Rogue Most Wanted by Janna MacGregor is the fifth book in the Cavensham Heiress Series. In each book we find interesting female leads with sometimes rather bold ideas for the times and the men whol fall totally in love with the women despite their efforts. In this particular novel, Lady Theodora Worth needs to marry but after being raised away from the ton and appropriate society’s activities she is unprepared. Her nearest neighbor would love to help her prepare to enter society as a lady to help her marry, but she would prefer her to marry Lord William Cavensham (the nearest neighbor’s nephew and heir). What a tangled web that turns out to be…

Lady Theodora Worth wants to be married, but also wants to make sure she does not lose her home. She needs help to save her property and a husband. Lord William Cavensham does not want to love anyone! He learned his lesson years ago and will not be drawn into that again. The story is a lark to read. I love how both agree that they shouldn’t wed, but they can’t stay away from each other. Rogue Most Wanted by Janna MacGregor was a fun romantic read!

Rogue Most Wanted by Janna MacGregor 5 stars

This is the newest entry in the Cavensham Heiresses series. Thea, the new Countess of Eanruig is a brand new character to this series. She is the granddaughter of the recently deceased Duke of Ferr-Colby. Lord Will Cavensham, who we have seen in previous books is now getting his own story.

Thea has spent the last seven years caring for her grandfather who appears to have suffered some form of dementia. Her Scottish title is under attack by the current Duke of Ferr-Colby because he wants the mineral rights of the Scottish estate. She has to go to London and defend her right to the title and protect her land and tenants. Having been with her grandfather for most of her life, she is unfamiliar with the ton and British aristocracy. Enter Ladies Stella and Edith her neighbors; they provide etiquette lessons and try to find a solution to her problem. Lady Stella sends an emergency SOS to Lord Will, her great nephew. He unwittingly walks into a matchmaking plot with the endgame being a happily married couple.

However, both individuals don't want to marry, but there is instant attraction and lots of denial. Throw in a jerk (Duke of Ferr-Colby), scandal sheets and a missing charter and you have a recipe for a stressful courtship. Both Thea and Will have been hurt and being vulnerable doesn't come easy for either of them. It takes courage and a leap of faith to get to their happily ever after. This was a wonderful book with strong characters. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Janna MacGregor has a gift for writing strong but slightly broken romantic male leads and smart, feisty, independent heroines. In this installment of the Cavensham Heiress series we meet Thea, who has run her family’s estate for many years, but her inheritance is being challenged. She has no one to help her—until she meets Will, and he and his family band together to help her. I loved watching the relationship between Will and Thea develop, from strangers, to friends, to lovers. The story is delightful and heartwarming, as well as being robust and steamy!

This book started at a slow pace but not in a bad way. There was a great focus on developing the characters. It was great to see the hero and heroine develop a friendship before a romance. They both had struggles to deal with before they could move towards romance. I like the idea of a female inheriting. This has not been seen in a lot of books I have read. Overall this was a good book. It was a cozy read.

WOW! Color me impressed. While I usually like this author’s books, I don’t love them. This one, however, I loved. I loved the characters; I loved the unusual storyline and I loved the writing. I may be a bit jaded, but I rarely tear up during the emotional scenes in a book – I think that is mostly because – well – it is a romance and I KNOW there will be a happily-ever-after at the end. This book managed to make me tear up and I began to wonder if this might be the one book where there was no HEA.

Lord William (Will) Cavensham comes from a very large, very loving and caring family. His parents, cousin, and siblings all married for love and Will wanted that for himself. Well, he did when he was nineteen and proposed to his cousin (third I think) Lady Avalon. She accepted him – but when he came to her home the next day to formally speak to her and her father, she told him she was betrothed to a marquess and had been for quite some time. That tore Will’s heart from his chest and he began to believe that he wasn’t good enough to find the kind of love the rest of his family has.

Ten years later Will has immersed himself in helping his family run the estates – he is a very busy, but unfulfilled man. He’s even begun to look at his family – not resentfully – but maybe enviously, because they have what he’ll never have. However, he drops everything and rides for four days straight when he receives an urgent message from his much-loved favorite aunt Stella.

Lady Theodora (Thea) Worth is that rarest of things – a female who holds a title in her own right. Well, she is supposed to be anyway. Thea was raised by the most loving of grandfathers, the Duke of Ferr-Colby. Her grandfather held the title of duke, but he also held the separate Scottish title of Earl Eanruig. The Scottish title was not tied to the dukedom but was to be passed down through the marriage lines – male or female. Thea’s grandfather raised her to love the earldom’s estate, Ladykyrk. She learned to run the estate and to care for the people. Then, about seven years ago, her grandfather began to be forgetful, then more forgetful. Thea couldn’t stand the idea that anyone would pity her grandfather or try to put him in an asylum, so she took over the running of both the dukedom and the earldom. She was totally isolated with her grandfather and retained only two servants as she took care of her grandfather herself. By the end of his life, he had no idea who she was and it broke her heart.

When Thea gets word that the distant cousin who inherited the dukedom is also claiming her title she panics. She thought that was all straight and in the process of her being named as the earl. Even worse, the original title grant papers cannot be found no matter how hard they look. With the new duke nipping at her heels, she goes to her grandfather’s friend and neighbor, Lady Stella and pours out her tale. Lady Stella advises her to marry and to look everywhere – again.

When Will breathlessly arrives at his aunt Stella’s, he learns that she didn’t exactly have a dire emergency. What she had was a neighbor in need and she wanted Will to marry the neighbor. Will certainly didn’t intend to wed this woman, but he would at least speak with her.

It was lovely to watch Will and Thea learn to love and trust each other. I was glad it wasn’t an overnight thing as it is in so many novels. Yes, they were immediately attracted to each other, but the love took a while. They were supportive of each other and weathered a lot of storms. With the new duke holding all of the cards, I had begun to wonder how they would come out of it with their HEA, but – they did – and I smiled.

I love books with epilogues and the one in this book was particularly lovely – it even very nicely sets up the next book – Wild, Wild Rake.

I have to say that I wasn’t a huge fan of the excerpts from the newspaper, The Midnight Cryer, at the beginning of each chapter. First, they were very nasty, but mostly they were too connected to exactly what had transpired to have been realistic. The person providing the information would have had to be right with Will and Thea at every moment for those articles to have been written. No big deal – I just didn’t care for them.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rogue Most Wanted was the kind of book that kept me reading into the early hours of the morning (but in all seriousness, I shouldn't have started this book late at night because I couldn't put it down). While it had some issues, I overall enjoyed the story and the characters.

The first half of the book moved at somewhat of a slow pace, not rushing the relationship between the couple as they dealt with their personal problems while developing a friendship. I liked how much time was spent on establishing a relationship between them before pressing the romantic angle further. Often I don't see couples in romances get enough time to create a realistic connection so I enjoyed watching Theodora, our resident countess and sheltered soul, find a friend in the noble William. All that said, it was slow going until around the 40-50% mark, at least compared to other romances I've read.

Thea was an interesting character to follow. She's very attached to her home and ready to challenge anyone who stands in her way of keeping it. In that regard, her stubbornness and headstrong nature worked in her favor. And I liked that she had a sharp tongue and spoke her mind. Where she lost me a bit was the lack of communication between her and, well, anyone but especially Will. Maybe that was intended to come off as her learning to trust him and his family but it eventually got on my nerves because it turned into a plot device rather than a character trait.

Will was equally interesting to follow, if not particularly memorable. His loyalty to family and friends ran deep and strong, and I like that he focused on others as much as he did. Yet despite Will's better qualities, I quickly became frustrated with his back-and-forth when it came to his feelings for Thea. He continued to claim he wasn't interested in her while acting the total opposite and not in the "I'm denying my feelings for you" kind of way either. I wanted him to just own up to it, even if he didn't necessarily tell her right away.

The biggest part of this romance, the fact that these two people don't want to marry despite knowing it would solve Thea's problem and Will's family would be happy, was a problem created by a lack of communication. It's one of my biggest pet peeves in romance novels. If most (if not all) of your troubles can be solved by a conversation or two, then the plot isn't strong enough. If Thea and Will had talked about their feelings for each other, it would have meant there wasn't much of a story and this book would have been half the size. While I understand the inclusion of it so there was a full book, I wasn't a fan.

And more of a side note, but I didn't really care for the gossip column snippets between the chapters. I don't think they really added anything to the book overall.

Though the book wasn't perfect, like I said at the beginning, I read this in one sitting. I developed a genuine connection to both Thea and Will, and really wanted to see them both happy. I was able to look past the issues and ended up enjoying Rogue Most Wanted overall. I've had mixed experiences with the previous books in the series but can say I recommend them as a whole. You don't need to read the first 4 books to make sense of this one, but it will provide some context. This was a decent book and one I think a lot of romance readers will enjoy.

This was a sweet book, with heartfelt emotions when it allowed itself. But often it was also shallow, repetitive, and slightly dull. Will is a man who, having once loved and lost, decides he will never love or marry. His aunt wants him to marry Thea to help protect Thea's title. Thea only wants to marry for love so when she and Will meet she says she won't marry him. Somehow this becomes both an insult and a challenge to Will. Before you know it they love each other, but Will keeps trying to get her to marry other people- then gets jealous when they offer. It's a back and forth approach that could have worked if done right, but I wasn't especially invested in the story. I kept hoping for more details on how a title could be challenged, maybe more searching for the charter as a way of Thea and Will to get to know each other and reveal themselves. Instead what started out as the point of the book seemed to fade to an afterthought- good for conflict when needed, but left alone otherwise. While Thea had some depth to her, I had a hard time liking Will and kept hoping for more to him than we got.

There were some lovely scenes between the two and I enjoyed when we got to see them really express their emotions and love for each other. I just wish there had been more of that, or more conflict to grow the characters. It would have definitely made for a more interesting book. Afraid I can only rate this one as "ok" but hope others will like it more.

This is the continuation of the Cavensham series. This story is about William and Thea.
William is the 2nd son of a Duke. Thea is a Countess in her own right. She inherited her Scottish title, which descended down the line despite gender.
But her title and the inheritance are being challenged. She is told it best she marry, it would give her a stronger case.
She goes to her neighbor, Lady Stella, for help.
Lady Stella introduces Thea to her nephew, William. William is not looking for marriage., having been hurt very badly in a relationship early in his adult life. He has sworn off love even though he is surrounded by it in his family.
William and Thea meet. William is impressed with her but both agree that marriage would be a mistake. But William agrees to help Thea fight her case and give her the support of his entire family.
The adventure begins from there. I really enjoyed this book. It had its humor and its drama, bringing me to tears a few times. But what a great ending!!!
I reccomend this book and thank Netgalley for a free preview.

Great historical drama, the story is good and keeps your interest throughout

I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

Oh my word, I think this might very well be the first book of its kind that I am giving 5 stars to. I'm as shocked as any because usually the ridiculousness of some of these really turns me off. That said, there is a very simple reason as to why this book is the first of many read I am giving such a rating to: it took its time. Finally, a historical romance that doesn't put the emphasis on quick quick and takes those desperately needed extra 100 pages to fill in a story worthy of a wonderful romance and fabulous characters. I loved everything about this! Will and Thea were such a joy to follow along with and their romance is one that had me tied up in knots. I powered through this in 2 days and was sad when it was over. I wanted more but I wasn't left with those dozen or so "Wait, but what about?" I've never read Janna MacGregor but, and this is another first, I am definitely going to go dig up the first few books in this series because I want more of this!

This story started off well, the prologue reeled me in, and although I haven’t read the previous books in the series, I was interested enough in Will to eagerly start the chapters. Thea’s backstory was set up nicely as well in the beginning chapters. Their first meeting gave me the right flutters.

Alas, as the story moved on, my eagerness started to fade. The details felt tedious, I wanted it to move along. My interest in this story was a rollercoaster, and sadly, the lows outweighed the highs. I wanted more of their “couple time.”

Another great book in the Cavensham Heiress series by Janna MacGregor! I loved all of the characters and there were some sad moments but also funny moments. I wish I had a folly of my own. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thea is the Countess of Eanruig after the death of her grandfather, the Duke of Ferr-Colby. Thea needs to prove her right to the Scottish title, and may need a husband to convince the Committee for Privileges. Will Cavensham is the second son of the Duke of Langham, and had his heart broken as a young man of 19. His great aunt, the meddling matchmaker, Stella, Lady Payne, brings them together, in effort to help them both. That's the set up in this return to the Cavensham family.

Will is a truly nice guy, no alpha male or rake here. He had believed himself in love at 19, when he was jilted. Rather than turn into a hardened rake, he'd spent the subsequent decade helping his family members with their own estates. Everything here is about Will being a good guy. He's kind to his meddling aunt. He offers to help this stranger, Thea, that he's only met because his aunt requested it. He just doesn't believe he can love, despite no actual effort after the age of 19. I don't love this trope of the broken and hardened heart, but at least in this instance, Will truly hasn't tried to love again. As he falls for Thea, he does recognize that he's falling in love and he chooses to be vulnerable. That's real and I appreciate that about the character.

Thea is an odd combination of countess who has been raised by a Duke, and country girl who knows nothing of the aristocracy and thus has no etiquette training upon which to rely when she goes to London. She can run a large estate and lived on a Ducal estate at some point but cannot pour tea without spilling it and doesn't know that footmen serve at dinner. She has a reasonable wardrobe but doesn't know whether to take her gloves off at dinner. The mish mash of what she knows and does not know, kind of made my head spin. The mishaps that occur because of Thea's lack of knowledge, serve to create embarrassment for Thea and an opportunity for Will to teach or console her. It was all a little awkward for me, though ultimately sweet. They all also provided the opportunity for Thea to just stand up straight and determine to keep moving forward, so in that way, they were somewhat successful. I did like Thea, just wasn't completely convinced by all the things she didn't know.

As a pair, Thea and Will become friends first and grow to love each other as Will and his family help Thea become a countess. We have a fake engagement but it's only fake for like a minute and both characters want it, so I would not say it fits the standard fake engagement trope. Thea's earnestness in learning and lack of guile, make her a genuinely nice person that you're happy to see paired with the very sweet Will. The sexy times come out of their growing attraction and affection and ring true.

Thematically, MacGregor tackles the specter of dementia and the hardships absorbed by those who are the caretakers and the ones left behind after a loved one has passed. In this, the book is wonderfully successful. The pain of dementia - the afflicted who do not remember things, the caretakers who bear the responsibility for all of the care and all of the memories - cannot be understated. Thea's relief when her grandfather finally passed, and the guilt that goes with that relief, rings very true. One doesn't want a loved one in pain and suffering. It is hard to grieve and yet also feel relief. I applaud MacGregor for bringing this important and always timely issue into a historical romance. It doesn't matter the time period, this is a true human condition and handled beautifully here.

Also touched on here are issues with women's autonomy. Thea is understandably disturbed that she might need to marry in order to keep her rightful title, while the male cousin who is trying to usurp it, does not have to do the same. Will has the opportunity to remind a friend of his sister's successful bank. Thea has been successfully running a large estate for seven years. The men in the story understand women are not weaker nor are they less than, even if society at the time, rarely did. This phrase says it well: "Heavy silence descended in the room, reminding him that all the women in his family were strong and steadfast, like cornerstones of a building, always ready to bear the weight of keeping the structure sound." Points are made throughout that women should be recognized for their own worth.

Finally, the damage done by the gossip rag, the Midnight Cryer, touches on the long history of tabloids and the craziness of even today's social media and the ability to manipulate perception. One never knows the whole story and there are real people involved. Everyone has a story and you rarely know what it is.

All in all, this is a nice return to the Cavenshams. There isn't mad conflict or craziness, just a nice interlude on a family that readers have enjoyed. Readers new to the series, should start from the beginning.

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

The challenge to Thea’s claim as Countess of Eanruig brings her and William together. William decides to help her and their romance builds up over time. The characters start off as friends and get to know each other well before anything happened romantically. William is loyal to his family and those he cares about. Thea has missed out on a large family having only lived with her grandfather but she manages the estates well and has loyal tenants. This first part of the book is the setup and giving time for the characters to get to know each other so the pacing feels a bit slower.

There were times when I wished the characters would talk to each other as it seemed if they were more open and vulnerable with each other their relationship would move forward faster.

A lot of the action happened during the second half of the book when the characters are dealing with the challenge to Thea’s claim.

I feel conflicted over a decision Thea makes. While I understood why she makes it, it still bothered me. I don’t think she would’ve achieved what she thought she could with her decision.

This is a lovely romance that brought together two characters with a keen sense of duty and love for their families and people.

The Cavensham Heiresses gets better with every book. The hero, Will, is beginning to feel lonely as his family and friends find their life mates while the heroine, Thea, has been alone most of her life. Janna MacGregor writes a lovely scenario for these two characters allowing us to feel their longing and love for each other. Have a tissue ready for happy tears at the end!

I received and advanced readers copy but the statements and opinions are my own and honest.

Loved this one! Couldn't put it down and read it in an afternoon. Highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

What a lovely family, those Cavenshams. They remind me of J. Quinn's fabulous Bridgford family. William is the second son who manages the estates of his family, he is the doted upon nephew to his Great Aunt Stella and he keeps his emotions in check by being a workaholic. He is by no means a “rogue” so I don't understand the book's title. Thea has been managing the estates of her grandfather for years since he slipped into senility. She is completely attached both physically and emotionally to her estate. A cousin challenges her rights to the estate and William pledges to help her win the challenge.

I enjoyed every minute of reading this book. It has Tear jerking scenes as well as heartwarming scenes. The romance is slow budding but so sensual. William is a new book boyfriend and Thea is a woman ahead of her time.
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This was a sweet romance with just the right amount of steamy moments between Thea and William. Both had engaging, heart-wrenching histories that really brought the feels for me. The setting for William and Thea’s romance was beautifully written. I had no problem picturing Northumberland and, more importantly, the sweets MacGregor expertly describes. I am no stranger to the Historical Romance genre, but this is the first time I have had the urge to put a book down to make delicious treats like those described to snack on while I read.

As always, it is tough to pick a highlight but Thea’s devotion to her Grandfather’s memory, family legacy, and her tenants was inspiring.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story, though I could have done without the last minute drama. All of the characters were engaging, particularly William’s family.

**Full Review will be posted on Dream Come Review closer to release day.

The cast of characters in this story were delightful! Janna MacGregor has a way with words that draws the reader in and makes you want to jump straight into the pages. This is the 5th book in her Cavensham Heiresses series, and I have to say it's one of my favorites. It certainly encourages me to continue reading what comes next, and I can't wait to find out.

Lady Theodora Worth has been sheltered all her life, cared for by her ailing grandfather on a remote estate, hidden away from high society. When her grandfather passes, she inherits an old Scottish title, the Countess of Eanruig, but the heir of her grandfather's ducal title challenges her rights to it. Under English law, only male heirs can inherit, but Scottish titles can be passed on to females. It's the ducal heir's belief that the title belongs to him and not to her. Determined to continue living at Ladykyrk and caring for their tenants, Theodora is advised to get engaged...and quickly. She enlists the help of her neighbor, who believes she has the perfect solution - her nephew, Lord William Cavensham. Jilted in love years earlier, William has no interest in ever getting married. But he can't help being moved by Theodora's situation, and he endeavors to help her. As they become better acquainted, William becomes enamored, but it remains to be seen if he can win Theodora's heart.

Having been hidden away so long, Theodora's character was very naïve, and this made it both endearing and frustrating. I felt so bad for her and was happy she had William to protect her, but at times she made some bad decisions that made me question just how naïve she truly was. She also seemed to take to lessons of seduction quite well, because about halfway through the book she became very forward with William. It felt a bit abrupt. Nonetheless, I loved her character and felt she and William were a perfect match for each other. William had been hurt so long ago, and I was glad to see he hadn't become so bitter to hate all women. That frequently happens in romance novels. Instead, William sought to protect those around him, particularly Theodora, and I admired his resolve. The lack of communication between them was a bit frustrating, and I wished that William had declared his feelings for Theodora sooner. Eventually things worked out, of course, and I was happy in the end.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series! Janna MacGregor never ceases to surprise me in the best of ways.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me through NetGalley. This book was just absolutely wonderful. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just couldn’t put it down. This is the fifth book in the Cavensham Heiresses series and even though I hadn’t read the previous books I was just so lost within this story that I didn’t even care that I hadn’t read the previous books. I most definitely will read more by this author.