The Rogue Is Back in Town

January 15, 2018
In the entertaining third installment of Bennett’s Wayward Wallflowers series (after I Dared the Duke), Juliette, the only unmarried one of “the infamous Lacey sisters,” faces a choice between two brothers: Nigel, the respectable but secretly conniving Marquess of Currington, and his younger brother, Sam, a rogue whose debauched reputation precedes him. The brothers physically resemble each other, but their characters are very different. Nigel forces Sam to evict Juliette and her uncle from their home, intending to threaten her reputation and compel her to become his mistress. Sam, after a couple of days clandestinely living with Juliette, falls in love, having discovered someone for whom he’s willing to redeem himself. Some suspension of disbelief is required; for example, Juliette has no qualms about losing her virginity to Sam, though he gives no indication that their relationship has any possible future; she feels it’s worth it because he “made her feel... beautiful, respected, and loved.” Nigel’s character lacks nuance, being purely evil. However, Juliette’s Uncle Alistair has a sweet charm, and the story’s action, plot twists, and lovers with good hearts and good chemistry offer plenty to satisfy Regency fans.

January 1, 2018
A failed eviction leads to a successful love match.Juliette Lacey is the only Wayward Wallflower left in the crumbling town house owned by her eccentric Uncle Alistair. She's a bit lonely but happy to care for her uncle and wait for her dream gentleman to appear. By dream gentleman, she doesn't mean "cravatless rogue" Lord Samuel Travis, but he's the one who shows up on her doorstep one morning, informs her that the house is actually owned by his brother, Nigel, the Marquess of Currington, and refuses to leave the property until she and her uncle move out. As she also refuses to leave--and since he needs a place to stay, Nigel having kicked him out of his own home after another in a long string of debauched nights--he agrees to pose as her uncle's research assistant while she tries to persuade Nigel to let her and Uncle Alistair stay. Their proximity leads to several passionate moments, confusing Julie further since the duplicitous Nigel is secretly pursuing her as his mistress, but Sam is the one who can "set her blood on fire." After she runs out of options, Julie and Uncle Alistair have no choice but to start packing up their lives--and Sam must decide whether to be loyal to the family he was born to or to the family he's found with them. The final Lacey sister gets the love story she deserves in the third entry in Bennett's Wayward Wallflowers series. Though Julie's romance with Sam lacks the intense conflict of the first two installments, it has all of the steamy moments, and Bennett's gift for writing a page-turner of a plot is on full display. Readers of the first two books will be happy to see both of Julie's sisters make cameo appearances and will be even happier to read a truly happy ending for beloved Uncle Alistair, the other hero of the series.A solid Regency story of true love over deceitful duty.

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Starred review from December 15, 2017
With two sisters happily wed, Juliette is in no hurry to marry and leave her beloved, aging uncle and the cozy comfort of the tiny house she was raised in. But when faced with an ultimatum by the home's owner to vacate or accept his indecent proposal, she must decide if she is willing to sacrifice her happiness to retain the residence. Lord Currington's manipulative scheme to entrap the youngest Lacey sister also includes forcing his misfit brother, Samuel, one of the worst rogues in London, to evict the poor residents. Despite barging in unannounced and declaring his intention to stay, it only takes a few days with the Laceys before Sam's desire to earn his brother's respect is eclipsed by his desire to become a better man and worthy of Juliette's love. Role reversals, love triangles, and the chance for scandal build suspense and ratchet up the heat between this fair maiden and her reformed rogue. Fans of Regency romance authors Eloisa James, Tessa Dare, and Mary Jo Putney will go wild for the final installment of Bennett's Wayward Wallflowers trilogy (My Brown-Eyed Earl, 2016; I Dared the Duke, 2017).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)