Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this title, but my reading interests have changed. I will not be finishing this book, but look forward to others in the future.

Emily Sullivan's A ROGUE TO REMEMBER is a lovely introduction to her new series! I love a good espionage story, and this exceeded my expectations! I can't wait to read more of her work!

In this entertaining childhood friends to enemies to fake marriage to lovers historical romance, Lottie wants to create a scandal about herself to get out of a marriage. But when her childhood best friend, Alec, who she hasn’t seen for years, is sent to rescue her and bring her back to her uncle, she finds herself trapped in a fake relationship with him while old feelings bubble up inside of her.

I’m not sure I was expecting anything going into this one, but I finished it feeling enthralled and oh so happy! I’ve been obsessed with historical romances this year and am so glad I had the opportunity to read this one. Alec and Lottie’s relationship was amazing, and I loved watching their emotions sizzle between them. I also really enjoyed seeing some mystery sprinkled into this book, and I could’ve read about the couple for so much longer. I will definitely be picking up more from this author!

Content warning for loss of parents, sexual content.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC of A Rogue to Remember by Emily Sullivan!

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I loved this book! great historical romance debut! About spies and childhood friends, all about reputations and rumors, and of course all the drama of a regency style book. I loved it!

While I love giving new writers a chance, it can be a mixed bag when you have your favorites and a lot to live up to. I have to say that Emily Sullivan really wowed me with her debut novel! With a second chance romance and some spy work, set in beautiful Italy, how can you not enjoy this page turner?

Lottie and Alec have a shared history which catches up to them and reignites when Alec finds her in Italy. As they travel together and hijinks happen, we get to see these two fall in love all over again from when they were younger and not so bold.

Lottie was completely my cup of tea, feisty and headstrong, she wanted her freedom and would do anything to keep it. Five seasons passed over for marriage, she's determined to live her life and find her passion. And while it takes a while for these two to admit their feelings, I loved these two characters together. I only wish it hadn't taken so much of the book to get closer to that.

There's a lot of themes in this book that could be triggering, but it feels appropriate for the time they were in. I found myself turning pages quickly in an effort to see how things would play out.

Overall, I look forward to Emily Sullivan's next novel, with the hope that some of the side characters make an appearance!

My opinion is my own and freely given.

I loved that it was set in Italy, that our characters were travelling together with forced proximity, and that there was a spy/mystery plot line. I thought the mystery was well woven into the story and I loved the climax with the villain reveal.

Lottie was an amazing heroine, I loved how headstrong she was and how she was determined to have her freedom one way or another. She wasn't afraid to banter, and she also has no problem embracing her sexuality. She was the star character of this novel.

The problem is that I wasn't in love with the romance. There was a lot of mutual pining, which I adore, but it took forever for the characters to finally confess their feelings to one another, which made it drag on. Second-chance romances are always hit or miss for me, and this one just happened to be a miss.

However, I did enjoy Sullivan's writing style and the mystery aspects of this novel, so I will be continuing on with the series and reading more from this author

I just loved this book it was so different than most HR - setting is prefect in Italy. we get childhood friends years later trying to see if this whole second chance thing can work. Alec is now a spy and tries to come save Lottie but find she is the one trying to ruin herself. We also get a bit of suspense in this one.

Just loved this author writing and can't wait for more of this series!

4.5 stars


Thanks forever for a copy of this book

A Rogue to Remember is the debut book from Emily Sullivan, and though it had some interesting moments, I found it mostly hard to believe and a bit underwhelming.

A second-chance romance can be something really special if it's done right (emphasis on the done right), and I was hopeful for this book's premise. However, I started the book rolling my eyes at the white woman with bright red hair, who knows no Italian, running away to the Italian countryside and expecting not to be noticed. She was a bit TSTL, right off the bat.

The book lost me with it's myriad of miscommunications and flat, one-note characters. The plot got a little spicy and twisting at times, but I never got excited by the characters and their supposed romance.

A miss for me.

Childhood friends to enemies (or more like estranged friends maybe?) to lovers + only one bed + road trip romance + spies = one of the best historical romances I’ve read this year. Alec and Lottie had SO much longing for each other, and the build-up to ultimately satisfying those feelings made for a delicious read. I was tempted to give it only four stars, but the fact that this book hooked me immediately and KEPT me hooked throughout is what turned it into a 5-star read for me. It’s been a minute since I felt like I couldn’t put a book down, and this one delivered in so many ways.

content notes: parental death, death of a guardian, kidnapping/imprisonment with threat of institutionalization, assault against heroine (with implication of rape that does not occur)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A wonderful, well-written and developed story. Alec and Lottie, childhood friends, are wonderfully entertaining main characters. I liked both from the first. The array of equally interesting side characters has me hopeful for subsequent stories. Definitely a winner.
Thank you Emily Sullivan, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

I'm always hesitant when starting new historical romance authors because I'm incredibly particular about the stories. I am happy to say that I am sold on Emily Sullivan. I am super excited for the second book in this series after reading it!

I adored Alec and Lottie I thought Sullivan did a wonderful job of introducing them to me and getting me invested in their backgrounds and history. AND I can't wait to meet more of these side characters that we were introduced to!

Thank you so much for the early copy and I can't wait for more from Mrs. Sullivan!

I really enjoyed A Rogue to Remember. I loved that a huge portion of this book took place in Italy rather than the typical place of England. Not that I don't love historical romances set in England, but it's always a breath of fresh air when you're transported to another country. I really liked Lottie (the heroine) and how feisty she was. This was a second chance romance and a fake relationship type of book and it was such a fun story. I'm super excited to see what Emily Sullivan has in store in the future!

This was a fun historical romance. I enjoyed the settings in Venice and England, and I loved the time period. This was a steamy, sexy story with lots of scenes to make you fan yourself!!

Wit, passion, emotion and adventure are exquisitely intertwined in Emily Sullivan’s spellbinding debut historical romance, A Rogue to Remember.

Miss Lottie Carlisle has had her fill of the social whirl. Having already endured five interminable seasons, Lottie has had enough of London society. She yearns to unshackle herself from all the constraints imposed upon her by her Uncle Alfred and become the mistress of her own destiny where she can do as she pleases and be the one calling the shots. But when her uncle gives her a shocking ultimatum forcing her to marry, Lottie realizes that the only way she can have the life she has always wanted is by ruination! Creating a shocking scandal that will render her unmarriageable and send shockwaves rippling around every single drawing room in London is the only option Lottie has if she wants to break free for good. Unfortunately for her, she hadn’t counted on one determined man prepared to move heaven and earth to find her: Alec Gresham.

Lottie is absolutely incandescent with rage! She cannot believe that her old childhood friend Alec has tracked her down in her refuge in Italy – nor is she prepared for the maelstrom of emotions and feelings which his mere presence reawakens deep within her. Alec is intelligent, dashing and as handsome as sin – and he has come all the way to Italy to take her back home and he is not taking no for answer. Alec informs her that her Uncle Alfred is dying and that it is paramount that she returns back to England as quickly as possible. With her chance at freedom slipping through her fingers, Lottie finds herself having to embark on a journey back to the country she had hoped never to see again – in the company of a man she has always been drawn to!

It might be five years since the last time Alec and Lottie had seen one another, but their attraction towards one another has certainly not dimmed! As they find themselves thrust into close proximity again, long-buried emotions quickly come rushing back to the surface, but with so many obstacles standing in their way, will Alec and Lottie find the courage to admit how they really feel about one another? Is a future for the two of them possible? Or will Alec’s dark secrets end up tearing them asunder once more..

Emily Sullivan has written an enchanting and irresistible historical romance sure to make aficionados of the genre sit up and take notice of this bright new star! Written with gusto, style and verve, Emily Sullivan has penned a heartfelt, emotional and captivating second chance romance where the characters leap off the pages and straight into readers’ hearts. Lottie and Alec are two mature, nuanced and beautifully drawn characters readers will instantly warm to and fall in love with. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Italian setting which was not only wonderfully recreated, but made a change from the usual milieu British-set historical romances usually occupy.

A superb debut from a writer to watch for, Emily Sullivan’s A Rogue to Remember is a beguiling and seductive Victorian historical romance readers will thoroughly enjoy.

A Rogue to Remember was one of my most highly anticipated historical romances. A road trip in Italy?? YES, please! I'm so glad to say this book lived up to the hype and more. I loved it so so much. These characters were everything and the storyline felt so fresh and unique. And the backstory of the characters growing up together was everything. The hero really brought the swoon, I love the mutual pining that was in this story! I cannot wait for the next book. (and this is unrelated to my five star rating, but this is easily one of my favorite covers for a historical romance this year. So gorgeous and perfect!)

Second chance romance is one troupe that I feel I have a hard time connecting with. I think it boils down to making the backstory of the couple in question compelling enough for them to have split and compelling enough to have them come back together. So I think that is why I struggled with A Rogue to Remember. But first things first, let's get what I think went right.

I really enjoyed how Lottie and Alec started out. It was right in the action, as Lottie has already thwarted her chaperone and has escaped and enjoying her solitude in Italy. And I was happy that we didn't have to wait more than a few pages for Alec to appear. Typically there is some forced separation until the two main characters are together, and I really liked that this paired them up together from the very beginning.

Also, I loved the forced closeness of their situation. As Alec is left to escort Lottie back to England and her life as an on-the-shelf heiress it leaves them many moments of delicious tension and 1 bed room situations. Which, are the best! But unfortunately that is where my interest starts to wane.

My biggest issue is that we spend about 99% of the novel with Alec and Lottie together, but yet I never felt a strong connection to them. I am fully aware that could be my own hangup, but with as many moments between the two when they finally start reflecting on their past and how they got to where they are today, I just didn't feel like I knew these characters or had a strong stake in how their relationship turned out.

And then there was just little things like how Sir Alec played into the story as a villain, and this odd side character villain that is a threat to Lottie and Alec one moment, and then is dealt with outside of the book and is no longer of consequence. Just stuff like that if I am being critical about because the tension and romance between Lottie and Alec was just not there enough for me to see past those little details.

I am giving this a solid 3, as I did like it, just wasn't one of my favorites. But I am curious about Rafe, whose book is next.

I absolutely loved the first quarter or so of this book. The two MC’s were intriguing and had amazing chemistry, and the setting in the Italian countryside was enchanting and unique. Early on, I was sure I would give this book at least 4 stars, hopefully more, but unfortunately as the story continued I felt more and more whiplashed and found I didn’t mesh with the author’s choices for the plot.

As I mentioned, I initially really enjoyed the characters. Unwilling London heiress Lottie fled to Italy to avoid a forced marriage, and from the get-go she proved to be tenacious and cunning, yet kind, with a wonderful rebellious side. It was immediately clear she and our hero were a perfect match when tragic, fragile Alec, a spy working for her uncle in service to the Crown, arrived to bring her back to England. They shared incredible chemistry from chapter one, and with the fake marriage ploy the two of them put in place, the story seemed set up to be a never-ending cycle of the much loved “only one bed” trope. On top of that, it also promised to take Lottie and Alec traipsing through the Italian countryside all the way to Venice, with Alec playing tour guide along the way and fighting not to give in to desire. His history with Lottie was sweet, as Emily Sullivan did an excellent job integrating the childhood-friends-to-lovers trope to establish how much the two still cared for one another. Their meet-cute included some amusing banter, and the sexual tension was so intense that I couldn’t wait to see how Sullivan would continue to build it throughout the book. All in all, the beginning of this book was amazingly set up, and therefore it had me so excited to read the rest. I had to stop myself from staying up too late once I started; it was just that good.

Sadly, around the time Lottie and Alec ran into the first “only one bed” scenario, things started to go downhill. It felt like the tension and desire lessened between them as they got caught up in their heads about their feelings for each other and what they should or should not do. For two people who grew up together, Lottie and Alec were not very good at communicating with each other, despite their clear bond. Instead of heightening the stakes, this made it feel as if most of their problems could have been solved if they talked openly with one another. Seeing them dance around their feelings and miss opportunities to explain their past actions ultimately became more frustrating than compelling.

In addition, the plot veered away from an Italian-voyage-will-they/won’t-they story and instead became inundated with spy drama and family turmoil. When they arrive in Venice, Alec finds he must complete some spy work at a party, and he begrudgingly takes Lottie along. It felt a bit forced and ultimately did not add much to the plot, especially because the end of the book focused more on Lottie’s uncle forcing her to marry than it did espionage. All of the elements did not weave together well and, again, I was disappointed to see the tension-filled journey across Italy fade into the background.

I settled on a 3 star rating because I truly enjoyed parts of this book, in particular the beginning, and Emily Sullivan is a talented writer. This is a solid debut, though I’m undecided whether I’ll continue this series given that Alec’s spy friend, Rafe, is the main character in book #2. He played a small role in this book, and regretfully I did not like him at all. That being said, I will definitely be on the lookout for future books by Sullivan and look forward to following her writing career.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. A Rogue To Remember is the first book in Emily Sullivan’s exciting new series League of Scoundrels. Lottie Carlisle has had enough, she’s endured five excruciating seasons and has decided that the only way to avoid being forced into marriage by her Uncle Alfred is to create a scandal so enormous, he will have no choice but to accept her decision to remain unmarried. Agent of the Crown Alec Gresham has been sent to retrieve Lottie with the hopes of saving her from the scandal she planned to create. She was his childhood friend and first love but her Uncle his guardian and mentor refused to consider his suit and this will be the first time they have seen each other in five years. I enjoyed this second chance at love very much and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: March 9, 2021. #ARogueToRemember #EmilySullivan #HistoricalRomance #ForeverGrandCentralPublishing #NetGalley #Bookstagram #bookstagrammer

This was such an excellent debut novel! Emily’s writing was so good, so easy to fall into and devour that I couldn’t even tell it was a debut. She really has a talent for writing and I am so hyped to read more work by her!

In this book we follow Lottie after she has run away because she didn’t want to marry anyone that her Uncle had decided. So, she hatches up a plan to make it look like she has run away with a man, her attempt at ruining her reputation. But that plan falls apart when her first crush, her best friend from childhood and the man she loves, shows up where she’s staying to bring her back home to her Uncle.

The chemistry between Lottie and Alec was so tense and angsty from the moment they meet up again. You could literally cut the sexual tension with a knife. It was exquisite!

Alec’s reasons for pulling away from Lottie were both noble and stupid so when he finally got out of his own way, I was cheering them on. They are a new favourite couple for sure! They both are such different people but they work so perfectly together. Plus, the romance between them was 🔥🔥. The spicy scenes between them were so well written.

Overall, I had a blast with this book and I need Rafe’s book in my hands as soon as possible. That man already has my heart and this wasn’t even his book! 👀

I definitely recommend this if you like historical romance with an independent and strong willed woman, a fiercely protective and honestly a total simp for the girl type of man and the best childhood friends to enemies to lovers trope!

4/5 ⭐️

TW: death of a parent, murder, attempted murder, sexually explicit scenes, blood, violence.