The Writer and the Rogue by Lydia Drake

Desperate times call for drastic measures…and Miss Caroline Devereux is most certainly desperate. Her spendthrift father’s been gambling away every spare shilling, racking up debts, selling off their family’s coveted objets d’art, and bringing them to the edge of ruin. Up until now, she’s been able to stave off the creditors—and afford luxuries like tea—by penning sensational Gothic tales. But they’re out of time, and Caroline must play the one card she has left.

 

The Earl of Rockford cannot believe that any young lady would dare to blackmail him. Not only has she threatened to expose the darkest secrets of his family and destroy their name, but she’s done it all in an attempt to…marry him? And damned if he isn’t secretly delighted by her spirit. But first, Miss Caroline has a lesson to learn about who she’s dealing with…

 

No one warned Caroline that the handsome, wealthy earl she intends to marry isn’t remotely the gentleman she expected. Because the “Rogue of Whitechapel” isn’t about to go down without a fight…and the first to fall in love will be the first one to lose.

 Series: Debutantes of London #2 | Publisher: Entangled: Amara |  Genre: Historical Romance  | Source: Publisher | Rating: 4.5 

It’s been a minute since I’ve read a new historical romance and found myself immersed in the plot and characters. It’s also been a minute since I’ve read a new historical romance that has felt like an actual historical romance. I’m happy to report The Writer and the Rogue was both entertaining and historical feeling.

Caroline must find a way to save her family from her father’s gambling debt. She’s sold their valuables and her Gothic stories but the creditors are coming and she’s out of options. When she realizes that a letter in her father’s possession holds dark secrets about the new Earl of Rockford, she has no choice but to blackmail him into marrying her. Although the Earl of Rockford is a rogue, he’s not so easily manipulated and Caroline realizes she has no clue who the Earl really is and what he’s willing to do. While the Earl was annoyed at the start, he soon finds himself amused by Caroline’s unique character. What neither was expecting was just how compatible they are.

This was such a fun and witty read. I made the mistake of picking this up late at night. I thought that I would read a chapter or two then put it down, I was mistaken and read the majority of the book in one sitting.

Caroline and Gabriel made for such a fun pair. She’s determined to save her family from the creditors and she’s not going to let Gabriel escape because she knows that he has the status and the wealth to save her family. Gabriel’s not looking to be tied down, he’s been perfectly happy living the life of a rogue so while the secret Caroline’s keeping is enough to ruin him, he’s not sure he’s wants to give up his bachelor lifestyle. The banter between them was great. She’s quick witted and he always had a reply, despite being caught off guard. He wasn’t afraid to push her boundaries and she meet him each step of the way, which made for some entertaining moments.

The romance was brilliant. They had amazing chemistry to the point it was nearly jumping off the page. While there was attraction from the start, the author drew out the romance allowing it to develop on the page, which I appreciated.

While the book was fast-paced for the most part, it lagged a bit it lagged a bit during last third but eventually picked up the pace again. The only problem that I had with this book was the cause for the conflict and the fallout. The whole ordeal seemed a little odd.

This is the second book in a series but it reads as a standalone. I’ve not read the first book and wouldn’t have realized that this was part of a series if I hadn’t spotted it while gathering the title details for my review.

Overall, I think I’ve found a new favorite recently published historical romance and I’m eager to read more from this author. If you’ve been looking for a spunky heroine and a devilish hero this is the book for you.

A little sidenote: I have heard a few people say that this feels a bit modern to them because the heroine is forthright (and not afraid to be herself) and the hero is one that goes beyond the normal boundaries of the period. As a fan of classic historical romance, I don’t feel like this is modern at all. In fact, the writing reminds me a lot of Georgette Heyer’s writing style.