Beta soft launchEvery book’s tags are being checked by hand ✨ some categories are fuller than others while I work through them all ✨
A Rake of His Own
Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?
A clever murder mystery wrapped in a delicious enemies-to-lovers M/M romance. The banter between the beleaguered botanist and the melodramatic fae prince is absolutely top-tier, and watching their antagonism soften into something deeper is pure joy.
Synopsis
Marius Valstar doesn’t know which is worse: the dead body in his greenhouse or the naked fae prince on his desk. The only rakes of interest to Marius are garden tools. Not fae princes. Certainly not the arrogant, selfish fae prince he has the misfortune to have a history with. But when Prince Rakken turns up naked and bleeding in Marius’s college the same day a body appears in his greenhouse, scruples must take second place to solving a murder that could unravel the delicate balance between humans and fae. Marius’s own developing magical powers are more hindrance than help – as is Rakken’s bloodied past. Forced to work together, they must forge an uneasy alliance if they are to track down the killer. But how can Marius trust the man who represents everything he’s trying to avoid? A Rake of His Own is a steamy m/m gaslamp fantasy featuring a melodramatic fae prince, a beleaguered botanist, and an enemies-to-lovers romance. It occurs chronologically after the events of The Stariel Quartet, but can be read as a standalone.
At a Glance
4.40 ★ GoodreadsTop TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
Book Details
Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.
4.40 ★
Page CountHow long the commitment is.
437 pages
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.
2022
Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?
Fantasy Romance
PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.
M/M
POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).
First Person
Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.
Slow Burn
CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.
spoiler
AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
Yes
TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
Mood & Vibe
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.
Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.
medium
Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.
moderate
Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.
medium
VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'
Characters
MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.
Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.
Spice Details 🌶️
Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.
Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.
Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.
World & Setting
World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.
Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.
Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.
RepresentationIdentity representation in the book. LGBTQ+, race/ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, body type, age and more.
Reading Context
Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.
When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.
Short Takes
quick 280-character reactions for this book. drop a thought, rate the vibe, keep scrolling.
Sign in to share your take.
Loading...
Book Chat
Talk about A Rake of His Own with other readers
this page is just the start
- import your Goodreads or StoryGraph TBR—we tag every book with spice, tropes, CWs, mood, all of it
- tell us a vibe (“enemies to lovers fae, high spice”) and BookMatch finds the book
- 3,800+ romantasy books searchable by 40+ fields
- covens, pacts, book chat—readers who get it