Sometimes a Rogue Series: Lost Lords #5 on August 27, 2013
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Also in this series: Not Quite a Wife, Not Always a Saint
Sometimes. . .
Even the most proper young lady yearns for adventure. But when the very well bred Miss Sarah Clarke-Townsend impulsively takes the place of her pregnant twin, it puts her own life at risk. If the kidnappers after her sister discover they've abducted Sarah instead, she will surely pay with her life. . .
A Rogue. . .
Rob Carmichael survived his disastrous family by turning his back on his heritage and becoming a formidable Bow Street Runner with a talent for rescuing damsels in distress. But Sarah is one damsel who is equal to whatever comes. Whether racing across Ireland with her roguish rescuer or throwing herself into his arms, she challenges Rob at every turn.
Review
Another enjoyable Lost Lords romance! Mary Jo Putney is on my autobuy list, at least for her historical romances. Somehow she manages to make even the most unlikely plots and scenarios believable. I think it’s because her characters are so well-drawn. While some of Putney’s recent books have been a little lighter, not quite as rich and engrossing as books such as The China Bride or the Fallen Angels series, I still find them thoroughly entertaining, and this book is no exception.
Sometimes a Rogue is the fifth book in the Lost Lords series, which features the men who attended Lady Agnes Westerfield’s unconventional school for boys of good birth and bad behavior. The hero here is Rob Carmichael, an important secondary character in two of the previous books (Nowhere Near Respectable and No Longer a Gentleman), while the heroine is the twin sister of Mariah, the Duchess of Ashton (Loving a Lost Lord.) I’ve been waiting for both their stories, but frankly, I never expected this pair to end up together.
Sarah has always compared herself unfavorably to her unconventional sister Mariah, but she proves to have plenty of spirit, courage, and intelligence — not to mention more than a soupcon of unconventionality — pretending to be her twin so the kidnappers will leave the laboring Mariah alone. Rob shows up at Ashton’s estate just in time to hear that Sarah has been kidnapped, and immediately goes after her. Once he finally locates Sarah, she holds her own as they attempt to escape her kidnappers and return to England. More than once, Sarah rescues Rob (the frying pan scene is delightful!) and it’s clear from early on that these two are a good match in terms of temperament. There’s plenty of sensual tension between them, too, but the social obstacle is considerable: although born a gentleman, Rob is a Bow Street Runner; neither his income, his lifestyle, nor his social standing are sufficient to allow him marry someone of Sarah’s pedigree. He’s too honorable to pursue a relationship given his circumstances, and Sarah reluctantly concurs. But circumstances can change, and Rob’s do, quite dramatically.
The pacing of Sometimes a Rogue is somewhat uneven. The beginning third is fast and suspenseful; then there is a longer, slower interlude during which Sarah and Rob’s relationship really develops, and the book finishes off with an abrupt, action-filled suspense section and a sudden denouement. It’s a mark of Mary Jo Putney’s writing skill that she manages to connect these sections and make them work together, in much the way that a good symphony is a cohesive work although each movement has a different mood. What ties the sections of Sometimes a Rogue together are the main characters. Sarah and Rob are well-drawn and both have depth and enough flaws to be interesting. Their deepening relationship carries the story through the quieter section. Two secondary characters, relatives of Rob’s, also enliven that portion of the book, and even these experience some growth and development despite their briefer appearances on the page.
Overall, I enjoyed Sometimes a Rogue very much, and recommend it to fans of Mary Jo Putney and Regency-era romance in general. It can certainly be read as a standalone, but you may wish to read the earlier books in the series either before or after this one; they are also quite delightful and offer some background for Rob, Sarah, and a number of minor characters.
About Mary Jo Putney
Mary Jo Putney was born in Upstate New York and holds degrees in English Literature and Industrial Design from Syracuse University. She worked in the field of design until her first novel was published in 1987. Since then, she has written over forty books, mainly historical romances.
Ms. Putney’s novels are known for their emotional depth and for tackling unusal subjects for romance, including alcoholism, imprisonment, terminal illness, and domestic violence. Her books regularly feature on national bestseller lists. A ten-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA award, Putney has won twice, for Dancing on the Wind and The Rake and the Reformer (later revised and expanded as The Rake. She is also the holder of several other awards, including the Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ms. Putney continues to write new stories for Kensington, but has reissued many of her backlist titles independently, including the Silk Trilogy and her bestselling Fallen Angels series.
She lives near Baltimore, Maryland.
Blodeuedd
I have had that happen on NG too :/
Anyway, it sure was a fun book 😀 And I really want to read the first book and her sister’s story
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Interesting to hear you’ve had a similar problem with a NetGalley book, Bloduedd. I thought it was just an odd formatting thing — some piece of code that my older Sony Reader didn’t like. But maybe it’s a more general issue?
Glad you liked this book. I’ve really enjoyed the entire series!
Belle Read
I have been wanting to read this author for a long time now. I am adding the first in this series to my TBR. Thank you for the review. Too bad the formatting was off on your galley copy.
-Dilettantish Reader
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
It worked out, but I couldn’t turn in an early review for obvious reasons. Enjoy the series!
kimbacaffeinate
Ooo I want to read this series, and I love the cover!
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
I love the series! Don’t miss the contest to win the cover art (link at the bottom of the review, before the ratings and stuff.)
readerholicnotes
Mary Jo Putney has written some of my favorite romances, but I don’t think I’ve read this series. It sounds good.
Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard
It is! I don’t think it has quite as much depth and richness aseither the Fallen Angels series (and several related books, like Angel Rogue) or The China Bride/The Bartered Bride duology, but it’s still very good, well written and loads of fun to read.