Rogue Villain

Rogues of Manhattan #2

by Pamela O'Rourke

"𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗱𝗼𝘁𝗲."

Callous, calculating, and controlled, I’m a man with no one to care for and nothing to lose.
A man to reckon with.

At least until my carefully emotionless life is upended when she’s placed under my protection.

𝗪𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗼.
The off-limits daughter of my dead best friend.

From the moment she looks up at me with those pretty gray eyes, she owns me.
Even as I fight it.
Even when I push her away.
When I hurt her with venomous words.
And unforgivable actions.

Somehow, she sees past the man I present to the world.
She doesn’t flinch when faced with my worst self. Instead, she unlocks a side of me that I didn’t know existed anymore.

She makes me feel.
More than I’d ever believed possible.

I’m falling for her, forbidden or not.
Right or wrong.
𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲.

Until the reason she came into my life becomes the very reason she may be driven from it.
And I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe from forces that would drive us apart.

𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧…𝙄’𝙢 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙬𝙖𝙮.

Contains graphic scenes suitable for readers aged 18 and over.

Genres: Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Dark, Romance, Dark Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 2, 2023

About the author

Pamela is an Irish author of contemporary romance. She's married to her soul-mate, with whom she shares five beautiful children.
In her extremely limited spare time, she loves nothing more than planning what book boyfriend she wants to write about next.
She has a serious Pepsi Max and coffee addiction.

Reviews

[Katie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨Arc Review✨

When I read the synopsis of this book I was most definitely intrigued, I mean look at the tropes:
- Age Gap (h:20/ H:38)
- Fathers Best Friend
- Enemies to Lovers
- Billionaire Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Damaged Antihero MMC

Vaughn is the cause of his best friend Lorenzos death (Wrens father) and he kept his distance from Lorenzos wife and family to allow them to grieve. Vaughn officially crosses paths with Wren when her mother goes missing and needs a safe environment to protect her from an unknown threat.

I really enjoyed the banter/pranks/and back and forth between Vaughn and Wren. This also added significantly to the tension and chemistry between. I mean who doesn’t love when the tension builds to a breaking point where they can’t deny that they want each other!

I would rather now give spoilers, as it would ruin the reading experience but this plot line kept me very intrigued with few twists and turns along the way👏🏼

This is the first book I have read by this author and it most certainly won’t be the last!!

I’d like to thank Love Notes PR for providing this e-arc for my honest thoughts.

[Katiereadingcorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do I describe this book in a short review?
How can I describe the epic story telling that this author delivers, time and time again. This book was 𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐋.

I can’t get Vaughn and Wren out of my head, and I never want to. Their hate-love relationship, which was filled with banter and pure emotion is 𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒄.

Vaughn owns a club named 𝙍𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙚. This club has different levels, one of which is a s-e-x club, which he isn’t too fond of.

Wren is the daughter of Vaughn’s late best friend, Lorenzo. When Wren suddenly finds herself in a shocking situation, she is placed in the safe (𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙤𝙩) hands of 𝐕𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧.
He is to look after her, as she’s only 20 years old. What he doesn’t expect to arrive, is a hot, witty, young woman who he now can’t get out of his head. But he knows he can’t have her, he’s meant to look after her, (𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒏𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝑽𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒏 🥵)

𝑷𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒂 𝑶’𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒌𝒆 is an incredibly talented author, who I envision will go far. Rouge villain is her fifth book, and I’m still astounded that this isn’t her five-hundredth book.

[Siiri Auroora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an arc in exhange for an honest review.
I was really intrigued by the tropes in this book as most of them are some of my favourite tropes! the banter was great in this book as well as the tension, I looove vaughn and while I’m not usually big on billionare romances, I enjoyed the way it was done in this. We also got a good amount of back story to these characters which was nice.
however, in the middle it took a turn I’m not sure I enjoyed. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone but while I didn’t hate where the plot was going, I also didn’t love it.
I rated the book 3 stars which for me means that I enjoyed the book but there were some improvements to be made. I would still recommend this book to people looking for something with these tropes!

[Fran (fransbookstagram) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 Stars

I'm a very happy girl! Pam you nailed this baby and everything about it giving me TL Swan vibes! Age gap, father's best friend, billionaire, forced proximity, forbidden love, hot tension and yummy, delicious and panty-melting spice! I wanted to love this book so hard, and holy cow did I ever!!

Gah! Are you ready for Vaughn and his glorious ways? Italian looking through and through with his jet black hair, facial hair and onyx eyes. He wears his suits like a second skin and holy cow was he sex on legs!! I could smell him and feel his vibe off the pages making him a perfect book boyfriend. He is built like a god and knows how to melt your panties with his sexy smirk. He is portrayed as a Villain but underneath is all, he's a wonderful man. He keeps his persona private and hidden unless you are in his circle. When he's forced to take in his best friend's child, he isn't prepared for what he sees turning his world totally upside down.

I loved Wren in this book - strong, talented, stunningly beautiful and has had a crush on Vaughn since she was a little girl. When tragedy strikes, she's forced to be under his care but what she wasn't expecting was the fire he lights in her. Together they are an inevitable force and Pam makes your toes tingle with their sexual tension, makes you laugh with their banter and then makes you swoon with their love.

Shared POV, hot spice that captures you so much and a great storyline. I also loved the reference to the gorgeous Caden North from her previous series.

Having read all of Pam's books, I think this is her best one yet! Pam you are making me swoon so hard with your characters because I loved Vaughn so damn much! Bring on book three with Ford's Bodyguard Romance.

[ap_reads14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You” just that one word did it for me and you will understand why. I cried and I laughed., boy did I laugh 😂 get the tissues ready. The back and forth with these two. Mamma Mia. Loved Wren for never backing down. Truly love soulmates reads and Wren and Vaughan are soulmates🥰

“And it was in the presence of that guiding light I was able to find my way home to you. “

5 my little bird stars read here!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Margo Fiore · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Who are you, little bird? Tell me, I need your words.”

Huge thanks to Love Notes PR and Pamela O’Rourke for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Listen, we all know what we’re here for when it comes to this kind of forbidden love, spicy story. Or at least I do. I’m here for a damaged antihero MMC who is obsessed with the ‘innocent’ sunshine FMC. I’m here for the taboo and the secrets and by god am I here for some smut.

Rogue Villain hits every mark for me. It’s exactly what I’m looking for when I pick up a book with a handsome, barely clothed man on the front. There’s this level of escapism here that I loved, losing myself in this world of sex clubs and billionaires to the point where I got in the bath to have a little read and before I knew it it was pitch black and my bath was cold.

My favourite part of this book was of course Vaughn and Wren and their incredible smut scenes. On point dialogue that had my clutching my pearls and grabbing my highlighter, chemistry enough to explode a laboratory and a perfect level of kinkiness my fiancé now has to deal with living in my brain tent free.

The reason for the loss of a star is purely because there was one too many side plots for me. There’s Wren’s Prince Charming, but also Vaughn’s club, and I think I’d preferred to just focus on the one crime plot rather than both. I also really enjoyed the premise of flipping ‘Dad’s Best Friend’ on its side by having Wren’s father not be around anymore, but for a forbidden romance I would have maybe enjoyed a little more of the forbidden aspect, as W+V didn’t really seem to have much to say about their complicated dynamic.

Overall though, I loved it. I could live in this world forever, surrounded by hunks with dubious morals and dicks as big as their wallets. This is truly a girl dinner of a book, and I’d recommend anyone goes to feast on Vaughn. I cannot WAIT for Ford’s book and will absolutely be reading Rogue Romeo and the rest of Pamela’s books to keep me going until then!

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC free for my honest opinion.

Billionaire, Age Gap (18 years), Dad's Best Friend, Forced Proximity, Enemies to Lovers, Damaged Antihero MMC

"I'm toxic, but maybe she's the antidote. Callous, calculating, and controlled, I'm a man with no one to care for and nothing to lose. A man to reckon with. At least until my carefully emotionless life is upended when she's placed under my protection. Wren Caputo. The off-limits daughter of my dead best friend. From the moment she looks up at me with those pretty gray eyes, she owns me. Even as I fight it. Even when I push her away. When I hurt her with venomous words. And unforgivable actions. Somehow, she sees past the man I present to the world. She doesn't flinch when faced with my worst self. Instead, she unlocks a side of me that I didn't know existed anymore. She makes me feel. More than I'd ever believed possible. I'm falling for her, forbidden or not. Right or wrong. She's destined to be mine. Until the reason she came into my life becomes the very reason she may be driven from it. And I'll do everything in my power to keep her safe from forces that would drive us apart. Because even though I don't deserve her...I'm taking her anyway."

Before this week, I have never read anything by Pamela O'Rourke. A new fan here :)
Going in, I welcomed the author's content warnings. I wasn't sure how the storyline would play out. Beautifully written. Loved the banter between Vaughn and Wren. Not to mention their pure reverence for each other. I love the suspense that is going on throughout the story besides the obvious romance. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours, and I would totally read it again!

[Caitlyn Posts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in her Rogue series! I read Rogue Romeo and loved it, such a golden retriever MMC.
So I LOVED the fact that Vaughn was not haha! He was cold, calculating and brooding. But his character growth! 👏 He definitely fought it but watching him fall in love was beautiful. Though, it doesn’t stand a chance next to watching him heal from his past and letting go of his heaviest baggage..
Wren is sweet and sunshine but has a backbone. Seeing her character development was great; fighting for what she wants plus standing up for those she cares about .Seeing her recognize her limits and taking a breather for herself, I loved.

⭐️“Brother.” “it’s been an honor” was soul wrenching and no dry eyes should be had at that scene!

I am typically not a fan of age gaps but I love Pamela’s writing style so she’s just an author I have to read lol. I was not disappointed. At all.
This book took me through all the emotions and the ride was worth it! Definitely give this one a read.

I feel like Pamela has stepped up her writing and even just seeing her growth between this book and her previous is wonderful to witness.

[KarinasKindleReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK! The mouth on that man… ooft. I have been in a funk since reading this. The way Pamela O’Rourke writes her characters means that they won’t leave you in a hurry. Vaughn is the delicious tortured alpha-hole that we all fantasise about and Wren, although younger, is feisty and gives as good as she gets. Their banter and pranks had me laughing out loud! I love the character development in this book, Vaughn’s journey to heal from his past made me cry and Wren’s growth as she found herself and thrived despite the circumstances, made me want to scoop her up in a hug (& the promptly take her man). Although it’s the 2nd book in the series and characters from Pamela’s earlier Brotherhood Series (which is exceptional) appear, this can be read and enjoyed as a total standalone. Don’t delay!

[Jasmine Acena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over, Henry DeMarco, because Pamela has just written your replacement 😅🥲 I mean, I would gladly have them both but VAUGHN BURTON. Good God, Pam. What have you done to me? I’m absolutely ruined 😆

Book two of her Rogues of Manhattan series, we are given Vaughn and Wren. Rogue Villain brings angst, spicy spice, banter on banter on banter (what happens when two Scorpios are together🤣), age gap and so much more. Every literal thing I could have asked for, and beyond, thanks to Pam’s brilliant mind!

This man does the absolute most to avoid and deny his feelings for Wren, but true love knows no bounds. He’s sworn off loving anyone because the loss of love (and loved ones) is a pain too great to bear more than once. And although he did whatever he could to ward off his feelings for her, Wren entangled herself so tightly within his heart, it was a battle Vaughn had already lost.
We all have those “don’t be stupid, go after them” moments while reading and I know I definitely did but they usually serve a greater purpose down the line. There were a few things within this story that took me surprise- happy surprises, but surprises nonetheless.

There is one particular highlight from reading that seems to be permanently engraved in my brain so here ya go, now it can be in yours too:

“I will keep her safe from all who may try to dim her light. From any who might seek to taint her perfection. From those who are unable to appreciate the pureness of her spirit…”

Everyone deserves a love like this.
Countless powerful highlights I now have imprinted in my mind (and proudly saved on my kindle, thank you), but this is one of my favorites.
I never close a book of this lovely author’s without a million annotations, and that streak wasn’t about to be broken with this story.

Rogue Villain was my most anticipated read for the Fall and was so much more than I could have anticipated. Job well done, Pamela, these two were so worth the wait.

Happy release day, beautiful! I can’t wait to squeeze you and celebrate in Denver 🥳

[Kaity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been looking forward to this book for a couple months. So many of my favorite tropes and the subgenera of being a romantic suspense - y’all know I’m a sucker for that one. For the suspense aspect, Wren gets attacked and her mother is missing, and all the avenues that may lead to who did those actions keeps turning up empty. For this, I did guess, but it wasn’t until shortly after the halfway mark. But it was fun regardless. Wren is having to stay with her dad’s best friend, while he keeps her safe. The kicker: she doesn’t know Vaughn outside of one encounter and his social status. Why? Because her dad died prior to her being born, and there’s some mystery there too. Vaughn is the owner of an exclusive sex club with darker secrets that hold him back. Now… the spice? Spicing! You like hand necklaces? This should be an automatic yes for you. The tension? Dang. The absolutely hysterical pranks at the beginning? Literally made me kick over.

There was a lot of confusion for me at the beginning because Vaughn kept calling Wren a boy. There were spellings of her name being ‘Ren’. However, just to squash any confusion for you, he just thought that his best friend had a boy, not a girl. So their meet up was quite interesting. To also be noted, the author isn’t from the US, so there was some verbiage and sentences that didn’t make sense for what we in the US would say. But you could understand what she was saying. The other thing that bugged me was I felt like we didn’t get good depictions of what the characters looked like, so o had to wing it a bit here. Overall though, really good! Really spicy! Very fun!

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Quote:
“She’s the epitome of everything good in this miserable world, and I won’t see her ruined like everyone else who’s ever meant a damn to me.”

This is a spicy age gap and billionaire romance. The forced proximity, banter, and the added suspense make this book a must.

[kreadsoften · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rogue Villain is the second book in the Rogues of Manhattan series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Vaughn is cold and calculating, He blames himself for the death of his best friend, Lorenzo.

Wren is young and lively. When her mother goes missing, she ends up staying with Vaughn so he can watch over her and protect her. But she’s been obsessed with him for a while, and once he sees her, the instant attraction is there.

There was a lot of tension between them because Vaughn tried to resist his attraction toward Wren. She was, after all, his dead best friend’s daughter, not to mention eighteen years younger. Wren didn’t help things because she was constantly trying to get him to break his control and give in to temptation. But besides that, they also had a lot of fun together…or at each other’s expense. I mean, the pranks? Hilarious!

Vaughn’s playful side showed that he wasn’t as cold as he made himself out to be. And with Wren, he was so protective, despite his grumpy attitude. He really just had a big heart, but he didn’t feel like he was good enough for Wren.

The chemistry between them was explosive once he gave in. And the spicy scenes were great. As always with Pamela’s books, there were some suspenseful moments. And with that…well, Vaughn was able to get healing and closure from the past. Wren helped Vaughn so much; she brought joy and light back to his life. They were just perfect for each other.

This was a great addition to the series. I cannot wait for the next book!

Tropes:
Age Gap (18 years)
Forced Proximity
Romantic Suspense
Dead Best Friend's Daughter
Grumpy/Sunshine
Opposites Attract

[Ky · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I think about the road this story took I get a little shocked? impressed? I don’t know but it was perfection. We start with our young FMC finding herself living with her childhood crush after a series of unfortunate events, creating a mystery that you will want to solve every page of this book. Vaughan, said childhood crush, who was figuratively adopted by When grandmother at a young age, founds himself undoubtedly pulled to his new ward.

Vaughn was so swoon worthy even when pushing her away (for good reason may I add) HE PUTS TOGETHER AN EXHIBIT OF HER AT FOR HER AT THE MET RAAAH, just to support her dream as a surprise. Wren took zero shit from Vaughn and was so unapologetically herself which I adored.

This could have easy been a 5 stars but it didn’t have that feeeeling plus I felt the last 30ish pages of the book were unnecessary?? I would have been happy with one more chapter and sweet epilogue. It just felt over done in a way. Also he refers to his dick as a he and her pussy as a she, that I just cannot get behind lmao.

[Ashley Book.markedbyash · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

🎨Age Gap (18years)
🌶️Best Friends Daughter
🎨Forced Proximity
🌶️Spicy
🎨Enemies to Lovers
🌶️Billionaire Romance
🎨Tension
I revived this book as an ARC through Love Note PR however, these are my true opinions.

When FMC Wren is attacked outside her home and her mother goes missing, she forced to live under the protection of the of MMC Vaughn.

Vaughn feels responsible for the death of Wrens father whom was Vaughn’s best friend. He decides to protect Wren due to the guilt he feels.

At first Wren and Vaughn have an enemies to lovers type relationship full of constant pranks towards one another that turns into something more.

I really enjoyed Rogue Villain. The MMC has a spicy way of talking. This book was the right amount of spice. This is the first Pamela ORourke book I have read. I would read more books by this author.

[Libraryat44 · Rating 4 out of 5]

We first met Vaughn in Broken Strings and from there, I was already so excited for his book! I loved the suspense aspect Pam brought throughout, it kept me gripped and needing answers.

The pranks, the banter, and the sexual tension! Ugh I just loved it all! And that FUCK IT moment I was like yassss! It was so hot! And Vaughn has a dirty mouth!

Wren Caputo is the daughter of his old best friend Lorenzo, who died when they were young. Vaughn feels responsible for his death, so he stayed away from his wife and cut all ties with the family, despite growing up with them.

When Wren's mother goes missing the detective in charge feels she will be safer staying with Vaughn. He's never met her before and was under the impression Lorenzo's child was a boy. So it was a shock when Wren turned up... queue sexual tension.

Things start to heat up between them, but Vaughn isn't capable of love and he doesn't want to ruin his best friends daughter with his ways. Wren fell for Vaughn early on, despite believing he could never love her back. This man though, the lengths he will go to, to keep her safe. Wren was everything he didnt realise he was missing from his life and they couldn't of been more perfect together.

I really enjoyed this one, the suspense and twists kept me invested and Pam has smashed it with another fab read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

“She speaks to a part of me I didn’t know existed, but I think it’s always been there. Waiting to be uncovered. Waiting for her.”

I have been WAITING for Vaughn Burton’s story since meeting him in Broken Strings, also by Pamela O’Rourke. You just KNEW there was more to his bristly personality. So much more.
I loved the tenderness of Wren Caputo’s character. As well has her courage & fearlessness! She is the epitome of feel the fear & do it anyway.

It was so fun to see O’Rourke build the layers of their love. There was spice & heat - there were chuckles - there were high emotions - and there was a bit of suspense too!
And honestly, though it was “dads best friend” trope…nothing felt seedy or untoward.

There were a lot of elements at play - but not crafted in a way that was distracting. And if anything, left open some doors for future storylines. Which I’m VERY much looking forward to Rogue Knight & Rogue Angel (😱)! 2024…kindly get here faster!

“My words are a softly spoken promise. “I was born to be yours, Vaughn Burton.””

[thebeespot72 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rogue Villain” was fully packed––a lot is going on in this story—an age gap that many fans of the trope will enjoy —20 and almost 40. Wren is the daughter of Vaughn's best friend that is d3ad. So there is that forbidden factor involved. Many layers of suspense keep my interest to the end. As the owner of a schmex club, Vaughn gave "Rogue Villain" that extra edgy spice that brought the heat up. Overall, it was an entertaining read.

I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pamela has a way of story telling that make you feel every single emotion her characters do feel in their story. With all five of her books she is able to do that. The talent this author has just astounds me every time I read her books. When we first met Vaughan in broken strings I was hoping that Pamela would wrote his story and Boy it did not disappoint me. From the very first page I was engrossed in Vaughan and Wrens story. The banter between Vaughan and Wren is the absolute best. Rogue Villain has heartbreak, intrigue and Spice.
For me, I absolutely loved all of their story.
Thank you Pamela for writing Vaughan and Wrens Story.

[NaysBookNook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wren and Vaughn made me laugh. I had the best time reading! In between their pranks (iykyk) and getting to know each other lol against their will you could easily pick up on their chemistry. They tried to fight it, especially Vaughn 🤣 but well Wren just couldn’t be ignored. I enjoyed the twists and turns. By now 4 books later you would think I would know there’s a twist coming but it always catches me off guard. Vaughn did frustrate me for a tiny bit BUT all was forgiven, I can’t wait to see what Pamela writes next! Keep these coming please 🖤

[Mammyreads romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of two halves. The first filled with humour and sexual tension and the second pseudo thriller who done it.

I enjoyed the initial pranks (always be careful when putting on your pants 😉 iykyk) and the sexual chemistry was 🔥. IMHO I think they went from sexual tension to completely in love with each other a bit too quick but it doesn’t take away from the story.

[Shantel · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review

This romance hits a lot of tropes, one of which is not my favorite, but I ended up enjoying how the story played out.

Obvious Book Tropes:
🩷 Billionare
🩷 Age Gap
🩷 Dad's Best Friend
🩷 Forced Proximity
🩷 Enemies to Lovers
🩷 Damaged Antihero MMC


While it did take me a few chapters to be pulled into the story, once Wren and Vaughn started their prank war, I began to grow attached to these two characters. And I hate pranks! But these two people, with their age gap, forced proximity, and sexual tension, are perfect! 😍

The climax of the story was great! And, while I did predict the antagonist early on, which made the reveal a little wanting, I still found myself eager to read how it all unfolded.

And the ending! Aah, such a great ending!

Overall, I'm happy that I stuck with it through the first few chapters because it turned out to be a good story.

[Leann Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[SELINAGRACE LOVES BOOKS · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treat to be given an ARC of this book. I have loved all of Pamela's books, and I knew from reading her other books where we had seen glimpses of Vaughan that I was going to love his story.

Vaughan is a powerful man who shows nothing but control in all aspects of his life and keeps a shield tight around his heart until Wren comes into his life.

Wren is much younger than him and finds herself living in his apartment after the disappearance of her mum and Wren being attacked in her home. She is told that Vaughan will be looking after her for the foreseeable.

Their love-hate relationship finds them playing pranks on each other that had me laughing out loud, they soon realise they can't keep away from each other, but Vaughan doesn't think he is worthy of her affection, but he can't resist her advances for long and they start a steamy and spicy relationship.

I had my suspicions that not all was well with her mums disappearance but did not expect what did occur to happen, a fantastic curve ball that made sure I couldn't put the book down.

I absolutely loved this book, and 100% recommend adding it to your reading lists. You will not be disappointed.

Also, seeing that we get to hear Ford's story makes me smile, and I can not wait.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Megan Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

* ARC REVIEW *

Vaughn Burton… hello future book husband! 🫠

We were first introduced to him in Rogue Romeo as the billionaire club owner, a-bit cocky and a ladies man, and friend to Alex DeMarco.

His story is everything, and you truly understand why he is the way he is when we’ve seen glimpses of him in Rogue Romeo.

His loss of his best friend, the grief and promises he made - Pamela has undeniably written this well. His possessiveness, protect her vibes and ultimately, the undeniable love he has for Wren was beautiful! 💟

Wren was truly his match and soulmate! Truly depicting that when you know you’ve met the one, you will make sure they know it and never let this go!

This book was everything and had everything from banter, spice, touch her and die, age gap! 5 ⭐️ read!

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review

LOVED Wren and Vaughn.

I very much enjoyed this book. From the circumstances that brought Wren to Vaughn to their love story.

The banter is top tier. There’s food fights and silly pranks and Vaughn finally allowing himself to love Wren is *chefs kiss*. There’s a little mystery and a stalker and kidnapping and a sex club and it’s just amazing.

I’m very much looking forward to the continuation of this series with Ford and Elodie’s books.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5⭐️
ARC REVIEW!!! i was thoroughly intrigued with this book up until the 45ish% mark. the beginning was good, and took a turn i wasn't expecting, but then the storyline got kind of boring. it felt as though wren got locked up in a castle and wasn't able to do anything unless Vaugn approved. she always needed to be babysat (she's 20) and had a curfew? i don't know, it just seemed kind of childish to me and i couldn't connect with either of the main characters.

they're character development went from nothing at all to suddenly being in love with each other. i'm not sure how that happened haha. there were just a lot of gaps in the storyline and a lot of jumping around that i didn't entirely enjoy. i found myself confused a lot because something wasn't explained enough.

i did, however, really like their little prank war they had going on. i thought that was cute, but again also kind of childish. their bantor was top tier, and i liked that wren started pushing limits with vaugh to see if she could get a reaction out of him.

the book seemed so enticing with the trope list, but i just found it wasn't executed how i would have liked.

thank you to Pamela O'Rourke and Love Notes PR for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Blair Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

I was nervous going into this story. I’m not one for age gaps when the older party knew the love interest at a young age. That being said, I ATE THIS UP. The second Vaughn had a quote about the devil, I was interested. (Don’t ask me why. I’m just like this.) Their story was so fascinating and fun to read. The banter between Wren and Vaughn was so fun while the tension was building. AND THE SPICE? SAY LESS IT WAS HOT 🥵 I’m obsessed and will 100% be going back to read the first book as well as read the future books in the series. The found family has me in love and I need to read more about Ford and his cowboy hat ASAP.

Thank you so much Love Notes PR and Pamela O’Rourke for the arc ❤️

[amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

vaughn burton 🥵 oh this man and his love for wren. a forbidden love with a woman that should’ve been so off limits, but feelings he could never hold back
•
wren and her mom are best friends. it has been just the two of them for as long as she can remember, talking about everything and have regular movie nights… until one night she shows up for movie night and something isn’t right.. and then she wakes up in the hospital… after that, she’s at the mercy of the protection of vaughn burton.
•
vaughn burton is just who he seems on the surface, but underneath all of that, there is so much more to him. he is expecting his best friend’s child… but when wren walks is, she is so much more than he bargained for. he becomes enamored with her and she is all he can see.
•
this was the most perfect story for vaughn. learning his true colors, seeing his heart, what he does when he’s not at the club, and learning about his past. ugh it was all so perfect. pam wrote such a beautiful story. full of love, suspense, and spice! cannot recommend this more - def check it out when it releases!

[Kelly Eudy · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:
4/5⭐️
3/5🔥

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬, 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐖/𝐓𝐖(𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳):
MF/dual pov/med burn/dark elements/forbidden/taboo/age gap(>20y)/best friends daughter/guardian/ward/forced prox/praise/mild degradation/possessive/spanking/bondage/vouyerism/exhibition/violence/PTSD/physical assault/death/murder/gun violence/kidnapping/stalking/mentions of human trafficking/consensual solicitation

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰:
Rouges of Manhattan book 2. While each book can be read as a standalone as each book follows a new couple, it is recommend you read the books in order to avoid spoilery situations for prior books.

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
With a threat to her safety and her mother being out of town… Wren ends up in the home of Vaughn Burton. Vaughn has a history with Wren’s family that he’s not too proud of but he is determined to protect Wren at all cost and not let the past be rewritten.

As he starts to feel deeper feelings than just a guardian and protector, he really struggles with his self worth and the darkness that haunts him. Wren starts to share those feelings of attraction and as Vaughn tries to push her away, Wren just pull harder. As Wren and Vaughn try to figure out who wants to hurt Wren, things are revealed and not everything is as it seems.

This was my first read by Pamela and I really liked this book. I have not read the first standalone in this series and there were a few cameos from that couple but nothing pertinent to Wren and Vaughn’s story in my opinion. I love the banter Wren and Vaughn had. Them playing pranks on each other was really entertaining. I love watching their relationship build and grow. I love that Wren could see through Vaughn’s façade. This was attention grabbing from the first page and continued to keep you guessing through the suspenseful plot. I look forward to reading Ford’s story.


** 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 … 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦, 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 =𝘋 **


𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬:

I’m not a jealous man, but there’s something about Wren Caputo that makes me want to stake my claim over her. To take her and make her mine.

The sight of you freshly fucked, dripping with my cum, and spreadeagled on my sheets will see me through today, my little bird. I’m hard as granite thinking of all the ways I’ll make you shatter for me tonight.

“Your mouth makes me forget my own goddamn name, Wren Caputo.”

The devil can have me in the next life, so long as I get to spend this one with her.

“You’re the air in my lungs. You live in every beat of my heart. Before you, there was only darkness, little bird. You—you’re the stars when I’ve been living in perpetual night…”

[Suzana · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC kindly provided by the author and I’m leaving an honest review*

5 *

🖤Contemporary romance
🖤Darker themes
🖤Billionaire romance
🖤Age Gap (18 years)
🖤Dad’s Best Friend
🖤Forced Proximity
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🖤Forbidden
🖤Angst
🖤Damaged morally grey Antihero MMC
🖤Strong sweetheart FMC
🖤Spicy Spice
🖤Banter and Pranks
🖤Suspense

Rogue Villain is the second book in Rogues of Manhattan by Pamela O'Rourke. This is a well-written story with darker themes, forbidden age gap, damaged morally grey antihero and a sweetheart heroine who doesn't know how strong she is. It's an entertaining, unpredictable, twisted, haunting, and an addictive page turner. Each book can be read as a standalone. Hot, steamy, emotion-charged book with a side of drama, danger, suspense and chemistry. Rogue Villain is fabulously dark and delicious story with amazing characters and spellbinding plot that will keep a reader glued to the pages.

Vaughn is owner of Rogue. He is intense, strong, very observant, mysterious, loyal, disciplined, logical, dominant, territorial, intellectual, protective, brooding yet aloof, shrewd, strategic, calculative, snarky and very opinionated / obstinate. His growth and development through book is phenomenal - it's one of the reasons I love damaged heroes.
Wren is curatorial intern and aspiring artist, she loves to paint secretly in her room which is almost therapeutic to her. She is energetic, funny, kind, sweet, determined, witty, assertive, fiery, loyal, loving, spontaneous, trusting, protective, decisive and strong-willed. Being attracted to her father's best friend, and sexy pseudo guardian was the last thing she needed or expected.
Vaughn is keeping everyone at arms length and doesn't connect easily, because loss is a pain he can't go through again. Wren doesn't have any time for men, preferring her art and friends, but that all changes meeting Vaughn. These two are very stubborn doing everything in their power to deny and avoid feelings because being attracted to each other is the last thing they wanted. He sees her as smart, witty, too good for him off-limits woman with pure heart and spirit. Banter, pranks and back and forth added to their love story, pace of the storyline but also to their tension and chemistry.

Fantastic addition to this series. If you love enemies to lovers, forbidden age gap, angst, so much banter and spice, perfectly imperfect characters with a character driven storyline then this book / series is for you.