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Rebel by Night #2
Undoubtedly Reckless
~EDITOR'S PICK ~
Constance Kersaint invites you back into the scandalous world of the Darewoods, as the eldest brother Roland does the unthinkable—he falls in love with a duke’s governess...
He is all she should avoid.
Sabina had been so careful for years. She hid herself from those who would harm her, but one act of compassion may ruin her forever. After finding refuge in a duke’s home, the man she rescued comes crashing into her life again. Roland is too dangerous a temptation and, despite her heart, she must not give in.
She's not who she seems to be.
Roland has returned from years at sea to take his place as head of his dysfunctional household. Sabina's respectable demeanor hides secrets that would utterly destroy her, but he must uncover her mysteries to keep her safe. Sabina’s ghosts may have found her again. Can she trust him? Can he save her?
Constance Kersaint invites you back into the scandalous world of the Darewoods, as the eldest brother Roland does the unthinkable—he falls in love with a duke’s governess...
He is all she should avoid.
Sabina had been so careful for years. She hid herself from those who would harm her, but one act of compassion may ruin her forever. After finding refuge in a duke’s home, the man she rescued comes crashing into her life again. Roland is too dangerous a temptation and, despite her heart, she must not give in.
She's not who she seems to be.
Roland has returned from years at sea to take his place as head of his dysfunctional household. Sabina's respectable demeanor hides secrets that would utterly destroy her, but he must uncover her mysteries to keep her safe. Sabina’s ghosts may have found her again. Can she trust him? Can he save her?
279 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2025
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 26, 2025
Thanks to Booksprout for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.
I was not a big fan of the first book of this series, and generally found the first book forgettable. But I found that the story and the main characters for this book much more enjoyable. This story is cast in two parts, set a couple of years apart. In the first part, Roland Darewood is found near death, by Sabina, washed up on the beach after escaping a mutiny on board his ship. Sabina is an orphaned woman who works in a remote seaside town as a schoolmistress. She lives in genteel impoverishment, and is alone, after the death of her aunt and uncle. As she works quietly to bring Roland back to health, the story unfolds hinting of more to Sabina's past, and her fear of being pursued and discovered. She apparently must stay hidden and safe from being discovered by whoever is pursuing her until her 25th birthday. Until then, she must work to survive. To keep her reputation safe, Roland's presence must be kept hidden. Their time together at her small remote cottage becomes a sweet, idyllic period out of time as they grow to know each other and develop a friendship and growing fondness. But that comes crashing down when Sabina's safety is threatened and they are forced to flee and are torn apart.
A couple of years go by, and now we come to period after the first book in the series and Roland has now returned to his family and stepped into his rightful role, as the eldest son of the family, taking up the title of Viscount, and the reins of the business set up and managed by his sister Cressida. He is not fitting well in his role and new life, and there is a lot of family friction and resentment from his siblings for various reasons. The family feuding and tension, as well as the characterizations and behaviours of some of the Darewoods at times seem quite overwrought and excessive at times, and detract from the story of Roland and Sabina for me.
Regardless, Sabina, since she and Roland have separated, has taken on a new role and identity, as governess to the sisters of a Duke, and is only a few months away from her birthday, when she can finally reveal herself and gain her family legacy without fear of her uncle. When the two households come together, and Roland discovers Sabina is within his reach again, he seeks to pursue her and find out her secrets, wanting her to be part of his life.
I quite liked Sabina and Roland, and their story of how she saved his life and their early time and growing friendship together. Her mysterious past, family betrayal and pursuit felt like shades of Hamlet to me, though how that turned out in the end was a bit more mad than I expected with more than a faint hint of incest in what her pursuer and nemesis proposed. But her backstory provided some nice drama and interest to their story. However, I found that the dysfunctional Darewood family relationships were quite distracting from the story, and how their characters and relationships were developed not very enjoyable, especially between Roland and his brother who is growing to be quite the spoiled, naval gazing brat.
But overall, a much better story than book 1.
3.5 stars out of 5
I was not a big fan of the first book of this series, and generally found the first book forgettable. But I found that the story and the main characters for this book much more enjoyable. This story is cast in two parts, set a couple of years apart. In the first part, Roland Darewood is found near death, by Sabina, washed up on the beach after escaping a mutiny on board his ship. Sabina is an orphaned woman who works in a remote seaside town as a schoolmistress. She lives in genteel impoverishment, and is alone, after the death of her aunt and uncle. As she works quietly to bring Roland back to health, the story unfolds hinting of more to Sabina's past, and her fear of being pursued and discovered. She apparently must stay hidden and safe from being discovered by whoever is pursuing her until her 25th birthday. Until then, she must work to survive. To keep her reputation safe, Roland's presence must be kept hidden. Their time together at her small remote cottage becomes a sweet, idyllic period out of time as they grow to know each other and develop a friendship and growing fondness. But that comes crashing down when Sabina's safety is threatened and they are forced to flee and are torn apart.
A couple of years go by, and now we come to period after the first book in the series and Roland has now returned to his family and stepped into his rightful role, as the eldest son of the family, taking up the title of Viscount, and the reins of the business set up and managed by his sister Cressida. He is not fitting well in his role and new life, and there is a lot of family friction and resentment from his siblings for various reasons. The family feuding and tension, as well as the characterizations and behaviours of some of the Darewoods at times seem quite overwrought and excessive at times, and detract from the story of Roland and Sabina for me.
Regardless, Sabina, since she and Roland have separated, has taken on a new role and identity, as governess to the sisters of a Duke, and is only a few months away from her birthday, when she can finally reveal herself and gain her family legacy without fear of her uncle. When the two households come together, and Roland discovers Sabina is within his reach again, he seeks to pursue her and find out her secrets, wanting her to be part of his life.
I quite liked Sabina and Roland, and their story of how she saved his life and their early time and growing friendship together. Her mysterious past, family betrayal and pursuit felt like shades of Hamlet to me, though how that turned out in the end was a bit more mad than I expected with more than a faint hint of incest in what her pursuer and nemesis proposed. But her backstory provided some nice drama and interest to their story. However, I found that the dysfunctional Darewood family relationships were quite distracting from the story, and how their characters and relationships were developed not very enjoyable, especially between Roland and his brother who is growing to be quite the spoiled, naval gazing brat.
But overall, a much better story than book 1.
3.5 stars out of 5
March 18, 2025
Undoubtedly Steamy
“Undoubtedly Reckless” by Constance Kersaint is book 2 of her series Rebel by Night. This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last. This story has Sabina in hiding until her 25th birthday. Unknown nefarious characters are hot on her trail. Unfortunately she is alone in the world until a near dead man washes up on her beach. Roland Darewood was that man. Both of these characters kept part of themselves hidden from the other. Sabina is a strong female character, she has the will and the skills to stay alive. Roland has spent ten years at sea as a privateer. He is reunited with his family and must take on the role as head of the family. There is a lot of tension the siblings have to navigate to unite as a family. Sabina and Roland are separated and brought back together again. In the interim they have grown and changed but they are still attracted to one another. This is a historical romance, high in heat and steam, with a solid story to boot. The mystery of Sabina’s true identity is revealed throughout the story as she and Roland grow closer. There are lots of great supporting characters interspersed amongst the chapters. Roland’s siblings, Aria and Tristan, have had to move over as Roland reclaims the Viscount title. They react emotionally. I especially liked Aria, she was smart, observant, and capable of handling the family shipping company. I would hope she gets a book of her own. All of these characters and more are thrown together in a well thought out, well paced story. The Darewoods are definitely a family to be reckoned with and their antics make for an enjoyable read. I definitely recommend “Undoubtedly Reckless” written by Constance Kersaint.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review, my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
“Undoubtedly Reckless” by Constance Kersaint is book 2 of her series Rebel by Night. This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last. This story has Sabina in hiding until her 25th birthday. Unknown nefarious characters are hot on her trail. Unfortunately she is alone in the world until a near dead man washes up on her beach. Roland Darewood was that man. Both of these characters kept part of themselves hidden from the other. Sabina is a strong female character, she has the will and the skills to stay alive. Roland has spent ten years at sea as a privateer. He is reunited with his family and must take on the role as head of the family. There is a lot of tension the siblings have to navigate to unite as a family. Sabina and Roland are separated and brought back together again. In the interim they have grown and changed but they are still attracted to one another. This is a historical romance, high in heat and steam, with a solid story to boot. The mystery of Sabina’s true identity is revealed throughout the story as she and Roland grow closer. There are lots of great supporting characters interspersed amongst the chapters. Roland’s siblings, Aria and Tristan, have had to move over as Roland reclaims the Viscount title. They react emotionally. I especially liked Aria, she was smart, observant, and capable of handling the family shipping company. I would hope she gets a book of her own. All of these characters and more are thrown together in a well thought out, well paced story. The Darewoods are definitely a family to be reckoned with and their antics make for an enjoyable read. I definitely recommend “Undoubtedly Reckless” written by Constance Kersaint.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review, my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
March 22, 2025
Undoubtedly Reckless has a different feel from most romances I’ve read. The hero Roland is a privateer rescued by the schoolteacher heroine Sabina when his crew mutinies (!) and he washes up near the cottage where she lives. They experience a deep connection as they stay together while he recovers. But when an unsavory suitor wreaks havoc in Sabina’s life, and Roland wants revenge on those who mutinied against him, it seems like these two may never move beyond play-acting a couple into true love.
Both Sabina and Roland harbor secrets, some of which are revealed relatively quickly while others linger. Kersaint keeps things moving in this book, from changing situations and settings as well as changing relationships. There are some gaps in logic and errors in historical structure, but I liked the main characters and their easy affability. I wished the sensual scenes felt more connected to the characters; the first one for Sabina just popped up out of nowhere, as did Roland and Sabina’s first intimate moment. If I had felt more sensual longing between them, that would have worked better.
There is some clunky plotting, particularly regarding the cardboard villains, but as a second book in a series I didn’t feel I suffered from not having read the first. This is a worthwhile endeavor from Kersaint, and I’d be interested in reading more from this series.
Both Sabina and Roland harbor secrets, some of which are revealed relatively quickly while others linger. Kersaint keeps things moving in this book, from changing situations and settings as well as changing relationships. There are some gaps in logic and errors in historical structure, but I liked the main characters and their easy affability. I wished the sensual scenes felt more connected to the characters; the first one for Sabina just popped up out of nowhere, as did Roland and Sabina’s first intimate moment. If I had felt more sensual longing between them, that would have worked better.
There is some clunky plotting, particularly regarding the cardboard villains, but as a second book in a series I didn’t feel I suffered from not having read the first. This is a worthwhile endeavor from Kersaint, and I’d be interested in reading more from this series.
March 10, 2025
Undoubtedly Reckless is the second book in the Rebel by Night series, and it continues with more action and intrigue from the Darewood family. In the first book we heard about Cressida Darewood Lindquist and her highwayman, Deverell Havelock. This time it’s the turn of Roland Darewood, the eldest brother. Having been found half dead on the beach by Sabina who takes him in while he recovers, then then go their separate ways. Fate has a hand in bringing them back together a couple of years later, and their story then evolves.
I enjoyed the story line, and it’s much better written than the first book which had inconsistencies with the time line and other minor errors. There are still too many typos that should have been picked up by whoever’s job it was to read through the final copy, plus too many things such as ‘builders tea’ which to my knowledge were not around during the regency period. That said, I really enjoyed the story line and the characters are good, so I’ll be looking out for more books in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed the story line, and it’s much better written than the first book which had inconsistencies with the time line and other minor errors. There are still too many typos that should have been picked up by whoever’s job it was to read through the final copy, plus too many things such as ‘builders tea’ which to my knowledge were not around during the regency period. That said, I really enjoyed the story line and the characters are good, so I’ll be looking out for more books in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 15, 2025
What an action packed story. Full of drama, kidnapping, secrets, villains, heroes, steam, ships, action, intrigue, suspense and twists. This story keeps you turning the pages and leaves you wanting more. Roland is the Captain of his ship but when mutiny occurs, he jumps ship to try to survive. His best mate, Oliver, is the lead on this happening. He makes it to shore and is found by Sabina, a schoolteacher. She is a young woman who brings him home to help him. She takes care of him for some time till he is able to care for himself. Both enjoy the time they are together but then both have some secrets as to who they really are. When someone tries to burn down her cottage, it's time to move on. She takes on another woman's name and job and he tries to go home and get back his life and ship. They finally meet up again in London and the steam is very much between them. add in some attempts on her life then a kidnapping. What a great book you have. So curl up and enjoy this adventure that this fabulous author weaves for you. Would strongly recommend to others.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 22, 2025
Undoubtedly Reckless is the second book in the Rebel by Night series. It is a historical romance of the British variety. The romance is a bit forbidden but Sabina and Roland are drawn to one another. The story is entertaining with drama from the Ton, family drama, secrets, a little action, and more. The storyline does drag in some places but it was entertaining.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 20, 2025
I loved this book. It was such a wonderful historical romance. I felt like I was actually there along with the characters in the book. I liked the way the author tied the shipping components together. There is a lot of danger and intrigue involved. There is a lot of steam between the MCs. I highly recommend this book to all historical romance readers.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 19, 2025
She rescues him...
Sabina rescues a pirate that washed up on shore. Roland jumped ship when his crew mutinied. Sabina is in hiding for years, but risks helping Roland. They meet again and of course Sabina's past comes knocking. Why she is in hiding takes a long while to be revealed. Roland on his return is there to take up his title.
3.5
Sabina rescues a pirate that washed up on shore. Roland jumped ship when his crew mutinied. Sabina is in hiding for years, but risks helping Roland. They meet again and of course Sabina's past comes knocking. Why she is in hiding takes a long while to be revealed. Roland on his return is there to take up his title.
3.5
March 28, 2025
Normally I wouldn't be caught reading a Regency Romance.
But recently I found two authors this being one of them that are amazing at pulling me in to this kind of romance. Sabina and Roland's story had the effect to be able to pull me in and keep me up late at night to finish it.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
But recently I found two authors this being one of them that are amazing at pulling me in to this kind of romance. Sabina and Roland's story had the effect to be able to pull me in and keep me up late at night to finish it.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 20, 2025
This second book in the Rebel by Night series was a captivating and well written historical romance. There is drama, action, near death, loss, hidden and secret identities, a change I status, family feuding, suspense, betrayal, secrets, romance, passion, and many twists that kept me very engaged. I recommend reading!
April 13, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Okay overall, a little slow going. Not that much actually happened apart from in the last 10% of the book.
Okay overall, a little slow going. Not that much actually happened apart from in the last 10% of the book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews