WILL THE ROGUE'S PERFECT PLAN . . .
Colin Brockhurst, Earl of Ravenshire, has no desire to wed, this season or any other. So when his father demands he give up his wild ways and take a wife, Colin refuses. But his father raises the stakes and threatens to sell the ancestral home if Colin doesn't comply. Now Colin has no choice but to find a wife. Unfortunately, the only woman he wants is the one whose heart he broke years ago.
LEAD TO THE PERFECT SEDUCTION?
Regardless of the ton's whispers, Lady Angeline Brenham won't settle for anything less than true love. After rejecting more than her share of suitable suitors, spinsterhood looms before her-until the devilishly handsome Colin reappears in her life with a proposition. Angeline vows to keep her feet on the ground and her heart in check. That is, until one searing kiss melts her resolve and reignites a burning desire for more . . .
The Review:
After breaking her engagement with her cheating ex-fiance, Angeline is shunned from most of society, ruining her future and possibly that of her sister. Despite her scandal, family friends invite Angeline to a house party, where she runs into Colin, just the sort of roguish man she needs to avoid. Colin has his own reasons for returning home, but he doesn't anticipate the way Angeline's appearance will change all his plans.
This review is a little tricky to write because I'm so torn about this book. On the one hand, it was assuredly a compulsive read - I finished it in a day, but on the other hand there were a few issues that nearly had me putting it down altogether.
I really liked the heroine Angeline. She's been through a rough time, falling in love, being betrayed by her lover and then ostracized from society. Life definitely seems pretty tough. But she's really determined to make the most of her life in spite of her past. She is especially keen to help her sister back into society, but she also has her own private ambitions outside of marriage. She has a passion for interior decorating and although she wishes she could find a happy marriage, she is willing to make the most of life without that. I completely felt for her and was desperate for her to get some kind of happiness from the start.
The hero of this piece, however, is very confusing. He loves his bachelor life in London, but has returned home to secure his inheritance and a connection to his mother. That's all fine, but it's his developing relationship and feelings for Angeline that threw me. His thoughts and feelings for her jump around with very little cohesion and it made the romance quite difficult for me to follow. I really didn't know whether to love or hate him - perhaps this is the point, but I feel like his desires needed to be a little clearer for me from scene to scene.
One of my favorite things in romance is the banter between the hero and heroine, and I also felt like this was lacking in What a Reckless Rogue Needs. While I loved so many of Angeline's lines, the dialogue in general was stilted and difficult to consume. On the other hand, I have to admit that the steamier scenes were really great. I definitely believed Angeline's seduction and fantasy transformation into a courtesan in the bedroom.
The secondary characters in this are the highlight for me, in particular, Colin's twin sisters. They were wonderful comedic relief and I'd quite like to read a story from their perspective.
Despite its problems, there was definitely something compulsive about this read, so I'm interested to try more from Vicky Dreiling in the hope that I might find more consistent heroes and more convincing dialogue to go along with the otherwise compelling writing.
What a Reckless Rogue Needs by Vicky Dreiling was released by Forever Publishing on March 25, 2014, and is available from Amazon and Book Depository.
This book was given to Love Reading Romance in exchange for an honest review.
