What a delight. I've recently become an embarrassingly huge fan of Bennett's work, mainly for her cringeless humor and romantic adventures. ⁣This was no exception.
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The Lady Rogue, however, does step a bit beyond Bennett's wheelhouse. Theo Fox, named after the Byzantine Empress Theodora, is the daughter of a wealthy treasure hunter à la Indiana Jones. Following her mother's death, Theo continues to travel to exotic locales with her father, but is relegated to luxury hotels rather than being a part of the action. When Theo's father fails to return to Istanbul from a job, Huck Gallagher, her father's protégé and Theo's former best friend, arrives with a lead on her father's whereabouts and who might be after him. Theo and Huck set off from Turkey to Romania to uncover the truth about the mysterious and powerful ring her father was searching for when he disappeared. A ring rumored to belong to Vlad the Impaler.⁣
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This novel is set in the late 1930s. I rarely come across young adult books in this time period, but now I'm on the hunt for more. There was an interesting mix of technology (planes, cameras) and Old World charm. I particularly enjoyed Theo and Huck's time on the Orient Express. I also loved the Eastern European setting. Mix all that up with a stellar romantic sub-plot and a dash of magic and you've got a winner imho. ⁣As a bonus, there's no shortage of snarky humor. The only thing better would be Jenn Bennett deciding to bless us with a series.

This one started a bit slow for me...it wasn't until probably the 4th chapter that I decided I liked the heroine enough to keep reading. I'm super glad I kept at it, though! The characters became more likable and the adventure kicked up a notch. Surprises kept the story interesting, and I was so into it at the end I didn't want it to be over.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

A treasure hunter on an adventure through Romania? I think yes! 

We follow two main characters who are on a journey to find her missing father and the ring they've been assigned to find. I wasn't a huge fan of the connection they had with each other and how he treated her at times. 

There's mystery, adventure, and action making this a 4 out of 5 star read. It's a great book for the Fall weather when you're stuck inside on a rainy day wishing you could go on a similar quest!

YA Historical Fiction Fantasy at its Finest…
Set in 1930s Eastern Europe, The Lady Rogue takes you on a captivating adventure to the time of the Orient Express, wire communication, and the open possibility for the discovery of ancient artifacts and legends. Jenn Bennett paints a rich and colorful backdrop full of details and information that brings the pages to life. Her flawless and highly descriptive writing makes you feel like you are seeing and experiencing the story first hand.

Theodora Fox is a smart, spunky, inquisitive teenager who gives the story personality and plausibility. Her reconnection with Huck Gallagher, who her father took in as a boy when his parents were killed in an accident before his eyes, provides a personal subplot as they move to heal the broken hearts that resulted from their forced separation. The intimate yet bantering relationship they have gives the story many lighthearted and comical moments. The chase: away from players with nefarious motives and in search of her father, provides growth for her and Huck both personally but also for their relationship.

Jenn Bennett totally nailed it with The Lady Rogue. It is the perfect YA and teen read but totally a book adults will enjoy. Its appropriateness for all ages in no way detracts from the high level of storytelling and craftsmanship of this amazingly creative tale with a totally unexpected but perfect ending.

Ya'll. I stayed up late reading again. I just HAD to finish this one and going to bed late one night? Totally worth it. The Lady Rogue is Jenn Bennett's newest book and this time she's dipping her toes into fantasy and I loved every minute of it! This takes place in in the 1930s in the Carpathian Mountains and you guessed it, we're tracking down an artifact owned by Vlad the Impaler himself. The main character, Theo, was left alone in a hotel while her father went on this wild goose chase and she gets word (via a friend/love interest) that her father has gone missing. Instead of listening to her father's message and going back home to New York, she drags Huck across Europe to track him down.⁠
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As you can tell by that summary, it was an adventure story and as soon as I started reading, I was getting The Mummy vibes (but like, Brendan Fraser 90s Mummy, not new Mummy) and National Treasure, etc. I loved the historical setting, the touches of magic and mystery and our main characters were witty and interesting. The tagline says that it is similar to The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue and I have to agree! The language and writing style felt very similar so I'm confident in saying that even if you don't like historical reads, you will probably like this one.⁠

The only thing that I did not like, that seems to be a common thread for me with YA books, is that the father absolutely irritated me! He is so irrational and "I'm the dad! Do as I say! Ask no questions!" Coupled with the fact that he seems kind of irresponsible, he just irritated me. However, that didn't really take away from the enjoyment of the book for me. The story between Theo and Huck as they tracked down her wayward father definitely kept me engaged. And like I said, this just seems to be a trend in YA in general lately for me and isn't a note toward the author.

Overall, I gave it /5!

Action & adventure for Theodora Fox & Huck Gallagher. Theo is very reminiscent of a young Indiana Jones; mischievous, adventurous & smart. Trouble seems to find her wherever she goes.
Theo & Huck now have to choose between going back home to New York or finding her father. Guess which she chooses to do? Of course she would never leave her father behind because if she was in the same situation she knows that he would be out there looking for her.
Theo & Huck retrace her father's steps from the summer to find out where he is & the magical ring that is said to have belonged to Vlad the Impaler. Theo uncovers more than she imagined on this journey to find her dad.

I really enjoyed reading this novel & would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre of books.

Many thanks to Simon Pulse and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This book had me at Vlad the Impaler. Everything else after that was irrelevant. To be fair, the rest sounded pretty dang good, too. Great comp titles. Female treasure-seeker. Indiana Jones vibes. A magical artifact. Mystery wrapped in adventure. There’s really not a lot here to hate and so much to love.

The Lady Rogue delivers on a fun adventure, complete with a strong female lead, fun teenage banter and sarcasm, danger around every turn, and a treasure well worth it all.

It doesn’t seem like this is intended to be turned into a series, but I so hope it is. Back in my day (*pauses to adjust giant coke-bottle glasses, clear throat, and lean even more on cane*) we had Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys out there having all the adventures. You had to choose between boys and girls. This series conveniently combines the two, with both Theo and Huck bringing their own skills to the table, and I could easily see it being this generation’s adventure series of choice. I’d for sure like to go on more adventures with these two!

My Thoughts:

- Theodora is brash, sarcastic, too hasty to rush into adventure, unladylike, and entirely unwilling to accept her position as a woman in society. In other words, definitely my type of lead character. I thought her character was delightfully balanced between sarcasm and knowledge, while slowly realizing that she’s definitely lacking in actual follow-through and planning abilities. Each time her shortcomings were highlighted, it made her character that much stronger.

- Theo is woefully out of her league here (because surprise, booksmarts does not equal ability). But Huck lets her try anyway. I just loved this dynamic so much. Theo reads a lot, and she falls into that trap that a lot of us bookish people do: I read it, therefore I know it. Right? It so obviously works like that. Except reading about something and doing something aren’t the same, and time and time again, it becomes obvious that she’s just not quite equipped for this lifestyle. Theo loves the idea of adventure without ever having actually been on one … and Huck gives her the time and space to learn.

- Theo and Huck banter like only teenagers can. And you know what? It’s hecka fun to read. I definitely laughed out loud more than once at their antics. Sure, there are times that I find their characters entirely frustrating and want to shake them in the hope that I jog some tiny sliver of sense loose. But hey … teenagers, am I right? For the most part, I just really enjoyed their dynamics and the easy banter and humor between them. They really worked well together.

- This book was ultimately just fun, and packed with enough action and mystery to keep things moving and interested. There were slow parts, yes, but it never once lost my interest or had me contemplating putting it down. While there were parts of the story I felt were less effective or things I just wasn’t a fan of, the book was freaking entertaining. That’s what I went in expecting, and that’s what I got, and I just thoroughly enjoyed the characters (including the side characters).

- Gosh, I thoroughly hated Theo’s father … and I’m not sure if we’re meant to or not? The journal entries are a really nice touch to humanize Richard Fox and show him in a more relatable light (a father struggling with a daughter he doesn’t know how to connect to, whom he’s afraid to lose, struggling with the grief of losing his wife). That still wasn’t enough to win me over, though. Being a parent is hard. I get that. The way that Richard treats his daughter, though, and treats Huck especially is just … unforgivable. I just can’t even.

Sticking Points:

- This story reads very modern, and I had to keep reminding myself that it’s supposed to take place in the 1930s, because it felt like it could easily have been a contemporary read. I especially felt this in the way the characters spoke. They sounded very modern and not at all like one might expect teens from the time period. There weren’t a whole lot of details to ground it in the proper era, either. Except for the obvious lack of cell phones and Internet, it was easy to forget that this is supposed to be historical fiction.

- I was really not a fan of the romance. It seemed to me that the story was often derailed in favor of some angsty romantic moments. I mean, I get it. Teens are bundles of hormones and angst. We’ve all been there. Which makes writing teen romances hard. But it felt like this kept going in circles, to the point of Theo’s inner monologue becoming a bit repetitive in regards to her relationship with Huck. It felt like they were arguing at each other over and over about the same thing without actually talking to each other.

- Theo has a habit of thinking in terms of crossword puzzles, which could have been an endearing quality trait if it was done just a teensy bit different … but here, it just struck me as random. What I mean is instead of thinking of a word, like, trouble (Oh no, we’re in trouble), she’d think of it more like this: 13 across, a bad situation. Trouble. That’s what we’re in. Maybe that’s a bad example, but you get the point! The biggest problem for me is that this seems so random. I love crosswords as much as the next linguaphile, but I think in words, not puzzles. This could have been more effective, I thought, if, for example, Theo had a photographic memory and these words were related to specific crossword puzzles she’s done, like citing The New York Times, June, 1933, or something like that. I mean, that’s more tangible, at least, in my mind. Citing just some random down or across and a clue felt so untethered to me that I just couldn’t wrap my mind around it, personally.

- This book suffers from a touch of deus ex machina in several places. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if you’re fine with that. I think that tends to be pretty common in adventure stories, especially. There were definitely a few times I rolled my eyes, though, because things lined up too perfectly or there was a revelation that was just too convenient.

- Theo refers to her father as Richard “Damn” Fox too many times, and I cringe at every single one. Once, yes, maybe twice would be fine, in that perfectly bitter tone that teenagers are really good at when they’re mocking you. I would be fine with that. But we’re in her head. This is her story. I don’t understand why she refers to her father by not only his full name but his full name plus his nickname as often as she does. It’s such a little nitpicky thing, and yet it was really jarring for me, and I can’t even tell you why. I’m just odd like that.

- This book really glosses over Huck’s suffering and backstory in favor of Theo’s, and this frustrated me to no end. It’s Theo’s story from her point of view, yes, but when Huck is pouring his heart and soul out, it’d be a really great time for her to take notice. Yet, she does not. Because Huck has one heck of a backstory, which I won’t go into because of spoilers, and of course it comes out at some point. But even when this comes to light, Theo somehow makes it about her and how her feelings were hurt when there are so many greater things at stake here. This is another one of those instances of talking at each other. There felt like a disconnect there, where he was talking and she was in her own little world in her mind, and the two didn’t quite meet up.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book or not, but in the end I was pleasantly surprised by it. All the characters, but Theo in particular, are well written and likeable. I highly recommend this book/

The Lady Rogue is one of the best books I've read this year. I loved the characters; especially Theo. She was funny, brave, and strong, and I really admired her devotion to the people she loves. The plot itself was riveting; I finished the entire book in one sitting. I love the legend of Vlad Dracula, and this book brought it to life in a unique way I haven't yet experienced. This book reminded me of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, but it was also similar to some YA books, like the Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue. However, I think The Lady Rogue was better than either of those books. I very highly recommend The Lady Rogue to anyone who loves adventure.

♥ I felt a kinship to Theodora as soon as she was dumped by her tutor/traveling companion in chapter 1 for not sitting quietly in her hotel room until her father arrives. In chapter 2, her former childhood best friend, Huck, has reappeared in her life. By chapter 3, Huck and Theodora are being chased by men trying to kill them. They hide on a balcony, pressed against each other, and Huck accidentally drops his towel while Theodora totally looks down. What a time to be alive. 

♥ From here, the book is pretty much nonstop action, as Theodora and Huck travel (aka run/are chased/almost murdered) throughout the rest of the book. BUT we are still treated to some serious angst, as we learn more and more about the night that Huck left, and what truly led to his departure (spoiler: it's not what's Theodora has been told).

♥ Drunk Theo is a legend. She is every girl who's been holding it in and then finally gets drunk around her ex and Lets. Him. Have. It. 

"Don't touch me! Am I embarrassing you? Well, I'm soooooo sorry."

Honestly, I haven't had anything to drink in years but I still felt this in my very soul. 

♥ Theo is also brilliant and I don't know how all these men in her life have gotten anywhere in life without her help. She is the only one who seems to have a clue about what's going on anywhere at any time. 

♥ I don't know if I just missed the part where the synopsis talked about Vlad the Impaler or if that was added later, but I definitely did not realize that was going to be a plot point here and I WAS DELIGHTED. I fully admit I don't know know everything about this part of history, but most of what I do know comes from Kiersten White's And I Darken and the "How Vlad the Impaler Became Dracula" episode of Drunk History. 

Final Thoughts: This is the slowest burn romance, the most interesting travel book, with the craziest WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING at the end. I desperately hope this gets picked up as a series because I need so much more after that ending.

Favorite Quotes: "To meddlesome girls"--this is the book's dedication, and I love it so much.

"You don't have something be a part of your life every day and then not miss it when it's taken away from you."

"Be wary. Do not allow bad men to take what doesn't belong to them."

All quotes are taken from an uncorrected proof of the book

The Lady Rogue, my only experience with Jenn Bennett’s work has been reading all her young adult contemporary novels (which have been truly enjoyable for the most part). I was mildly apprehensive, but mostly eager to start this one – and I’m happy to be able to say that it was a fun one, if ultimately not a new favorite. This novel is, at its heart, is a historical romp with a touch of the fantastical. It starts off with a mystery that is specifically centered around a bone ring that was said to give power to Vlad the Impaler and is the object that main character Theodora’s father was tasked to retrieve. But after her father’s disappearance and the unexpected reappearance of his former ward (and her former flame) Huck, they begin an investigation that results in an unexpected journey. I really enjoyed the first half, finding myself very interested in the Vlad the Impaler aspect, the set-up of the mystery and the likable (if ultimately not memorable) main characters. But I lost reading momentum in the second half, finding it to be less engaging and the mystery turning into something simpler than expected (which meant I could guess at how all the pieces would fall into place). Still, The Lady Rogue was entertaining (and I could imagine a film adaptation being very fun indeed). I’d particularly recommend checking this one out if you’re partial to lighter fantasy reads, or fantasy YA with a historical aspect incorporated into the plot, or Jenn Bennett’s writing style.

Overall, this was a fairly entertaining read. However, I was very thrown off by the characters dialogue. Though the MC and her love interest are, in fact, teenagers, their dialogue reflects the idioms and slang of today's teenagers rather than those growing up in the 1930s. Also, I found myself questioning the overall historical and cultural accuracy of the entire book. Though I finished the book, and wanted to finish the book, the lack of research on these two topics made reading the book fairly irksome.

Another wonderful book by Jenn Bennett! She is one of my favorite YA/NA Authors!! The Lady Rogue does not disappoint!

Theodora would like nothing more than to travel with her father on his treasure hunting missions. Unfortunately, he has a habit of leaving her with companions and seeking adventure on his own or with his protégé, Huck. She is not the easiest person to get along with and her most recent companion has abandoned her in Istanbul. Soon after, Huck arrives and asks her to help him find her father. She now gets to go on a treasure-hunting adventure, but with her father’s safety at stake, it is not fun and games. Will Theodora and Huck be able to unravel the mystery her father was following?

The Lady Rogue is a stand-alone gothic adventure that feels like a modern mystery. These two young people are traveling through the Carpathian Mountains and dodging mysterious men and women who have nefarious dealings with the occult. There is a bit of romance between the two protagonists, but the gist of the story is an adventure set in the early 20th century. Bennett has taken lore about Vlad the Impaler and weaved it into a compelling read. I believe readers who enjoy historical fiction or adventures will enjoy this book, even if they don’t normally like the other genre.

3.5 Stars for this Historical Fiction adventure!

The start of this book was amazing. I couldn't put it down. I loved the love-hate relationship between the two MCs. I loved the back and forth, the adventure of looking for Vlad's ring, and trying to find her father.

However, as the story went on, I got less and less interested. I raved about this novel at the start, but I felt like the last 25% just drug on and on. I felt like there was about to be resolution, then BAM, another issue. I honestly just wanted it to be over by the end.

Very promising start, but the ending just didn't stick.

I loved this one! I know there are other comp titles to this book, but this was basically a YA The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, and that’s just perfect for me. I love the friends-to-enemies-to-lovers aspect, which I thought was excellently done. Normally I don’t love friends-to-lovers because we don’t get enough time for the foundations to be built, but I think she did an excellent job here. I loved Theo’s spunkiness, I loved the atmosphere, and I am excited to read more from her in the future! 4.5 stars.

This was okay?

I requested this book for one reason, and that is the author. I'm a big fan of Bennett's contemporaries, so when I saw a YA Historical Fiction from her, I was excited.

But nope.

This book was a literal chore for me to read. I pushed through it, but it was a pain and just went so so slow. I kept waiting for something in the story to spark something, or to connect with, but it just never came. I think the best thing I can give for this review is a bullet point list of what I like and don't like. I just don't have much to say about this one, unfortunately.

<b>What I liked:</b>

• The setting. It was unique and I never see Romania as a setting.
• The dialogue and banter. Theo and Huck were fun together and I loved how they bantered together. It was fun to read because I love humor with my action in any case.
• Action started right away. Basically, you're tossed into the story. I didn't feel like we got info dumped either.

<b>What I didn't like:</b>

• Although I loved their dialogue/banter, I didn't really like the romance. I didn't love Huck and Theo's story and all the sex-shaming that her dad did. The drama felt unnecessary and pointless in that regard. I just didn't love the romance which is a shame.
• The plot. It started off quite interesting, but after a while, it dulled and I wasn't able to get into it. The Vlad the Impaler plot/mystery ended up being kind of pointless? I'm not really sure what happened there.
• The pacing. It moved SO SO SLOWLY!
• The ending didn't work for me. It felt like it was too much at once and wrapped up too quickly.
• The characters. Like I said, I was never much for Huck and Theo. I was not at all invested in them or what might happen to them.
• The writing. I usually love Bennett's writing style, but this story just felt like a very different author, fell flat, and didn't resonate with me.

Anyway, overall I thought the book was just an okay read. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. It may be some other people's cup of tea, but it just didn't work for me. I don't think this is a series...? But even if it was... I wouldn't be reading on.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the in exchange for an honest review. **

What a magical story that threw me back to an amazing time and I loved meeting Huck and Theo. Theo was such a great character that was smart, opinionated and was willing to do whatever it takes to find out what happened to her father and Vlad’s missing ring. Huck was a perfect partner for her even though they both had to sort their feelings for one another on this madcap journey.

The Lady Rogue was a perfect story with the right amount of mystery, suspense and a touch of romance between the main characters. If you haven’t read Jenn Bennett, you should be. This book was a well-written story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and transport to a time that you will never want to forget.

2.5 stars

Summary
This takes place in 1937 and follows Theordora Fox whose father is a treasure hunter and world traveller. Once again she is left behind in a hotel while her father tracks down some ancient relic. But then the boy who suddenly disappeared from her life a year ago, shows up at her hotel and tells her, her father is missing and may be in trouble.
The two them travel across Eastern Europe to find her father and in the process find a web of dangerous men and occult magic.

Overview
I think this is a case of it's me, not you. This book just didn't click with me. I'm terrible with history and all the historical references went so far over my head I had trouble keeping everything straight - where they were, what year it was, what historical things happened when.

➸ POV - This is told in 1st person from Theo's POV and in between each chapter we get a journal entry from her father, Richard's, journal.

➸ Theodora Fox - 17, Trouble-maker, Believes in magic and curses

➸ Huck Gallagher - 18, Irish, Lost family to a car accident, Taken in by the Fox's

➸ Richard Fox - Father, Widower, Treasure hunter, MIA

Content Warnings: Death of a parent, Violence

What I Liked
➸ I loved the Romanian setting and mysterious vibes of this story. I'm not a huge fantasy or historical fiction reader, so this book was definitely out of my comfort zone. But I love a good mystery and atmospheric setting so this definitely helped me connect with the story more.

What I Didn't Like
➸ There was just so much time walking... and walking... and then riding a train... and walking some more. I was 71% into the ebook and I was ready to chuck my kindle across the room if I had to read one more scene about them walking and fighting.
➸ In general things just felt very drawn out. Their travel, their fights, their discussion of their relationship. By the end I was honestly just sick of hearing about all of it.
➸ I hate the miscommunication trope and this had it in spades. Both the main plot and the love plot were built around miscommunication. Not a fan.
➸ The relationship in general I just never got on board with. I didn't feel anything about or connect with their love story in any way.
➸ And that ending... so much of this book was spent wandering that I was hoping for a big payoff in the end. But this climax lasted for all of a chapter and ended so dang conveniently. I was really disappointed.

Overall this story wasn't for me. I didn't connect to any characters, I didn't enjoy the meandering pace, and I found the climactic action scene underwhelming.

Review posted to Goodreads on 9/8/19
Review posted to blog on 9/9/19