In THE BEST OF BOTH ROGUES, author Samantha Grace has
created a flawed hero in Ben Hillary. He's the epitome of
the charming, sexy regency rogue -- and he's fabulous! The
bad boy that you know you shouldn't like but you do anyway.
I wasn't prepared to like Ben as he jilted Eve (one of my
favorite characters from IN BED WITH A ROGUE). Ms. Grace
drew me into this character-driven novel by showing how
determined Ben was in his pursuit of Eve. Loved, loved
Ben's visit to the Woodmere Foundling Home, especially the
time he spent with Baby Toby. These scenes are laugh-out-loud funny. Ben and
Eve have an honest conversation and he confides some of the events that led to
his decision to
leave her.
Eve Thorne has matured in the past two years. She is more
self confident and stronger because she persevered and got
through the humiliation of being left at the altar. She has
her family and her volunteer work and is newly engaged to
an interesting man, Sir Jonathan Hackberry. She is torn
between her duty to Sir Jonathan and her desire for Ben.
Enjoyed the scenes where Sir Jonathan Hackberry is center
stage. He appears to be a forgetful academic. Loved the
scenes with Jonathan, Eve and Grace as they enjoy a
walk. It's apparent that Jonathan is clueless about Eve's
needs and desires. All of the scenes with our charming hero
and the absent-minded scholar are fabulously written.
The well-paced storyline has several interesting subplots.
Kudos to Samantha Grace for including characters who suffer
from PSTD and presenting how it can manifest in an
individual over a period of time. Loved that many of the
characters from the earlier Rival rogues books were
included in this novel. Enjoyed seeing Sebastian, Helena
and Fergus. Enjoyed meeting Ben's friend Crispin Locke,
Viscount Margrave and the elements of suspense and intrigue
he provided to the story. I'm hoping to see more of Margrave
in the future. I enjoyed reading every word of this charming
novel and I look forward to Ms. Grace's next book.
The worst thing Mr. Benjamin Hillary ever did was abandon his bride-to-be on their wedding day. The hardest thing he will ever have to do is watch her marry another man. After two long years abroad, Ben finds Eve every bit as captivating as she was the first time he saw her, and he vows to set things right. Lady Eve Thorne has a new man in her life, and Ben is nothing but trouble. She is no longer a starry-eyed young woman, and now that he's back, he can go hang for all she cares. At least that's what she keeps telling herself... Rival Rogues series: One Rogue Too Many In Bed with a Rogue The Best of Both Rogues
Excerpt
Ben made a slow circle of the brightly lit ballroom, stopping occasionally to study the couples as they sashayed past, their cheeks pink from exertion. After several moments, he was satisfied Lord Wellham wasn’t among the dancers, not that Ben was surprised. If his memory served, the earl favored gambling over gamboling. Reaching a secluded corner near a dark alcove, he paused to check once more for his quarry before he sought out the card room. “What are you doing here?” a voice hissed. “You are not on the guest list.” “Pardon?” Ben spun toward the speaker and came up short. His eyebrows veered toward each other. “How do you know?” he whispered back to the mass of green palm fronds. “Because I helped make the list.” The plant’s fronds parted, and Eve Thorne’s stern glare greeted him. What the devil was she doing? Her frown deepened when he simply stared, at a loss for words. “Do you have a death wish, Mr. Hillary?” The corners of his mouth twitched. “Let me guess, you’ve been attacked by a man-eating plant. Are you in need of rescue, Kitten?” She growled softly and the fronds snapped back into place. Ben checked the surrounding area to be certain they hadn’t earned any unwanted attention, then peered around the massive greenery. Eve was wedged against the wall, her yellow chiffon skirts crushed against the large pot. Her chest rose and fell in rapid movements, drawing his attention to the modest swell of her breasts peeking above her lacy neckline. A rosy glow infused her ivory skin, making the sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks almost unnoticeable. God, he had missed her – her freckles, her pouty lips, her soulful brown eyes. He had been smitten from the moment he had spied her at the theater during the little Season, and two years on a faraway continent had done nothing to cool his ardor. “What are you doing back there, Miss Thorne, and shouldn’t you have a chaperone?” She crossed her arms as if erecting a wall between them. “God only knows why, but I am trying to save your skin, Benjamin James Arran Hillary.” Damnation. He had almost forgotten he’d been burdened with so many names, and that she had a habit of invoking every one when she was perturbed. His smile expanded. Despite her pretense of indifference, she was worried for him. “Am I to conclude your skulking about means you still care?” “I care about Lady Eldridge, and I do not want to see her ball ruined by you and Sebastian coming to fisticuffs. You really must leave before he sees you and demands another meeting on the field.” Crossing paths with Sebastian Thorne didn’t concern Ben. Her brother’s need to defend her reputation after Ben jilted her had been satisfied three weeks earlier in a duel, and Thorne would not issue a second challenge for fear of losing. Ben suspected neither of them wanted to risk looking like fools again either. Instead of dueling with pistols or swords as any other normal men would do, they had allowed Eve to choose the weapons. She had chosen gloves. He scowled. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous it looked for two men to engage in a slapping match?” The gents at Brooks’s hadn’t stopped talking about the duel for days, and Ben had endured the brunt of the teasing since he’d followed his youngest brother’s advice and allowed Thorne to win. Eve’s smile radiated with self-satisfaction. “Since no one died, I would say I made an excellent choice.” H grudgingly admitted her cleverness had managed to resolve the conflict without bloodshed – or much, anyway. Ben had walked away with a cut on his cheek and a nasty bruise, thanks to her brother filling his glove with pebbles. But bruised pride and a bruised mug were small prices to pay to see Eve’s position in Society restored.
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