Rogue's Lady

by Julia Justiss

Dangerously handsome, rakishly charming, William Tavener never planned to settle down -- yet with his estate in ruins, the impoverished lord's only hope is to wed an heiress. But to his dismay, the one lady who stirs his ardor and excites his mind is a penniless musician's daughter…

With her dubious lineage and humble dowry, Allegra Antinori knows Society deems her no great prize. Still, she hopes marriage to an honorable gentleman will secure her future -- particularly if the groom is Rob Lynton, the family acquaintance she's always adored. So why does the entirely unsuitable Lord Tavener keep teasing her senses -- and bedeviling her heart?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency Romance, Harlequin

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 23, 2007

About the author

Julia Justiss grew up breathing the scent of sea air near the colonial town of Annapolis, Maryland, a fact responsible for two of her life-long passions: sailors and history! By age twelve she was a junior tour guide for Historic Annapolis, conducting visitors on walking tours through the city that was a hotbed of revolutionary fervor. (Annapolis hosted its own tea party, dispensing with the cargo aboard the "Peggy Stewart," and was briefly capital of the United States.) She also took tourists through Annapolis's other big attraction, the United States Naval Academy. After so many years of observing future naval officers at P-rade and chapel, it seemed almost inevitable that she eventually married one.

But long before embarking on romantic adventures of her own, she read about them, transporting herself to such favorite venues as ancient Egypt, World War II submarine patrols, the Old South and, of course, Regency England. Soon she was keeping notebooks for jotting down story ideas. From plotting adventures for her first favorite heroine Nancy Drew she went on to write poetry in high school and college, then worked as a business journalist doing speeches, sales promotion material and newsletter articles. After her marriage to a naval lieutenant took her overseas, she wrote the newsletter for the American Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia and traveled extensively throughout Europe. Before leaving Tunis, she fulfilled her first goal: completing a Regency novel.

Children intervened, and not until her husband left the Navy to return to his Texas homeland did she sit down to pen a second novel. The reply to her fan mail letter to a Regency author led her to Romance Writers of America. From the very first meeting, she knew she'd found a home among fellow writers--doubtless the largest group of people outside a mental institution who talk back to the voices in their heads.

Her second goal was achieved the day before her birthday in May, 1998 when Margaret Marbury of Harlequin Historicals offered to buy that second book, the Golden-Heart-Award winning novel that became THE WEDDING GAMBLE. Since then, she has gone on to write fourteen novels, three novellas and an on-line serial, along the way winning or finalling for historical awards from The Golden Quill, the National Reader’s Choice, Romantic Times, and All About Romance’s Favorite Book of the Year.

Julia now inhabits an English Georgian-style house she and her husband built in the East Texas countryside where, if she closes her eyes and ignores the summer thermometer, she can almost imagine she inhabits the landscape of "Pride and Prejudice." In between travelling to visit her three children (a naval officer son stationed in Washington, DC, a textiles and design major daughter who cheers for University of Texas at Austin, and a mechanical engineering major son also at UT Austin) keeping up with her science teacher husband and juggling a part-time day job as a high school French teacher, she pursues her first and dearest love--crafting stories.

To relax, she enjoys watching movies, reading (historical fiction, mystery, suspense) and puttering about in the garden trying to kill off more weeds than flowers.

Reviews

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 — Un romance ricco di melatonina, nel senso che stordisce da quanto è soporifero.
Non c’è neppure una storia, perché pare un retelling di Cenerentola.
Allegra Antinori, figlia di genitori scandalosi, assiste lo zio malato che l’ha ospitata dopo che è diventata orfana. Quando lo zio muore, la moglie la relega in soffitta e il figlio si attiva per farla maritare e togliersi il peso di mantenerla. Ovviamente 🙄 lei vuole sposarsi per amore e ciò genera varie complicazioni. Se vi sembra che manchino elementi di brio, non vi sbagliate. 😑 Bisogna pazientare finché il vero amore trionferà.

[Desi · Rating 3 out of 5]

leído en Nov 2012

Las súplicas de una dama

Protagonistas: William Tavener y Allegra Antinori

Argumento:

Guapo y peligroso, con el encanto de un calavera, William Tavener nunca había pensado en sentar la cabeza, pero con su finca en ruinas, la única esperanza del empobrecido aristócrata era casarse con una heredera. Sin embargo, para su consternación, la única dama que despertaba su pasión y excitaba su mente era la hija de un músico, que, al igual que él, no tenía demasiados recursos… Con un linaje dudoso y una dote humilde, Allegra Antinori era consciente de que los miembros de la buena sociedad no la consideraban un gran partido. No obstante, ella tenía la esperanza de casarse con un caballero honorable y poder así asegurarse el futuro, sobre todo si el novio era Rob Lynton, un pariente lejano a quien siempre había adorado. Entonces, ¿por qué lord Tavener, aquel noble completamente inadecuado para ella, había cautivado sus sentidos… y confundido a su corazón?

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

1⭐ - Not for me at all

I don't even know... Like, so badly written, so boring plot... Bye...

[LadyAileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una storia d'amore romantica più che passionale. La trama per certi aspetti manca di originalità al contrario della caratterizzazione dei protagonisti che ho trovato davvero originale. Lui non è il tipico libertino che ti aspetteresti, lei ha carattere, sicura di sé, non ha peli sulla lingua ma allo stesso tempo è molto dolce. Una lettura senza troppe pretese.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this author.

[Elisa Vangelisti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cominciamo proprio male. Una ragazzina ingenua di nome Allegra, vessata dalla zia Sapphira che pare una novella Crudelia Demon. Nah, passiamo oltre.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An other good story by an author who never fails to hold my attention.

[Carolina Caires · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este é um romance histórico adquirido numa tabacaria, em formato de banca, que me custou uma pechincha. Foi a minha leitura leve das férias.
Qual a diferença destes romances de banca para os outros? As capas que geralmente não gosto, os títulos que também não têm muito a ver com a história e a qualidade da edição. Geralmente são livros de bolso, com folhas finas e que se estragam com facilidade, mas eu não me importo com as marcas de uso.
Qual a vantagem? O preço acessível a muitos. E na verdade são histórias semelhantes ou até melhores do que as que se encontram à venda nas livrarias.
Este é um romance cliché que aborda temas como a disparidade entre classes sociais. Gostei das personagens principais e da forma como foi construído o romance (que não teve assim tanta pimenta quanto possam estar a pensar).

[Dale Furse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't read a Regency Romance in a long, long time but I'm glad I didn't have another book so had to go through my piles and found Rogue's Lady by Julia Justiss. I now remember why I liked Historical Romance so much.

Allegra has lost her uncle and is now in the hands of his nasty wife, Sapphira, but Rob, Allegra's cousin and heir to his father's estate is coming home. Allegra has had a crush on Rob since she was a child and thought it to be love. She has dreams of becoming his wife one day. However, in rides the rogue, Will, and throws her life and emotions into turmoil.

Thank you, Julia Justiss, for re-introducing me to this wonderful genre.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some slow times but for the most part the story flowed along. I loved the hero, Will and the heroine, Allegra for their honesty with each other and themselves. There was no juxtapose of claiming to be a gentleman and behaving like a rogue. Same with Allegra, she didn't prose on about propriety and then behave like a minx. That doesn't mean their thoughts were pure which added a sensual spice to the story. I'm going to keep this one for re-reading.

[ChloeLeeNH · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was just OK for me... I don't know if I have hit the max for these types of books or need to take a break but this was nothing new for me. It felt more like a YA novel.

[Anonymous · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with other reviews that say this has a YA feel to it. Still not a bad read though I believe I have read the girl's back story somewhere before.

[Lynn Calvin]

Amazon received,headless woman cover

[LInda L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Regency -- my first Julia Justiss novel. If you llke the genre, read this.

[Cassie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this book. I like this author and I love historical romances, but a few paragraphs just contained about a paragraph of substance.

[Seema · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written but boring for me

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last 100 pages were very refreshing.
I wouldn't ever think about an ending like that but the story in general was just regular.

[Carla Faleiro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Um romance de época leve. Uma estória romântica.

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