A Rogue by Any Other Name

A Rogue by Any Other Name (2012) Sarah MacLean

Borne is a rake and a rogue. Ruined by the loss of his estates, taken at the gaming tables by the man who had been his guardian, the father of the boy who had been his best friend. Now, part owner of one of the most exclusive gaming hells in London, Borne lives only to regain his estates and to take revenge upon the man who tried to hard to destroy him.

Lady Penelope Marbury has been on the shelf for years, and her mother despairs of her becoming a spinster. She wants Penelope married, and she wants a good marriage. One that will help her two youngest daughters make good matches. Especially since Penelope’s broken engagement years earlier put two of her other sisters in less than admirable matches.

It’s an amusing story. I did like the letters that started each chapter, that detailed Penelope’s life as she grew older, and what she felt as she wrote letters she would never sent. The letters helped understand a bit better the reactions Penelope had to Borne. Because I wasn’t buying it initially.

I enjoyed the banter–I always love good banter.

“Events of the evening are much more adventurous. Much more illicit.”
“What do you know about illicitness?”
“Not much. But I feel confident that I shall be a quick study.”

There were also a couple of passages that caused me to pause for a second.

Penelope realized that she did not think she’d ever heard the honest laughter of a woman to whom she was not related.

As someone who enjoys laughing–and tries to laugh as much as possible–the idea of living in a society where you couldn’t let your hair down and laugh is almost as bad as the rest of the restrictions women had placed upon them.

An interesting book, with quite a lot of boinking. Just so you know.

Set in 1831.
Rating: 7/10

Published by Avon

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