crazyrandom_music's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
vee615's review against another edition
5.0
I have read Sarah Maclean twice through, everything not just this book. I love everything by her. She is autobuy for me.
ashleywrites's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
will_dessi's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so far the best composition of book tropes in historical romance that I love - arranged marriage, revenge plot, childhood friends, and many more, which in order to discover you have to read.
Honestly, the hero Michael, the Marquess of Bourne, is the perfect burdened hunk who has a soft spot for his wife, eventually.
Honestly, the hero Michael, the Marquess of Bourne, is the perfect burdened hunk who has a soft spot for his wife, eventually.
katrinaward's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
mopraha's review against another edition
4.0
All of you could wish from a romance book. Interesting characters, beautiful story, humour, and sexiness.
geo_ix's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the book but something (I can’t really put my finger on what it is - characters or story) just didn’t work 100% for me. It was super easy to read and enjoyable but not lovable. Perhaps I needed more emotion. Some more depth to the characters. I never really felt anything they did besides once towards the very end.
The epilogue has me really excited for book two however.
The epilogue has me really excited for book two however.
etprincipalis's review against another edition
3.0
My first Sarah McLean reading. I've been looking for an HR novel that had some of the same qualities as Lisa Kleypas and found considerable success with this choice.
It was an enjoyable read, though obviously, I have some criticisms towards a few parts which I will get into a bit later.
It's a good book but it didn't have the same "hook" as Kleypas' books had for me, which means I would start reading and obsessively binge until I was finished. This particular novel I read in about four days, very on and off before going to bed.
The beginning was very promising.
I enjoyed the premise and the characters as they were introduced.
Bourne is interesting, revenge-focused, and mysterious.
Penny is a lady who thought she knew how courtship worked and was prepared to fulfill her duty until her fiancé broke their engagement to marry someone else for love, turning her whole world upside down, and leaving her to try and cope with the results of being dropped so suddenly by such a prominent match.
Though Penny's character showed a lot of promising traits, I was disappointed with how she evolved throughout the novel, as I didn't think her feelings and experiences were explored in a meaningful way. To me, it seemed that she spent years trying to block out the thought of marrying for love, but was so entranced by the idea that she couldn't accept any other marriage proposal that came her way to the distress of her family and in particular her overbearing mother. And that seems to haunt her a little bit. She wants to do her duty, but that inherently conflicts with the fact that deep down she wants to marry for love.
This debacle creates a problem because her lack of marriage reflects upon her sisters, who are loud and clear about how Penny needs to get it together and marry someone already to not make it harder for them to find suitors as well.
With regards to her sisters, despite the considerably mean ways in which they treated her in the beginning of the novel, it's almost like the author completely forgot about it later on?
They were rude and not at all supportive of their sister, pressuring her to marry literally ANYONE for their own sake, and don't care much about how Penny felt in this situation, being blamed by everyone for their misfortunes. Openly talking about how Penny being dumped in her first season created so much gossip that her two other sisters had to "settle" for the first men who proposed.
And Penny, carrying this guilt imposed upon her by her family, ultimately does what a good girl does: marries someone.
The author hints at this maybe playing a larger role in the development of the main couple's relationship, going as far as to have Bourne ask her what does SHE want, and not what her sisters or anyone else from her family, but ultimately, there's no significant resolution.
She talks about "wanting an adventure", and that ends up being "going to the gaming hell owned by her husband". A lot of the themes of loneliness, duty, and sacrifice aren't explored to their full capacity, leaving the story to be a bit shallow.
It all becomes focused on Bourne's revenge, which should be interesting if anything ever felt like it had weight.
Bourne always has all the cards, or if he doesn't, he's very soon presented the missing piece to his plans. There's no tension. The stakes are not there.
He plans on ruining his old friend's reputation in order to destroy Langford, his old friend's father, but we aren't given ANY reason as to why should we even care other than the fact that this said friend also proposed to Penny at the start of the novel.
There's no back story between him and Bourne, no meaningful interactions other than when they're arguing over Penny. How much either of them loves her. Nothing else connects them.
One of Penny's many concerns is how Bourne only married her to regain Falconwell, his ancestral home, taken by Langford so many years prior. She is haunted by this. Every time she thinks they're developing a genuine connection, she second guesses everything, it's all a ruse. It can't be real.
Michael makes NO meaningful concession to reassure her of her worth.
In fact, her own father further rewards him for "taking her off his hands".
Eveyone gets what they want, but unfortunately, Penny's character continues to live for others and not for herself.
It was an enjoyable read, though obviously, I have some criticisms towards a few parts which I will get into a bit later.
It's a good book but it didn't have the same "hook" as Kleypas' books had for me, which means I would start reading and obsessively binge until I was finished. This particular novel I read in about four days, very on and off before going to bed.
The beginning was very promising.
I enjoyed the premise and the characters as they were introduced.
Bourne is interesting, revenge-focused, and mysterious.
Penny is a lady who thought she knew how courtship worked and was prepared to fulfill her duty until her fiancé broke their engagement to marry someone else for love, turning her whole world upside down, and leaving her to try and cope with the results of being dropped so suddenly by such a prominent match.
Though Penny's character showed a lot of promising traits, I was disappointed with how she evolved throughout the novel, as I didn't think her feelings and experiences were explored in a meaningful way. To me, it seemed that she spent years trying to block out the thought of marrying for love, but was so entranced by the idea that she couldn't accept any other marriage proposal that came her way to the distress of her family and in particular her overbearing mother. And that seems to haunt her a little bit. She wants to do her duty, but that inherently conflicts with the fact that deep down she wants to marry for love.
This debacle creates a problem because her lack of marriage reflects upon her sisters, who are loud and clear about how Penny needs to get it together and marry someone already to not make it harder for them to find suitors as well.
With regards to her sisters, despite the considerably mean ways in which they treated her in the beginning of the novel, it's almost like the author completely forgot about it later on?
They were rude and not at all supportive of their sister, pressuring her to marry literally ANYONE for their own sake, and don't care much about how Penny felt in this situation, being blamed by everyone for their misfortunes. Openly talking about how Penny being dumped in her first season created so much gossip that her two other sisters had to "settle" for the first men who proposed.
And Penny, carrying this guilt imposed upon her by her family, ultimately does what a good girl does: marries someone.
The author hints at this maybe playing a larger role in the development of the main couple's relationship, going as far as to have Bourne ask her what does SHE want, and not what her sisters or anyone else from her family, but ultimately, there's no significant resolution.
She talks about "wanting an adventure", and that ends up being "going to the gaming hell owned by her husband". A lot of the themes of loneliness, duty, and sacrifice aren't explored to their full capacity, leaving the story to be a bit shallow.
It all becomes focused on Bourne's revenge, which should be interesting if anything ever felt like it had weight.
Bourne always has all the cards, or if he doesn't, he's very soon presented the missing piece to his plans. There's no tension. The stakes are not there.
He plans on ruining his old friend's reputation in order to destroy Langford, his old friend's father, but we aren't given ANY reason as to why should we even care other than the fact that this said friend also proposed to Penny at the start of the novel.
There's no back story between him and Bourne, no meaningful interactions other than when they're arguing over Penny. How much either of them loves her. Nothing else connects them.
One of Penny's many concerns is how Bourne only married her to regain Falconwell, his ancestral home, taken by Langford so many years prior. She is haunted by this. Every time she thinks they're developing a genuine connection, she second guesses everything, it's all a ruse. It can't be real.
Michael makes NO meaningful concession to reassure her of her worth.
In fact, her own father further rewards him for "taking her off his hands".
Eveyone gets what they want, but unfortunately, Penny's character continues to live for others and not for herself.
saltycaroline's review against another edition
3.0
Weirdly my favorite part of Bourne's arc was when he abducted Penelope in the middle of the night & forced her to marry him. It may not be healthy but it is the truth
CW: Sexual content, kidnapping, addiction
CW: Sexual content, kidnapping, addiction
bookbruin's review against another edition
3.5
I haven’t read a lot of books by Sarah MacLean, but after loving the first 2 books in her Hell’s Belles series, I decided to check out her backlist.
A Rogue By Any Other Name was entertaining, but there were a few things that kept me from truly loving it. My main issue with the book was unfortunately Michael. I love a damaged hero and my heart definitely hurt for him and all that he lost, but the entire revenge plot lasted way too long. I wanted him to come to his epiphany much sooner and all the denying of how he really felt and his harsh words and actions towards Penelope to keep her away annoyed me.
Penelope was a great heroine and I liked that she didn’t settle in her search for “more” and that she went after her adventure. I do think she forgave Michael way too easily though and I needed a lot more grovel after everything that he said and did. I’m very intrigued by the other owners of The Fallen Angel and that epilogue has me very excited for Cross and Pippa!
I switched between the ebook and audio with this one and Rosalyn Landor was wonderful as always. I enjoy her performances so much and she’s definitely one of my favorite historical romance narrators.
Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 3-3.5 stars
Tropes: marriage of convenience, childhood friends to lovers, second chance-ish romance, slow burn, epistolary
CW: death of parents (past), loss of fortune & financial hardship (past), blackmail, mentions of an illegitimate child, MMC has a gambling addiction (past, but still a concern in the present), boxing/fighting
A Rogue By Any Other Name was entertaining, but there were a few things that kept me from truly loving it. My main issue with the book was unfortunately Michael. I love a damaged hero and my heart definitely hurt for him and all that he lost, but the entire revenge plot lasted way too long. I wanted him to come to his epiphany much sooner and all the denying of how he really felt and his harsh words and actions towards Penelope to keep her away annoyed me.
Penelope was a great heroine and I liked that she didn’t settle in her search for “more” and that she went after her adventure. I do think she forgave Michael way too easily though and I needed a lot more grovel after everything that he said and did. I’m very intrigued by the other owners of The Fallen Angel and that epilogue has me very excited for Cross and Pippa!
I switched between the ebook and audio with this one and Rosalyn Landor was wonderful as always. I enjoy her performances so much and she’s definitely one of my favorite historical romance narrators.
Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 3-3.5 stars
Tropes: marriage of convenience, childhood friends to lovers, second chance-ish romance, slow burn, epistolary
CW: death of parents (past), loss of fortune & financial hardship (past), blackmail, mentions of an illegitimate child, MMC has a gambling addiction (past, but still a concern in the present), boxing/fighting