Shameless by Anne Stuart

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

I wasn't aware that the House of Rohan series was continuing after the third book, so I was surprised when I came across this. I haven't exactly been enamored by the series thus yet, but I liked it well enough to continue with it.

Shameless is, by far, my favorite in the series and includes my favorite hero. Benedick Rohan is the eldest son of the hero from book two and the oldest brother of the heroine from book three. He's been married two times already, both wives dying in childbirth, and engaged to a woman who ended up killing herself. While he puts on a strong exterior, he's clearly been emotionally scarred by these events, but sets out to marry again to a woman who will provide him with an heir and look the other way when he strays off.

Yeah, that doesn't happen. Instead, he comes across Lady Melisande Carstairs, a wealthy widow who has made her goal in life to reform women from the streets. Melisande and Benedick butt heads more than once, and tension builds.

I liked the way the relationship gradually progressed. Tension and general disdain makes for a good story. The two get into many verbal quips with each other, and I loved how Melisande made clear to him that he clearly met his match.

While The Heavenly Host plays a part in the story, thankfully Benedick's not a part of the organization, which has re-formed and has become even more sadistic than before. However, his younger brother Brandon, scarred from the war, has gotten himself mixed into it. Not to mention, Melisande has taken it upon herself to rescue the women who fall victim to the organization, and looks to Benedick for help.

Brandon is a sad sort, and I expect his story will be next. Scarred and crippled, both emotionally and physically, the guy has practically given up on life, but I expect a certain lady – also introduced in this book – will help him see the light.

Overall, a very good historical romance. It had a strong plot and some tense moments, along with some quite funny moments. I look forward to the next book.

Breathless by Anne Stuart

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

Breathless is the last installment in The House of Rohan trilogy. And it is definitely my favorite.

The heroes in the first two books were described as 'dangerous,' but they were nothing compared to Lucien de Malheur, otherwise known as The Scorpion. Lucien is as deadly as his name. He's also a dark, scarred, anti-hero hellbent on revenge.

His revenge is targeted at the Rohan family and he develops a plan focused on Miranda Rohan, the daughter of the hero and heroine from Reckless. Miranda is a fallen woman, an outcast, and Lucien sees her as an easy target for him to finally get his revenge on the Rohans.

Enter an old gothic home. This is where Lucien takes Miranda, threatening her to elope or he'll kill one of her brothers. The old, moldy, dark house is similar to its master. Miranda tries to make the best of her situation while trying to think of a scheme to get herself out of there.

As in the previous books, there was a secondary romance: that of Jacob Donnelly, an infamous thief, and Jane Pagett, the daughter of the secondary hero and heroine from Reckless, who is also Miranda's best friend. Donnelly and Jane meet when Jane unexpectedly interrupts him in the midst of stealing some very expensive jewels. Jane, who is engaged to a dead bore, gets caught up in the adventure. The thief and the upper class lady are so different from each other and they both know it.

The House of Rohan trilogy both started and ended on good notes. This is a great series from those who love dark historical romances.

Reckless by Anne Stuart

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.

Reckless, book #2 of the The House of Rohan series, takes place 39 years after book #1. Read my review of book #1 Ruthless here.

In Reckless we meet the son of the hero and heroine of Ruthless: Adrian. I wasn't as intrigued with him as I was his father. Where his father had a haunted history, Adrian just seemed more like a spoiled brat. I couldn't pick up on any 'darkness' to him, even though it was mentioned a few times.

Our heroine is a Ms. Charlotte Spenser, a 30 year old spinster. And while I did like her (I do love a good bluestocking), again, I didn't find her as intriguing as our heroine in Ruthless. Where Elinor had a seriously rough life, Charlotte has had it a bit good in comparison. Nevertheless, she was an intelligent character. Also, when she took off her glove and smacked Adrian across the face while in the carriage, I admit I cheered.

The romance of Adrian and Charlotte was a bit vapid. However, I was much more moved by the secondary romance, that of Simon Pagatt, a vicar, and Charlotte's cousin Lina. Their relationship was based more on feeling whereas Adrian and Charlotte's was more on lust. Simon and Lina are vastly different and Lina has the added disadvantage of never wanting to marry again due to a horrible marriage which left her a widow. The conversations between Simon and Lina were fantastic. They were always sparring at each other.

I was content on how the story ended and felt this was a pretty solid middle book in the series.

Ruthless by Anne Stuart

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.


Book #1 in The House of Rohan trilogy, Ruthless is a dark, Georgian romance set in France, set around a secret society for aristocrats. At the head of all this is the wicked Viscount Rohan, a man with a mysterious past.

Poor Elinor Harriman finds herself unwillingly thrown into the world of The Heavenly Host when she comes after her mother, hoping to catch her before she gambles away the rest of their money. In doing so, Elinor finds herself directly in the path of the Viscount.

Francis Rohan finds himself intrigued by the innocent young lady and is even more drawn to her when he realizes just how much she detests him. He finds the banter between them charming and finds ways of keeping her close to him.

There is also a side romance, that of Elinor's younger sister Lydia and Rohan's closest friend Charles Reading, who is permanently scarred on one side of his face due to a duel. I found this relationship absolutely endearing.

I loved the setting and the time period. And I love dark romances. Rohan, I admit, got on my nerves a bit. I get that he was suppose to be wicked and without a conscious, but sometimes it was a bit much. However, the character of Elinor I thought was perfect. Despite her curiosities, she stuck to her guns and didn't let temptation blind her.

I was surprised at the lack of sensuous scenes. There were maybe a couple of those. What made this book was tension. Lots and lots of tension. I was starting to wonder if anything was going to happen.

Nevertheless, a great first book in what should be a wickedly good series.