B+
Genre: Historical: European, Regency, Romance
This RITA® Reader Challenge 2015 review was written by Garima. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Short Historical category.
The summary:
INESCAPABLE, UNDENIABLE AND IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST!
In a Mayfair ballroom, beautiful Emma Northcote stands in amazement. For gazing at her, with eyes she’d know anywhere, is Ned Stratham—a man whose roguish charm once held her captivated.
But that was another life in another part of London.
With their past mired in secrets and betrayal, and their true identities now at last revealed, Ned realizes they can never rekindle their affair. For only he knows that they share a deeper connection—one that could make Emma hate him if she ever discovered the truth….
Here is Garima's review:
The Gentleman Rogue is a book that uses multiple romance novel tropes and clichés throughout the book but to my surprise does so rather successfully. When we’re introduced to the characters in a tavern (though the heroine would object to it being called as such!) where she is a waitress and he a patron, I got false expectations that it would turn out to be historical without the balls and the soirees, the earls and the viscounts. Alas! My expectations came falling down fast as I progressed into the novel. Here’s the condensed version of what happens in the book:
Our hero, a foundling who grew up in the East End, the poorer section of England, is a self made success and fits all hero stereotypes: handsome, rich and powerful and lately, silent, stoic and tragic. Our heroine, on the other hand, is a gentlewoman who has found herself in some difficult circumstances through, of course, no fault of her own and is trying bravely to face the big bad world. They meet, the hero defends our heroine’s honour and the courtship begins. But as happens in a romance novel, there are circumstances that play villain, making the HEA happen arrive after 280 pages. As evident by the synopsis, both characters hide their true identity which when revealed leads to complications. The rest of the book is mainly a slow unravel of secrets that steer the characters through emotional ping- pong. There are also secondary characters- the hero’s secretary, the heroine’s father and employer who are just that- secondary. The heroine’s brother, though physically absent, plays an important part in the drama and his story will be fleshed out in the subsequent book in the series.
Despite this summary, the author seamlessly takes you through the ups and downs with a subtlety that I think is so rarely seen in the romance genre these days. The angst is subdued, the drama real, light on the sex and heavy on the romance; there are tears and laughter and love and all the wide variety of human emotions with no black & white characters (maybe except for the father). The author also has the very rare ability to not to take the book very seriously and laughs at her own expense. Here’s an excerpt:
“It was later that same day, at half past two, when Emma and Lady Lamerton arrived outside the circulating library for the dowager’s weekly visit. A rather saucy romantic novel hidden between two books on art, as per the dowager’s instruction, was tucked under Emma’s arm. Lady Lamerton deemed it perfectly acceptable to be reading erotic art books, but heaven forbid that she be seen with a racy romance.
‘How did you enjoy the novel?’ Emma asked.
‘Absolute poppycock,’ the dowager pronounced as she leaned upon her walking stick. And then added with a smile, ‘But immensely enjoyable poppycock. A rather wicked story all about a devilishly handsome, if rather dangerous, gentleman.’”
It’s a book that hits all the right notes. One that once you start reading, you want to finish in a single sitting.
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Color me intrigued- how does the heroine get from the tavern to the ballroom? I know it’s hard to compare authors to authors but would you say this is comparable to an author like Carla Kelly in terms of the “heat index”. Thanks for the review.
I’m afraid that all your review told me was that this was a historical romance novel that you maybe enjoyed. What was the plot? Secrets? What kind of secrets? Are they spies? Did you like it? Why? Why not? Why a B+ and not an A or a C?
Sold!
Hi Kelly S,
I personally dont like reviews which tell you the plot of the book. It ruins some of the surprise element of discovering the characters and the storyline for me. And if you want to know their secrets, then you should read the book!