Helen cleared the misunderstanding and made herself vulnerable. 
 After they resolved their broken engagement (view spoiler)[with Helen's compromise (hide spoiler)] it seems Rhys is all smitten and sweet. LK threw in the side plot, and suddenly we have chapters where it has nothing to do with the couple, and just Helen and her issues. I wanted more of Rhys and more of his perspective damnit. 
 When on the rare occasions the two did meet alone, it was a lot of naughty times and not a lot of character exploration or deep conversations. This is unusual for historicals, the sensual tension is perhaps why I like HR in the first place. Instead of talking, Helen just wanted to ignore her problems and put it out of her mind with a good dose of sex. (Who saw that coming from our dear shy Helen?) 
 The story didn't have the fun quirkiness of Harry and Poppy. In fact, a good half of it Helen is in despair. 
 I also find Helen's decision (view spoiler)[to keep her half sister (hide spoiler)] unbelievable. She would leave the family she lived with all her life including Cassandra, Pandora, Kathleen, West and Devon, be labelled a loose woman, and give up her great love, to live in a strange foreign country, without attempting an alternative solution? (view spoiler)[Couldn't Lady Berwick have helped and taken her sister by hiring a governess? Or Rhys' assistant or the good doctor? (hide spoiler)] 
 On the positive side, I enjoyed the first half. I enjoyed watching Helen grow her backbone and I enjoyed watching her handle Lady Berwick's heir with quiet dignity. West continues to charm, Kathleen is not as annoying as in her own book, and I have a feeling I will love getting Pandora's story (her kind of character reminds me of the Hathaways and are my absolute favorites). 
 At A Glance 
 Cheating (view spoiler)[No (hide spoiler)] 
 Descriptive sex w OW/OM (view spoiler)[No (hide spoiler)] 
 HEA (view spoiler)[Yes (hide spoiler)] 
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 Before I read this: 
 I'm so much more excited about Rhys and Helen than Devon and Kathleen. That teaser excerpt (at the end of Cold Hearted Rake) was brilliant.