Once a Rebel by Mary Jo Putney

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and I love it in historical romance so much because it feels so pure and the stakes seem so high. I enjoyed the history, too. I don't typically read historical romance set in the USA, so this was a fun change for me. However, this is not on of Putney's stronger novels. There's lots of exclamation points, lots of violence, and a lot going on that started to wear me out.

This was a good friends to lovers story in a setting not often seen in Regency romance. Callie and Gordon were best friends growing up. When her father planned to marry her off to a Jamaican planter three times her age, Callie fled to Gordon for help. His idea for them to escape to Gretna Green did not go as planned, and they were quickly caught. In a heartbreaking scene, Gordon was nearly beaten to death, and Callie submits to save Gordon's life. She is sent off to Jamaica and Gordon ends up sent to the penal colony in Australia.

Fast forward fifteen years. Callie is a widow who fled from Jamaica to Washington DC to escape her brutal stepson, taking her late husband's illegitimate quadroon children and their grandparents with her. She created a successful life there as a dressmaker, but as the story opens, she is caught in the British invasion of Washington. Unfortunate timing places her in the midst of danger when an unexpected savior arrives just in time to save her life. Callie is stunned to see Gordon, who she believed was dead.

After many years and adventures, of which we get only hints, Gordon made it back to England. He now spends his time helping people out of tricky situations. He was asked to go to America and track down a widow for her family. They would like her to return to England, or if not, to be sure that she is safe and happy. The last thing he expected was for Callie to be that widow.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Callie and Gordon. Once they recovered from their surprise, they slipped easily back into their old friendship. But they are no longer children, and there is a new tension simmering under the surface. I loved seeing them get to know each other as adults. Callie has become a beautiful woman who is intelligent, independent, and determined. She doesn't trust easily and has no plans to marry again. Gordon is a man with many facets which comes in handy during this book. His happiness at finding Callie again made him realize that he wants to keep her in his life. There are two main obstacles. One is her determination not to marry, and the other is her reluctance to return to England. Because of their dysfunctional families, neither Gordon nor Callie has any real experience with love.

Gordon is the first to realize that what he feels for Callie is more than friendship and decides to use his time to woo Callie to his way of thinking. He also isn't above using little tastes of passion to show her the benefits of marrying him. Though adamantly opposed at first, changing circumstances and growing passion cause Callie to reconsider. I loved Gordon's patience as he slowly brought Callie to realize that they belonged together. I liked their support of each other on their return to England, where several surprises awaited them. But it took a near-tragedy for them to realize the depth of their feelings for each other. I liked the ending and seeing them accept the full measure of their love.

One of my favorite things about this book is the setting. Placing this book in Baltimore during the War of 1812 gave an added layer of drama to the story. It was fun to see Callie and Gordon jump back and forth between being British or American as the need arose. Gordon was especially good at exhibiting just the right attitude for the situation. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of life in Baltimore as they prepared for the possible arrival of British soldiers. The vividness of the bombardment of Fort McHenry made me feel as though I was there. The identity of Callie's lawyer was unexpected and a nice touch.

There were two bits of mystery and danger that added to the tension of the book. The first was the reason that Callie fled Jamaica. Her husband's legitimate son was a greedy bully and his actions made it clear she and her adopted family were not safe. With the steps she took, she never expected Henry to pursue them, but was proved wrong. The confrontation with him was intense and had me on the edge of my seat until it was over. The second was the surprise inheritance that Gordon received on his arrival back in England. His trip back to his childhood home was emotional and full of both good and bad memories. Unexpected danger had me glued to the pages as once again Gordon was called on to save them from danger. I ached for him as he confronted the culprit to save himself and Callie.

I would have liked an epilogue to see their lives a few years down the road. I'm curious to see how things go for Callie's Baltimore family. Since this is part of a series, hopefully there will be updates in future books.

Really interesting read and I loved all the history worked into the story. It was well rounded and made me laugh and cry.

As Washington burns, Callista Brooke is trapped in the battle between her native England and her adopted homeland. She is on the verge of losing everything, including her life, when a handsome Englishman cuts through the violent crowd to claim that she is his. Callie falls into her protector's arms, recognizing that he is no stranger, but the boy she'd once loved, a lifetime ago. Lord George Gordon Audley had been Callie’s best friend, and it was to Gordon she turned in desperation to avoid a loathsome arranged marriage. But the repercussions of his gallant attempt to rescue her sent Callie packing to Jamaica, and Gordon on a one way trip to the penal colony of Australia. Against all odds, Gordon survived. Finding Callie is like reclaiming his tarnished soul, and once again he vows to do whatever is necessary to protect her and those she loves. But the innocent friendship they shared as children has become a dangerous passion that may save or destroy them when they challenge the aristocratic society that exiled them both . . .
The book was really good. I loved both main characters as they went through the story. Both characters were well written. I really enjoyed the plot. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

He was Lord George to society, Gordon to the rest of the world, but to Callie only he was Richard. Not only was Lord George Richard Augustus Audley a man of many names, but also a man of many talents. Forced at a young to fend for himself, he learned how to survive and survive well. The best friend of his youth, Catherine Calliste Brooke also had to learn to survive a life not of her choosing. When Gordon was recruited to find a widow with English connections, now living in Washington D.C., both were surprised to find their childhood best friend. Unfortunately their reunion happened during the 1814 British burning of Washington requiring them to remove to Baltimore. The more time they spend together, they more they realize their childhood love has grown into something bigger and deeper. However, their time in Baltimore was not without danger and a villain or two. I loved the way Ms. Putney described the bombardment of Baltimore which lead to the Pennington g of the Star Spangled Banner. I highly recommend it able, you visit Fort McHenry and stay for the presentation. It is truly awe inspiring, and the author captures it perfectly. Once a Rebel is a definite must read for Mary Jo Putney fans. Another great read.

This was, for me, fine. There was A LOT going on all the time and I'm not sure the book needed all of the subplots that were stuffed into it. There were also some editing and plotting choices that threw me off. I usually like this author and so will count this as "did not work for me" and move on.

Star crossed best friends turned lovers, Callista Brooke and Lord George Gordon Audley meet up after years apart in a moment of crisis when he spares her from attack by a nasty crowd. His past has hardened him, but he struggles to put the pain behind, and to try to do what is honorable despite his renewed attraction to her. The setting, Baltimore during the War of 1812, is a nice change from the more often cited locations and times like the Revolutionary War, so a bit of history can be learned as the author has done a nice bit of research to add meat to the plot.

If you like friends to lovers stories - you will love this book.

Catherine Callista Brooke (aka Callie) and Lord George Gordon Richard Augustus Audley (aka Richard aka Gordon) have been the best of friends since they were children. So when Callie's father tells her that he has arranged her marriage to a much older widowed plantation owner and that she will be married immediately and go with him to Jamaica, she is frantic and turns to Richard for help running away. Richard is the rebellious third son of the Marquess of Kingston, when Callie comes to him for help, he doesn't hesitate, he suggests that they go to Scotland to marry. When they are caught by their fathers, Callie agrees to marry the man her father has chosen if he will spare Richard's life. Her father agrees, but trumps up charges and has Richard transported to New South Wales.

Fifteen years later, Richard is back in London (if you read the Lost Lords series, you might remember him as Gordon - a classmate and minor character in those books) and Lord Kirkwood has an assignment for him. He needs him to go to America and find the widow Audley and either return her to her family in England or ensure her wellbeing in America. This task will be dangerous as England is at war with America - but helping people is what Richard does best and he accepts the mission.

Callie is now widowed and has moved her "family" to Washington and assumed the identity of the widow Audley to escape her vile step-son Henry. When her husband died, he made no final provisions for his two illegitimate children with his mistress. His children are quadroons and Henry considers them slaves and wanted to sell them, Callie has grown to love the children and fled to America rather than let Henry sell them. She has worked hard and established herself as seamstress, all is going well until the British invade Washington. Fearing for her family, she sends them to Baltimore and stays behind to protect the house. She is inadvertently caught up in skirmish, her house is burned to the ground and she is in grave danger when Richard arrives and claims that she is his wife.

Callie and Richard are shocked to see one another again, Callie had been told that Richard died en route to New South Wales. Richard is overjoyed to find Callie and again offers to marry her. Callie politely declines but agrees to act the part of his wife to get to Baltimore. Richard decides that Callie is the woman for him and plans to use the time to woo her. They risk life and limb to get to Baltimore and arrive to find that Callie's extended family is safe and sound - however Baltimore is preparing for the British to attack - so there will be no easy escape for them. As they spend more time together, the more they begin to fallback into their easy friendship and Callie begins to realize that everything is changing, she is no longer quintessential to her "family" and she begins to think that marrying Richard and returning to England might be exactly what she needs. Just when it seems that her life might finally be looking up, she is faced with yet another challenge - her stepson Henry has found them. After a horrifying encounter with Henry and surviving the Battle of Baltimore - Callie agrees to marry Richard and return to England.

Once they return to England, there are more shocks in store for our lovers, such as the identity of the sister that betrayed them 15 years and the discovery that both their fathers have passed and through the fickle hand of fate - Richard is now the Marquess of Kingston. Determined to make the best of their newly rewritten future, Callie and Richard venture to the Kingston family estate to confront Richard's younger brothers. All seems to be falling into place, when another tragedy strikes them and secrets are revealed and Richard is forced to do the unthinkable to save the woman he loves more than life itself.

This book was really well done, it has an almost epic feel to it and flows perfectly. It has a lot of history, surprising cameos, steamy love scenes, life and death moments, lighthearted moments and a truly lovely soulmate type of love. My only complaint is this book really needed an epilogue - I was left wondering what happened to her family in America and what became of her unresolved feelings with her sister. Other than that, which admittedly is very minor - I enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it. It is the second book in the series, but they are very loosely connected and there would be no reason this book could not be read as a stand alone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review of an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*

I was expecting so much more from this book.
The story had too much violence, too many gaps, too many villain plots and way too many exclamation points!!!!!
It was a bit exhausting, to be honest.
Sorry.

Mary Jo Putney is one of my favourite writers, when it comes to Romance or Historical Romance. I love her writing, I love her stories and her characters, so I was expecting a lot from this book. It is my first from the series, but I had no issues understanding the context.

Best friends come together after years apart. History repeats itself when Lord George Gordon Audley rescues his childhood friend Callista Brooke. In a time when America and England are at war, Callie tries to do the best for her new family and the people around her, while Gordon does whatever is needed to solve problems, as he puts it. They connect on a level that exceeds the friendship area, facing their attraction… and war.

When it comes to history, the author has very well documented the events from that time and has combined the war against two countries with the war against slavery. I admired Callie and her determination to fight against abuse and how she treated everyone equally, be they slaves or people of color.

The two best friends start to explore the physical attraction that is quickly building. Gordon is offering her away out of all her problems if she marries him. Yes, his request is not based on love but on a long friendship and this should be enough, since neither of them has the illusion of love. Still, their story has some bumps along the way that will keep the reader focused.

However, there are some items that did not stand well with me. At some point, the action felt dragged and there were some pages sort of unnecessary. As well, all the name changing between Gordon and Richard (the name that Callie calls him, is a bit confusing. I was expecting a lot more emotions between them, a deeper connection, but it never came.

With all my complaints, I did enjoy „Once A Rebel” almost as much as other books by Mary Jo Putney. It had some funny moments and kept me quite engaged.

What a fascinating story. I am usually most attracted to the character development aspect of a book. But, in this case, I was so very interested in the historical elements of the War of 1812 in the United States (and how the characters interacted with them, of course). Message to historical romance authors: why aren't more of you writing about this dynamic period of American history? There is so much written about this period in England, but very little about the U.S. Ms. Putney managed to blend many issues into a compelling story of childhood friends who reunited 15 years later and find love. The love story grew slowly and seemed sensible and genuine. The secondary characters greatly enhanced the situations. This was the kind of book that made me unhappy when I had to stop reading temporarily and my thoughts frequently returned to the story throughout the day. Just very excellent writing from the intrepid Mary Jo Putney.

What’s it About? Lord George Gordon Richard Augustus Audley and Callista were the very best of friends and when Callista’s cruel father wanted to marry her off to a man three times her age when she was a girl she naturally ran to Richard for help but hey got caught and Richard was almost beaten to death by Callista’s father until she made a deal to save him. He didn’t escape unscathed though and Callista believed he had died. Years later Callie is living in Washington and almost loses her life when a familiar Englishman saves her by claiming she’s his wife. It’s Richard and Callie can’t believe that he’s alive. Now they have to travel together to reunite Callie with her chosen family in Baltimore and during the trip they discover that their once innocent friendship has become something more passionate and dangerous.




Overall reaction to the story? There are a lot of names being thrown around in Once a Rebel and most of them belong to Richard. His full name is Lord George Gordon Richard Augustus Audley but he usually goes by Gordon but Callie calls him Richard. English society calls him Lord Audley but in Washington he’s Mr. Audley. Then there’s Callie. Her name is Catherine Callista Brooke but Richard calls her Callie. Others know her as Catherine. It got a bit confusing and frustrating. The plot itself was fascinating because it took place in several different places, Jamaica, Washington, Baltimore, and England. Each setting told a key part of the story of Richard and Callie but I felt that the pace was super slow when it could have gone a bit faster. I wasn’t totally convinced by Richard and Callie’s transition to lovers either. It seemed to pale in comparison to their easy, warm friendship. Once a Rebel wasn’t a bad read but it didn’t quite reach the potential that I saw in the beginning of the book.



Describe the hero in five words: Determined. Kind. Intelligent. Stubborn. Funny.

Did you like him? Yes.

Why? I liked Richard as much as I felt bad for him. He was the mistreated third son of a horrible man and yet, he loved Callie as fiercely as a young man could love his female best friend. He was willing to do anything to save her from a bad marriage and it almost cost him his life. I loved his unwavering loyalty to Callie even though years had passed and he didn’t know what had happened to her. He was still willing to do anything to help her and those she called family. He was dreamy but he was also funny! He was always ready to joke around to lighten a tense situation. He had almost everything to make him the PERFECT man.



Describe the heroine in five words: Courageous. Witty. Fun. Loyal. Caring.

Did you like her? Yes.

Why? Callie was similar to Richard in her loyalty to their friendship and I loved that. She changed a lot and believed for years that he was dead but the moment she saw him again it was almost like no time had passed. I admired her deep love for her chosen family and the deep love she had for Richard, even though she didn’t realize that her childhood love had turned into the love a woman has for a man. Callie was no damsel in distress either, her life had toughened up the rebellious girl she had been into a force to be reckoned with. She pulled her own weight in difficult situations and wasn’t prone to inconvenient hysterics. At the same time Callie always questioned whether she was doing right by those in her care and that to me gave her a realness that made her a better character.



Let’s talk about the romance: My problem with Richard and Callie’s romance was that it didn’t really make an impression on me. These two had such a strong friendship that felt natural and provided a lot of the humor in the story and that should have been a super strong foundation for a passionate romance being that these two hadn’t seen each other in years and yet that transition was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. There wasn’t a grand confession between them, in fact that “aha” moment didn’t come until like the last five pages and it sounded almost as if it was an afterthought. I loved their friendship but I expected more from their romance.



How about that supporting cast? Callie’s family makes up most of the supporting cast and I did fall in love with them. They’re so warm and caring, so unlike Callie’s birth family. I enjoyed the dynamic between them and their acceptance of her as the leader of their family.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. Despite the slow pace I enjoyed the different settings of this story and the strong friendship between Richard and Callie.

Gordon and Callie were a great read. I love reading second chance romances. Their families were all awful people.

I just wasn't feeling this one. I am a huge fan of Putney, but the writing in this particular story just felt off to me. I did like the premise of the story, best friends reunited and then that friendship blossoms into love.

I hope that the next book in the series it up to par with the rest of her books!

Callista 'Callie' Brooke never thought she'd see Lord George 'Gordon' Audley again, not after what she went through in order to save his life. However, during the war between her native England and her adopted homeland, she finds her life on the line until she's rescued by the best friend she hasn't seen in years and believed was dead. Seeing Gordon again after all these years is a blessing, one she's determined to hold onto. But with threats from their pasts coming after them, will Gordon be able to keep her safe or will they lose their second chance at happy ever after?

What a wonderfully-crafted and extremely-engaging read Ms. Putney has penned in this second book of her Rogues Redeemed series where the main characters go through so much in this book to be together, but the obstacles they do overcome certainly make their happy ever after worthwhile. The way this story started had me sympathizing with the main characters, especially the heroine, because her father is a horrible man willing to sacrifice his daughter's happiness. Will she be able to protect her best friend from her father's ruthless ways? However, it was from the moment that the hero and heroine meet again after being apart for so long that I absolutely adored, because it's like they've never been apart. Gordon is still her best friend and that will never change.

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories and everything they go through on their journey to happy ever after. Battling family differences, the war and deciding what their future holds is tough. Will they stay in America or go back home to London? Will Callie ever be close to her family? Will Gordon finally have the chance to get to know his younger brothers? Furthermore, the main characters were extremely fascinating, especially because they were a little wild and willing to do anything for each other, which is proven by Gordon's desire to save Callie from the fate her father was sending her to and Callie's desire to protect Gordon from her father committing an unspeakable crime that he'd likely get away with.

The heroine was resilient, courageous and I liked how determined she was to protect her family, which is proven by what she does for her step-children and for the hero when it comes to going up against people that want to hurt them. I also liked how hard she's worked for the life she has and that she was willing to give the hero a chance, considering she never thought she'd get a chance at forever after with a man she loved. While the hero, he's been through a lot in his life because of what the heroine's father did to him that landed him in hot water. How could someone be so evil? I also liked how protective he was of the heroine and how determined he was to win her over because he's loved her for a long time, even if he hasn't been able to admit his true feelings until they reunite. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero was his back story and all that he's been through, which sounds exciting and full of adventure.

Overall, Ms. Putney has delivered a really wonderful read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was strong; the romance delightful and the ending had me on the edge-of-my-seat because of what the hero and heroine face. However, in saying that, I really enjoyed how things worked out for Callie and Gordon because they're meant to be together. I would recommend Once a Rebel by Mary Jo Putney, if you enjoy Historical Romance or books by authors Grace Burrowes, Mary Balogh, Tessa Dare and Jess Michaels.

Oh I absolutely loved this story. I'm looking forward to hearing more of Molly and Peter

It pains me to give any Mary Jo Putney book less than 4 stars (seriously, she wrote one of my all time favorite romances), but this book just fell flat for me. So 2 1/2 Stars, rounded up to 3.

Most notably, there was no conflict. Yes, yes, things are happening in the setting around them (war being primary), but there was no character conflict. Callista Brooke started off as an independent widow making her own way and protecting loved ones from her dead husband's heir, but as soon as Gordon shows up she just becomes agreeable to everything he suggests and seemed way to eager to please. The only character conflict came out of the blue without warning with only five percent of the book left to read.

For the most part, this title just didn't grab me. I didn't want to stay up late into the night reading and that kind of hurt. My love for Mary Jo Putney's work though will still have be eagerly anticipating the next book in the series and any other titles she may write in the future.

Mary Jo Putney has been a long time favorite author whom I've enjoyed many a time. Unfortunately this book just did not do it for me. I struggled with it and finally abandoned it. Sorry!

Sandy M’s review of Once a Rebel (Rogues Redeemed, Book 2) by Mary Jo Putney
Historical Romance published by Zebra 29 Aug 17

I read Mary Jo Putney’s Fallen Angels series years ago and enjoyed each one. So with a lot of historical romances letting me down recently and the fact this is only Book 2 of her new series, I’d hoped to have a breakthrough take care of that old reading slump. Alas, it was not to be.

Mostly because these characters didn’t pull me into their lives after we get a look at their childhood and the differences they had to deal with. I hoped once I made it to their reunion, along with the historical aspect surrounding the War of 1812 – a period of time I’m not that familiar with, so was looking forward to a bit of a history lesson – that I would be so engrossed the story would be over before I knew it. To be quite honest, all I got was bored.

I felt for Callista when she loses everything but family as the English military burns its way through the American capitol, but when Gordon shows up and things didn’t pick up the pace at all, I set the book down. I figured to give it a day or two and try again. Unfortunately, neither character is charismatic enough or interesting enough to make me want to read more about them.

Maybe I’m not being fair. I don’t know. I got as far as Chapter 10, only 25% of the book on my Kindle, and I didn’t care what happened next. It’s unfortunate, because I know Ms. Putney is a terrific author. Concerning that history lesson, it reminded me of being in history class in school all those years ago. Dry. My attention wandered and I knew I probably wouldn’t be back to find out what happened with Callista and Gordon.

Grade: DNF

This is a wonderful second chance at love story that is set in Baltimore and in England in 1814. The friendship that Gordon and Callie enjoyed as children quickly translates into a trusting and mature relationship.