In USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long’s thrilling new romance in the Palace of Rogues series, an infamous privateer’s limits are put to the test when he’s trapped during a raging tempest with a prickly female at the Grand Palace on the Thames.
How to Tame a Wild Rogue by Julie Anne Long
Series: The Palace of Rogues #6
Publication date: July 25, 2023
Published by: Avon
Genre: historical romance
SYNOPSIS
He clawed his way up from the gutters of St. Giles to the top of a shadowy empire. Feared and fearsome, battered and brilliant, nothing shocks Lorcan St. Leger—not even the discovery of an aristocratic woman escaping out a window near the London docks on the eve of the storm of the decade. They find shelter at a boarding house called the Grand Palace on the Thames—only to find greater dangers await inside.
Desperate, destitute, and jilted, Lady Daphne Worth knows the clock is ticking on her last chance to save herself and her an offer of a loveless marriage. But while the storm rages and roads flood, she and the rogue who rescued her must pose as husband and wife in order to share the only available suite. Crackling enmity gives way to incendiary desire—and certain Lorcan is everything she never dreamed she’d wanted, but he can never be what she needs. But risk is child’s play to St. Leger. And if the stakes are a lifetime of loving and being loved by Daphne, he’ll move any mountain, confront any old nemesis, to turn “never” into forever.
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Praise for Julie Anne Long:
“Smart, funny, and brimming with passion.” — Julia Quinn, New York Times bestselling author
“Long finds that delectable sweet spot with Angel in a Devil’s Arms, welcoming us all to the cozy warmth of the Grand Palace on the Thames with the peculiar blend of humor and pathos she writes with such aplomb.” — Entertainment Weekly
“Each of the brilliantly written entries in Long’s Palace of Rogues series is master class in how to successfully marry stunning sensuality with scintillating wit, and the fifth entry is no exception with its resplendent prose, impeccable plotting, and perfect-for-each-other protagonists.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Julie Anne Long reinvents the historical romance for modern readers.” — Amanda Quick, New York Times bestselling author
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Well, where should I start? I've lived in San Francisco for more than a decade, usually with at least one cat. I won the school spelling bee when I was in 7th grade; the word that clinched it was 'ukulele.' I originally set out to be a rock star when I grew up (I had a Bono fixation, but who didn't?), and I have the guitars and the questionable wardrobe stuffed in the back of my closet to prove it.
But writing was always my first love.
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.
Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
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REVIEW
How to Tame a Wild Rogue by Julie Anne LongMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
She did not know how to make a wild rogueinto a husband, or an interlude into forever.
The sixth installement in The Palace of Rogues series is about privateer Lorcan St. Leger and an impoverished lady named Daphne Worth. I don't know if either of these characters were introduced in the previous book, as it is the only book in the series that I haven't managed to read. Both of these main characters have a significant connection to the owners of the Grand Palace on the Thames, though they do not discover that until they set foot inside together looking for lodging late at night.
The book pulls you in immediately as Lorcan is strolling through a dangerous neighborhood near the docks and stumbles upon a woman's legs dangling out of a window. He debates with himself: should he just stroll on by, or find a bit of entertainment assisting her to the ground? He takes her for a thief trying to make a less than elegant escape, but because of his colorful history, passes no judgement. Lorcan is hardly a saint, as he grew up fending for himself in the roughest of circumstances, but he feels as if he is a stronger person and self-sufficient as a result so he regrets nothing. He has this cavalier, playful attitude about him, but only a fool would be deceived by that and think he's harmless. He is a survivor, after all, and is absolutely lethal to anyone he perceives as a threat. He has clawed his way up from the gutter and made a name for himself as a pirate sanctioned by the crown. Lorcan has achieved a comfortable amount of wealth, a reputation that brings him fear and respect equally, and a life just on the right side of the law.
By the time he was scarcely more than twentyyears old he’d built a shadowy empire fromone end of England to the other of men andwomen who would have killed for him.
It was quite entertaining to see Lorcan deliberately ruffling the prim and proper Lady Daphne's feathers from their first interaction. It becomes a game of sorts for him to find all of the buttons he needs to push in order to fluster her. He isn't really sure why he follows her once she's safely on the ground, but maybe he feels a bit obligated to see her to her destination. He had no way of knowing that once he walks into the Grand Palace with her, he will become entangled in their fabricated story of marriage and forced to continue playing a part. There's only a suite with separate bedrooms available to them, so of course they pretend to be married in order to bypass the rules of propriety. So we have forced proximity, opposites attract, and fake relationship tropes going on in the story. If you like any or all of these in your romances this story will most likely be perfect for you. I will say that even having read the first four books, the two year gap I took in the series left me a little lost in the beginning as I struggled to remember all of the names and situations of previous characters. A completely new reader may find the struggle to be a bit much as they navigate through the list of people to remember.
I think I would have been happier to have more focus centered on the two main characters for the entire book rather than Angelique, Delilah, their spouses, Mr Delacorte, Dot, and the various house guests. While they did lend a good amount of humor to the book (as always) I think the romance would have felt more balanced if the secondary characters played more of a backseat role this late in the series. Daphne and Lorcan's romance kind of went from 0 to 100 in the second half, and needed a bit more of a natural progression.
There was one humorous scene in particular that was one of my favorites that had me chuckling out loud. When the three couples all got into a fight, and there was lots of hall wandering and bed-hopping, poor Lorcan discovered that Mr Delacorte was not a good roommate to have during the night. The sounds and *ahem* scents coming from underneath the covers were just as bad as the obnoxious snoring from above the covers. Their reactions were seriously priceless...best scene in the beginning of the book by far.
Daphne has led a more sheltered, pampered life as part of the ton, however, her family has fallen on hard times due to her father's gambling problem. Since her mother died when she was a child, she has stepped into the role of caregiver for her father and two older brothers. She learned to take care of their home, manage their budget, and do whatever it took to give the three men the illusion that they could still afford the life they were accustomed to. While the men in her life carelessly allow her to shoulder the burden of keeping them afloat, they never show her the appreciation she deserves. She clings to her responsibilities and order, and doesn't let herself acknowledge what is lacking in her family relationships. They are all she has after a failed engagement that broke her heart and changed her opinion about love.
Loving anyone had not yet done much but crush her.
While Lorcan is lightyears ahead of her in street smarts, he's shocked to discover that she has a way of viewing the world that helps him see things in a brand new way. They were both also not able to have a real, carefree childhood. He had to fend for and raise himself, and she had to take on the role of her mother with all of the responsibilities that entailed. So, while she was fortunate enough to have a safe home where her needs were met, she could relate to having to grow up too early as he did. As different as they were in so many ways, they realized that they weren't so different where it counted. He was the first man in her life to listen to her thoughts and feelings, and value her for who she was rather than what she could give. It took a while for me to warm up to them as a couple, but once I did, I enjoyed their connection very much. I absolutely loved how Lorcan went out of his way to bring her birthday gifts that showed her that he genuinely listened to her and valued her happiness.
I gave this one four stars even though it didn't pick up until the second half, because I feel that the second half was good enough to earn that rating on its own. I really loved seeing the romance finally unravel in the story and genuinely felt that the couple deserved the sweet HEA that they were given. If you like the tropes I've mentioned in my review, or if you're just a faithful reader of this series/author in general give this one a shot. I think you'll find a lot to love here.
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