Customer Reviews

Dancing with a Rogue (Berkley Sensation)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wasn't happy with this book, but to be fair to this fabulous author, I went back and read it again. Unfortunately, it was just as boring the second time around. I don't know what happened to this one. The characters didn't shine, and there was no spark in the story.

I hedged between three and four stars on this review. I'll explain why later.

Synopsis: Gabriel's father is ruined by a man named Stanhope when Gabriel is a young boy. Merry (or Monique) is a young girl when Stanhope ruins her mother and tries to kill them both--they flee to France where she becomes a celebrated actress with a fake persona of a woman who likes to be "protected" by patrons. (She's really not, and is pretty innocent.)

Fast forward. Gabriel has come into some money and a title and ventures to England from America to seek out revenge on Stanhope. Merry/Monique is on her way from France for the same reason.

Potter had a couple of great secondary characters in Dani, Merry/Monique's maid and Smythe, Gabriel's valet. (I enjoyed the two of them and would really like to see their story in another book.)

But to the main story. I was intrigued enough to finish the book--normally when I start to get a little bored, I drop the book and move on. I skipped through some pages while Merry /Monique and Gabriel were setting up their intrigue and getting Stanhope into their respective traps...I honestly think I skimmed up until page 200 or so before deciding to slow down and read.

That's where I fault the book. Picking up in the last third of the book, I wasn't lost. I could have done without the entire middle of the book, and the story would have been just fine. It seemed the author took a little bit too much time to get her characters together and in play on the book's premise. Once they got there and started admitting to themselves and their attendants how they felt, it made the book a bit smoother. I just wish it hadn't taken so long.

As for the characters--Gabriel was great. I thought he was fairly troubled and rightly so, but no so darned aloof and cold as some heros are. I liked him very much.

Merry/Monique--I'll be honest, she didn't stick in my head as much as some heroines. Maybe she lacked a little bit of a third dimension--she was a tad flat for my taste, but she still was readable and enjoyable. I forgave her shortcomings because she matched up well enough with Gabriel.

Overall, I'm not sure this would be my first pick, but it was good enough for me to look into more books by Ms. Potter.

This is a tale of double intrigue set in Regency London.

Merry Anders aka Monique Fremont is a celebrated actress who is in London on a secret mission... to take down the powerful and corrupt men known as "The Group" - but mainly targeting the leader of the group Stanhope. Her reasons for a vendetta involve her mother who was once his lover. After impregnating her he attempted to kill her, abandons her and leaves her with no other choice but to pursue prostitution as a means to raise her daughter Merry/ Monique. Merry holds Stanhope, her father, responsible, and sets out to turn him and his men against each other through a plot of seduction.

Gabriel Manning is on a similar mission. When he was ten years old, his father commits suicide after he is framed in a financial plot of ruin. Before he dies, he names "The Group" responsible, and of course, especially Stanhope, and makes his ten year swear to take revenge and clear the family name. Gabriel and his mother are shunned after this scandal and flee to America to live with an uncle... leaving Gabriel to grow cold and alone, obsessed with a revenge plot. He returns to London as a young man to take down Stanhope though a somewhat intricate plot that involves turning the tables on the man in a similar situation that framed his father.

So, of course, the two cross paths and soon sparks fly. I had some serious issues with the novel though, that made it impossible to lose myself in it completely. First of all, Potter lays out everything above right away (so I'm not giving any spoilers away)... so the rest of the novel there's really nothing to learn about the characters. Second of all, I had a hard time with Merry/Monique's method of revenge involving her flirting with/ near seduction of her own father. (Ick.) Third, I found Merry/Monique's side of the story to be weak beyond that. We never find out what exactly the girl planned to do once she succeeded in seducing her father. It was Gabriel that had the trap planned... and she just fell into his plot. But what was her own plot? What was her plan if she hadn't met Gabriel?

There were also some consistency errors with the characters. For example, Gabriel tells Merry/Monique that he is pretending to court Stanhope's daughter (Pamela, who is also the heroine's sister) for show and that she has a lover already. Merry/Monique continues to be jealous about Pamela, as though she were never told their relationship was fake. THEN Pamela tells her (again) and it's like she hadn't already known and she is very surprised. But even still she continues after that to bait Gabriel about how he's pursuing this girl... even though TWICE she's been told it's a fake relationship.

Also, I couldn't stand the lying. The two characters lie to each other constantly. I didn't like the heroine because I couldn't tell when she was being real or fake. Though they were both liars the whole time, she was by far the worst.

On the good side of things, this book has very wonderful side characters. I simply adored the side plot of Danielle and Smythe. Unless I missed it, we never find out what Dani's story is... I was really intrigued by her.

For a better Potter historical - I recommend her Star Series or any of her Westerns.

In 1792 England, his distraught father informs ten year old Gabriel Manning that family honor is at stake as men he called friends betrayed him and England. His distressed dad sends his beloved wife and their son to America before killing himself.

In 1815, Gabriel finds it ironic that his enemy England informs him that he is now a Marquess. He sees this as the avenue to finally avenge his father by destroying the three rogues who ruined his sire. However, actress Merry Anders seeks retribution from the three members of the group that ruined her mother. When Gabriel and Merry collide, a new feeling begins to overwhelm the hatred that fills both their mutual hearts as they fall in love at an untimely moment.

This Regency romance will thrill sub-genre fans because of the attitudes of the lead couple. Gabriel and Merry are a delightful pair, as both detest the weakness they perceive that love causes. The duet individually recognizes those positive feelings for someone else only impedes their respective quests. Patricia Potter has provided a character driven story that her audience will enjoy as they find themselves DANCING WITH A ROGUE and his actress.

Harriet Klausner