Love is a Rogue
By Lenora Bell
Release Date: October 27, 2021
Ebook Available from WV Reads!
3.5 Stars - A pleasant surprise from an author new to me. This fun, flirty historical romance has a very memorable couple. Beatrice's a scholarly girl who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Which ends up making her a perfect match for carpenter Ford, who of course is also a repentant rogue. The banter and sparks between these two kept me going in this slightly overlong novel.
Bell's writing really grabbed me at first, but I have to admit at times I didn't mind putting this one aside. There's a few suspenseful scenes and a few more romantic ones. But it could be awhile in between exciting moments. I really enjoyed Beatrice, though I think I can see why she would annoy some readers. She's definitely prickly. And her word obsession is everywhere. But I felt for her and her wallflower personality. Stamford Wright was a unique hero for a historical. He's no nobleman and prefers to work with his hands. But he also likes to read and wholly supports Beatrice in all her endeavors, crazy or not.
There's a few interesting side characters like Beatrice's brother who is mysteriously absent most of the book. She also has a quirky group of girlfriends who masquerade as knitters to take part is some revelry. It's mostly all Beatrice and Ford though, no side couples. At times, the perspective of Ford was too similar to Beatrice. I think the idea was to showcase the effect they had on one another. But with this written in 3rd person, a stronger set of separate voices may have been beneficial. The relationship between these two was oddly paced. The build up from kisses to more is really slow but not without steamy encounters in between. Mostly these two are resisting each other and failing, which makes for quite a fun ride. But their reasoning for holding back is a bit shaky. Toward the end, it gets downright silly. And that made the book feel a bit too long at like 375 pages. It probably could have been told in one hundred less pages but I was enjoying it so I never mind some extra chapters.
(NS)
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