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Wicked Designs (The League of Rogues Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Lauren Smith (Author), The League of Rogues (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 5,605 ratings
See all formats and editions

Fans of the Bridgertons will love this bad boy duke who kidnaps the wrong woman in this steamy historical romance.

Godric St. Laurent, Duke of Essex:

A rake.

A scoundrel.

And now he's a kidnapper.

Godric St. Laurent, Duke of Essex, relishes the rakish reputation society has branded him with. He has no plans to marry anytime soon—if ever. When he kidnaps an embezzler’s niece for revenge, the difficult debutante’s blend of sweetness and sharp tongue both infuriate and intrigue him.

Miss Emily Parr is determined to rid herself of domineering men in her life. Her plan is in shambles after she's kidnapped by the incorrigible duke. As she tries to outwit him, she finds herself... enjoying not only the scorching kisses he steals but also his companionship. Of course the most wicked and unweddable man she's ever met would be the one she can't imagine living without.

As they surrender to passion, danger from Godric's past threatens to destroy the one thing he and Emily swore they never wanted: love.

Warning: This novel includes a lady who refuses to stay kidnapped, a devilish duke with a dark past, and an assortment of charming rogues who have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into.

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  1. Book 1 of 19
    The League of Rogues
  2. Print length
    488 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    March 2, 2017
  6. File size
    8024 KB
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The League of Rogues Book 1 - Book 10
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  1. Love strengthened a person. It fortified their heart until they could defeat any enemy, survive any hardship, achieve any dream.
    Highlighted by 83 Kindle readers
  2. One never knew the mistakes one might make, nor the price to be paid until it was too late.
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From the Publisher

duke with a plan
she's his revenge
fine line between love and hate

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Smith's fast-pacedhistorical keeps readers on their toes as they're taken hostage by a whirlwindof characters and an unforgettable romance. Readers will get their fair shareof emotional outbursts, which includes laughter, lust, anger and sadness...it'saction-packed, sizzling hot and readers of all genres will enjoy the scrambleto the finish." -- RT Book ReviewsMagazine

"Lauren Smith's debut Leagueof Rogues novel is a fun, clever and wonderfully sympathetic read that willno doubt earn her a number of fans. Her insight into her characters andwillingness to take risks with them is impressive...and brought a fresh voice anda heap of compassion, transforming it into something highly readable and quiteenjoyable." -- The Romance Reviews

"The best thing for mewas the quality of Lauren Smith's writing. I will read her again. She is afresh voice to watch out for." --RomanticHistorical Reviews

 "Her writing reminds me a lot of the brilliant Julia Quinn's work, and I can't wait to read more." Night Owl Reviews- Top Pick
"This witty and entertaining romance features anemotionally scarred hero, a smart heroine and a loveable group of rogues... Emily is a delightfulheroine. She is smart, courageous and spirited enough to stand up for herself.I love her determination to outwit her captors and escape. She certainly keepsthose five rogues on their toes!" --Rakesand Rascals.com

"The secondary cast of charactersadded depth to the story. I loved all the rogues... You could feel theircamaraderie and genuine affection for each other. This story was the best ofromance, friendship, and love. It was a quick, easy read that put a smile on myface." --Cocktails and Books.com

From the Author

Hi!! It's not often I get to talk directly to you readers about a book! But here it goes! I want to warn you about this story. It has a dark beginning, with a hero who, well, honestly doesn't act very heroic. He's a rogue not a saint, and the heroine, well she's young and yes naive, but all girls were at her age in 1820. But I want you to know that the heroine changes the hero for the better, and while he does some terrible things, just know that he falls hard in love and regrets all his actions. This book does not condone abuse or rape, nor does that occur in this book and any reviews to the contrary are not correctly stating the facts of the story. If you don't like your heroes dark and brooding, this might not be the book for you. But if you love a hero who doesn't know at the beginning of his journey that he will become a hero, then you might love this story. So forgive this hero dear reader, and give him a chance to win your heart as he does his heroine.Thank you and enjoy!

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06XDRC417
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (March 2, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 2, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 8024 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 488 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 5,605 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Lauren Smith

    Lauren Smith

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    USA TODAY Bestselling author LAUREN SMITH is an Oklahoma attorney by day, who pens adventurous and edgy romance stories by the light of her smart phone flashlight app. She knew she was destined to be a romance writer when she attempted to re-write the entire Titanic movie just to save Jack from drowning. Connecting with readers by writing emotionally moving, realistic and sexy romances no matter what time period is her passion. She’s won multiple awards in several romance subgenres including: New England Reader’s Choice Awards, Greater Detroit BookSeller’s Best Awards, Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter-Finalist and a Semi-Finalist for the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award. To connect with Lauren, visit her at www.laurensmithbooks.com or twitter at @LSmithAuthor.

    Want THREE FREE romances of different genres? Join Lauren's VIP readers group and start reading today!

    Sign up and start reading today here: http://laurensmithbooks.com/free-books-and-newsletter/

    See more on the author's page
  2. The League of Rogues

    The League of Rogues

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    The League of Rogues is a USA Today Bestselling Series about a group of powerful English Lords and the women they fall in love with. Bound by a dark tragedy in their past, the rogues stick together through an amazing series of adventures as they discover where their hearts truly lie, proving that rogues can be redeemed!

    Meet the League:

    Godric St. Laurent- The Duke of Essex

    Lucien Russell- The Marquess of Rochester

    Cedric Sheridan- Viscount Sheridan

    Ashton Lennox- Baron Lennox

    Lawrence Russell- Gentleman

    James Fordyce- The Earl of Pembroke

    Jonathan St. Laurent- Gentleman

    Charles Humphry- The Earl of Lonsdale

    *Stayed tuned for more rogues!!!

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
5,605 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book compelling, awesome, and well-thought-out. They also find the characters engaging, satisfying, and likable. Readers describe the romance as hot and steamy. They appreciate the great dialogue with humorous banter. They describe the pacing as quick and exciting. Opinions are mixed on the plot quality, with some finding it exciting and fresh, while others say it's bogged down in unnecessary scenes.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ReadabilityCharacter developmentRomanceHumorPacingPlot qualityWriting qualityIntelligence
266 customers mention "Readability"244 positive22 negative

Customers find the novel fun, compelling, and awesome. They appreciate the rowdy characters and never-ending adventures. Readers also mention the series is perfect.

"...What a brilliant plot! What an astounding conundrum our five rogues find themselves in...but none more than Lord Godric, the Duke of Essex...." Read more

"...The plot is compelling, the characters are interesting, the passion level is off the charts, and the writing is technically very good...." Read more

"...This is a delightful read and I’ve already read the next book in the series and I hope the author hurries up and writes the third book as I can’t..." Read more

"The TL;DR version of this review is that this book is okay...." Read more

130 customers mention "Character development"106 positive24 negative

Customers find the characters engaging, satisfying, and likable. They also mention the heroine is smart and strong despite her young age. Readers also appreciate the fine dialogue and excellent descriptors of loyal friends.

"...The plot is compelling, the characters are interesting, the passion level is off the charts, and the writing is technically very good...." Read more

"Enjoyed all of the rowdy characters and the never ending adventures. Very entertaining! Look forward to the rest of the books in the series." Read more

"This has been on my TBR list for a while. I really enjoyed the characters and felt like I was in their world with them...." Read more

"Loved This Book Very Much! Loved The Characters And The Story" Read more

76 customers mention "Romance"72 positive4 negative

Customers find the romance in the book hot, steamy, and realistic. They also say the passion level is off the charts and the writing is technical. Readers mention the book is a well-penned story of deep friendship and love. They find the characters charming and hot.

"...With his tall, muscular physique, he's arrogant, intense and extremely charming...." Read more

"...plot is compelling, the characters are interesting, the passion level is off the charts, and the writing is technically very good...." Read more

"...This book had all the elements of a perfect historical romance novel. The hero and heroine at odds with each other...." Read more

"...It's far from a bad read and will keep the avid romance reader entertained for an afternoon...." Read more

64 customers mention "Humor"64 positive0 negative

Customers find the book has great dialogue with humorous banter. They say it's a page-turner with memorable dialogue. Readers also appreciate the narrator's presentation and the clever writing.

"...She is highly educated with a sharp intellect and a keen sense of humor. She's cunning, clever, strong and brave and doesn't frighten easily...." Read more

"...interesting, the passion level is off the charts, and the writing is technically very good...." Read more

"...usual elements really well done, but on top of it, the book had you smiling and laughing.Emily has been kidnapped by the League of Rogues...." Read more

"This book was well writtenThis book had me sold from the start. The title was this, and it just absolutely make me crack up...." Read more

24 customers mention "Pacing"18 positive6 negative

Customers find the book fast-paced with heightened situations that drive the story forward. They say it's an exciting read with enough action, intrigue, and mystery to keep them engaged. Readers also mention the story is sweet and sexy.

"...They are five of the most handsome, rich, influential and eligible men in all of England with notorious reputations for ruining women......" Read more

"...This novel was so much fun, it was quick paced with heightened situations that drove the story forward...." Read more

"...The romantic relationship between the two main characters seemed a little rushed and hard to believe in the beginning...." Read more

"...Ashton (H) is definitely alpha male, strong, rich, handsome, committed and faithful...." Read more

72 customers mention "Plot quality"30 positive42 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot quality of the book. Some mention it's exciting, full of intrigue, and suspense. Others say the premise is really bad, the story is bogged down in unnecessary scenes, and the story seems far-fetched.

"...The heroine ticked me off late in the book by being too angsty. It made no sense given what her aims were all along...." Read more

"...She's graceful, mysterious and alluring. Miss Emily Parr is naive with a sensual innocence she is unaware of and she is nobody's fool...." Read more

"...Okay, I have to agree with other readers that the story seems a little far fetched. Godric maybe the leader but he can be the comedian of the group...." Read more

"...book as I can’t wait to learn more about these wonderful and charming Rogues and the ladies who love them.Reviewed for www.kiltsandswords.com" Read more

56 customers mention "Writing quality"27 positive29 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book. Some mention it's well-written and descriptive, while others say the details are slow to tell and the information gradually trickles in. They also mention the book is not easy to read at times and has several errors where simple words are just left out or misused.

"...Details on descriptions are slow in telling...the information gradually trickles in and because of this, its difficult to form a picture in the..." Read more

"...While it presents nothing new or exciting, the plot flows well enough-- I intend to read the next book in the series, while hoping that there are..." Read more

"...The back stories are well descripted and solid. A few spelling errors or grammar errors and a few places where words are missing out the wrong name..." Read more

"...WICKED DESINGS is a wonderful book, great dialogues, fantastic writing, great characters – I loved Ashton!..." Read more

28 customers mention "Intelligence"17 positive11 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the intelligence of the heroine. Some mention she's resourceful, clever, and brave. Others say the rogues are undisciplined and selfish.

"...She is highly educated with a sharp intellect and a keen sense of humor. She's cunning, clever, strong and brave and doesn't frighten easily...." Read more

"...As I stated above, this book is full of tropes, but that's not a bad thing overall...." Read more

"...Her escape attempts are so funny. She shows really ingenuity and cunning to try to defeat the League men...." Read more

"...Miss Emily is intelligent & strong willed, she keeps devising a lot of escape plans where she almost succeeds a couple of times...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

Tbascoebuzz
5.0 out of 5 stars Secrets, surprises, scoundrels, seduction......SCRUMPTIOUS!
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2015
Verified Purchase
Where has this author been all my life?!? This is my first time reading this author and I was more than pleasantly surprised with her talented pen. This plot swept me off my feet and carried me away beginning with a 5★ studded BANG and carries that echoing, resounding crescendo to its final line.

The League of Rogues are a group of peers of Englands' "upper crust" who are without rules or morals. They are five of the most handsome, rich, influential and eligible men in all of England with notorious reputations for ruining women...(well....so it's told). And they like it that way...keeps the "mama's" from trying to snag them into marriages for their daughters. They're all best friends who are more like brothers.

He has frosty, emerald green eyes and longish black hair. His reputation for ruining young debutantes is renowned; he doesn't care. He never lets the rules of society dictate his life. Lord Godric St. Laurent, twelfth Duke of Essex is a grand seducer of women. With his tall, muscular physique, he's arrogant, intense and extremely charming. And he's just kidnapped a woman...Miss Emily Parr... to exact revenge on her Uncle and guardian for an unpaid debt.

She is highly educated with a sharp intellect and a keen sense of humor. She's cunning, clever, strong and brave and doesn't frighten easily. She's graceful, mysterious and alluring. Miss Emily Parr is naive with a sensual innocence she is unaware of and she is nobody's fool. She has large expressive violet eyes and amber gold hair...a combination that intoxicates. She's also alone in the world after the sudden death of her parents...and now she finds herself in the care of an uncle who is uncaring and debt ridden...an uncle who doesn't love her and intends to marry her off to the highest bidder. And then she's abducted by five rogues....

What a brilliant plot! What an astounding conundrum our five rogues find themselves in...but none more than Lord Godric, the Duke of Essex. Even though all five rogues are attracted to their prisoner to some degree, Lord Godric finds he wants to make her happy. He wants to know her. He kidnaps a woman explicitly to ruin her... never expecting to fall for his prisoner. He wants revenge but slowly begins to lose the war. He becomes caught in her enchanting web and is forever lost in her pure innocence...and she's not even trying. He slowly becomes obsessed with her and obligated to her. I loved it! All five rogues care for her and offer her comfort at a time in her life when she has no one. Her reality of being utterly and completely alone overwhelms and terrifies her and she eventually grows to care for these rogues.

This band of brothers...this League of Rogues never dreamed that an act of abduction to appease wounded pride would end up with their captive turning the tables on them all and have them smitten with her. This is the age old dilemma of Lord Godric facing the abuse and neglect inflicted upon him as a child, resulting in feelings of low self worth... and Miss Emily Parr becoming his saving grace.

If there is any downside to this story, it would be the weak descriptions of each main character. Details on descriptions are slow in telling...the information gradually trickles in and because of this, its difficult to form a picture in the readers' mind of exactly who they're reading about, making a connection to the H/h a struggle.
24 people found this helpful
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Cynthia L. Bogner
4.0 out of 5 stars Very engaging
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2021
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First, I’m going to come out and admit to liking this book and then apologize to some extent for doing so. The plot is compelling, the characters are interesting, the passion level is off the charts, and the writing is technically very good.

The hero is most definitely an alpha who needs taming. The heroine is at turns feisty and strong, but strangely fragile emotionally. The group of rogues are confounding. They aren’t cookie-cutter alphas at all, and there is a dark secret that binds them that I’m sure wont be revealed until much later in the series.

So, why my guilt? The book rides a razor’s edge of being a little rapey and misogynistic. The rogues all care about the sweet heroine they have abducted, but they seem resigned to the fact that she will be ruined. They have apparently made peace with it because their best friend needs their help getting revenge against the man who cheated him.

So what will ruination mean for the heroine? At turns it is to make her unmarriageable, then once they grow to know her, a mistress, and finally, finally, two of the rogues offer to step up to a marriage of convenience if the hero does not offer for her. Never is she consulted. Furthermore, the hero uses a lot of forceful imbalance of power (physical and emotional) to seduce the heroine. As I say, it goes right up to the edge of what could be considered consent, looks you in the eye, grins wickedly at you, then puts its toe so much on the line it’s hard to tell if it’s out of bounds.

The heroine ticked me off late in the book by being too angsty. It made no sense given what her aims were all along. Also, there are a LOT of contrived plot elements. I forgave them. You probably will, too. Even so, you will likely scratch your head a number of time during the reading.
2 people found this helpful
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Kiltsandswords
5.0 out of 5 stars One Woman, Five Lords
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2014
Verified Purchase
Wicked Designs (The League of Rogues Series) by Lauren Smith

I once read that Jane Austen never wrote a single scene with just men. The rationale was that since she had never been alone with a man or men, she didn’t know what they talked about, therefore she couldn’t write about it. For many women in the Georgian and Regency eras, this would have been a very true fact. Women were highly chaperoned and moved in flocks, and however unjust it was men could do as they please, where women were held to very strict and high moral expectations
That is why I loved this book so much! This book was FUN! It’s not often you read a historical romance novel that has all the usual elements really well done, but on top of it, the book had you smiling and laughing.
Emily has been kidnapped by the League of Rogues. The kidnapping in itself was hilarious with blunders and missteps. She has been spirited away to one of the members, Godric’s country estate. The purpose is to compromise her in retaliation for the business dealings Godric has with her spineless uncle Albert. They do not plan on actually doing any physical harm to her and this is not a ménage type of story. Just a simple kidnap until enough damage has been done to her reputation that her uncle will suffer.
What made this book so enjoyable was the time Emily spent with the five Lords. They are all very different men and exhibit a lust for life. They take Emily under their wing and spend time with her as if she were one of them. They never treat her like a sister, as they talk about things in front of her that no well-bred lady should be privy too. They all have an interest in the beautiful young lady and it was fun to watch them all have a go at wooing her.
Emily is NOT happy to have been taken. Although she didn’t like her current situation with her Uncle as he was plotting to give her to his horrible business partner Blankenship, she is faced with an even more challenging position as captive. Her escape attempts are so funny. She shows really ingenuity and cunning to try to defeat the League men. She pretends she can’t speak Greek and eavesdrops on their plans, she pretends she can’t ride and manages to outride them all, and she manages to bribe the staff to do her bidding. Each attempt was charming and I was crushed for her when she would be dragged back each time. As a reader, you know it’s a great book you are reading when you are so emotionally invested in the lives of the characters. I wanted Emily to stay there because the alternative was a horrible situation. I liked that they guarded her and cared for her.
All the men try to woo her. One brings her a puppy (although it is more for the reason that the puppy will make noise if she tries to escape), one takes her fishing, one engages in conversations about her feelings and one tries to seduce her (well, they all try in some way).
Godric is the reason that she has been kidnapped. Since he laid eyes on her, he has been drawn to her. He knows the other men are interested, but once she shows some interest in return, she belongs to him. The other men are still protective, but watch the courtship between to two develop, intervening when necessary.
Godric is a lusty man. He desires her, but like most Lords he has a past that has given him a cold heart and a strong temper. He doesn’t believe in love and marriage is out of the question. However, seduction is definitely on the agenda. He slowly wears down her defences and like a flower blooming; he slowly awakens her to the beauty of intimacy. The love scenes were so well written. Emily has her first kiss and one of the Rogues tells her she kisses with her heart, so of course it scared the pants off Godric.
As time passes, Emily is happy in her situation. She enjoys the Rogues and the protection they are providing, as danger most certainly lurks. Blankenship wants Emily badly. He wants to degrade her and defile her sexually. He enlists various characters to spy and abduct Emily. She believes she must try for a final escape to save the Rogues and Godric from death by Blankenship. She doesn’t succeed, but it solidifies for Godric that he can’t live without her. He’s not able to choke out the love words she wants, but in his marrow he knows that he can’t live without her.
Eventually, Blankenship’s machinations get results. He is able to get Emily away from the Rogues. Godric and the League are her Knights in shining armour and save her from a dreadful fate. Emily is a smart woman. Before she will say any vows, Godric must willingly say those words that she must hear. He gladly does because he knows that she is the one.
This book had all the elements of a perfect historical romance novel. The hero and heroine at odds with each other. Evil men willing to do harm to innocent ladies. A slow, burning seduction that lights up the pages with hot love scenes. But what really made this book stand out were the humour and the comradery amongst the League. It was so enjoyable to read about them whiling away the hours as gentlemen friends with a lady in tow. There were no pretensions about who they were and it wasn’t as if they treated Emily as one of the guys, but rather as a partner in crime. This is a delightful read and I’ve already read the next book in the series and I hope the author hurries up and writes the third book as I can’t wait to learn more about these wonderful and charming Rogues and the ladies who love them.
Reviewed for www.kiltsandswords.com
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Top reviews from other countries

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Andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars Friends
Reviewed in France on April 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
I very much liked this first book in the series. The companionship is hilarious, but I believe came about because of something nefarious I will certainly learn about along the way of the series. Emily could certainly have dreamt of a more romantic beginning for her love life, but what the heck! As a writer you have to see the hole thing and pack it nicely so that everything comes together eventually at the end. And I also believe that Godric really fell in love because of a butterfly long before the abduction, lol. What shall I say? I am a believer…
Enjoy your read!
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Franco Maura
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story, I surely recommend it
Reviewed in Italy on September 13, 2017
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Wonderful book,! I couldn't put it down, it's entertaining and fun to read.
Guess the translation in Italian didn't work well but in original English it's fantastic!!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
Reviewed in Australia on October 5, 2019
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I loved everything about this book. Fantastic author and a must read !!
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Selena Robins
5.0 out of 5 stars Laugh & Sigh – Entertaining Historical Romance
Reviewed in Canada on November 6, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is my first (certainly not my last) Lauren Smith novel. The result of Lauren Smith’s creativity is a well-written story, combining loads of sexual tension, explosive sensual love scenes, witty dialogue, and splashes of intrigue, mystery and suspense.

I was highly entertained with the main characters---Emily Parr; an intelligent, sassy and quick-witted heroine, and Godric St. Lauren; a devilishly handsome, arrogant Duke with a dark past, who has sworn off marriage.

The addition of the hero's friends and fellow rogues adds a lot of flavor to the book as they as well are well-developed---each having their own distinct personality. Hilarity ensues with their banter, point of view, and affectionate interaction with both the hero and heroine.

The book captured my attention from the first page where we are immersed into Emily's kidnapping, and introduced to her wit and quick-thinking. From there, it is a page turning, engrossing story that doesn’t let the reader go until the end of the book.

I looked forward to the scenes between Emily and Godric, especially when Emily faked him and his friends out with her determination to escape the confines of the Duke's estate.

Emily is a refreshing, strong heroine, never coming across as a helpless, damsel in distress even when faced with peril at the hands of a malicious villain.

The hero is flawed, lives by his own rules, and takes what he wants, when he wants it, because he can. He is also charming, has a tenderness that he shields from the world, and is kept on his toes by the heroine which makes his internal angst, conflict and actions all that more fun and interesting to read. I do love a tortured hero, and Godric did not disappoint.

"Lucky for you, I seem to have developed a taste for rogues." ---Emily Parr

Yes, she did develop a taste for rogues, and even though she was the one that was held captive, it was her captor that is tied in knots, and his heart imprisoned.

WICKED DESIGNS is a well-paced, delightful romance, kicking off an excellent series. I look forward to reading the other Rogues’ journey in their attempt to find love.
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<3 books
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
I can honestly say that I lost myself in this book, for once I picked it up- it was almost impossible for me to put it down. Kidnapped by a league of rogues, Emily is whisked away to Godricks country estate, this being due to Godricks dealings with Emily's uncle. The story mainly focuses on Emily and the rogues. Emily is highly spirited, and tried the best she could to escape, though unfortunately for her, she was always caught and brought back- although with Blankenship on the horizon- who is a bad man, Emily is more than pleased to have the rogues as protection. I don't want to tell the story, as it really is one you need to read, with all its twists, turns and relationships, the author is an amazing writer- and I will defiantly read more of her books in the future- I love historical romance, and can honestly say this is one of the best books that I have read,
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