One Rogue Too Many by Samantha Grace

Title: One Rogue Too Many

Author: Samantha Grace

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

ISBN: 978-1-4022-868-2

Genre: Historical Romance—Regency Era

Release Date: January 2014

Formats Available: E-book & Mass Market Paperpack $6.99

How I Read It: Mass Market Arc from publisher

Rating: 3.5 Crowns

From the Betting Book at Brook's Gentleman's Club: Wager: £2,000 that Lord Ellis will throw the first punch when he discovers Lord Throne is wooing a certain duke's sister.

All Bets Are Off When the Game is Love

Lady Gabrielle is thrilled when Anthony Keaton, earl of Ellis, asks for her hand in marriage. She's not so pleased when he then leaves the country and four months pass without a word. Clearly, the scoundrel has changed his mind and is too cowardly to tell her. There's nothing to do but go back on the marriage mart...

When Anthony returns to town and finds his ultimate rival has set sights on Gabby, his continual battle of one-upmanship with Sebastian Thorne ceases to be a game. Anthony is determined to win back the woman who holds his heart--but he's not expecting Gabby herself to up the stakes... (taken from the publishers website)

My Thoughts:

Lady Gabrielle has been in love with her brother’s friend, Anthony Keaton, the Earl of Ellis, for as long as she can remember even though, at times, it appeared he didn’t reciprocate her feelings. When Anthony returns from a four month stint in the country, he was sure that Gabby would be his wife, but now it seems that his rival, Sebastian Thorne, has set his sights on Gabby as well. Now Anthony has to woo and win the woman he loves.

This is one of those books you think you’re going to like, until you reach the middle and realize just how stupid the heroine is. I mean, seriously, I have never seen a heroine make such idiotic choices. There were parts of the book—mostly from the middle to the ending—that I wanted to reach in and slap Gabby for the choices that she made.

I liked Anthony, he was a very masculine character who also had—and showed—a vulnerable side, which made him endearing. While Anthony could definitely charm the pants of somebody he kept important secrets close to vest that should have been revealed much earlier than they were.

The chemistry between Anthony and Gabby was there, but much of it hinged on events from their past that were brought about by the characters recalling the events rather than the events taking place in the book. When authors choose to show character connections by using recollections, it often comes off as the reader being told rather than showed and it puts off the connection the reader has with the story.

I think that the potential for this to be a 5 Crown read was there, but, for me, the rivalry between Anthony and Thorne seemed to take away rather than add to the book and it slowed down the pace, when the book should have focused on the romance between Anthony and Gabby.

Overall, there were elements that I liked and elements that I didn’t like. But I believe that fans of Samantha Grace will be pleased with One Rogue Too Many as well as those who love the childhood friends to lovers plot.

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