Winter Rogue

Rogues & Gentlemen #17.8

by Emma V. Leech

A Rogues and Gentlemen Christmas Novel....
A Marriage of Convenience. A Crumbling Manor. A Christmas to Change Everything.

Justin Langley, the infamous Earl of Rutherford, retreats to his once-glorious country estate to lick his wounds in private after a scandal leaves him ostracised by society. With his ancestral home in a state of disrepair and his prospects bleak, Justin faces a lonely Christmas—until a desperate heiress arrives on his doorstep.

Miss Beatrice Huntingdon, fleeing her uncle’s schemes and a forced marriage, proposes a marriage of convenience to the notorious earl. With her fortune at stake and nowhere else to turn, Bea is determined to take control of her own fate—even if it means wedding a man with a reputation as ruined as his home.

Bound by necessity, Justin and Bea agree to a marriage in name only. Yet, as the festive season unfolds, Bea falls in love with the rambling old house and resolves to restore it to its former glory. Amidst snowy countryside, crackling fires, and under the spell woven by the yuletide season, the earl finds himself captivated by his new wife’s spirit and determination.

Can a marriage born of desperation blossom into true love? Will the magic of Christmas—and a shared dream of home—bring two wounded hearts together?

Perfect for readers who adore Regency romance, Christmas love stories, marriage of convenience, country house settings, scandalous earls, runaway heiresses, and heartwarming holiday happily-ever-afters.

Genres: Historical Romance, Christmas, Romance, Historical, Holiday, Historical Fiction, Fiction

228 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2024

About the author

Bestselling author hiding mostly in 19th-century England, venturing out only for chocolate and tea.

Emma V. Leech is the award-winning author of multiple bestselling series across Regency romance, Regency mystery and paranormal romance. Fall in love with swoon-worthy rogues, bold heroines, witty banter and deeply romantic happily-ever-afters. Follow Emma on BookBub for new releases and exclusive deals.

EMMA’S BOOKS

Rogues And Gentlemen
Regency romance – 17-book series (ongoing)
Sexy, tumultuous and irresistibly romantic. From pirates and smugglers to earls and dukes, these unforgettable rogues will sweep you away!

Winter Rogue
A Regency Christmas romance within the Rogues & Gentlemen world
A scandal-weary earl, a runaway heiress and a crumbling country estate snowed in for Christmas. A sensual, heart-tugging holiday novella about redemption, desire and a love neither of them expects.

A Rogues and Gentlemen Christmas
A standalone Regency Christmas romance
A collection of three romantic holiday stories featuring beloved Rogues & Gentlemen characters. Expect snowstorms, sizzling tension, unexpected proposals, mistletoe moments and heart-melting happily-ever-afters – a cosy festive escape for Regency romance lovers.

The Girl Is Not For Christmas
A standalone Regency Christmas romance
Miss Olivia Penrose is the only thing standing between her family and ruin when a brooding aristocrat crashes into her carefully laid plans. Sparks fly amid family secrets, snowy scandals and irresistible festive longing in this passionate, witty and deeply romantic winter read.

Girls Who Dare
Regency romance – 12-book series
Inside every wallflower is the heart of a lioness. When these overlooked young women make a pact to change their lives, rules are broken, reputations are risked and love becomes the most daring adventure of all.

Daring Daughters
Victorian romance – 19-book series and two compilations
The next generation of the Girls Who Dare. Their mothers risked everything for love – now their daughters are ready to be even bolder. An ongoing series of fiercely romantic stories set in a rapidly changing world.

Wicked Sons
Victorian romance – 12-book series
Their mothers dared all for love. Their sisters did the same. Now it’s the sons’ turn… dangerous, tempting and determined not to fall – until the right woman brings them to their knees.

The Venturesome Ladies Of Little Valentine
Regency romance – my current series
A quiet seaside village, a wave of scandalous newcomers and local ladies who refuse to be swept aside. A warm, witty Regency series full of secrets, second chances and delicious enemies-to-lovers romance.

The Regency Romance Mysteries
Regency romantic suspense – 3-book series
Dashing heroes, wicked villains, murder, mystery – and heroines who refuse to sit prettily and wait to be rescued. Perfect if you like your Regency romance served with danger and intrigue.

The French Vampire Legend
Paranormal romance – 4-book series
A dark, dramatic and heart-wrenching tale of courage, sacrifice and a love that not even time, war or monsters can destroy. Gothic atmosphere, high stakes and a romance that refuses to die.

The French Fae Legend
Fantasy romance – 4-book series
An award-winning saga with close to sixteen million online reads. Moving between modern-day France and the Fae Lands, these books weave powerful magic, danger and an all-consuming love that proves stronger than any enchantment.

The Book Lover
A standalone paranormal romance novella
A book-obsessed young woman, an infuriatingly charming stranger and the unnerving sense that stories might be bleeding into real life. A short, intensely romantic tale for anyone who has ever fallen in love with books… and perhaps with something not entirely of this world.

Reviews

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

The MMC, a famously dissipated and impoverished earl, just needed a good woman with a big pile of money to turn his life around.

The FMC just needed to escape her wicked uncle’s horrifying plan to get his hands on her inheritance.

Mostly surface-level, with a sprinkling of nicely written little scenes, and totally predictable. I rounded up, but I’m not sure I should have.

[SheLove2Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining little Christmas romance. Certainly a lot of it was easily predictable but it was hard not to like them both. And how could you top his Christmas gift to her! The entire contents of a bookstore!

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is just what i needed. I love a self saving and competent FMC. The MMC was lovely. Truly. There was a small potential conflict but was quickly resolved. There was no third act break up, thank god. I don’t need that. This was romantic and truly fantastic. I am now sad because I know whatever I read next won’t be this good.

[Susan Saltos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was just okay. There wasn’t much conflict at all. The evil uncle was eliminated from the story way too quickly. He didn’t put up a fight of any kind and considering what he had planned to do to her , I would have thought he would have contested the marriage. Tried to prove that the marriage had not been consummated. Tried another way to steal her money or to blackmail her about something. But he just simply disappears from the story as well as her cousin, Dorothy.

I also didn’t learn anything else about Bea or Justin than I knew from the beginning of the story. Neither character changed in any way except Justin stopped gambling because he now doesn’t need to worry about money. And since he doesn’t go into town anymore and doesn’t drink and party because he’s not in town anymore and he’s now married, in what ways has he changed other than that? I guess we see some growth in him that he now understands what his father meant by wanting him to do better than he did. I don’t see how Bea grew as a person by knowing Justin. What did she know about him either besides he wasn’t as bad as everyone thought?

I would have liked to have seen them go out in society and have Bea stand up for him and set the gossip mill straight about what kind of person her husband truly is. Are they going to remain isolated the rest of their lives being “cut” by everyone? They couldn’t even go into town or church without people staring and talking about them. I can’t see with Bea’s strong personality that she wouldn’t say anything to everyone and put them in their place and set them straight.

It would have been nice while they were renovating the home and land that Bea and Justin interact with the the townspeople also and that’s how the town learns what a decent person Justin really is….

Enjoyed it but just seemed like not much happened. Nothing was exciting except her running away from her uncle.

[LainieLibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Not the best historical romance I've ever read, but it was cute and entertaining. Which is the recent standard for Emma's books. The spice level is super low, and there's honestly not even that much conflict or stakes. But, sometimes an easy book like this hits the spot, so it works for me.

I will forever be sad that Emma's books no longer contain the tension, drama, and spice they once did - but it is what it is. I will still read along.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

1805

Justin Langley, Viscount Carrington, 15, and son of the Earl of Rutherford wants to be a rogue like his father. He has just learned from his school’s headmaster that his father died by his own hand leaving him bankrupt and with lots of debts. Now that Justin is the new Earl of Rutherford, the headmaster tells him that with a good deal of effort and time he can turn things around. However, he has chosen to ignore his advice and carry on as his father had done.

1820

Miss Beatrice (Bea) Huntingdon lives with her Uncle Charles who is her guardian and the new Viscount now that her father has passed away. Most of her father’s wealth has been left to Bea which angers Charles as he wants her money. On a ride with her cousin Dorothy, she points out the Earl of Rutherford’s estate, Chalfont House. It is a huge mansion but she can see that it is in need of repair. She has heard that the man is a terrible rogue and she can’t help but feel sorry for him as she feels he has a troubled mind.

When her uncle tries to marry her to a vile man, she flees to Chalfont House with her maid, Rachel. Bea is determined to ask the earl to marry her so she can keep her money safe from her uncle.

Justin has spent a life of drinking and gambling and is recovering from being shot by a husband after he was wrongly accused of messing with the man’s wife. He is down to his last bits of food and has no money. He has his good friend, John, who still supports him. When Bea arrives, Justin is shocked at her request that they marry in name only and she will share half of her fortune with him. He agrees. What does their relationship hold in store for both of them?

This was a totally delightful story of two very different people who trusted one another to enter into an unusual relationship. The ending was just perfect. Enjoy!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical romance that started as a marriage of convenience when Miss Beatrice Huntingdon, an heiress is coerced by her horrible uncle, Lord Worth, to accept marriage to a man far older than her with abusive tendencies.
She refuses to accept her fate and escapes to the neighbouring property owned by a wastrel, a wicked rake with a terrible reputation, the Earl of Rutherford, Justin Langley. She strikes a bargain with him to thwart her uncle's evil scheme.
But as they get to know each other better, she discovers an honourable man who had a difficult childhood which shaped his less than admirable life choices. But he completely turns over a new leaf once they wed when he falls hopelessly in love with Bea.
This is a charming and romantic love story with an endearing, protective hero and a feisty, enchanting lady who is his perfect match. I really enjoyed this story - it does contain one or two love scenes which are not overly explicit. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little gem in need of polish, that I really liked

An excellent 5 star story with enough errors to take off two stars. There are a number of wrong words or typos, such as 'as' for has, and 'surprised' for surprise. One loose end is left hanging. Math errors make the reader halt and begin to figure. In this case, the H who was 15 when his father died 15 years ago, must now be 30, though the author claims his age is 34. She also claims the father was 35 when he died 15 years ago, leaving a 15 year old son at school. (A 20 year old father to a 15 year old son).

Now, beyond that, the story is truly heartwarming, with delightful characters. It is an enjoyable read, one I recommend!

There is an excellent scene of the h escaping her uncle's house, and my favorite is her first meeting with the hero rogue. It continues at a charming slow burn pace, to a satisfying ending.

[Linda J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story a lot and had a slow burn to them falling in love. It hit all the right notes for me.

At times I went from understanding why the h was giving the H a hard time and then I would go the opposite direction.

The H had a lonely childhood and the way his story was told was heartbreaking at times. We also get another romance in this one, but mostly off page, but I still enjoyed it. One point in the story I almost stopped reading because I felt the author was taking us down a cookie cutter path. But, nope so glad I was wrong (had to do with someone in the past).

No cheating, no cliffhanger, a touch of Christmas, HEA, romantic and some steam. Heat level 4 out of 5. Had a few typos but nothing you couldn't figure out.

I can't improve on the blurb, just giving you extra tidbits to decide whether to purchase. (ljb)

[Elizabeth Myles · Rating 5 out of 5]

It had been a while since I’d read anything by Emma V. Leech, and this reminded me that I need to get back to her books. She writes some of the most satisfying stories!

Winter Rogue is a fairly short, super-cute marriage of convenience tale that takes place at Christmas-time. It features a loveable rogue with Hidden Pain (Justin) and a resourceful heroine with a level head and a soft heart (Bea). So, in other words, just my kind of thing 😊.

The story made me laugh, particularly near the beginning, when Bea and Justin first meet. And I loved that Bea was willing to take a huge risk on Justin, just for the sake of choosing her own destiny and thumbing her nose at her evil guardian. She was a nice mix of bold and sweet, while Justin was an endearing combo of disreputable and heroic. I liked them both, enjoyed their story, and loved the ending.

[Cait M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little Christmas novella.
Beatrice is an orphaned heiress whose dastardly uncle attempts to marry off to an old letcher to get her inheritance.

À la Lisa Kleypas' Devil in Winter, Bea escapes her predicament by making a marriage of convenience deal with her outcast rakehell neighbour Justin. She bargains her considerable wealth for the protection of his name and sanctuary on his estate. Justin is completely broke, so takes her up on the offer with some bemusement.

They are opposites-attract. The hero has a sad back story, and despite making bad choices that have labelled him a disgrace to society, he's quite easily redeemable. The heroine is an innocent, but has a strong personality and a go-get-'em attitude.

The romance built sweetly over time and became a marriage in truth after they get to know each other better.

This book contains a descriptive love scene.

[Regan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how the story began...a despicable uncle who wants to marry his niece to an old man he can control to get her inheritance for himself, and a daring heroine who concocts a scheme to keep her wealth but making a deal with a rogue who needs money. All this on a winter's night. Perfect.

A "marriage of convenience" leads to love...

The first encounter between Bea and Justin was very good. The back and forth between the two as their relationship developed was engaging. The end was always in sight, of course, and the drama kept at a low level throughout the story...a light Regency tale for the holidays.

[Richard Burlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful book exploring the budding relationship between two very different characters. It all starts with a bit of over the top gothic melodrama and this is acknowledged by the author. After this it settles down into the marriage of convenience between Bea and Justin.

As the titular rogue Justin turns out to be a true gentleman, respecting his new wife's feelings and desires. Bea is a strong willed and delightful young lady in her early 20's. You become fully invested in both of them and charmed by the gentle unfolding of the layers of resistance from both sides.

[Agnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A usual, when a new book by this author lands, I drop everything and start reading. I absent-mindedly allow snacks to children, and I am afraid that one day I will allow a tattoo as well.
The book was phenomenal. Mrs Leech wrote so many books (kudos for speed-writing as well) and yet, she keeps surprising me with original plot almost every time.
Here I would say something for the balance, starting with "However..." or "Unfortunately...". Not this time.

[Salustra Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

winter fun

Two great tales, enjoyed them both! Bea & Justine my favorite though. Always love her writing as gets the characters right, plots interesting and the interactions believable between them even if more the exception than the rule for most in the time period. I hate when some authors get to result by instant character turnarounds which she doesn’t do. She always guides you and the characters to a realistic growth. Her books a joy to read.

[Candi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second chances

This is a nice story about a fellow in need of a reason to change and an heiress who needs a hero. This is not a Christmas story but set in the fall leading up to Christmas. It's a light read and has an evil uncle who is defeated. Well written. I enjoyed reading it.

[Diana Whiteman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An original addition to the Rogues and Gentlemen series

I fell in love with Justin through the prologue and then throughout the rest of the book. I'm certainly glad that he found his HEA with Beatrice, although she gave him a run for his money... more like her money!!

Pick up this emotional story to brighten your holiday season today!

[Kimberly Borup · Rating 5 out of 5]

a regency romance

An intriguing story that kept me wanting more. An orphaned girl forced to flee from her wicked, money grubbing uncle. The uncle who is trying to get her inheritance by any means. And, a very wicked rogue who has reached the debts of despair. Is it possible that rogue and orphan can find happiness?

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wealthy young lady chooses to marry a penniless neighborhood earl to get away from her conniving uncle. She and the Earl agree upon the terms leaving open the possibility of an actual marriage relationship but only if she ever desires it. Meanwhile the story continues, showing their internal struggles and insecurities until they both come to realize they can enjoy a hea

[Rita Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classically wonderful Emma V Leech

This was a fun Christmas read and a perfect addition to the Rigues and Gentleman series. The whole series is Regency at its best. Characters that are fully fleshed out and stories that are three dimensional.

[Camila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've finished reading this series and I must say I am such a fan of Emma. It's not easy to find an author that gives you something different on every book. I did not loved all, but most of them, I did.

[Barbara Burn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Christmas novel

Easy to read, very nice story. Loved the whole book it made me feel happy ☺. Pity it didn't day of the whole village came round from disliking them both and what happened to Bea's cousin?

[Jannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, but any conflict was resolved much too quickly. I would have liked to see Justin prove himself a little more. There was also a love scene that was too graphic for my taste. I was not expecting that. I prefer clean reads.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

been a bit since i read a historical romance and i found this on KU so i figured i’d give it a try… not the best but not the worst! this was very surface level and moved a little too quickly for me without any real tension, but i still enjoyed it and would try the author’s other books

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I had trouble putting this book down. I really enjoyed the story and I highly recommend you read it! A+

[Carrie-anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this!

Justin was exactly the kind of anti hero that EVL specialises in.

[D.Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redemption

Sweet story of a courageous young woman escaping a wicked uncle and taking refuge with a rake. Includes renovations and Christmas.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely fell in love with this book, and with Justin and Bea. I didn’t want to put it down, an absolutely charming read.

[Revd Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story with lots of laughter. Love all Emma's books.

[The Grimm Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

And just when I thought this book couldn't get any better, he gave her a library for Christmas. What a man!