Subterfuge + Swoons • A Rogue of My Own

A Rogue of My Own by Johanna Lindsey
Series: Reid Family #3
Publisher: Pocket Books
Source/Format: Borrowed from my mom || Paperback

For Lady Rebecca Marshall, a whirlwind of excitement begins when she becomes a maid of honor at the court of Queen Victoria. But when Rebecca unknowingly steps into the rivalry between the Queen’s spymaster and a noblewoman who uses the maids as courtly spies, she is soon entangled in a web of deceit with the charming marquis Rupert St. John. The devastatingly handsome ne’er-do-well is the cousin of Raphael Locke, with whom Rebecca was once infatuated. . . . He’s also a secret agent of the crown who leads a double life. Certain that guileless Rebecca is spying on him, Rupert seduces her—then, forced to wed, he believes she has set a trap of the worst sort in order to marry into his powerful family! But as he comes to know Rebecca’s true heart, his vow of revenge and infidelity becomes a desire to share many passionate nights—only with his beautiful wife.

Johanna Lindsey is certainly not a romance author that I have a lot of experience with, but because my mom does, I decided to give her a try while I had her books at my disposal. A ROGUE OF MY OWN elicits a similar reaction as the book I reviewed yesterday - it's fun to read and it's got a really cute romance!

The Characters

Rebecca Marshall may have an air of innocence and elegance around her, but she's also smart and funny to boot. I enjoyed reading about her escapades, and she definitely made me laugh out loud with some of the things she said and did. She does, however, follow the typical pattern of the heroines of romance novels of this time, so be warned.

Rupert St. John is the trademark hero of romance novels - mysterious, handsome, proud and clever. He appealed to me because that is my type of romance novel hero, but it may seem a little cut-and-paste to other readers. In my opinion, it actually works for the sake of the story (and his profession keeps him extra interesting).

The Story

The romance and the intrigue kept me equal parts interested in this tale. I loved the development of the relationship between Rebecca and Rupert; their romance had me smiling and angry and sad... All these things are excellent when reading a romance novel. But it really was the intrigue that held my attention - I loved finding out what the court intrigue had to do with the entire tale. It made the story a whole lot more exciting!

You may notice that this is the third novel in a series. I personally think that it's possible to read the books out of order, as I did, but it's obviously much better to read them in order (or so I think).

The Bottom Line

This is definitely a lovely read for any romance fan, although it might be better to start at the beginning of the series instead of the tail end, like I did. A ROGUE OF MY OWN was light, entertaining and oh so sweet.