A review by kbranfield
Any Rogue Will Do by Bethany Bennett

3.0

The first installment in the Misfits of Mayfair series, Any Rogue Will Do by Bethany Bennett is a debut historical romance that is sweet and steamy.

Years earlier, Lady Charlotte "Lottie" Wentworth's first season ended in embarrassment and humiliation at the hands of the newly titled Viscount Amesbury aka Ethan Ridley.  After retreating to her family home, tragic circumstances force Lottie manage the family estate as her father sinks into a prolonged grief.  Now with their estate running smoothly, her father is now emerging from mourning and he decides she will marry James Montague, the son of one his friends. Lottie has no interest in marrying Mr. Montague so she strikes a deal with her father to marry a man of her own choosing.

On her way to London to stay with her godmother Lady Agatha Dalrymple, a carriage accident strands her and her maid Lucia Darling at the same inn as Ethan. Lottie tries to stay out of the Ethan's way since he is the man who besmirched her reputation and broke her heart all those years ago. But as circumstances continually force them into sharing each other's company, Lottie realizes that Ethan has changed but will she forgive him?

Lottie is smart and knows her own mind. Although she is not exactly thrilled over her father's ultimatum, she plans to select a husband that will allow her to maintain her independence.  Lottie does not want a love match; she instead is searching for a biddable man who will not object to her living in the countryside and managing her own estate.  She remains drawn to Ethan but even if she wanted to marry him, her father would never approve their match.

Ethan has matured and grown comfortable with his responsibilities of managing his estate. He is perfectly content to remain in the country and limit his time in London.  However, he is in need of a manager for his latest business venture.  So Ethan and his good friend  Lord Carlyle aka Cal are traveling to London when he crosses paths with Lottie. Genuinely remorseful, he issues a sincere and heartfelt apology for his behavior years earlier.  Despite his attraction to Lottie, Ethan knows there is no chance of a future with her. But once they are both in London, he finds it difficult to stay away from her.

Despite warnings from Darling, Agatha and Ethan, Lottie agrees to spend time in Mr. Montague's company. Unfortunately she discovers the hard way that her friends were right about him but Lottie proves able to take care of herself. Afterwards, she and Ethan enter into a fake romance to keep her safe. As a vindictive war is waged against her, Lottie and Ethan hope the gossip will soon die down. As they grow closer, their friendship takes an unexpected turn but will Lottie let go of her marriage plans and turn her fake engagement into a real one?

Any Rogue Will Do is a charming historical romance with likable characters. The storyline is interesting but a little repetitive and the pacing is slow. Ethan and Lottie are a wonderful couple who share some very hot love scenes. With a late in the story conflict and predictable plot twist, Bethany Bennett brings this cute romance to a sigh-worthy conclusion.