Review: A Most Devilish Rogue

Title: A Most Devilish Rogue

Author: Ashlyn Macnamara

 Date Published: August 2013

ISBN: 9780345534767

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Pages: 384

★★★✰✰

 Years ago, when Isabelle Mears was still a young miss too infatuated to know better, she surrendered her innocence to a dishonorable man. Though ruined and cast out from society, she has worked hard to shelter her illegitimate son, Jack. Having sworn off men in her quiet but dignified life, Isabelle is unprepared for the deep longing that rips through her when a handsome stranger rescues her rambunctious six-year-old from the pounding ocean surf.

George Upperton is a man in trouble with debts, women, and a meddling family. He is, by all accounts, the last gentleman on earth Isabelle should be drawn to. But loneliness is a hard mistress, and caution gives way to desire . . . even though Isabelle is convinced that happiness can’t be found in the arms of such a devilish rogue. Only when Jack is kidnapped does Isabelle discover the true depth of George’s devotion—and how far a good man will go to fight for the woman whose love is all that matters.

I ♥ historical romance novels. To the point where I've often wondered if maybe I was born into the wrong century. I just adore novels set in the 1800's ... maybe that comes from my love of Jane Austen. She was one of the first authors I read when I started to get out of my R.L. Stein phase - which lasted entirely too long, if I must be honest. I had to have read Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice hundreds of times. 

So needless to say, I was super excited to get my hands on Macnamara's first novel. (Insert frantic clapping and huge smile) I'm always looking for an untapped historical romance resource. I feel like I've read everything that is out there even though I know that that can't possibly be true. Anyhow ... A Most Devilish Rogue wasn't too shabby!! 

I did find myself skimming some of the paragraphs. Nothing really serious or extensive ... at times it just felt like the story stopped and started in a few places. Do you know how they used to plow fields? They would hook a mule or a horse to a plow (or plough) and then someone would walk behind it in order to keep the plow and horse going straight. Well, it felt like this book's plow kept getting stuck on rocks or roots or something and it would just make the ride really jerky. But this is something that will probably get better with each book that Macnamara writes. I can't imagine that an absolutely perfect book is something that is easy to accomplish your first time out of the gates or there would be no need for the New York Times Bestseller list because all authors would be amazing. Whew. Totally off track. Hopefully you know where I was going with that though ... even though I'm not totally sure that I do ...

I did like how some of the characters were written, though. LOVED Benedict Revelstoke and his wife, Julia. I loved everything about both of them ... the way they spoke, how they were towards each other, how they treated the people around them ... they were, unfortunately, my favorite characters. It's unfortunate because they weren't the main characters in this book. George was okay ... he seemed a little spineless at times but other than that, I liked him. For the most part. And Isabelle ... the main character ... hmmm ... I don't know. I didn't really like how she was written at times. The way she flip-flopped between being absurdly desperate to totally standoffish became a little annoying. It made me wonder if the character had been fully explored before being written. And this could be how Macnamara intended and if that's the case, then she hit the nail on the head ... I just didn't enjoy it. But then again, I like a really strong female in a historical romance ... I think being a spunky and sassy female back in those days was such a rare thing and that's just what I personally like reading.

So all in all, not a bad book. I'll definitely be looking out for another book from this author.