A review by allingoodtime
Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Once it was becoming clear, in earlier books, that Lady Phoebe and Captain Trevillion were falling for each other I was filled with anticipation. Trevillion is used to being in charge and not being questioned while Phoebe is curious and headstrong. For the most part, she is good with obeying her brother’s smothering rules, but now that he has hired Trevillion to guard her she can no longer bend those rules. To put it bluntly, Phoebe is feeling stifled and ready to rebel.

Because there is an age gap and Trevillion is charged with Phoebe’s protection, he mostly ignores his feeling for the younger woman. Yet once her life is threatened his alpha comes roaring to life. He still has to act with propriety on the outside, but his inside voice is screaming at him to protect her. That same inside voice breaks my heart when he feels he isn’t protecting her adequately or when she makes a backhanded comment to him out of anger at being coddled. To think, this former dragoon who I despised in the first few books, has a heart of gold and an ooey gooey center underneath his hard shell.

Their relationship blossoms when Phoebe and Trevillion are off on their own, away from the city and its dangers. Watching Phoebe come to life in the freedom she is granted and having Trevillion learn to take that step back to give her that gift was glorious. These two made my heart soar.

There are some new introductions to characters in this book as well as getting to know some recently introduced characters better. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to get behind one in particular, but it’s happened before with good writing. I guess we’ll see if they ever get their own story. But the victims, so to speak, of this evil-seeming character deserve to find some happiness in life. 
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