Daring with the Rogue

Wagers and Wallflowers #8

by Alyssa Clarke

Lady Philippa's first season had not turned out as she dreamed. There had been no grand love match. Despite following all society's rules, she was almost compromised by a lecherous fortune hunter. Shy Pippa decided that bold and decisive is what she must become. On return to Town, her first aim is to settle the score with the disgusting fortune-hunting lord. However, she did not expect her revenge to be witnessed by the reprobate rake of the ton, the Marquess of Trent.

William has never encountered a woman like daringly bold, flirtatious, and tempting Lady Phillipa Carlisle. She ties him in knots he hardly understands and ruins him for all other women. His honor prevents him from acting the rogue, but his desires grow more crippling each day. Until one incendiary kiss unfurls all their pent-up passions. William does not believe in love and is not ready for marriage, but the delightful minx will not have him until he is willing to declare both…

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Regency, Fiction

164 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2022

About the author

Alyssa Clarke writes steamy Regency Historical Romances featuring swoon-worthy heroes and sassy, sometimes unconventional heroines! Her debut novel, Love Me, If You Dare, came to her in a dream as a hot, fun enemy to lover romance where she played the leading lady who fell in love with a duke who looked remarkably like Henry Cavill.

When not writing, Alyssa enjoys hiking, games/movie night, with her husband and two beautiful children, and her Siberian Husky, Cronus. She is a lover of wine, cheesecake, and more wine.

Reviews

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super read. So enjoyable, but then the whole series has been so. Wonderful characters and loved the plot too. 5☆

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this book was a little bit boring because it was more of the same: H falls in love the moment he watches the girl beating a bad guy (a lord, but anyway a bad person). I liked William, the typical rogue who does not get married, but Pippa is more of the same in this series; there is nothing new about her: a girl with attitude and initiative who does not care about her reputation, except at the end of the book, when she turns boring and melancholic.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying this series and this author!

[Sonia N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pippa and William

I loved this historical romance! The heroine Lady Pippa is a beautiful and feisty young lady! The storyline has funny dialogue and then there’s steamy love scenes.
The Marquess of Trent, William enjoys being a rogue and scoundrel. He is not ready for marriage. But his attraction for Pippa has him confused and fighting it. Until one day they could not fight it anymore.
I loved Pippa! She is sassy and outgoing and her friends are just like her.
This is a book that you have to read to understand just how good it is!!

[Lady Nilambari Reads HR · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the books in this series can have a similar review. They are all fun and easy reads, and I mostly always recommend Alyssa Clarke's books!

- Compact, bite-sized, daring heroines, ridiculous wagers, ungettable heroes who turn gettable, cute romance, some groveling, a healthy dose of steam, and voila!

This one stood out because the heroine courted the hero, and I loved the uniqueness of that...

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phillippa & William (Trent). So our douchebag that we met in book 3 (when he tried to talk his bestie into taking on a mistress within earshot of the guy's wife and then shows up as a "date night" with said mistress suggestion) gets his story. Confirmed bachelor with no desire to marry and won't be trapped into a marriage (some debutante tried catching him by being in a compromising encounter but he refused and let her just be compromised).

In Pippa's first season she was swarmed with fortune hunters that just went straight to her father having not gotten to know Pippa. There was one viscount that seemed different but after a week he tells her that he's going to ask for her hand. Thinking it was too quick and wanting to slow down, he kisses her (it wasn't a good one) and when she went to leave he ripped her dress. Theo found her and rescued her leaving none the wiser. Immediately after, Pippa left town for 2 years. Pippa finally decides to return to London and resume her husband search.

At her first ball back she reencounters the viscount (who married someone else when she left town). Not wanting to cause a scene, Pippa goes out to the garden and the viscount follows her. She ends up taking him down and knocking him out in an impressive showing not knowing that the Marquess of Trent was watching her. He ends up helping her hide the viscount since he's knocked out then kisses her breathless afterwards (he was very impressed by her showing). The next morning she is gifted some salve for her sore knuckles from Trent.

At another ball, she is dared to ask a gentleman that is the opposite of her "wish" list of characteristics she's looking for in a husband to dance. Seeing Trent and wanting to thank him for the salve she ends up asking him to dance. He's shocked because it just isn't heard of that a lady would ask a gentleman. He ends up accepting and they become part of the gossip column (he hasn't danced with anyone in years). In more shocking behavior, the next morning she sends him flowers to which he returns a note dissuading her if she's attempting to do a courtship of him because he has no intention of settling down. Guess the note didn't work because she has Lucinda accompany her to his house to call on him. Yeah this is a big society no-no; ladies are not supposed to call on gentlemen. Lucinda leaves them and he tells Pippa that he desires her but he had no desire for marriage but he'd be good with taking her as a lover but won't give any more. Not backing down she tells him that maybe she'd be okay with that and she nips him on his lip. He starts kissing her senseless and his hand starts roaming under her dress and he touches her. In the most romantic fashion he tells her that "wicked debauchery is all he has to offer" (just what a girl wants to hear). He gets her off and follows up with "even the presence of your chaperone (who's still in the garden) could not stop me if I lifted you right now and took you against this door. I am that kind of man and afterwards I would not marry you." Coming to terms she decides to call off her hellion behavior and realizes she could never get him to feel anything for her let alone marry her. So she goes to Theo's house party.

Trent is on his way to visit his grandparent's old cottage (he has many fond memories of the place) to get away and clear his head of his doubts and questions on why he feels anything for Pippa. He sees her riding and is awed by her skills. As the storm starts coming, she starts racing back to Theo's estate. A strike of lightning spooks his horse but he regains control and follows after Pippa to make sure that she makes it back to the duke's estate. He finds her thrown from her horse with a swollen ankle. He takes her to the cottage (its closer and it is raining heavily). They are stormed in the 1 bedroom cottage but he knows how to cook (he isn't completely useless). Despite being stormed in he wants to ride to the duke's estate so he can get her there and not in the cottage with him (his willpower is fading). They have to share the 1 bed even though he tried to sleep on a way too small couch. "I have more self-respect to not deliberately compromise a man who is not interested in me". What a line Pippa said to Trent. I'm loving the aggressive position she's showing and how indifferent to society standards she is.

Next morning storm still in full force...they start playing chess. He says he's unbeatable and they wager on it. She isn't so bad herself and is playing a good game. She tells him that she knows how to beat him and win their wager...by cheating (i.e. distracting him by kissing him). He starts losing control but she urges them on and he takes her.

He's now completely lost and can't understand his feelings for her. She's thrown him off his "I'm a rogue...I won't marry" mindset. The storm lets up enough that they return to the duke's estate. Before leaving he asks to talk to Pippa. He tells her that he will do the honorable thing and marry her despite her telling him that no one in the house would tell anyone about her being in his cottage for a couple of days alone with him. They are all the ladies from the club and don't betray each other. She doesn't want him to marry her for honor but wants him to declare his feelings. He doesn't and she declines his offer. If she ends up pregnant then she'll tell him and then they will figure out what to do (she doesn't end up pregnant).

He decides he wants her but has to woo her. So starts his mission. But like any clueless dude he sends mixed messages to her. He's dancing with her and taking her on dates but he doesn't want any society gossip about them rushing to marry (given that everyone knows he's adverse to marrying). So to throw off the gossipmongers, he also gives attention to another lady and of course she's beautiful. She's not able to handle seeing him dance with another lady given that she loves him so she leaves the ball early but he chases after her. He tells her that he loves her and she realizes that he's been courting her (duh) and that he would take however long it takes to convince her that he loves her and wants to marry her.

Another very enjoyable book in the series.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Another fun installment in the Wagers and Wallflowers series. I do so enjoy the premise of this series with the club for progressive women. I know there's criticism of it being written as too much of a modern historical. But, that hasn't really bothered me throughout. It's fiction and romance so I suspend my disbelief and enjoy the story.

That being said, I felt like this particular book was a bit rush for me and parts that I'd hoped would be better fleshed out weren't. I needed more of the Phillipa and William. The ending was WAY to quick.

It was fun though and something quick and easy I could get through in no time!

[Gorgeous Zaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again the 48 Berkeley Square ladys capture my heart with their adventures,dares and wagers.
I wish there is a real ladies club like this so I can be part of this friends circle.
I loved Pippa and was wowed by her courageous actions especially her ability to overcome her fear and get back at the coward who hurt her ..
I loved how ahe blossomed after that and stayed true to herself during her dealings with William.. nad watching him court her just so she will have the respect ahw ia due totally forgave his cold way of bungling the first proposal
And off I go to read the next one
And I am 100 % sure I will cry when I turn the last page in the series

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only been reading Alyssa Clarke since April, 2021 and this is my 13th book by her.
I am really enjoying her writing and have from the first book she wrote. This series especially.

I have loved this whole series..a lot. I really loved these characters. Pippa and William are so yummy together. So HOT!!! You can just feel their heat. Great chemistry. Great storyline. The characters were well written. And as always, hot and yummy sex. So damn good!!

I would definitely recommend this book as well as this series.

[Sandra Macias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing read!

Loved this book our h was confident, witty, and at the same time sweet. I love how willing to accept their feelings characters on this series are and this book is no exception. The scene in the beginning when she KO’ed the viscount who attacked her was so good and how she met our H was so well written. My only critique is the end felt a bit rushed I wish it would have been developed more but it did nothing to take way from the story. Steam is a 2-3.

[Bookfreak OHearn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not want this to end!

[Winnifred D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars rounded up to 4. I liked this a surprising amount, after disliking this writer's latest entry in her other series. The MC's have strong chemistry, and they're both characters you want to root for. The MFC, Pippa, is a former wallflower who had to learn to be more assertive after she was nearly raped by a man she trusted. She learned self-defense, and gained valuable friendships, through the Berkley Square Ladies' Club. The MMC, William, is a rake who has a heart of gold underneath it all. I enjoyed his close relationship with his sisters (I thought they would feature more in the book but they are merely introduced at the beginning) and his scenes with Pippa in the cottage are sweet as well as being steamy.

On to the constructive criticism: the ending is very rushed and there is no epilogue. I loved how William wooed Pippa, but felt he spent too much time with other ladies in an attempt to make their engagement/marriage look legit once it was announced. I wanted more time to be spent on their relationship in the last 20% of the book. Also, if you're looking for a read that's true to the time period and has no anachronisms, this is not the book (or series) for you. A final note, and not to be the baddie, but there are places where the writing is slightly clunky.

The bottom line: an enjoyable read with fun banter between the MC's and just the right amount of spice. This is one of the better entries in this series, and I definitely liked it more than the last book I read by this author in her other series.

[LainieLibrary · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars - DNF @ 84%

Meh, this was boring and underdeveloped. The whole thing is ~150 pages which is too little, yet also too long at the same time.

Kind of continuing the theme of this series, but it’s 10x worse in this, everyone is super super modern for the time period. I mean at the point, why not write a contemporary series? That’s how the women in this book act, and then men are all fine with it.

William and Pippa’s relationship is boring and doesn’t make a ton of sense. Since the book is so short, there isn’t a ton of development between the two. It all seems pretty shallow and all the characters are just coming off as annoying.

I’m giving up because I can’t imagine anything interesting happening in the last 20%… we already got to the point where the two realize they are in love, so there’s not much else to tell.

I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series.

[Wanda Compton · Rating 4 out of 5]

the women of 48 Berkley Street

The Wall flowers continue to make and accept wagers making for very amusing reading. Pills may be the most fascinating one yet. I know they practice self defense but Pills puts it in use, startling the rogue who offended her and intriguing the man who unknown to her witnessed the spectacle. Then begins the tale of a man determined not to marry and a young woman who goes after what she wants with creativity and determination. With a group of friends who encourage and support one another each woman's story plays out and all of them intertwine. Very enjoyable.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book! The heroine and the hero are beautiful, there are established relationships, the hero made efforts not to spoil the girl, he has respect for her, and he himself revealed himself in this book as a very loving brother, as a protector. In the previous books he was an asshole, but here he is a completely different person. The heroine with violet eyes cannot be invisible in any way, I don't know why she started leaning against the walls and being invisible. The only thing that was annoying was the formulaic phrase of this series "I will not marry for such a cold thing as honor", but here it was at least in the plot. Not my favorite book in the series, but quite interesting.

[Stacie Irwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pippa and William were great!

This was another success in this series. It’s so fun to read through how these ladies gain confidence and independence in a world that seeks to control them. I loved that Pippa wasn’t afraid to use her fists.

William was the perfect reformed rake hero. It was fun to see him cook and treat wounds like a “normal” person. While I didn’t fully understand his need to dance and do outings with the other ladies towards the end, the longing and wooing was fun to watch too.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was cute. I thought the heroine courting the hero was hilarious and wished the book had more of those scenes.

The final conflict/misunderstanding at the end was rather dumb though. I do not know why for one second he was courting another girl. Dancing with others made sense, but anything else was just a contrived way to make the heroine sad before they finally admitted their feelings. It didn't last long fortunately, but it was very out of place in the story.

[Sisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marques de Trent e lady Phipa
O melhor da coleção, teve humor, mexeu com emoção e as cenas de sexo não foram cansativas
Depois de ela corteja lo, eles ficam presos numa cabana durante uma tempestade, ela rejeita o pedido de casamento dele e então ele se descobre apaixonado e a corteja, achei meio sem nexo o fato dele corteja la e ainda ter tempo de dançar com outras a ponto dela não saber SE estava sendo cortejada mas....

[SR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rogue Marquess v Confident Lady

A fun ride as William falls for Phillipa after deriding his friends for being felled by the same affliction....love. It's entertaining to watch him maneuver his feelings while she is very sure what she wants. Her lack of pressure on him makes him examine himself with no outside pressure and potential resentment toward her.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rogues do make the very best husbands. Well, William doesn’t think so but he soon learns that it cannot be helped. I loved this story of William and Pippa. It is a short story but it really packs a punch. The twist to the plot is so delicious. I love seeing the turmoil of emotions and the eventual acceptance of those emotions. Fantastic story. I read this as part of KU.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding his one!

Beautiful romance love story, where the Rogue is the true hero in this Regency book. Having three sisters he knows why when a Lady defends her honour its because she needed revenge having stayed away from society for some two years because of a Rake trying to force her into his unwanted overtures.

[sandy forguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

William and pippa

Wonderful read with romantic characters. This series has everything toy need for a romance , only thing missing is an extended epilogue. William had it his plans to never marry until he net pippa. They are a match made in heaven and get their he a . would highly recommend this series and author.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite of the series so far. I love these women and the way they offer each other unconditional support and acceptance. Add to that a male who is blindsided by a woman unlike any he has known before and you have an exceptional story. I can’t wait for more!

[SynergyQuest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and Sexy

Daring with a Rogue reads like a novella. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be one or not. It's a yummy, honest and drawing you all the way in. I want more bi can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[KAREN MARTIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely story.

The story of Poppa and William was a shorter read and in the same vein as others in the series. Pills definitely took the lead in pursuing William, until things did not go as planned. Enjoy this love story!

[susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice to see him fall

This hero in previous books was inevitably fated to fall hard. So in this book when he does, it is sweet. That they court each other was sweeter still...it showed their equality in the relationship. A perfect match.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This seemed shorter than previous installments. Good to see the ladies of 48 Berkeley Square are still up to mischief

[between the covers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some minor errors, but the story was so much fun that I didn't care. I would have liked more of the story, but I'm also glad that extra pages weren't added just to make a longer book.

[Orozcosl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

Great characters and an unusual plot made this a fun story to read! As usual the setting s were well described, and I could not put it down!

[lydia hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lid

I enjoyed reading this it was very entertaining and I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

[Agnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delight in the series