A review by yourbookishbff
A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

adventurous emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was big mad at our male main character for a large part of this story! I do generally struggle with Beauty and the Beast retellings, because I'm a grudge-holder and beastly types are often hard for me to forgive, so it's saying a lot that I got there in the end and found the resolution to be both authentic and deeply romantic. Penelope's pain throughout was tough for me, though, because gosh she had already BEEN THROUGH IT in the last series, and I wanted her to have assurance of her value and agency earlier in this story. There are lovely epistolary elements to this that helped develop the childhood friendship for our main couple without using flashbacks or a dual timeline, and I LOVED these inclusions (even when they just spiraled me deeper into my anger at times!). I'm thoroughly enjoying the emotional journey I take in MacLean's romances, and I'm loving the gaming hell premise for this series!
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