Lady Guinevere And The rogue With A Brogue by Julie Johnstone

Lady Guinevere and the Rogue with a Brogue by Julie Johnstone
on August 18, 2020
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Victorian, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Scottish
Pages: 310
Goodreads

Five years ago he humiliated her. Five years ago she betrayed him. And when fate forces them together once more, they’ll discover what burns hotter- vengeance or desire.

Lady Guinevere Darlington has spent the last five years trying to forget the beautiful rogue who stole her heart and then crushed it under his shiny black hessian. Humiliated by the blighter with the unforgettable brogue and left to weather the wagging tongues of the ton alone, she started a secret society that delivers justice to ill-intentioned rakes, and she managed to avoid having to wed—until now. But while her time is up, her determination is not. If she must take a husband, she’ll do so on her own terms. She has a plan, and a possible candidate, until the Scot she once loved returns to London and throws her life into salacious turmoil yet again.

Asher Talbot, the newly minted Duke of Carrington, has nearly perfected his ability to repress memories of the stunning, stubborn lass who long ago captivated him with her innocent charm, then slayed him with her duplicity. He channeled his anger into continuing to build the distillery empire he started when he thought he was a by-blow. But now his company is in danger, and he intends to secure his inheritance to save it, even if it requires pursuing the perfidious enchantress he disavowed. True reconciliation is not part of his plot, but hints of the Guinevere he thought he knew leave him questioning everything.

When fate, fortune, and a cunning scheme bring these two together, their mutual attempts to torture each other ignite the dormant desire between them. But secrets surround them, and they’ll have to unravel each one before the love they glimpsed is lost forever.

Lady Guinevere and the Rogue with a Brogue is the first book in a series called Scottish Scoundrels: Ensnared Hearts. I enjoyed this book which is set in Victorian era Kensington, England. Queen Victoria had just begun her reign and the outlook of society was changing when it came to rakes and rogues. Lady Guinevere had once been in love with Asher Talbot, but others interfered and tore the relationship apart with lies and manipulations. Both are left believing lies about each other. Five years later, Gwen is determined to protect naive young women from rogues by joining the Society of Ladies Against Rogues. She intervenes in situations wherever she can to save the silly and easily lead astray women of the ton. On one such night, as she is trying to climb back in her window during a ball at her home, she encounters Asher Talbot who is now the Duke of Carrington. The story starts with a bang and gallops along at a brisk pace. I enjoyed the storyline but I did wish for a quicker resolution between the hero and heroine. Sixty percent of the book is built on their misunderstandings of each other and the past. That portion did begin to feel tedious and frustrating. But in spite of that aspect, the story held my attention. There are a few steamy scenes—overall, a fabulous start to a new series.