3.5 stars
Can two star-crossed lovers come together—until death do they part?
Viscount Hart Highgate has decided to put his rakish ways behind him and finally get married. He may adore a good brandy or a high-speed carriage race, but he takes his duties as heir to the earldom seriously. Now all he has to do is find the right kind of woman to be his bride—ideally, one who’s also well-connected and with a large dowry
Meg Timmons has loved Hart, the brother of her best friend Sarah, ever since she was an awkward, blushing sixteen year old. However she’s almost penniless & her family has been locked in a bitter feud with Hart’s for years. She’s approaching her third London season, Meg’s chances with him are slim to none. An unexpected kiss between the pair the night before Sarah’s wedding rocks them both. Then Lucy, Duchess of Claringdon befriends Meg & decides to help her.
This is the eighth book in the Playful Brides series but could definitely be read as a stand alone novel. The characters are well portrayed but did lack some depth. The pace of the book is good. I love this series, there’s a feel good factor about this book & I was often smiling & at times chuckling especially about the silver closet but where were the servants to deal with Hart’s shirt? A straightforward story of Hart learning to love & trust. Meg is totally steadfast in her devotion to him but he’s been brought up not to women so Hart sees the bad not the good. Lucy’s ‘help’ whilst amusing did grate on me a little & I did get annoyed about some of her antics & the parents were totally annoying.

Highly Enjoyable Story
I’ve not read any previous books by this author but will certainly be looking to read more of her stories. Meg has been in love with her best friend’s brother since she was sixteen but he has never noticed her in a romantic way. When she discovers that he has decided to take a wife, she applies to a matchmaking duchess for her help in gaining Hart’s attention but she underestimates quite how unscrupulous Lucy can be. I loved the story, the characters and the humorous aspects; there was even an homage to a well loved film - “Why did you allow Meg to sit in the corner? No one allows Meg to sit in the corner.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

After their bit parts in “The Legendary Lord”, Valerie Bowman brings us the full story of Meg Timmons and Hart Highgate. Meg has loved Hart for years, but waiting for him to return her love is not working out at all. Time is running out for Meg, and something drastic needs to happen. Again Bowman brings us a likable couple. While the “mis-communication” story line is not my favorite, the romantic complications in this story run a little deeper, and provide more tension, both sexual and otherwise, than this trope usually brings. The supporting cast of friends is entertaining, and provides the setup for several more anticipated stories in this series.

I had a lot of fun reading The Right Kind of Rogue. It was one of those romances that was a bit over the top but highly entertaining and one I would recommend to fans of the genre. 

Meg has been in love with her best friend's brother since she was a teenager and now that he's finally looking for a bride she's determined to throw herself in his path and convince him to finally notice her. The book follows with a crazy scheming ton matchmaker throwing Meg and Hart, the gentleman in question, together. I think the scheming on its own was my favorite part. The situations these two end up in were hilarious and compromising so of course there was plenty of heat and steam throughout the story (but not so much that the story was lost). 

I liked that Meg wasn't a wallflower when it came to her personality. She might have been in society but she's an intelligent young woman who cares deeply about those closest to her despite a rough childhood. On her own, she was a character I wanted to root for throughout the whole book.

Hart was exactly the kind of gentleman I like to read about in romances with a sense of humor, loyalty to his family, and wickedly charming. It wasn't hard to like him throughout the book but there's one aspect that I never understood about his character: he never noticed Meg over the years. Their families are feuding so I could see that being a reason but Meg and Hart's sister Sarah spent a decent amount of time together so I would expect him to know a bit more about Meg beyond her name.

Which leads into my biggest issue with this book: the romance. Sure, these characters had chemistry when it came to the physical side of things but when it came to the emotion behind the romance, I was lost. I never understood what Meg saw in Hart. At the beginning of the story, she describes when she first fell in love with him (which was years before) and it apparently stuck but read more like a childhood crush than love. So when they're thrown together it felt a bit insta-lovey for my tastes. Granted, I wanted them to work out but I think the romance could have been better developed.

Despite the romance not being quite what I was looking for, The Right Kind of Rogue really is quite an entertaining read and I'll definitely continue reading this series as the books are fun and light reads. If you don't care as much about the emotional side of the romance, then I would absolutely recommend picking up this book. Looking forward to the next Playful Brides book!

"He's a rogue, an unrepentant charmer."

FINAL DECISION: A Romeo and Juliet type romance between two warring families (with humor and less death). A wallflower finally being noticed by the man she has loved for years, this is a story where I liked the characters quite a bit.

THE STORY: Viscount Hart Highgate is searching for a wife who is well-connected socially and brings her own funds with her. Meg Timmons has loved the raking Hart for years but as a wallflower not only doesn't she fit the requirements that Hart has set down, but she comes from a family that is involved in a feud with Hart's family. Meg is taken under the wing of a matchmaker who transforms her into the belle of the ball who knows she desperately needs to marry someone to save her family from ruin -- even as she only wants the one man she knows she cannot have.

OPINION: I like the combination of humor and drama that is part of this book. There is also a fairy tale aspect (Cinderella) combined with a bit of Romeo and Juliet (without the teenage death).

There is a sweetness to this story as Hart and Meg get to know one another as he is supposed to be helping her find a husband. After first noticing that she is a beautiful woman, he actually gets to know her as a person. At the same time, Meg had a crush on Hart that becomes love as the two dance and laugh and get to know one another.

I really liked Meg who is a genuinely nice person who cares about those around her. But she also makes mistakes as the story demonstrates. Hart is described as a rogue and a rake, but we actually don't get to see much of that but rather he shows a very nice and gentle side for most of the story.

In other hands this might have been a light and fluffy romance, but the darkness and dysfunctional parents of the hero and heroine and Hart's own history brings some hard moments into this story, but things stay on the lighter side. This story is not dark so those that prefer their historical romance a bit lighter will enjoy this one. There were scenes where I laughed out loud at the interactions.

My only complaint about the book is that I thought that the resolution of the story demanded a little more than what we got. The conflict was so acute at that point that I expected a more dramatic resolution -- or perhaps the break seemed to demand something more. Despite this, I enjoyed this book and I especially liked seeing characters from the series.

WORTH MENTIONING: Hiccups.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE RIGHT KIND OF ROGUE is the eighth book in the Playful Brides series. This book can be read on its own, but there are a number of cross-over characters (especially from THE LEGENDARY LORD) so I think the book is more enjoyable read as part of the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

The review will be published on the blog and on retailer sites on 10/31.

Love, lust and pixie dust is a pipe dream when the keeper of your heart is the enemy of your family. The Right Kind of Rogue is a tale of two hearts seeking to become one, in the face of chaos and adversity. For Meg, Hart is her fate. For Hart, Meg is a dangerous temptation. Caught in the middle of raging feud and a blistering inferno of their own making, can a love written in the stars survive the aftermath? It's like walking through a fairy tale and finding a great piece of literature.

This was a deliciously adorable book!

I absolutely loved Meg and Hart’s story. They are both set on marrying, Hart to a woman who could provide a healthy dowry, and Meg to Hart. With the help of a friend, Meg sets out to win Hart’s heart.

Hart hasn’t had a very good example of what a healthy marriage looks like so he’s willing to settle. However, as he watches Meg move from being a wallflower to the main attraction of the ton, he finds himself falling more and more under her spell. Of course, he’s just trying to help her out. She’s not the kind of woman he’ll one day marry. And then in the midst of scheming and passion, the unthinkable happens…with help from Meg’s friend.

This is a fast paced read with fun, sassy secondary characters and a great hero and heroine. Meg is learning to stand up for what she wants and Hart is learning, albeit slowly, what love and jealousy feel like.

I haven’t read anything by this author before and I was quite entertained from beginning to end. The fact that he didn’t really see her until she became a butterfly doesn’t really play into this so don’t let that dissuade you. Read it and you’ll see.

This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

Dual POV
Safe – some ow/om drama but it’s not much
No apparent triggers

Very cute historical romance with a charming hero and an endearing heroine. Coming from feuding families makes this pair even more attractive. Fun, quick read.

We all know what Cinderella had to go through before she even tasted the breath of happiness. We also know the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. How their love was a tragedy for the ages. Thanks, Shakespeare! Because of your gift of writing tragedies, there are those authors today who has the gift of taking tragedies and spinning them into romance. And one of those authors would be Valerie Bowman.
In her story, The Right Kind of Rogue. Tells a story of the life of one Meg Timmons who has loved one Viscount Hart Highgate. But she would not be giving the chance to express that love for Hart for just like Romeo and Juliet their family was enemies. But unlike Romeo and Juliet… Meg has two willing souls willing to assist her to achieve what Meg wanted most.
With a somewhat Fairy godmother and a friend who happens to be the sister of her love, Meg achieves her wish. However, not without incident. For when one matching scheme went wrong, it seems that Hart and Meg are destined to live a miserable life like their parents. Unless Meg can come up with a strategy to finally get Hart to realize that there Happily Ever After is just a touch away.
Thanks to Valerie Bowman we get to see what Romeo and Juliet life would have looked like if they had just one person willing to buck the norm.

What's a wallflower to do? Meg Timmons hasn't had a new gown since the beginning of her first Season, and with her spendthrift father deep in debt, she isn't likely to get one this season either. Her chances for marriage diminishing by the day, she falls into utter despair when her best friend Sarah lets drop the fact that Sarah's older brother Hart plans to select a bride.

Hart Highgate needs a bride to satisfy his demanding father; preferably a wealthy, compliant, beautiful one who will provide the required heir sooner rather than later. Meg Timmons, impoverished daughter of his father's enemy, is the last girl he should be considering as a potential marriage prospect.

Enter an interfering duchess who fancies herself a matchmaker, and suddenly Meg is transformed from the dowdy girl on the outskirts of the ballroom to a diamond of the Ton. Hart can't possibly marry her, but he can't take his eyes off her either.

Meg's plight becomes urgent when her father's debtors become insistent. She has just weeks to secure a marriage proposal from someone - anyone - before her family must flee to the Continent. The problem is, the only man she's ever even considered is Hart, and he doesn't seem to have marriage in mind.

This is an absolute delight of a book; I was rooting for Meg to get her happily ever after from the very beginning. Hart was an absolute darling who never even suggested she was being overly dramatic; after a bad experience with a fortune-hunter in the past he didn't exactly take the duchess' meddling well, but he also got over himself and did a fabulous grovel to Meg once he'd realized the error of his ways.

The Right Kind Of Rogue is the kind of Cinderella story where the prince suddenly realizes what he wants has been right under his nose all along. I couldn't stop smiling for ages after I finished reading it. Five stars.

Margaret (Meg) and Sarah have been friends since childhood. At one time their parents were best friends, but that has changed. Now the two sets of parents are enemies. At the age of 16, Meg fell in love with Sarah's brother Hart. He defended her to her mother who was emotionally abusing Meg, one more time.

Now after 3 seasons of being a poverty stricken wallflower with no marriage offer, Meg has decided to make a final effort to get Hart to pay attention and possibly offer for her.

Hart is the heir to an earl. He has been considered a rogue because he talks about going against his father's wishes at every turn. From what I saw, not so much. Hart has lived his life by being self indulgent and being generally happy to go his own way.

He has never noticed Meg except as the best friend of his younger sister.

Now that Sarah is married and many of his good friends are married, he has decided to find a wife. He has no expectations of a love match. He wants a bride who will not be too much of a bother and come from the right kind of background.

When Meg speaks to her friend the Duchess, she finds someone who will plot scenarios to help her capture Hart's heart.

Ms Bowman writes a lovely story. Although this is the 8th in a series, it works fine as a stand alone read.

The plotting is well done. At times, some of the actions by some characters seemed to be rather frustrating to me. Hart talks about defying his father, but the woman who broke his heart is a woman his father picked for him. Meg starts out as a shy wallflower but by mid book she is reading the riot act to people when she is in disagreement. Both sets of parents are really monsters and over the top about their behavior. Sarah, who is Meg's best friend has no desire to help Meg find the happiness she seeks.

In spite of all the times I wanted to slap somebody, I enjoyed the book. That is all due to Ms Bowman and her skill and ability to create an entertaining story.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

Review of "The Right Kind of Rogue" by Valerie Bowman.

ARC kindly provided by publisher on Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I have a deep love for rakes noticing and falling for wallflowers, and if the wallflower has been someone the rake has always known but never bothered to KNOW, even better.

However, this book left me feeling rather unsatisfied. First of all I found both H and h to be a bit immature. I think over the years I have come to REALLY appreciate heroes and heroines who are decisive and strong-minded - different to strong-willed because that sometimes borders on immaturity as well. Knowing what you want - of life, of your partner, your work or leisure - and taking firm steps to go for it - is super hot and sexy. I found Hart and Meg to be a bit lacking when it comes to this.

At times, I felt I was reading about teens in their first "real" relationship, with a few of their close teenage friends coming up with overly dramatic/ zealous ideas to help them out in the path towards true love.

So, at the end of the day, in spite of the premise based on one of my favourite tropes, it just did not work for me.

For the quite easy-to-read flow of the language in the story, a 3 star.

What a cute, easy read! It flowed really well & I enjoyed the characters. Highly recommend to any historical romance lovers like me!

The Right Kind of Rogue is the 8th book in The Playful Brides Series but it can be read as a standalone book.
Viscount Hart Highgate is ready to find a wife; preferably, a beautiful women of nobility with a large dowry. And why shouldn’t he? He comes from a very noble and wealthy family.
Meg Timmons has almost given up trying to find a husband because her father had gambled away all the family’s wealth. She has no dowry. When Megan found out that Hart was looking for a wife, she became very upset. Meg has loved Hart since she was 16 years old. Meg’s best friend, Sarah, who is also Hart’s younger sister loves Meg like a sister, but Sarah has said that Hart would not even consider Meg as a wife.
Meg enlists Lucy Hunt to help her with a plan to win Hart’s affection and hopefully become his wife. How will this plan play out? Will it be a failure or a success? You will have to read the book to find out what happens.
I recommend this book as a light and easy read. You won’t want to put it down once you start reading it. I like the way the author makes the reader seem as if they are a part of the plan and are friends with all the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for a fair and unbiased review.

Publisher's Description:

Can two star-crossed lovers come together—until death do they part?

Viscount Hart Highgate has decided to put his rakish ways behind him and finally get married. He may adore a good brandy or a high-speed carriage race, but he takes his duties as heir to the earldom seriously. Now all he has to do is find the right kind of woman to be his bride—ideally, one who’s also well-connected and well-funded. . .

Meg Timmons has loved Hart, the brother of her best friend, ever since she was an awkward, blushing schoolgirl. If only she had a large dowry—or anything to her name at all. Instead, she’s from a family that’s been locked in a bitter feud with Hart’s for years. And now she’s approaching her third London season, Meg’s chances with him are slim to none. Unless a surprise encounter on a deep, dark night could be enough to spark a rebellious romance. . .for all time?

Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides novels are:

“Wholly satisfying.”—USA Today
“Smart and sensual…readers will be captivated.”—RT Book Reviews “Smoldering.” —Booklist

My Thoughts:

This whole series to date has been a winner! I love the main characters and the background characters too. Who can't love Lucy with her meddling, matchmaking ways?

Star crossed lovers? OK they aren't Romeo and Juliette but their story comes close.

Viscount Hart Highgate has decided to give up his rakish ways and settle down. Now he just has to find a bride.

Meg Timmons has loved Hart, the older brother of her best friend since she was sixteen. Now that he has decided to finally find a bride, will she be able to get him to notice her or will he still look at her as the bumbling young girl who trailed after him?

Their families have carried on a feud for years and their parents aren't likely to let a match between them go forth into a Happily Ever After.

Can these two overcome their families animosity for each other and find a love that endures?

As usual with this entire series Valerie Bowman has not failed to entertain me. If there is another book in the works for this series I am looking forward to it also.
I gave this book 4.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 3.75 of 5.0 flames.
Their intimacy was saved until near the end of this book but I found it both sweet and sensual.
I receive a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read.
This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

The Right Kind of Rogue by Valerie Bowman was a fun read. It contained all the key elements for a good historical romance: secretly loving someone for years, secrets kept from each other, jumping to conclusions, waltzing and forced marriages. Oh and hot sex…

Viscount Hart Highgate has decided it is time to get married. He needs a woman of good lineage, a strong dowry and someone his parents think is acceptable. Too bad Meg Timmons doesn’t meet any of the requirements. She has been in love with him since she was sixteen. Meg and Sarah (Hart’s sister) are best friends. The families are feuding and Meg is as poor as a churchmouse with a father who gambles. Sarah and another friend Lucy are willing to help Meg get noticed and married, but it probably won’t be Hart.

I enjoyed the storyline. I found the mix-ups, plans and confusion fun to read. I felt so badly for Meg and was very glad Lucy and Sarah pitched in to help her! Valerie Bowman’s book The Right Kind of Rogue was a good read.

I have loved all the Playful Brides books and this one is no exception. I loved the book, the characters, and the writing. I read this book while traveling and even with the interruptions I could hardly put it down. I read it straight through.

Hart Highgate is a Viscount in his own right as well as being the heir to an Earldom. He drinks too much, lives recklessly, loves horses and horse racing and has absolutely no good thoughts about marriage. When you meet his parents, you quickly understand why he doesn’t look forward to marriage. However, he has decided that this is the season he will choose a wife.

Meg Timmons is the daughter of an impoverished Baron. She is in her third season and has worn the same three gowns all three seasons, her gloves are graying and her slippers are fraying. She’s also madly, desperately, totally in love with her best friend’s brother – Hart Highgate. However, Hart doesn’t even know she is alive and even if he did, she wouldn’t be his choice for a bride. His family would never allow it because her family and his family are bitter enemies.

Sarah, Hart’s sister and the heroine from book 6, The Legendary Lord, is determined to find a match for Meg this season. Sarah knows that Meg loves Hart, but she also believes that Hart is not the right man for Meg. She knows that Hart doesn’t look forward to marriage nor does he have any respect for it. Hart, Sarah is sure, will break Meg’s heart. So she sets out to find a good match for her friend.

When Meg learns that Hart has determined to marry this season, she knows she is out of time, so she asks Lucy Hunt, Duchess of Claringdon to help her win Hart. However, she makes Lucy promise that there will be no trapping Hart into marriage. Meg only wants it to be a real loving marriage and if Hart feels the same.

Lucy, as in every book, is over the top. She believes she is always right and expects everybody to go along with her. Actually, she really is usually right. However, this time, she really hurts both Meg and Hart and almost destroys any chance they have of making a successful match.

Meg and Hart’s HEA is very hard won and you begin to wonder if it will really happen. Both are stubborn as they can be and both families are against them. I liked both of the characters and was really rooting for them and their relationship.

In the interest of being frank here – the forms of address and the casual way they speak and refer to each other is totally off base. I know that Lucy and the others are supposed to be ‘unconventional’, but unconventional in that time period would still not be so casual.

Now, I am already anxiously awaiting the next book in the series – especially so I can get an update on what is going on with Hart and Meg!


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

The story of Hart and Meg have some similar features to Romeo and Juliet, as they often say, luckily with a different ending. But to get to the happily ever after the road is complicated and sometimes there are misunderstanding, so I really appreciate the story because the author takes her time and doesn't rush the end as sometimes happens.

La storia di Hart e Meg assomiglia per certi versi a quella di Romeo e Giulietta, come spesso dicono anche loro, fortunatamente l'epilogo é diverso. Per arrivare al lieto fine comunque, la strada é ardua e ci sono anche parecchi fraintendimenti nel percorso, quindi mi é piaciuta questa storia fondamentalmente perché l'autrice si prende il suo tempo e non affretta il finale come spesso capita.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

2.5 stars. Hmmm - I hate to say it, but I've been just a little disappointed with this series lately. Maybe it's me. I'm just finding some of these scenarios a little too far-fetched. The characters are ok, although Lucy was a little annoying at times. The parents of the leads are ridiculous. There is a particular scene at the end that I just can't buy. Maybe some more maturity in the characters is needed.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**