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jessmilner26's review against another edition
4.0
the phrase 'tessa dare vibes' is thrown around very liberally but...this book comes close
ghur413's review against another edition
5.0
I feel in love with the first page of this book. Deep attraction starts right from the first page with delicious word play.
Our MC Beatrice loves words. I myself love language so Beatrice is my kindred spirit. Beatrice has escaped to her Duke-ish Brother’s estate in Cornwall to isolate herself in the library and work on writing her etymological dictionary. Beatrice wanted to get a lot of work done…
But the renovations at Thornhill are very noisy and distracting due to a very handsome head carpenter. The carpenter is named Ford, a sexy sexy carpenter rogue.
Ford climbs a trellis to speak to Beatrice. Their witty banter starts here and thanks to a sudden bookshop inheritance it because a beautiful back and forth throughout the story. I love that Beatrice gets bolder and bolder.
What I love about Ford is all his teasing, sharp banter that is never a real put down.
Beatrice finds her self the owner of a bookshop from a secret aunt and in desperate need of a carpenter. The renovations in the novel are one of my favorite aspects and really freshen up the dynamics in a historical romance.
Beatrice also struggles with a controlling Mother who wishes to marry her off, childhood taunts toward the palsy she has on one side of her face from birth. Ford has his own family entanglements, a discovery of embezzlement at Thornhill and is returning to the navy in a matter of weeks.
This romance is a slow build of two people trying not to mix business with pleasure. It is so well written with smolder and heart and sexy sexy carpenter rogue teaching many lessons…besides how to lift floor boards!
Beatrice is a member of a secret “Knitting” society that helps women achieve their goals and ambitions. Her two best friends are also a part of the society and I’m crossing my fingers that we get to hear their stories next!
This is a gorgeous start to a new series from Lenora Bell. Many characters from the previous series pop up in the story, but this can be a stand alone novel. Lenora Bell is a funny, sweet and heart-felt story teller so I recommend reading the School for Dukes series. If you haven’t read a novel of Bell’s yet, you can expect novels in a similar vein to Tessa Dare.
This is going on my best of 2020 list!
I was blessed with an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
Our MC Beatrice loves words. I myself love language so Beatrice is my kindred spirit. Beatrice has escaped to her Duke-ish Brother’s estate in Cornwall to isolate herself in the library and work on writing her etymological dictionary. Beatrice wanted to get a lot of work done…
But the renovations at Thornhill are very noisy and distracting due to a very handsome head carpenter. The carpenter is named Ford, a sexy sexy carpenter rogue.
Ford climbs a trellis to speak to Beatrice. Their witty banter starts here and thanks to a sudden bookshop inheritance it because a beautiful back and forth throughout the story. I love that Beatrice gets bolder and bolder.
What I love about Ford is all his teasing, sharp banter that is never a real put down.
Beatrice finds her self the owner of a bookshop from a secret aunt and in desperate need of a carpenter. The renovations in the novel are one of my favorite aspects and really freshen up the dynamics in a historical romance.
Beatrice also struggles with a controlling Mother who wishes to marry her off, childhood taunts toward the palsy she has on one side of her face from birth. Ford has his own family entanglements, a discovery of embezzlement at Thornhill and is returning to the navy in a matter of weeks.
This romance is a slow build of two people trying not to mix business with pleasure. It is so well written with smolder and heart and sexy sexy carpenter rogue teaching many lessons…besides how to lift floor boards!
Beatrice is a member of a secret “Knitting” society that helps women achieve their goals and ambitions. Her two best friends are also a part of the society and I’m crossing my fingers that we get to hear their stories next!
This is a gorgeous start to a new series from Lenora Bell. Many characters from the previous series pop up in the story, but this can be a stand alone novel. Lenora Bell is a funny, sweet and heart-felt story teller so I recommend reading the School for Dukes series. If you haven’t read a novel of Bell’s yet, you can expect novels in a similar vein to Tessa Dare.
This is going on my best of 2020 list!
I was blessed with an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
fv_angela's review against another edition
3.0
Review originally posted at https://smexybooks.com/2020/10/angelas-minis-reviews-for-love-is-a-rogue-and-crazy-stupid-bromance.html
I simply adored this author’s last release and was very excited to get an early copy of this first book in her newest series. Wallflowers vs. Rogues has many of the same characters as her School for Dukes series but seems to be introducing a fresh, new group of Wallflowers/women who want something different for their lives other than balls and shopping and letting men control them. Love is a Rogue turned out to be a sweet, not overly angst-filled romance.
The heroine, Beatrice, is a young woman who has a slight palsy and has dealt with it by falling into books and forming true friendships with other women who want a life not normally acceptable of the times for women. Her hero is Ford, a carpenter on her brother’s estate. I liked that this book featured an everyday working man rather than a duke or earl or another member of the aristocracy. Ford is a steady, capable man whose own mother fell in love with a carpenter and was disowned by her family. He knows what a relationship with Beatrice would mean for her, but nevertheless falls for her anyway.
You would think there would be A LOT of angst and drama in this story, but there really isn’t. There is a villain, and a mama who is overly ambitious for her daughter, but neither is really terrible and the ‘big misunderstanding’ lasts about two pages. The conflict is wrapped up nice and neat with a bow… almost a little too easily. But I liked the romance and am really looking forward to seeing more of the secondary characters in the rest of the series.
Final grade- C+/B-
I simply adored this author’s last release and was very excited to get an early copy of this first book in her newest series. Wallflowers vs. Rogues has many of the same characters as her School for Dukes series but seems to be introducing a fresh, new group of Wallflowers/women who want something different for their lives other than balls and shopping and letting men control them. Love is a Rogue turned out to be a sweet, not overly angst-filled romance.
The heroine, Beatrice, is a young woman who has a slight palsy and has dealt with it by falling into books and forming true friendships with other women who want a life not normally acceptable of the times for women. Her hero is Ford, a carpenter on her brother’s estate. I liked that this book featured an everyday working man rather than a duke or earl or another member of the aristocracy. Ford is a steady, capable man whose own mother fell in love with a carpenter and was disowned by her family. He knows what a relationship with Beatrice would mean for her, but nevertheless falls for her anyway.
You would think there would be A LOT of angst and drama in this story, but there really isn’t. There is a villain, and a mama who is overly ambitious for her daughter, but neither is really terrible and the ‘big misunderstanding’ lasts about two pages. The conflict is wrapped up nice and neat with a bow… almost a little too easily. But I liked the romance and am really looking forward to seeing more of the secondary characters in the rest of the series.
Final grade- C+/B-
dk_d1337d's review against another edition
4.0
A lady with a disability and fellow logophile *swoon* call me captivated
mrsbooknerd's review against another edition
3.0
I definitely preferred the second half of 'Love is a Rogue'. The plot became more progressive and the subplots and romance took centre stage.
The first half was all centred around the events of the first chapter in which the lead couple meet, which is fine but it felt too repetitive. They met and then spent the next half of the book regurgitating that one meeting. I grew a little bored of it, especially as neither Ford nor Beatrice had much emotional development during this period. In fact, Beatrice actively annoyed me. She did feel too snooty and aloof, it was only after the halfway point that she came out of her shell and opened herself to the reader as well as Ford. Lady needed a serious chill pill.
I did like Ford, he was charming and his physical attributes were well described so I could picture his strong forearms and winning smile. There is nothing I love more than rolled up shirt sleeves. The relationship was fairly well paced and it progressed naturally, initially a physical attraction that ended up leading to the cheesy declarations of love. But I felt it had an ebb and flow, at times it felt unemotional and flat as though they had no real connection except to exist for the book, then there would be a section that was really emotional and I felt the connection and I wondered what I had been thinking to consider it unemotional, but then the next event would be quite flat again. I actually found their sexual build up quite sizzling but the actual horizontal jogging a bit meh
The first half was all centred around the events of the first chapter in which the lead couple meet, which is fine but it felt too repetitive. They met and then spent the next half of the book regurgitating that one meeting. I grew a little bored of it, especially as neither Ford nor Beatrice had much emotional development during this period. In fact, Beatrice actively annoyed me. She did feel too snooty and aloof, it was only after the halfway point that she came out of her shell and opened herself to the reader as well as Ford. Lady needed a serious chill pill.
I did like Ford, he was charming and his physical attributes were well described so I could picture his strong forearms and winning smile. There is nothing I love more than rolled up shirt sleeves. The relationship was fairly well paced and it progressed naturally, initially a physical attraction that ended up leading to the cheesy declarations of love. But I felt it had an ebb and flow, at times it felt unemotional and flat as though they had no real connection except to exist for the book, then there would be a section that was really emotional and I felt the connection and I wondered what I had been thinking to consider it unemotional, but then the next event would be quite flat again. I actually found their sexual build up quite sizzling but the actual horizontal jogging a bit meh
joanav's review against another edition
5.0
Review originally published at Romancing Romances.
I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.
I absolutely loved this book. A hero that’s a carpenter and a heroine who is an etymologist – perfect combination!
One of the things that always makes my heart flutter is acts of service. Because acts of service mean that you’ve been paying attention to your partner (or your friend, or whoever the other person is in this situation) and it just makes me so happy that the characters listen to each other’s needs *swoon*.
This book is a bit of a Beauty and The Beast retelling, since our heroine “was born with palsy of the facial nerve caused by damage from the instruments the doctors used” (in Love is a Rogue, by Lenora Bell) during her birth, which means one side of her face does not move “normaly”, and her smile is lopsided.
Lady Beatrice Bentley, this beautiful, rich lady, who prefers a comfortable blue dress than the somewhat growing and starting to be exaggerated creations of the 1830’s, can’t help but feel the attraction to Stamford Wright, the roguish carpenter working on her brother’s estate.
I loved falling in love with Ford and Beatrice, and seeing their love develop and overcome what would be thought of as a barrier for the time, or if not a barrier, at least a strong detriment for their union.
Beatrice loves words, and she is fascinated with the words that disappear from our language, and the ones that are almost “chosen” to remain, and for Ford this is not an interest, but he becomes fascinated with how happy Beatrice is when she’s talking about writing her dictionary, and how caring he is for her and her love of books. I mean… he built her BOOKSHELVES!
Also, this book is full of feminism, sisterhood, all the things we want to see in this world. As I was reading this book, I found myself mirrored in the women of The Mayfair Ladies Knitting League, with the same wishes and desires: “Why should being female preclude me from being an entrepreneur? I say, smash down the barriers” (Love is A Rogue, by Lenora Bell). One of my favourite quotes from this book is exactly related to women (women as in anyone that identifies as female), and how we see ourselves in the world and society: “We women are all so critical of ourselves. We’re too plump, or too thin. Too tall, or too short. Our hair is too curly, or too straight. We live in a society that rewards conformity to a strict set of physical standards and an even more rigid set of rules for proper behaviour. We have these unpleasant thoughts running round and round in our minds. Wouldn’t it be revolutionary if we decided to love ourselves exactly the way we are?” (in Love is a Rogue, by Lenora Bell). Apologies for the long quote, but I loved it so much, that I remember shedding a tear when I read this. Self-love, and supporting ourselves and others, shouldn’t that be the ultimate goal?
Anyway, this book was also a love dedication to all of us readers, as I’m sure you can understand from the above mentioned love of books and words. As I was reading this book, I found myself highlighting these sentences that put into words a feeling that I’m sure most readers relate to: “But I can’t possibly read all of them [books]. It keeps me up at night sometimes, knowing that I can’t read every book I own. You should see how many books are stacked beside by bed just waiting to be read. And I don’t have the time to read them all” (in Love is A Rogue, by Lenora Bell).
Of course, this book is a romance, and the love story is the main element. But in this case, for me, it felt like there was more than ONE love story – there was the love between Beatrice and Ford, but also the love between these women supporting each other’s endeavours, and the love for words, and for your own passions!
All in all, I loved this book. It is romantic, sexy, powerful, all you want in a good book.
P.S. Make sure you read the acknowledgements at the end!
I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.
I absolutely loved this book. A hero that’s a carpenter and a heroine who is an etymologist – perfect combination!
One of the things that always makes my heart flutter is acts of service. Because acts of service mean that you’ve been paying attention to your partner (or your friend, or whoever the other person is in this situation) and it just makes me so happy that the characters listen to each other’s needs *swoon*.
This book is a bit of a Beauty and The Beast retelling, since our heroine “was born with palsy of the facial nerve caused by damage from the instruments the doctors used” (in Love is a Rogue, by Lenora Bell) during her birth, which means one side of her face does not move “normaly”, and her smile is lopsided.
Lady Beatrice Bentley, this beautiful, rich lady, who prefers a comfortable blue dress than the somewhat growing and starting to be exaggerated creations of the 1830’s, can’t help but feel the attraction to Stamford Wright, the roguish carpenter working on her brother’s estate.
I loved falling in love with Ford and Beatrice, and seeing their love develop and overcome what would be thought of as a barrier for the time, or if not a barrier, at least a strong detriment for their union.
Beatrice loves words, and she is fascinated with the words that disappear from our language, and the ones that are almost “chosen” to remain, and for Ford this is not an interest, but he becomes fascinated with how happy Beatrice is when she’s talking about writing her dictionary, and how caring he is for her and her love of books. I mean… he built her BOOKSHELVES!
Also, this book is full of feminism, sisterhood, all the things we want to see in this world. As I was reading this book, I found myself mirrored in the women of The Mayfair Ladies Knitting League, with the same wishes and desires: “Why should being female preclude me from being an entrepreneur? I say, smash down the barriers” (Love is A Rogue, by Lenora Bell). One of my favourite quotes from this book is exactly related to women (women as in anyone that identifies as female), and how we see ourselves in the world and society: “We women are all so critical of ourselves. We’re too plump, or too thin. Too tall, or too short. Our hair is too curly, or too straight. We live in a society that rewards conformity to a strict set of physical standards and an even more rigid set of rules for proper behaviour. We have these unpleasant thoughts running round and round in our minds. Wouldn’t it be revolutionary if we decided to love ourselves exactly the way we are?” (in Love is a Rogue, by Lenora Bell). Apologies for the long quote, but I loved it so much, that I remember shedding a tear when I read this. Self-love, and supporting ourselves and others, shouldn’t that be the ultimate goal?
Anyway, this book was also a love dedication to all of us readers, as I’m sure you can understand from the above mentioned love of books and words. As I was reading this book, I found myself highlighting these sentences that put into words a feeling that I’m sure most readers relate to: “But I can’t possibly read all of them [books]. It keeps me up at night sometimes, knowing that I can’t read every book I own. You should see how many books are stacked beside by bed just waiting to be read. And I don’t have the time to read them all” (in Love is A Rogue, by Lenora Bell).
Of course, this book is a romance, and the love story is the main element. But in this case, for me, it felt like there was more than ONE love story – there was the love between Beatrice and Ford, but also the love between these women supporting each other’s endeavours, and the love for words, and for your own passions!
All in all, I loved this book. It is romantic, sexy, powerful, all you want in a good book.
P.S. Make sure you read the acknowledgements at the end!
caitlin_bookchats's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Look, I did this to myself. I should have DNF'd this book in the first 11 pages like I initially planned but the two leads seemed so far from each other in interest and attitude that I was curious how the author would get them together!
Of course, therein comes my disappointment. Although Bell laid the breadcrumbs of a plan for why the FMC and MMC would fall for each other, everything was terribly underdeveloped. Additionally, one of my least favorite things occurred which was the FMC and MMC telling each other they'd been interested in the true version of their partner all along but look, I was in y'alls heads in those first two chapters and you did not know each other beyond a handsome man/your employer's bookish sister.
ANYWAY, add to that the fact that I know I've read other books with I think the brother? Or maybe Ravenswood? Or maybe both? and I can remember ALMOST NOTHING about those and I'm personally going to have to take Lenora Bell off my to-read lists. Her work is just not for me.
I will say that the initial reason I was going to hard DNF, the FMC's defining character trait being that she uses big $5 words because she's just so into language and meaning and old, dead words! did get better after those first 11 pages so that was a relief at least. Look I am a nerd who likes some interesting words but it was the most pretentious way to have linguistics as a hobby! She showed absolutely ZERO interest in documenting new words from slang or working classes I mean can you imagine if instead she recruited the MMC to help her document Sailing slang!?!?! AND ALSO, to love words is, in some ways to love communication but it doesn't matter if the dictionary definition of a word is perfect if no one you're talking to knows that word! Good communication is about knowing how to speak or write to your specific audience!
Ok, ok sorry for the rant I just wanted so much better.
Of course, therein comes my disappointment. Although Bell laid the breadcrumbs of a plan for why the FMC and MMC would fall for each other, everything was terribly underdeveloped. Additionally, one of my least favorite things occurred which was the FMC and MMC telling each other they'd been interested in the true version of their partner all along but look, I was in y'alls heads in those first two chapters and you did not know each other beyond a handsome man/your employer's bookish sister.
ANYWAY, add to that the fact that I know I've read other books with I think the brother? Or maybe Ravenswood? Or maybe both? and I can remember ALMOST NOTHING about those and I'm personally going to have to take Lenora Bell off my to-read lists. Her work is just not for me.
I will say that the initial reason I was going to hard DNF, the FMC's defining character trait being that she uses big $5 words because she's just so into language and meaning and old, dead words! did get better after those first 11 pages so that was a relief at least. Look I am a nerd who likes some interesting words but it was the most pretentious way to have linguistics as a hobby! She showed absolutely ZERO interest in documenting new words from slang or working classes I mean can you imagine if instead she recruited the MMC to help her document Sailing slang!?!?! AND ALSO, to love words is, in some ways to love communication but it doesn't matter if the dictionary definition of a word is perfect if no one you're talking to knows that word! Good communication is about knowing how to speak or write to your specific audience!
Ok, ok sorry for the rant I just wanted so much better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Body shaming and War
The FMC has/had(?) a palsy and the corner of her mouth is frozen as a result. She doesn't mind, the hero likes her smile, but her mother is constantly trying to hide it and says that. The MMC is a Navy carpenter and briefly alludes to being in a battle and losing friends. He is also the son of a woman who was disowned for marrying outside of her father's wishes and that trauma comes up as a central conflict for him to work through. The disowning grandfather also appears in the book.fdarlene491's review against another edition
4.0
I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.
Love Is A Rogue, by Lenora Bell, is available at booksellers 10-27-2020. Rogue is book 1 in Ms Bell's new series Wallflowers vs. Rogues. We're off to a good start. Our smart, independent as possible leading lady is likeable to a certain extent. She spends a lot of time doing he loves me he loves me not. A twist on the usual trope is our gal is the daughter of a duke and her man is a builder. No title at all & his father works for the duke. There are all kinds of obstacles in their way but none bigger than themselves. Can't wait to see what's in store for her wallflower friends. Hope they get men as nice as Ford.
#LoveIsARogue #WallflowersvsRogues #Netgalley #LenoraBell #Avon #Romance #HistoricalRomance
Love Is A Rogue, by Lenora Bell, is available at booksellers 10-27-2020. Rogue is book 1 in Ms Bell's new series Wallflowers vs. Rogues. We're off to a good start. Our smart, independent as possible leading lady is likeable to a certain extent. She spends a lot of time doing he loves me he loves me not. A twist on the usual trope is our gal is the daughter of a duke and her man is a builder. No title at all & his father works for the duke. There are all kinds of obstacles in their way but none bigger than themselves. Can't wait to see what's in store for her wallflower friends. Hope they get men as nice as Ford.
#LoveIsARogue #WallflowersvsRogues #Netgalley #LenoraBell #Avon #Romance #HistoricalRomance
somasunshine's review against another edition
3.25
Beatrice is Duke Drew's little sister from the third School for Dukes book. She just happens to fall in love with carpenter Ford even though she vowed she would become a spinster. She's also inherited a bookstore which she wants to renovate and turn into the clubhouse for her professional minded lady's club.
I liked this one but I was also bored. I've read so many Lenora Bell books one after the other and unfortunately she always follows the same formular for making her characters. They all more or less read the same😅
I liked this one but I was also bored. I've read so many Lenora Bell books one after the other and unfortunately she always follows the same formular for making her characters. They all more or less read the same😅