A Rogue by Any Other Name

A Rogue by Any Other Name (2012) Sarah MacLean

Set in England in 1831.

This is the first book of the Rules of Scoundrels and possibly my least favorite of the lot.

Penelope Marbury is just about a spinster, and her father wants her provided for, since she has no brothers to care for her after he dies. So he adds an enticement to her dowry.

The former lands of the Marquess of Bourne. Bourne lost absolutely everything in a play of cards to his neighbor and former guardian. He walked away from the card table with his entailed estates and the clothes on his back. And absolutely nothing else.

I do like that it is made clear that Penelope has little choice but to marry–except in rare cases, women didn’t have much say in their futures.

She sighed. “I am not aiming for humor, Mother. I’m simply . . . not certain that I want to marry Thomas. Or anyone else who isn’t certain that he wants to marry me, honestly.”

“Penelope!” her mother barked. “Your wants are not paramount in this situation!”

Of course they weren’t. That wasn’t how marriage operated.

Another thing I particularly liked was that Tommy wasn’t a bad man–he was a true friend to Penelope throughout the book, and I have to admit that like Tommy, I didn’t get why Penelope would stay with Bourne.

He was too much of a jerk, even allowing for how badly he’d been hurt in the past.

That’s not to say I didn’t appreciate his redemption, because I very much did. I just felt that Penelope forgave him entirely too easily.
Rating: 6/10

Published by Avon

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