So so good. I really liked the romance between Sophie and Henry. I loved the separately and together, I just couldn't get enough of them.

When You Wish Upon a Rogue was a fantastic read featuring a romance between a woman being forced to marry to save her family and a man haunted by his past.

Miss Sophie Kendall looks forward to her secret meetings with the Debutante Underground every week. The meetings are a great escape from her impending marriage to a man she doesn't love in order to save her family from ruin. When Sophie is looking at an abandoned property for space to expand the meetings, she meets Henry Reese, Earl of Warshire. Henry hasn't slept in weeks but upon meeting Sophie, his inner turmoil is immediately calmed. So Henry makes a bargain with Sophie, his building in exchange for one night a week with him.

Sophie's family is on the verge of financial ruin in large part due to her father's alcoholism. The plan to save them rests fully on Sophie's shoulders with her agreement to marry a wealthy man she does not love. Sophie is an easy character to like and I think she's my favorite of the trio in this series. She's smart, loyal to those she cares about, and her mannerisms regarding organization make her relatable on a personal level. I liked that over time she was more able to express what she wanted rather than continuing to go along with what everyone expected of her.

As a second son, Reese was never supposed to inherit a title and so he joined the army. Soon after he returned home upon learning of his brother's passing, his men were killed in an ambush. Reese has a lot of survivor's guilt which has led to severe insomnia that is slowly killing him. Reese's situation is heartbreaking and by the time he meets Sophie, he's at his wit's end. The author does a good job having Reese work through his trauma throughout the book and I liked that he wasn't magically completely better by book's end.

Sophie and Reese's relationship has an interesting start, Reese finds Sophie trespassing in his building but is immediately drawn to her. The instant connection between these two was fantastic and I liked that they both felt it. The buildup in their romance is very slow as Sophie is betrothed to another for a large portion of the book. The obstacles to their relationship were realistic and I was happy overall with the way they were resolved. The chemistry between Sophie and Reese is amazingly done and I found myself anticipating the scenes where they got to be alone. The book is light on the steamy scenes with only a handful towards the end, but they were well done.

Overall When You Wish Upon a Rogue was as enjoyable as the rest of the series and I highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to seeing what the author writes next.

Well who doesn't love a spunky, sunny heroine and a wounded, grumpy hero? Times were different women did not speak of much more than the weather and fashion. The Debutante Underground is out to change that... even if they do have to meet in secret.
This is a time of war and the battles were especially brutal. There was pain and too much loss of life. These left soldiers with invisible scars that were hard to heal.
When Sophie and Reese meet they form a friendship that soothes and heals Reese, but also opens up a new world to Sophie. As they become closer to one another so does her impending marriage to a man she doesn't know. These two are a perfect pair. Her light shines into his darkness and chases his demons away.

When You Wish Upon a Rogue by Anna Bennett
Subgenre: historical romance
Release date: 26 May 2020
Publisher: St Martin’s Paperbacks
Format: ebook and print
Length: 312 pages
RRP: $8.32 (ebook); $18.75 (print)

It is all about giving women some power within the relationship in Regency London. This underground group provides frank talk about men, and sex, in a time when women didn’t really discuss these matters. Sophie Kendall is the last remaining member of the trio to find her HEA. But she does.

The Debutante Revenge, which appears in the London Heresay was a way in which the debutants could hear about what happens in marriage from real women and not the glossed over information usually given to the young girls.

Sophie Kendall is the current chair for the group who meet weekly. She needs to find another place for her group to meet and while looking at a nearby tailor shop runs into the owner. Sophie is talking with Mr Peabody, or that is who she thinks he is, about renting the space. As it also turns out Sophie’s family really, really need her to marry so that the family’s fortune can be restored (read: the titled husband will pay off the debts of the gambling father).

Henry Reese, Earl of Warshire, is new into the title. So new to the title, he was on the battlefield when he learned the news of his brother’s death. Reese has nightmares of the battles, the men he left behind and the loss of his brother, and this affects his sleep. These days we would say he has PTSD. He is not a candidate for Sophie’s hand as his family coffers has no money.

Sophie is able to do something no one else has achieved, allowed Henry Reese to sleep well the entire night. Sophie leaves the all-important tea leaves with him, but he is unable to recreate the tea and spends the next week making tea and looking for her. We can all see where this is leading. Sophie is the only one who can achieve a peaceful sleep for him.

Reese invites Sophie to his manor so she can help him get the peace and sleep he needs. Sophie is also in awe of his gardens and helps him to make the gardens as great as they once were. Sophie and Reese woo and court each other in a rather sweet way. Then when her betrothal is almost final, they consummate their love. This is about unrequited love, until they can marry and find their HEA.

I really liked this story. The wounded soldier and the woman who must marry well to pay off the father’s debts. The sweet way in which they wooed each other and then parting, only to be together.

reviewed by Heather

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.

It was an enjoyable and romantic story about a man with deep scares and nightmares and a woman who has given up on love for herself. I enjoyed its steady pace and how the plot developed. They didn’t rush into anything but there was still enough romance and passion in the story to keep you reading. The series continues to develop and is enjoyable.

I have enjoyed the previous two books and was excited to read this one. I LOVED it!

I love the concept of the Debutante Underground and really like the characters that were involved in it.

I enjoyed the interactions between the main characters a lot. Reese dealing with his demons starts out being grumpy but turns out to be sweet and incredible. Sophie was just plain wonderful. I adored her.

This was an ok read. I did like both main characters but had some issues with some of the plot points.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Admittedly, the plot was a bit of a stretch for that era, but it was a fun read. It was a welcomed diversion from the weariness of the present! I highly recommend this book.

Miss Sophie Kendall head of “The Debutante Underground” where women of all walks of life meet privately to discuss the articles written in the London Hearsay must find another bigger place for the group to meet elsewhere. When one of the women suggest the old tailor workshop Sophie must check it out. When Sophie sees the place she knows it’s perfect but disrupts Henry Reese, Earl of Warshire, who is attempting to get some much needed sleep. Sophie tells Henry her plans and even makes him a tea which helps him sleep. Henry has found a miracle in Sophie and proposes that Sophie stay with him nightly to help him sleep. Sophie has a few conditions one being they can’t touch. As Sophie and Henry get closer a strong attraction forms and the conditions Sophie has imposed get harder to avoid. Unfortunately, Sophie is also betrothed to someone else and Henry realizes that he needs Sophie not just for sleep but for always.
What a wonderful regency romantic story told quite ingeniously! Yes, there many situations in the story that are very implausibly ever happening and all these women meeting was hard to suspend belief still it wasn’t hard to imagine the scenes either. It was nice to see how Ms. Bennett worked the arrangement of Sophie and Henry meeting. The story definitely kept you interested and moved smoothly. The plot twists were even unexpected and kept you turning pages not wanting the story to end. The characters major and minor were very well-done too. Sophie was a fantastic heroine sweet, kind and compassionate that she was easy to like. Henry had a lot of demons that was hard not to pity him; even the PTSD and how it was broached was very well done. This was a really good story and was definitely worth the read!

3.5/5 stars

POV: Sophie and Reese
Pacing: Good
Steam: Slow burn with open door sexy scenes

<u>Overall</u>
I really liked this historical fiction romance between Sophie and Reese. Sophie was an interesting feminist character trying to maintain her independence while maintaining the Debutante Underground meetings. Reese, a newly made earl, is dealing with his own drama, run down home and loss of a brother. It definitely was a case of the sunshine heroine stumbling across the grumpy hero. Overall, it was another good installment in the debutante series with decent chemistry and a good story.

*Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Apologies for being late with this --

I really like Anna Bennett's storytelling and like her heroine's secret society! At a time when women had so little control, it gives Sophie a way to take some. The basic story is a time-honored trope in historicals - impoverished hero-original heroine - but Anna has a way with that.

It was emotional and sexy and I loved it!

Sophie must marry to save her family from ruin. Reese, the Earl of Warshire, is a full blown insomniac, killing himself with his lack of sleep. Sounds like a match made in heaven 😳.

I couldn’t get into this book at all. There were too many implausible situations.

I received this ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Rated 3.5 - WHEN YOU WISH UPON A ROGUE by Anna Bennett is my introduction to this author’s talent, thanks to the publisher who sent me a copy. Even though it’s the third book in the DEBUTANTE DIARIES series, it was easy to read without prior knowledge of the first two books. It’s fun and entertaining with a great beginning.

The story starts off super cute with a spunky heroine who meets a dark, mysterious stranger. She’s innocent but just mischievous and brave enough to push forward into dark alleyways without much thought for her safety. She’s also smart enough to get away from the dark, mysterious stranger then get her way and keep him guessing. I was instantly hooked.

Miss Sophie Kendall is looking for a new place to hold her secret meetings with her debutante group. Following a lead on a vacant building whose door is unlocked, she wanders inside only to be startled by the owner.

Henry Reese, Earl of Warshire, suffers from nightmares created by his time at war. Unable to sleep, he comes to his building to do something away from his home. Sophie not only surprises him with her bold, fearless attitude, she also charms him with her delightful positive attitude and her ability to calm him.

This novel’s plotline is interesting and lends itself to some fun discussions among the members of the secret debutante underground. Sophie’s best friends, Lily and Fiona, are married, something Sophie longs for as well. Unfortunately, Sophie’s father has ruined their family’s finances, and it’s up to Sophie to marry well enough to save them. Her father finds her a man based on what he’ll do to help them. Sophie supposes he’ll do well-enough and, hopefully, she’ll learn to love him.

Reese and Sophie begin a friendship innocently, but it soon turns into something much more sensual. Once they began meeting in secret and moving forward with their attraction to one another, I lost interest. That’s because Sophie is promised to another, yet she sees nothing wrong in dallying with Reese. Reese is so grumpy and downtrodden that I often wondered what Sophie saw in him.

Even though Sophie isn’t married yet, her sexual exploration with Reese seems like infidelity to me, something I dislike in romance novels. With that in mind, I never got back to my initial enchantment with these characters because of my annoyance with their attitudes.

It all works out in the end and makes much more sense at the conclusion, but there was too much page time devoted to their sexual exploits before professing their love for one another. On the other hand, the buildup of their attraction and all the sweet things Reese does to woo Sophie is very well done. That’s why it’s so hard for me to rate this book and how it landed at 3.5 hearts.

It’s a clever plot with fun characters, but I couldn’t renew my connection to either protagonist due to their aloofness regarding their situation.

I will definitely read more by Anna Bennett, a new-to-me author, as her storytelling is engaging and her craft is well-honed. I’m intrigued by the first two books in the series, FIRST EARL I SEE TONIGHT and THE DUKE IS BUT A DREAM, Fionna and Lily’s stories, because I really enjoyed their interaction with Sophie in WHEN YOU WISH UPON A ROGUE. I’m curious how they acquired their happy-ever-after, and if they’re as mischievous as they seem.

Review by Dorine, courtesy of RomanceJunkies.com. A digital and a print copy were provided by the publisher for an honest review.

I have really been enjoying this series by Anna Bennett. When You Wish Upon a Rogue is book #3 in the Debutante Diaries. Book #1 is titled First Earl I See Tonight and book #2 is The Duke is But a Dream. As always, I prefer reading the books in order, but they can be read as a stand-alone. I always like returning to familiar settings and seeing glimpses of previous couples.

In this book, Miss Sophie Kendall is being forced by her parents to wed for money. She doesn’t want to and tries to escape her reality by organizing meetings of the Debutante Underground and writing an advice column targeted to women. But she knows that her marriage will be happening soon and is conflicted between her loyalty to her family and doing what makes her happy. As she was searching for a new meeting space, she ran into Henry Reese, Earl of Warshire. He allows Sophie to use his space and in exchange, she has to spend some time with him to help him get over his wartime trauma.

I really like that Sophie was a feminist and a subversive heroine. Henry is definitely not perfect. He is troubled by his past and is a bit of a tortured soul. He also does not have much money, which is exactly the opposite of what Sophie’s family needs from her. I like the elements of friendship in this book and overall sweet romance. If you are looking for your next historical romance with some slow burn chemistry, you should pick this one up (along with the previous two books). I am a fan of Bennett’s books and enjoy her style of storytelling.

Sophie was an independent young woman who was part of a secret group called "Debutante Underground. They meet to discuss a weekly advice column and to give support to each other. She knows her time is limited with her friends because her father has lost everything. She meets Henry Reese who is the new Earl of Warshire. Henry is suffering from PTSD and survivor's guilt. The one last thing I would call Henry is a "rogue". He is the tortured hero.

I liked the slow build of the relationship between Sophie and Henry. What drove me crazy was Sophie's family. She needed to stand up to her family and tell them that she was not going to marry the man her parents wanted to.

There were several scenes in the book that seemed disjointed or not fully developed. Beyond that, I enjoyed the book and thought it was a good read.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!

I have to apologize first to the publisher that I forgot to review the eGalley.

I don't expect historically correct details for this genre, but one has to be somewhat believable. Unfortunately this novel is not one of them. So many things are too modern and/or do not make sense that I had urge to stop reading. The characters and some scenes are cute, but I still do not feel like reading another book by the same author.

The beginning of this book started off really strong for me. I absolutely loooved this premise and I loved the dynamic between these characters. I am a melted puddle of mush for a gruff hero and a cheerful heroine who is completely oblivious to the way that the hero is responding to her. I was gleeful and expecting to love this book.

The middle of the book is what deflated this one for me somewhat. Both characters sort of stalled out in the way they wanted to be together but just seemed to accept the reasons they couldn't. That felt sort of tepid to me and I wasn't a fan.

If this conflict between these two had had a little more meat, I would have been all in. But it felt mostly external.

However, I appear to be mostly alone in this opinion because lots of reviewers loved this book! So clearly there's a lot to like here. And I did like it. I just thought I would love it. I think this might simply be a me thing.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sleepless in Regency England, secret societies, and a surprise romance make for an intriguing read that will draw you in. The character development is a solid, slow build. The blossoming romance is sweet, The plot does take some unexpected turns, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

I was completely sucked in. The slow burn, and yet not, was hot. I’m kicking myself for not discovering this series earlier. I need to read the first two books ASAP.

If you like historical romances then this book will entertain you. It will tug on your heart at the same time it’ll squeeze it.

This book is so powerful and full of a sweet but passion filled romance that had me sucked in from the beginning to end.
I loved that Sophie was determined to make the most of her life by helping women discover who they were in secret meeting to discuss real issues that women still struggle with today. Women should always be able to openly discuss their romantic desires, their passion and be open in their sexuality. I loved that Sophie wanted women to be open to being themselves and speaking up about what they wanted in and out of the bedroom with their partners. I felt she was this cool calm woman who held such fire in her heart for her passions. She provided a great mix of a proper yet determined woman that I love to see in historical romance.
Henry was a great counterpart to Sophie since he provided some rogue edges to Sophie. He was in desperate need of help, care and understanding and Sophie was amazing an helping Henry to relax and find peace and love. I really loved watching him fall for her, how he slowly but surely captured her heart with his subtle ways. He always found great little dates for them to privately have and I was along for the amazing ride.
Ultimately watching these two fall in love was so effortless and I was turning the pages as fast as I could because I always wanted more. The romance here was so heartfelt, beautiful and magical. I loved each and every scene in this novel and I can not wait to read more by this author. I want to go back and read the first two books in this series and every book Bennett writes.