The Return of the Rake by Emma V Leech

Jasper King has always been an outsider in the idyllic village of Little Valentine—a place so charming it makes his teeth ache. Born the illegitimate son of a violent fisherman, Jasper grows up shunned by the townsfolk, his reputation marred by brawls and scandal. When a young woman accuses him of fathering her child, the village is quick to judge, and only the compassionate Reverend Honeywell stands by his side. Facing a forced marriage and public disgrace, Jasper makes a desperate escape to London.
Alone and destitute, Jasper’s fortunes change when the warm-hearted Mrs. Fairway rescues him from the brink. Determined to repay her kindness, he claws his way up from the notorious streets of St Giles, becoming the formidable King of the Rookeries—a man both feared and respected, who never forgets a debt.