Member Reviews
Historical romances are best when the heroine is smart and feisty. The Rogue Is Back In Town does not disappoint. Julliette is a fierce 'mama bear' trying to provide stability for her family. Sam is trying to get back in good graces with his family. Both characters will have you rooting for them. But each one has secrets that may doom the romance from the start. The twist of being caught between brothers adds extra spice.
Sweet romance meets sparking attraction and you will enjoy this.
The Rogue Is Back in Town is a good fit for readers looking for a lighthearted and playful Regency-era romance with a strong-willed heroine and a charming, roguish hero.
Eh, this book was not my cup of tea. I really don’t enjoy “love triangle” tropes and it was even weirder that the male MCs were brothers. It’s a shame because I enjoyed the other books in the series but this one was a miss for me.
Unfortunately, this one didn't entirely work for me and I'm really bummed about it.
I did really like the characters in general as persons, but their behaviour just was strange sometimes I think. So much, too much I mean, happens/develops within just 10 days and the range of emotions within just 10 days just feels a bit unbelievable to me.
The first part of the book, including the meet cute part, was okay for me and had me looking forward to the rest but the development that came after this just wasn't my cup of tea in this one. I just couldn't get on terms with it.
Of course I do think that this book is one you should pick up when the synopsis looks like something you'd want to read, because every reader experiences a book differently of course.
I usually like second-son books. This one is decent, but doesn't knock the ball out of the park. I did enjoy the reparte. Anna Bennett is good at dialogue -- making it very enjoyable.
One of the most boring books I've read so far. I really gave it more than one try. I cannot tell you why it's boring - i think its the complete package. I read a few books by Bennett and I always liked them bus this one just didnt do it for me.
This was not a fave for me. I thought the plot was predictable and slow. The characters were a little bit interesting but overall, I wasn't wowed. This is my first book from this author.
Juliette Lacey has a problem. A problem in the form of the rakish brother of the marquess she once foolishly thought herself in love with standing on her doorstep and demanding that she and her elderly uncle vacate the only home they'd ever known. Desperate, she and the rogue, one Samuel Travis, come to an agreement -- he'll give her time to discover just who owns the little house while she gives him a roof over his head. After all, he's kind of homeless and penniless and maybe, just maybe, a little reckless.
This is a really cute, steamy Regency romance from a new-to-me author. While this is the third in a series, I didn't feel like I was missing out. The book definitely can stand on its own. I loved the characters, especially the adorable Uncle Allistair. I could understand why his nieces were so protective of him. He's too pure for this world. I adored his little malapropisms and his obsession with the Thames' cleanliness. Juliette was a nice heroine. Definitely not TSTL, which was a nice change of pace. I liked that she found solutions on her own. Agency is good! Sam was a good hero. Not conventional, which I appreciated. At the start of the story, he's a wastrel. A rake. A scoundrel. He's got a hell of a ways to go to be redeemed and boy howdy was the journey fun.
The overarching plot was engaging and the breadcrumbs are there to follow.
I'll definitely be checking out more from this author!
Five stars.
This was such a fun book to read. I loved Julia from the earlier books. she wanted a white knight to woo her. She instead got the brother of the knight she was in love with. He was a scoundrel and broke. It was a good entertaining read and I enjoyed the ending with all of them back together
and enjoying a holiday.
This was a fairly good read. The story relates to a second son trying to make his way in the world and his brother who has the title, being the jerk in the story. This book doesn't have any swearing, a little sex, but mostly it's about how the second son is taken with a young lady while out to do an errand for the titled brother.
I liked the story, except the romance developed far too quickly. The time element within the story was very short because it had to be to fit into the pages. There was a villain and the good guy. The female protagonist was the damsel in distress.
The writing was good but the sequence of events kind of spoiled it for me.
Amazingly rare and equally delectable! The heroine is everything a romance reader could wish for and the hero...smolderingly devilish! Yes! This is the type of book that makes lasting impressions in a readers mind! I highly recommend The Rogue is Back in Town, along with the previous books in this series.
A Victorian romance about a strong-willed woman and a second son of a Lord. Trying to get back in his brother’s good graces, Sam is tasked with removing Juliette and her uncle the house they live in that his brother claims to own. There is immediate chemistry between them. Nigel, Sam’s brother, is less upstanding than people believe and wants Juliette as his mistress. Luckily, Sam wants to change his roguish ways to win Juliette’s love.
I really wanted to like this book but gosh... Julie was tiring. I think she was meant to be stubborn and cheeky, perhaps even funny but I think her character was a miss on all fronts. She was hard to like and to have empathy for. Then there was Sam. His roguish ways didn’t do it for me either. I love rakes/rogues on historical romances but Sam just didn’t live up to it or what his character was meant to be.
I really enjoyed this book. The Characters had a good chemistry between them. Thanks to Netgalley, for allowing me to review this book. My opinion is my own.
The Rogue is Back in Town is the third book in the Wayward Wallflowers series by Anna Bennett. While I have not read the earlier books in the series, I still understood the read. There are some references that will make more sense to those that have been following the series, but newcomers will catch on.
Equal parts scoundrel and seducer, he’s returned to London determined to mend the rift with his older brother. All Sam must do is take possession of a tumbledown town house. A seemingly simple task, except the house is occupied—by an infuriating, whip-smart beauty who refuses to do his bidding. Miss Juliette Lacey’s wallflower days are over. She has a plan to turn her eccentric family into the toast of the ton—but the devilishly handsome rake trying to oust them from their home thwarts her at every turn. How can one man be so vexing and make her simmer with desire? As her attraction to Sam deepens, Julie’s problems grow—she may have, once upon a time, secretly shared a kiss with his honorable older brother. Suddenly, Julie’s caught between a rogue and a marquess, between passion and respectability. Torn between two brothers, what’s a girl to do?
The Rogue is Back in Town is a historical romance with truly manipulative and despicable bad guy. Juliette is intelligent and independent, but more naive than she can admit. I liked her spunk when dealing with the situations she finds herself in, and in her conversations. However, I find her decision making to be frustrating and occasionally rage inducing. Sam is a good guy, despite his reputation as a rake and a rogue. He has done more than his fair share of gambling, carousing, and more- but he is honest about his failings and owns his mistakes. I really liked his character, aside from the fact that he is unwilling to lay blame on the one person that really deserves it through most of the book- and is ready to give up and in way too easily. I liked the couple's banter, and the way they each interact with Julie's uncle. There is so much about these characters to enjoy that I had trouble dealing with the cause of all the conflict and how completely irredeemable he was through the entire book. The fact that his actions are likely to have been done by some in reality- made it no easier to bear, since he faced no consequence. It left me more than a little frustrated and unsatisfied with the story.
The Rogue is Back in Town is a book with entertaining characters and conflict, but a bad guy that had me wanting to hurl the book across the room. Getting such an emotional response is good writing, but the bitter aftertaste does not leave me looking for more.
The Rogue Is Back in Town is the third book in The Wayward Wallflowers series by Anna Bennett.
Samuel and Nigel are brothers, the former a Lord, the latter a Marquess. They have never had a good relationship, and things haven't changed for the better since their father died 12 months ago. Nigel despairs of Sam ever changing his ways, giving up his womanising and partying and after one particularly bad night where Sam pushes things too far Nigel loses his temper. He kicks Sam out of the house and cuts off his money. The only way he will allow him to return home is if he moves into one of their father's occupied properties and kicks out the current tenant who has no claim to the place. Sam isn't happy about being kicked out but he figures he will be back home in 24 hours, surely it won't be difficult to evict the person living there now.
Juliette Lacey lives with her eccentric uncle and her one desire is to make society stop ridiculing him. He may be eccentric but he's a wise man and has spent his life researching many things.
Juliette and her 2 sisters were always known as wallflowers because of her Uncle's eccentricity, but the elder two found wonderful, powerful husbands so it's left to Julie to look after her Uncle. It isn't a hardship because she loves him with all of her heart. Her uncle loves her as much and his dearest wish is for her to find a husband. They are both content with their lives as they are so it comes as a massive shock when Sam turns up on their doorstep demanding entrance and also giving them notice to immediately leave the house. At least he says as much to Julie, her Uncle is in the study which is a good thing because Julie pleads for time to prove that she and her uncle have a right to be living in the house. She doesn't want her uncle to know because it will upset him dreadfully. Sam's not as hard-hearted as Nigel and gives her some time. Time in which he admits to himself that he is seriously attracted to her, and time in which he realises that her Uncle is a wonderful, clever man. He wants to do all he can to help them both, but also wants to try to keep Nigel happy because he is the only family that Sam has left now.
So that's how our couple meets, certainly not the best circumstances. Added to that is the fact that Julie knows Nigel, and after one passionate kiss with him a while ago she thought herself in love with him. He didn't seek her out after that one kiss though, and Julie was left heartbroken. It's with great shock that she finds herself feeling greatly attracted to Sam despite what he is trying to do on Nigel's behalf. An even bigger surprise is when she learns that Nigel actually still lusts after her, and pretty much gives her a chance to keep the house if she becomes his mistress! It's not long before she learns that Nigel isn't the decent man that she thought he was, and that Sam isn't the scoundrel that society says that he is. She wouldn't mind losing the house if it was only her she had to worry about, but she doesn't want to uproot her Uncle. Should she take up Nigel's offer? She doesn't want to, especially as she finds herself falling in love with Sam. There really seems no to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Or is there?
This book was a delight to read. Poor Julie was put in such a dilemma as was Sam and all for the sake of the supposedly kind, well-bred Marquess, Nigel. He didn't need the money from the sale of the house, or the house itself, he didn't need to involve Sam, he is an out and out wastrel. Watching Julie and Sam's relationship develop, including some very passionate yet romantic lovemaking was really sweet. Never knowing how they could stop Nigel in his tracks was worrying and I couldn't read quickly enough to find out how our couple could get their happy ending. OK, a time or two in the book I thought the actions of the characters, Nigel, in particular, may not have been plausible, but it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers' copy of this book.
Rogue Sam is given the task by his brother to empty a rundown house or be cut off. Sam agrees but is surprised when the occupant of the house, Miss Juliette Lacey refuses to leave. She believes the property belongs to her family while Sam and his brother are sure that it belongs to them. Determined not to fail in his task, Sam decides to move in to the ramshackle house. After all, the house belongs to his brother and it would not be a hardship to live under the same roof as the attractive Julie. What Sam doesn't realise is that Julie has a past with his brother.
I was really intrigued by this whole storyline. Julie and Sam have a clear attraction to one another but she kissed his brother a while back. I found the whole "decent brother, scoundrel brother" part cliche at first but it played out wonderfully.
This was a great read and I enjoyed it immensely. I'm only sad that it took me so long to finish this book because I was in a book slump. Definitely give this a try if you enjoy historical romance fiction
I love Anna Bennett historical romances! There's always a nice touch of angst in a sexy story.
Fun escape to regency goodness - full of witty and sparkling dialogue and steamy and romantic moments.. Recommend!
No reading disappointment compares to a book that starts with fireworks of promise only to crash and burn like a petering petard. Sadly, such was Anna Bennett’s The Rogue Is Back In Town. I was excited after the first chapter (with its promise of early-Julia-Quinn-like humour); half-way through, I had a lip-twisting downward trend to my mouth; by 70% in, I was into full eye-roll and exasperated sighs territory.
First, let me set the scene for you, dear reader. In 1818 London, Lord Samuel Travis, fortune-less younger son, is the bane of his older brother’s existence: carousing, brawling, and neglecting debts. Older brother Nigel, heir and anti-prodigal son, sets Samuel an ultimatum: out of their home and into a property Nigel wishes to sell. Unfortunately, said property has an uncle and niece living in it, thanks to their deceased father’s largesse. Samuel must oversee their eviction and ensure the property is ready for sale. Can you see it coming, dear reader? Yes, Sam meets the adorable, malapropism-spouting Uncle Alistair and beautiful Miss Juliette Lacey and falls in love. Sam and Alistair get on like a house on fire and Juliette and Sam, initial resentful bantering aside, follow suit. In a word, dear reader, they bond, full of affection and family-like feelings, with a strong dose of lustful yearnings on Sam and Juliette’s part.
Bennett’s Rogue started out so well. It was witty and downright hooting-laughter-inducing in others (Sam spying on Juliette and a trellis giving way … priceless). In particular, I enjoyed Uncle Alistair’s malapropisms and Sam and Juliette’s banter, when he arrives to inform her of Nigel’s eviction, for example:
Lord Travis swooped over the tray, plucking a scone off the platter like some audacious bird of prey … Lord Travis helped himself to a second scone and was plunking sugar cubes into his tea. “Shall I pour for you?” he asked. “Is there anything left?” she replied wryly. “Forgive me. I hadn’t broken my fast, but I’m already feeling more human.” “If only you could behave like one,” she muttered uncharitably. “Do not count on it, tigress,” he said … ”
In contrast, Juliette’s care for her uncle and Sam’s confession about how much he misses his father elicit warm, fuzzy feelings. I thought, warm-heartedly glowing at the novel, this is great good fun, a bit silly, but most entertaining!
Sadly, this is Bennett’s sole conceit. And relying on a conceit for a nigh-300-page novel … well, it just can’t take you very far. A writer must either aim for some depth, or, and this is what happens here, rely on a plot-laden narrative. Enter the Big Mis. And then, another one, a Big Mis for the Big Mis so to speak. Ah, but the author is now in a quandary. She needs conflict … enter a moustache-twirling-Perils-Of-Pauline villain. He even has a “menacing laugh.” Frankly, the romance’s last third is a disaster and not only because of what I mentioned previously. I could forgive all if I still loved Juliette and Sam. But Juliette and Sam undergo bizarrely head-spinning character changes. It’s rare, but, yes, dear readers, it happens here … I can say BOTH hero and heroine were TSTL. By the end, I could see that Bennett was trying to say something about appearance and reality and hypocrisy, laudable themes all. The execution, on the other hand, left much to be desired. With Miss Austen, I say that The Rogue Is Back In Town was “downright labour,” Emma.
Anna Bennett’s The Rogue Is Back In Town is published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks. It was released on January 2nd and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-ARC from St. Martin’s Paperbacks, via Netgalley.