The Best of Both Rogues by Samantha Grace is a second chance at love romance with a few unusual twists. It's a sensuous story of love and forgiveness infused with lots of humor and romance!
The story begins as our hero, Ben Hillary has returned home to London two years after leaving Lady Eve Thorne at the altar. Ben climbs over a fence, walks in the back door and crashes Lady Eve's engagement ball.
'One more thing." Her cheeks turned scarlet as she slipped from her hiding place. "Please don't call me Kitten. I am not that girl anymore."
He nodded in understanding, sobering. Two years had changed him, and the scandal he'd created seemed to have changed her as well. Eve seemed stronger. More capable of making him toe the line, if she wished it.
He held out his arm. She hesitated to touch him. One she had made her decision, however, she gripped his arm and attempted to drag him toward the dance floor.
The meaning of her odd behavior dawned on him, and a bitter taste coated his tongue. 'You don't want to be seen with me, do you, Miss Thorne?" He expected a clever retort, a denial, or a frank affirmation, not the quivering of her bottom lip as her shimmering brown gaze lifted towards him.
'Oh, Ben. Why didn't you just stay away?"
Samantha Grace has created a flawed hero in Ben Hillary. He's the epitome of the charming, sexy regency rogue hero. He's fabulous! The bad boy that you know you shouldn't like but you do anyway! I wasn't prepared to like Ben as he jilted Eve (one of my favorite characters from In Bed With A Rogue). Ms. Grace drew me into this character driven novel by showing how determined Ben was in his pursuit of Eve. Loved, loved Ben's visit to the Woodmere Foundling Home , especially the time he spent with Baby Toby! These scenes are lough-out loud funny! Ben and Eve have an honest conversation and he confides some of the events that led to his decision to leave Eve. Can Ben win Eve's heart?
The story begins as our hero, Ben Hillary has returned home to London two years after leaving Lady Eve Thorne at the altar. Ben climbs over a fence, walks in the back door and crashes Lady Eve's engagement ball.
He nodded in understanding, sobering. Two years had changed him, and the scandal he'd created seemed to have changed her as well. Eve seemed stronger. More capable of making him toe the line, if she wished it.
He held out his arm. She hesitated to touch him. One she had made her decision, however, she gripped his arm and attempted to drag him toward the dance floor.
The meaning of her odd behavior dawned on him, and a bitter taste coated his tongue. 'You don't want to be seen with me, do you, Miss Thorne?" He expected a clever retort, a denial, or a frank affirmation, not the quivering of her bottom lip as her shimmering brown gaze lifted towards him.
'Oh, Ben. Why didn't you just stay away?"
Eve Thorne has matured in the past two years. She is more self confident and stronger because she persevered and got through the humiliation of being left at the altar. She has her family and her volunteer work and is newly engaged to an interesting man, Sir Jonathan Hackberry. She is torn between her duty to Sir Jonathan and her desire for Ben. Who will Eve choose?
Enjoyed the scenes where Sir Jonathan Hackberry is center stage. He appears to be a forgetful academic who studies the use of drums in ceremonies and is preoccupied with the Goddess Althena. Loved the scenes with Sir Jonathan, Eve and Grace as they enjoy a walk. It's apparent that Jonathan is clueless about Eve's needs and desires. All of the scenes with our charming hero and the absent minded scholar are fabulously written. Does Sir Jonathan fight for Eve's heart?
The well paced storyline has several interesting subplots. Kudos to Samantha Grace for including characters who suffer from PSTD and presenting how it can manifest in an individual over a period of time. Loved that many of the characters from the earlier Rival rogues books were included in this novel. Enjoyed seeing Sebastian, Helena and Fergus. Enjoyed meeting Ben's friend Crispin Locke, Viscount Margrave and the elements of suspense and intrigue he provided to the story. Am hoping to see more of Margrave in the future! Enjoyed reading every word of this charming novel and I look forward to Ms. Grace's next book!
The well paced storyline has several interesting subplots. Kudos to Samantha Grace for including characters who suffer from PSTD and presenting how it can manifest in an individual over a period of time. Loved that many of the characters from the earlier Rival rogues books were included in this novel. Enjoyed seeing Sebastian, Helena and Fergus. Enjoyed meeting Ben's friend Crispin Locke, Viscount Margrave and the elements of suspense and intrigue he provided to the story. Am hoping to see more of Margrave in the future! Enjoyed reading every word of this charming novel and I look forward to Ms. Grace's next book!
Reviewed by Susan Gorman
ARC provided by Sourcebooks.
Great review Sue. I always enjoy second chance romance stories. Jane Austen's Persausion is one of my favorite books. I applaud Samantha for having a character with PTSD. I'm looking forward to reading Best of Both Rogues(great title by the way!)
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