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Reece Family Trilogy #2
De verleidelijke dievegge
A gentleman and a very improper lady are bound together by a passion that crosses the line between upper class and underworld in Caroline Linden's daring new romance...
After a wayward youth, David Reece, the youngest scion in a noble family, has been called one of the most scandalous rogues of the ton. What he wants to be called is trustworthy and a true gentleman. To prove he has reformed, he's agreed to watch over his absent brother's estate and signet ring. All is going swimmingly until highwaymen waylay his coach and steal that precious ring.
Street orphan Vivian Beecham has grown up a pickpocket, and a very pretty one indeed. Now she and her brother have reluctantly graduated to highway robbery. And handsome David Reece has become their victim—until he tracks her down and makes her his prisoner. Locked in a spare bedroom, Vivian vows to hate her captor. Instead she becomes a former rogue's greatest challenge: the object of a passionate seduction. But David and Vivian are playing a dangerous game in which forbidden love is a wild card.
After a wayward youth, David Reece, the youngest scion in a noble family, has been called one of the most scandalous rogues of the ton. What he wants to be called is trustworthy and a true gentleman. To prove he has reformed, he's agreed to watch over his absent brother's estate and signet ring. All is going swimmingly until highwaymen waylay his coach and steal that precious ring.
Street orphan Vivian Beecham has grown up a pickpocket, and a very pretty one indeed. Now she and her brother have reluctantly graduated to highway robbery. And handsome David Reece has become their victim—until he tracks her down and makes her his prisoner. Locked in a spare bedroom, Vivian vows to hate her captor. Instead she becomes a former rogue's greatest challenge: the object of a passionate seduction. But David and Vivian are playing a dangerous game in which forbidden love is a wild card.
318 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
89 people are currently reading
928 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Linden
57 books1,706 followersCaroline Linden was born a reader, not a writer. She earned a degree in mathematics from Harvard University and worked as a programmer in the financial services industry before realizing writing fiction is much more exciting than writing code. Her books have won the NEC-RWA Readers' Choice Award, the JNRW Golden Leaf, the Daphne du Maurier Award, and RWA's RITA Award, and have been translated into seventeen languages around the world. She lives in New England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
April 8, 2017
At 80% in I hit a roadblock that just killed me. I was clipping along, loving the story, loving David and Viv and it was just so sweet in the best possible way. I wanted those kids to get together and their relationship was so fun to watch that I was all-in. And then plot happened and I can't bring myself to pick the book up any more.
Which is fine, really, because the relationship bits already culminated. They haven't said they love each other, but I can't help feeling like Linden is putting that off so it can happen with the climax of the stupid parts. So for me, and my engagement in the story, I'm already finished. I particularly liked how David reacted when he finally learned that Viv has been protecting her brother all along. He didn't bat an eye. He's all like "Ah. A brother. Right. Of course I'll do everything in my power to help your brother out." So sweet.
And the problem with the plot is that it's like David suffers a stroke of stupidity right there on the page.
So I'm done. The book was sailing on a four-star rating with potential for higher if Linden managed something amazing or poignant or even just made me laugh a bit. I'm going to give it an unusual (for a DNF) three stars, though, in appreciation for the story to that point.
Which is fine, really, because the relationship bits already culminated. They haven't said they love each other, but I can't help feeling like Linden is putting that off so it can happen with the climax of the stupid parts. So for me, and my engagement in the story, I'm already finished. I particularly liked how David reacted when he finally learned that Viv has been protecting her brother all along. He didn't bat an eye. He's all like "Ah. A brother. Right. Of course I'll do everything in my power to help your brother out." So sweet.
And the problem with the plot is that it's like David suffers a stroke of stupidity right there on the page.
So I'm done. The book was sailing on a four-star rating with potential for higher if Linden managed something amazing or poignant or even just made me laugh a bit. I'm going to give it an unusual (for a DNF) three stars, though, in appreciation for the story to that point.
January 14, 2026
This is MMC David Reece’s story – the second son by being born ten minutes after his twin brother, Marcus. If a person has read book one in the series, then they know how disreputable David has been. And on how many occasions his brother, the Duke of Exeter, had to bail him out of trouble. David owes Marcus his life after how things ended in book one. So before Marcus departs on his three-month honeymoon with Hannah, he leaves all his ducal business affairs to David to attend to. He also gifts David with a signet ring he had custom made with the duke’s crest on it. It’s this ring that forces an introduction of David to FMC Vivian Beecham.
Vivian is a very poor but beautiful woman who is part of a Highway robbery gang. She dresses and acts like a poor widow while on each stage that’s targeted for robbing. Her younger brother Simon is also part of the group and isn’t very good at it, but she covers for him. Flynn is leader of the gang and he’s a ruthless, yet stupid villain.
When one of David’s carriage horses develops a hoof problem after departing Ainsley Park, he’s forced to take the stagecoach into London so he can meet with one of Marcus’ business associates. He’s determined to show Marcus that he can be responsible. He notices the young widow on the stage and how pretty she is. When it’s stopped by the highwaymen, David and the other passengers give up their valuables, and the signet ring is yanked off David’s finger after he’s knocked out by Simon.
Because of David’s troubled past, he alerts all his pawn broker friends after returning to London. And this is how he meets “Mrs. Gray,” the name Vivian uses for her cover. She’s the only gang member who can get in and out of London to fence the valuables taken on each heist. Except she doesn’t have the signet ring when he corners her at the pawn broker’s shop. So he takes her to his town home and locks her up in a guest room.
Over the remainder of the book, readers learn about Vivian’s past and how David attempts to extract information from her regarding the location of the signet ring. Excluding being locked in a room for several days, David treats her very well. He's a gentleman around her. She has a bed to sleep on, which is a luxury she’s not had in years. And she’s fed amazingly well. Food the likes of which she had never tasted before. After David discovers every dish that’s been retrieved from her room has been licked clean, he formulates a plan he hopes will relax Vivian enough to provide him with her real name and possibly more information about the other robbers. It’s these same efforts that allow him to spend time with her and talk. He finds he can be himself around her and he likes that. A lot. Their conversations are something he could never get away with while being chaperoned with another woman of his same class or station:
‘David was discovering he liked being able to talk so freely with Vivian. Not because of her hard history, but because of his own; to hold a decent conversation with a proper young lady, David would have to omit the vast majority of his life and doings. He didn’t think he could manage more than a quarter hour of acceptable conversation with a sheltered lady of his own class, […] Disregarding for a moment whether or not it was proper to discuss such things at all, David found it easier to talk to Vivian Beecham simply because he didn’t have to fear slipping up and saying something that would shock and repel her. In all truth, she was probably more likely to shock and horrify him, were she to share her life story.’
It's a good story and very entertaining. It was rewarding to watch David mature and prove he could do something responsible on his own without trying to convince someone he was the Duke of Exeter. And the best part was how honest he was with Vivian. Especially in the last chapter.
The book ended on a very good note. I rated it 3.5 stars, rounded up. The deductions were for a few not quite believable things, but the excitement and humor made up for them.
Vivian is a very poor but beautiful woman who is part of a Highway robbery gang. She dresses and acts like a poor widow while on each stage that’s targeted for robbing. Her younger brother Simon is also part of the group and isn’t very good at it, but she covers for him. Flynn is leader of the gang and he’s a ruthless, yet stupid villain.
When one of David’s carriage horses develops a hoof problem after departing Ainsley Park, he’s forced to take the stagecoach into London so he can meet with one of Marcus’ business associates. He’s determined to show Marcus that he can be responsible. He notices the young widow on the stage and how pretty she is. When it’s stopped by the highwaymen, David and the other passengers give up their valuables, and the signet ring is yanked off David’s finger after he’s knocked out by Simon.
Because of David’s troubled past, he alerts all his pawn broker friends after returning to London. And this is how he meets “Mrs. Gray,” the name Vivian uses for her cover. She’s the only gang member who can get in and out of London to fence the valuables taken on each heist. Except she doesn’t have the signet ring when he corners her at the pawn broker’s shop. So he takes her to his town home and locks her up in a guest room.
Over the remainder of the book, readers learn about Vivian’s past and how David attempts to extract information from her regarding the location of the signet ring. Excluding being locked in a room for several days, David treats her very well. He's a gentleman around her. She has a bed to sleep on, which is a luxury she’s not had in years. And she’s fed amazingly well. Food the likes of which she had never tasted before. After David discovers every dish that’s been retrieved from her room has been licked clean, he formulates a plan he hopes will relax Vivian enough to provide him with her real name and possibly more information about the other robbers. It’s these same efforts that allow him to spend time with her and talk. He finds he can be himself around her and he likes that. A lot. Their conversations are something he could never get away with while being chaperoned with another woman of his same class or station:
‘David was discovering he liked being able to talk so freely with Vivian. Not because of her hard history, but because of his own; to hold a decent conversation with a proper young lady, David would have to omit the vast majority of his life and doings. He didn’t think he could manage more than a quarter hour of acceptable conversation with a sheltered lady of his own class, […] Disregarding for a moment whether or not it was proper to discuss such things at all, David found it easier to talk to Vivian Beecham simply because he didn’t have to fear slipping up and saying something that would shock and repel her. In all truth, she was probably more likely to shock and horrify him, were she to share her life story.’
It's a good story and very entertaining. It was rewarding to watch David mature and prove he could do something responsible on his own without trying to convince someone he was the Duke of Exeter. And the best part was how honest he was with Vivian. Especially in the last chapter.
The book ended on a very good note. I rated it 3.5 stars, rounded up. The deductions were for a few not quite believable things, but the excitement and humor made up for them.
February 22, 2021
A big disappointment. Review to come.
***Full review***
I'm not asking - or looking for - a perfect hero who must be the sexiest, smartest, and strongest dude. I just think that romance authors have a tough time with the "failure to launch, social dilettante" hero but for some reason they can't give this archetype up!
I was also doing some deep soul searching to ask myself if I was being more critical of David Reece because 95% of heroes in romance land are chiselled, omnipotent gods and he was shown in a bad light, but some of my favourite heroes have been ones that are not hyper masculine at all. The one thing my favourite heroes have in common (like with my heroines) is that they have character with a capital C. David lacked this and he got it a little too late for this reader to care.
David, in fact, reminds me a lot of the Ascension heir in Galen Foley's Prince Charming: David has MAJOR issues with the fact that he's a screw up. He knows it but he is super sensitive when people make a joke about it or condescend to him. However, he also doesn't rise to the occasion but has an adolescent temper about it. The Ascension heir was more annoying about it than David, who is more just wallowing in how he stacks up to his older brother. Spoiler alert: he is super insecure about everything.
I also don't agree with David locking Vivian up and then promptly forgetting about her in order to moon about how nobody ever listens to him like they do his brother.
I also want to make it clear that I am not opposed to the decision David made to lock Vivian up. What I don't agree with and object to is the execution of it. It was dull AF. David has a highway thief locked up in his home - let's chill on the inferiority complex with his brother and have some fun with this naughty premise! Why even bother with the kidnapping in the first place if you're going to do nothing with it. It's a waste of material.
Vivian, meanwhile, at first is hostile to David, but she makes one escape attempt before tucking in to the hot plates and library books. She begins to treat her confinement as a vacation, which, I mean, yes, in a way, but also, did the woman forget she is a prisoner??
I started reading this a few weeks ago but put it down at the 30% mark. During a particularly generous mood, I skimmed finished this to the end. I shouldn't have bothered, in all honesty.
***Full review***
I'm not asking - or looking for - a perfect hero who must be the sexiest, smartest, and strongest dude. I just think that romance authors have a tough time with the "failure to launch, social dilettante" hero but for some reason they can't give this archetype up!
I was also doing some deep soul searching to ask myself if I was being more critical of David Reece because 95% of heroes in romance land are chiselled, omnipotent gods and he was shown in a bad light, but some of my favourite heroes have been ones that are not hyper masculine at all. The one thing my favourite heroes have in common (like with my heroines) is that they have character with a capital C. David lacked this and he got it a little too late for this reader to care.
David, in fact, reminds me a lot of the Ascension heir in Galen Foley's Prince Charming: David has MAJOR issues with the fact that he's a screw up. He knows it but he is super sensitive when people make a joke about it or condescend to him. However, he also doesn't rise to the occasion but has an adolescent temper about it. The Ascension heir was more annoying about it than David, who is more just wallowing in how he stacks up to his older brother. Spoiler alert: he is super insecure about everything.
I also don't agree with David locking Vivian up and then promptly forgetting about her in order to moon about how nobody ever listens to him like they do his brother.
I also want to make it clear that I am not opposed to the decision David made to lock Vivian up. What I don't agree with and object to is the execution of it. It was dull AF. David has a highway thief locked up in his home - let's chill on the inferiority complex with his brother and have some fun with this naughty premise! Why even bother with the kidnapping in the first place if you're going to do nothing with it. It's a waste of material.
Vivian, meanwhile, at first is hostile to David, but she makes one escape attempt before tucking in to the hot plates and library books. She begins to treat her confinement as a vacation, which, I mean, yes, in a way, but also, did the woman forget she is a prisoner??
I started reading this a few weeks ago but put it down at the 30% mark. During a particularly generous mood, I skimmed finished this to the end. I shouldn't have bothered, in all honesty.
October 20, 2025
David Reece has some making up to do! As we remember from What a Gentleman Wants he is "the younger son, never expected to do much beyond cut a dashing figure." It was hard to understand how Linden would get him up to snuff as a Hero, given that he drunkenly crashed his carriage, offered to marry the widow who nursed his broken leg back to health, changed his mind because he didn't want to stop partying, and signed his brother's name to the registry. THEN they all almost got killed because of he got caught up in a long con his Bad Cousin was running to clear the decks of other Reeces and inherit is all. So, not great. And since he has some making up to do, he's going to shepherd the Exeter Dukedom Business while Marcus and Hannah have their honeymoon.
He's so determined to prove himself that when his horse pulls lame he takes the coach (oh the sacrifice!) and happily spends the journey imagining scenarios with the attractive widow across from him. "He half-smiled to himself; he seemed to have a partiality for poor young widows - especially attractive ones - although of course he couldn't pawn this one off on his brother." TOO SOON DAVID. Anyhoo, lo and behold highwaymen rob the carriage and steal the Junior Duke Signet Ring Marcus gave David as the Symbol of His Becoming Responsible, and he scours pawnshops in London to get it back. And who tries to fence it, but the attractive widow! Dun dun dun. Although she doesn't have it on her so David does the logical thing and flat out kidnaps her and holds her prisoner.
Then the book just gets great. Poor Vivian is a thief from St. Giles, and is stuck with this band of highwaymen, and has had to look out for her younger brother (who is not lying when he says "I'm just dense, is all") since she was ten. So she's being held in David's house, eating better than she ever had in her life, and while not loving being locked up, is loving momentarily not worrying all the time. "Only now that it was lifted, even for a short time, could Vivian appreciate how oppressive that worry and responsibility had become."
So Vivian is resting and eating, and David's manservant is bringing her books, and extra food, since he clocks that she was starving. David is both really coming to terms with little he's done with his life, and how much his brother does. "No one expected him to do anything else, until now. Now he was confronted daily with proof that he had not done very much with his life, while Marcus had become an authority on nearly everything." Between working on Duke Business all day, and coming home to feed Vivian, he's given up his wastrel life. He and Vivian start hanging out at night, and getting to know each other. Because she isn't a lady of his class, and the, er, unconventional way they met, he's just been himself with her. At one point he thinks about the hours they spend in conversation, and how if they were playing by the rules they could maybe eke out a stilted 15 minutes.
I really loved how all along Linden doesn't chart a linear growth for David. He backslides in his behavior, he has plenty of shame and self-hatred that makes it harder when he realizes his worst inner fears are what the world sees. Meanwhile, there's Vivian, who for the first time is experiencing the basics of life he took for granted. There's this super slow build where he's doing things for her (making her hot chocolate for the first time ever, doing something he knows she'll love). She's the first person who appreciates him for him, and calls him on all his bull.
Linden handles the whole captive/captor thing super well when things take a romantic turn. There's fantastic consent both ways (in a 2007 book!), and multiple explicit choices to remain together. There's an idyllic period, where they are both so happy together, before the inevitable late-book drama. Linden writes a simple scene of relaxing on the couch and trading stories, that does a better job of showing the comfort and ease of true intimacy than any I've read in a while. They are teasing and laughing, and have physical familiarity in a non-romantic way, and the reader clearly sees the bond. They are in a forced-proximity situation, without having to deal with the outside world and any inherent conflicts.
But of course the real world comes in with a vengeance, and David, who never really had to do anything to solve his own problems (he has name/money/Marcus to do it for him), has to prove himself to save the day. I absolutely didn't think Linden would fully pull off this book, and I'm pleased to say she did it completely.
He's so determined to prove himself that when his horse pulls lame he takes the coach (oh the sacrifice!) and happily spends the journey imagining scenarios with the attractive widow across from him. "He half-smiled to himself; he seemed to have a partiality for poor young widows - especially attractive ones - although of course he couldn't pawn this one off on his brother." TOO SOON DAVID. Anyhoo, lo and behold highwaymen rob the carriage and steal the Junior Duke Signet Ring Marcus gave David as the Symbol of His Becoming Responsible, and he scours pawnshops in London to get it back. And who tries to fence it, but the attractive widow! Dun dun dun. Although she doesn't have it on her so David does the logical thing and flat out kidnaps her and holds her prisoner.
Then the book just gets great. Poor Vivian is a thief from St. Giles, and is stuck with this band of highwaymen, and has had to look out for her younger brother (who is not lying when he says "I'm just dense, is all") since she was ten. So she's being held in David's house, eating better than she ever had in her life, and while not loving being locked up, is loving momentarily not worrying all the time. "Only now that it was lifted, even for a short time, could Vivian appreciate how oppressive that worry and responsibility had become."
So Vivian is resting and eating, and David's manservant is bringing her books, and extra food, since he clocks that she was starving. David is both really coming to terms with little he's done with his life, and how much his brother does. "No one expected him to do anything else, until now. Now he was confronted daily with proof that he had not done very much with his life, while Marcus had become an authority on nearly everything." Between working on Duke Business all day, and coming home to feed Vivian, he's given up his wastrel life. He and Vivian start hanging out at night, and getting to know each other. Because she isn't a lady of his class, and the, er, unconventional way they met, he's just been himself with her. At one point he thinks about the hours they spend in conversation, and how if they were playing by the rules they could maybe eke out a stilted 15 minutes.
I really loved how all along Linden doesn't chart a linear growth for David. He backslides in his behavior, he has plenty of shame and self-hatred that makes it harder when he realizes his worst inner fears are what the world sees. Meanwhile, there's Vivian, who for the first time is experiencing the basics of life he took for granted. There's this super slow build where he's doing things for her (making her hot chocolate for the first time ever, doing something he knows she'll love). She's the first person who appreciates him for him, and calls him on all his bull.
Linden handles the whole captive/captor thing super well when things take a romantic turn. There's fantastic consent both ways (in a 2007 book!), and multiple explicit choices to remain together. There's an idyllic period, where they are both so happy together, before the inevitable late-book drama. Linden writes a simple scene of relaxing on the couch and trading stories, that does a better job of showing the comfort and ease of true intimacy than any I've read in a while. They are teasing and laughing, and have physical familiarity in a non-romantic way, and the reader clearly sees the bond. They are in a forced-proximity situation, without having to deal with the outside world and any inherent conflicts.
But of course the real world comes in with a vengeance, and David, who never really had to do anything to solve his own problems (he has name/money/Marcus to do it for him), has to prove himself to save the day. I absolutely didn't think Linden would fully pull off this book, and I'm pleased to say she did it completely.
March 14, 2011
I really enjoyed this read. It probably wasn't the most original plot (hero kidnaps heroine and they fall in lurve), but there were a couple of things which, for me, totally overcame this, and made it a great follow up to What A Gentleman Wants.
I should mention that you do need to read What A Gentleman Wants before reading this one. It really won't make sense otherwise, and you'll miss a lot of the background to the plot.
Number 1 of things I really loved about it is that the hero and heroine stay completely true to themselves. They don't change, beyond the hero not wanting to sleep around. You can imagine the hero remaining a naughty boy, although faithful to the heroine, and getting into all sorts of scrapes, and still wandering whether he'll actually become reputable at some point in his life. Likewise, you can imagine the heroine keeping the hero on his toes by calling him all sorts of rude names and calling his bluff whenever he tries something daft. You know she'll never leave her foul language behind, or really get used to chocolate.
Number 2 of the things I really loved was the class difference. This is the same as in What A Gentleman Wants, but even more so. It really works for me that the hero should find his soulmate in a thief, and she should find love with someone who would have been a nice mark. I also love that the heroine doesn't suddenly discover that she's the long-lost, much-adored illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Somethingorother. That would have completely spoilt it for me.
You know, even the kidnap plot thing is nicely done. The hero and heroine really don't much like each other at the start. He likes teasing her and prodding her to lose her temper, and she'd like nothing more than to land him a nice facer with a right hook. They also don't fall into bed with one another within seconds of meeting, and become friends before falling in love. I like that.
So, apart from the title, which has nothing to do with the story (but then, when does it ever in HR Land?), I loved it.
I should mention that you do need to read What A Gentleman Wants before reading this one. It really won't make sense otherwise, and you'll miss a lot of the background to the plot.
Number 1 of things I really loved about it is that the hero and heroine stay completely true to themselves. They don't change, beyond the hero not wanting to sleep around. You can imagine the hero remaining a naughty boy, although faithful to the heroine, and getting into all sorts of scrapes, and still wandering whether he'll actually become reputable at some point in his life. Likewise, you can imagine the heroine keeping the hero on his toes by calling him all sorts of rude names and calling his bluff whenever he tries something daft. You know she'll never leave her foul language behind, or really get used to chocolate.
Number 2 of the things I really loved was the class difference. This is the same as in What A Gentleman Wants, but even more so. It really works for me that the hero should find his soulmate in a thief, and she should find love with someone who would have been a nice mark. I also love that the heroine doesn't suddenly discover that she's the long-lost, much-adored illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Somethingorother. That would have completely spoilt it for me.
You know, even the kidnap plot thing is nicely done. The hero and heroine really don't much like each other at the start. He likes teasing her and prodding her to lose her temper, and she'd like nothing more than to land him a nice facer with a right hook. They also don't fall into bed with one another within seconds of meeting, and become friends before falling in love. I like that.
So, apart from the title, which has nothing to do with the story (but then, when does it ever in HR Land?), I loved it.
December 21, 2018
3.5 Stars - this was a reread and ended up about where I expected. One of my least lovedof Linden’s books, but there are some truly lovely moments. It also had some loose ends to tie up at the end that could have used another chapter or epilogue.
Buddy read in HRBC.
Buddy read in HRBC.
January 8, 2018
The premise of this story sounded cute enough, but too many things just didn't click together for me. I would have to agree with most of the other 3-star reviews here. First off the hero came off as just a big loser. I can't remember if I have read book #1 in this series or not, but supposedly he was a real bad boy in the first book, and this story here starts off with him trying to straighten himself out and become respectable. Without me knowing what his previous troubles were, I felt that he came across as a mess, supposedly couldn't hire servants because he had a past of not paying his employees and now no one wanted to work for him, etc.... So a big Ew from me. Then the heroine completely forgets about her brother and his safety while being with a gang of criminals as soon as she is kidnapped and held captive. I know it was described as she was trying to protect him by not leading the hero or authorities to her brothers whereabouts, but as other readers said, it just didn't ring true or consistent and I felt she could have handled it differently and readers would have been more endeared to her. (I stopped half-way thru, I sadly lost interest and found myself either not picking it back up to read, or would read a few paragraphs and fall asleep)
February 16, 2024
Caroline Linden is a fairly new author for me even though this is my 16th book by her. I read 3 of her books in 2021 but didn't pick her up again until June 2023 when I read her 7 book series The Scandals, which was really good. Although I really like her writing and her stories, she is not someone I normally look to when trying to find a book to read because as someone that reads 300 books a year, I found some of her books a bit too expensive. But I keep her on my list and will check back periodically to see if any of her books go on sale or if I have credits to buy them.
So when browsing for books to read, I saw this series and actually they weren't too expensive. Book 1 was actually KU and I was able to get this one and book 3 on credits so they didn’t cost that much.
I enjoyed reading David and Vivian's. I liked the story concept. Their adventures were fun. Again, hated there wasn't an epilogue. Yes, we can all guess what happens but sometimes it's nice to put that bow on it. I also wish Marcus, Hannah, Celie and the stepmom would have been part of this story as well. We see all the family dynamics and meet all these folks in book 1 but they all but disappear in book 2. Can't wait to read about this sister. Hopefully they'll be a nice tied bow at the end. :)
So when browsing for books to read, I saw this series and actually they weren't too expensive. Book 1 was actually KU and I was able to get this one and book 3 on credits so they didn’t cost that much.
I enjoyed reading David and Vivian's. I liked the story concept. Their adventures were fun. Again, hated there wasn't an epilogue. Yes, we can all guess what happens but sometimes it's nice to put that bow on it. I also wish Marcus, Hannah, Celie and the stepmom would have been part of this story as well. We see all the family dynamics and meet all these folks in book 1 but they all but disappear in book 2. Can't wait to read about this sister. Hopefully they'll be a nice tied bow at the end. :)
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July 19, 2018I thoroughly enjoyed the previous book in this series, What A Gentleman Wants, but I connected less with What a Rogue Desires. Mostly, I was picky about an inconsistency with Vivian, the heroine, and that left me struggling to understand or believe in her.
The opening lines were delightful and put my trust in Linden's plan not to let David off the hook for his prior transgressions (he did some rather terrible things in WAGW!):
I liked this opening because it set up David's unique character arc. He was game for atoning for his mistakes, but it'd be too simplistic of a story (and, let's face it, a stock romance plot device) for him to undergo a whiplash transition from rogue to respectable hero just on the account of meeting his true love. No, he'd have to struggle with earning respectability. As a rogue is not a rogue in a vacuum, and as his previous actions left lasting consequences, there were plenty of societal forces working against David. His poor reputation meant that no servants would risk being hired for him (no confidence in his ability to pay!), and his previous social circle was actively rooting against him, resentfully hoping he'd fall back to his old ways (he's the subject of many mean-spirited bets).
And let's be clear. At the book's beginning, David hasn't gotten a good hang of the respectability thing. Abducting a woman and locking her up under house arrest, even if she did steal a family heirloom of his, isn't a likely step forward in the path toward redemption. Really.
Even so, I liked David's character arc, and I was pleased that it wasn't an easy one for him. Vivian, heroine and thief, didn't work for me, however. My biggest complaint was that she didn't fight for her brother. See, she's a thief because she had to take care of her teenage brother, and he's not as smart or clever as she is, and in the first scene from her point of view, she even acknowledged that, without her and her talents, the band of thieves the siblings run with would probably abandon her brother (or worse) because he's so useless in their thieving endeavors.
And yet, when she gets locked up in a strange man's house while he tried to force her to tell him what happened to his family ring, Vivian barely worried about her brother and didn't think of compromising to try to protect him. She's supposedly smart, so why didn't she think to lead David to the band of thieves but also have a plan to save her brother? If I was supposed to think of her as someone noble who cares for her brother, I would have preferred to have read her consistently caring about and actively plotting to protect him, even under hopeless circumstances. When her circumstances turned less hopeless (she and David fall in love, she has opportunities to escape, her life takes a Pretty Woman-esque turn with new clothes and opera shows!), I felt even more annoyed by her inability to put her brother above her own comforts.
The brother only regained importance for the final external plot, which I did enjoy. I loved how Linden's climatic scenes worked in both WAGW and WARD. They're very plot oriented, but they required the heroine and the hero knowing each other well and having to work together, without direct communication. It was a treat to watch them cooperate and demonstrate a good partnership.
I liked Linden's prose a lot, finding it charming without being ostentatious or too clever, and her dialogue and action were equally smooth. And, really, I loved that she made David's eventual redemption and heroic actions truly sincere and believable. But I couldn't handle Vivian forgetting her goal to protect her brother.
The opening lines were delightful and put my trust in Linden's plan not to let David off the hook for his prior transgressions (he did some rather terrible things in WAGW!):
There comes a reckoning in every rogue's life when he will be called upon to give up his vices, repent of his wild ways, and become a respectable man. It is a known truth that scoundrels do not long survive the passing of their youthful looks and charms, to say nothing of their fortunes. David Reece knew this, had accepted it, and even told himself he was prepared to embrace it. He was lucky enough to have survived this long, and had decided it was best to stop thumbing his nose at Dame Fortune.
He just hadn't realized her vengeance would be quite so harsh.
I liked this opening because it set up David's unique character arc. He was game for atoning for his mistakes, but it'd be too simplistic of a story (and, let's face it, a stock romance plot device) for him to undergo a whiplash transition from rogue to respectable hero just on the account of meeting his true love. No, he'd have to struggle with earning respectability. As a rogue is not a rogue in a vacuum, and as his previous actions left lasting consequences, there were plenty of societal forces working against David. His poor reputation meant that no servants would risk being hired for him (no confidence in his ability to pay!), and his previous social circle was actively rooting against him, resentfully hoping he'd fall back to his old ways (he's the subject of many mean-spirited bets).
And let's be clear. At the book's beginning, David hasn't gotten a good hang of the respectability thing. Abducting a woman and locking her up under house arrest, even if she did steal a family heirloom of his, isn't a likely step forward in the path toward redemption. Really.
Even so, I liked David's character arc, and I was pleased that it wasn't an easy one for him. Vivian, heroine and thief, didn't work for me, however. My biggest complaint was that she didn't fight for her brother. See, she's a thief because she had to take care of her teenage brother, and he's not as smart or clever as she is, and in the first scene from her point of view, she even acknowledged that, without her and her talents, the band of thieves the siblings run with would probably abandon her brother (or worse) because he's so useless in their thieving endeavors.
And yet, when she gets locked up in a strange man's house while he tried to force her to tell him what happened to his family ring, Vivian barely worried about her brother and didn't think of compromising to try to protect him. She's supposedly smart, so why didn't she think to lead David to the band of thieves but also have a plan to save her brother? If I was supposed to think of her as someone noble who cares for her brother, I would have preferred to have read her consistently caring about and actively plotting to protect him, even under hopeless circumstances. When her circumstances turned less hopeless (she and David fall in love, she has opportunities to escape, her life takes a Pretty Woman-esque turn with new clothes and opera shows!), I felt even more annoyed by her inability to put her brother above her own comforts.
The brother only regained importance for the final external plot, which I did enjoy. I loved how Linden's climatic scenes worked in both WAGW and WARD. They're very plot oriented, but they required the heroine and the hero knowing each other well and having to work together, without direct communication. It was a treat to watch them cooperate and demonstrate a good partnership.
I liked Linden's prose a lot, finding it charming without being ostentatious or too clever, and her dialogue and action were equally smooth. And, really, I loved that she made David's eventual redemption and heroic actions truly sincere and believable. But I couldn't handle Vivian forgetting her goal to protect her brother.
October 19, 2015
After reading the first book of this series What A Gentleman Wants i had really high expectations regarding this book. The first one was a truly original book with amazing characters, including David Reece, the hero of this book. David was such a character in the first book, that i was really looking forward to reading his book, and to see him had his just reward, after the stunt that he had pulled on his twin brother Marcus.
Unfortunetaly, the book didn't work for me. Vivian character throughout the book just felt flat and unappeling. And on a number of times i would find myself thinking about Estocolm Syndrome...i did! He kept her imprisoned, and she stops thinking or worrying about her brother, and the situation in which he might be. She tells us on the beginning of the book, that the only reason her brother is a criminal _ and a lousy one_ is because of her, and then she is captured by David, and Simon is magicaly removed from her mind. From a point of view i understand: for the first time in her life, she's thinking about herself,for the first time in her life someone is taking care of her. But at the same time that factor took away her strenght as a character( for me, of course). She falls in love with her captor, who treats her well, and for once in her life she is well feed, and he is charming, and practically the only person to whom she talks to.
On an on, i really expected more from this story.
Unfortunetaly, the book didn't work for me. Vivian character throughout the book just felt flat and unappeling. And on a number of times i would find myself thinking about Estocolm Syndrome...i did! He kept her imprisoned, and she stops thinking or worrying about her brother, and the situation in which he might be. She tells us on the beginning of the book, that the only reason her brother is a criminal _ and a lousy one_ is because of her, and then she is captured by David, and Simon is magicaly removed from her mind. From a point of view i understand: for the first time in her life, she's thinking about herself,for the first time in her life someone is taking care of her. But at the same time that factor took away her strenght as a character( for me, of course). She falls in love with her captor, who treats her well, and for once in her life she is well feed, and he is charming, and practically the only person to whom she talks to.
On an on, i really expected more from this story.
July 17, 2020
3.5 stars ... What can I say about this book? Maybe that it’s worth reading if only to get to the next book in the series, haha. But truly, this book was pretty enjoyable overall.
This is the story of David (younger twin of the duke from the first book) and Vivian (an orphan, pickpocket & criminal). David first sees her on a public coach he’s forced to take, she’s disguised as a widow but works with several other criminals as part of a band of highwaymen. She and her brother are semi-forced into the situation because they can’t make money otherwise. David has his ducal crest ring stollen and he doesn’t want to give it up. He contacts pawn brokers and soon finds out Vivian was an accomplice to the robbers. Instead of contacting any authorities and handing her over to the magistrate, he decides to take matters into his own hands. He imprisons her in his home and keeps her locked up until they slowly start to build a friendship, which progresses to more. Tbh, I found Vivian’s actions in the beginning to be pretty nonsensical - she wouldn’t talk to him and just cursed him out constantly. She barely even tried to escape. Then near the end there was a little plot set into motion by the two of them that made even less sense to me. Why they decided to do what they did - I can’t understand - but I’m guessing it was just a way to move the story along. Overall, this book was good, but the next book is better!
Safe; hero was a rake but curved his ways real quick upon the start of this story.
This is the story of David (younger twin of the duke from the first book) and Vivian (an orphan, pickpocket & criminal). David first sees her on a public coach he’s forced to take, she’s disguised as a widow but works with several other criminals as part of a band of highwaymen. She and her brother are semi-forced into the situation because they can’t make money otherwise. David has his ducal crest ring stollen and he doesn’t want to give it up. He contacts pawn brokers and soon finds out Vivian was an accomplice to the robbers. Instead of contacting any authorities and handing her over to the magistrate, he decides to take matters into his own hands. He imprisons her in his home and keeps her locked up until they slowly start to build a friendship, which progresses to more. Tbh, I found Vivian’s actions in the beginning to be pretty nonsensical - she wouldn’t talk to him and just cursed him out constantly. She barely even tried to escape. Then near the end there was a little plot set into motion by the two of them that made even less sense to me. Why they decided to do what they did - I can’t understand - but I’m guessing it was just a way to move the story along. Overall, this book was good, but the next book is better!
Safe; hero was a rake but curved his ways real quick upon the start of this story.
November 4, 2015
aaawwww David ♥
le pauvre bichon, il veut faire les choses correctement mais le karma est contre lui. il n'a pas tout le temps les meilleurs actions pour ses bonnes intentions, mais il arrive quand même à trouver des astuces pour retourner des situations où ça semblait mal parti xD
j'ai beaucoup aimé le voir s'attacher à Vivian petit à petit, il est d'abord soulagé de pouvoir lui raconter son passé sans la choquer (elle en a vu d'autre) et surtout sans être jugé et ridiculisé. Etre avec elle lui donne "un bol d'air frais" avant que ses sentiments n'évoluent vers plus de romantisme ^^
d'autant que sa vie à elle lui fait prendre conscience qu'il ne veut plus l'enfermer, mais aimerais de tout coeur qu'elle reste avec lui parce qu'elle l'a choisi (re aaawww).
en plus il a une arme secrète : le chocolat xD.
le pauvre bichon, il veut faire les choses correctement mais le karma est contre lui. il n'a pas tout le temps les meilleurs actions pour ses bonnes intentions, mais il arrive quand même à trouver des astuces pour retourner des situations où ça semblait mal parti xD
j'ai beaucoup aimé le voir s'attacher à Vivian petit à petit, il est d'abord soulagé de pouvoir lui raconter son passé sans la choquer (elle en a vu d'autre) et surtout sans être jugé et ridiculisé. Etre avec elle lui donne "un bol d'air frais" avant que ses sentiments n'évoluent vers plus de romantisme ^^
d'autant que sa vie à elle lui fait prendre conscience qu'il ne veut plus l'enfermer, mais aimerais de tout coeur qu'elle reste avec lui parce qu'elle l'a choisi (re aaawww).
en plus il a une arme secrète : le chocolat xD.
February 1, 2012
It seems my library does not carry #1 in this series, and that's too bad, because the first chapter or two are devoted to rehashing events in the previous book. Very annoying. Maybe it'll get better.
*
It doesn't get better.
It compares rather poorly with Meredith Duran's A Lady's Lesson in Scandal, which ALSO involves a sexy "guttersnipe" gamine stealing from the rich boy and then being imprisoned in said rich boy's mansion. Duran really did her research on class differences and ways of life in London. Linden, not so much - in Ms Linden's world, the only difference between the rich and poor is that the poor live without luxuries. Apparently you can give the poor some luxuries and they are just like the rich, except maybe they say "aye" sometimes instead of "yes."
Aside from that, I find it extremely unappealing (to say the least) that the man is the one in a position to offer everything: charm, wealth, social position, theater, gifts, captivity, freedom ... and the woman offers ... beauty. Yes, I know it's a romance and they tend to be rather ... gender-non-neutral ... but this was above and beyond anything I find acceptable.
*
It doesn't get better.
It compares rather poorly with Meredith Duran's A Lady's Lesson in Scandal, which ALSO involves a sexy "guttersnipe" gamine stealing from the rich boy and then being imprisoned in said rich boy's mansion. Duran really did her research on class differences and ways of life in London. Linden, not so much - in Ms Linden's world, the only difference between the rich and poor is that the poor live without luxuries. Apparently you can give the poor some luxuries and they are just like the rich, except maybe they say "aye" sometimes instead of "yes."
Aside from that, I find it extremely unappealing (to say the least) that the man is the one in a position to offer everything: charm, wealth, social position, theater, gifts, captivity, freedom ... and the woman offers ... beauty. Yes, I know it's a romance and they tend to be rather ... gender-non-neutral ... but this was above and beyond anything I find acceptable.
December 4, 2016
Eh a bit of a contrived storyline and the whole locking her away thing is a bit fetishy for my tastes, but the characters were quite good!
March 4, 2023
I had no idea that the hero was going to hold the heroine captive in his house for the majority of this book. I had my own preconceived ideas going into this book so I was pleasantly surprised by this turn of events. Unfortunately, nothing interesting truly occurs during her captivity. One of the pros is that they sort of learned a little bit about each other before they jumped into bed. I liked that he took her to see a play. She was like a kid at Disneyland.
Bonus! Sex up against the wall!! 😏😁
Sadly, no epilogue.
Bonus! Sex up against the wall!! 😏😁
Sadly, no epilogue.
February 25, 2023
This book kept my interest all the way through, so I gave it 3 stars.
October 30, 2015
Oui 5 parceque... David... et vivian.... mais David.
Ahlàlàlà, David.... pour mémoire, c'est le frère boulet du premier tome un peu responsable de la situation et qui se fiche toujours dans des situations pas possible.
Mais là, il a décidé qu'à 32 ans, les conneries c'est fini et il va s’amender. Si, si, il a décidé de devenir sérieux, au moins pour 3 mois. Vu que son frère Marcus lui fait confiance pour s’occuper du duché pendant son absence (pour cause de lune de miel).
Et comment dire.... c'est à la fois très drôle et adorable de voir ce grand garçon qui est....
- un peu effrayé par la somme de travail à fournir
- tout plein de bonne volonté pour y arriver.
Sauf que le destin tout ça.... bref notre ami David se retrouve dans une diligence qui se fait attaquer, il se fait voler son sceau (fraichement donner par son frère tout exprès pour lui), il décide donc qu'il va le retrouver, non mais. Et l'avantage d'avoir mené une vie de bâton de chaise c'est qu'on connait pas mal de receleurs/prêteur sur gages. Et on peut tendre un piège au voleur namého!
Sauf que le voleur c'est une voleuse et une jeune femme qui était dans la diligence avec lui! Ciel une complice! Ni une ni deux, David décide de l'emmener chez lui pour l'interroger et il l'enferme dans une chambre, en se disant que ça va lui délié la langue, puisqu'il l'a menacée d'aller chercher la police.
Alors là, je fais une pause pour vous prévenir tout de suite.... ce n'est pas une romance mode années 80. oui, le sieur David séquestre notre voleuse Vivian, mais non il ne va rien tenter. Lui à la base, il veut sa bague. Bon après c'est David, il réfléchit pas toujours donc il ne veut pas la relâcher tant qu'elle parle pas.... mais rien, nada que dalle. Si vous voulez du syndrome de Stockholm, c'est pas là....
Donc Vivian notre voleuse elle vient de la rue, elle a été pickpocket, là elle bosse pour un bandit de grand chemin, surtout pour avoir de quoi bouffer pour elle et son frère. Et si au début elle craint un peu pour sa vertu (on ne sait jamais avec ces nobles pas si gentilshommes....) elle se rend compte que ben rien (ouf) et de toute façon elle décide de bouder son ravisseur. D'un autre côté, même si elle s'inquiète un peu pour son frère, manifestement il a pas prévenu les flics et en plus, elle est bien nourrie au chaud et y'a un grand lit confortable. Et pas de souris... autant en profiter tant que ça dure.
Et puis bon même si il est bavard et un peu casse-bonbon, il n'est pas désagréable à regarder, le David (oui, c'est une pragmatique, la Vivian).
Et en plus il lui fournit de la lecture et Vivian découvre qu'elle adore lire du théâtre (même si au début c'est un peu dure de tout déchiffrer )
Bref on se doute qu'à force d'échangé nos deux amis vont se confier et puis voilà.... d'autant que David, qui reste plein de bonne volonté, se rend compte qu'avoir traité les responsabilité par dessus la jambe ne le place pas dans une situation très joviale dans la société. Et j'aime beaucoup les passages plus introspectifs...
J'aime aussi le fait qu'il change mais pas par amour, le processus a commencé avant.... bien sûr sa rencontre avec Vivian va l'aider à avancer, mais plus parce qu'elle le place aussi devant la réalité de la vie que parce qu'il change par la grâce de son amour.
Quand à Vivian elle est juste parfaite... et elle adore le Mariage de Figaro quand elle le découvre, et elle adore le théâtre, donc que dire de plus ^^
Ahlàlàlà, David.... pour mémoire, c'est le frère boulet du premier tome un peu responsable de la situation et qui se fiche toujours dans des situations pas possible.
Mais là, il a décidé qu'à 32 ans, les conneries c'est fini et il va s’amender. Si, si, il a décidé de devenir sérieux, au moins pour 3 mois. Vu que son frère Marcus lui fait confiance pour s’occuper du duché pendant son absence (pour cause de lune de miel).
Et comment dire.... c'est à la fois très drôle et adorable de voir ce grand garçon qui est....
- un peu effrayé par la somme de travail à fournir
- tout plein de bonne volonté pour y arriver.
Sauf que le destin tout ça.... bref notre ami David se retrouve dans une diligence qui se fait attaquer, il se fait voler son sceau (fraichement donner par son frère tout exprès pour lui), il décide donc qu'il va le retrouver, non mais. Et l'avantage d'avoir mené une vie de bâton de chaise c'est qu'on connait pas mal de receleurs/prêteur sur gages. Et on peut tendre un piège au voleur namého!
Sauf que le voleur c'est une voleuse et une jeune femme qui était dans la diligence avec lui! Ciel une complice! Ni une ni deux, David décide de l'emmener chez lui pour l'interroger et il l'enferme dans une chambre, en se disant que ça va lui délié la langue, puisqu'il l'a menacée d'aller chercher la police.
Alors là, je fais une pause pour vous prévenir tout de suite.... ce n'est pas une romance mode années 80. oui, le sieur David séquestre notre voleuse Vivian, mais non il ne va rien tenter. Lui à la base, il veut sa bague. Bon après c'est David, il réfléchit pas toujours donc il ne veut pas la relâcher tant qu'elle parle pas.... mais rien, nada que dalle. Si vous voulez du syndrome de Stockholm, c'est pas là....
Donc Vivian notre voleuse elle vient de la rue, elle a été pickpocket, là elle bosse pour un bandit de grand chemin, surtout pour avoir de quoi bouffer pour elle et son frère. Et si au début elle craint un peu pour sa vertu (on ne sait jamais avec ces nobles pas si gentilshommes....) elle se rend compte que ben rien (ouf) et de toute façon elle décide de bouder son ravisseur. D'un autre côté, même si elle s'inquiète un peu pour son frère, manifestement il a pas prévenu les flics et en plus, elle est bien nourrie au chaud et y'a un grand lit confortable. Et pas de souris... autant en profiter tant que ça dure.
Et puis bon même si il est bavard et un peu casse-bonbon, il n'est pas désagréable à regarder, le David (oui, c'est une pragmatique, la Vivian).
Et en plus il lui fournit de la lecture et Vivian découvre qu'elle adore lire du théâtre (même si au début c'est un peu dure de tout déchiffrer )
Bref on se doute qu'à force d'échangé nos deux amis vont se confier et puis voilà.... d'autant que David, qui reste plein de bonne volonté, se rend compte qu'avoir traité les responsabilité par dessus la jambe ne le place pas dans une situation très joviale dans la société. Et j'aime beaucoup les passages plus introspectifs...
J'aime aussi le fait qu'il change mais pas par amour, le processus a commencé avant.... bien sûr sa rencontre avec Vivian va l'aider à avancer, mais plus parce qu'elle le place aussi devant la réalité de la vie que parce qu'il change par la grâce de son amour.
Quand à Vivian elle est juste parfaite... et elle adore le Mariage de Figaro quand elle le découvre, et elle adore le théâtre, donc que dire de plus ^^
June 29, 2009
David Reece, twin brother to Marcus, the Duke of Exeter, is a wastrel, a gambler, a drunkard and a hopeless younger brother. Now determined to become responsible and respectful, he takes over the duties of running Marcus' estates while his brother goes on his honeymoon. Nothing goes right, though, beginning with an ill-fated decision to take the public stage to London when one of his own horses nearly goes lame. Not even the delightful young widow seated opposite him can distract him from the other passengers, the rough roads and rocking carriage, and a robbery.
The stage is held up by highwaymen and his signet ring, which Marcus had given to him only hours before, is stolen. Upon finally arriving in London, he visits all his old friends the pawnbrokers and offers a reward for his ring, should it turn up. He's in luck: not only the ring but the thief is within his grasp, but imagine his surprise to discover that the person trying to pawn his ring is none other than the beautiful widow from the stage coach.
The thief, Vivian Beecham, doesn't have his ring when he catches her and refuses to tell him where it is. Acting on impulse, he locks her up in a spare room in his house. It's the first time in her life Vivian has eaten good food or slept in a real feather bed. Her kidnapper and host is handsome and friendly and never once threatens her or harms her. As David finds himself doing everything he can to make her smile, talk, laugh, Vivian finds it harder and harder to resist his charm.
This book comes before A Rake's Guide to Seduction, featuring David's sister Celia, but there's no real need to read them in order. Except, this does reveal the ending to Marcus's story in What A Gentleman Wants, so I'd read that one first. I didn't, and it didn't bother me, but if you care about reading them in order, start with the latter.
While Linden's historical authenticity can at times be a bit iffy, she wins you over with her delightful characters and engaging premise. I really liked David, and felt for him, and Vivian was bracingly honest, quick, intelligent, fun-loving and vastly interesting. There's no big mystery in her background, no hidden nobleman-for-a-father type twist - and no need for one either. That's what was so refreshing with this book: it was a simple story about two people from vastly different walks of life getting to know each other and, yes, falling in love.
It was also about David growing up and growing into his own, and Vivian learning to trust and love. It's a very human story, simple and unaffected, and I enjoyed it for that. There's a great deal of soft humour - not gags or comic relief, just gentle banter and the humour of the situation. While A Rake's Guide to Seduction was quite dark at times and definitely sombre, What a Rogue Desires was full of life and laughter.
I was impressed with how well Linden pulled off the premise, considering. It's a great deal of fun, and not entirely predictable.
The stage is held up by highwaymen and his signet ring, which Marcus had given to him only hours before, is stolen. Upon finally arriving in London, he visits all his old friends the pawnbrokers and offers a reward for his ring, should it turn up. He's in luck: not only the ring but the thief is within his grasp, but imagine his surprise to discover that the person trying to pawn his ring is none other than the beautiful widow from the stage coach.
The thief, Vivian Beecham, doesn't have his ring when he catches her and refuses to tell him where it is. Acting on impulse, he locks her up in a spare room in his house. It's the first time in her life Vivian has eaten good food or slept in a real feather bed. Her kidnapper and host is handsome and friendly and never once threatens her or harms her. As David finds himself doing everything he can to make her smile, talk, laugh, Vivian finds it harder and harder to resist his charm.
This book comes before A Rake's Guide to Seduction, featuring David's sister Celia, but there's no real need to read them in order. Except, this does reveal the ending to Marcus's story in What A Gentleman Wants, so I'd read that one first. I didn't, and it didn't bother me, but if you care about reading them in order, start with the latter.
While Linden's historical authenticity can at times be a bit iffy, she wins you over with her delightful characters and engaging premise. I really liked David, and felt for him, and Vivian was bracingly honest, quick, intelligent, fun-loving and vastly interesting. There's no big mystery in her background, no hidden nobleman-for-a-father type twist - and no need for one either. That's what was so refreshing with this book: it was a simple story about two people from vastly different walks of life getting to know each other and, yes, falling in love.
It was also about David growing up and growing into his own, and Vivian learning to trust and love. It's a very human story, simple and unaffected, and I enjoyed it for that. There's a great deal of soft humour - not gags or comic relief, just gentle banter and the humour of the situation. While A Rake's Guide to Seduction was quite dark at times and definitely sombre, What a Rogue Desires was full of life and laughter.
I was impressed with how well Linden pulled off the premise, considering. It's a great deal of fun, and not entirely predictable.
July 2, 2014
Absolutely delightful!
August 23, 2025
David Reece, younger by 10 minutes than his brother Marcus, Duke of Exeter, has a knack for finding trouble. When Marcus departs for the Continent for an extended wedding trip, he leaves David in charge of managing his estates. David wants nothing more than to prove himself, but when he sets off for London, misfortune lands him on a stagecoach beset by highwaymen. The signet ring his brother had made for him is stolen, and he wants to prove his responsibility by getting it back. He discovers the thief who tried to fence the stolen goods, Vivian Beecham, and he holds her prisoner in his house to try to get her to return the ring. What he thought might take a day or so to loosen her tongue turns into days, and both David and Vivian strengthen their stubborn resolve. Vivian and David forge an unlikely friendship and discover they are not so very different from one another, despite their class.
When we meet David in What a Gentleman Wants, I wasn't sure what kind of character magic Caroline Linden might work to get readers to believe in him as a romantic hero. I love that he's still a bit of spoiled fool who is trying to prove that he's less trouble than everyone believes him to be. And I love that it's his relationship with Vivian that helps him prove he can get out of his own scrapes too. Vivian is an interesting character herself, from the streets of St Giles to mastermind behind a gang of highwaymen, she's just trying to do what she can to survive and protect her younger brother. She's practical because she's has to be, and she's more than a little wary of David. I really enjoyed watching her exterior melt under David's earnest charms, and delighted in them discovering how well matched they were.
Add in the high stakes plot with lives in the balance, and this was fun from start to finish.
When we meet David in What a Gentleman Wants, I wasn't sure what kind of character magic Caroline Linden might work to get readers to believe in him as a romantic hero. I love that he's still a bit of spoiled fool who is trying to prove that he's less trouble than everyone believes him to be. And I love that it's his relationship with Vivian that helps him prove he can get out of his own scrapes too. Vivian is an interesting character herself, from the streets of St Giles to mastermind behind a gang of highwaymen, she's just trying to do what she can to survive and protect her younger brother. She's practical because she's has to be, and she's more than a little wary of David. I really enjoyed watching her exterior melt under David's earnest charms, and delighted in them discovering how well matched they were.
Add in the high stakes plot with lives in the balance, and this was fun from start to finish.
August 28, 2017
No. Just no.
First with David locking Vivian up -- which, granted, I could almost see in the short term -- but then keeping her for weeks, and then seducing her while she was still locked up. THEN being completely idiotic and TSTL when . I mean, the Bow Street runners KNEW , and David KNEW . But noooooooo, he had to go be all idiotic, because otherwise there wouldn't have been nearly as much story to tell.
And Vivian? Once she's locked up she hardly ever even thinks of her brother. Sure, the name comes up every now and then, but she should be frantic to get back to him -- after all, she raised him! But she isn't -- she's content to sit there and become David's mistress and let her brother go rot. Sheesh.
Too bad. I've been enjoying Linden's writing, and I wanted to see how David redeemed himself after book #1, but I wanted to slap too many people too many times throughout this one.
First with David locking Vivian up -- which, granted, I could almost see in the short term -- but then keeping her for weeks, and then seducing her while she was still locked up. THEN being completely idiotic and TSTL when . I mean, the Bow Street runners KNEW , and David KNEW . But noooooooo, he had to go be all idiotic, because otherwise there wouldn't have been nearly as much story to tell.
And Vivian? Once she's locked up she hardly ever even thinks of her brother. Sure, the name comes up every now and then, but she should be frantic to get back to him -- after all, she raised him! But she isn't -- she's content to sit there and become David's mistress and let her brother go rot. Sheesh.
Too bad. I've been enjoying Linden's writing, and I wanted to see how David redeemed himself after book #1, but I wanted to slap too many people too many times throughout this one.
August 29, 2013
This is really just a normal, average romance novel. There's not a lot special about it, the characters don't really stand out, and the plot isn't anything fascinating. Actually, it's more than a little bit of a stretch - sons of dukes don't realistically marry pickpockets. I much prefer historical romances in which characters actually behave in accordance with social norms - I'm not so much for girls who act like 20th century women. If I wanted that, I could buy a modern romance. And I think this girl - and the fact that she has a chance at marrying the son of a duke - is a bit anachronistic. But it's a decent read for a rainy afternoon, and I've read worse - that's about the best I can say about it.
June 1, 2019
This was dull.
First, I wasn't sure about David, because he left a terrible image from the last book. Then Marcus and Hannah disappeared, and I at least wanted to see them as peripheral characters. And finally, as it turns out, David isn't the best character because he kidnaps a woman and then seduces her, for lack of a better word.
I know I skimmed most of this, but it was still obvious this wasn't a good story. And it ended very odd. Seemed like another chapter or epilogue got cut from the book.
First, I wasn't sure about David, because he left a terrible image from the last book. Then Marcus and Hannah disappeared, and I at least wanted to see them as peripheral characters. And finally, as it turns out, David isn't the best character because he kidnaps a woman and then seduces her, for lack of a better word.
I know I skimmed most of this, but it was still obvious this wasn't a good story. And it ended very odd. Seemed like another chapter or epilogue got cut from the book.
October 12, 2018
Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : De verleidelijke dievegge - Candlelight Historische roman 773 .
Ook dit verhaal leest weer lekker vlot weg en dat is de enige reden waarom ik het 3 in plaats van 2 sterren heb gegeven .
Het gedeelte waarin David de aantrekkelijke dievegge opsluit in zijn huis duurde mij te lang en het feit dat zij op een bepaald moment geen enkele ontsnappingspoging meer deed terwijl ze zogenaamd toch erg bezorgd was voor haar broertje was gewoon raar .En dan op het eind .. Vivian wordt voor zijn ogen in de boeien geslagen en afgevoerd , hij protesteert een beetje - zonder effect - en gaat naar huis . Het eerste wat hij doet bij thuiskomst is een fles drank pakken en zichzelf verwijten maken . Tjongejonge wat een blaag . Oké , her herpakt zich even later wel en weet Vivian en haar broertje uit het gevang te krijgen , maar toch ...
Ook dit verhaal leest weer lekker vlot weg en dat is de enige reden waarom ik het 3 in plaats van 2 sterren heb gegeven .
Het gedeelte waarin David de aantrekkelijke dievegge opsluit in zijn huis duurde mij te lang en het feit dat zij op een bepaald moment geen enkele ontsnappingspoging meer deed terwijl ze zogenaamd toch erg bezorgd was voor haar broertje was gewoon raar .En dan op het eind .. Vivian wordt voor zijn ogen in de boeien geslagen en afgevoerd , hij protesteert een beetje - zonder effect - en gaat naar huis . Het eerste wat hij doet bij thuiskomst is een fles drank pakken en zichzelf verwijten maken . Tjongejonge wat een blaag . Oké , her herpakt zich even later wel en weet Vivian en haar broertje uit het gevang te krijgen , maar toch ...
February 4, 2024
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Era, NA
Series: Reece Family Trilogy #2
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Slow Burn, Enemies to Lovers
Spice: 2/5 🌶️
Triggers: Death of Partner, Mentions of Child Abuse... (check all TWs)
Rating: 4.25 /5⭐️
Format: Audiobook
Review:
Loved it!!
Series: Reece Family Trilogy #2
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Slow Burn, Enemies to Lovers
Spice: 2/5 🌶️
Triggers: Death of Partner, Mentions of Child Abuse... (check all TWs)
Rating: 4.25 /5⭐️
Format: Audiobook
Review:
Loved it!!
February 26, 2018
Somewhat far-fetched but still fun romance pairing a ne'er-do-well second son trying to straighten up, with a reluctant thief who is part of a gang of highwayman.
April 8, 2024
3.5 stars, liked it better than first book in this series.
December 22, 2017
A delightful romp.
April 27, 2018
This one had a lot of potential but never managed to be engaging. It was... fine. I didn’t feel strongly about either character or the story.
April 20, 2021
2019 rating: 3 stars
2021 rating: 3.5 stars
this book had something missing to it that prevented me from giving a higher rating. i did think David acted like a spoilt brat in the beginning and was daft when he locked Vivian in a room, expecting her to somehow conjure his ring out of thin air without allowing her to go out to do it. after David finally got Vivian to admit her true name, i felt it went a little too fast from there. might have been more believable if Vivian was more distrustful of David and took more time to like him and fall in love with him. the romance was too fast for me to believe in. but i did like how sweet and cute they are together.
i liked how Vivian was brutally honest with David and made him see things in a different light, her being a different background from his. as the story progressed, however, i did not see much change in his personality in becoming a better man, except that he stopped drinking, going to clubs and hitting on women which are only his habits. it felt as if he was a pretty decent man to begin with, but did not know how to live his life properly. so not much character development there. despite that, i did like David for his easy-going and flirty nature and Vivian for her honest and no-nonsense personality.
the ending was not wrapped up properly as i wondered what happened with the bow street runners, what they did after David took Vivian and Simon from them. also, what would Marcus' reaction be that David would be marrying a thief and was he proud of David becoming better in handling his affairs? i need some bromance between them XD
2021 rating: 3.5 stars
this book had something missing to it that prevented me from giving a higher rating. i did think David acted like a spoilt brat in the beginning and was daft when he locked Vivian in a room, expecting her to somehow conjure his ring out of thin air without allowing her to go out to do it. after David finally got Vivian to admit her true name, i felt it went a little too fast from there. might have been more believable if Vivian was more distrustful of David and took more time to like him and fall in love with him. the romance was too fast for me to believe in. but i did like how sweet and cute they are together.
i liked how Vivian was brutally honest with David and made him see things in a different light, her being a different background from his. as the story progressed, however, i did not see much change in his personality in becoming a better man, except that he stopped drinking, going to clubs and hitting on women which are only his habits. it felt as if he was a pretty decent man to begin with, but did not know how to live his life properly. so not much character development there. despite that, i did like David for his easy-going and flirty nature and Vivian for her honest and no-nonsense personality.
the ending was not wrapped up properly as i wondered what happened with the bow street runners, what they did after David took Vivian and Simon from them. also, what would Marcus' reaction be that David would be marrying a thief and was he proud of David becoming better in handling his affairs? i need some bromance between them XD
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