Reviewed by Jen

This is a great little companion novella to Duke of Sin. It picks up the thread of what happens to Hippolyta after she escapes the clutches of the Duke of Montgomery. We saw her running away in the last book… and that is exactly what she is doing as this story begins. She’s bedraggled and covered in mud when she runs in front of Matthew’s carriage and begs for help.

Hippolyta has no idea Matthew is a newly appointed earl and he doesn’t believe her claims that she is a lady. It gives them both the freedom to act outside the bounds of propriety. It’s nothing too racy, but there’s some cute banter and sexual tension that build a bond between them in the short time they are together. Of course, the carriage ride doesn’t last forever, and the second act follows them as they return to their real lives and deal with the repercussions of their time on the run. [Read more…]

Reviewed by Jen

I always get excited when a new Elizabeth Hoyt book comes out. I adore her and her Maiden Lane series. I have to say I was very curious about how she was going to make a hero out of Val. He was quite thoroughly unlikable in all of the previous books. He has lied. He has kidnapped. He seems to have no conscience at all. He was the villain for crying out loud. But I should have never doubted. And she always does, Hoyt pulled me in and I couldn’t put this book down from the moment I started it.

What’s cool about this is that Hoyt does not try to rewrite Val’s character. He is still extremely flawed. The thing is, we just finally begin to learn how he got this way. I really didn’t think I would care about his backstory. I didn’t believe there would be any excuse for what an awful guy he is. But I was wrong. [Read more…]

Reviewed by Jen

I have to admit, Eve didn’t exactly thrill me as a character in Dearest Rogue. She struck me as odd and a weird mix of weak and ruthless. This book didn’t really change that impression of her, but it did explain why she is the way she is, and that does help a lot.  Despite my reservations about the heroine, I was definitely looking forward to this story. I am all about the Makepeace clan, and while Asa is decidedly different from his brothers and sisters, he was engaging and interesting in his own way. [Read more…]