I'm giving this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. How to Love A Dangerous Rogue is the first book in the Royals and Renegades series. I had some mixed feelings about it. I loved the tropes involved royalty, forbidden romance, and age gap, but I felt like some of the surrounding plot could have been more fleshed out. I did, however, adore Maxim and Tandy together. Their chemistry was amazing, and this was one of the hottest books I've read in a while.

My review is for the audiobook version narrated by Heather Ryan. She did an exceptional job bringing the story and characters to life.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was my first book by Scarlett Scott and I will be looking for her other titles. This was a bit more spicy than I usually read but Scott handled it well. I like the forbidden love and the triangle storyline. It was fun, full of adventure and really well written. I liked the narrator as well. Overall, a hit with me.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

How to Love a Dangerous Rogue
by Scarlett Scott
Narrated by Heather Ryan

Lady Tansy Francis has been a loyal lady-in-waiting for most of her life. To the eyes of the ton, she has come to London for the formal betrothal announcement of Princess Anastasia, who is like a sister to her. King Maximilian of Varros has a reputation as a brutal and callous ruler who has done whatever it takes to claim his throne. After many long years of war, he has forged peace in his kingdom.

As a lover of historical romance, I hoped for a richly developed setting and an engaging story. However, I found it incredibly predictable, and some of the terminology used detracted from the experience. I didn’t love this book but didn’t hate it either. If it weren’t for the excellent performance by the narrator, I might have given up before the end, as there was too much focus on sex and not enough depth in the plot for my liking. But I understand that opinions vary.

This captivating Regency romance is a tale of forbidden love, historical drama, and steamy passion that will leave readers breathless. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century politics and intrigue, the story follows a pair of lovers who must navigate the treacherous waters of societal expectations and political machinations. Their love is forbidden, their passion undeniable, and their loyalty to each other will be tested at every turn.

With its sizzling romance, intricate plot, and richly drawn characters, this novel is perfect for readers who crave a story that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant. The historical setting is brought to life with vivid detail, transporting readers to a world of elegant ballrooms, political intrigue, and hidden desires. As the lovers' story unfolds, readers will be swept away by a whirlwind of passion, betrayal, and unwavering devotion. The novel's exploration of themes such as love, loyalty, and sacrifice will resonate with readers long after the final page is turned.

Scarlett Scott has a dedicated fan base and plenty of glowing reviews, so it’s clear she’s someone’s cup of tea—but unfortunately, she wasn’t mine.

As a lover of historical romance, I was hoping for a richly developed setting and an engaging story, but instead, the world felt more inspired by history rather than actually rooted in it. The plot took a backseat to the romance, feeling more like a setup to get the main characters together rather than a fully fleshed-out narrative.

On top of that, the lack of strong editing was noticeable. There’s a reason I tend to avoid self-published books—professional editing makes a difference, and this one could have used a more refined touch.

If you’re in it purely for the steamy romance, this might work for you. But if you’re looking for an immersive historical world and a well-crafted story, this one falls short.

I wasn't expecting the creation of a new world, went in thinking it was another standard Scarlett Scott historical romance. I didn't find the world-building that interesting. I did like it was a bit different with the age gap and royalty tropes. Overall it was a pleasant read, but less inclined to explore the rest of the series.
Narration was great. Pacing and emotion were well executed.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free audiobook version of How to love a dangerous rogue.

This was my first book by this author and I LOVED it! So steamy and good! Forbidden love between a king and his betrotheds lady in waiting. With also an age gap, but not in a creepy way. This book kept me wanting to read more! Definitely recommend!

I fell in love with Maxim myself. All powerful and arrogant King fighting for his country at any cost including marrying a Princess he did not love. He became attracted to her servant Tansy who could not resist him at any cost regardless of her guilt.
An age gap romance of 15 years but it seemed to enhance the story and the physical love scenes.
Maxim feels he can have both: the politically advantageous marriage and Tansy the woman he adores.
Surprises in store for all.
I read the book so listening to the audiobook was extra special and the voices added to my enjoyment.
Listening added a whole new perspective and I plan to enjoy more audiobooks by this author.

This was my first Scarlett Scott novel and it will certainly not be my last! Something I noticed immediately about Scarlett’s writing is that she quickly got into the plot and made me feel Ike I was extremely familiar with King Maximillian and Lady in Waiting, Tansy. You know these two are going to have chemistry, but it’s shrouded in wariness and secrecy causing them to eye each other from arms length. Maximillian is supposed to be betrothed to Tansy’s friend, Princess Anastasia, for the good of his country, but he has no attachments to her at all. Likewise Anastasia has secrets of her own preventing this from being a love match. Tansy and Maximillian become acquainted as Tansy covers for the Princess’s absence, and it is in these repeated encounters that they fall for each other.

You know how some romances are advertised as steamy and then they only have 1-2 scenes? That’s not this book. Scarlett Scott infuses her romance with intimacy, orgasms, and attentive characters. I think it’s the somewhat taboo or secretive affair that made this book seem especially spicy—two characters who are desperately attracted to each other, but know there is no possibility for them to have a public relationship.

I absolutely loved the dynamic between Tansy and Maximillian. He’s an arrogant King who typically sees what he wants and takes it—in this case he wants Tansy to be his mistress or kept woman. Maximillian just doesn’t bargain for Tansy who is loyal to Anastasia and values her freedom and honesty over a man’s prowess. The power dynamic is so fun to see played out in the page and this just adds to the already present sexual tension.

I highly recommend How to Love a Dangerous Rogue as an audiobook. Heather Ryan excellently voices Maximillian and Tansy’s characters with a quiet subtlety that is perfect for historical romances. I received an early listening copy from Dreamscape Media. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Steam: 🪭🪭🪭
Narration: 📣📣📣📣
Chance I’ll listen to the author’s book again?: 💯

Meh, the main characters were just so.... ugh. Max is a bully, Tansy is a pushover. I cannot, but let me just sleep with him. And Max, yes I get he has responsibilities, but really forcing a woman to give up her self respect and identity just to be your bed buddy, ugh ugh and ugh. Thank God for Nando's.

Disappointed. Narration was okay and gets my stars.

#netgalley #HowtoLoveaDangerousRogue

*forbidden love
*age gap
*angst
*chemistry
*political intrigue
*mental health rep
*steamy

Heather Ryan performed this well, narrating with different voices for characters.

This was the first time I’d read a full length novel by the author and I will absolutely read more of her work.



Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the DRC

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook.
Carmen Rose is definitely one of my favorite narrators.
However, the story itself felt very repetitive, falling flat for me. I can't put my finger on it, but it was missing that certain something that makes a romance good.

—royal romance

—age gap

—big grr man/gentle woman

Heat Index: 8/10

The Basics:

In an effort to help her homeland, secretly strong lady-in-waiting Tansy must join forces with the cold, intimidating king betrothed to the princess she serves. The trouble is, working with Maximilian may quickly become something else entirely if she isn't careful...

The Review:

This is one of those historical romances where it's quick, it's dirty, and I like the plot. In fact, I would love to see more historical romances with fake little royal families in fake little countries. I do not want to read about real royal families in historicals. Ever! But give me a fake one, and I'm all over it.

I also love a good love triangle, and while this honestly isn't actually one (Tansy and Maximilian obviously only have eyes for each other from the jump... and I mean the JUMP) I still appreciate the setup of it all. Give me some scheming, give me some illicit affairs, give me some "but alas, we cannot be".

Where I wish this had gone harder was in the character types and development. Maximilian is supposed to be big and scary and gruff, but it felt a lot more like something I was "told" than something I could actually believe in. Tansy is kind of a classic sort of nice, semi-silk hiding style heroine type. Their physical attraction is instant, you believe it, the sexual chemistry is great, I just didn't feel like they seemed very unique or dimensional as people. Which meant the love story was a bit paint by numbers in turn.

That being said—they were solid numbers. I enjoyed the painting. I just kind of wished it had gone a bit further on that level. I've liked the other Scott books I read; I think the characters just had me interested earlier for those entries. But I'll definitely read more from her in the future.

The Sex:

It's Scarlett Scott, so the sex scenes are super hot, fairly plentiful in the back half of the book, and definitely on the racier side compared to tradpub historicals. If you're into sex scenes involving alpha older heroes... you're gonna get what you want here.

While I don't think this will really stick out for me in the long term, it's a cute, quick read. The narration is well-done, and the heat is THERE. If you're new to Scarlett Scott, I'd try other books before this one, but if you're a fan, you'll have a good time.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Historial read with a a king and his bride to be’s lady in waiting. It gave me a fantasy romance vibe while listening, it might have been the war going on throughout the plot. The red hot chili pepper was hot, tension-filled and a touch forbidden.

This review is for the audiobook, narrated by Heather Ryan.
I'm a bit late to the party as this is my first book by Scarlett Scott. I will say that the book is scorching, that's for sure! There definitely was a pull between Tansy and Maxim, right from the very start. A ton of s*xual tension. And forbidden too, since he was intending on marrying someone else.
I had some issues with the narrator with her pacing and delivery. She has a rolling cadence that I didn't care for.
The story was great. The narration, less so.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

I was so looking forward to a good historical, but I just couldn't get into this one. Ultimately, decided to DNF. I do think the narrator was part (even most) of the problem. I did not like the narration and it was hard for me to focus.

She’s a lady-in-waiting, he’s a King set with a betrothal agreement to marry the Princess she’s a lady for. So we get some forbidden, royal vibes. Scarlett Scott is one of my favorite indie historical romance authors, the amount of books she has is wiiiild so while they don’t always work for me, I do always have a good enough time. This is the start of a new series, Royals and Renegades.

I did appreciate the mental health rep in this one! We get anxiety and PTSD rep on page. We get some political intrigue in this one and loads of chemistry between the couple. Royal settings don’t always work for me, but I love this author’s historicals.

I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own.