Gone With the Rogue

Gone With the Rogue First Comes Love #2 Amelia Grey St. Martin’s Press, Apr 2020 290 pages Historical Romance Pub’s rep ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The cover is great! It’s usually the woman who’s half undressed, but on this one, it’s the guy! I love the happy, relaxed looks on the couple’s faces. And I like the use of the blue and violet color palette for this, rather classy. The story is the middle one of the three women who open the school for the sisters and daughters of the men who died in the sinking of the Salty Dove. Julia is busy being a proper widow and taking care of her young son. Garrett Stockton owns a shipping company and is in love with the sea. But the ton gossip would have it that he has a mistress in every port, with several in England. As in the first book in this series, The Earl Next Door, he eventually talks her around to his way of thinking and it’s a really enjoyable journey getting there. The characters are well developed and interact very well. Ms. Grey has a way with these couples that really makes her romances fun and funny at times. Yes, they do struggle to get their HEA, but there are laughs along the way. The pace is brisk and the tension stays high in this one as these two seemingly mismatched individuals find their way to their own happiness despite what the ton may think. Recommended.

He helped her down from a tree and through the most hilarious mess two ladies could make in the kitchen (it was their first cooking experience). Can he help her and her son escape her tyrannical father-in-law? This is the second book in the First Comes Love Series and features Lady Julia Fairbright and Garrett Stockton. Since her husband’s death four years ago, his father, the Duke of Sprogsfield, has kept Julia under his control by threatening to take her son away from her if she doesn’t comply with his rules. Garrett is the owner of a successful shipping company. He is the son of a gentleman, but stays on the edge of Society. When he rescues Julia from the tree in St. James Park, their attraction is instant. Their chemistry is sizzling and their connection is strong. Julia is strong, independent, caring, and kind. Garrett is intelligent, independent, kind, and becomes immediately protective of Julia and Chatwyn. Julia wants more than anything to be free to live her life, raise her son, and be with Garrett, but she is afraid of the Duke’s reaction. When Julia tells him of her plan to deal with the Duke, he agrees to help. It turns out they have a common adversary. Gone with the Rogue is a charming and entertaining story. The characters are likeable (except the Duke and Mr. Pratt). Julia’s four-year-old son is absolutely adorable. The girls from the Seafarer’s School make a happy appearance. Brina is anxiously contemplating what she wants in her life. I enjoyed this one and look forward to her story. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Full review appeared at Reader's Edyn on 05/03/20 Julia had her life figured out. Married to a good friend for convenience, everything seemed to be working out fine. But a freak accident on a ship suddenly took her husband’s life. He would never know his son and she would be stuck under her father-in-law’s rule for several years to come. Threatening to take her son, his only heir to the Dukedom, Julia is forced to live properly without the slightest hint of scandal. But her inquisitive nature and strong spirit often have her walking a fine line between behaving as she’d like to and keeping just below the Duke’s radar. Living in his household with his staff proves most difficult. Still, she wishes no ill will toward the Duke, just her freedom. It’s a dream she will never attain until one fateful day when she overhears information that could change everything for her and her son. Springing into action, she sets out to find the evidence that will provide her freedom. But when Garrett Stockton happens along and finds her caught in a tree, suddenly taking risks becomes a regular occurrence. The rake tempts Julia to distraction. But with her son at risk, she cannot afford to completely lose herself in Garrett, despite how much she longs to. With little time to produce the proof, she enlists the aid of Garrett and together they work to uncover the mystery that surrounds the Duke. Garrett is completely caught by the spirited beauty as soon as he discovers her up in that tree. A self-made success, he only stops in town for short periods before the sea once again beckons him away from dry land. But Julia quickly replaces the call of the sea with a siren call of her own and when she seeks his assistance, he has little choice but to help her. He wants much more from her and would do anything to be able to call her and her young son his. Discovering the evidence doesn’t prove to be too difficult, but deciphering it might prove impossible. Should Julia’s plan fail, he is not above absconding with her and her son out to sea to escape the dastardly clutches of the scheming Duke. But proving to Julia that his rakish days are behind him and that he is fully committed to both her and her son is going to be a challenge like he has never undertaken before. The risks are great, but the treasure to be obtained is worth the risk because losing Julia is not an option. Picking up several months following the previous book, Julia is now keeping an eye on the school for girls. With Brina traveling for short spells and Adeline now living in the country with her husband (for now), the responsibility lies with Julia. Brina, however, returns with some news of her own, leaving Julia shocked while trying to be supportive and understanding. What I completely despised about this scenario is that Adeline and Lyon are absolutely NOWHERE within this book! What the heck? It’s the three women who started the school and brought about this series. All three are so different in nature and add something of value to the friendship, so for one of them to be completely absent was disheartening. I loved Adeline and Lyon and was looking forward to a chance to reconnect with them. Because of this awful turn of events, I took the rating down to a 4. This was my biggest problem with the book. For those of you who don’t read the series in order for some reason, it likely won’t affect you one iota. But for me, as one who tries to read in order whenever possible, I was very nearly heart-broken by Adeline and Lyon’s absence. Much like the first book, Garrett knows exactly what he wants almost immediately, but Julia has several reasons to put him off. Her reasons are valid, of course. She is completely under the control of the Duke and her fear of losing her son keeps her from acting as she would if she were truly free in her widowhood. Given the fact that I am aware of Brina’s deep love for her departed husband, I would hazard a guess that in this respect, the third book will likely follow a similar course...