Category: Top Pick – Highly Recommended

Game of Rogues by Julie Anne Long

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Keeper, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Game of Rogues: A Novel (The Palace of Rogues, 9)Game of Rogues: A Novel by Julie Anne Long

Tracy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Palace of Rogues, #9

Release Date: June 2, 2026

Miss Guinevere “Ginny” Woodville is the very protective elder sister of Hogarth Woodville, Viscount Woodville and the newly minted Earl of Highgrove, so when he returns from a trip to London and confesses that he has lost everything – including his sisters’ doweries, Ginny is quick to jump in and make things right. Ginny promised her dying mother that she would make sure her siblings all married well, but that will not happen without doweries, so, Ginny travels to London and checks into the Grand Palace on the Thames and then goes to meet with Gabriel Marchand, the owner of Lucifer’s Fall – the “gentlemen’s club” that Hogarth lost his fortune. The man is completely infuriating and absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous, she leaves their meeting without any resolution, unless she wanted to consider his illicit proposition – which she didn’t – and feeling desperate, but at least she is pretty sure she knows who Hogarth lost the bulk of his fortune to and hopes that that man will be more willing to negotiate. She thinks she has seen the last of Gabriel and is shocked when she learns he is also staying at the Palace – she tries to ignore him, but he always seems to be one step ahead of her, and as much as she wants to hate that – she doesn’t. She falls hard for him, but knows that she could never be with him and keep her promise to her mother, or can she?

Gabriel Marchand is a self-made man, orphaned into the poverty of St. Giles and has clawed his way to the top. As the owner of a very exclusive and successful gentleman’s club, he should have everything he wants, but meeting Ginny has him rethinking what he really wants. He is drawn to Ginny and against his better judgement begins to help her and in turn, she helps him. He knows he loves her and he knows she is not for him, but the heart wants what it wants, and he sets in motion a plan that may enable them to have their HEA. But his Ginny has made promises and honor might not let her follow her heart.

I love this series; I swear every new installment is better than the last – I can’t even remember the last series I read that could say that about. This story was absolutely my favorite to date – and that is saying a lot – because I have LOVED every book. Gabriel is everything you could want in a hero, he is charming, smart, self-made, has known loss and pain, and loves without conditions (he has earned a spot on my very exclusive favorite heroes of all-time list) and Ginny is his perfect match – their banter and jibes were some of the best I have ever read and I can’t wait to re-read this book! The book has wonderful characters, steamyish love scenes, lots of laugh out loud moments, grief, promises, a bit of angst, a little heartbreak, and finally a sigh-worthy ending complete with an epilogue. This is the ninth book in the series, and it could easily be read as a standalone with no problem, but I recommend reading the entire series because it is so good!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

 

The Dove and The Rogue by Harper St. George

On By TracyIn Part of a Series, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Dove and the Rogue (The Doves of New York, #3)The Dove and the Rogue by Harper St. George

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Doves of New York, #3

Release Date: May 26, 2026

For Jenny Dove, her sisters’ happiness is worth any price, so when it becomes clear that their “guardian” Mr. Hathaway, isn’t going to give her sister Eliza her promised inheritance, because he didn’t approve of her choice of a husband, Jenny knows what she has to do. She makes a deal with Lord David Felding, the heir to the Duke of Strathmore, to marry him and spend one night in his bed before she leaves for her opera debut in Paris, agreeing to live separate lives until enough time has passed to get a divorce. He agrees to her terms and Jenny then approaches her guardian to make a deal, she will marry the heir to a duke and Hathaway will give both Jenny and Eliza their inheritance, knowing the draw of duke would cinch the deal. She thinks she has it all worked out, until she spends a night, she will never forget with David. But David is a rake and Jenny has been burned before, so even if he makes her heart flutter and her body sing, she can’t risk giving in to her desire to stay.

Lord David Felding has wanted Jenny since the first moment he met her, but she has consistently shot him down, so when she comes to her with a request for a marriage of convenience and the promise of a night in his bed, he is all in. He figured the desire for her would wear off once he has spent the night with her, but he couldn’t be more wrong. Even after she leaves for Paris, he can’t forget her and can’t seem to pick up his life. When a request for his signature on a contract comes, he jumps at the chance to go to her and is determined to woo his wife into a real marriage. Too bad Jenny is just as determined to get a divorce. Can he convince her that his heart is true, and she can trust him with her heart or is she too scared to take the risk?

I have been waiting Jenny and David’s story since the first book – their chemistry has always been undeniable and the pages sizzle whenever they are together, so I was a little worried that this book might not live up to expectations. Thankfully that was not the case, in fact, this book exceeded expectations! The book had all the same emotion, banter and angst as the previous books, but with more spice – a lot more (FYI – That is NOT a complaint)! I could feel Jenny’s pain and David’s desperation; I wanted so bad for them to let go of their fears and realize that they truly were soulmates and then I was overjoyed when they finally confessed their love – even though I knew this book would end with a HEA! So, if you are looking for a romance with wonderful characters, steamy love scenes, some angst, excellent chemistry and witty banter – look no further, this is the book you have been looking for! This is the third book in the series and while you could read this book as a standalone, I would recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *