Just started reading. It felt too boring. I really wasn't able to get into it. I might return to it a little later ( )

Liked this installment of Rogues Redeemed a lot. The characters were terrific. Felt very authentic to the period. MaryJo Putney remains one of my favorite regency period authors. Both Simon and Suzanne's back stories added a lot to understanding the characters. I read this 6 years ago and still remember this book so I know it was a very good one. ( )

I give up. At page 215 I had to finally throw in the towel. DNF I cannot do it. I wanted to like this book. A male love interest who isn’t an emotionally abusive alpha male dickhead? Sign me up! I really liked the way they had a marriage of convenience and started out as friends. All of that was awesome and I really thought this would be the kind of romance I’ve been craving. I also loved that the tension came from outside of the relationship instead of from within it. Like I get that every novel needs excitement, but watching couples alternate between fighting and fucking isn’t exactly a healthy image of romance. So this! I thought this would be wonderful in contrast with what else is on the market. Fuck though...there’s hardly any tension. There’s no sense of urgency. It’s all just arranging social occasions, scheduling and making travel arrangements, conversations...so many boring conversations that could have been skipped. Why do i need to read an entire conversation about which type of passports will work best? Gah! Sooo boring!! I wanted to love it, but I stand defeated. I have been defeated by how boring this book is. Never again Mary Jo Putney. Your covers are pretty, but you’ll not fool me again! ( )

A premise with such potential ruined by such horrible execution! This book is so poorly written that I will never touch another book by this author. I forced myself to read through to the end for the sake of writing this review, and as it turned out the writing seemed to change a couple of times in the course of the novel, as if the author stopped writing for a period then came back to the story a different person with a different style. Unfortunately, none of the author's writing styles were any good.

How does this book disappoint? Let me count the ways: (in no particular order)

1. The dialogue is wooden; it's supposed to help with characterization, with building nuance and with allowing the reader to feel present in the story. It didn't do any of that.

From the beginning of the novel, every time I read a line of dialogue I "heard" it in my head as if I was watching middle schoolers in a school play, kids trying to project their voices and acting out their parts with as much emotion as they know how. Stiff. Pretend. Lame.

Supposedly the male and female main characters speak in French to each other, but their dialogue is written with so much 21st century contemporary English flavor (idioms, word choice, turns of phrase, sentence structure) that it's hard to imagine any of it being spoken in French in 1815.

2. The male main character is a chuckle-head -- literally. Every other line of dialogue out of his mouth is said with a 'chuckle.'

3. Places don't feel real at all, as if the author is describing them after having looked at some postcards. Some skilled description could have brought even a drawing room scene to life.

4. The author condenses time at her convenience, like when the book opens on a winter evening (February) just after the dusk has gotten too dark for Suzanne to sew even if she sits by the window. Simon comes to the house, Suzanne is summoned to the parlor to speak with him, tea is brought on a tray and consumed. After a brief conversation between them, Suzanne and Simon look out the window and see the sun rise. What? I had no idea that winter nights in London were so short.

5. Way too much telling, not enough showing.

6. Too much deus ex machina.

7. In the beginning of the book, the style is reminiscent of a Barbara Cartland novel, with short, simplistic sentences. The style changes at least twice in the book, but none of the styles are enjoyable to read.

8. The author tries hard to overturn some tropes that are typical of the romance genre, and fails miserably.

9. The main characters (Suzanne and Simon) don't have any real relationships with other characters. They are supposed to; there's Simon's "almost brother," Suzanne's "friends" from the boardinghouse, Suzanne's friends who are other characters from this "Rogues Redeemed" series, Simon's military peers... the list goes on. Somehow, their relationships with others never have any real substance, are not backed by believable or interesting interactions, and do not occasion any good dialogue.

10. The book has no emotional impact.

In short, it's a terrible book. I am so glad I didn't waste my money on it (I received a free copy from Goodreads Giveaway). If you want a romance novel, there are much better books out there; actually, even a mediocre book would be better than this one.

~bint ( )

This was a terrific entry in the Rogues Redeemed series. Simon is a war-weary colonel of intelligence who resigned his commission once Napoleon was exiled to Elba. He returns to England hoping to find peace in his new life and discovers that his cousin's widow, Suzanne, is alive after all. He tracks her down to check on her and finds her in reduced circumstances. Suzanne came to England after being rescued from a harem (Once a Scoundrel) and tries to make ends meet by sewing. Her life isn't easy, but she's free.

Simon and Suzanne met when she was fifteen and he was seventeen, just before she married his much older cousin. The only people there close in age; they became good friends in the weeks before the wedding. When they met again, they discovered that their connection was just as strong. Though Simon believes that his ability to feel has been destroyed, and Suzanne's experiences make the thought of love impossible, Simon proposes a marriage of friendship instead. After thinking about it, and receiving some unexpected motivation, Suzanne accepts.

I really liked both Simon and Suzanne. The first part of the book covers the beginning of their marriage and getting to know each other again. Both enter the marriage expecting only friendship and companionship. Simon is sensitive to Suzanne's fears and is gentle and understanding when he is with her. Suzanne feels safe around Simon, his declared disinterest in physical intimacy putting her at ease. My heart broke for Suzanne when she had her nightmare, and I loved Simon's efforts to comfort her. Imagine both their shock when morning revealed the unexpected revival of Simon's ability to feel! Poor Suzanne felt terribly betrayed. I loved Simon's acceptance of her feelings and determination to be as patient as necessary to woo Suzanne. Luckily, Suzanne's trust in Simon helps her face her fears. The slow reawakening of her desire is believable and moving. I loved how the love and intimacy between Simon and Suzanne grew over a credible amount of time, enabling both to overcome the fears and obstacles of their pasts. I loved seeing them both open their hearts fully at the end.

But this story is about more than just the romance of two wounded and lonely people. As a former intelligence officer, Simon still has contacts in the community. Because he is half-French and half-English, and Suzanne is French, they agree to test the temperature of the French émigré community regarding the possibility of Napoleon's escape. That was an interesting evening, as Suzanne's previous experience with these people hadn't been a pleasant one. I loved seeing her get back a little of her pride as the evening progressed, capped off with a marvelous example of righteous anger.

The action moves to Belgium when Simon receives word that his favorite cousin, Lucas, who was believed dead, may have been spotted in Brussels. The sense of impending danger is palpable as they search for Lucas. With Napoleon's escape, Wellington himself asks Simon to lend his talents to the war effort, and Suzanne insists on being part of it. The very real danger that they experience is vividly described, keeping me glued to the pages. Each of them makes significant contributions, though I feel like Suzanne's may have won the prize for unexpectedness. The descriptions of the Battle of Waterloo were such that I could almost smell the cannon smoke and mud as I read.

Underneath it all was the theme of family. Both Simon and Suzanne were lonely, and initially their marriage was about having someone special who could alleviate that loneliness. Also on Simon's side was his grief over the loss of his cousin, and then the revival of hope that he was still alive. I ached for Lucas when they found him and the pain that he was in because of his past. I had to laugh a little at the lecture he received from Suzanne regarding "wallowing" and how she gave him another way of looking at things. Suzanne believed herself to be without any family at all until a visit to her husband's estate revealed otherwise. There were some tense moments, but in the end family ties won the day. In both cases, "family is family" was the most important thing to remember.

I also liked the cameo appearances of characters from earlier books. After Suzanne's unpleasant reception from the émigré community, her trepidation over meeting the Rogue's wives was understandable. It was fun to see these ladies together and their easy acceptance of Suzanne. Lord Kirkland, of course, had additional motivations.

I look forward to the next book and seeing who it will be. The last of the cellar Rogues, who briefly appeared in the previous book? Or will it be Lucas, who feels a need for redemption of his own? It can't come soon enough! ( )