Category Archives: Covent Garden Cubs Series

Review: I Kissed a Rogue by Shana Galen

Title: I Kissed a Rogue by Shana Galen
Covent Garden Cubs Series Book Three
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical, Romance, Suspense
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Once she spurned the man…
When the Duke of Lennox hires Sir Brook Derring, England’s best investigator, to find his daughter, Brook intends only to rescue the lady and return to his solitary life. He deals with London’s roughest criminals every day of the week; surely he should be able to endure seeing his first love again-the perfect girl who broke his heart…

Now her life depends on him
Lady Lillian-Anne Lennox has always done her best to live up to her father’s standards of perfection-at the cost of following her heart. When she’s kidnapped and her perfect life is shattered, Lila has another chance. Together, Lila and Brook navigate not only the dark and deadly side of London, but the chasm of pride and prejudice that divides them.

Review:

I Kissed a Rogue by Shana Galen is a captivating historical romance with a slight element of suspense.

Sir Brook Derring is an investigator with a kind heart so when Lady Lillian-Anne aka Lila is kidnapped, he looks past their painful history and agrees to search for her. He locates her rather quickly, but not before she witnesses a brutal murder during a rather valiant escape attempt. Although her life is still in danger, Brook is reluctant to continue protecting her but Lila’s wily father circumvents Brook’s objections by forcing the pair to wed. Retreating to the country in hopes of keeping Lila out of harm’s way, Brook entices her into exploring their mutual passion despite their plans to seek an annulment once she is out of danger.

In the seven years since she turned down his earnest marriage proposal, Lila has grown and matured. No longer a silly, shallow nineteen year old, she is much more gracious and thoughtful. As a titled member of society, she still lacks the basic skills to survive on her own, but Lila is unexpectedly willing to pull her share of the weight in the dilapidated cottage. She also demonstrates her newfound maturity by attempting to make amends for her deplorable treatment of Brook years earlier. Lila makes no excuses for her behavior and she is genuinely sorry for her callous disregard for his feelings.

Older, wiser and more experienced, Brook has never quite forgiven Lila for her rather heartless rejection year earlier. He still sees her as the same superficial young girl he once knew and at first, her behavior backs up his opinion. However, once they arrive at his family’s cottage, he is rather pleasantly surprised by her willingness to pitch in with chores despite her inexperience. Brook works hard to maintain his anger over those long ago events, and despite their sensual lovemaking, he has not changed his mind about annulling their marriage.

Initially, Lila and Brook’s relationship is full of tension and simmering with animosity. Lila is still a little haughty and demanding which reinforces Brook’s opinion that she is still the same person who broke his heart. However, bit by bit, Lila’s true character is revealed as she faces adversity with a mostly positive attitude although, given her social status, she is completely out of her depth and sometimes harbors unrealistic expectations. Brook certainly holds on to his resentment a little longer than expected and he is quick to think the worst of her. Despite his lingering bitterness, Brook is surprisingly gentle with Lila and he is a very generous and tender lover.

With an appealing cast of characters and an intriguing storyline, I Kissed a Rogue by Shana Galen is a marvelous second chance at love romance. Fast-paced and engaging, this delightfully sensual addition to the Covent Garden Cubs series is sure to be a hit with fans of historical romances.

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Filed under Covent Garden Cubs Series, Historical, I Kissed a Rogue, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Shana Galen, Sourcebooks Casablanca, Suspense