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One for the Rogue is the fourth book in Manda Collins’ Regency-era Studies in Scandal series. I have read the other three books in the series, and so I was definitely excited to read this one. Collins dropped some hints about this pairing in the last book, so it made waiting for this book very difficult!

Gemma is the last unmarried young lady living in Beauchamp House, and she is perfectly happy with that arrangement. She is not interested in finding a husband, and she would much rather devote her time to her passion- geology and fossils. She has tangled with Lord Cameron Lisle once already, so she is not particularly thrilled when he takes up residence in a neighboring manor house. But since Gemma’s sister is married to Cam’s brother, there is no reason that the two of them can’t come to some sort of understanding.

But when there is yet another shocking murder in the district directly related to Gemma’s work, it is clear that she is in great danger. Gemma and Cam must work together, but they must both move beyond their first impressions of each other.

This book was an absolute delight! I love the fake engagement trope, and I loved the way that their animosity faded slowly as they became better acquainted with each other. I also love that like the previous books in this series, there is a mystery element in addition to the romance. Once again, Collins provides a merry chase, and the big reveal was quite thrilling. Overall, there’s a nice balance of comedy and action, and once again, Gemma’s friend Daphne manages to steal the show with her complete lack of candor!

I would absolutely recommend One for the Rogue. This book functions reasonably well as a standalone, although characters from the previous books do make an appearance, although Ivy and Daphne appear mostly in the background. I would suggest reading Wallflower Most Wanted- the third book in the series- before this one. Wallflower features Gemma’s sister Sophia and Cam’s brother Ben, and the disastrous first meeting between Gemma and Cam. Collins has now paired up the four heiresses who arrived at Beauchamp House a year, so it looks like the end of the series. Without giving too much away, I will say that there is a glimmer of hope that this is not the last we will see of Beauchamp House and its residents. Whether this comes to fruition or not, I am certainly excited to read whatever Collins comes up with next!

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Smart, sexy historical romance with sides of murder and science

Amanda Collins' One for the Rogue was a wonderful addition to the Studies in Scandal series.
I liked watching the dynamic between Gemma and Cameron evolve. I think they were a great fit. The background story about fossils was interesting as was the murder subplot.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

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It took me ages o really get into this book and then when I did, I found it actually wasn’t as interesting as I’d initially hoped. The blurb is good but the characters are wooden, the storyline unrealistic and the connection between the h & H was flimsy at best. I’d love to give this author another chance in the future as I feel I may have enjoyed this more had I read previous books in this series.
1 star.

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I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I've been following this series from the beginning and I've really enjoyed the series overall. The premise behind the four connected stories was great, and I love that each story involved such a strong minded woman. And in each story, the heroine ended up trying to solve a mystery and the female-driven sleuthing made it feel almost like a historical romance Nancy Drew. With this fourth book in the series, there was great tension developed between the two main characters, Gemma and Cam. I thought their relationship was very dynamic and the development from adversaries to husband and wife was well done. The plot line in this book was alright, I don't think it was my favorite of the series but I still enjoyed it. I would love to see the series continue with whatever happens to Lady Serena and also possibly with romances of future students in the school. I have enjoyed this series and don't want to see it end!

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One for the Rogue is a bit difficult for me to review. There are some things I liked about this book. Gemma’s passion for geology and the struggles she faces to be taken seriously are what drew me into the book at the start. And I also really enjoyed the fact that Cam shared her passion and respected her intelligence. At the start of the story, it seemed like this might be an enemies-to-lovers book, but it really isn’t. Yes, Cam and Gemma are at loggerheads in the beginning over something that could have been resolved if Cam had communicated a bit better and Gemma had been a bit more willing to listen. However, a potentially huge fossil find and the threat of a bitter, sexist rival throws our bickering hero and heroine together. Add in some sexual tension and it’s clear that Gemma and Cam are going to be headed down the aisle soon. I liked Gemma and Cam together and it’s clear they fit, but still I thought their romance fell a bit flat. Part of this is due to the lack of character growth; Gemma and Cam begin and end pretty much the same and we don’t really delve deep into their characters. If this were a novella, I might have liked it more because the perceived obstacles to Gemma and Cam’s eventual happily ever after seemed orchestrated to draw out the story rather than organic problems they had to overcome.

Woven through the romance in One for the Rogue is a mystery involving a fossil Gemma discovers. I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling the fun, but I thought this plotline was the stronger one. Not only does Gemma have to face a jerk of a rival, there’s mystery, murder, and a tiny bit of mayhem. This is where author Manda Collins brings life to the story and keeps the pages moving.

One for the Rogue isn’t a bad book, but for me it was just an OK read. I realized after finishing this book that I had the same issues with it as I did with a previous Manda Collins book I read: the characters were likeable and the story had potential, but it dragged in places and was littered with tropes that didn’t have a fresh spin on them. I think Ms. Collins’s writing style simply isn’t for me, so others might find this story more engaging than I did.

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One for the Rogue by Manda Collins is book Four in the Studies in Scandal series. This is the story of Gemma Hastings and Lord Cameron Lisle. Gemma and Cam did first meet in the previous book. Also there is the underline story of four ladies (one being Gemma) living in Lady Celeste Beauchamp house and solving a puzzle that she left each lady in her will with the stipulation if of who would get the estate if it was solved, if the ladies married or stayed single. These are just a few reason why you might want to read the previous books but with those things said, you can easily make this a standalone book. This author is great in catching you up with the current timeline.
Grace and Cam don't get along at all when they first meet and it stays that way for a while until they settle into solving the mystery that is plaguing who is after Gemma and her work.
Their bickering / snips were fun to read for sure and I enjoyed them working to find out what was really going on.
This has been a great series and I hope that the little tease in the Epilogue would entail another book along the way in the future.
Overall Loved this book and series!

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I love Regency romances and was really happy to be approved for this one.
As I never read any of the previous books in this series I didn't know what type of romance it could be.
This book exceeded my expectations and I was hooked since the beginning. It was an enjoyable and interesting read.
I loved the proto-feminist intellectual heroine, so different from the standard Regency romance female character, and I loved the main male characters.
I found the plot fascinating and was enthralled by the historical references to the first palaeontologists (I'm fan of dinosaurs). The well researched historical background was a pleasant bonus
The romance was ok, pleasant and not too sentimental.
The style of writing is really pleasant and witty.
I highly recommend this book.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC

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I like it when historical romances take a different spin. I love reading Regency Era romance but sometimes they follow the same plot. So when I come across one that does something different, I have to read it. One for the Rogue does that.

Gemma is a geologist with an interest in fossils. Her interest in rocks, sand, and fossils are not a passing fancy. She is an expert in her area and in any other era would have been considered a genius. But, this is the Regency Era. Upper-class women were only valued for their dowries and bloodlines. Any woman who was interested in anything scholarly was labeled as a bluestocking and shunned by Polite Society. So, it was interesting to see the direct opposite of that happening in this book.

Gemma and 3 other gifted young women were invited to stay at a well-known woman scholar’s house for a year. During that time, they will be able to pursue their area of interest. If they manage to stay in the house for the year, they inherit everything that is in it. Out of the 4 girls, Gemma is the last one left and she is the most determined to finish her year. But, she needs to decipher the clue left behind by her benefactress. The only thing is that the clue is half-finished, with her benefactress dying before it could be complete. What she wasn’t counting on was a rival being murdered the same night she finds the artifact left for her. She also wasn’t counting on developing romantic feelings for her brother-in-law. She needs to push aside those feelings, find her fossil and the killer before the killer finds her.

Gemma was a breath of fresh air. She didn’t care what society thought of her. She wanted to be left alone, with her fossils and rocks. She wanted to be taken seriously by her male contemporaries. She wanted nothing to do with love. She had no time for it. I loved it. I loved how she decided that she was going to solve Sir Everard’s murder. Forget the constables, she was going to solve it herself. I also liked how she roped Cameron into helping her. I also liked how direct she was. She told Cameron that she didn’t want to marry him (after being caught kissing) but she would have him for a lover. LOVED it!!!

I did like Cameron but he rubbed me the wrong way. Until Sir Everard’s murder, he went back and forth on what he thought of Gemma. It wasn’t until Sir Everard’s murder that he started taking her seriously. I also thought his view on marriage was very skewed. He took something that he saw as a teenager and let it dictate what he thought about marriage. Listen, if I found out what he did, I would have thought the same thing. But, I wouldn’t let it affect me years down the road. I did think that he let himself be caught kissing Gemma. I believe that he wanted to be caught. Just the vibe I got from that. I liked that he was with Gemma every step of the way during her “investigation“.

I liked that the author didn’t have to dedicate much time to build up a relationship between Gemma and Cameron. They already had a relationship from the earlier book. That left time for the author to build up the romance. It also left time for the author to develop their relationship from not liking each other to falling in love.

There is sex in One for the Rogue. I know that most people like reading “clean” historical romances. Not this chick, I like sex in these types of books. It flushes the book out. What was surprising to me was how in charge Gemma was. She was a virgin but she knew what she wanted out of her relationship with Cameron. She wasn’t afraid to tell him. She didn’t want to marry him. I found it silly that Cameron was being forced to marry Gemma. After being caught kissing <eye roll>. If I had to marry every guy that I kissed, well, let’s say that I would have a lot of husbands…lol.

I did find it frustrating that Gemma jumped to the conclusion about things after hearing only half a conversation. Like my grandmother used to say “Don’t do no good listening in on other people talking. You only hear half of what is said and assume the other half.”

I loved the mystery part of One for the Rogue. It kept me on my toes and left me surprised when the mystery was solved. I was not expecting the murderer to be who it was.

The end of One for the Rogue was typical. All the storylines were wrapped up in a way that satisfied me as a reader. I do hope that there is a book that gives the chaperone her own love story. She deserves one!!!

What I liked about One for the Rogue:

A) Gemma. She was ahead of her time in this book.

B) Zero relationship build up for Gemma and Cameron.

C) The mystery angle. Kept me on my toes

What I disliked about One for the Rogue:

A) How smart women were treated in the Regency Era

B) Cameron and his issue with marriage

C) Gemma jumping to conclusions. Drove me crazy

I would give One for the Rogue an Adult Rating. There is explicit sex. There is mild violence. There is no language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are no trigger warnings in One for the Rogue.

I would reread One for the Rogue. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

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Manda always writes books with likable characters and great stories. I love to put her books on my keeper shelf

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Gemma Hastings has decided she will never marry, as she wants to devote all her energies to proving her worth in the field of geology and fossil hunting. She is trying to discover the whereabouts of a legendary fossil skull, which is may make or break her career, unfortunately she is not alone in her interest. Lord Cameron Lisle is an exceedingly irritating fossil hunter who doesn’t appear to believe women can make it in his field. As things become more sinister their interactions begin to change. Enjoyable historical romance. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This is the final book in the “Studies in Scandal” series by Manda Collins. If you’ve read the other 3 novels then you basically have read this one just substitute one Duke for another. The book is decent and the plot follows the typical Historical Romance formula. You don’t necessarily need to read the other books to pick this one up so that’s kind of nice but if you’ve read the other ones then this book might be a bit tiresome. I still enjoyed the book and Collins has proven she can turn out a proper book which is why I rated it 3 Stars.

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I received this ARC with the promise of a fair and honest review. I have been hooked on the Beauchamp heiresses since the first book. Manda Collins has truly found her place with this series. What characters! What storylines! What a WONDERFUL series. I have to admit that I am sorry to see the stories of the original 4 heiresses but I have full faith that the series will find a way to continue on. Great writing!!

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Summary:

Gemma, chosen by the late Lady Celeste to be one of her heiresses due to her knowledge of Geology, has it all figured out. She wants to make a name for herself as a lady scientist and has no interest in marriage. She wants to make her aunt and Lady Celeste proud! Even the annoying Cameron Lisle won’t get in her way! A Geologist himself, and head of a scientific paper, they find themselves butting heads a lot.

When danger comes knocking on Gemma’s door, though, it is Cameron that will stand by her side and protect both her and her findings. The more time Cameron spends with Gemma, the more he respects her for her mind and admires her beauty. He knows a marriage between them would be amazing, and she is the one he wants. Can he convince her that taking him on won’t mean loosing herself and her studies though?

My thoughts:

I requested this book without realizing that it was far into a series and I have actually only read one other book: Ready, Set, Rogue, Manda Collins . I do this a lot with the historical romances because I don’t always see them when they first come out, or on the ARC sites; and also because historical romances aren’t my go-to genre. I love them, but will often only read them sporadically, preferring cozy mysteries, contemporary fiction and thriller/ suspense. That said, when I grab one, I love them.

The characters here were interesting and well developed. Even though I had missed two previous books it was easy to pick up. I like that about these books- you have a better understanding of characters and some back story if you read them in order, but it isn’t necessary in order to get a good picture of the current novel. The premise was good, and the problems between Gemma and Cameron were believable as was the attraction.

I will admit that I wasn’t thrilled with some of the side characters. Everard seemed very one dimensional, nearly cliche. He was the typical horses ass and had no redeeming qualities. I would have liked to find something interesting in him. Paley as well, wasn’t fleshed out as much as I would like. We spent more time on the girls and their partners, which is understandable because the author had a whole other novel to flesh each one out.

The talk of the collections was interesting, as well as Gemma trying to find her inheritance. I loved how the women supported one another. The idea of a house full of scholarly pursuits being given to four ladies of different interests for a year was interesting. I feel like Lady Celeste’s motives were brought out well. It was a quick, fun read with some great characters and dialogue. My issue was that, for me, there was nothing that grabbed me, making this different from the hundreds of other historical romances. For me, this is a three star book.

On the adult content scale, there’s some language and violence, along with several in depth sexual encounters. Definitely for adults there. I give it an eight.
I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's press in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

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Geologist Gemma Hastings has no interest in pursuing romance and no patience for Lord Cameron Lisle, an esteemed fossil hunter who has a way of always honing in on her territory. But when a shocking attack puts Gemma in very real danger, she may have to accept Lisle’s offers of protection. Cam was once amused by Gemma’s dedication to her work. But when he sees her coiffured & in a stunning dress he realises there's so much more to her.
This is the fourth book in the series & whilst it could be read by itself the whole series is very good & to fully appreciate this book I'd recommend reading the three earlier ones. Gemma & Cam have always been at loggerheads but there’s also been a spark between them, so it was entertaining & enjoyable to see the spark flare into a fire. The characters are well developed & the story flows extremely well, I’d been looking forward to Gemma’s story & I wasn't disappointed, I was immediately drawn into the book & was engrossed all of the way through, a fitting finale to the series.

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

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3.5 stars

This was the final book in the Studies in Scandal series, and like the books before it, you got a nice mystery interwoven in the romance. Unlike the books before it, I felt the mystery kind of overtook the romance. Not that that is a bad thing, it's just a little heads up ;)

I liked Gemma and Cam well enough. They had a little animosity going on at first due to the nature of their first meeting and the fact that they were "rivals" in the field of geology and fossil collecting. Neither had any intention of getting married so them getting caught in a scandalous situation and having to become betrothed was not really what either wanted. However, the more time they spent together, the more they realized they really liked each other.

My main problem with this was Cam's sudden turn around in his thoughts about not getting married. See, he was disillusioned because he caught his dad, who he thought was happily married to his mom, with a mistress. Well, ok. I get that. Your dad was really a cheating jerk instead of a fully loving and supportive husband. What killed me was that when Cam and his brother Ben were discussing it, Ben explained that their dad loved their mom so much that he got a mistress. So, Cam thought about it and realized he was wrong about happily ever afters and decided marriage wouldn't be so bad. UM, WHAT????? YOUR DAD HAD A MISTRESS WHILE YOUR MOM WAS RECOVERING FROM A MISCARRIAGE THAT NEARLY KILLED HER. He was still a cheating jerk. He wasn't some hero who was sparing his wife's life by not sleeping with her and knocking her up again. I nearly quit reading at that point.

It was great seeing all the Beauchamp heiresses again. I loved what they decided to do with the house at the end. Overall, this was a fun and entertaining series to read :)

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Publisher's Description:

LOVE IS THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF ALL

Geologist Gemma Hastings has no interest in pursuing romance—and no patience for Lord Cameron Lisle, an esteemed fossil hunter who has a way of always honing in on her territory. . .annoyingly handsome though he may be. But when a shocking attack puts Gemma in very real danger, she may have to accept Lisle’s offers of protection. Even if that means entering into a dangerous flirtation. . .

Lisle was once amused by Gemma’s dedication to her work. But now that he understands how much he’s underestimated her—a woman whose beauty is matched only by her genius—Lisle is desperate to prove his respect…and prove himself worthy of her. But is he too late? A bitter rival, desperate to steal Gemma’s scientific findings, is still at-large. Can Lisle help uncover the culprit and keep her safe—forever, in his loving arms?

My Thoughts:

This is the final book in this intriguing series about bluestocking misses who inherit a portion of a home that belonged to a deceased woman who was also in her life an equal to any and all of them.
Each young lady has been left a mystery to solve which has led each of them to their own happily ever after.
Gemma being the last who has yet to marry intends never to do so. However when her sister's brother in law comes into the picture will she be able to resist her antagonist? After all they seem to fight with each other rather than have any loving thoughts. Will her lack of clues to solve her mystery be a deterrent?
If the final unmarried young woman succumbs to the pull of love what will become of Beauchamp house?
I gave this book 4.25 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of3 of 5 flames. The pull between Cam and Gemma does lead to physical intimacy but the scenes are only warm.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

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One for the Rogue by Manda Collins is an exciting historical tale. A tale of two geniuses who start off fighting against each other only to fall deeply in love. A young woman, the last of the four heiresses, is trying to prove herself among the male scientific geology community. She searches and discovers a skull that might make her career in geology. Another geologist wants the skull for himself. However, that man ends up dead and the skull goes missing. A murder investigation begins...and Gemma is warned to stay out of both the danger and the investigation. Like the other women in her family, she does not listen. Instead, she drags Cam into it with her. While they investigate they find they enjoy geology as much as the other one and they also enjoy each other's company. Despite the danger, the two single people end up putting themselves in repeatedly scandalous situations. Marriage is bound to happen...but will they willingly marry one another or be forced by society? Manda Collins kept me intrigued. Her words had me laughing all the way. I was rooting for both Cam and Gemma. Their intelligence and personalites were fun to follow. I adored both of them. I was so happy for their story...with the way it ended. Overall, I recommend this scandalous yet funny novel to all readers.

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I have been on pins and needles waiting for this book ever since Cam and Gemma met in the last book. WOW! What fireworks between them – it was an epic battle – he was rude, abrupt and condescending and she was highly insulted and stubborn. Oil and water – they just don’t mix. But you knew that they would and it was so much fun to see them blend together so seamlessly. No, it wasn’t easy, but they did it.

The book is a fun read with fun characters and, I hope, the epilogue left a tiny crack for further books in the series or perhaps a new series with Special Appearances by the characters from this series. I’d love to see Lady Serena get her HEA. Did we maybe see a set-up for that? Perhaps, but we’ll have to wait and see what Ms. Collins decides to do.

In case you don’t know the premise behind the series, I’ll give you the short version. In her will, Lady Celeste Beauchamp chose four young ladies for their intellectual capabilities to spend a year in residence at her house, Beauchamp House. It boasted one of the most impressive libraries in England, a much-envied fossil collection, painting studio, etc. Each young lady was given complete freedom and the tools to continue her education in her chosen field. Each young lady was also bequeathed a letter and a task/puzzle from Lady Celeste. At the end of the year, any young lady who was still unmarried and still living in the house would inherit the entire estate. If all of them married or if all of them remained unmarried, then they would all share the inheritance equally. The first three books saw Ivy (classics scholar), Daphne (mathematician), and Sophia (painter) solve their puzzles and find their HEA. This book deals with Gemma Hastings, a geologist, and sister to Sophia.

What an exciting beginning – Gemma is a bit of an insomniac and she’s gotten up in the wee hours of the morning and crept from her bedchamber to go on a midnight ramble about the house. Outside, she sees what appears to be a lantern bobbing along in the night. Heedless of the consequences, she dashes out to confront whoever is on their private property. As she observes, she sees that it is her brother-in-law – Lord Cameron Lisle. Cam’s brother is married to Gemma’s sister Sophia, but Gemma doesn’t like him even a little bit and is indignant that he’s roaming around on their property. After she calls out to him, and he shushes her, she realizes that there is someone else with another lantern further ahead of Cam. Cam is exasperated that Gemma has alerted the man he was following and who has now disappeared. What was Sir Everard Healy doing on that beach? Now, neither Cam nor Gemma would learn any time soon.

A couple of days later, Sir Everard is found dead at the base of the cliffs below Beauchamp House. He was murdered while trying to steal a geological find of Gemma’s. Gemma didn’t murder him, Cam didn’t murder him – so, who did and are they still skulking around? Gemma’s artifact is missing, so whoever murdered Sir Everard stole the artifact. Cam and Gemma must work together to find the artifact and also solve the murder. Of course, as they work together, they are attracted to each other and that grows – until they are discovered in a compromising position and have to become betrothed.

Somehow, between compromising positions, ‘temporary’ betrothals, unchaperoned road trips, pretending to be married and spending the night together at an inn as man and wife, they manage to solve the murder and find the artifact.

It was a lovely, interesting, well-written read and I’m sorry to see the series end. However, it did have a lovely epilogue with future plans for Beauchamp house and Lady Serena. So, that is what gives me hope that we might get to visit with all of these lovely ladies in a future series or additional books in this series.

I have seen several two and three-star reviews for this book and they all talk about the same issues. I actually agree with much of what they say, but I just thought the book, as a whole, was good enough that it offset those issues for me. The first thing is that there weren’t enough fireworks between Gemma and Cam given the argument from the previous book and Gemma’s continued dislike of Cam. I would have liked to see a few more epic battles before they came to a meeting in the middle. The second was the lack of character development for Gemma and Cam. I thought Cam grew and changed a lot – he actually did most of the changing and adapting to Gemma’s ways rather than the other way around. However, Gemma did grow and she had to learn that she could have love and her choice of vocation IF she chose the right man.

This was a delightful read and I didn’t want to put it down once I’d read the first page. Well, actually, I didn't put it down -- I read it straight through and enjoyed every minute of it.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

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Having not read the previous three books in this series, I can't say knowing the minor characters' backstories would have improved my enjoyment of the story. My primary complaint with this book is the extremely dull hero and heroine. I needed much more fire and wit from the super intelligent Miss Gemma Hastings. Her preference for a life of spinsterhood made sense, considering her academic interests. Lord Cameron Lisle needed more alpha-like qualities to make himself more attractive to this reader. He just didn't do it for me. I kind of get why they fell for each other. They were attracted to each other and also their proximity made the match rather convenient. Around the 70% mark, their romance became really good.

I'm not a huge fan of mysteries, but the murder mystery as well as the where's-the-hidden-fossil mystery were intriguing.

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This story line of Lady Celeste leaving who estate to four bluestockings from varying fields has been a favorite of mine. They mystery behind each of their stories has been unique and interesting. Their ‘quest’ to stay single has not worked as each book has unfolded. Gemma is the last of the heiresses finding her romance. Gemma is sister to Sophia who is married to Benedick brother of Cam. So, Gemma and Cam already have a tenuous connection previously and are related by marriage. Their first meeting was difficult at best.

Suddenly, they both begin to see each other in a different light. Both are geologist, or fossil hunters as stated in One for the Rogue. Gemma has been left a fossil to find on the property, her chore from Lady Celeste. Of course, the secret of the fossil was not kept a secret very well since others knew of it and were searching for it, too. Early into this book, similarly to the previous books, there is a serious issue. In this case, it is the death of a competitor, of sorts, looking for the hidden fossil.

Gemma, as the final hold out on remaining single, decides to join with and lead Cam in investigating the death and searching for the fossil thief. These two keep finding themselves in compromising circumstances. Namely, they cannot keep their hands and mouths off of each other, while at the same time telling everything they really do not like each other. Both continue to state they will never marry.

One for the Rogue is just as enjoyable as the previous books in the Studies in Scandal series. I am looking forward to Serena’s, the widow and not very successful chaperon, romance next.


The above review is the one posted on twitter and will be on Amazon. Please allow me to share my thoughts on the conversation that so affected Cam and his view of marriage. He and Ben talked about Cam’s having witnessed his father leaving the father’s mistress’s home when he was a child. Ben and Cam discussed the reason their father had a mistress was to ‘protect’ his wife from another miscarriage, protect her health. Oh yes, his father could have been abstinent, but his father was not a ‘monster.’ Cam knew there was a ‘rift’ in his parent’s marriage and attributed it to his father having a mistress, yet, he thought his father seemed ‘as devoted a husband as ever.’ Ben states he is not excusing their father's behavior, but that Cam was viewing it from a 12 year old’s perspective. So, Cam’s male logic determines he, too, would do whatever it took to keep his wife, hopefully Gemma, alive, just has his father had. Baloney! I kept thinking while reading this conversation that it was acceptable for peers of that time period to take a mistress. Cheating is CHEATING! The man loved his wife so much that he took his carnal desire to a mistress to save her life. That is a load of baloney. It may have been acceptable in that time period, but surely there were men who were true to their vows, too. And, loved and respected their wives enough to remain faithful. This whole line of reasoning could have been left out of an otherwise delightful book.

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