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Fallen Angels #4
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Un maestru al spionajului cu chip de înger păcătos și un trecut eroic, dar întunecat, Lord Robert Andreville se întoarce la căminul strămoşesc din Yorkshire după doisprezece ani în care a desfășurat operațiuni extrem de primejdioase împotriva lui Napoleon. Pe jumătate indiancă mohawk, Maxima Collins nu reușește să-și găsească locul în Anglia, dar nimic n-o va opri din călătoria spre Londra, unde vrea să afle adevărul despre moartea subită a tatălui său, vlăstarul unei familii nobile englezești care a dus mereu o viață aventuroasă. Împreună vor străbate Anglia, încercând să scape de urmăritori și tatonându-se reciproc într-un dans al dorințelor în care adevărul rămâne greu de stabilit și singurul lucru cert este pasiunea. Un secret cumplit le zguduie idila ‒și numai dragostea are puterea de a vindeca rănile trecutului. „Magie pură... o călătorie incredibilă a imaginației oferită de una dintre cele mai bune scriitoare de romane de dragoste a acestor vremuri.” - Romantic Times
368 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 1990
250 people are currently reading
1274 people want to read
About the author
Mary Jo Putney
167 books2,262 followersShe writes young adult fiction as M.J. Putney.
Mary Jo Putney was born on 1946 in Upstate New York with a reading addiction, a condition for which there is no known cure. After earning degrees in English Literature and Industrial Design at Syracuse University, she did various forms of design work in California and England before inertia took over in Baltimore, Maryland, where she has lived very comfortably ever since.
While becoming a novelist was her ultimate fantasy, it never occurred to her that writing was an achievable goal until she acquired a computer for other purposes. When the realization hit that a computer was the ultimate writing tool, she charged merrily into her first book with an ignorance that illustrates the adage that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Fortune sometimes favors the foolish and her first book sold quickly, thereby changing her life forever, in most ways for the better. (“But why didn't anyone tell me that writing would change the way one reads?”) Like a lemming over a cliff, she gave up her freelance graphic design business to become a full-time writer as soon as possible.
Since 1987, Ms. Putney has published twenty-nine books and counting. Her stories are noted for psychological depth and unusual subject matter such as alcoholism, death and dying, and domestic abuse. She has made all of the national bestseller lists including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USAToday, and Publishers Weekly. Five of her books have been named among the year’s top five romances by The Library Journal. The Spiral Path and Stolen Magic were chosen as one of Top Ten romances of their years by Booklist, published by the American Library Association.
A nine-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA, she has won RITAs for Dancing on the Wind and The Rake and the Reformer and is on the RWA Honor Roll for bestselling authors. She has been awarded two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards, four NJRW Golden Leaf awards, plus the NJRW career achievement award for historical romance. Though most of her books have been historical, she has also published three contemporary romances. The Marriage Spell will be out in June 2006 in hardcover, and Stolen Magic (written as M. J. Putney) will be released in July 2006.
Ms. Putney says that not least among the blessings of a full-time writing career is that one almost never has to wear pantyhose.
Mary Jo Putney was born on 1946 in Upstate New York with a reading addiction, a condition for which there is no known cure. After earning degrees in English Literature and Industrial Design at Syracuse University, she did various forms of design work in California and England before inertia took over in Baltimore, Maryland, where she has lived very comfortably ever since.
While becoming a novelist was her ultimate fantasy, it never occurred to her that writing was an achievable goal until she acquired a computer for other purposes. When the realization hit that a computer was the ultimate writing tool, she charged merrily into her first book with an ignorance that illustrates the adage that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Fortune sometimes favors the foolish and her first book sold quickly, thereby changing her life forever, in most ways for the better. (“But why didn't anyone tell me that writing would change the way one reads?”) Like a lemming over a cliff, she gave up her freelance graphic design business to become a full-time writer as soon as possible.
Since 1987, Ms. Putney has published twenty-nine books and counting. Her stories are noted for psychological depth and unusual subject matter such as alcoholism, death and dying, and domestic abuse. She has made all of the national bestseller lists including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USAToday, and Publishers Weekly. Five of her books have been named among the year’s top five romances by The Library Journal. The Spiral Path and Stolen Magic were chosen as one of Top Ten romances of their years by Booklist, published by the American Library Association.
A nine-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA, she has won RITAs for Dancing on the Wind and The Rake and the Reformer and is on the RWA Honor Roll for bestselling authors. She has been awarded two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards, four NJRW Golden Leaf awards, plus the NJRW career achievement award for historical romance. Though most of her books have been historical, she has also published three contemporary romances. The Marriage Spell will be out in June 2006 in hardcover, and Stolen Magic (written as M. J. Putney) will be released in July 2006.
Ms. Putney says that not least among the blessings of a full-time writing career is that one almost never has to wear pantyhose.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
August 29, 2023
The second in the series written in the 1990's that I have read (not reading them in order). The book has held up to the test of time. It is a travel romance (my least favorite trope) that was very entertaining. The "bad guy" is woven throughout the story and adds a little bit of suspense to an otherwise character driven plot. The twist at the end is well done. An enjoyable audiobook read by Siobhan Waring who did a wonderful job with the characters. I will continue with the series and rate this book at a 3.75 (since I am making up my fractional ratings.... why not)
March 20, 2021
My hopes were realized! This was better than the previous book in the series IMO.
I enjoyed the mystery and the adventure of walking 250 miles to London. I still think it's odd Maggie thinks of Robin more as a brother when she was his lover for years. She seemed to think he felt similarly when he was actually in love with her. That made it a bit difficult for both the reader and Maxie, but it is realistic. There are many who fall in love with someone who does not allow the relationship to last lifetime. Those people are deserving of a HEA with someone else. The timing was such that Robin found Maxie before his heart had fully healed.
There was a secondary romance between Robin's brother and Maxie's Aunt that was very sweet. It increased my enjoyment of the story. Hopefully the last in the series will be the best yet!
I enjoyed the mystery and the adventure of walking 250 miles to London. I still think it's odd Maggie thinks of Robin more as a brother when she was his lover for years. She seemed to think he felt similarly when he was actually in love with her. That made it a bit difficult for both the reader and Maxie, but it is realistic. There are many who fall in love with someone who does not allow the relationship to last lifetime. Those people are deserving of a HEA with someone else. The timing was such that Robin found Maxie before his heart had fully healed.
There was a secondary romance between Robin's brother and Maxie's Aunt that was very sweet. It increased my enjoyment of the story. Hopefully the last in the series will be the best yet!
January 7, 2020
4.5 "I used to be a spy" stars!
Loved the hero and the heroine! I am usually not a fan of spy novels. But I loved the tidbits into that aspect of Lord Robert's past. Fabulous writing by MJP and I look forward to more of this series.
Great love story and I totally loved the secondary love story!
Loved the hero and the heroine! I am usually not a fan of spy novels. But I loved the tidbits into that aspect of Lord Robert's past. Fabulous writing by MJP and I look forward to more of this series.
Great love story and I totally loved the secondary love story!
August 4, 2009
I enjoyed this one, although it reminded me a lot of Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase, only this time the adventuresome couple are adults and the protagonists of the story. I liked Maxie and Robin together - although I think it would have been better had "Maxie" not sounded so closely like "Maggie", since part of the story is Robin's getting over Maggie/Margot (Petals in the Storm. And that part of the book I could have done without. It kind of bothers me that Robin still had such intense feelings and longing for Maggie after they had stopped being lovers and had acted more like brother/sister for years.
But I thought Maxie was a great heroine, very frank and direct and exactly what Robin needed after a lifetime of deceit and treachery. The secondary romance was a bit rushed; I didn't buy that by the end of the journey that Giles and Desdemona were in love - not like Maxie and Robin were - but I assume they got to know each other better in the time between the end of the last chapter and the epilogue.
This is probably my second favorite in the series behind Dancing in the Wind. B+
But I thought Maxie was a great heroine, very frank and direct and exactly what Robin needed after a lifetime of deceit and treachery. The secondary romance was a bit rushed; I didn't buy that by the end of the journey that Giles and Desdemona were in love - not like Maxie and Robin were - but I assume they got to know each other better in the time between the end of the last chapter and the epilogue.
This is probably my second favorite in the series behind Dancing in the Wind. B+
September 23, 2024
Review of Kindle Edition of classic Regency historical romance
Lord Robert Andreville (Robin) is in his early 30s and has become extremely burned out and depressed from two causes: The woman he wanted to marry, a fellow spy who for many years worked with him for the British government against Napoleon, has married another man, and after over 12 years of spy work, now that the Napoleonic wars are over, he doesn't know what to do with his life as the younger son of a noble family.
He is staying with his brother, an English lord, on his brother's quiet estate in the country when he runs, literally, into Maxima Collins. While he is napping in the woods on the estate, Maxie trips and falls on top of him, exposing to Robin in the process that what to outward appearances is a small, lower-class teenage boy is, in fact, a woman.
Maxie is in her mid-twenties and is the daughter of a second-son of a noble family who lived in the United States for many years and married a Mohawk woman. Maxie's father has recently died, and she believes he may have been murdered. She has left the protection of her uncle's estate--where she has been treated as an interloper by her aunt--and taken off on foot for London, determined to find out for herself what happened to her father. Being a gentleman with strong protective instincts, Robin is determined to accompany her and keep her safe, but he doesn't tell her immediately who he really is. First, because he doesn't think she will believe him since he is dressed in clothing almost as rough as Maxie's American frontier garb. Second, because he is sick of being depressed, privileged Lord Robert and wants to be someone else temporarily (and masquerading is a skill he perfected as a spy). Third, because initially this seems like it will be merely a temporary lark. The adventure soon proves to be far more than he expected. He finds himself coming alive again in the company of the most resolute, fascinating woman he's ever met--including the redoubtable woman who is his lost love.
As are all MJP's stories, this one is extremely well written, historically authentic, and alive with vibrant, sympathetic characters and exciting adventure.
I absolutely adore "two for the road" stories where two outsiders go on a journey together which allows them to make their own unique world together and find the acceptance and understanding with each other that no one else could ever provide. Maxie is a wonderful heroine, independent, forceful, and utterly loyal. In a fun twist on standard romance heroes, handsome Robin has a physical "flaw" of being a short man. However, he is plenty tall enough for tiny Maxie, and he knows how to fight in a way that allows him to turn the much larger size of an attacker back onto that enemy.
I have a long, happy history with this book. I first read this story as The Rogue and The Runaway, a short Regency romance written in 1990, and I loved it. Then when Ms. Putney rewrote it as a much longer Regency historical romance, this particular book, in 1995, I immediately purchased it, devoured it, and loved this version, too. Recently I have been replacing my paperback keeper romances, which have become worn with much use over the years (my own re-reading and loans to friends and family) with eBook versions. This eBook is very well done. The formatting is excellent, and there are no editing errors that I noticed.
I highly recommend this book both for readers newly discovering the magnificently talented Ms. Putney and for long-time fans such as myself.
Lord Robert Andreville (Robin) is in his early 30s and has become extremely burned out and depressed from two causes: The woman he wanted to marry, a fellow spy who for many years worked with him for the British government against Napoleon, has married another man, and after over 12 years of spy work, now that the Napoleonic wars are over, he doesn't know what to do with his life as the younger son of a noble family.
He is staying with his brother, an English lord, on his brother's quiet estate in the country when he runs, literally, into Maxima Collins. While he is napping in the woods on the estate, Maxie trips and falls on top of him, exposing to Robin in the process that what to outward appearances is a small, lower-class teenage boy is, in fact, a woman.
Maxie is in her mid-twenties and is the daughter of a second-son of a noble family who lived in the United States for many years and married a Mohawk woman. Maxie's father has recently died, and she believes he may have been murdered. She has left the protection of her uncle's estate--where she has been treated as an interloper by her aunt--and taken off on foot for London, determined to find out for herself what happened to her father. Being a gentleman with strong protective instincts, Robin is determined to accompany her and keep her safe, but he doesn't tell her immediately who he really is. First, because he doesn't think she will believe him since he is dressed in clothing almost as rough as Maxie's American frontier garb. Second, because he is sick of being depressed, privileged Lord Robert and wants to be someone else temporarily (and masquerading is a skill he perfected as a spy). Third, because initially this seems like it will be merely a temporary lark. The adventure soon proves to be far more than he expected. He finds himself coming alive again in the company of the most resolute, fascinating woman he's ever met--including the redoubtable woman who is his lost love.
As are all MJP's stories, this one is extremely well written, historically authentic, and alive with vibrant, sympathetic characters and exciting adventure.
I absolutely adore "two for the road" stories where two outsiders go on a journey together which allows them to make their own unique world together and find the acceptance and understanding with each other that no one else could ever provide. Maxie is a wonderful heroine, independent, forceful, and utterly loyal. In a fun twist on standard romance heroes, handsome Robin has a physical "flaw" of being a short man. However, he is plenty tall enough for tiny Maxie, and he knows how to fight in a way that allows him to turn the much larger size of an attacker back onto that enemy.
I have a long, happy history with this book. I first read this story as The Rogue and The Runaway, a short Regency romance written in 1990, and I loved it. Then when Ms. Putney rewrote it as a much longer Regency historical romance, this particular book, in 1995, I immediately purchased it, devoured it, and loved this version, too. Recently I have been replacing my paperback keeper romances, which have become worn with much use over the years (my own re-reading and loans to friends and family) with eBook versions. This eBook is very well done. The formatting is excellent, and there are no editing errors that I noticed.
I highly recommend this book both for readers newly discovering the magnificently talented Ms. Putney and for long-time fans such as myself.
November 1, 2011
Loved this one! Terrific road story of the hero and heroine wending their way down to London from Yorkshire, trying to evade some apparent villains who want to return the heroine to her uncle dead or alive, and also being chased, unbeknownst to them, by the hero's brother and the heroine's aunt (who have a delightful secondary romance during the course of the story). The heroine wants to find out why her father died in London, and the hero, whom she stumbles across on a path in some woods, decides to accompany her because he's at loose ends in his life. Really enjoyable, with some angst, some humour, some very nice love scenes, lots of adventure and excitement, and last but not least, a fabulous hero and heroine. Not one false note or bad scene, which I kind of dread when I start a Putney book these days, in the entire story.
August 23, 2020
4.5 Stars. On oldie but a goodie.
December 5, 2018
3/5
Sigo convencida que no voy a encontrar otro Pecado y virtud.
En todos los libros de esta saga me falta algo para que me lleguen a entusiasmar. Más por la trama que por la relación de los dos protagonistas. Las tramas se hacen aburridas y algunas rozan la ridiculez. Esta tampoco es una maravilla, y aunque me hayan gustado los protagonistas, resta puntos.
Robin me llamó la atención en el libro de Rafe y pensé que su historia iba a ser mejor.
Sigo convencida que no voy a encontrar otro Pecado y virtud.
En todos los libros de esta saga me falta algo para que me lleguen a entusiasmar. Más por la trama que por la relación de los dos protagonistas. Las tramas se hacen aburridas y algunas rozan la ridiculez. Esta tampoco es una maravilla, y aunque me hayan gustado los protagonistas, resta puntos.
Robin me llamó la atención en el libro de Rafe y pensé que su historia iba a ser mejor.
June 1, 2021
She weighed his confidence against her doubts. As always, he looked limpidly sincere. She was reminded of what she had thought when they first met: the face of a man who could sell you a dozen things you didn't want. An angel rogue.
May 31, 2018
Be ready for an adventure through the back roads of England and a little American history. You get to experience a cattle drive and much more. The background for this story was really interesting. I love the H/H and the happily ever after. Recommend the series. Ms. Putney doesn't disappoint.
June 22, 2017
I guess the main problem I have with this book is that I absolutely hate when one of the main characters is still brooding over his ex-lover or something like that. The beginning of the book is amazing. A master spy Robert Andreville and a half Mohawk Maxima Collins meet in the woods and like each other at first sight. He is simply bored and sick of his past (and kinda heart-broken) and she wants to find the truth about her father who died in suspicious circumstances. Everything was fine until . Sooo you can imagine what happens after that, the two of them go on and finally find out the reason behind her father's death, then they get married etc.
I dislike the plot because I really don't like when there is a third-party involved in the main love story AND especially when one of the main characters is still pinning to his or her ex-love. It's frustrating and simply no-no.
I dislike the plot because I really don't like when there is a third-party involved in the main love story AND especially when one of the main characters is still pinning to his or her ex-love. It's frustrating and simply no-no.
July 23, 2013
A spy introduced in the second book of the series, Petals in the Storm Lord Robert Andreville earns his own novel as a retired spy bored with life until he meets the unique American-Indian on her way to London to investigate the death of her father. Along the way they run into highwaymen, avoid the relatives searching for them, fight tooth and nail to escape the tough customers determined to keep them out of London, and manage to fall in love and solve the mystery. The adventure is good, the romance cute, the secondary romance amusing, and the mystery slightly anticlimactic.
April 1, 2016
I enjoyed this one very much. It was really fun to read. It can be read as a stand alone book.
You can see love almost everywhere in this book. Max and her father; Robin and Maggie, Max and Robin, Max and her uncle, Max and her aunt, Desdemona, Robin and his brother Giles, Giles and Desdemona. I am probably in minority feeling comfortable with Robin and Maggie's love for one another. It is a different love.. a love born from trust, understanding, respect and shared experiences. Even though it was physical for many years, I feel it was a matter of comfort on both sides and neither one were in any other relationship at the time. Max and Robin's love was different. It was more.
You can see love almost everywhere in this book. Max and her father; Robin and Maggie, Max and Robin, Max and her uncle, Max and her aunt, Desdemona, Robin and his brother Giles, Giles and Desdemona. I am probably in minority feeling comfortable with Robin and Maggie's love for one another. It is a different love.. a love born from trust, understanding, respect and shared experiences. Even though it was physical for many years, I feel it was a matter of comfort on both sides and neither one were in any other relationship at the time. Max and Robin's love was different. It was more.
March 18, 2020
Pretty good! Best book in series since Thunder and Roses. Mind you I’m reading in order and the next three books are more highly rated.
Noteworthy for one of the few plots with a short-ish hero. We need more of those in romance. Plot is a cross between Loretta Chase’s Lord Perfect and Last Night’s Scandal, except both pairs of couples are adults. Also props for including a half Native American heroine. I enjoyed the secondary couple’s story more than our lead pair although they were fun too.
Noteworthy for one of the few plots with a short-ish hero. We need more of those in romance. Plot is a cross between Loretta Chase’s Lord Perfect and Last Night’s Scandal, except both pairs of couples are adults. Also props for including a half Native American heroine. I enjoyed the secondary couple’s story more than our lead pair although they were fun too.
May 18, 2017
I never did feel a connection with the characters.
September 1, 2017
Oh the good old days
"The rain is on the roof
Hurry high butterfly
As clouds roll past my head
I know why the skys all cry
OM, OM, Heaven, OM"
Road trip! Road Trip!
A long long time ago there used to be a publisher by the name of New American Library, or NAL, and they had this wonderful little branch called Signet Regency Romance. They started printing in the late 1970s and lasted until sometime in 2006. Many, many, many authors began with Signet. I loved these little books. I think they would publish three or four books a month and I would be waiting for those books to hit the stands. One of the authors who first came to my attention through Signet was Mary Jo Putney - I loved her early stuff. Then she started writing longer books and then she turned to the dark side and started writing contemporary romance. She even dabbled a little bit in paranormal. She has, of course, returned to historical, but nothing beats some of her older writing. And if any of you have never read The Rake, you should. It is one of my ten favorite romances. But this review isn't about that story, it's about another older book by Ms. Putney. First written in 1990 as The Rogue and the Runaway, it was published by Signet. Later Ms. Putney added a few more pages and it joined her Fallen Angels series under the new name of Angel Rogue (1995). Well, it has recently floated to my attention again through the wonderful world of electronic books. At last, a book with some wonderful words and great characters. It was a pleasure to reread this story.
This story revolves around Maxima (Maxie) Collins and Lord Robert Andreville (Robin). There is also a secondary romance between Desdemona, Maxie's aunt, and Giles, Robin's brother. Both of these romances are quite good, and unlike some stories which have two romances going on at once, they do not distract from each other. Also helping in making this story a lovely read was its length. It is just a tad bit longer than stories which are published today - so there is more substance on these pages.
Here's the plot-line. Lord Robert Andreville, aka Robin, is home from years and years of spying. He's been through a lot. He's got dirt on his hands, he's been through some awful terrible stuff. Plus, his mistress is now his friend and married to a fellow hero from another book. Not only is Robin sad and blue because of his lost love, he also has some pretty angst-like spy stuff to get over. Unlike a lot of angst-filled heroes, Robin does not drag the entire world down with him. He has hid his melancholy side under a happy-go-lucky facade. That doesn't mean he doesn't have people who are worried about him, because they are - especially his brother Giles and his ex-mistress Maggie. But don't fear, my little Petunia's, because help is on the way in the form of our heroine Maxie.
Maxie is an American. She is also the child of an English aristocratic father and a Mohawk Native-American woman. Most of her life was spent in America living with her mother's people or traveling around with her free-spirited father. By the way, she loved her life with her mother and father - no Romanceland horrible parents here! Maxie's parents are both dead so she is living in England with her uncle and his snooty wife and daughters. Maxie is an interesting character because she is really quite good at standing up for herself. There's a wonderful scene in the beginning when she threatens her cousin with an arrow. When Maxie overhears her uncle talking about her father's death and how "things" must be kept from her, she knows she must find out what happened. She sees nothing wrong or silly with packing her bags, binding her boobs and hiking 250 miles to London. By this time in the book, we the reader have learned what makes Maxie tick and see nothing silly about this premise. So she's off. Oops! She trips over something on the way out. That would be Robin, who is taking a little nap under a tree.
Robin wakes up and knows right away that he has an arm-full of woman. No bound boobs are going to get past this hero. After some talking, Robin and Maxie decide to join forces and journey to London together. This journey covers more than just miles, because during their time together they get to know each other. Along the way they become friends, comrades and eventually lovers. They share their good and bad memories. They also share a number of adventures. The road trip is quite an experience and I enjoyed most of it. I did have a few eye-brows raised moments when Maxie was doing her "talk to the trees, butterflies and clouds" routine, puffing away on her hookah and chanting OMMMMMMmmm. I lied, she didn't have a hookah, but she did come awfully close to an OM moment. Regardless of Maxie's mother-nature incidents, Robin and Maxie were a wonderful couple.
But they weren't the only wonderful couple in the book. There was also a secondary romance between the stodgy older brother Giles and the antagonistic, pushy aunt, Desdemona. These two had absolutely nothing in common and were great fun to watch as they circled each other and gave chase to their little lost lambs. I almost wish they had their own book, but ‘twas not to be. But I had great fun reading when they were in the book.
Except for the "mother-nature" moments I only had one other small quibble. Even with all the extra pages which were added to the story, the ending still had a rushed feel to it. But other than that, this story is a great classic romance and it should be picked up and read. I recommend either the original The Rogue and the Runaway or the one with all the sex, Angel Rogue. It's a truly wonderful novel by one of Romanceland's very gifted authors - Mary Jo Putney.
KaysBlog
"The rain is on the roof
Hurry high butterfly
As clouds roll past my head
I know why the skys all cry
OM, OM, Heaven, OM"
Road trip! Road Trip!
A long long time ago there used to be a publisher by the name of New American Library, or NAL, and they had this wonderful little branch called Signet Regency Romance. They started printing in the late 1970s and lasted until sometime in 2006. Many, many, many authors began with Signet. I loved these little books. I think they would publish three or four books a month and I would be waiting for those books to hit the stands. One of the authors who first came to my attention through Signet was Mary Jo Putney - I loved her early stuff. Then she started writing longer books and then she turned to the dark side and started writing contemporary romance. She even dabbled a little bit in paranormal. She has, of course, returned to historical, but nothing beats some of her older writing. And if any of you have never read The Rake, you should. It is one of my ten favorite romances. But this review isn't about that story, it's about another older book by Ms. Putney. First written in 1990 as The Rogue and the Runaway, it was published by Signet. Later Ms. Putney added a few more pages and it joined her Fallen Angels series under the new name of Angel Rogue (1995). Well, it has recently floated to my attention again through the wonderful world of electronic books. At last, a book with some wonderful words and great characters. It was a pleasure to reread this story.
This story revolves around Maxima (Maxie) Collins and Lord Robert Andreville (Robin). There is also a secondary romance between Desdemona, Maxie's aunt, and Giles, Robin's brother. Both of these romances are quite good, and unlike some stories which have two romances going on at once, they do not distract from each other. Also helping in making this story a lovely read was its length. It is just a tad bit longer than stories which are published today - so there is more substance on these pages.
Here's the plot-line. Lord Robert Andreville, aka Robin, is home from years and years of spying. He's been through a lot. He's got dirt on his hands, he's been through some awful terrible stuff. Plus, his mistress is now his friend and married to a fellow hero from another book. Not only is Robin sad and blue because of his lost love, he also has some pretty angst-like spy stuff to get over. Unlike a lot of angst-filled heroes, Robin does not drag the entire world down with him. He has hid his melancholy side under a happy-go-lucky facade. That doesn't mean he doesn't have people who are worried about him, because they are - especially his brother Giles and his ex-mistress Maggie. But don't fear, my little Petunia's, because help is on the way in the form of our heroine Maxie.
Maxie is an American. She is also the child of an English aristocratic father and a Mohawk Native-American woman. Most of her life was spent in America living with her mother's people or traveling around with her free-spirited father. By the way, she loved her life with her mother and father - no Romanceland horrible parents here! Maxie's parents are both dead so she is living in England with her uncle and his snooty wife and daughters. Maxie is an interesting character because she is really quite good at standing up for herself. There's a wonderful scene in the beginning when she threatens her cousin with an arrow. When Maxie overhears her uncle talking about her father's death and how "things" must be kept from her, she knows she must find out what happened. She sees nothing wrong or silly with packing her bags, binding her boobs and hiking 250 miles to London. By this time in the book, we the reader have learned what makes Maxie tick and see nothing silly about this premise. So she's off. Oops! She trips over something on the way out. That would be Robin, who is taking a little nap under a tree.
Robin wakes up and knows right away that he has an arm-full of woman. No bound boobs are going to get past this hero. After some talking, Robin and Maxie decide to join forces and journey to London together. This journey covers more than just miles, because during their time together they get to know each other. Along the way they become friends, comrades and eventually lovers. They share their good and bad memories. They also share a number of adventures. The road trip is quite an experience and I enjoyed most of it. I did have a few eye-brows raised moments when Maxie was doing her "talk to the trees, butterflies and clouds" routine, puffing away on her hookah and chanting OMMMMMMmmm. I lied, she didn't have a hookah, but she did come awfully close to an OM moment. Regardless of Maxie's mother-nature incidents, Robin and Maxie were a wonderful couple.
But they weren't the only wonderful couple in the book. There was also a secondary romance between the stodgy older brother Giles and the antagonistic, pushy aunt, Desdemona. These two had absolutely nothing in common and were great fun to watch as they circled each other and gave chase to their little lost lambs. I almost wish they had their own book, but ‘twas not to be. But I had great fun reading when they were in the book.
Except for the "mother-nature" moments I only had one other small quibble. Even with all the extra pages which were added to the story, the ending still had a rushed feel to it. But other than that, this story is a great classic romance and it should be picked up and read. I recommend either the original The Rogue and the Runaway or the one with all the sex, Angel Rogue. It's a truly wonderful novel by one of Romanceland's very gifted authors - Mary Jo Putney.
KaysBlog
November 20, 2024
I loved this couple. They grow, share, are sensual. This book has ALL the feels. I appreaciate the inclusion of her Indigenous heritage in their story and how he calls her by the name her mother's people gave her. The relationship she had with her dad was beautiful.
They had a meet cute. Oberon and Titania.
There were some twists and red herrings. The other ppl in the book add to the story.
Loved the secondary romance.
They had a meet cute. Oberon and Titania.
There were some twists and red herrings. The other ppl in the book add to the story.
Loved the secondary romance.
December 3, 2017
I liked Maxie and Robin together - although I think it would have been better had "Maxie" not sounded so closely like "Maggie", since part of the story is Robin's getting over Maggie/Margot. And that part of the book I could have done without. It kind of bothers me that Robin still had such intense feelings and longing for Maggie after they had stopped being lovers and had acted more like brother/sister for years. A spy, Lord Robert Andreville earns his own novel as a retired spy bored with life until he meets the unique American-Indian on her way to London to investigate the death of her father. Along the way they run into highwaymen, avoid the relatives searching for them, fight tooth and nail to escape the tough customers determined to keep them out of London, and manage to fall in love and solve the mystery. The adventure is good, the romance cute, the secondary romance amusing, and the mystery slightly anticlimactic. I love how competent Max is and I really enjoy how the relationship between Robin & Max develops and how open they both are about their attraction and trying to ignore it as they travel together. Their adventures are fun and they are well-matched. That's Robin the experienced spy suffering from PTSD who can't adapt to his loving but emotionally non-expressive brother now that the Napoleonic Wars are over. He gets up and goes off before he says or does something irreversible and on the way meets a young girl hitchhiking down to London to find out what happened to her father. That's Maxima Collins, whose mother was a Mohawk and whose feckless father from a gentleman family has returned with his grown daughter after decades of travelling the US eastern states as a book salesman. His brother has accepted Maxima willingly, she learned a lot of the appropriate manners in Boston where they wintered, but not so his wife and her daughters. This is Robin's story, Lord Robert Andreville has spent the last twelve years mostly in France but all over Europe as a spy for his country.
THE ROGUE
A master spy with the face of a fallen angel and a darkly heroic past, Lord Robert Andreville, returns to his ancestral home in Yorkshire after a dozen harrowing years spying against Napoleon. But nothing soothes his ravaged spirit until a determined young beauty sweeps into his life.
THE RUNAWAY
Half Mohawk and all-American, Maxima Collins is a wary stranger in a strange land, but she will let nothing halt her journey to London to learn the truth about her father's sudden death--not even a self-appointed guardian who is all lazy charm and dangerous skill. Lord Robert, however, made up for that oh so much. From now on, please imagine that any time I write "Lord Robert" I do so with a big heart drawn around his name. *sigh* So Maxie Collins travels with her father to England, but he dies in London and she gets stuck with her uncle and (extremely officious) aunt in the north of England.
I enjoyed this one, here we have the adventuresome couple that are adults and the protagonists of the story. It was really fun to read. It can be read as a stand alone book. You can see love almost everywhere in this book. Historical English road trip romance with PTSD healing for the hero. The two main characters literally bump (fall) on each other and become traveling partners, then friends and in the end more... I learned a lot of travel for the common person during this time because all to often an author will just stick the characters in a carriage and have them arrive at the destination, but this walking tour showed a different side of society. Together they travel across England, evading pursuers and circling each other in a dance of desire, where truth is elusive and only passion is sure. The heroine was, at least at a few points during the book, almost too silly to ensure her continued existence.
THE ROGUE
A master spy with the face of a fallen angel and a darkly heroic past, Lord Robert Andreville, returns to his ancestral home in Yorkshire after a dozen harrowing years spying against Napoleon. But nothing soothes his ravaged spirit until a determined young beauty sweeps into his life.
THE RUNAWAY
Half Mohawk and all-American, Maxima Collins is a wary stranger in a strange land, but she will let nothing halt her journey to London to learn the truth about her father's sudden death--not even a self-appointed guardian who is all lazy charm and dangerous skill. Lord Robert, however, made up for that oh so much. From now on, please imagine that any time I write "Lord Robert" I do so with a big heart drawn around his name. *sigh* So Maxie Collins travels with her father to England, but he dies in London and she gets stuck with her uncle and (extremely officious) aunt in the north of England.
I enjoyed this one, here we have the adventuresome couple that are adults and the protagonists of the story. It was really fun to read. It can be read as a stand alone book. You can see love almost everywhere in this book. Historical English road trip romance with PTSD healing for the hero. The two main characters literally bump (fall) on each other and become traveling partners, then friends and in the end more... I learned a lot of travel for the common person during this time because all to often an author will just stick the characters in a carriage and have them arrive at the destination, but this walking tour showed a different side of society. Together they travel across England, evading pursuers and circling each other in a dance of desire, where truth is elusive and only passion is sure. The heroine was, at least at a few points during the book, almost too silly to ensure her continued existence.
September 8, 2012
This is another of my favourites of the Fallen Angels series: do you like small but clever and agile heroes? That's Robin the experienced spy suffering from PTSD who can't adapt to his loving but emotionally non-expressive brother now that the Napoleonic Wars are over. He gets up and goes off before he says or does something irreversible and on the way meets a young girl hitchhiking down to London to find out what happened to her father.
That's Maxima Collins, whose mother was a Mohawk (Shades of Julie Garwood's Lion's Lady?) and whose feckless father from a gentleman family has returned with his grown daughter after decades of travelling the US eastern states as a book salesman. His brother has accepted Maxima willingly, she learned a lot of the appropriate manners in Boston where they wintered, but not so his wife and her daughters.
Now that her father has been missing for quite a while (he went to London on business) and having overheard a discussion between her aunt and uncle that casts a sinster light on them, Maxima has had it with English conventional behaviour and decided to get to the truth of it all.
Personally I think MJP characterised Maxima well enough that she would have found her way to London without trouble (bar the fact that her upset uncle sent a Bow Street Runner after her and she gets very scared of that rough guy, with reason), as she has the skills from her travelling and selling days in the US, but she basically falls over a sleeping Robin and he not only sees what a beauty she is even in her disguise but is also fascinated by the difference of her looks, her spirit and the thought that here's an adventure and mystery that will keep him from going mental.
And so it does and turns into a road romance. And Robin learns that the love he lost to another was just a preparation for the love he feels for Maxima, that the customs of her mother's side and of Maxima's strong empathy may connect him to life in such a way as to make his horrible memories bearable. It is addressed what a life of spying and expedieny can cost an upstanding, moral man with a sense of personal honour.
On Maxima's side, Robin is always there for her, even when he doesn't tell her his aristocratic background for a long time, and will use anything to help her cause and be her rock when she finds out what happened to her father after all.
Another lovely historic note were the various English transports that the two used to escape their followers, the channels that made the industrial revolution possible and in a very funny (and highly unrealistic) bit of action the drover's way which brought herds of cattle, pigs or geese to the flesh pots of London from as far away as Wales.
I say highly unrealistic because with all friendship and good will the two accumulated, it is totally unbelievable that a drover would send a herd of cattle to stampede through the streets of an English village (first of all the meat would taste horrible and it would exhaust the animals, second of all there's no way he can guarantee that other people won't get hurt while doing so - the herding dogs can't be everywhere at once).
4.5 stars, really.
That's Maxima Collins, whose mother was a Mohawk (Shades of Julie Garwood's Lion's Lady?) and whose feckless father from a gentleman family has returned with his grown daughter after decades of travelling the US eastern states as a book salesman. His brother has accepted Maxima willingly, she learned a lot of the appropriate manners in Boston where they wintered, but not so his wife and her daughters.
Now that her father has been missing for quite a while (he went to London on business) and having overheard a discussion between her aunt and uncle that casts a sinster light on them, Maxima has had it with English conventional behaviour and decided to get to the truth of it all.
Personally I think MJP characterised Maxima well enough that she would have found her way to London without trouble (bar the fact that her upset uncle sent a Bow Street Runner after her and she gets very scared of that rough guy, with reason), as she has the skills from her travelling and selling days in the US, but she basically falls over a sleeping Robin and he not only sees what a beauty she is even in her disguise but is also fascinated by the difference of her looks, her spirit and the thought that here's an adventure and mystery that will keep him from going mental.
And so it does and turns into a road romance. And Robin learns that the love he lost to another was just a preparation for the love he feels for Maxima, that the customs of her mother's side and of Maxima's strong empathy may connect him to life in such a way as to make his horrible memories bearable. It is addressed what a life of spying and expedieny can cost an upstanding, moral man with a sense of personal honour.
On Maxima's side, Robin is always there for her, even when he doesn't tell her his aristocratic background for a long time, and will use anything to help her cause and be her rock when she finds out what happened to her father after all.
Another lovely historic note were the various English transports that the two used to escape their followers, the channels that made the industrial revolution possible and in a very funny (and highly unrealistic) bit of action the drover's way which brought herds of cattle, pigs or geese to the flesh pots of London from as far away as Wales.
I say highly unrealistic because with all friendship and good will the two accumulated, it is totally unbelievable that a drover would send a herd of cattle to stampede through the streets of an English village (first of all the meat would taste horrible and it would exhaust the animals, second of all there's no way he can guarantee that other people won't get hurt while doing so - the herding dogs can't be everywhere at once).
4.5 stars, really.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2019
This was one of my first romance novels, scavenged from the communal library in the clubhouse at the mobile home park where my grandparents lived. It was an adults only park, which basically meant it was a little village of senior citizens and a lot of the ladies liked their romances. But this was the '80s / early '90s, the era of the really racy covers -- lots of thigh and heaving and necklines defying gravity -- and that did not sit well with one of the park residents. She went through the library and cut off the pages that offended her sense of decency. So I have never seen this book in its entirety. I have no idea what lurid scene might be taking place on the cover. Because it's missing. I've also never read the book in its entirety because my copy is also missing the epilogue. Although knowing MJP it's hard to imagine that anything too scandalous was taking place in the epilogue, so I suspect those pages just randomly vanished through hard use, rather than falling to the censor's scissors.
Georgette Heyer has kind of spoiled Regency for me. No one does research like GH did research. So this feels more like fantasy now than it does historical romance. And it's kind of a problematic, gloppy fantasy. But it was lovely to revisit being 12 again and to remember the thrill of smuggling off a book. (We donated a lot of books to that library. Don't judge.) And to remember how charmed I was at the time because MJP is a competent writer and while I can't say that I was an uncritical 12 year old -- I don't think I've ever been uncritical -- I was certainly less critical than I am now and I *enjoyed* that book.
And it was a revelatory moment. I got why all those ladies were reading romance. Up to that point, I had been slogging my way through Johnny Tremain -- which is a fantastic book, but not light. People get maimed and die and a lot of the books that get foisted on young readers are like that. And I was a dutiful sort of child who appreciated books about the Holocaust because We Should. And books about pioneers dying on the Oregon trail because History Is Important. I read Scott O'Dell. For fun. And then I switched over to fantasy which can take itself Very, Very, Seriously. And then here was this book missing the last 10 pages about people who didn't have to invent liberty or stop genocide or make it across the Rocky Mountains or prevent a cataclysmic war on a world that doesn't actually exist but in which I was far too emotionally invested. All they had to do was exorcise the demons of past relationships and fall in love. And there was a bit about Napoleon and tortured pasts but compared to EVERY OTHER BOOK I was reading at the time, this rocked my brain to sleep. And it was so soothing.
So, Angel (gag) Rogue, thanks for the memories. One of these years, I'll find a complete copy and read the ending.
Georgette Heyer has kind of spoiled Regency for me. No one does research like GH did research. So this feels more like fantasy now than it does historical romance. And it's kind of a problematic, gloppy fantasy. But it was lovely to revisit being 12 again and to remember the thrill of smuggling off a book. (We donated a lot of books to that library. Don't judge.) And to remember how charmed I was at the time because MJP is a competent writer and while I can't say that I was an uncritical 12 year old -- I don't think I've ever been uncritical -- I was certainly less critical than I am now and I *enjoyed* that book.
And it was a revelatory moment. I got why all those ladies were reading romance. Up to that point, I had been slogging my way through Johnny Tremain -- which is a fantastic book, but not light. People get maimed and die and a lot of the books that get foisted on young readers are like that. And I was a dutiful sort of child who appreciated books about the Holocaust because We Should. And books about pioneers dying on the Oregon trail because History Is Important. I read Scott O'Dell. For fun. And then I switched over to fantasy which can take itself Very, Very, Seriously. And then here was this book missing the last 10 pages about people who didn't have to invent liberty or stop genocide or make it across the Rocky Mountains or prevent a cataclysmic war on a world that doesn't actually exist but in which I was far too emotionally invested. All they had to do was exorcise the demons of past relationships and fall in love. And there was a bit about Napoleon and tortured pasts but compared to EVERY OTHER BOOK I was reading at the time, this rocked my brain to sleep. And it was so soothing.
So, Angel (gag) Rogue, thanks for the memories. One of these years, I'll find a complete copy and read the ending.
October 21, 2017
Heavens above this was a wonderful book. I felt so bad that Robert "Robin" Andreville didn't get Maggie in DANCING ON THE WIND. He so needed someone to love and care for him. I am sure the spying is never easy but in the time period of this book had to be brutal. Robin was a spy for twelve years and the things that he had to do for God and country left him at the breaking point. Ms. Putney does a very good job of showing how bad Robin's emotional state has become. The torture he went through at the end of DANCING ON THE WIND did help I am sure. I like Robin. He is intelligent, caring, cunning. He is also very, very lonely. I was really happy to read this story and follow Robin on his journey to healing and acceptance of what he had to do so England could stop Napoleon.
Maxima Collins is also intelligent, caring and stronger than she looks. She isn't afraid to walk across England to find out what happened to her father. She is also a easy travel companion as Robin finds out during their journey. I also think that she is the perfect mate for Robin. Both of these people have been through so much that they deserve to find someone that will understand and care for them.
There is also a secondary romance between Robin's brother and Maxima's aunt. I was glad that Ms. Putney included these in the story. They both needed to find a companion that would heal the scars from their previous marriages. I liked both these people and cheered them on as they realized that they could love each other.
We also get to see the characters from the previous books. It is always nice to catch up with the characters from the earlier stories so you know what has been happening in their lives. This book did have a little more sex included in the story. It isn't up to today standards but it was nice to see the characters getting to know each other as the story progressed. This was a quick read, much faster than I thought it would be. The reader get to see the lives of the lower classes and we get an idea of the countryside about London. There is always little bits of information in these stories and that is part why I loved them so much.
Maxima Collins is also intelligent, caring and stronger than she looks. She isn't afraid to walk across England to find out what happened to her father. She is also a easy travel companion as Robin finds out during their journey. I also think that she is the perfect mate for Robin. Both of these people have been through so much that they deserve to find someone that will understand and care for them.
There is also a secondary romance between Robin's brother and Maxima's aunt. I was glad that Ms. Putney included these in the story. They both needed to find a companion that would heal the scars from their previous marriages. I liked both these people and cheered them on as they realized that they could love each other.
We also get to see the characters from the previous books. It is always nice to catch up with the characters from the earlier stories so you know what has been happening in their lives. This book did have a little more sex included in the story. It isn't up to today standards but it was nice to see the characters getting to know each other as the story progressed. This was a quick read, much faster than I thought it would be. The reader get to see the lives of the lower classes and we get an idea of the countryside about London. There is always little bits of information in these stories and that is part why I loved them so much.
March 21, 2014
Mary Jo Putney is a mixed bag for me, but I love this story. Robin, a charming, well-born, adventurous former spy running from his own demons meets a young woman searching for the answers to her father's mysterious death. Raised in the America by her loving, scholarly wanderer of a father, Maxie is innocent, but has not been sheltered as English damsels are. Though her uncle takes her in after her father's death, she is despised by his spiteful wife and daughters as a half-breed hoyden. Jealous of the exotic beauty granted to Maxie by her American-Indian mother, the women make her life miserable. Maxie, accustomed to life in America, decides to make her way to her only other relation -- an aunt she knows only through correspondence -- in hopes of shelter while she discovers the truth about her father's death, and then enough money to book passage back to America.
She is brave, resourceful, quick-witted, intelligent and independent -- and she can't see what use a feckless, though charming, adventurer like Robin (he carefully supports her confusion about his identity) could be as a companion as she seeks the truth regarding her father's death and her uncle's role in it.
What follows is a delightful romp across the countryside of England, evading pursuit from several quarters as the two make their way to London in search of Maxie's answers. As with Robin -- Lord Robert -- things are not always what they seem. Adventure and chaos ensue, with plenty of misunderstandings, concerned relatives, possible villains and the healing of two hearts.
I highly recommend this book.
She is brave, resourceful, quick-witted, intelligent and independent -- and she can't see what use a feckless, though charming, adventurer like Robin (he carefully supports her confusion about his identity) could be as a companion as she seeks the truth regarding her father's death and her uncle's role in it.
What follows is a delightful romp across the countryside of England, evading pursuit from several quarters as the two make their way to London in search of Maxie's answers. As with Robin -- Lord Robert -- things are not always what they seem. Adventure and chaos ensue, with plenty of misunderstandings, concerned relatives, possible villains and the healing of two hearts.
I highly recommend this book.
July 20, 2020
I love these characters (all 4 leads), and I found the story very fun and engrossing.
Things I liked/loved/hated:
I appreciate the Native American heroine in a regency setting, though I can’t speak to the accuracy of the portrayal of her mother’s culture. I thought MJP did a fairly convincing job showing how racism made an impact on her life. Sometimes from robin’s point of view we got some pretty stereotypical portrayals of her, BUT from her own point of view (which dominated the book), she was very complex and relatable, ie not a stereotype.
I love the character of robin. He was the best part of the previous book in this series. Why Maggie/Margot would choose Rafe over robin continues to puzzle me... but there’s no accounting for taste. That said, I think putney switched gears from him mooning over Maggie to luuurving maxie too quickly. I bought the idea of these characters belonging together (maxie/robin) but his explanation at the end of his love just wasn’t enough after 2 books of his suppressed love for perfect Margot. I wanted him to have to work a little harder. It felt like we were missing a separation or some greater challenge in there. That said, dude was totally in the grips of massive PTSD so I buy that he didn’t have the mental stability for that.
As many reviewers have noted the secondary romance is absolutely dreamy. Well done all around.
Things I liked/loved/hated:
I appreciate the Native American heroine in a regency setting, though I can’t speak to the accuracy of the portrayal of her mother’s culture. I thought MJP did a fairly convincing job showing how racism made an impact on her life. Sometimes from robin’s point of view we got some pretty stereotypical portrayals of her, BUT from her own point of view (which dominated the book), she was very complex and relatable, ie not a stereotype.
I love the character of robin. He was the best part of the previous book in this series. Why Maggie/Margot would choose Rafe over robin continues to puzzle me... but there’s no accounting for taste. That said, I think putney switched gears from him mooning over Maggie to luuurving maxie too quickly. I bought the idea of these characters belonging together (maxie/robin) but his explanation at the end of his love just wasn’t enough after 2 books of his suppressed love for perfect Margot. I wanted him to have to work a little harder. It felt like we were missing a separation or some greater challenge in there. That said, dude was totally in the grips of massive PTSD so I buy that he didn’t have the mental stability for that.
As many reviewers have noted the secondary romance is absolutely dreamy. Well done all around.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2016
This was my first Mary Jo Putney book, and what a winner!
Smartly written, with nice character development and a good weaving of history without being clunky. Putney did a wonderful job with the adventure/action writing. Usually I just skim those scenes, but it was so engaging that I read the entire thing.
The Robin/Maxie (I agree with Desdemona that this is a ridiculous nickname) storyline was really nice. The characters play off of each other so nicely. Robin may be almost *too* perfect at the beginning, but his damaged nature saves him from being too unrealistic.
While they had a good storyline, you know which one I loved even more? Desdemona and Wolverton! Those two were just great. The chemistry leaped off the page from the first moment they met and I couldn't wait until they would reappear every few chapters or so.
On a weaker note, the Maxie/Maggie thing was weird. There was far too much time spent on the whole "I used to love her...but now I'm *really* in love with this chick. For reals this time." To be fair, it appears the whole Maggie/Robin thing was a big deal in a previous book, so maybe all of the drama made sense, but it seemed unnecessarily dragged out.
Overall, I really liked Putney's writing style, and I will definitely check out her other books.
Smartly written, with nice character development and a good weaving of history without being clunky. Putney did a wonderful job with the adventure/action writing. Usually I just skim those scenes, but it was so engaging that I read the entire thing.
The Robin/Maxie (I agree with Desdemona that this is a ridiculous nickname) storyline was really nice. The characters play off of each other so nicely. Robin may be almost *too* perfect at the beginning, but his damaged nature saves him from being too unrealistic.
While they had a good storyline, you know which one I loved even more? Desdemona and Wolverton! Those two were just great. The chemistry leaped off the page from the first moment they met and I couldn't wait until they would reappear every few chapters or so.
On a weaker note, the Maxie/Maggie thing was weird. There was far too much time spent on the whole "I used to love her...but now I'm *really* in love with this chick. For reals this time." To be fair, it appears the whole Maggie/Robin thing was a big deal in a previous book, so maybe all of the drama made sense, but it seemed unnecessarily dragged out.
Overall, I really liked Putney's writing style, and I will definitely check out her other books.
December 6, 2017
This book was written in 1990 but it feels quite modern. It is a enjoyable read.
Maxie, half-Indian half-British, came from America with her father to visit her uncle. Her father soon died in London and Maxie eavesdrops on her uncle's conversation that reveals that her father's death was not natural. The girl decides to go to London on foot to discover the truth. Soon, on her way, she meets Robin, a former ace of intelligence ravaged by the demons of the past, who insists on getting Maxie on her journey. Simmons, a former boxer sent by his uncle who is to stop Maxie from reaching the capital follows them.
I'm not a fan of the road romance but I generally enjoyed the story thank to the likeable characters. Robin as a tortured hero is a good character. There is also the secondary romance of Giles, Robin's brother and Desdemona, Maxie's aunt who also follow the travelling couple. I have to admit that I liked the romance of Giles and Desdemona even more than Robin and Maxie story. I found them more interesting. In fact I would prefer the whole book to be focused around Giles and Desdemona but there is plenty of them, so it's okay.
Maxie, half-Indian half-British, came from America with her father to visit her uncle. Her father soon died in London and Maxie eavesdrops on her uncle's conversation that reveals that her father's death was not natural. The girl decides to go to London on foot to discover the truth. Soon, on her way, she meets Robin, a former ace of intelligence ravaged by the demons of the past, who insists on getting Maxie on her journey. Simmons, a former boxer sent by his uncle who is to stop Maxie from reaching the capital follows them.
I'm not a fan of the road romance but I generally enjoyed the story thank to the likeable characters. Robin as a tortured hero is a good character. There is also the secondary romance of Giles, Robin's brother and Desdemona, Maxie's aunt who also follow the travelling couple. I have to admit that I liked the romance of Giles and Desdemona even more than Robin and Maxie story. I found them more interesting. In fact I would prefer the whole book to be focused around Giles and Desdemona but there is plenty of them, so it's okay.
November 16, 2014
I gave this book 5 stars because of how right Robin and Maxie were for each other. Their imperfections and flaws fit together like a puzzle, and they were better together than apart.
The spy-ish background in this story was more satisfying to me versus a few other titles in the Fallen Angels series (which I still loved, though); Robin's background made him interesting and human. Maxie's history of being from two cultures and the wisdom it produced was beautiful-I am a sucker for intelligent heroines.
I have read most of the titles from the Fallen Angel series now, and it has turned me into a Mary Jo Putney fanatic for life. I am so appreciative that she chose to spend her life as a writer and not a different career path. My reading time is enriched by her books. <3
The spy-ish background in this story was more satisfying to me versus a few other titles in the Fallen Angels series (which I still loved, though); Robin's background made him interesting and human. Maxie's history of being from two cultures and the wisdom it produced was beautiful-I am a sucker for intelligent heroines.
I have read most of the titles from the Fallen Angel series now, and it has turned me into a Mary Jo Putney fanatic for life. I am so appreciative that she chose to spend her life as a writer and not a different career path. My reading time is enriched by her books. <3
April 1, 2012
Wonderful historical- one of the best I read so far. Robin is my perfect hero- he is more sweet than alpha, although he has his alpha-moments as a fighter. His respect for the heroine runs deep, and I like his unconventioanl ways. Maxie is intelligent, courageous and authentic. Their love story is tender and heart-warming...there's absolutely far more than desire between those two. I liked that there are some conflicts and doubts, but they aren't over the top, and both TALK about the things that trouble them and don't try to hide. That's rare in romance, and I liked it a lot.
The secondary love story between Giles and Desdemona is a wonderful addition.
The secondary love story between Giles and Desdemona is a wonderful addition.
December 20, 2007
Another excellent historical romance. Our hero is Robin Andreville, a retired spy from the Napoleonic Wars who returns home with his charm intact but his mind in turmoil. On a lark he follows Maxie, a half-Mohawk orphan, on her quest to find the truth about her recently-deceased father. Both main characters are thoroughly delightful, and unconventional for the genre.
"One Perfect Rose" (with a fun Shakespearean flavor) by the same author is also outstanding.
"One Perfect Rose" (with a fun Shakespearean flavor) by the same author is also outstanding.
June 18, 2015
Ohhh! what an interesting book! with a Native American lead heroine. This is my first from Mary Jo Putney and I already loved this book. A tortured hero and a "savage" heroine is an interesting mix, not that I'd call Maxie a savage, expect the fat that she has some bloodthirsty instincts of violence. I also love Giles and Desdemona and how they seem to go after Max and Robin. such a feisty couple! 5 stars!
April 12, 2015
Angel Rouge
When I begun this novel I was disappointed, could not get interested, almost deleted it from my Kindle, but decided a few more pages...glad I did! One of the best books I Have read for quite sometime. I love historical and recency romance..this one is worth anyone's time!
When I begun this novel I was disappointed, could not get interested, almost deleted it from my Kindle, but decided a few more pages...glad I did! One of the best books I Have read for quite sometime. I love historical and recency romance..this one is worth anyone's time!
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