Thoroughly enjoyed.

The plot is stunningly good, the characters excellent.

Lukas Hawkins is dangerous, handsome, and rarely motivated. His older brother is a duke but he's the forgotten child.

Emma Curtis, who is seizing her last chance to save her family from ruin, catches his interest and he offers his help.

Lots of twists and turns and surprises.

( )

The Rogue's Proposal was a pretty good read overall. The story did drag on about two-thirds through, with pages of explicit love scenes and the story not really advancing. 3.5/5 stars ( )

Jane Hunt Writer First Steps

Jane Hunt Writer Book Reviews Google

The Rogue's Proposal number two in the House of Trent series is the first of Jennifer Haymore's novels I have read and I'm hooked.

The Rogue's proposal is a tale of adventure in life and love. Luke is tortured rake. Emma is guilt ridden because her naivety inadvertently caused the ruin and impoverishment of her family. They form an unlikely alliance uncaring of propriety to discover the whereabouts of Luke's mother and Emma's family fortune. Unexpected complications and internal demons threaten their happiness and their lives.

A great page turning read it has all the elements I love in an historical romance; historical detail intricately woven into an intriguing plot and believable characters that ignite with burning sensuality as their emotional journey progresses.

I received a copy of this e-book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I wasn’t a fan of Jennifer Haymore’s debut, A HINT WICKED and as a fan of historical romance, I decided to give her another try. Unfortunately, THE ROUGE’S PROPOSAL had potential to be an intriguing romance with a hint of mystery, but it falls flat.

Character development is weak and by the time we get to the ending, I’m still not sure I knew the characters well enough to say that I liked them. Emma Curtis is a widow and her father blames her for losing his fortune because her husband makes a bad business deal. Carrying that weight, she opts to make things better by searching for Roger Morton. Lucas Hawkins lives in the shadow of his brother, the Duke of Trent. He has some dark secret that made him the way he is and he too is in search of Morton because his mother was last seen with Morton. I’d like to say there’s a cast of secondary characters who play a vital role, but alas it’s just mostly Emma and Lucas; both who fail to make an immediate impression.

As for the narrative, it was okay, but a lot of it sounded a bit too modern. Also, I’m not sure if the fault lies with the editor or perhaps Haymore, but several times Emma is referred to as “Mrs. Emma Curtis” and not “Mrs. Henry Curtis.” It kept throwing me off especially since she would have been “Mrs. Curtis” in general. For example, in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, Mrs. Dashwood is referred to as that throughout the novel. Then there’s the big secret regarding Lucas’ upbringing. I won’t go into detail regarding the secret, but we’re led to assume that no one in the family noticed or knew, but I find that to be a bit unrealistic especially when you consider the size of an aristocratic household.

The big problem I had with THE ROUGE’S PROPOSAL was how quickly Luke and Emma fall into bed. I have no problem with lust and it happening, but Emma early on set up parameters and clearly states that she will not sleep with Lucas no matter what. Of course that plan quickly changes and the second or third night together, they have sex. Here Emma discovers that she likes it a bit rough and lord and behold, Lucas likes it too. This particular kink was a bit too predictable.

Overall, Jennifer Haymore’s THE ROUGE’S PROPOSAL was a bit of a dud. I totally stopped caring halfway through this. I only kept reading to see what happened to Lucas’ mother. If you’re a fan of historical romance, you might want to check this out since I’m in the minority when it comes to this book. ( )

Emma Curtis is determined to find the man who murdered her husband and stole her father's money, but without funds of her own, it's heavy going until Lord Lucas Hawkins arrives in Bristol, in pursuit of the same scoundrel. Armed with a teensy bit of information, (and a body to die for doesn't hurt) she persuades Luke to work with her.

Although he's a rogue, and has Issues dating back to childhood abuse by the man he believed to be his father, Luke is determined not to take advantage of the luscious Emma. Unless she begs.

We all know she's going to beg, don't we?

I received a free copy of this novel via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The chemistry between these two is hot; there's a hint of bondage and dominance games in the scorching sex scenes, and some sensual descriptions of Regency food and clothing. There's a nice mix of people from his and her families, without it becoming overwhelming. It's the second in a trilogy, but works fine as a stand-alone. I also liked that when people became hurt here, they weren't magically all better by the next page. Very well-crafted, with twists and turns I didn't see coming from a mile away. ( )