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Sainthill-Barrington #3
To Tempt a Rogue
A pillar of decorum and decency, Harriet Sainthill suddenly finds herself the object of scandal when her cad of a fiancé jilts her. Ever practical, she accepts a position as a governess to a wealthy Scottish merchant, determined to escape London and the gossip of the ton. Her hopes for a quiet, new life are dashed when she arrives at the dark, desolate castle in the wilds of Scotland and meets her mysterious new employer—a darkly handsome man Harriet finds both intimidating and intriguing.
Powerful, implacable and infuriatingly secretive, "Mr. Wainwright" is no Scottish merchant, but rather a runaway English lord. Once a rake who savored the indolent life of a reckless nobleman, Nathaniel Bennett must now protect three orphaned children and his own legacy from a conniving relative. And while the distraction of a sharp-tongued governess is the last thing he needs, he can think of little else but sweeping her into his arms...and off to his bed.
As danger and deceit ally them in a perilous adventure, Harriet will soon uncover Nathaniel's deepest secrets—and her own deepest desires.
Powerful, implacable and infuriatingly secretive, "Mr. Wainwright" is no Scottish merchant, but rather a runaway English lord. Once a rake who savored the indolent life of a reckless nobleman, Nathaniel Bennett must now protect three orphaned children and his own legacy from a conniving relative. And while the distraction of a sharp-tongued governess is the last thing he needs, he can think of little else but sweeping her into his arms...and off to his bed.
As danger and deceit ally them in a perilous adventure, Harriet will soon uncover Nathaniel's deepest secrets—and her own deepest desires.
350 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
27 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Adrienne Basso
29 books244 followersBetween stints as a corporate financial analyst, marketing consultant and public librarian, Adrienne Basso has parlayed her vivid imagination and desire to tell romantic stories into a twenty-four-year writing career. She has published contemporary, Regency, Victorian, vampire, and Scottish medieval romance novels. She enjoys the challenge of creating stories that emphasize the everlasting power of love and is truly delighted that her characters always achieve the fantasy of living happily ever after. A native New Yorker, Adrienne, her husband, and their incomparable dog now live in New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 27, 2022
I don’t believe I’ve ever read this author before, and she has a slightly juvenile writing style.
The Hero came off as a predator when they first meet, which was icky, but ultimately was revealed as a nice guy. I certainly loved his dedication to his nieces and nephew.
The heroine, Harriet, was tolerable until she made a ridiculous assumption. The “I KNOW your secret” trope, when in reality they know nothing drives me bananas. You have suspicions... you don’t have any facts. And in this case, she was wildly off base! Her imagination spiraled so far so fast that she came across as an overly dramatic high school girl. I should point out that her character was meant to be intelligent, no-nonsense and pragmatic, which is why her spiraling was so jarringly out of character.
I used to love the governess-lord set up in romance, but it really hasn’t aged well. The power dynamic is off, and it’s beyond inappropriate to root for a man making sexual advances towards a woman in his employ and living in his home. I’m not saying it can never be done under the right circumstances, but this definitely wasn’t it. The one saving grace was that Harriet didn’t really have to be a governess, and could go home to her rich and kind brother whenever she chose. Also, Harriet was often the aggressor, which I guess was supposed to help with those power dynamic issues, but she came across as someone with a split personality. There was a jerkiness to the storytelling and the pacing was off.
I will give props to the author for the beginning of the book, in that I really wasn’t sure where she was going with the story. Overall, though, I wished for a better written book.
The Hero came off as a predator when they first meet, which was icky, but ultimately was revealed as a nice guy. I certainly loved his dedication to his nieces and nephew.
The heroine, Harriet, was tolerable until she made a ridiculous assumption. The “I KNOW your secret” trope, when in reality they know nothing drives me bananas. You have suspicions... you don’t have any facts. And in this case, she was wildly off base! Her imagination spiraled so far so fast that she came across as an overly dramatic high school girl. I should point out that her character was meant to be intelligent, no-nonsense and pragmatic, which is why her spiraling was so jarringly out of character.
I used to love the governess-lord set up in romance, but it really hasn’t aged well. The power dynamic is off, and it’s beyond inappropriate to root for a man making sexual advances towards a woman in his employ and living in his home. I’m not saying it can never be done under the right circumstances, but this definitely wasn’t it. The one saving grace was that Harriet didn’t really have to be a governess, and could go home to her rich and kind brother whenever she chose. Also, Harriet was often the aggressor, which I guess was supposed to help with those power dynamic issues, but she came across as someone with a split personality. There was a jerkiness to the storytelling and the pacing was off.
I will give props to the author for the beginning of the book, in that I really wasn’t sure where she was going with the story. Overall, though, I wished for a better written book.
August 14, 2014
Author: Adrienne Basso
First published: 2004
Length: 4105 locations (kindle)
Setting: London and Scottish Highlands, 1811. Regency.
Sex: Explicit but late in the book.
Hero: Reforming Rake who is trying to look after his late brother's 3 children.
Heroine: Was a bit of a Bitch in the past and has just survived A Scandal.
Almost Cheating: Nathaniel has a woman at the start of the book and has explicit but unsatisfactory sex.
As an addition to her Regency portfolio, "To Tempt a Rogue" was a solid read. It gave Harriet a chance to grow, and Nathaniel was a reasonable character.
Unfortunately, I still didn't really like Harriet. She came across as shallow, where she claimed to be misunderstood; Basso missed the opportunity to explore her character through interactions with the children (she was The Governess after all) leaning instead towards an unfulfilled sexual tension. And too much time spent with far more interesting secondary characters!
An abrupt ending with loose threads for secondaries left me wanting.
A good story with a not-so-appealing heroine. Interesting fluff but lacking in depth. There were possibilities here... Basso failed to grab them.
Bears in Scotland:
So, were there wild bears in Scotland during the Regency period? Unfortunately, no. Wild bears were extinct in Scotland by the 9th or 10th Century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauna_of...
I really hate it when authors get these things wrong :-(
It may be a little bit of trivia but it seems disrespectful of the time and place.
Flora MacDonald:
On the other hand, I really enjoy it when author's get it right! While Basso is a little abrupt with the trivia, the Flora MacDonald anecdote was interesting.
Flora was imprisoned in the Tower of London for her part in the escape of Charles Edward Stuart.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/s...
Connected Books:
To Wed A Viscount - Miss Faith Linden and Griffin, Viscount Dewhurst
To Protect An Heiress - Lady Meredith Barrington and Trevor Morely
To Tempt a Rogue - Harriet Sainthill and Nathaniel Bennett
The Wedding Deception - Claire Barrington and Jasper Barrington
How To Enjoy A Scandal - Jason Barrington and Gwendolyn Ellingham
How To Seduce A Sinner - Dorothea Ellingham and Viscount Carter Grayson
A Little Bit Sinful - Eleanor Collins and Sebastian Dodd, Viscount Benton
References:
Author's website: http://www.adriennebasso.net/
BBC on bears in Scotland: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-h...
(ISBN 978-0-8217-7624-7)
-CR-
First published: 2004
Length: 4105 locations (kindle)
Setting: London and Scottish Highlands, 1811. Regency.
Sex: Explicit but late in the book.
Hero: Reforming Rake who is trying to look after his late brother's 3 children.
Heroine: Was a bit of a Bitch in the past and has just survived A Scandal.
Almost Cheating: Nathaniel has a woman at the start of the book and has explicit but unsatisfactory sex.
As an addition to her Regency portfolio, "To Tempt a Rogue" was a solid read. It gave Harriet a chance to grow, and Nathaniel was a reasonable character.
Unfortunately, I still didn't really like Harriet. She came across as shallow, where she claimed to be misunderstood; Basso missed the opportunity to explore her character through interactions with the children (she was The Governess after all) leaning instead towards an unfulfilled sexual tension. And too much time spent with far more interesting secondary characters!
An abrupt ending with loose threads for secondaries left me wanting.
A good story with a not-so-appealing heroine. Interesting fluff but lacking in depth. There were possibilities here... Basso failed to grab them.
Bears in Scotland:
"'Did you see that imposing looking bear, Kate?' Harriet asked. 'He was drinking from the stream, but stood his ground boldly even though the carriage passed within a few feet of him as we clattered over the wooden bridge.'" loc.696
So, were there wild bears in Scotland during the Regency period? Unfortunately, no. Wild bears were extinct in Scotland by the 9th or 10th Century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauna_of...
I really hate it when authors get these things wrong :-(
It may be a little bit of trivia but it seems disrespectful of the time and place.
Flora MacDonald:
On the other hand, I really enjoy it when author's get it right! While Basso is a little abrupt with the trivia, the Flora MacDonald anecdote was interesting.
"'We recently read an account of Flora MacDonald, a great Scottish heroine. Apparently she saved the young Pretender's life after the defeat at Culloden by dressing him as her maid. In spite of the enormous reward of 30,000 pounds, no Highlander betrayed the prince.'" loc.3492
Flora was imprisoned in the Tower of London for her part in the escape of Charles Edward Stuart.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/s...
Connected Books:
To Wed A Viscount - Miss Faith Linden and Griffin, Viscount Dewhurst
To Protect An Heiress - Lady Meredith Barrington and Trevor Morely
To Tempt a Rogue - Harriet Sainthill and Nathaniel Bennett
The Wedding Deception - Claire Barrington and Jasper Barrington
How To Enjoy A Scandal - Jason Barrington and Gwendolyn Ellingham
How To Seduce A Sinner - Dorothea Ellingham and Viscount Carter Grayson
A Little Bit Sinful - Eleanor Collins and Sebastian Dodd, Viscount Benton
References:
Author's website: http://www.adriennebasso.net/
BBC on bears in Scotland: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-h...
(ISBN 978-0-8217-7624-7)
-CR-
February 20, 2026
slut for anything jane eyre-adjacent
Read
November 29, 2014ok. reasonably inoffensive. very invisible prose - read two hundred pages without noticing. tripped up by unnecessary purplish sex scene. oh well.
June 27, 2020
Adrienne Basso Never Disappoints
I like how you get to know the characters and that some are reoccurring. Flows well and keeps a reader engaged. I look forward to the next story in the series.
I like how you get to know the characters and that some are reoccurring. Flows well and keeps a reader engaged. I look forward to the next story in the series.
December 18, 2022
Ani aroganta, ani uwodzenia za bardzo nie było.
February 6, 2011
A good way to end the trilogy, love all 3 story
You won't be disappointed mostly with connie mason's love scene love her work and how she writes very talented. She isn't afraid to try something new with her books or go the extra mile even if sometimes if we don't agree with it... Thanks Connie for the books..
You won't be disappointed mostly with connie mason's love scene love her work and how she writes very talented. She isn't afraid to try something new with her books or go the extra mile even if sometimes if we don't agree with it... Thanks Connie for the books..
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews