I thought this was a lovely fun story to while away the afternoon. Sam is a rogue who loves his family and wants to make amends and realizes that love and hard work goes a long way in personal happiness. Julie is the quintessential good girl (mostly) who looks after her uncle and patiently helps him get along in life. When these two meet it is fireworks but she has a past with Sam’s brother Nigel, the marquess. Now she is conflicted in who she is more attracted to, Sam the bad boy or Nigel the good marquess. Is Nigel as upstanding as he portrays? What I liked about the story is Sam’s progression from a rogue who only wants his own pleasure to wanting to help others by helping himself.

what is a rogue? They are womanizing,gambling, and debauchery committed by a male member of the human race Lord Samuel Travis is considered one of these. He has spent a lot of time on the continent and has recently returned. Miss Juliette Lacey is the last of the three Lacey sisters who is not married. She spends her time taking care of her Uncle Alistair.
This is really quite a neat story. Julie has agreed to go to a ball and she meets Nigel, a marquess. He kisses her her and she think she cares for him. But as time goes along and he does not pay her a call, she realizes he doesn't care. The descriptions are wonderful and the dialogue follows along nicely. There are a few twists to the plot but it is so good. Poor uncle is afraid when they are evicted. Julie and Sam meet and feelings are off the charts. A marvalous tale of love finding a way. Beautifully written, easy to read, and evenly paced. I loved this book and can hardly wait for the next .
I received this ARC from Net Gally and reviewed it voluntarily.

By order of his brother, the marquess, Samuel must evict Juliette and her uncle from their home or he will be thrown out to the streets and have his allowances cut off for being a rake and a disgrace. But Juliette is willing to fight for her rights and won’t give up. This is a story of fight at first sight, but she doesn’t know that he’s only the messenger; the ruthless marquess whom she kissed once at a party is the one to blame.

Julie lives with her uncle Alastair who suffers from (I suspect) early stages of senile dementia. She needs proof that Sam’s brother is the actual owner of the house they live in so she demands that the brothers show said proof. In the meanwhile she won’t tell her uncle and be a cause of distraught. Julie is very protective of her uncle, but with her sisters unavailable at the moment, she is very much alone.

Sam realizes that it would be better if Julie and himself worked together for the common good, that they both would have a place to live in. For the time being he asks her to give him shelter for he has nowhere to go. Of course she doesn’t know about this fact so he convinces her to live in the same house. Little does he know that this is the first step to his own reformation. His days as a rogue are over.

So Julie finds a way for Sam to live with them without having brows raised at them, he will be uncle Alastair’s assistant and will help him organize his work in order to present it before the Royal Society of Sciences. It is the work of a lifetime so the task will be neither easy nor short-lived.

Julie and Sam’s brother, Nigel, had that one kiss once, and she felt quite overwhelmed by it, but he never called on her afterwards… how will he react when he knows that he is about to have that woman out on the streets? Her wrath will fall onto him when they meet again! Will Sam get the blow just by standing in the middle of them?

This is also a story of two men wearing masks, the elder brother has a perfect mask and the younger wears the face of a rogue, a rake, someone who you wouldn’t trust at first sights. But the thing with masks is that they hide the real faces, none of them is what they seem. And it will be up to Juliette to describe truth from fake. And the reader will do the same along with her. But probably just as with our lovely, fierce, strong Julie, we will see the truth at first sight, what will be the task then? She and we will have to demonstrate that we were right from the beginning.

Although the year is not over yet I think I can say that this was for me one of the best new historical romance novels of the year. It’s not the best but it comes as close as it can. It is not only an incredibly beautifully written sweet love story between a man and a woman, but also a story about love for what it is important in life, the family. Juliette has a family she wants to protect at all costs; Sam’s family, his only brother, is estranged and severed and he longs to make peace just because he promised his late father, and because he’s alone in the World. This is important because it’s both their strength and their weakness, and unless they consider themselves a family, they won’t be able to create one.

The bed scenes are sweet and sexy but I must remark the almost-first-kiss. It is one of the best and sexiest almost-first-kisses I’ve ever read about; usually they would make me feel frustrated (as one or both the characters would feel) and wanting more, but it left me wanting more though not frustrated. That isn’t an easy thing to achieve. And the other particular thing I must remark is the fact that the male character realizes his feelings earlier than expected and before his female counterpart does, although of course the feelings were there from almost the beginning. But having a man’s feelings so sure and decided so early, when usually he would be confused for many chapters, is something that I find pleasantly refreshing.

Sam was my favourite character. I loved Julie and uncle Alastair very much, don’t get me wrong. But I felt a connection with Sam almost immediately. Perhaps it is because his brother had him kicked out of their home like a dog in the first chapter and from then he begins his path to redemption. But I did love him, and I did want to protect him. He had so much to deal with and it would mean a revisit of his own past and the reasons why he’s a rogue, how did he end up like this. Given that past he should have been careless and cold and hard hearted but instead he’s caring, lovely and supportive to the last breathe, you only have to look at how he helps uncle Alastair in his endeavours when everyone says he’s a madman. And he supports Julie despite the fact that at some point it seems that she’s chosen his brother…

I could go on forever commenting the different things that I liked about this novel but instead I prefer to get myself all of Anna Bennett’s books and read them.

Oh, and there’s one thing, or rather one person I really hated and that was Nigel. I hated him so much that I think he was perfect as a ruthless antagonist/nemesis. So just because of that I should like him but I loathe him instead, and I can’t help it. Aunt Elspeth would approve.

The story line had promise, but I wasn't impressed with either Sam or Juliette. He was too quick to change from a rake and she was idiotic with her choices not to contact either of her brother-in-laws with as serious of a situation that they had. Bad choice to wear the earing's, which was a sure sign that she accepted Sam's brother's offer. I also didn't like how the ending came about. There was no epilogue that wrapped up any of the problems still in effect.

I do not normally read books like this one, but I agreed when the publisher asked me if I would. In this story, Juliette Lacey, who is caring for her ailing uncle, is living with him in a house her uncle is sure he owns. However, Samuel Travis has been sent by his brother Nigel, who also is sure he owns the house, to evict Juliette and her uncle, so he can sell the house. What follows is a mixed-up tale of two people who seem to be working at odds but may really be working to figure out what is going on in their own lives. Juliette hopes to make her family important, and needs the house to help her in that endeavor. She finds Lord Samuel Travis a desirable man, though he is a known rake. As things progress, Juliette finds herself in a quandary. She has shared a kiss with Sam’s older brother Nigel and now must contend with this and with Sam, to figure out how she can work her life out to possibly include Sam, while continuing with her own game plan—and contend with his brother’s manipulating offers/desires that include her.

This is an okay book, if you enjoy these type romances. I kept reading the book, though, as I said, I normally do not read this sort of book, mostly because I agreed to read and review it. The characters were all well done, though none impressed me. I am not sure whether I liked the character Juliette or the way she handled things. The two brothers presented an interesting contrast, though nothing stuck out about either of them. If you like this sort of romance story, this book will appeal to you—or if you have read and enjoyed others in the series. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

Wish it were longer or maybe it just felt like it flew by. Ferocious, funny, and full of heart

2.5 Stars

I am a bit sad, that this didn't work for me.
Look this is okay. It's not terrible or horrible or anything. It's just kinda too fluffy for me.
I honestly didn't expect anything else. It's in line with the series.
So I am not sure if it is just me. You know, after reading two romances with some heavy subjects, maybe I wasn't in the frame of mind for a lighthearted historical romp?
But then there is also the fact that I couldn't connect to either MC. I didn't get their chemistry or attraction for most of the book. I found some of the drama a bit annoying but mostly very predictable.
This though it is quite well put together, not badly written and all, just didn't gel with me.
Might be a case of me not feeling it right now or maybe ever.
I think, if you looking for a light-hearted historical romance and don't mind a wee bit of cliche, give it a go.

The Rogue is Back in Town by Anna Bennett

⭐️⭐️

Probably three stars for the first bit of the book and maybe two for the rest.

Lord Samuel Travis is given the task of clearing tenants out of one of his brother's properties in order to get back in good graces with said brother. He is surprised and delighted to find Miss Juliette Lacey and her eccentric uncle living at the property. Julie and Sam must fight their attraction to each other if they both want to get what they want.

So their meet cute was great and they were adversaries (something I love in a romance) for all of two seconds before they allowed their attraction and lust to take over. Their first kiss seemed out of place and too soon after they met. And shortly after that Juliette threw propriety to the wind and let Sam have liberties with her. It just made the love story hard to believe and made it seem like they were more in lust.

The best part about the whole thing was the uncle.

The Rogue is Back in Town the third novel in The Wayward Wallflowers written by Anna Bennett and published under St. Martin’s Press, is a Historical romance which takes place in London, Fall in the year 1818. Samuel returned to London determined to mend the rift with his older brother Nigel, to do this the only thing he had to do was take possession of a townhome that once belonged to their father…simple enough. However, once he arrives at the derelict townhome and met one Juliet Lacey, Sam knew that this mission was anything but.
I never read the previous novels in the series. Maybe the bases behind me not enjoying the story as much if I had a little backstory. Not to say this book couldn’t be read as a stand-alone because it most certainly can. It just that the reference of what transpired between Juliet and the Marquess was thrown up several times during this novel that I felt I was left out on a grand secret. Too, this book was rather slow at the beginning and didn’t really pick up until about the middle. The chemistry between the two characters I didn’t really feel the attraction. If it wasn’t for the loveable and eccentric uncle this might have been a one-star review.

a wonderful intriguing romance with a dash of spice. Good solid book

Sam and Julie get off to a very rocky start. I love how protective Julie is of her family. The love story that develops between Julie and Sam is a delightful read that will have you eagerly turning the page to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed this book from Anna Bennett. It's the first of hers that I've read and after I read this I went to find the first two books in the series to read. The Rogue is Back in Town is the story of Sam and Juliette. Juliette is one of three sisters who had been dubbed a wallflower. Sam has been sent by his brother to evict her and her uncle from their house. Sam is determined to aid his brother in the hopes of repairing a rift between the brothers. What I really enjoyed about the story was the humor that was spread throughout the story. Juliette has real spunk and doesn't give up her house easily. There is heat that builds between her and Sam but it's the humor that I don't see as often in historical romances that made this book stand out for me and want to read more from Anna Bennett. The characters are fun and draw you in. There's no need to have read the other books first but there are minor references to the other sisters and that's what the other books in the series center around. Overall, light, easy, and humorous read that I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

An interesting story that I greatly enjoyed. The heroine is independent, strongwilled and has her own mind. The hero is a rake with a kind heart who just wants to please his brother but is too scandalous. Well written secondary characters and a fun plot line. Truly enjoyed this book and author. Look forward to reading more by her

Sam and Julie find their selfs in a tangle of mess. And Julie makes a bunch of bad choices and things get a lot worse before they find a way out.

I have truly enjoyed the Wayward Wallflower series, these ladies are not your damsel in distress nor are they your typical proper London young lady. They are brave, bold, unique and not afraid to speak their minds. They know what they want and are determined in their convictions. They are also fully supported by their family and close friends in these convictions which is what makes them an outsider by society standards but amazing in any one else's eyes.

In this story we have Juliette as our main character. She runs the home of her eccentric Uncle who took her and her sisters in when they were left alone in the world. While she is definitely young by any standards, she has given up on the thoughts of marriage especially after having her heart-broken by a man whom she thought was quite honourable.

Enter in Sam, who has one huge reputation with some of it earned and some of it not. His brother has given him one last task to redeem himself - evict the residents of a town home he has inherited. This home is Juliette's Uncles, which they believe was gifted to them on their marriage. What he fails to tell Sam, is that he has an infatuation with Juliette and kissed her the season before and left no promises.

As the plot develops, we see a new side of Sam and realize that things are not always as they seem. Those who seem honourable are actually out for blood and are hiding dark secrets. They would do anything to ruin anyone that steps in their way. Juliette begins a race against time to find the deed to the town house and prevent her Uncle's and her own life from crumbling apart. Sam has a huge decision to make - side with family or discover and honour the truth.

This was a well written and developed romance novel - the plot was very unique and fit the characters perfectly. This is one suspenseful romance you wont want to miss!

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This story moves at a good pace and kept me reading.The characters are well developed and interesting. Sam stands out to me as a hero. He knew when to step in to help but also when to step back to allow Julie to make her own decisions. Julie loves her family and will do anything to protect them. I love that the characters attempt to work things out and when things don’t go as planned, they keep trying and make the best of every situation.

The characters and the plot were engaging. I recommend this book.

I have not read any of the previous books in this series but that did not lessen my understand or enjoyment in this book. This book follows Samuel and Julie. Samuel is widely known for being a rogue and is finally kicked out by his brother and given the task of kicking out the man who lives in a property that his brother owns. Little does he know that he'll encounter the fiercely protective Julie living in the home with her uncle. From the moment they meet the sparks will fly.

I loved both Sam and Julie and quite frankly couldn't get enough of Uncle Alistair. I loved the chemistry between Sam and Julie from the start. While at times they did have little fights that I would consider stupid I did really enjoy the progression of their relationship.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the galley.

The Rouge is Back in Town ⭐️⭐️.5

Hide your daughters and your maiden aunts…Lord Samuel Travis is back.
―The London Hearsay, special society edition

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?

Personally I wasn’t thrilled with this book. The plot was predictable and fell a little flat. I couldn’t quite grasp why with her family connections the main character, Julie refuses to reach out. Instead she continues to bumble about creating more difficulties. My favorite parts of the book was the eccentric old uncle, his presence added just enough relief to make it worthwhile to finish the book.

The Rough is Back in Town can be read as a stand alone book or as book #3 of the Wayward Wallflowers series.

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you NetGalley!

I loved the uncle! Julie and Sam so so. Some of the dialogue is fun but what first turned me off was that almost half of the book happened on the first day. They met, Sam moves in with them, she goes to the party, Nigel shows up.. She is attracted to both brothers the same night! Too much happening in one day.

Did I say how much I hate TSTL heroines? ...and heroes too!

And here both of them would have won the Oscar for stupidity!

<img src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c8/25/24/c8252420a8a7df37bd97fb345d94c4d1--looney-tunes-characters-classic-cartoons.jpg"/>

He’s like a Pepe: so full of himself and his rakish ways! As soon as he sees the heroine he’s in deep lust and all kinds of dirty thought come up in his mind at any and every moment! It’s just to much!!!

She’s also in lust with him. Her lady’s bits are all aquake!

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But there’s his brother who wants her too! And the brother is not so honorable as everybody (and the hero) think! And he doesn’t want her for wife – he says to her clearly – he wants her for a mistress!

<img src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/70/ba/bb/70babba490193422beb9263cc1cb9298.jpg"/>

And what she does? She has to “think and gain time” so she says to him that she’ll consider his offer!!! O_O

And while she’s considering she falls in bed with the hero and soon after also in love!

And the hero, magically, thanks to her sweetness and hotness, transforms from rake to saint!

But, wait, he never weas a rake in his soul; he was just restless and felt unappreciated!

Oh, my god!!!

So, when I said I was bored it’s because during all the books 3 things happen:
1) She’s considering his brother’s offer from mistresshood;
2) They’re having sex
3) She’s discarding all the logical solutions to her problems

And that’s it!