One Night With a Rogue

Rating:
Summary: Things that make you go "Ahhh"...
Review: First story is titled "Lady Jane's Lover" by Candace McCarthy.

Jane Graham never expected Catherine to elope and abandon her. But that was exactly what happened. As much as she dreaded it, Jane would have to return home and inform her uncle, Earl Hamilton, that his daughter had eloped. Yet while traveling home she was set upon by highwaymen and rescued by Broc Lawson, the handsome nobleman she had adored for so long. Since Broc had been injured while rescuing her, Jane found shelter and began to tend him. Sooner or later the earl would send out a search party. However, being so close to Broc made her want more.

Second story is titled "Beyond Temptation" by Linda Madl.

Eden was the youngest of the Vicar's seven daughters and had chosen to act as his caretaker. Knowing she would never marry, she chose "Tony" (a.k.a. Viscount Romleigh), to be her lover and give her one night to treasure forever. Once done they would part with no regrets. Eden never expected Tony to follow her to the remote little village of Hadding Green.

Third story is titled "Night Of Seduction" by Debbie Raleigh.

Charity Malone had loved Anthony, Lord Caldwell, for years. He had grown up as her neighbor and friend. When his younger brother died in a duel, Anthony blamed himself. He began drinking heavily and sinking into depression. Charity feared what he planned to do with his dueling pistol and decided to steal it during the night, then bury it in the garden. But Anthony caught the feminine figure in his garden. She was veiled in mystery and cloaked in darkness. He thought of her as a fair wood sprite, created of mists and moonlight, just for him. The mystical encounter snapped him out of his depression and he looked forward to seeing her each midnight. Charity, though, decided to let herself have on night with Anthony and then let his mystery woman disappear forever.

***** Needless to say, THIS BOOK ROCKS! Each story is downright enthralling. In fact, delightful dreams can not help but happen if you go to bed shortly after reading any one of these tales. This novel will be forever labeled under the file, "Things that make you go 'Ahhhh'." *****

Rating:
Summary: A little reality please -
Review: Generally I enjoy anthologies and am willing to forgo deep character development which is not something that is easily done in the shorter format of 90 to 120 pages or so. Also, I am partial to "rogues" - so why the two star rating? I found myself very bothered by the lack of understanding of the Regency period displayed to some extent by all the authors!

**Lady Jane's Lover - Candace McCarthy**- Jane Graham, niece of an Earl, acting as his daughter's companion, is stranded when said daughter runs away with the "coachman"! Ambushed and then rescued by a passing horseman who is wounded in the action- the rest of the story involves Jane nursing her rescuer back to health in a convenient (and unexplained) well stocked empty "cottage". Turns out she knew him from her childhood. I actually liked Jane and Broc and enjoyed their relationship - however I found it impossible to believe that 1) Broc (son of a Baron) had been cast off by his father because of an amorous adventure (his father might have paid her off IF he believed her) that 2) Jane would not have been severely blamed for her cousin's actions by her aunt and uncle and 3) that said cousin would expect ever to be forgiven for her action, let alone be accepted..... ah well. Plus titles were a bit muddled. (one star)

**Beyond Temptation - Linda Madl** - Eden Roseby youngest of seven daughters of a clergyman has (as the youngest) been Chosen to care for her clergyman father in his old age. Arranges a single night of passion with an initially reluctant "rake" - Anthony, Viscount Romleigh. The romance between Anthony and Eden is well done; Eden's father is unexpectedly intriguing and likeable. Problem? Mr Roseby is the brother of a Duke - so he is really the Rev Lord James Roseby - why doesn't he use his title? Never explained. Also the villain of the piece is the local baronet who controls the vicar's living and threatens him with losing it. I don't think so!!! If one's brother was a Duke, the ducal family would have arranged the living! Just do away with this connection and the story would be a lot more believable. The "duel" is a treat!!! (two stars)

**Night of Seduction - Debbie Raleigh** - Charity Malone, spinster daughter to a scholar, long time friend to Anthony Lord Caldwell - occasional neighbor (when he wants to escape society) wants to find a way to comfort him when he starts drinking heavily and threatening suicide on blaming himself for his younger brother's death. She accidentally catches his attention when he finds her in his garden "veiled in the mist" and doesn't recognize her.... Once I could get beyond the improbability that Charity and Anthony had ever developed a friendship - this is a pretty good read. Charity's background and situation (as daughter staying at home to care for her father) are realistic and matter of fact; also Charity recognizes her feelings for Anthony are largely (in the beginning) based on the fact that she has met no other really eligible gentlemen. She also has a perfectly good reason for sneaking through Anthony's garden in the dead of night! (three and a half stars)

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Read
Review: It's always hard to judge a novella in an anthology as the author has to make them fall in love believably in like, say, 60+ pages. So it's not always a bang-up read. However, it's a good way to find out about a new author that you've never read (on another thought, a novella probably will not do them justice).

Leslie Madl's story of Tony and Eden was the best of the lot - not surprising since it also seems to be the longest. In the midst of having a delicious surreptitious affair, they fall in love. The fact that they have to sneak around (her, a vicar's spinster daughter, and, him, a widely known libertine) is the delicious part and what the hero had to do to keep their secret (and her reputation intact) is a treat.

Debbie Raleigh's story was middling. Since it started out as the H/H having known each other since children (they have to - they can't just meet and fall in love in such a short amount of time!), its believability level is higher than the usual novella. However, the way the hero was attracted to the heroine in the utmost darkness but not in the light of day, sort of ruined the whole thing. But not completely - he very handsomely explains the sudden attraction in the end.

Two out of three isn't bad and definitely an entertaining read.

Rating:
Summary: Sheer Romantic Fun
Review: This review first appeared in the Lyons Mirror-Sun in a book review column written by Mary Connealy
One Night With a Rogue - She was doomed....doomed to die, but not before being ravished....Suddenly...a dark stranger on a magnificent steed burst out from the thickness of the black forest. An excerpt from Lady Jane's Lover
It makes me smile just to read that line. It's so classic.
Lady Jane's Lover is a perfect, fun romance novel. A damsel in distress, a rogue with hero tendencies, a twist in their lives that traps them together, alone - lonely - attracted. Can love be far behind? Candace McCarthy puts her hero and heroine into the path of oncoming love and no force in nature can stop it. And why would it want to?
Beyond Temptation by Linda Madl takes a slightly different approach to romance. Meet Eden, the vicar's daughter, and Tony, the dallying Viscount. Never could there be a more unlikely pair. This damsel is not in distress, she finds herself resigned to a life of spinsterhood, carrying for her aging father.
She is willing to give her life to this duty, no complaints. But she wonders what she will be missing, and she boldly asks Viscount Romleigh to show her. Romleigh satisfies her curiosity, and himself. But, even as they part ways, both know once will never be enough. I emailed Linda Madl about this anthology. She replied, "From the day THE SCOTSMAN'S LADY was released, readers started asking me for Tony Derrington's story. So, when I was asked to write a story for this Rogue collection, I knew this would be Tony's story. With Eden being such a warm-hearted free spirit, Tony's roguedom was sure to perish."
Night of Seduction by Debbie Raleigh is about Charity, who has taken it upon herself to save her childhood friend. Anthony has sunken into drink and depression after the death of his younger brother. Charity, plain in looks and speech, and not interested in changing, can't shake him out of it. But, a chance meeting on a foggy night, with a mystery maiden, re-awakens Anthony's interest in life. Charity has to beguile Anthony in the night to keep him from lapsing back into his self-destructive ways, then sit inches away from the big lout during the day as he goes on ecstatically about his new love.
Charity knows she can't let the charade go on, but she has been in love with Anthony all her life. What harm could there be in stealing a few moments of pleasure for herself.
What harm indeed?
The whole book is charming and fun to read. One Night With a Rogue is definitely Worth Reading.