Reviewed for Wit and Sin

One for the Rogue is a bit difficult for me to review. There are some things I liked about this book. Gemma’s passion for geology and the struggles she faces to be taken seriously are what drew me into the book at the start. And I also really enjoyed the fact that Cam shared her passion and respected her intelligence. At the start of the story, it seemed like this might be an enemies-to-lovers book, but it really isn’t. Yes, Cam and Gemma are at loggerheads in the beginning over something that could have been resolved if Cam had communicated a bit better and Gemma had been a bit more willing to listen. However, a potentially huge fossil find and the threat of a bitter, sexist rival throws our bickering hero and heroine together. Add in some sexual tension and it’s clear that Gemma and Cam are going to be headed down the aisle soon. I liked Gemma and Cam together and it’s clear they fit, but still I thought their romance fell a bit flat. Part of this is due to the lack of character growth; Gemma and Cam begin and end pretty much the same and we don’t really delve deep into their characters. If this were a novella, I might have liked it more because the perceived obstacles to Gemma and Cam’s eventual happily ever after seemed orchestrated to draw out the story rather than organic problems they had to overcome.

Woven through the romance in One for the Rogue is a mystery involving a fossil Gemma discovers. I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling the fun, but I thought this plotline was the stronger one. Not only does Gemma have to face a jerk of a rival, there’s mystery, murder, and a tiny bit of mayhem. This is where author Manda Collins brings life to the story and keeps the pages moving.

One for the Rogue isn’t a bad book, but for me it was just an OK read. I realized after finishing this book that I had the same issues with it as I did with a previous Manda Collins book I read: the characters were likeable and the story had potential, but it dragged in places and was littered with tropes that didn’t have a fresh spin on them. I think Ms. Collins’s writing style simply isn’t for me, so others might find this story more engaging than I did.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A cute story about a head-strong and independent woman set on staying unmarried and focusing her life on her geology field, and one equally stubborn male geologist that can’t help butting heads with her every time they meet.  The story had adventure, a murder mystery, a theft that needed to be solved, and two people so perfect for each other that they couldn’t help but get onto each others’ nerves every chance they got.  It also had passion and a sweet love story.  It did have a few slow moments but overall it was an enjoyable and well-developed story. It didn't have any emotional strife or tension that can heighten a story, but it was cute and enjoyable and I liked the two main characters quite a bit.

Second book in the series, this story is centers on Lady Daphne Forsyth, a unique woman trying to find her place in a world that doesn’t seem to understand her, and Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland, the man that falls for her. 
The suspense aspect of the story was ok, I mean, it kept me entertained but not to the point that I was unable to put the book down. There were some twists but for the most part they were kind of predictable. 

It’s always interesting to read about characters with unique traits, unfortunately in this case Daphne didn’t hold my interest for long. She was described as someone on the autism spectrum and perhaps for that reason I was hoping to find a more endearing character but instead I got a character with whom I could not connect at all. I was also unable to understand the love between Daphne and Dalton. I think I would have liked it better if they took more time falling in love because to me it just felt forced and even trite at times.

I still plan to read more from this author but in all honesty I don’t think I’ll continue this series. 

** I received this book at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher. **