The story of Caroline and Gabriel was witty and a delight to read. It started with Caroline coming up with a crazy scheme to blackmail Gabriel, the wealthy Earl of Rockford. She would normally never have done such a thing except for the fact that her family was on the verge of financial ruin. Naturally, Gabriel was furious. Even more shockingly, Caroline wasn’t looking for money. Caroline wanted to become a Countess—but only long enough to take care of her family problems. Gabriel reluctantly agrees to meet Caroline halfway and begins to court her. Of course, he was secretly still trying to find a way to foil her blackmail plot. Reading about the maneuverings of these two characters was very entertaining. Inevitably, resistance became futile!
I received a free ARC from Entangled Publishing and NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Caroline and Gabriel’s romance might not have started in a traditional way, especially for the Regency era. But, the way they came to care for each other, protect one another, and offer support was such a sweet journey to read, particularly because it was written so beautifully.

I haven’t had the chance to read the book where Julia and Felicity were introduced, but this one definitely makes me want to pick it up ASAP. It sounds like a fun read!

Also, while reading this, Simon and Penelope from Bridgerton came to mind.

Miss Caroline Devereux has been keeping her family going with her tight money management and her writings. With fears of bankruptcy, Caroline sends a blackmail letter to the Earl of Rockford. Having never met her before, he confronts her. Instead of money, she wants him to marry her. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I like the slowing growing relationship between Caroline and the Earl. Both of them are independent and unconventional in society. Together, they are what each other needs.

Desperate to save her family from ruin, Caroline tries to blackmail the Earl of Rockford into marriage. But he’s not one to be coerced, and a battle of wills ensues. Will Caroline win the fortune she needs, or will she lose her heart to the man she intended to manipulate?

I love this author’s writing style. The book is light, fun, witty, and flirtatious. The characters are strong and unique, and the intimate scenes are steamy but not detailed.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you to Entangled for sending me an early copy of The Writer and The Rogue! This was my first time reading a book by Lydia Drake and I thought it was pretty great! The dialogue was not only comedic but also very witty. I have never read a book quite like this but I am happy I did. Drake is a gifted writer and knows how to craft characters in a way that makes them interesting and relatable. I really enjoyed the plot and story. It was a read where you just find yourself flying through it. This was a engaging love story that made you laugh, gasp, and swoon. I look forward to reading Lydia Drake again in the future!

I don't know what it is about historical romance covers, but I seem to gravitate towards them. This cover is no exception. What would you do to keep your family safe? As a young woman, there aren't many options for Caroline Devereux. If only she'd been born a man. Maybe then society would see her for her creativity, quick wit, loyalty and boldness. She would be accepted as the amazing writer she is instead of having to publish her books under a gentleman's name. Desperate times call for desperate measures, Caroline is in dire need of a husband and she sets her sights on poor unsuspecting Gabriel. Gabriel Kane, Earl of Rockford, the title he never wanted, is now tasked with restoring the family's good name. The confident, brooding, and intimidating rogue, inherited the problems left by his father. Let the battle of wits begin. They each think they've gained the upper hand, only to realize just how wrong they are. Throughout this book, they learn new and interesting things about each other. Slowly changing their opinions of one another and themselves. With each new layer revealed, Caroline begins to understand and admire Gabriel more and more. I love how he supports her and protects her from society's cruelty. Boy how frustrating some of the side characters were. What would a story be without the meddlesome family members though? I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope that Miss Felicity Berridge gets her story next. I will continue reading and recommending this author's books.

Caroline is desperate to get her family out of debt. Her secret writing of Gothic stories is not enough. When she finds incriminating information about Gabriel's family, she decides to blackmail him. She doesn't want money; she wants the rogue to marry her. Gabriel is incensed and aroused by Caroline. Can he deny the mutual attraction? I received an ARC from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for my honest review.

4.5 stars

Adding a new author to my list of preferred regency writers. I read quite a lot of the genre, but I am actually quite picky when it comes to which ones I really enjoy.

Delightful characters and a nice romance.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and author for providing an ARC in exchange for a review! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had the time of my life reading this book. Steamy historical romances are my guilty pleasure and having read more books from Lydia Drake, I knew that this read was going to be a very exciting one — and boy was I right.

We follow the adventures of Miss Caroline Devereux, who is desperately trying to keep her family and its finances afloat by writing Gothic novels. When there's no more valuable things at home to sell and her stories are not doing as well as she had hoped, our brave heroine resorted to the only option she had left: blackmail. Yes, Miss Caroline is blackmailing the handsome yet rake of a man Earl of Rockford into marriage... and I guess you can imagine how this tale ends. An enemies to lovers, with forced proximity and loads of tension, humour and spicy scenes. The relationship buildup was very well executed and felt natural and real, and the chemistry between our protagonists was undeniable! I terribly enjoyed how brave and independent Caroline is, and it was also very interesting to read some of the discussions about a woman's role in society.

"The writer and the rouge" is captivating and witty story that would make you fall in love with our main characters.

Just finished The Writer and the Rogue by Lydia Drake and loved it! It’s a fun, witty Regency romance with a smart, independent heroine (who’s a writer!) and a charming rogue who totally stole my heart. Their banter is chef’s kiss and the chemistry? So good.

Drake does a great job bringing the era to life without bogging things down in too much history, and the story moves at just the right pace. If you’re into slow-burn romances with a bit of sass and swoon, this one’s for you!

would definitely read more from Lydia Drake!

I had recently been pondering when the next Lydia Drake would be published and guess what popped in my inbox! I really enjoyed this author's writing style and have already read her brief yet brilliant backlog of books. The Writer and Rogue featured many of my favorite tropes: blackmail romance, feminist heroine, and sighworthy tenderness. Caroline was such a great protagonist who had my admiration from the very first chapter. The way she hooked Gabriel into a marriage that gradually evolved to love was a delight. These two were destined to be together, even if a pesky piece of blackmail was the first brick in their love story.

The Writer and the Rogue was a phenomenal romance with a natural buildup of the couple's relationship. It had initial animosity to begrudging animosity to genuine devotion. This author's writing style is so lovely. I had been longing to read her books since the first Debutantes of London novel. I adored the cameo from The Duchess and the Wolf. It was so cute that both heroes were friends and weren't afraid to poke fun at each other. My only complaint for this book was that it dragged a wee bit at times, but otherwise a very enjoyable story. To go from the threat of marriage to a devoted husband is quite the feat. Good on ya, girl.

The Writer and the Rogue was just what I needed. Entangled Publishing features many of my favorite authors whom I never get tired of reading. I'm so excited for her future publication, whenever that may be. Lydia Drake's books sure hit the spot. I don't personally approve of blackmail as the building block of romance, but hey it worked for The Writer and the Rogue.

This was absolutely delightful! I loved the concept of the fmc blackmailing the mmc into a betrothal. Their chemistry and banter were spot on. Caroline’s father was so funny to read about his theatrics. There wasn’t anything that I didn’t like about this story. Delicious and fun from beginning to end. Will definitely purchase a copy for my personal library.

Miss Caroline Devereux knows she does not measure up to the ton’s expectations of a gentlewoman. She provides food for her family and staves off her profligate father’s creditors by writing Gothic stories. When their situation turns dire, Caroline is forced to try her hand at blackmail. However, the Earl of Rockford refuses to comply with her extortions. Will Caroline follow through with her blackmail? Or will she have a change of heart?

Gabriel Kane, the Earl of Rockford, has promised his late brother to keep the Rockford legacy secure. However, an impoverished baron’s daughter threatens to expose his family’s secrets to their peers. He has no intention of submitting to her demands, but Caroline is not what Gabriel expected. The woman’s peculiarities surprises and seduces him. Will Gabriel find a way to escape Caroline’s blackmail? Or will he become a willing participant?

Caroline is a woman after my own heart! She does not quite fit in amongst her peers. And Caroline is fine with that. She is happy with the way she is with any intention of becoming what she is not. I like the fact that Caroline uses her passion for writing to help provide for her family. It saddens me that the only people who appreciated her contribution were her two brothers – who were such a delight. Her father’s behavior, on the other hand, made me so angry.

Gabriel won me over instantly. He is a little rough around the edges, but he has a good heart. I love how Gabriel notices how different Caroline was to the other debutantes. And he found that he liked her individuality and eccentricity. What I adore the most about Gabriel is how angry he got over their peer’s treatment of Caroline. He did not follow the status quo but instead stood up for her. It is always fun when a hero shares one of my sons’ names (though I have only ever seen my oldest boy’s name in a paranormal book or as a last name). Some mothers get weirded out about it but not me.

SERIES: Yes, it is the second book in Lydia Drake’s historical romance series, DEBUTANTES OF LONDON. The story can easily stand alone. I have not read the first book, THE DUCHESS AND THE WOLF. Luckily, there is no on-going plot spilling over into this story from the first. The hero of TDTW (Rafe) does make a brief appearance, but he does not play a major role.

I thoroughly enjoyed this enemies to lovers romance novel that is very well written and full of humor, twists, tension, misadventures, steamy love scenes and very likable main characters. I loved Caroline and Gabriel‘s banter, battle of wills and perseverance and the great chemistry between them.
Their meddling parents were quite annoying, but made the story more exciting because you never knew what stupidity they were going to do next.

Caroline Devereux is a spinster and the secret author of gothic novels. When she discovers a letter from the late Earl of Lockford in her father's papers in which he blasphemes his wife and son, who he believes is not his, Caroline decides to use the letter to her advantage and blackmail the new Earl into marrying her in order to save her family from financial ruin and help her brothers.
Gabriel Kane, Earl of Lockford, has been told long ago that he is not the natural son of his father, who loathed him for it, and spent years at sea. But after the death of his elder brother and the Earl, Gabriel was forced to take over the title and family estate and has been trying to keep the title scandal-free ever since, just as he promised his brother on his deathbed. Caroline's blackmail is an unpleasant surprise and Gabriel is determined to avoid marrying her and make her give up. But the more Gabriel spends time with the forthright, unconventional young woman, the more he admires her and the more he looks forward to spending the rest of his life with her...

If you like your historical romance novel with headstrong characters, fun, twists and spice, you are sure to enjoy this book!

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.

I was extremely fortunate to receive an ARC of The Writer and The Rogue via Netgalley. This is the second book in Lydia Drake's Debutantes of London series, and it is spectacular. It can definitely be read as a stand alone. Caroline Devereux has been publishing short Gothic stories under a male pseudonym name to support her spendthrift father, and two brothers, but the money made is still not enough to maintain the finances and she is worried about all the creditors. She decides to blackmail Gabriel Kane, the new Earl of Rockford into marriage by writing to him about a devastating letter she may have about him and his father. I absolutely loved the banter and dialogs between almost all the characters. The author made me giggle and enjoy the very descriptive scenes. The characters development and them learning about each other's true personalities, and feelings developing other than what was originally planned, indifference and being forced to marry or get out of marriage, and the change that comes about by proximity is amazing. An absolutely wonderful read!

Caroline is trying to hold her family together due to her father's spendthrift ways and she's doing it the only way she can. She's found a letter written to her father from the former Earl of Rockford and decides to blackmail the current Earl of Rockford. Though she needs money to protect her family, she instead demands that he marry her. This causes a ton of conflict between the two of them throughout the book and it makes such an enjoyable read. I received the ARC late last week so I had to read it quickly, but I wasn't upset by it because it was such a great read. I hope there are more to come in the series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Second Chance, Blackmail, A Truly Passionate Romance Story:
Well, a book doesn't get much better than this wonderful story that is filled to the brim with romance, gossip, exasperating parents, delightful banter, sizzling passion and of course a happy ending.
I was so captured by this story I read it in one day, Whew!!. It was so thrillingly good, and the characters grabbed at my heartstrings more than once. Was it desirous you ask; yes, it is certainly a fan worthy romance.
✔Favorite Character: Gabriel is an outstanding character with a big heart.
✔Adult Advisory: 3/5

Caroline Devereux is 24 years of age and didn’t fit in with the debutante scene. She was clumsy at times but what she loved most of all was writing gothic novels. Caroline had to write under a man’s name, of course! Her father, the baron, had become irresponsible since her mother had died, gambling and selling off assets. Caroline was who held the family together, selling her novels to provide money for the family. She has now resorted to blackmail. Gabriel, the Earl of Rockford had led a dissolute life when he was the second son but now he is trying to change as a promise to his late brother. I enjoyed their banter and there was some humour, particularly during the dances. I could just image the scene, it was hilarious. There are many ups and downs before a happy ending is achieved. I did enjoy this book, I found it to be a very entertaining read about two unconventional people. I received the copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful engaging histrom. Loved the heroine being a writer, and both the heroine and hero’s realisation of them being in love with each other.

I'm giving this a neutral rating right in the middle, I didn't love it and I didn't hate it.
I did go into this knowing it was historical romance and was prepared for that. I was a little less prepared for the writing style to be completely done that way. I have read a few other historical romances and they didn't quite read the same. So I will be honest, I did struggle a bit with getting into this one.
I did enjoy the banter between characters. I also loved that Caroline is a writer, especially in an older setting where that wasn't very common. I have conflicting feelings about the blackmailing and her father being proud of her.