Wendy, Lady Evelyn Quince's Reviews > Gentle Rogue

I first read this book eons ago, back when Johanna Lindsey was for me the greatest writer on earth. Yeah, I was a dumb kid, but weren't we all a little bit? I remember anxiously walking to Woolworth's every day in November of 1990, freaking out for her latest book and annoying the clerks by repeatedly asking when were the new ones coming in!

The day I saw the shelf stocker opening up a new box, I grabbed the first book out from the top, not even caring that it has a slit in the cover. I was a bit disheartened because for a Duillo-Fabio-Lindsey cover, save for Georgina's lovely rose-trimmed gown, that cover was ugly with it drab green tones! But then when I saw the cover for Lindsey's next book, , that got me more depressed. No more Fabio (although he'd make a comeback for a few more of Lindsey's books) and it was a step-back to boot, with a flowery font. I actually preferred that crappy, pointed Sci-Fi looking font. The old Lindsey era was over with Gentle Rogue.

Gentle Rogue starts out hilariously with Georgina Anderson trying to kill a cockroach, failing, and not caring as long as it's out of her sight. As this is a very silly book, as usual with Lindsey check your brain at the door and enjoy the ride.

Parts of this book runs parallel to to its precursor (which wasn't that great due to a dull-as-dishwater heroine), and there is a lot of repetition of previous scenes. But in Gentle Rogue all the characters are a blast, especially Georgina's five belligerent older brothers who take turns beating up James. My favorite brother was Warren, and his book is my 2nd favorite in the Malory series, where he meets his match with the much younger and very persistent Amy Malory. For me those two books are the high points in the Malory-Anderson series, although Gentle Rogue is by far the best.

And yes, the title of the book is true, for hard-muscled ex-pirate James Malory is a unrepentant rogue, through and through, taking advantage of the heroine Georgina and disgracing her in front of her brothers so that he's forced to wed her. James is such a droll charmer, witty and very arrogant. I enjoyed this book when I first read it, but over the years I've learned to love it so much more, especially now that I picture James looking like another blond, green eyed Englishman: a young Sean Bean!



GRRR...

5 stars