A
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Theme: Bodyguard, Fake Relationship, Forced Proximity (stranded, safehouse, etc)
Archetype: Character with a Disability
I love Elizabeth Hoyt. Everything she writes is Elyse Crack. True story, at RT, I showed up at the awards after-party in my pajamas just to have her sign my book and fangirl at her for awhile. I even snagged a glass of champagne from a waiter who was deeply confused as to why I was attending in my PJ bottoms, space cat tee shirt, and no bra. I am from Smart Bitches, sir. This is how we do.
It is possible that I am not allowed to go within 400 feet of Hoyt now, but that’s okay because I still get to read her books, and goddamn her latest is so good.
Those familiar with the Maiden Lane series will recognize Phoebe Batten and her bodyguard/ human seeing-eye-dog James Trevillion from previous books where they snarked at each other delightfully. Phoebe is the sister of Maximus Batten, Duke of Wakefield, and hero of Duke of Midnight ( A | K | G | AB | Au ). Phoebe began losing her eyesight at twelve, and by the time Dearest Rogue opens up, she’s twenty-one and totally blind. Her brother, being very protective and also very alpha, assigns her a bodyguard/ guide in the form of Captain James Trevillion, formerly of the dragoons. The reality is that this is a step-down for James. His leg was crushed under a horse and now he walks with a cane.
Phoebe and James have excellent sexual chemistry. Phoebe is fiery and impulsive. She’s sick of everyone treating her like an invalid because of her blindness; she manages just fine, thank you, and she’s certainly not about to feel sorry for herself. Her biggest regret is that more than likely she’ll be a spinster, trapped in her brother’s gilded cage.
At first Phoebe resents James as he represents the limitations forced upon her. Then she realizes he’s an actual human being with feelings and stuff, and then she has pants feelings for him. In fact most of this book is delightful in that Phoebe throws herself at James and he stoically resists because chivalry. James is basically a walking boner for half of the book.
James is reserved, dresses all in black, and despite his leg injury can totally kill a dude. The book opens with four thugs trying to abduct Phoebe on Bond Street. With two single-shot pistols (Georgian era, folks) and some ingenuity, James takes care of shit.
The redheaded brute made the horse and grabbed for the bridle, his lips twisted in an ugly grimace.
Trevillion shot him full in the face.
A scream from the crowd.
The horse half-reared, throwing Lady Phoebe into the V of Trevillion’s thighs, but he sternly kneed the beast into a canter, even as he holstered the spent pistol.
He might be a cripple on land but by God, in the saddle he was a demon.
“Did you kill that one?” Lady Phoebe shouted as they swerved around a cart. Her hat had fallen off. Light-brown locks blew across his lips.
He had her. He had her safe and that was all that mattered.
“Yes, my lady,” he murmured into her ear. Flat, almost uncaring for it would never do to let her hear the emotion that holding her in his arms provoked.
“Oh, good.”
He leaned forward, inhaling the sweet scent of roses in her hair–innocent and forbidden–and kicked the horse into a full gallop through the heart of London.
And as he did so, Lady Phoebe threw back her head and laughed into the wind.
So someone is trying to kidnap Phoebe and her brother and James need to figure out who. But that’s not really important. What’s important is that James has to squire Phoebe off to his family estate in Cornwall, where they breed horses, to keep her safe from danger. While posing as a married couple.
Somewhere Redheadedgirl heard “horses” “Cornwall” and “squired her away” and her ears just perked up.
Like I said, this book is pure crack.
When Phoebe starts to fall in love with James, it’s in no small part because he’s one of the few people who recognizes that she’s still a fully capable human being despite her blindness. To him, the blindness is an afterthought.
For his part, James has been yearning for her from a figurative distance. He wants her so badly but he’ll never act on it because she’s his charge and his social superior. He’ll just be all stiff upper-lippy and reserved and maybe the original Captain Boner Pants.
Everything about this book was wonderful. If I had to describe it in one word it would be breathless–from the action, to the UST, to the you-know-it’s-going-to-be-phenomenal-once-his-reserve-breaks sex, to all of the pent up emotions these characters have.
I highly recommend Dearest Rogue. It’s the best historical I’ve read this year so far. You don’t have to read the Maiden Lane books in order, but they’re so much fun that you might as well. You’re credit card might hate me, but you won’t.
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Thanks!
I’ll be honest. I was coming here to throw a fit till I realized this was not the new one and I had already read it. 🙂 I found this one enchanting. I adored Phoebe for multiple reasons but mainly because she never backed down. Not from her brother, James, etc..Her strength and ability to nod yes while doing her own thing tickled me to no end.
That RT story is absolutely true. I was there. Lol. She is not exaggerating about her clothes. LOL
Such a delightful review! Thanks! I really enjoy the Maiden Lane books too. (Thief of Shadows is my fave. Me: virgin heroes :: redheadedgirl: Cornwall.]
Does this series need to be read in order, or can this be read as a standalone?
You had me at “James is basically a walking boner for half of the book.”
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, we need a site dictionary. I missed something somewhere, also not that bright with the acronyms. Someone PLEASE define UST for me. I’m also emoji illiterate.
@DonnaMarie Unresolved Sexual Tension
@Erin You can read it alone but the whole series is lovely
Great review. I love this series. My favs are Duke of Midnight and the Silence/Mickey one. Excited for the next one, but even more excited for the Duke of Montgomery’s book next year.
@Elyse, Thanks, I’m just weebling over whether or not I can add any more series to my life.
@Elyse – great review, I completely agree.
@Erin Burns — you CAN add another series to your life, if it’s this one! This one is FABULOUS. 🙂
Perfect review of an amazing book! Elizabeth Hoyt is my absolute favorite…but, I’m afraid she’s ruined me a bit. Can anyone recommend a similar author while I wait impatiently for the next book?
@Bonnie Lewis I might die 😉 I think I am over 20 different series I am following.
Thanks Elyse! I knew it had to be something along those lines, but just couldn’t string the right words together.
The library just happened to have Dearest Rogue available, so guess what I’ll start reading this evening on my Kindle? Thanks, Elyse! I look forward to reading about Captain Boner Pants and needed another historical. My TBR file is too full of contemporaries this month.
@Kerry I really like the Pennyroyal Green series by Julie Anne Long. Also Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James.
Loved your comment “Elyse Crack.” Hoyt is that for me too. Also, I’m so often on the very same page as you, I really do look forward to your postings. Thank you for them all.
@Elyse Ooh, thanks for the recommendations! I’ll definitely have to check those out. (Actually, The Perils of Pleasure is $1.99 for Kindle, so I just snatched it up). I just started reading my first Eloisa James last night (A Kiss at Midnight).
Most of the romance I read is cracktastic old school, so I’m enjoying current authors like Hoyt as a type of romantic palate cleanser. 😉
Maybe I’ll revisit this one. I started it but then I put it in my DNF pile after the beginning; it made no sense to me to have such a violent scene in the opening pages. I suppose I’m old school but a hero who shoots someone in the face doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies
I read this a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the things I most enjoyed (and I was a little surprised you didn’t mention it, because HUGE selling point) was the fact that both of these heroes were people with significant physical disabilities and the book did a very effective job of showing how people with those kinds of disabilities were treated during that time period. A lot of people in society seemed to perceive Phoebe as stupid, simply because she couldn’t see. It was the very source of her own brother not being willing to have her experience the same things other women her age did, which she was appropriately pissy about.
Also, apropos of nothing, a friend of mine from the gym was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and because I’m very weird, I made her a chemo care kit. It consisted of a kid’s coloring book and crayons (I know they have the ones for grown-ups, but this had dragons), chocolate bar, red lipstick, and Duke of Midnight by the above mentioned author. It made her smile, so I felt like I accomplished my mission.
I ADORE this series. Most of them are narrated by Ashford Mcnab and she does a fabulous job! Honestly, I never wanted to stop listening to them…more laundry anyone?
Also love Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series, Julie Anne Long’s Penny royal Green series, and anything by Eloisa James
Read them in order, if possible! There’s a bit of mystery that plays out over several books, and I enjoyed it. Great books, second only to Kleypas’ Wallflowers IMHO.
Thank you! Duke of Midnight was my first Elizabeth Hoyt so I preordered Dearest Rogue, but in the meantime tried to read Wicked Intentions but couldn’t get into it. Dearest Rogue has been gathering dust but based on your review, has now moved back up to the top of the TBR pile.
It was so nice to see Phoebe get her story ( there were some lovely moments). Adore the Maiden Lane Series (too many to name a favourite) and yes you should probably read them in order as the mystery builds and characters appear through time. You might also like the Loretta Chase series about Noirot Dressmakers starting with Silk is for Seduction. Also love some of the books in Boscastle Series by Jillian Hunter – first book was so/so for me but 3 or 4 others are on my favourites list.
Need to pitch in two recommendations. Tessa Dare does a fabulous job & I’d recommend her Spindle Cove and Stud Club series, probably her Castle series too – but I’ve only read the first one so far.
Also loved Eloisa’s Desperate Duchesses series but Potent Pleasures was a huge DNF/throw against the wall.
Definitely seconding Kelly’s suggestion of Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove series. It was my second ever romance series (I read all of Courtney Milan’s Turner series first) and it has spoiled me rotten for anything besides amazingly smart, funny, wry heroines who know just what they want thankyouverymuch. Can’t WAIT to start this Maiden series – this review sounds right up my alley and I love books in order. Thanks Elyse!
I love the Maiden Lane series and enjoyed reading about Phoebe- I’d been hoping/waiting for her story and wasn’t disappointed with it.
I second the other series mentioned above but am left wondering whether I’m the only one who like Grace Burrowes’ Windham series. Some are for her other books, the single-named ones, didn’t really appeal to me but the stories about the Windham siblings did. So, I guess ymmv.
Also wish to add Mary Balogh’s Survivor series as well as her Bedwyn books.
I bought this and read after the above review . . . and have such a different experience of the story. Honestly, it just kept getting creepier and creepier. You have a visually handicapped young woman who has little exposure to members of the opposite sex, developing a relationship with a man who has been hired to protect her. She can’t see him, and knows very little about him, but their relationship gradually becomes sexual in nature — because biology! Her bodyguard fantasizes about her bits, and ogles her because he knows she can’t see him doing the ogling . . . and when the steam finally explodes between them, he doesn’t think twice about nailing the virginal Duke’s daughter without benefit of birth control discussion. A benign abuse of power is still abuse of power. Having the ‘hero’ lose control of his desires because he’s spent most of the book sniffing and ogling and fantasizing about a female body is a tired, tired cliche. But she wanted it, right? She understood exactly what she was doing when the hormones took over! Like I said, creepy. Dude should have resigned from his bodyguard job, encouraged her brother to let her go about in society, then courted her in a more respectful manner. That would make a better story for me.