Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Berkley (2008), Mass Market Paperback, 328 pages
Description
"Six long years have passed since Angela Sullivan set eyes on a man. Six years since the man she loved ruined her--and her parents banished her to Stanbrook Abbey, where she's now preparing to take her vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity. But when the abbey takes in a handsome--if impudent--injured rogue, it will take divine intervention for Angela to quell her sinful thoughts..."--p. [4] of cover.
User reviews
LibraryThing member jjmachshev
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Nov08
If I had to make a list of unlikely settings for a humorous and witty romance, I’m pretty sure a convent would be fairly high up on that list. Yet Maya Rodale has managed that with “The Rogue and the Rival”, the follow-up to her debut novel,
Angela is a fallen woman. After she disgraced her family six years ago, she was asked to leave. Rather than go to the scoundrel who ruined her and left her for another, she came to Stanbrook Abbey and has been there ever since, supposedly preparing to take her vows. But no matter how much she distrusts titled men, heck all men, she just can’t quite give up her dream of a home and family of her own. Even so, how in the world can she be willing to trust one of the most scandalous rakes in the ton?
Lord Phillip is a total rogue. He freely admits it and is almost proud of it. After his unsuccessful bid to steal his twin’s bride and dowry, he fled to France in an orgy of bad behavior. When he runs out of money, he decides to return to England. Unfortunately, he still owes a good sum to a nasty loan shark whose men follow Phillip back to England and catch up with him on a country road. He was lucky enough to be found and brought to nearby Stanbrook Abbey to recover. Or is that unlucky? After all, his room is spare and grim and there’s not a drop of alcohol to be found…the only saving grace is the presence of the irritated angel who cares for him.
What a pair! And what witty repartee; from the first ‘Lord Invalid’ comment to Phillip’s hilarious effort to re-ingratiate himself into Angela’s heart (as well as that of her dragon aunt who dislikes him for a darn good reason!), I couldn’t keep the grin off my face for most of this read. The setting itself, late Regency England, provided plenty of ammunition for poking fun at the highly structured society of those times and the author didn’t stint in doing so. Even when the story required a more serious tone, one of the characters usually was quick with biting sarcasm or black humor to swing the pendulum back to the light and frothy style of the rest of the story.
“The Rogue and the Rival” is not a read for those looking for a serious historical tale. But if you like an amusing plot, sparkling wit, and characters that are funny even when they smack of stereotyping, then I really suggest you pick up a copy of Maya Rodale’s latest. She’s an author I’ll be watching.
If I had to make a list of unlikely settings for a humorous and witty romance, I’m pretty sure a convent would be fairly high up on that list. Yet Maya Rodale has managed that with “The Rogue and the Rival”, the follow-up to her debut novel,
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“The Heir and the Spare”. After having enjoyed this book so much, it looks like I’ll be heading to pick up a copy of her first, especially since a few characters from that first book make a return appearance in this one.Angela is a fallen woman. After she disgraced her family six years ago, she was asked to leave. Rather than go to the scoundrel who ruined her and left her for another, she came to Stanbrook Abbey and has been there ever since, supposedly preparing to take her vows. But no matter how much she distrusts titled men, heck all men, she just can’t quite give up her dream of a home and family of her own. Even so, how in the world can she be willing to trust one of the most scandalous rakes in the ton?
Lord Phillip is a total rogue. He freely admits it and is almost proud of it. After his unsuccessful bid to steal his twin’s bride and dowry, he fled to France in an orgy of bad behavior. When he runs out of money, he decides to return to England. Unfortunately, he still owes a good sum to a nasty loan shark whose men follow Phillip back to England and catch up with him on a country road. He was lucky enough to be found and brought to nearby Stanbrook Abbey to recover. Or is that unlucky? After all, his room is spare and grim and there’s not a drop of alcohol to be found…the only saving grace is the presence of the irritated angel who cares for him.
What a pair! And what witty repartee; from the first ‘Lord Invalid’ comment to Phillip’s hilarious effort to re-ingratiate himself into Angela’s heart (as well as that of her dragon aunt who dislikes him for a darn good reason!), I couldn’t keep the grin off my face for most of this read. The setting itself, late Regency England, provided plenty of ammunition for poking fun at the highly structured society of those times and the author didn’t stint in doing so. Even when the story required a more serious tone, one of the characters usually was quick with biting sarcasm or black humor to swing the pendulum back to the light and frothy style of the rest of the story.
“The Rogue and the Rival” is not a read for those looking for a serious historical tale. But if you like an amusing plot, sparkling wit, and characters that are funny even when they smack of stereotyping, then I really suggest you pick up a copy of Maya Rodale’s latest. She’s an author I’ll be watching.
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LibraryThing member whitreidtan
Angela Sullivan is living in a convent, where she chose to flee after being embroiled in a scandal that caused her family to suffer a tragedy. She is still wrestling with herself about whether or not she is ready to take her vows when an injured man is brought to the convent. Phillip, the Marquis
Rodale does a nice job building the relationship between Angela and Phillip. The reader can really see the evolution of their feelings for each other and how they become better, more compassionate people through their interactions with each other. Wrenching Phillip from Angela happens rather abruptly in the plot but without the wrench there would be no room for conflict, making for a fairly milque-toast story so it is forgiven. What was less understandable was Phillip's bloody-minded insistence in staying away from the woman he loved and Angela's obsessive need to have him pay for his betrayal. The secondary plot with Lucas, Lord Frost, returning after so many years was almost incidental to the main thrust of thigns. But overall Rodale has doen a nice job and historical romance readers will mostly approve of this. Strong characters and a decent plot make this a nice way to while away a few hours.
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of Huntley, is a class A rake and wastrel. He was beaten and left for dead over his debts but through the sheer cussed luck of the charmed, he survives and wakes up to find himself being nursed back to health in a convent. Angela has been assigned to be the one to nurse him, despite her feelings toward men in general after being ruined six years earlier. The two reach an uneasy detente and eventually slowly fall for each other throughout Phillip's convalescence. But just when things seem to be falling into place, Phillips disappears and Angela comes to the conclusion that she can never be a nun, hightailing it to her aunt's home in London where she sets out to erase Phillip from her heart, perhaps with the conveniently widowed Lord Frost, who was the one to ruin her so many years before.Rodale does a nice job building the relationship between Angela and Phillip. The reader can really see the evolution of their feelings for each other and how they become better, more compassionate people through their interactions with each other. Wrenching Phillip from Angela happens rather abruptly in the plot but without the wrench there would be no room for conflict, making for a fairly milque-toast story so it is forgiven. What was less understandable was Phillip's bloody-minded insistence in staying away from the woman he loved and Angela's obsessive need to have him pay for his betrayal. The secondary plot with Lucas, Lord Frost, returning after so many years was almost incidental to the main thrust of thigns. But overall Rodale has doen a nice job and historical romance readers will mostly approve of this. Strong characters and a decent plot make this a nice way to while away a few hours.
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LibraryThing member bhryk0
This is the 2nd book by Maya Rodale, it follows “The Heir and the Spare” which was also a great read.
Phillip Kensington, Marquis of Huntley has been a rake and a scoundrel of the worse sort. In the previous book he had tried to seduce his brother’s love from under him for her money. He had
Six years on and he is on the run from a creditor in France, where he has been for 4 years when he is attacked and left for dead. He is found by some locals and taken to Sherbrook Abbey where is nursed back to health by Angela Sullivan.
Angela has spent 6 years at the Abbey, she had been sent there after she had disgraced her family by being compromised by a man she thought would marry her. Under Angela’s care Phillips changes the way he thinks and falls in love with her.
Matters are taken out of his hands when his creditors catch up with him and he has to leave Angela and it takes some time before he is reunited with Angela.
I loved this story from start to finish, it was hard to put down.
Phillip Kensington, Marquis of Huntley has been a rake and a scoundrel of the worse sort. In the previous book he had tried to seduce his brother’s love from under him for her money. He had
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been brought up as the heir to a Dukedome but on his father’s death he found that he was actually the 2nd son and his brother Devon was to be the Duke.Six years on and he is on the run from a creditor in France, where he has been for 4 years when he is attacked and left for dead. He is found by some locals and taken to Sherbrook Abbey where is nursed back to health by Angela Sullivan.
Angela has spent 6 years at the Abbey, she had been sent there after she had disgraced her family by being compromised by a man she thought would marry her. Under Angela’s care Phillips changes the way he thinks and falls in love with her.
Matters are taken out of his hands when his creditors catch up with him and he has to leave Angela and it takes some time before he is reunited with Angela.
I loved this story from start to finish, it was hard to put down.
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Language
Physical description
328 p.; 6.7 inches
ISBN
042522452X / 9780425224526