Romancing the Rogue [Mass Market Paperback]

Barbara Dawson Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2000

When Michael Kenyon, the Marquess of Stokeford, finds his grandmother having her palm read by a gypsy beauty, he's convinced that Vivien Thorne is a fortune hunter. The Marquess is determined to expose her as a fraud-and Vivien is equally determined to claim her rightful heritage. Yet neither the spirited gypsy nor the notorious rogue foresee the white-hot desire that turns their battle into a daring game where to surrender is unthinkable...impossible...and altogether irresistible.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in Regency England, Smith's follow-up to Seduced by a Scoundrel features Gypsies and aristocracy. The romantic Gypsy hero or heroine is a staple of historical romance, almost a clich?, but Smith does well with the often-used device, saving it from over-familiarity by introducing a charming trio of elderly women called The Rosebuds. These three cunning strategists maneuver Vivien Thorne, a reluctant Gypsy beauty (who in reality, as one might suspect, is of noble blood, complete with the requisite birthmark), into a love affair with Lady Lucy Stokeford's widowed grandson, Michael Kenyon, Marquess of Stokeford. Kenyon refuses to have anything to do with what he considers to be lying, thieving Gypsies, although he's immediately smitten by dark-haired, flashing-eyed, full-bodied VivienAwho, of course, steals his heart. It takes a while to get engrossed in the story, but plots and subplots contrive to make this an entertaining novel. Smith's writing is smooth, and her characters lusty and likable. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; 1st edition (September 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312975112
• ISBN-13: 978-0312975111
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #924,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could Have Been Better, August 29, 2000

By 

T. Beck "nonsb" (ATTALLA, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Romancing the Rogue (Mass Market Paperback)

I was disappointed after reading Romancing the Rogue. I am a big fan of Ms. Smith and loved all of her previous novels. I don't really know what I disliked about it but it just did not hold my interest to keep me wanting to find out what happened next.

If you loved Ms. Smith's books, I would go ahead and read Romancing the Rogue; but if you are new to her, I would start with her earlier novels first.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just What the Romanticist Ordered, March 17, 2003

By 

Linda J. Alexander "Author/Storyteller" (http://www.lindajalexander.net) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Romancing the Rogue (Mass Market Paperback)

Those of us that read romance novels essentially know what we'll be getting into before we read Page One. There's a predicability about romance, & that's for the most part why we read it. That's what we're looking for.

The difference comes in w/the characters, the way the tension builds, the sensuality between them, the predictability or, better, the lack of, and the hopefully well-done backdrops for each fantasy story. Because that's what a romance is meant to be: a fantasy whereby a reader can step away from her own reality for even a short time & feel drawn into this make-believe world.

Barbara Dawson Smith has fulfilled all the most important elements in ROMANCING THE ROGUE. The hero & heroine are beautiful. There is just enough tension between them without there being an overt amount of never-ending sparring. The timing is well-done, so that Michael & Vivien are brought together in increments, steps in time, building up to a rather believeable end. And the supporting characters are well-defined.

If I had any criticism at all, it would be minimal. Maybe the book could've supported a wee bit more sensuality. While I could tell the couple were very attracted to each other, the heat of such a connection could've been turned up just a notch. Also, I kept waiting to see Vivien reunite with Brand after she knew him to be her brother. That was a scene that could've held a considerable amount of emotion, & I really wanted to see it happen.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT BOOK DID YOU GUYS READ!, September 20, 2000

By 

"lee_knowle" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Romancing the Rogue (Mass Market Paperback)

I love the whole gypsy girl/dark and dangerous aristocrat chemistry. I loved the sense of danger that sizzled between the hero and heroine and I love regencies. This book kept me awake late into the night and there's not too many that do that. My first Smith but it wouldn't be my last!