Regency Rakes Who Refuse Redemption

All Night with a Rogue — Alexandra Hawkins

Quick Verdict: A Lords of Vice rake meets a sheltered heroine who's never broken a rule — until she breaks all of them in one stolen night. Hawkins writes rogues who belong to a notorious gentlemen's club, and this hero is one of its founding members. He's titled, scandalous, and fluent in ruin. The heroine is everything he shouldn't touch, which is exactly why he does. The premise hinges on one reckless night that spirals into consequences neither of them planned for — reputation-shredding, marriage-forcing consequences. If you want a rake who doesn't apologise for his past and a heroine who refuses to fix him, this is it. Explore our current copy of All Night with a Rogue or browse more Romance books at Patina.

Till Dawn with the Devil — Alexandra Hawkins

Quick Verdict: A reckless gambler meets the one woman who demands sanctuary instead of seduction — and discovers he's more dangerous to her than anyone hunting her. This is the second Lords of Vice novel, and Hawkins doubles down: Reign Hawksley is the rake Duke Vanewright is explicitly warned to avoid, which makes her showing up at his crumbling estate all the more unhinged. She's running from scandal; he's running from responsibility. Neither has the luxury of falling for the other, but the plot doesn't care. The tension here is that the hero knows he'll destroy her reputation just by proximity, and he does it anyway because he's too selfish not to. That's the whole appeal. Explore our current copy of Till Dawn with the Devil or browse more Romance books at Patina.

Rogue Steals a Bride — Amelia Grey

Quick Verdict: A Duke crashes a wedding, kidnaps the bride, and convinces her to fake an engagement — because he needs her more than she needs rescuing. Matson Brentwood is a Rogue Duke (capitalised, trademarked, weaponised), and he solves his problems by creating bigger ones. Gretchen Hawk is about to marry a man she doesn't love when Matson spirits her away mid-ceremony and proposes a deal: fake fiancée, mutual escape, zero feelings. Grey writes rogues who are shameless about using people and heroines who are smarter than the men trying to manipulate them. The marriage-of-convenience trope meets the "I kidnapped you for tactical reasons" trope, and it works because neither character pretends this is noble. Explore our current copy of Rogue Steals a Bride or browse more Romance books at Patina.

Twice Tempted by a Rogue — Tessa Dare

Quick Verdict: A broke, scarred rogue returns to reclaim his ruined village — and the innkeeper standing in his way is the only woman who ever saw past his reputation. Rhys St. Maur is the Stud Club trilogy's most feral hero: penniless, battle-scarred, and so determined to rebuild his ancestral estate that he'll tear down anything — including Meredith Maddox's inn — to do it. Dare writes rogues who aren't charming; they're wrecked. Rhys doesn't seduce Meredith with wit; he shows up, stakes a claim, and refuses to leave. She's the widow who once loved him in secret, and now she's the only thing standing between him and total ruin. The sexual tension is built on years of unspoken longing and the fact that both of them are too stubborn to admit they need each other. Explore our current copy of Twice Tempted by a Rogue or browse more Romance books at Patina.

To Surrender to a Rogue — Cara Elliott

Quick Verdict: An antiquarian widow has spent years burying her scandal — until the one rogue who knows her secrets reappears and threatens to unearth everything. Connor Linsley is the Circle of Sin rogue who never reformed, and Alexa Hendrie is the widow who rebuilt her life on respectability. Elliott writes rogues who carry leverage — secrets, debts, shared histories — and heroes who know exactly how to use them. Alexa's spent years as a respectable antiquarian; Connor's spent years as a reckless gambler with nothing to lose. When he shows up at her archaeological dig, the past she buried resurfaces, and the only way forward is through him. The tension is less "will he change?" and more "will she risk everything she's built to let him back in?" Explore our current copy of To Surrender to a Rogue or browse more Romance books at Patina.

The Reluctant Rake — Jane Ashford

Quick Verdict: A proper lady meets a rake whose reputation is worse than the reality — and then a scandalous misunderstanding forces them into an alliance neither planned for. Ashford's rake is reluctant because he's not actually as bad as society says, which is both the twist and the problem. He's got the reputation; he just doesn't deserve all of it. The heroine needs his help to clear her own name after a scandal threatens her future, and the only way out is to let him in. This one plays with the rake archetype by making him aware of his own myth — he knows what people whisper, and he uses it tactically. If you want a rogue who's self-aware about his own branding, this is the one. Explore our current copy of The Reluctant Rake or browse more Romance books at Patina. These are rogues who gamble, duel, seduce, and ruin reputations — and the heroines foolish or brave enough to let them. If you want reform, read a duke. If you want unapologetic chaos in a cravat, this is your stack. Shop all Romance books at Patina Paperbacks →

Where can I buy secondhand Regency romance novels in Sydney?

Patina Paperbacks is a Sydney-based online preloved bookshop with 13,000+ secondhand titles, including a rotating Romance collection heavy on Regency rakes and anti-heroes. We ship Australia-wide with free shipping over $29. Browse the full collection at our Romance section.

What's the difference between a rake and a rogue in Regency romance?

Honestly, the terms overlap so much they're almost interchangeable — both refer to charismatic libertines with scandalous reputations. "Rake" tends to imply a nobleman with a talent for seduction (think Georgette Heyer's Devil's Cub), while "rogue" can skew slightly more working-class or roguish in the literal sense (gambler, smuggler, spy). But in practice, authors use them to signal the same thing: a hero who refuses to apologise for his past.

Who are some authors similar to Tessa Dare and Alexandra Hawkins?

If you're into Dare's scarred, feral heroes or Hawkins' Lords of Vice rogues, try Sarah MacLean (Rules of Scoundrels series), Eloisa James (Desperate Duchesses), and Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers series). All write Regency anti-heroes who carry emotional baggage and zero interest in redemption until the right heroine drags it out of them.

Are Regency romances historically accurate?

Not remotely, and that's fine. The Regency era (1811–1820) provides the aesthetic — the ballrooms, the titles, the rigid social codes — but authors prioritise emotional heat and consent over strict historical accuracy. Think of it as a fantasy setting that happens to involve cravats. If you want actual history, read a biography of the Prince Regent. If you want sexual tension in a drawing room, read Tessa Dare.

What does "Lords of Vice" mean in Alexandra Hawkins' series?

It's the name of the notorious gentlemen's club at the centre of Hawkins' series — a private club for titled rogues with reputations so bad they've got nothing left to lose. Each book follows a different member as he meets a heroine who refuses to let him hide behind his scandal. The series includes All Night with a Rogue, Till Dawn with the Devil, and several others that lean into the "reformed rake" arc without forcing actual reform.