Reviewed for Wit and Sin

 

The Virgin and the Rogue is a fast-paced romance with a bit of an old school historical romance feel. It begins with Charlotte accidentally being dosed with an aphrodisiac, leading to a heated encounter with Kingston, the stepbrother of Charlotte’s brother-in-law. Kingston is shocked by this and though he doesn’t stop Charlotte’s actions, he doesn’t take advantage of her either. I struggled with this part of the story because – while I can see author Sophie Jordan likely intended the “tonic” to be a device to open Charlotte’s eyes to her true wants and needs – the way it played out felt uncomfortable to me. An aphrodisiac that effectively takes over Charlotte made her first sexual encounter with Kingston unpalatable to me, though I think the intent was for the scene to be sexy. This all happens in the beginning of the story so it’s not a spoiler and I give the detail more so people know what they’re getting into with this book.

Troubling beginning aside, The Virgin and the Rogue is an OK romance. Charlotte was a rather insipid heroine hiding behind a bland engagement, her role as the “boring” sister, and the excuse that she was dosed with an aphrodisiac. She finds her voice over the course of the story, but it’s not the most interesting voice out there and it takes her quite some time to be honest with herself. Charlotte is, in a word, unobjectionable. Kingston is the more interesting of the pair; a reformed rogue who is at loose ends when the story begins. Kingston is the illegitimate son of an earl and a courtesan and watching his mother waste away and his father continue his hedonistic lifestyle without any care has left a big impact on him. I liked Kingston and wished we delved further into his character and his tense relationship with his stepbrother than we did. Kingston is a good mix of gentleman and rogue and he brings Charlotte out of her shell. Their romance is push-pull and felt a bit shallow at times, but I liked where they ended up.

I had major issues with The Virgin and the Rogue, but it was by no means a bad book. Ms. Jordan has an engaging writing style and the pages of the story practically flew by. Charlotte just wasn’t the heroine for me and the initial premise of the story made me uncomfortable in a way the author probably did not intend. Still, I will happily read the next Rogue Files book, The Duke Effect, because Charlotte’s scientist sister Nora was utterly fascinating and I cannot wait to see what Ms. Jordan has in store for her.


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.

 

While the Duke Was Sleeping - Sophie Jor... My rating: 4.5 Stars

How far would you let a fantasy go? Poppy Fairchurch is forced to answer that very question. As a girl in a flower shop, her marriage options are quite limited. She dreams big, however, especially when it comes to the Duke of Autenberry. She fancies herself in love with him. Saving the Duke from a fight and an impending carriage accident leads Poppy down a very interesting trail. When she immediately runs into his handsome, bastard half-brother Stuan MacKenzie.

It doesn't take Poppy long after meeting Struan for her to realize that this man might actually be the man of her dreams, not the Duke. How awkward for her, especially, because there is a twist to her infatuation with the Duke. She tells his family that she is his fiance and they believe her. All but Struan. One look into Poppy's eyes and Struan just knows she is lying - and that he is incredibly drawn to her.

Sound familiar at all? Remember the blockbuster hit While You Were Sleeping? Yes, indeed. This retelling of that story was done with flair. I was drawn in from the first page and didn't let up with this book until I completed it.

I adored Poppy. Not only did she make the perfect heroine, she was the opposite of hapless. Not only was she extremely resourceful, but her role as a big sister made me smile more than once. Struan was pretty terrific too. He was a sexy Scot, and a self-made man, despite his illegitimate status. The Duke was fun, although he pretty much slept through the entire book. Imagine waking up engaged! The rest of the cast of characters were a delight as well. All in all, a terrific story and makes me want to carve out time to watch the related film.

While the Duke Was Sleeping is the first book in The Rogue Files series. It is followed by The Scandal of it All (2017), The Duke Buys a Bride (2018), and This Scot of Mine, which will be released in March, 2019.

Please see all of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.com.

While the Duke Was Sleeping - Sophie Jor... My rating: 4.5 Stars

How far would you let a fantasy go? Poppy Fairchurch is forced to answer that very question. As a girl in a flower shop, her marriage options are quite limited. She dreams big, however, especially when it comes to the Duke of Autenberry. She fancies herself in love with him. Saving the Duke from a fight and an impending carriage accident leads Poppy down a very interesting trail. When she immediately runs into his handsome, bastard half-brother Stuan MacKenzie.

It doesn't take Poppy long after meeting Struan for her to realize that this man might actually be the man of her dreams, not the Duke. How awkward for her, especially, because there is a twist to her infatuation with the Duke. She tells his family that she is his fiance and they believe her. All but Struan. One look into Poppy's eyes and Struan just knows she is lying - and that he is incredibly drawn to her.

Sound familiar at all? Remember the blockbuster hit While You Were Sleeping? Yes, indeed. This retelling of that story was done with flair. I was drawn in from the first page and didn't let up with this book until I completed it.

I adored Poppy. Not only did she make the perfect heroine, she was the opposite of hapless. Not only was she extremely resourceful, but her role as a big sister made me smile more than once. Struan was pretty terrific too. He was a sexy Scot, and a self-made man, despite his illegitimate status. The Duke was fun, although he pretty much slept through the entire book. Imagine waking up engaged! The rest of the cast of characters were a delight as well. All in all, a terrific story and makes me want to carve out time to watch the related film.

While the Duke Was Sleeping is the first book in The Rogue Files series. It is followed by The Scandal of it All (2017), The Duke Buys a Bride (2018), and This Scot of Mine, which will be released in March, 2019.

Please see all of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.com.

How the Dukes Stole Christmas: A Holiday Romance Anthology - Sarah MacLean,Tessa Dare,Joanna Shupe,sophie jordan 

 

For starters, DUKES! I don’t care how many make-believe dukes have been created, I’ll read them for as long as they keep writing them. Secondly, Christmas! I’ll admit that I prefer to read dark, scary, paranormal stories during the month of October, but c’mon, who can say no to Christmas stories, specially when they are written by some of your favorite authors and they all come together in one pretty package!
And that actually brings me to say that thirdly, it’s freaking Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe, what?! If you haven’t read books by them then let me tell you, you are missing out on some serious awesomeness. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a super fan of all of these ladies so forgive me if I gush too much.

 

Tessa Dare’s Meet Me in Mayfair was clever, funny, and oh, so romantic. It probably is one of the most charming and memorable “date” nights I have ever read.

Sarah MacLean’s The Duke of Christmas Present is a second-chance love story. There were some serious tug-at-your-heart scenes, specially when the heroine returns “home.” It was kind of hard for me to understand the reasoning behind both the hero and heroine’s actions but once I got to the end, everything made complete sense.

 

Sophie Jordan’s Heiress Alone was another great example of how chemistry between hero and heroine affects a story, even if it’s a short one and even if the romance happens rather quickly.

 

Joanna Shupe’s Christmas in Central Park had me worrying and suffering along with the poor heroine, and had me wanting to slap the hero upside the head for acting like a spoiled brat that just had to have his way. Their love story may had been full of funny and cringe-worthy moments but the way their forgive and reach their HEA made it all worth it.

 

In short, four different settings, four different kinds of delicious dukes, four great Christmas stories, and one happy reader that recommends this set to all historical romance lovers. Even if Christmas is not your cup of tea, the romance alone make this a perfect read. 4.5 stars.

 

*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**

I read this in between doses of NyQuil, so my memory is a bit fuzzy but suffice to say, it did not live up to its inspiration of the move While You Were Sleeping.

I was not a fan of the "hero" in this one. He is basically constantly telling the heroine that she wants it. I still read bodice rippers of old but heroes like this in modern romances get my foot on their bum and kicked out the door. 

Follows the movie's script pretty closely, even some same lines!, but because of the hero, the story was meh for me.