This story started off strong but then it started dragging on. The story was good though and I do like Amelia Grey's writing.

Lady Julia Fairbright, widow, mother of little Chatwyn, wanted to break free from the yoke of her father-in-law, the Duke of Sprogsfield, who never forgave her for misrepresenting his youngest son and preventing him from marrying a more influential family lady. It would not do to explain to the duke that the marriage between her and Kitson, when they eloped, was precisely because they both wanted to escape the future plans of those who had raised them.

The duke, a man raised to be a priest, but who ended up inheriting the title, was an uncompromising man, who saw sin in everything.

But Julia had overheard a conversation and discovered that her father-in-law was not that holy. He had illegal businesses whose documents were hidden in his London town house.

Determined to find the documents and show the world the duke's real nature, Julia travels to London.
But her free-spirited and impetuous demeanor puts her in an awkward situation when she is trapped on a tree branch.

To Julia's dismay, she is helped by one of London's biggest rakes, Mr Garrett Stockton, also very wealthy, who built his company in St James, Stockton Shipping Company by himself.

Garrett had just docked, after a long voyage by ship, and had two goals: to ride in Hyde Park and to be accompanied by a beautiful woman.
Total surprise when he sees a lady trapped in the top of a tree. As he helps her, he is increasingly fascinated by her personality (and luckily, she was a widow, she was available). But he also realizes that she up something for no good.
He immediately makes himself available to assist her in her plans for freedom, while at no time does he hide from her the interest he has in getting to know her more intimately.
Julia knows Garrett's bad reputation, but can't resist the strong attraction between them...

5 stars

GONE WITH THE ROGUE by Amelia Grey is the 2nd book in the First Comes Love Series. This is the story of Julia Fairbright and Garrett Stockton. I have read the previous book which added to my enjoyment of this one but I did feel this is a standalone book. Julia first marriage was to Kitson, who is the son of a Duke. Julia and Kitson ran off together to marry so that neither would have to face a forced marriage. Although they found companionship with each other there was no great passion. Then Kitson was killed in accident that left Julia a young widower expecting a child. Kitson's father took control of Julia keeping tight hand on her with the threat of taking her son Chatwyn away from her. Julia goes forward to find her way of excepting him and taking her son. This leads her to meet Garrett. Garrett took a path that gentlemen don't do and that is to actually work. After his father died, he took a ship his father won in a card game and became what he is today owning a successful shipping company. But once he meets Julia she steels his heart and he goes forward to help her with her mission of freedom. I am a huge fan of this author's writing, so this was a must read for me. 0

A wonderful book with dynamic characters and a story so well-written, I felt like I had traveled back to Regency London and was totally immersed in all that was happening from beginning to end. I loved the instant attraction and undeniable chemistry between Lady Kitson Fairbright and handsome rogue Garrett Stockton who owns a successful shipping company. Ms. Grey blew me away with this can't-put-down page-turner and "Gone With The Rogue" is a must-read. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Lady Julia Kitson Fairbright has no regrets from her first marriage, which ended with her husband’s untimely death at sea. True, it was a marriage of convenience; she was escaping being bound to an old man of her father’s choosing, and Kitson was rebelling against his father’s attempts to choose his bride. She is happy for their four-year old son Chatwyn and would gladly move on with her life, were it not for the Old Duke demanding, in return, she leave Chatwyn with him.

Mr. Garrett Stockton. Society only sees him as a rogue and a shipping company owner. For someone from the peerage, having your hands dirty from actual work . . . . well, does it get any worse than that? However, Garrett did not want to sit on his laurels like the rest of the peerage. He wanted to earn his money and be in charge of his destiny.

The first encounter between Lady Julia and Garrett was in St. James Park, with Lady Julia stuck up in a tree attempting to free her butterfly net and the collar of her dress, both of which had caught on a branch. Garrett, being a gentleman, couldn’t leave her there so he climbed up the tree to help and there was an instant attraction between the two.

However, that is as far as it must go. Lady Julia confides in Garrett that she must abide by the duke’s rules or risk losing her son. Unless she can find proof of ill-doing on the duke’s part. She overheard him discussing with his solicitor a company he owned but was not in his name. She believed the company was responsible for building explosions and peoples’ deaths, and if she could prove this, she would be free from the despicable man.

What ensues is a story of friendship and trust. A story where Lady Julia struggles to make society see the duke as the man he truly is, and Garrett tries to get Julia to see beyond society’s view of him as a man with women in every port. While I enjoyed the story, I would have liked to see more meaningful conversations between Julia and Garrett, rather than conversations about the duke. I enjoyed their witty banter and humor! I would have preferred a little more suspense and drama when the duke finally arrived in town, but that may just be me. But overall, I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it!

Gone with the Rogue is book 2 in the First Comes Love series by Amelia Grey. This was the first book I read by this author, but I am looking forward to reading Brina’s story. Thank you to the author and St. Martin’s Press for sending me the ARC through NetGalley. My honest review is happily provided.

Gone With the Rogue is the second book in the First Comes Love series by Amelia Grey. But it can also read as a stand alone if you haven't already read the first book.

Julia is a widow with a 4 year old son. Her father in law(the duke) controls every aspect of her life, down to what a proper widow should wear. All Julia wants is a little bit of freedom and to be in charge of her own sons upbringing. Garret is the owner of a shipping company and he is ready to settle down. He is tired of living the life of a roguish sailor.

I liked this book for the most part. I really enjoyed the beginning of the story. Julia meets Garret while stuck in a tree. Their meeting was really sweet and made me fall for Garret. He is drawn to her right away and knows he wants her to be apart of his life. I liked that he didn't fight his feelings. Julia kind of annoyed me. She wanted her freedom to make her own choices but still was very focused on what society would think. I still liked her but she was very inconsistent.

The real problem I had with the book was that it become solely focused on the duke. Julia constantly worried about where he was or what would happen if she got caught. I know that the plot of the book was to expose the duke for someone he wasn't but I think it was too focused on him instead of the growing relationship with the two characters. I just didn't care about the Duke plot. I wanted more with the relationship.

Overall I say this is a solid historical romance. It was an enjoyable read. I say if you like a rogue who is actually isn't very rogue like and a woman who just wants what is best for her and her son, then give this one a try!

Thank you St Martins Press and Netgalley for the early copy of this book.

The widowed Lady Julia Fairbright is the daughter-in-law of the Duke of Sprogsfield, and mother to 4-year-old Chatwyn. Julia’s husband drowned when his ship, the Salty Dove, sank in a storm. Now, Julia and her son are under the thumb of the very rigid and pious duke. If she doesn’t follow his exacting rules for her, he threatens to take her son away from her. She has just learned that he owns secret companies and doesn’t want anyone to know about them. Ah, but she is determined to see if she can find the paperwork that is supposed to be hidden in the London house.

Julia and Chatwyn have arrived in London ahead of the duke who had taken ill just before they left. They are so happy to be away from him for awhile. While enjoying themselves in the park chasing butterflies, the net gets caught in a tree. Julia climbs the tree to retrieve it and gets stuck on some branches. After sending her son and governess home to retrieve some scissors to set her free, a gentleman happens along and spots her. He climbs the tree and rescues her.

Mr. Garrett Stockton is reputed to be a rake with mistresses around the world. He is the owner of Stockton Shipping Company and sails around the world. He has just arrived back in London and he was the gentleman who rescues Julia. When they chat, they quickly find themselves attracted to one another.

Julia and two other widows from the ship that sank are Mrs. Brina Feld and Lady Lyonwood. The have started a charitable boarding school for the daughters and sisters of those who had worked on the ship. The work they are doing is very well received.

Julia overheard the Duke mention to someone that he may be part of a few sordid businesses in London and she is determined to discover proof of this. She hopes that she can then force him to release his hold on her and her son. After getting to know Stockton better, she enlists his help.

Will she be able to find the proof she needs to allow her and Chatwyn to live their lives out from under the duke’s thumb?

I really loved everything about this story. There are several sub-plots that intertwine perfectly together and make for a well-rounded book that is guaranteed to keep the reader’s interest. Amelia Grey is a much-loved author of mine and I am always excited when I see that she has a new book being published.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Gone With the Rogue by Amelia Grey is the second book in her First Comes Love series. It could be read as a stand-alone, but I think reading the first book would be beneficial in understanding certain undercurrents in this story. Garrett Stockton meets Julia Fairbright, a lovely widow in a delightful meet-cute, she is stuck in a tree, and he very charmingly comes to her rescue. Julia finds this adventurer fascinating, however, she’s firmly under the thumb of her nasty father-in-law as he uses custody of her son to keep her in line. Garrett’s mistress has always been the sea but the lovely Julia has him rethinking his life and perhaps making a home on dry land. Their path to HEA is not a smooth one but is quite enjoyable to read and I do recommend this book. Medium Steam. Publishing Date April 28, 2020. #GoneWithTheRogue #AmeliaGray #HistoricalRomance #bookstagram #StMartinsPress

Enchanting & Intriguing! Readers looking for a enchanting historical romance featuring a hero and a heroine perfectly matched in their intelligence, intensity and desire for one another, as well as ambition and cleverness will find a lot of love here. Sensual and passionate with an unconventional, intriguing storyline, this second in this series is one readers will clamor for.

The authors ability to captures your attention through such captivating and descriptive words that paints such vivid beauty and the inexplicable delights of attraction, transports you into the scene with her characters and leaves you with ripples of excitement and erratic, heart pounding excitement. Captivated from beginning until the end I couldn’t put this down.

Eagerly awaiting the next in this series “How To Train Your Earl” Brina Feld’s story.

When a widowed society lady meets a gentleman who's in trade, sparks fly. But Lady Julia's life is not her own. Can she escape from her father-in-law the Duke of Sprogfield's rigid control to find happiness with Garrett?

The story started with a " meet cute" moment involving Lady Julia stuck in a tree and Garrett going to her aid. Julia was a spirited young mother doing her best under strict rules. Garrett was a man determined to make his own place in the world even if it meant going into "trade."

While Garrett seemed devoted to Julia and to helping her, I just wasn't invested in the relationship. I missed the banter I love to read in a romance. Julia's character was up and down and it was surprising near the end of the story that Julia thought Garrett would separate her from her son. The ending with the Duke was tied up too quickly and easily. I did appreciate the author's note at the end.

Unfortunately this book wasn't a favorite for me but if you like Regency romance you may want to give it a try. Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Gone With the Rogue is a sweet romance with an instant attraction that builds as the story progresses. It is part of a series, but I didn't have any problem following the story, so it does stand alone. It's well-written and the couple of intimate scenes are more about the emotions, so it's not overly descriptive or graphic. I did like that our hero is all about the heroine from the time they meet, so we don't have any of the running from the relationship angst. What I didn't care for was all the build-up about the Duke. I get it, that's the source of the angst and as a plot device, it works pretty well - except there's all the tension and buildup for a rather simple conclusion. It just fell a bit flat for me. Nevertheless, the story was entertaining for the most part, and it was certainly a good bit of escapism, so it was worth the read.

I found this to be a good story even though I found the pacing slow at some points. Reformed rakes are one of my favorite tropes— but I need more of them actually being rake-ish.

This was a predictable, but fun read

I really enjoyed reading this remarkable book by one of my favorite authors. This exciting new book has lots of fun and romance.
Garrett Stockton is a very rich man who meets an extraordinary woman named Julia Fairbright. She is a widow with a young son named Chatwyn.
They begin to spend time together and the flame of desire heats up.
There is a dog whose name is Bear that makes it the perfect family picture
I appreciate Net galley for this ARC title in which I have an honest review.

Julia and Garrett are introduced to each other...in a tree! That’s right. In one of my favorite romance story beginnings, this feisty young widow and her gallant gentleman hero meet when a butterfly net becomes tangled in a tree. These two are instantly attracted to one another but find that romance has many impediments, including a dastardly duke bent on making Julia’s life like a long term prison sentence. Throughout the story, neither Julia nor Garrett fear breaking social norms to live by their own rules, and both will stop at nothing to get their hearts’ true desires.
•
•
Mixing a well placed plot (including some hidden documents, delightful garden parties, and lots of heated glances) and beautifully realized side characters, Gone with the Rogue is a fast and fun read.

In this second book in the First Comes Love series, it is Julia Fairbright’s turn for a love match after losing her first husband in a shipwreck. With only a limited time away from her stern and controlling father-in-law, a chance encounter has her meeting a man she could fall hard for.

Back on shore for his friend's wedding, owner of a shipping company, Garrett Stockton happens upon Julia Fairbright and he has an instant connection to her. The feeling is mutual for Julia but she has other matters that must come first, like saving her son from being taken away by his grandfather, who is a Duke. Garrett is more than willing to help but will Julia accept more from him, such as a lifetime together? Can she risk taking a chance on Garrett?

I am not sure if it was not being in the mood for an instant love connection story or if it was the sugary-sweet, caring for all creatures great and small, perfectly charming heroine, that just didn't do it for me this time around. Even the references to the Duke hiding a secret life that didn't match the pious one he showed to the world, wore a bit thin after awhile. This needed a bit more grit for my liking.

Gone with the Rogue was a lovely and exciting story about the need to be independent! Not to stay caged and prevented from the experiences of the world like the men of that time expected from their women. Being widowed and the daughter in law of a very pious Duke, Julia and her son Chatwyn felt like captives, unable to be free and live their own life like she wanted instead of being dictated to by the Duke. When she finally gets to London while the Duke was unable to travel, she has a plan, how to get free of the Grace's strings. What she hadn't planned on was being saved by the Rogue, Garret and to feel an instant attraction to him. Garret Stockton had a golden heart but there were so many stories spread about his past sailing trips that she had to learn to trust him first. What she hadn't expected was to fall in love with him while he was helping to free her and Chatwyn.
This is a lovely regency story spiced with wit and independence.

The second book in the series, ‘Gone with the Rogue’, can be read as a stand alone book. It follows Julia Fairbright who lives under the control of her father-in-law, the Duke of Sprogsfield. With the drowning death of her husband, Julia has done all that she can to care for her son Chatwyn. However, she is convinced that the duke has shady dealings, and she believes that if she can blackmail him, she might be able to escape from his hold. Yet after meeting Garrett Stockton, who saves her from a fall, he convinces her that he can help with her plight.
A sweet romance between Garrett and Julia, yet at times I would have like more depth to their romance. It seemed that there just wasn’t enough time spent together and most of the dialogue centred more around the duke than their actual romance. A nice read and I look forward to more books in this series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by Amelia Grey, and I very much enjoyed it! I love it good historical romance, and this did not disappoint! We start out with a brave, daring young beauty, Julia, caught up in a tree (not your normal way to start things lol). While being stuck, a very handsome man, Garrett, rides up and happens upon her. He climbs up to help her, and it’s instant attraction on both sides. We soon find out her life with her son is complicated, and she yearns for freedom for the two of them. Garrett wishes to help them, and the more they work towards this goal, the stronger their feelings grow for each other. I love how their relationship grew, how brave she was in her time, and how he would go to any lengths for her. Can’t wait to read more from her!

Lady Julia Kitson will do anything to protect her son. She has lived in fear that the Duke will take away her son and she will never see him again. Times are changing. She needs to find a way to get out from under the Duke's thumb and create a home for her and her son. Garrett Stockton has been tradesman. He owns his own shipping company and the sea has been calling him for years. Times are changing for him too. He is looking to settle down . By accident in the park, these two people meet. Sparks are flying. Julie is excited and fearful. Garrett is determined to win the day. I enjoyed watching these two getting their HEA.

I really wanted to like this. I was trying to convince myself I was into it, but it just wasn't working.

So, I had a few main issues. First, the romance. We were told these people (Garrett and Julia) were falling in love, but I didn't see it. And why are they falling in love? They seem like nice people, but do they have any real conversations? Do they get to know each other? There was a lot of telling and not showing. I always hear about that and rarely see it-at least to the point where I'm bothered by it.

In general, I felt like pages were missing. Scenes didn't flow as well as they could have. Especially for plot points-things would just happen. Like why? There were some super obvious continuity errors, too. I read an ARC so maybe that will change.

I gave Amelia Grey another chance. I'm sure some people love her. I'm happy for them, but she isn't the author for me.