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A Reckless Encounter
REVENGE
Celia St. Remy Sinclair has harbored a dark obsession since the tender age of twelve: to bring about the downfall of Lord Northington, the man responsible for her mother's death. Now an elegant and self-possessed beauty of twenty-two, she leaves America for London, determined to avenge the act of violence that shattered her life.
REDEMPTION
Celia is stunned when she comes face-to-face with her nemesis -- for this rakishly charming gentleman called Colter is not what she expected. When she discovers he is the new Lord Northington, son of the man she's vowed to destroy, she embarks upon a daring plot to take revenge on the father through the son. But even the best-laid plans can be thwarted by the powerful forces of the human heart...
Celia St. Remy Sinclair has harbored a dark obsession since the tender age of twelve: to bring about the downfall of Lord Northington, the man responsible for her mother's death. Now an elegant and self-possessed beauty of twenty-two, she leaves America for London, determined to avenge the act of violence that shattered her life.
REDEMPTION
Celia is stunned when she comes face-to-face with her nemesis -- for this rakishly charming gentleman called Colter is not what she expected. When she discovers he is the new Lord Northington, son of the man she's vowed to destroy, she embarks upon a daring plot to take revenge on the father through the son. But even the best-laid plans can be thwarted by the powerful forces of the human heart...
408 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 2001
38 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
About the author
Rosemary Rogers
111 books420 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Rosemary Jansz Navaratnam Rogers Kadison
Rosemary Jansz was born on 7 December 1932 in Panadura, British Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka), she was the oldest child of Dutch-Portuguese settlers, Barbara "Allan" and Cyril Jansz. Her father was a wealthy educator who owned three posh private schools. She was raised in colonial splendor: dozens of servants, no work, summers at European spas, a chaperone everywhere she went. A dreamy child, she wrote her first novel at eight, and all through her teens scribbled madly romantic epics in imitation of her favorite writers: Sir Walter Scott, Alexandre Dumas and Rafael Sabatini.
At 17, Rosemary rebelled against a feudal upbringing and went to the University of Ceylon, where she studied three years. She horrified her family by taking a job as a reporter, and two years later marrying with Summa Navaratnam, a Ceylonese track star known as "the fastest man in Asia." The marriage had two daughters. Unhappily, he often sprinted after other women. Disappointed with her husband, in 1960, she moved with her two daughters and took off for London.
In Europe she met her future second husband, Leroy Rogers, an african-american. "He was the first man," she recalls, "who made me feel like a real woman." After getting a divorce from her first husband, she married Rogers in his home town, St. Louis, Missouri. They moved with her family to California, where she had two sons. Six years later, when that marriage broke up, Rosemary was left with four children to support on her $4,200 salary as a typist for the Solano County Parks Department. In 1969, in the face of a socialist takeover of Ceylon, her parents fled the island with only ?100, giving Rosemary two more dependents. At 37, the rich girl from Ceylon was on her uppers in Fairfield.
Every night for a year, Rogers worked to perfect a manuscript that she had written as a child, rewriting it 24 times. When she was satisfied with her work, she sent the manuscript to Avon, which quickly purchased the novel. That novel, ''Sweet Savage Love'', skyrocketed to the top of bestseller lists, and became one of the most popular historical romances of all time. Her second novel, ''Dark Fires'', sold two million copies in its first three months of release. Her first three novels sold a combined 10 million copies. The fourth, ''Wicked Loving Lies'' sold 3 million copies in its first month of publication. Rosemary Rogers became one of the legendaries "Avon Queens of Historical Romance". The difference between she and most of others romance writers is not the violence of her stories, it is the intensity. She says: "My heroines are me", and certainly her life could be one of her novels.
In September of 1984, Rosemary married a third time with Christopher Kadison, but it was a very brief marriage and they soon began to live apart. "I'd like to live with a man," she admits, "but I find men in real life don't come up to my fantasies. I want culture, spirit and sex all rolled up together."
Today single, Rosemary lives quietly in a small dramatic villa perched on a crag above the Pacific near Carmel. Her four children are now away from home and she continues to write.
Rosemary passed away at the age of 87 on November 12, 2019 in Carmel, California where she called home since the early 1970s.
Rosemary Jansz Navaratnam Rogers Kadison
Rosemary Jansz was born on 7 December 1932 in Panadura, British Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka), she was the oldest child of Dutch-Portuguese settlers, Barbara "Allan" and Cyril Jansz. Her father was a wealthy educator who owned three posh private schools. She was raised in colonial splendor: dozens of servants, no work, summers at European spas, a chaperone everywhere she went. A dreamy child, she wrote her first novel at eight, and all through her teens scribbled madly romantic epics in imitation of her favorite writers: Sir Walter Scott, Alexandre Dumas and Rafael Sabatini.
At 17, Rosemary rebelled against a feudal upbringing and went to the University of Ceylon, where she studied three years. She horrified her family by taking a job as a reporter, and two years later marrying with Summa Navaratnam, a Ceylonese track star known as "the fastest man in Asia." The marriage had two daughters. Unhappily, he often sprinted after other women. Disappointed with her husband, in 1960, she moved with her two daughters and took off for London.
In Europe she met her future second husband, Leroy Rogers, an african-american. "He was the first man," she recalls, "who made me feel like a real woman." After getting a divorce from her first husband, she married Rogers in his home town, St. Louis, Missouri. They moved with her family to California, where she had two sons. Six years later, when that marriage broke up, Rosemary was left with four children to support on her $4,200 salary as a typist for the Solano County Parks Department. In 1969, in the face of a socialist takeover of Ceylon, her parents fled the island with only ?100, giving Rosemary two more dependents. At 37, the rich girl from Ceylon was on her uppers in Fairfield.
Every night for a year, Rogers worked to perfect a manuscript that she had written as a child, rewriting it 24 times. When she was satisfied with her work, she sent the manuscript to Avon, which quickly purchased the novel. That novel, ''Sweet Savage Love'', skyrocketed to the top of bestseller lists, and became one of the most popular historical romances of all time. Her second novel, ''Dark Fires'', sold two million copies in its first three months of release. Her first three novels sold a combined 10 million copies. The fourth, ''Wicked Loving Lies'' sold 3 million copies in its first month of publication. Rosemary Rogers became one of the legendaries "Avon Queens of Historical Romance". The difference between she and most of others romance writers is not the violence of her stories, it is the intensity. She says: "My heroines are me", and certainly her life could be one of her novels.
In September of 1984, Rosemary married a third time with Christopher Kadison, but it was a very brief marriage and they soon began to live apart. "I'd like to live with a man," she admits, "but I find men in real life don't come up to my fantasies. I want culture, spirit and sex all rolled up together."
Today single, Rosemary lives quietly in a small dramatic villa perched on a crag above the Pacific near Carmel. Her four children are now away from home and she continues to write.
Rosemary passed away at the age of 87 on November 12, 2019 in Carmel, California where she called home since the early 1970s.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 4, 2019
Too much plot, not enough chemistry between the leads. I bought this book at a thrift store, hoping to give a big name author a try. Needless to say, I won't be back. I skipped about 50 pages because there was a very clear need to edit and make it better. Had this been presented as a non-romance, I think it would have worked better as a 2- or 3-book intrigue series. As it stands, the book was rushed, badly development edited, and missed a lot of great chances to show how and why women get angry as chatttel.
May 31, 2020
PUBLISHING INFO: Mira, 12/2001
GENRE: Historical Romance
SETTING: England, 1819
TIMESPAN: about 4-5 months
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: B
This reminded me a lot of an older historical romance for a few reasons. Celia hated Colter because of what his father did to her mother. Colter knew nothing about his father's past sins and didn't know or care why she was so hostel towards him. She was kidnapped towards the end by the villain, which happens a whole lot in older historicals. For a lot of the book Celia hated Colter but he wasn't deterred by it and he never let it stop him from trying to bed her. So there was a love/hate relationship between them for awhile, which is very common amongst older historicals. There was a nine year age gap between them and I liked that too. I hate when the hero is just a couple of years older than the heroine, which is very common with newer romances.
I liked Celia. She's a green-eyed blond. She's a bit of a spitfire when it comes to Colter and I really like heroines to be like that. I rarely find one like that in newer historicals, which is a shame. She was born in Virginia to a French-born mother and was living in Georgetown, D.C. when she left for England to get revenge on Colter's father, who is a rapist and murderer. She stayed with her aunt Jacqueline, who is also her Godmother.
I liked Colter a whole lot too. He's thirty-one, has dark hair and blue eyes though the stepback (the page directly behind the front cover of a book showing hero and heroine) has him with blond hair. His dialogue towards her when she's being bitchy to him made me smile constantly. Unfortunately there wasn't any background information given on him.
There was also some drama involving something Celia unknowingly had in her possession, stuffed inside a directory that a ship passenger, James Carlisle, let her borrow, that she was unaware people were after. I got confused along the way with that whole mess. It's still unclear to me about what happened with the item and who has it now.
I enjoyed the friction between Celia and Colter and I did feel their attraction for each other. They make a good pair.
December 18, 2014
Cellia St. Claire, only a child when her mother was brutally killed, was left with a heavy appetite for vengeance. Years later, she finally plots out her revenge. But her plan to retribute the evil Lord Northington comes to a halt when she is thrown into the arms Colter. Lord Northington's son.
I have been slowly collecting Rosemary Rogers books, ironically I've never read any of her work. I just keep stumbling upon her books, and considering she's dubbed "Queen of historical romance" I figured I should give her a try.
The first half was very fast paced, which is unusual for this genre. The heroine was especially unique, with a backbone and a believabe backstory. She was a vengeful bitch, I loved it. I was really rooting for her in the beginning. I like Roger's style of writing. She's able to write a convincing romance, without taking herself too seriously. There are plenty of funny mishaps and misunderstandings.
The second half kind of fizzled out. Our heroine went from being a vengeful bitch to a spineless mouse and the hero was kind of acting like a douchebag. The last third was very action packed, but the ending left me feeling very "Eh" and it was kind of forgettable.
This is probably more of a three star book, but it's very readable and Rosemary Rogers can actually write. If you like historical romance I would definitely recommend it.
I have been slowly collecting Rosemary Rogers books, ironically I've never read any of her work. I just keep stumbling upon her books, and considering she's dubbed "Queen of historical romance" I figured I should give her a try.
The first half was very fast paced, which is unusual for this genre. The heroine was especially unique, with a backbone and a believabe backstory. She was a vengeful bitch, I loved it. I was really rooting for her in the beginning. I like Roger's style of writing. She's able to write a convincing romance, without taking herself too seriously. There are plenty of funny mishaps and misunderstandings.
The second half kind of fizzled out. Our heroine went from being a vengeful bitch to a spineless mouse and the hero was kind of acting like a douchebag. The last third was very action packed, but the ending left me feeling very "Eh" and it was kind of forgettable.
This is probably more of a three star book, but it's very readable and Rosemary Rogers can actually write. If you like historical romance I would definitely recommend it.
May 11, 2019
A Reckless Encounter
I gave the book four stars because it had a good story. Nothing can ever compare with Sweet Savage Love but I love all of Rosemary Rogers books. I loved Celia’s courage and Colter’s ruggedness. I recommend the book highly.
I gave the book four stars because it had a good story. Nothing can ever compare with Sweet Savage Love but I love all of Rosemary Rogers books. I loved Celia’s courage and Colter’s ruggedness. I recommend the book highly.
August 8, 2022
Read:2020
The h seeks revenge but underestimates her target.
The h seeks revenge but underestimates her target.
September 14, 2023
A Reckless Encounter by Rosemary Rogers is a captivating historical romance novel set in 1819 Regency England. The story follows Celia St. Clair, who embarks on a journey of vengeance after almost a decade of her loved ones' deaths. She travels from America to England only to find that her supposed target, Northington, has been replaced by his son, Colter. The two then continue their reckless encounter and have a series of moments of passion, uncertainty, and hidden secrets.
Rogers' writing style is beautiful and vivid, portraying the scenes and atmosphere with great detail. The plot involves vengeance on Celia's side and politics and conspiracy on Colter's side. The book starts at a slow pace (for me, or is it because I put it down repeatedly?), but halfway through, the turn of events escalates quickly.
Celia is a heroine who is very resilient and courageous, but her decision to go to England and expect to acquire justice by shoving papers on the earl's face seems illogical. But of course, she eventually realizes this over time. Despite this, I liked her character because she is a fighter, but her tail got bent somewhere in the middle. On the other hand, Colter is a complex character who prefers to be deemed a rogue. The title fits him perfectly, as he is a charmer but shows dislike for "brainless horse-faced ninnies," as he said. Although they have somewhat dislikable traits, the author dives into the depths of their character and shows their pains which just make up for it.
The story involves banquets, soirees, and opera, which made me think this would be just about wooing and all but it also has a lot of action, including chasing and shooting. Although it felt like it was dragging at times, each scene made sense. The character development of Celia and Colter is visible, and their pasts and the lives they lived make a difference in their relationship.
Overall, A Reckless Encounter is an intriguing and enjoyable read that will keep you wondering what awaits you on the next page. While the plot may be slow at times, the character development and vivid descriptions make up for it. If you're a fan of historical romance novels, this book is worth a read.
Rogers' writing style is beautiful and vivid, portraying the scenes and atmosphere with great detail. The plot involves vengeance on Celia's side and politics and conspiracy on Colter's side. The book starts at a slow pace (for me, or is it because I put it down repeatedly?), but halfway through, the turn of events escalates quickly.
Celia is a heroine who is very resilient and courageous, but her decision to go to England and expect to acquire justice by shoving papers on the earl's face seems illogical. But of course, she eventually realizes this over time. Despite this, I liked her character because she is a fighter, but her tail got bent somewhere in the middle. On the other hand, Colter is a complex character who prefers to be deemed a rogue. The title fits him perfectly, as he is a charmer but shows dislike for "brainless horse-faced ninnies," as he said. Although they have somewhat dislikable traits, the author dives into the depths of their character and shows their pains which just make up for it.
The story involves banquets, soirees, and opera, which made me think this would be just about wooing and all but it also has a lot of action, including chasing and shooting. Although it felt like it was dragging at times, each scene made sense. The character development of Celia and Colter is visible, and their pasts and the lives they lived make a difference in their relationship.
Overall, A Reckless Encounter is an intriguing and enjoyable read that will keep you wondering what awaits you on the next page. While the plot may be slow at times, the character development and vivid descriptions make up for it. If you're a fan of historical romance novels, this book is worth a read.
August 19, 2017
I first read Rosemary Rogers' Sweet Savage Love (Brandon Morgan #1) in 1977. For some reason it was the rage of the 30 somethings in Lincoln, NE but I had not heard of the author in my hometown West Los Angeles.
That was 40 years ago. The perils of Steve and Ginny never ended; they would come together and be torn apart time after time through 6 books. I read many of Rogers' books in the ensuing years, but none in the last 12 to 15 years.
A Reckless Encounter is more focused and limited in locations.
I have issues with "suspension of disbelief" in reading A Reckless Encounter. Even though it is enjoyable reading there are a few incidents material to moving the story along that creates pauses in reading "it wouldn't happen that way".
So if you are a fan of romance novels for escape ignore my comments. It is an enjoyable read.
That was 40 years ago. The perils of Steve and Ginny never ended; they would come together and be torn apart time after time through 6 books. I read many of Rogers' books in the ensuing years, but none in the last 12 to 15 years.
A Reckless Encounter is more focused and limited in locations.
I have issues with "suspension of disbelief" in reading A Reckless Encounter. Even though it is enjoyable reading there are a few incidents material to moving the story along that creates pauses in reading "it wouldn't happen that way".
So if you are a fan of romance novels for escape ignore my comments. It is an enjoyable read.
September 18, 2017
I didn't enjoy this as much as Rogers' other works, which was something of a disappointment since I'd picked it as I searched out more of her work. Here, the characters and situations just fell a bit flatter, as if she were more rushed in the writing. It's certainly a stronger story and work than much of the mass marketed paperbacks that are turned out by the week, but just not quite up to what I've seen from her before.
June 5, 2018
I was recently wanting to get back to what I've always referred to as "Hysterical Romances". I remembered Rosemary Rogers as one of my favorite authors in that genre. So I decided to order several, even though I had read them previously. I was not disappointed. I've laughed and cryed over these books. I dearly love me some Rosemary Rogers.
December 2, 2022
This 2001 romance has darker elements than many newer historicals, and the primary revenge/enemies to lovers plot is complicated by a complex suspense plot that never quite makes sense. When the macguffin isn't taking over, the story reads well and the passion swells pleasantly.
November 2, 2017
I enjoyed it
January 15, 2020
Great book!
July 5, 2025
Lies and love
Girl lost her mother.Wants to get rid of the man who kill her mother.Travels to England to get back at man. Runs into the man's son. Colter is attacted to this girl.The girl attacted to Colter the man's son.This is a great book .Well writtten.Great author.
Girl lost her mother.Wants to get rid of the man who kill her mother.Travels to England to get back at man. Runs into the man's son. Colter is attacted to this girl.The girl attacted to Colter the man's son.This is a great book .Well writtten.Great author.
July 18, 2012
Beautiful story of two people who find love in between the chaos of lies, deceit, murder, war, and rebellion. Revenge is Celia's goal, to avenge her mother's rape and death by the hands of Lord Northington. She travels to England (10 years after her mother's death) to accuse Northington. When she arrives in England she seeks out her godmother, who has an undying bond with Celia's mother, and Celia is introduced to Northington...but this couldn't be him--ah! This is Northington's SON! Northington inherited a title, is now an earl in ill-health, and passed his title of Lord Northington to his son, Colter. Celia is bent on avenging her mother's death, but the conspirators drag her into dangerous territory. She wants to hate Colter because of his father, but Colter is a man of impeccable honor. She is kidnapped, she tries to fight her passion for Colter, he tries to uncover the truth in the lies...this novel is filled with drama, suspense, magic and a very happy (and unexpected!) ending. This romance is a winner!
December 29, 2012
Because of Lord Northington Old Peter, her mother and the innocent newborn were all dead. Celia has been waiting for 10 years for her revenge and now she was in England. But things in England weren't as they seemed. The old lord was now Lord Moreland and Celia's godmother was a dear friend of Lord Moreland's wife. His son, the new Lord Northington was not cut of the same cloth as the father, as her heart will attest.
How can Celia get her revenge without hurting those she cares about? This story has strong characters and a thorough plot. I just had to keep reading until the conclusion. Love this author's books and glad I could get them on ebook.
How can Celia get her revenge without hurting those she cares about? This story has strong characters and a thorough plot. I just had to keep reading until the conclusion. Love this author's books and glad I could get them on ebook.
July 26, 2010
J'ai trouvé ce livre à ma bibliothèque local. Ce n'est pas le genre de livre que je lise d'habitude mais j'ai voulu élargir mes horizons. Pourtant ce le livre ne m'a pas pris. Le narratif est bien construit et il y avait certes des moments de suspens et de tension. Mais l'écriture était assez plat et n'a pas capturé mon imagination.
Didn't really get on with this book. The plotting was quite good and there were certainly moments of suspense in the book, but the writing just didn't fire my imagination.
Didn't really get on with this book. The plotting was quite good and there were certainly moments of suspense in the book, but the writing just didn't fire my imagination.
September 13, 2015
One of her best
Characters you admire...great plot...none of the torture as in many of her books but enough mystery, danger and intrigue to keep you turning pages. Highly recommend to all Rogers fans as well as to those new to her works.
Characters you admire...great plot...none of the torture as in many of her books but enough mystery, danger and intrigue to keep you turning pages. Highly recommend to all Rogers fans as well as to those new to her works.
August 22, 2013
the emotions in the book were so genuine .. it was amazing!
September 11, 2016
this book gave me that super amazing feeling in my tommy... and i liked it...!
March 17, 2015
3.5 stars
April 14, 2013
Loved the story heart felt and passionate great epilogue
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews