Thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Copy for review! I enjoyed the setting for The Lady Rogue and the writing was quite engaging. I was expecting a YA version of Indiana Jones and it delivered on that count. I enjoyed it overall, it was just a bit predictable and I was not as involved with the characters. It might have just been me but while Theo was great, I didn't really fall in love with her. The romance also fell a bit flat for me.

What a fun adventure! Covering a unique history (both in geography and in timing), I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Ms. Bennett. While not perfect (pacing is sometimes a bit tricky, as is the suspension of disbelief), there was still plenty to keep me turning the pages. If anything, I wanted a bit more romance, but perhaps that will be in future books...? I would love to see more of Theo and Huck. Based on The Lady Rogue, I would definitely pick up another title by the author.

This was a fun romp, though I was thrown quite a bit by the modern speech patterns for what’s a historical fiction. Still, given the fantasy elements that were weaved throughout, I could over look it a bit.

I know it’s a little cliche to call something a fun romp, but: this book was a fun romp! I really enjoyed reading along with Theo and Huck’s adventures as they solved all the mysteries. That said, the pace did sometimes make it hard for emotional beats to land. I wonder if the background of the main characters’ shared childhood had been examined in a more in depth way rather than being briefly summed up and mentioned in a couple of other moments, that would have done more of the lifting for presuming the emotions of them in present day and more time spent on that wouldn’t have been needed? I also wished that the period details would have been a bit more evocative - sometimes the tone felt a little modern day except without cell phones.

Lady Rogue has all the charm of Jenn Bennett's YA contemporaries mixed with an Indiana Jones-esque adventure plot and a little magic, set in 1937. It's a really fun book. Our heroine Theodora Fox, daughter of famed archaelogist/treasure hunter Richard Fox, is stranded in Instanbul with no money. Then who should show up by Huck Gallagher, the boy who broke her heart a year earlier. She hasn't heard from him since his abrupt departure the year before, but now he claims he's here to take her to meet her father in Romania. Theo is skeptical, but when two men in black robes try to break into her hotel room, and she and Huck flee, barely making it on to the Orient Express.

It turns out that Theo's father has been searching for a ring that may have belonged to Vlad the Impaler (or Vlad Dracula), the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Count Dracula. Theo and Huck end up on an adventurous journey across the wilds of Romania, searching for her father and being chased by some sinister characters.

This book is really entertaining. Theo is a great heroine. She's smart and she chafes at the restrictions place on her by society and her father. The "I can't stand you but I also kind of love you romance" is well done, and Theo and Huck have great chemistry. The plot is fast moving, and it integrates history, adventure, and a little bit of magic. It's also a fun travelogue of Romania (one of my bucket list vacation spots). It's a perfect book for anyone who ever wanted to be Indiana Jones.

Jenn Bennett is one of my favorite authors ever, so when I saw she was doing a YA fantasy I was so excited! I love seeing authors write different genres even though her YA contemporaries are a-amazing!

Theo was awesome! She was strong, emotional, challenging, and admitted when she was right or wrong. Huck was the perfect sidekick—swoony, sweet, protective, funny. Their bickering was the best!

The world building was great and we get to explore such places as Turkey and Romania. And there is quite the chase that Theo and Huck have to take part in to escape people after them. I will say that one of my favorite action scenes was the airplane one!

And the magic! There was just so much awesomeness tangled up in this book, whether you are looking for contemporary, adventure, fantasy, romance—it's all there! I really loved this one and can't wait to see what happens next with Theo in book 2

The Lady Rogue is the story of the headstrong daughter (Theo) of a treasure hunter in 1930's Eastern Europe who sets off to rescue her father from a mysterious and menacing cult. Theo is accompanied by her estranged adopted brother-slash-ex-boyfriend (Huck) as they make their way across Romania to recover Vlad the Impaler's cursed ring and free Theo's father.
The writing is clear and the premise of the book kept me reading. There is an Indian Jones-esque feel to the book, but Theo lacks Jones's charisma and competence -- I had a hard time believing that she was capable of the journey that she made. Some characterizations felt like red herrings (her love of crosswords) and the relationship with Huck fell flat as a romance for me. I kept wanting to yell, "Focus on the mystery!!" whenever she starting feeling heartbroken about the last time she saw Huck. There were also plenty of "helpful mentors" along the way that made the mystery/adventure too easy. It seemed like the biggest hurdles they had to face were finding transportation from Point A to Point B with limited funds.
My biggest struggle with the book (without giving away any major spoilers) is that is it seemed like the rules of the world changed 60% in with the introduction of a different kind of threat.
Overall, The Lady Rogue is a competent adventure story, but not one I'll be recommending to patrons.

Yay for adventure stories, brave sassy girls, and creepy vampire mysteries! Huzzah!

So, this book is so much fun. I wish more authors would write books in this vein. It's kinda Indiana Jones-y with a dash of The Mummy and a pinch of Carmen Sandiego, and I'm here for it.

I absolutely love Theo, She is clever and headstrong and fearless, and does not have time for anyone's nonsense. At all. She is a problem-solver, and is going to get what she wants by any means necessary. She's incensed that her globe-trotting father leaves her behind and takes someone else along with him on his adventures, and so decides she's going to have adventures of her own. It's spectacular.

I absolutely did NOT love Huck. I mean (twirls hand vaguely in the air), he was *ok*? But there were a couple of things that really bothered me about him. First of all, his speech patterns were, well, <i>weird</i> is the only word that I think really fits. And there were times when he was very timid, or doesn't want to do something dangerous, and makes a big deal about Theo attempting something he thinks she shouldn't. I get it - the author is trying to make Theo look like the brave one WHICH IS FINE, but I think there were some spots where Huck's character suffered because of it.

I did, however, really like Theo and Huck's relationship. There is hurt, there is forgiveness, there is reconciliation, and it's all very real and all the emotions, so I was down with that. There is no "quick fix" here, and I appreciated that Bennett didn't take shortcuts when it came to their relationship.

Bennett does a really nice job with the world building. The mystery takes Theo and Huck all over Eastern Europe, so we get to see the cities and countryside of some beautiful, ancient lands. There is culture and color, and it's beautiful. There are scenes on planes, trains, and automobiles (haha), creepy houses and caves and castles. And also a bit of magic here and there. It's everything I love in a book.

One thing I want to note: this book relies on the Dracula legend for part of its plot, and so loops in a lot of history about the "myth of Dracula". I have done a lot of research and read a lot of books on the subject, and I want to say that Bennett did a really nice job with the history of that story.

I would definitely recommend this to people who like adventure stories with strong female characters, and an interest in Romania and the Dracula legends.

Unfortunately had to DNF, wasnt feeling the story at all, no matter how much I wanted. Hope other enjoy it!

A great take on Vlad Dracula and his descendants! I loved the story of Theodora and Huck. Fun. Adventure. Mystery. Humor. A great plot. A strong female lead. The characters were so fun to get to know and I loved the different places they traveled to. A definite must read!

I was so excited for this book when i discovered it online. I loved treasure hunting type books and this one did not disappoint me. The plot is fast moving and i was never bored. Great book!

An epic, fun, and historical adventure. Think The Mummy but with Vlad the Impaler. A wonderful read!

Overall this was a pretty entertaining, fun story. I liked most of the dark mysterious elements involving artifacts, and curses. And I think Vlad the Impaler is a pretty fascinating character all his own. Unfortunately a lot of things about this book seemed a bit uneven, and the last quarter or so lost my interest a bit.

The first thing I noticed about this book was that romance seemed like it would be more fun and less stilted than I was expecting for the time period and setting. However, although I enjoyed Theo and Huck's banter, I was left wanting much much more on that front. Their romance ended up seeming like an afterthought to me.

The main thing that bothered me about this book was that it does not in any way, shape, or form read like a novel set in the 1930s. The whole time I was reading I just pretended it was modern day, and except for one or two references to specific dates, it really made no difference to the story.

I liked the adventurer/archeologist aspect of it. But it began to seem more and more far fetched as the book went on. The supernatural elements remained at a spooky mysterious level for a lot of the book, but ended up going just a bit over the top for me at the end. Especially with no real explanation why or how everything was that way. It just was.

I did enjoy the book for the most part. The reason I lost interest at the end was because I just never felt a real connection to Theo and Huck. I thought I would as the book went on, but then I found myself almost done and I still felt like we'd only scratched the surface. I also got VERY tired of looking for Theo's dad. Mostly because we never meet him until the very end, and all we're told about him is that he's kind of awful. So by about 75% through I was like why are we still looking for this dude? I don't care anymore. Just fly back to New York together and be happy. I also super didn't care about the rings. If they're cursed why do you want to find them? And if they can't be destroyed how can you ever stop someone else from finding them? Why should I care? I got very bored of the constant walking in the woods. SO much walking. I know they were traveling, but it was a lot. I knew I was basically checked out of this book when I was reading what was supposed to be a very harrowing, suspenseful scene, and I was just bored. I don't know why exactly I couldn't connect with this one, but I just never got there.

I had several issues with this one, which was disappointing, because I was hoping to love it. But it was still a decent enough book over all, and I think a lot of people will really love it.

*I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A very powerful page-turner that I couldn't put down. I fell for the characters and could relate to them. I highly recommend this to everyone and this book definitely deserves some hype.

**4.5 stars**
Thank you to the wonderful publicist who reached out to me for this book! I have been fascinated with Vlad the Imapler and all things Dracula since I was young, so I when I saw the synopsis and cover earlier this year, I KNEW I needed it! This has adventure, dark occultists, an array of Eastern European countries, references to Vlad with a cursed ring...this was pretty much perfect! I loved seeing how smart Theo was and how she cared but also stood her ground when needed to. Her chemistry with Huck was PERFECT! The only small thing was that I wished the action climax scene was a little bit longer but other than that, PLEASE check this book out! This is a historical adventure with fantasy elements to not miss. One of the best books this year so far.

I honestly didn't know what to expect since I've never read a book by this author before and now I am severely regretting it! This book was... everything. I loved it and I want to read it again and again. The first thing I liked was the setting. Eastern European and Middle East wrapped into one astounding place for a book like this to take place. I felt transported to Istanbul and Bucharest and I really want to visit them now! The folklore was just amazing. I am a sucker for any kind of folklore or mythology and this was super awesome to see detailed in this novel. I learned a lot about the historical and folklore aspects from reading this book and that's something I really enjoy. Theo was a fantastic main character! Between her and Huck, I was feeling some Audrey Rose and Thomas vibes (yes, I am eagerly awaiting that last book so let me be) and I loved that! Theo was analytical and smart and also pretty damn badass as we find out over the course of the book. I've always been fascinated with Vlad the Impaler (in a not weird way, ok) and to learn more of his tale and have his lineage brought into this book was so so cool. There was also a murder on the orient express vibe with a mystery that I really needed to have solved and was resolved well.

Honestly, the only dislike is that I think this is a standalone novel!? I really need more fantasy from this author and I can see this being one of my top books of 2019.

Title: The Lady Rogue
Author: Jenn Bennett
Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Publication Date: Sept 3rd, 2019
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.



Synopsis: "Some legends never die…

Traveling with her treasure-hunting father has always been a dream for Theodora. She’s read every book in his library, has an impressive knowledge of the world’s most sought-after relics, and has all the ambition in the world. What she doesn’t have is her father’s permission. That honor goes to her father’s nineteen-year-old protégé—and once-upon-a-time love of Theodora’s life—Huck Gallagher, while Theodora is left to sit alone in her hotel in Istanbul.

Until Huck arrives from an expedition without her father and enlists Theodora’s help in rescuing him. Armed with her father’s travel journal, the reluctant duo learns that her father had been digging up information on a legendary and magical ring that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler—more widely known as Dracula—and that it just might be the key to finding him.

Journeying into Romania, Theodora and Huck embark on a captivating adventure through Gothic villages and dark castles in the misty Carpathian Mountains to recover the notorious ring. But they aren’t the only ones who are searching for it. A secretive and dangerous occult society with a powerful link to Vlad the Impaler himself is hunting for it, too. And they will go to any lengths—including murder—to possess it." (Goodreads)



My Review:
When it came to this book, it mentioned Vlad and Dracula so I was sold! I've been obsessed since a teen and will not hesitate to pick up a book if their names are in the synopsis. With that said, this book wasn't what I was expecting plot-wise but I did find myself enjoying it.

Theodora is a character that I didn't connect with but didn't find myself hating reading about. She is spunky, smart, passionate, loyal and adventurous. Family comes first even when danger, like murder, is involved. As for Huck, he is at times cocky, more cautious than Theo, and loyal. He really tries to look out for her even when it doesn't seem like it. He wasn't my favorite but I still enjoyed his character. Theo and Huck banter throughout and it was fun to see it play out.

I have not read any of the author's other books and so I didn't know that a relationship would be a large part of the book. It did make the book more light than I would have liked, but I still didn't find it to be overwhelming. There was history between them and I can get behind that.

When it comes to the plot, it was an interesting take on Vlad the Impaler. It was unique and brought in magic. Other famous murderers for blood were also mentioned so overall that was a win for me. As stated before, I thought it would be a bit darker because of the people mentioned. The plot still kept me intrigued so I won't complain.

I am glad I was able to read this book as it was exciting, thrilling, and felt like an Indiana Jones kind of adventure! If that is something up your alley, definitely check this one out!

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Title The Lady Rogue

Author Jenn Bennett

Description from Amazon

Some legends never die…

Traveling with her treasure-hunting father has always been a dream for Theodora. She’s read every book in his library, has an impressive knowledge of the world’s most sought-after relics, and has all the ambition in the world. What she doesn’t have is her father’s permission. That honor goes to her father’s nineteen-year-old protégé—and once-upon-a-time love of Theodora’s life—Huck Gallagher, while Theodora is left to sit alone in her hotel in Istanbul.

Until Huck arrives from an expedition without her father and enlists Theodora’s help in rescuing him. Armed with her father’s travel journal, the reluctant duo learns that her father had been digging up information on a legendary and magical ring that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler—more widely known as Dracula—and that it just might be the key to finding him.

Journeying into Romania, Theodora and Huck embark on a captivating adventure through Gothic villages and dark castles in the misty Carpathian Mountains to recover the notorious ring. But they aren’t the only ones who are searching for it. A secretive and dangerous occult society with a powerful link to Vlad the Impaler himself is hunting for it, too. And they will go to any lengths—including murder—to possess it.

Initial Thoughts

Please see my hype post for all of my pre-reading excitement. This book has everything I could ever want in a historical fiction. History, New York and Europe in the late 1930s, romance, treasure hunting. I liken this book to a cross between Lara Croft and Downton Abbey.

Cover Art

I love the cover of this book. I hope the ARC cover is the final cover. It probably is since that’s what Amazon is advertising it with. But, I think the designs and the color scheme is super cool. It’s different from anything else I have.

Favorite Part

I loved all of the wit and humor this book utilizes. I thought it was light and perfect. The characters were all so engaging and I can’t wait to read more about them in what I hope will be future books about them.

Series Value

While there is no evidence to support that this is not going to be a series, there is also no evidence to suggest that it is. The Lady Rogue could very easily be a perfect standalone novel, but, it also has so much potential to turn into an amazing series. I would love to read more about Theo, Huck, and Fox’s adventures.

Final Thoughts

So, funny story about this book. I came home after Book Con 2019 Day 1 and had not obtained an ARC of this book. Slightly bummed, I decided to browse NetGalley. I saw this book was available and immediately applied for it. At least there was a glimmer of hope that I might get to read this beauty early. As luck would have it, I actually got my hands on a physical ARC of The Lady Rogue on Day 2. I was thrilled! My luck actually hadn’t run out because of course, on Monday morning, I was also approved for this book on NetGalley. I have to assume this was a sign that I was meant to read this book.

Sign or not, I absolutely loved it. It is by far my favorite read of 2019 so far and it will take a lot to top it. It had romance, history, humor, and just about everything I worship in good writing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

Romanov by Nadine Brandes — if you like historical fiction with a bit of magic, you will love Romanov. Nadine Brandes is truly a master of historical fiction and this book has a similar early 1900s eastern European setting.
The Veronica Speedwell Series by Deanna Raybourn — I loved the relationship between Huck and Theo in The Lady Rogue because it reminds me so much of Veronica and Stoker. Once again, set in a semi-similar setting, these books are filled with wit, adventure, and are not to be missed.
Game of Secrets by Kim Foster — this is a less recognized title and I thought it merited some recognition. If you liked the magical adventure aspects of The Lady Rogue along with the copious historical references, you will definitely enjoy Game of Secrets.

I love Jenn Bennett’s YA contemporary romances, so when I saw she was doing one with a comp to Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, I was SO excited!! It absolutely lived up to expectations. The Lady Rogue crosses genres with an engaging story, compelling characters, and as much kissing as you hope for in a Jenn Bennett novel. Really excited for this one to be on shelves and perhaps draw new readers to this super talented author!

Thanks to NetGalley, author, and publisher for an advance copy of this book. 

I have a lot to say about this book...so I think a different post format is in order. 

SPECS

Author: Jenn Bennett

Release Date: September 3, 2019 

Page Count: 384

Summary: 

Some legends never die…

Traveling with her treasure-hunting father has always been a dream for Theodora. She’s read every book in his library, has an impressive knowledge of the world’s most sought-after relics, and has all the ambition in the world. What she doesn’t have is her father’s permission. That honor goes to her father’s nineteen-year-old protégé—and once-upon-a-time love of Theodora’s life—Huck Gallagher, while Theodora is left to sit alone in her hotel in Istanbul.

Until Huck arrives from an expedition without her father and enlists Theodora’s help in rescuing him. Armed with her father’s travel journal, the reluctant duo learns that her father had been digging up information on a legendary and magical ring that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler—more widely known as Dracula—and that it just might be the key to finding him.

Journeying into Romania, Theodora and Huck embark on a captivating adventure through Gothic villages and dark castles in the misty Carpathian Mountains to recover the notorious ring. But they aren’t the only ones who are searching for it. A secretive and dangerous occult society with a powerful link to Vlad the Impaler himself is hunting for it, too. And they will go to any lengths—including murder—to possess it.

A Calculated Risk

I won't sugarcoat the fact that I've avoided this author's books in the past because a lot of reviews have indicated that it is has much more sexual content than I am comfortable with. Most of her books have stories I'd otherwise probably love, but I don't really enjoy books where...that stuff...is a major part of the plot. So when I requested this book from NetGalley, I knew I might come across some content I didn't want to read and have to DNF. However, I decided it was a risk worth taking because a) I though an adventure story would be a lot less sexually-charged than a high school contemporary and b) THE SUMMARY SOUNDED AMAZING. I was willing to risk it. Was it worth it? Mostly. 

The Pros: Rich Settings, Adventure, and History 

On the plot side, The Lady Rogue was absolutely superb. The treasure hunt aspect of the story was as tense, compelling, and fun as I expected it to be. The various European settings were richly described and I learned a lot about the history and geography of Romania, which I have never known much about, through reading this book. And I loved the way it turned remnants of real history into a compelling fictional storyline - though the author's note explains that the ring never actually existed, it fits into the unedited history of Romania, which Bennett also incorporates, very naturally. The adventure, travel, and treasure hunting were wonderful - no complaints there. Theo and Huck were relatable and fleshed-out characters and the people they met along the way - even their adversaries - were all compelling as well. And the twists! All of the many plot twists were held close enough to the chest to be surprising, but not so close that an observant reader couldn't pick them up. Having somewhat predicted a twist while getting enough wrong to be caught off-guard when the truth was revealed made for a very satisfying reading experience. 

The Cons: As Expected (HEAVY SPOILERS) 

So, let's talk about the romance. 

Huck and Theo were cute, but it was hard to get behind them, for me, because of the way their relationship was set up. Given my intro, it's pretty clear that if there was any sex in this book, I wasn't going to appreciate it. Well, there was, and I didn't. Not on page, mind you (I would have stopped reading if there was, as is my practice), but a previous incident in which Huck and Theodora were caught in the act by her father was the driving force behind most of their interactions, romantic or otherwise. This could have been okay with me if the two had realized that spontaneously getting scandalous was not a good idea for any reason and been able to rekindle their relationship while agreeing not to do so again. But, of course, that wasn't what happened. 

Nope. The ultimate lesson learned? "There was nothing wrong with our irresponsible and ill-advised fling and we should do so again if we ever want to." 

Sigh. 

Yes, Theo's father was wrong to throw Huck out of the house, so they have a point there, but...sigh. I really, really don't like the glorification of the idea that happiness = doing whatever you want without regard for the consequences that this subplot perpetuates. The two were drunk when it happened, for heaven's sake! That in and of itself should be telling. But the book never acknowledges that doing what Huck and Theo did could have had consequences for both of them. It did for Huck, for that matter, but the two both state that the risk was worth it. In coming to that conclusion, the book gives teenagers the green light to act without thinking, believing it's okay as long as it feels good. (Another pervasive modern philosophy I vehemently disagree with.) 

Generally speaking, the sexual content here wasn't explicit (the worst thing in the book was really the profanity), but it's a driving force behind the plot, and the message it sends is one that potentially validates immature decision-making in regards to sex. Not my kind of moral.

Conclusion: Mixed Feelings

This was such a good story - it even made me not mind magic, which I almost always hate! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Really, it would have been easy for this to be a five-star book. It's right up my alley. But I put a lot of stock not only in what a book is, but what it says to its reader; in that area, "The Lady Rogue" wasn't a winner. For that reason, I'll give it a final rating of 4/5.