joanav's review against another edition
4.0
I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.
Review originally published in my blog Romancing Romances.
When you choose a book by Janna MacGregor, you’re choosing well.
Rogue Most Wanted is funny, and romantic, and makes you feels good in all the right places.
I loved the characters, and identified very easily with them. Will had been hurt before, and Thea is willing to do almost anything to save and help those that depend on her – even if it means she’ll be unhappy.
They start as friends and end up in a fake engagement at the end to heat things up.
There’s no insta-love in this book. Will and Thea get to know each other, and fall in love slowly, and completely. I love their relationship, and how they become friends and then lovers.
The secondary characters are great! Will’s great-aunt, Stella, is the mastermind behind Will and Thea’s relationship, with the help of her best friend. These two older ladies provide a fun element to the book, with their conversations and tricks to help the lovebirds understand they belong together.
And it’s always a pleasure to re-visit characters we met in previous books. The Cavensham’s are a great family, they stick together, are very loyal, very friendly, and they not afraid to tell each other harsh truths when needed.
Theodora is alone in the world, and all she ever wanted was a family, friends, people she could rely on – and she found it with Will and his family. She fights for her title, her land, and her people, and the Cavensham’s are there to support her – by helping her enter London’s society. Thea has to prove she’s a countess, but due to being away from society – and everyone actually! – for almost all of her life, she doesn’t even know the basics of how to behave herself in society.
The book goes around her learning, and her connection with Will, and his family. As a reader, you feel so happy for Thea, she deserves to be happy, and have friends, and family. And Will, who was dumped when he believed to be in love, also deserves to have his life turned around. He evolves, and opens up, and finally learns to love again.
In short, you can’t go wrong with this book.
Review originally published in my blog Romancing Romances.
When you choose a book by Janna MacGregor, you’re choosing well.
Rogue Most Wanted is funny, and romantic, and makes you feels good in all the right places.
I loved the characters, and identified very easily with them. Will had been hurt before, and Thea is willing to do almost anything to save and help those that depend on her – even if it means she’ll be unhappy.
They start as friends and end up in a fake engagement at the end to heat things up.
There’s no insta-love in this book. Will and Thea get to know each other, and fall in love slowly, and completely. I love their relationship, and how they become friends and then lovers.
The secondary characters are great! Will’s great-aunt, Stella, is the mastermind behind Will and Thea’s relationship, with the help of her best friend. These two older ladies provide a fun element to the book, with their conversations and tricks to help the lovebirds understand they belong together.
And it’s always a pleasure to re-visit characters we met in previous books. The Cavensham’s are a great family, they stick together, are very loyal, very friendly, and they not afraid to tell each other harsh truths when needed.
Theodora is alone in the world, and all she ever wanted was a family, friends, people she could rely on – and she found it with Will and his family. She fights for her title, her land, and her people, and the Cavensham’s are there to support her – by helping her enter London’s society. Thea has to prove she’s a countess, but due to being away from society – and everyone actually! – for almost all of her life, she doesn’t even know the basics of how to behave herself in society.
The book goes around her learning, and her connection with Will, and his family. As a reader, you feel so happy for Thea, she deserves to be happy, and have friends, and family. And Will, who was dumped when he believed to be in love, also deserves to have his life turned around. He evolves, and opens up, and finally learns to love again.
In short, you can’t go wrong with this book.
iggyebab's review against another edition
4.0
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
Thea and Will were wonderful.
Thea has no experience in the ton. She’s been in the country taking care of her ailing grandfather. Thea keeps the ton from discovering that her grandfather is senile so the family won’t lose lands or title. She learns how to mange the lands and tenants from the inside. Of course, as a woman, she cannot inherit an English title. Lucky for her, the estate she lives on come with. A Scottish title and she can inherit it, if she can find the original documemt granting the title and lands.
Her cousin, the inheritor if the English tutor, wants to unite both titles and decides to take her before the board.
Will fell in love young and was jilted by his love for a man with more money and a higher title. He’s happy managing his families lands but marriage is not for him. His eccentric aunt Stella asks him to help Thea with the challenge to get title, even marry her if necessary.
When they meet, they establish they will not be marrying but he will help her with the title issue and assist her in preparing for the ton.
I loved so many things about this book:
The characters are well developed. They don’t always make the best decisions but they aren’t constantly mucking things up.
The main characters build a friendship and slowly feelings shift.
They have conversations and admire one another for their intellects.
Will’s family is so wonderful. I love how they step in and help Thea because she is important to Will.
This book is a slower burn. The characters are interesting and the story solid. It is a quieter romance without huge amounts of drama.
I loved the writing style and look forward to reading more from this author.
Thea and Will were wonderful.
Thea has no experience in the ton. She’s been in the country taking care of her ailing grandfather. Thea keeps the ton from discovering that her grandfather is senile so the family won’t lose lands or title. She learns how to mange the lands and tenants from the inside. Of course, as a woman, she cannot inherit an English title. Lucky for her, the estate she lives on come with. A Scottish title and she can inherit it, if she can find the original documemt granting the title and lands.
Her cousin, the inheritor if the English tutor, wants to unite both titles and decides to take her before the board.
Will fell in love young and was jilted by his love for a man with more money and a higher title. He’s happy managing his families lands but marriage is not for him. His eccentric aunt Stella asks him to help Thea with the challenge to get title, even marry her if necessary.
When they meet, they establish they will not be marrying but he will help her with the title issue and assist her in preparing for the ton.
I loved so many things about this book:
The characters are well developed. They don’t always make the best decisions but they aren’t constantly mucking things up.
The main characters build a friendship and slowly feelings shift.
They have conversations and admire one another for their intellects.
Will’s family is so wonderful. I love how they step in and help Thea because she is important to Will.
This book is a slower burn. The characters are interesting and the story solid. It is a quieter romance without huge amounts of drama.
I loved the writing style and look forward to reading more from this author.
slovenianbookworm's review
3.0
You know that moment in a book when you know you’re hooked on the story? Yeah, well here I was waiting for that moment…and waiting….and waiting. I’ll be honest, the first 40 % of the book really dragged. I didn’t feel the chemistry between characters, to me they looked more like friends than lovers. I was reading the first half of the book for ages. Every time I thought I read like ten percent more, I looked at the bottom of the page and was a little disappointed that I only read one percent. I was even thinking about quitting the book.
But I didn’t. Because this was my first Janna MacGregor’s book and I was determined to finish it.
But oh boy, was I tempted to quit it.
I really expected more from this book. I can’t even remember half of the book.
Also, the newspaper’s sections were sometimes quite annoying and unnecessary.
I don’t consider myself an expert in history but I have read a lot of historical romances so reading about them being together in a room (even though they were friends) unchaperoned or without the door open, left me quite itchy. Weren’t things like this considered as a step closer to the altar? (I’m seriously asking)
It’s an ARC so I won’t go into details that there were grammatical errors because I’m sure the book will be edited before publishing.
I’m just not happy with this book. At the end of it, if asking me about my opinion I can say just ”meh”. It took me two weeks to read it. I just wish the book hooked me from the beginning and that it wasn’t so slow.
3 ”meh” stars.
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Slovenian review and full post here: https://slovenianbookworm.wordpress.com/
But I didn’t. Because this was my first Janna MacGregor’s book and I was determined to finish it.
But oh boy, was I tempted to quit it.
I really expected more from this book. I can’t even remember half of the book.
Also, the newspaper’s sections were sometimes quite annoying and unnecessary.
I don’t consider myself an expert in history but I have read a lot of historical romances so reading about them being together in a room (even though they were friends) unchaperoned or without the door open, left me quite itchy. Weren’t things like this considered as a step closer to the altar? (I’m seriously asking)
It’s an ARC so I won’t go into details that there were grammatical errors because I’m sure the book will be edited before publishing.
I’m just not happy with this book. At the end of it, if asking me about my opinion I can say just ”meh”. It took me two weeks to read it. I just wish the book hooked me from the beginning and that it wasn’t so slow.
3 ”meh” stars.
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Slovenian review and full post here: https://slovenianbookworm.wordpress.com/
gothai's review
3.0
This is my first book by the author.
Lady Theodora Worth is the heir to a Scottish title which is questioned and she has to prove that she is the rightful heir. She has not set foot in London, has not moved in society. She has to marry in order to strengthen her claim in the eyes of the male lawmakers. Her neighbour Stella suggests she marry her nephew Lord William Cavensham. It was a slow book on how both Theo and William try to sort out their issues and find love.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC
Lady Theodora Worth is the heir to a Scottish title which is questioned and she has to prove that she is the rightful heir. She has not set foot in London, has not moved in society. She has to marry in order to strengthen her claim in the eyes of the male lawmakers. Her neighbour Stella suggests she marry her nephew Lord William Cavensham. It was a slow book on how both Theo and William try to sort out their issues and find love.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC
cgroup6's review against another edition
4.0
Another great installment of the Cavensham Heiresses! This is part of a series and I strongly recommend reading them in order - and now we get to see Lord William's story. I loved that this story included a woman's fight for the right to own property and manage her own life - it made it seem a bit more modern (I love regency stories that include a strong woman)!
I received this book free as an ARC thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book free as an ARC thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
jessenreadsromance's review against another edition
3.0
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
3.5 Stars
The opening chapter was a fun and easy introduction to the Cavensham family. Will Cavensham, the second son of a Duke, knows that he has found The One. All the men in his family just know when their soulmate is found, but poor Will finds out the hard way that young love/infatuation isn't the same thing as the real deal. After the heartbreak of rejection, he vows that love just isn't for him.
Until a nosy aunt decides otherwise.
Lady Theodora Worth was an admirable woman. I loved her outlook on life and her she refused to be cowed by her horrible relatives looking to strip her of her title and lands. It still felt a little weird to me that as a grand daughter of a Duke, she had little to no education in etiquette, but it wan't that big of a deal.
The first half of the book was great. The second.... not so much. It's like the author didn't quite know what to do with the characters once she got them established.
Enjoyable characters hampered by inconsistent pacing and a strangely untethered second act.
3.5 Stars
The opening chapter was a fun and easy introduction to the Cavensham family. Will Cavensham, the second son of a Duke, knows that he has found The One. All the men in his family just know when their soulmate is found, but poor Will finds out the hard way that young love/infatuation isn't the same thing as the real deal. After the heartbreak of rejection, he vows that love just isn't for him.
Until a nosy aunt decides otherwise.
Lady Theodora Worth was an admirable woman. I loved her outlook on life and her she refused to be cowed by her horrible relatives looking to strip her of her title and lands. It still felt a little weird to me that as a grand daughter of a Duke, she had little to no education in etiquette, but it wan't that big of a deal.
The first half of the book was great. The second.... not so much. It's like the author didn't quite know what to do with the characters once she got them established.
Enjoyable characters hampered by inconsistent pacing and a strangely untethered second act.
i_hype_romance's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first read by this author, and I truly enjoyed it. The dialogue was witty, the hero was sufficiently brooding and drool-worthy, and the plot was original. The barrier keeping the star-crossed couple apart was believable and I was invested in their story. 4 stars.
This was my first read by this author, and I truly enjoyed it. The dialogue was witty, the hero was sufficiently brooding and drool-worthy, and the plot was original. The barrier keeping the star-crossed couple apart was believable and I was invested in their story. 4 stars.
whiskeyinthejar's review against another edition
2.0
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Fifth in the Cavensham Heiresses series, you'll remember Will Cavensham as the sweet but closed off brother to the previous heroines and hero in this series. We learn that he was coldly jilted in his youth and has therefore locked his heart away for good. When his aunt tells him about her neighbor who needs their help, he's stunned by his feelings for her.
Thea has been on her own for a while. Her grandfather took her in at a young age when her parents died but in his older age and decline of health, all the estate responsibilities of Ladykyrk fell to her. Now that he has died, the new heir is also claiming that the title she inherited that makes her a countess and the rightful owner of Ladykryk, should actually go to him.
Will and Thea become fast friends but they doth protest too much about being more.
All her thoughts were consumed by the declaration that the new duke wanted Ladykyrk---her home, her life. Not only must she find a new solicitor, but also a husband.
The set-up of Thea thinking and being told she should have a husband to give her credibility and a man's added power to fight and win her claim of the rightful owner of Ladykryk was a good and all too familiar look into how women lacked certain rights at this time. What failed to work for me though, was how quickly Thea and Will's feelings for one another developed. Will is supposed to be this completely walled off man but he instantly feels a connection to Thea and is all in on helping her fight for her claim. As the reader, I just couldn't buy into his feelings or feel any depth to his emotions for Thea.
From Thea's side of things, her instant refusal to marry Will, at first simply because she doesn't want to marry the first man she meets, was confusing as there was a stated sense of emergency to the purpose she wanted/needed to marry. The plot falls apart as it was simultaneously laid out and then kind of ignored.
Her cheeks were flushed with excitement rather than nervousness. She wasn't just lovely.
She was beautiful.
Will turned to his brother. “But she's just a friend.”
This was a pretty sweet, almost tooth achingly at times, and low angst story. The pace dragged for me as most of the story was Will and Thea speaking out loud that they are only friends but then completely acting and thinking differently, it gave the story a very conflicting feel. There really isn't a reason or challenge to these two getting together (there is a last second wedge thrown in there at the very end that is resolved very quickly) and therefore their weak denials, especially when their actions are the opposite of just wanting to remain friends, slows the pace of the book way down and kind of started to annoy me with their actions.
There are some racy sex scenes in this but I had a hard time getting into them. That level of sexual intimacy didn't jive for me with how and where the characters felt to be mentally; sex added in for sex sake.
Will ran a hand down his face. He didn't think he was a playing a game, but if he was, he wished he understood the rules.
One thing was becoming clearer.
What he and Thea shared was becoming all too real.
What I did enjoy about this was how the author wrote the Cavensham family, you'll see past heroes and heroines and the author incorporates them perfectly. They never steal the show but they added some warmth and dimension to Will and some lovely nostalgia if you've read the previous books in the series.
As I mentioned, there isn't much conflict or angst in this one and if you're looking for a very slow to come to terms with what everyone else has already figured out couple, this would fit the bill, along with some open door steamy scenes.
Fifth in the Cavensham Heiresses series, you'll remember Will Cavensham as the sweet but closed off brother to the previous heroines and hero in this series. We learn that he was coldly jilted in his youth and has therefore locked his heart away for good. When his aunt tells him about her neighbor who needs their help, he's stunned by his feelings for her.
Thea has been on her own for a while. Her grandfather took her in at a young age when her parents died but in his older age and decline of health, all the estate responsibilities of Ladykyrk fell to her. Now that he has died, the new heir is also claiming that the title she inherited that makes her a countess and the rightful owner of Ladykryk, should actually go to him.
Will and Thea become fast friends but they doth protest too much about being more.
All her thoughts were consumed by the declaration that the new duke wanted Ladykyrk---her home, her life. Not only must she find a new solicitor, but also a husband.
The set-up of Thea thinking and being told she should have a husband to give her credibility and a man's added power to fight and win her claim of the rightful owner of Ladykryk was a good and all too familiar look into how women lacked certain rights at this time. What failed to work for me though, was how quickly Thea and Will's feelings for one another developed. Will is supposed to be this completely walled off man but he instantly feels a connection to Thea and is all in on helping her fight for her claim. As the reader, I just couldn't buy into his feelings or feel any depth to his emotions for Thea.
From Thea's side of things, her instant refusal to marry Will, at first simply because she doesn't want to marry the first man she meets, was confusing as there was a stated sense of emergency to the purpose she wanted/needed to marry. The plot falls apart as it was simultaneously laid out and then kind of ignored.
Her cheeks were flushed with excitement rather than nervousness. She wasn't just lovely.
She was beautiful.
Will turned to his brother. “But she's just a friend.”
This was a pretty sweet, almost tooth achingly at times, and low angst story. The pace dragged for me as most of the story was Will and Thea speaking out loud that they are only friends but then completely acting and thinking differently, it gave the story a very conflicting feel. There really isn't a reason or challenge to these two getting together (there is a last second wedge thrown in there at the very end that is resolved very quickly) and therefore their weak denials, especially when their actions are the opposite of just wanting to remain friends, slows the pace of the book way down and kind of started to annoy me with their actions.
There are some racy sex scenes in this but I had a hard time getting into them. That level of sexual intimacy didn't jive for me with how and where the characters felt to be mentally; sex added in for sex sake.
Will ran a hand down his face. He didn't think he was a playing a game, but if he was, he wished he understood the rules.
One thing was becoming clearer.
What he and Thea shared was becoming all too real.
What I did enjoy about this was how the author wrote the Cavensham family, you'll see past heroes and heroines and the author incorporates them perfectly. They never steal the show but they added some warmth and dimension to Will and some lovely nostalgia if you've read the previous books in the series.
As I mentioned, there isn't much conflict or angst in this one and if you're looking for a very slow to come to terms with what everyone else has already figured out couple, this would fit the bill, along with some open door steamy scenes.
taisie22's review against another edition
3.0
Lady Theo is a Countess in her own right due to a Scottish law but is being challenged by an English Duke who wants her land. Theo has lived an isolated life due to her grandfather's ill health, but is determined to do the best for her estate and tenants. She goes to a neighbor for help who suggest marriage might be a way out of her issues and brings her great-nephew William Cavensham up to Northumberland as a possible candidate.
The two decide almost at once they don't suit - William has vowed never to love and Theo wants a loving marriage - but they become friends.
This was a sweet romance, and it was nice to see the rest of the extended Cavensham family again. William and Theo are both interesting characters, but I thought I would like this more than I actually did. The problem is all the dithering: William can't make up his mind if he wants work or marriage, Theo can't decide if she loves William or not, and the author can't make up her mind up about her characters. It drove me crazy, especially when shy Theo who wants to be friends basically suddenly becomes bold and seductive.
The story was fine but I wish there was a little more consistency and a better buildup to their romance. I want to thank Netgalley who provided this book for a fair and honest review.
The two decide almost at once they don't suit - William has vowed never to love and Theo wants a loving marriage - but they become friends.
This was a sweet romance, and it was nice to see the rest of the extended Cavensham family again. William and Theo are both interesting characters, but I thought I would like this more than I actually did. The problem is all the dithering: William can't make up his mind if he wants work or marriage, Theo can't decide if she loves William or not, and the author can't make up her mind up about her characters. It drove me crazy, especially when shy Theo who wants to be friends basically suddenly becomes bold and seductive.
The story was fine but I wish there was a little more consistency and a better buildup to their romance. I want to thank Netgalley who provided this book for a fair and honest review.