A Rogue to Remember is Emily Sullivan's delightful historical romance debut. Set in the Victorian era, the story mostly takes place in Italy—a refreshing change from an English setting—and has a (childhood) friends-to-enemies (frenemies?)-to-lovers story line. There are so many elements that I liked about the story: the hero is a spy AND a professor, the heroine refuses to let others determine her future, there's only one bed, the Italian setting, the delicious banter. I could go on and on.
Suffice it to say, I adored seeing Lottie and Alec's love story unfold…the pining, the yearning, the kissing…they all made for a swoon-worthy, emotionally-satisfying read that had me sad to reach the last page. BUT I'm eagerly awaiting Rafe's story, which is the focus of the next book in the series.

Alec and Lottie’s relationship towards one another was equal parts intimate and equal parts sensual. Their childhood spent together and the years they spent apart truly shaped each of them until they came face to face after five years of no communication. The moments up until their reconciliation were excruciating and had me on the edge of my seat until everything came to a head.

The other minor characters, such as Mrs. Houston and Rafe, really interested me and I was so delighted to find out that the second book in the series will be all about him! He seems multi-faceted and multi-layered and I can’t wait to peel back those layers.

Also, the descriptions of the different settings made me feel as if I was truly in Pistoia, Venice, and London with Alec and Lottie and Sullivan did a grand job of setting the scene in each chapter.

I loved seeing the character transformation of both Lottie and Alec and the realizations that they both came to at the end of the book. I read this book so quickly because I couldn’t put it down and I honestly may just have to read it again. This book was really everything I could’ve asked for in a romance novel!

A Rogue to Remember touches on a number of tropes and Ms. Sullivan does a good job with her debut romance. Alec Gresham didn't have a choice 5 years ago when he left Lottie. Her uncle Sir Alfred reminded him he was not good enough for his niece and pushed Alec into Crown service. Fully aware that his career could be ruined if he contacted Lottie again, Alec spent the next 5 years becoming an elite spy. Lottie has never forgotten her true love and was hurt when he left her without even a goodbye. When Lottie runs away from her stifling life in London, it's Alec her uncle sends to find her who and bring her home. Neither Alec nor Lottie can keep their buried feelings from exploding once again, but can they learn to trust each other again?

I enjoyed the story and it had a decent pace. It was a little slow in spots, but the author does a good job of teasing out the full story of Sir Alfred's actions in keeping the young lovers apart. Lottie was a strong willed young lady who wanted to take her future into her own hands and I liked her spirit, but it was Alec who was my favorite in the story. He suffered so much and I was happy he finally learned the truth about his parents. I'm looking forward to Rafe's story in the next League of Scoundrels book.

The swoon! A Rogue to Remember is one of those “my cheeks hurt from all the smiling” type of swoon reads. The mutual pining & childhood history between these two characters, omg it was delicious, sweet, steamy and just oh-so-romantic. If no one listens to any other review I give this year, listen to this one & go pre-order this book! 😍

This story is set in 1897 and takes place mostly in Italy (which I loved reading a HR set in somewhere besides England). Charlotte “Lottie” Carlisle was born into one of the finest families in England and when she became an orphan at a young age, her Uncle Alfred (who is also a legendary spy for the Crown) took her in. Uncle Alfred had another ward as well, Alec, and he & Lottie bonded over an idyllic childhood of adventures together. The self-proclaimed “misfits” grew close over the years until they got ripped apart the night of her debutante ball. Now 5 years have passed and Lottie, who was tired of the shallow & stifling existence society demanded of her, ran away to a small town in Italy with the hopes that the scandal would ruin her. Her Uncle sends Alec, who followed in his footsteps and is now an agent for the crown, after Lottie to bring her back home. But when the Alec & Lottie meet again...sparks definitely re-ignite, especially when Alec tells her they need to pretend to be husband & wife as they travel together.

So I loved this second-chance romance so much! A little bit of intrigue, lots of adventure, traveling together with lots of “only 1 bed”. The writing is amazing and the romance was just everything! The low-key angst & pining of how perfect Lottie and Alec are together was so good, and the steamy times....I mean that mirror scene. 🔥 This book was just amazing and definitely a favorite of the year. I cannot wait for more from this author in the future!

Thank you to the publisher (Forever) for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & review.

This is a really solid debut. It was quite slow for me at times but I kept at it because I was invested in the characters. I do feel like it lagged a bit and at time the pacing was off, but I am very intrigued to see what else this author puts out there and looking forward to reading more by her in the future. 3.75 stars, rounding up to 4.

A Rogue to Remember follows Lottie and Alec, childhood friends who haven’t seen each other since his devastating rejection five years ago. Alec is sent to retrieve Lottie, who has left London to create a scandal that would render her unmarriageable, and return her home to her uncle. As the pair journeys home, old feelings and chemistry flares. Can Lottie forgive Alec for his past rejection? Will they admit their feelings for each other and find their happily-ever-after?

This is an engaging and romantic story with a fabulous setting and fantastic characters. Lottie is definitely one of my favorites, and her independent, liberal spirit is a breath of fresh air. Stifled by the constraints and expectations put upon her by her uncle and elite society as a whole, Lottie flees. She longs for freedom and adventure and love, and she refuses to marry for anything less. I love that Lottie stands up for herself. Even with Alec, Lottie fights for what she wants and refuses to give up on him and their love.

Some of my favorite stories follow characters who go on physical and emotional journeys, and A Rogue to Remember does just that. The setting of the story follows Lottie and Alec through Italy and takes the reader to lush landscapes, quaint villages, Venetian canals, and more. As the couple travels, they face internal and external obstacles, and I like that the mystery, tension, and intrigue they go through throughout their journey parallels the internal turmoil they experience.

Both Lottie and Alec must come to terms with their long-buried feelings for each other. Even though Alec deeply loved her, he always believed that he wasn’t good enough for Lottie. Lottie still feels the sting of rejection from five years ago and doesn’t fully trust Alec with her heart. Both characters must learn the truth of the past and face their feelings for each other as the story progresses.

The chemistry between Lottie and Alec is amazing! They have such a deep and profound connection that spans almost two decades, and this friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-fake-marriage-to-lovers romance is filled with yearning, regret, and hope. Lottie and Alec have such a strong bond, and it’s clear that they love each other, though neither wants to admit it. Lack of communication, feelings of unworthiness, societal pressures, the past, and a meddlesome relative prove difficult obstacles to overcome, but the pair proves that their feelings for each other are greater than anything that stands in their way.

The story also touches upon some heavier subjects, especially the grief and pain that comes with losing a loved one. Both Alec and Lottie lost their parents at a young age, though their lives and the feelings toward the losses are very different. There’s a lot about the past that Alec doesn’t know. Secrets about his parents that have purposely been kept from him have detrimentally affected Alec and his relationship with others. He’s good at keeping people at a distance and not showing his true self to anyone. Lottie is one of the few who sees the man beneath the tough and emotionless exterior.

Intrigue, adventure, secrets and lies, a fake relationship, and a second-chance romance all make for a delightful and memorable read. I enjoyed the love story and the setting, and the book introduces intriguing characters that I can’t wait to read about in future books in the series! Thanks so much to NetGalley, Forever, and Emily Sullivan for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

A Rogue to remember is a great debut from Emily Sullivan! If you love a hero who is a spy, this one is for you. Alec and Lottie were childhood friends. Alec left 5 years ago after Lottie had her coming out ball and she never heard from him again. This is an angsty second chance romance. I enjoyed that their relationship is shown through flashbacks to the past, which let you appreciate even more their interactions in the current-day portion of the book. This book delivers on so many levels. I cant wait to read more from this author!

Lottie, an orphaned heiress, and Alex grew up together as wards of Lottie’s uncle, Sir Alfred. Their friendship begins to grow into something more until Sir Alfred turns down Alec’s suit and instead starts him on a career as a spy. Alec takes off without a goodbye, leaving Lottie heartbroken. Fast forward five years. Lottie has run away to Tuscany in order to escape a society marriage, and Alec is tasked with bringing her back to London. As they travel together through Italy, pretending to be newlyweds, they can’t deny their attraction to each other—but can they overcome past hurts to have a future together?

Most of this book is set in Italy, ranging from the Tuscan countryside to an inn in Pistoia to the Venetian canals, and the lush settings are evocative of romance and adventure. Emily Sullivan also writes her main characters, Lottie and Alec, with impressive nuance; their flaws and insecurities give emotional weight to their estrangement and ups the stakes for their ultimate reconciliation. In the years they spend apart, Alec and Lottie each grow into their own selves, so that when they come back together, they are better equipped to figure out what really matters—and how to fight for it. The best second-chance stories are, at heart, about growing up, and this one is no exception.

Oh my good lord - this book! This was a wake up an hour before I need to in the morning to read a few chapters before work situation over here.


I think the thing I loved most about this book was that it just jumped right into it. So many books I read spend so much time on the exposition that the plot doesn't really start until 30% in - not the case here! The book hits the ground running while also not making me feel like I was missing any key information about the characters. A+

5/5 A+

** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A great debut from Emily Sullivan! A Rogue to Remember matches up a spy and his childhood friend. Five years ago Alec left Lottie the day after her coming out ball - and he hasn't written since. This is an angsty second chance romance. Their earlier relationship is shown through flashbacks which lend poignancy to their interactions in the current-day portion of the plot. We are suckers for academic/archaeologist spies and the women who love them (Falcon at the Portal/Thunder in the Sky, Lady Sherlock, Your Scandalous Ways anyone?) and this delivers. We also love women who know what they want and then ask for it, and who take their own destinies in their hands.

The only reason this is four stars instead of five is the final conflict. We would have loved to see Alec and Lottie working together to unmask a traitor instead of working separately to save each other. Like we said, we love it when our lovers communicate and tell each other what they want, and while Alec certainly had his reasons for deceiving Lottie, it would have made the payoff much sweeter if our couple weren't separated for the final act. We are looking forward to seeing much more from Emily Sullivan!

A Rogue to Remember by Emily Sullivan is a second-chance at love/road trip romance mash up. What you need to know first is that the road trip takes place in Italy. Yes! The change of scenery makes this regency romance that much more romantic and I thoroughly appreciate Sullivan dragging us all out of the tepid English rain and into the gorgeous Italian sunshine and the elaborate Venetian dining rooms.

Lottie and Alec grew up together and their childhood affection blossomed into love, but Lottie’s uncle, who was also Alec’s guardian, separated them for reasons. Now, Lottie has slipped from beneath her uncle’s thumb and taken off across Italy and Alec has been sent to bring her back. Sullivan’s writing is intelligent and engaging. She does an excellent job building the sexual tension between the two (there is ONLY ONE BED at the inn!!) while at the same time giving us an emotional connection between the two that makes the inevitable plunge into the ONLY ONE BED satisfying and bittersweet at the same time.

I highly recommend A Rogue to Remember for all readers of historical fiction who appreciate an angsty journey through the Italian countryside on their way to an HEA.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for this complimentary review copy—all opinions are my own.

This was a delightful debut, chock full of chemistry and intrigue from the first page. Alec and Lottie’s chemistry truly wowed me. I can’t even put my finger on what exactly made it positively singe the ends of my kindle but it was there so tangibly!

While my heart ached for the injustice that tore Alec and Lottie apart, it was a joy to see them finally happy together!

Tropes: childhood friends to lovers, only one room at the inn, road trip

A solid debut novel, but it didn't hold my attention or stand out as anything special/different (which is what I'm looking for in my romance reads at this point in my romance reading journey)

One reason it didn't grab me: so many flashbacks. I understood their purpose, but I wanted to see the characters interact on the page in real time. Lots of background building, not a lot of chemistry.

This was book was fantastic! I loved Lottie strength, Alec's intrigues, and the Italian setting was just perfect and refreshing change. Watching their romance develop as lie after lie is slowly peeled away made for such a satisfying reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f friends to frenemies to lovers
-second chance romance
-childhood friends
-only one bed
-some fake relationship through in as well
-a professor hero who also is a spy
-an heiress heroine who doesn't need anyone else to save her
-some intrigue and a whole lot of sexual tension
-slow burn

This was such a sweet yet fiery debut. I loved Lottie. Immediately when we meet her she is rescuing herself, refusing to marry for anything but love and deciding to run away and let everyone believe she's ruined. All of the forced proximity situations especially at the beginning had me flipping the page, yelling as they fought their obvious attraction for each other.

Alex was a sweetheart with a soft spot for Lottie. He grapples with his past and his place in the world. He's kept Lottie on a pedestal for a long time though I wish he had recognized her own fight and that she wasn't a damsel a bit sooner in the book. As the secrets of his past unraveled he finally realized all Lottie wanted was him which was wonderful. Their reunion scene was so honest and fully recognized how they had gotten to that place.

This was a trope-filled fun read, with some spycraft added for a great twist. So glad this is going to be a series, I can't wait for Rafe's story.

Rating: 4
Steam: 3

CW: grief, death of a parent, parental abandonment, sick family member, threat/attempted sexual assault

I love the childhood friends to lovers trope and all things star crossed, so this book was right up my alley.
The novel follows Lottie, who has runaway from home in an attempt to “ruin” her reputation, and Alec, her childhood friend turned spy who is sent to retrieve her. Of course, nothing goes as planned and as they travel through Italy sparks fly, though they try quite hard to deny them.

The tension is this book was intense and kept me turning the pages to see when they would finally let go and kiss already! The chemistry between these two was palpable, and their story heartbreaking. I loved Lottie’s rebellious nature and Alec’s soft center despite a hardened shell. Their love was real and hidden and broken, but never gone. As the story processed, I hurt for Alec and wanted Lottie to get everything she wanted damn the consequences.

And all that was before they ever truly kissed. Once they do kiss (and more), the heartache and excitement sped up into an intriguing and unexpected climax (no pun intended here!) and a satisfying ending that left me excited for the second book in the series!

CW: none significant IMO.

I love a second chance romance and this came with so much sweetness and pining and that slow burn I just loved it. The language is easy, Marta is delightful and the turns and twists keep you on your toes. Trying not to give any spoilers is so hard. :)

Alec and Lottie totally irritate each other but when the pull becomes strong you can't help but cheer them on.

Lottie is a sweet mix of a strong woman and a sponge for love. Alec has no idea how good he is. They are a perfect mix. Bonus is the unexpectedly adventurous tour they get on and the scenery you experience through the author's words.

So hop on it and it would be a "read to remember!"

Miss Lottie Carlisle has a plan: escape London and render herself unmarriageable. She has no interest in shallow society, or her uncle's plans to find her a husband. When her childhood friend Alec Gresham tracks her down in Italy, she is angry to hear that her reputation is intact and he has orders to bring her home because her uncle is ill. Though they haven't seen each other in five years, Lottie's and Alec's connection runs deep. Their past is complicated and the painful secrets can't stay hidden much longer.

This is the first in a new series for this debut author. I struggled with the story's pacing as more than half of the book felt like set up (and a small detail that could have made the end more impactful was glossed over). For me, the details of Lottie's and Alec's estrangement took too long to unravel, and my interest in their love story waned. I did, however, like and appreciate the Italian setting.

Tropes: Childhood Friends, Second Chance Romance, Road Trip, Forced Proximity, Spy/Govt Work

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #ARogueToRemember #NetGalley

A huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended if you love Lisa Kleypas and Katharine Ashe.

This was a lovely friends-to-lovers historical romance.

The childhood connection between Lottie and Alec is the defining relationship in both their lives. Until it isn't. Until they are manipulated into believing they are not what is best or right or happy for each other.

Lottie has resolutely recovered from Alec's abandonment five years ago. She is determined to become an independent woman untethered by the apron strings of society and free to pursue a life of travel and adventure. But her escape has garnered the eagle attention of her uncle -- and he will not tolerate her willfulness. Alec is tasked with returning her to England.

When they meet again, it is oil and water. When he kisses her, she wants to believe it is because of something more substantial than their fake relationship ruse. She wants him to understand her, but she doesn't want that vulnerability between them. And Alec is convinced that his past is an insurmountable obstacle to a future with her.

The navigation of their star-crossed circumstances had me smiling and shaking my head. In the tradition of all obtuse and oblivious men, Alec doesn't realize that he is exactly what Emma both wants and needs.

A good start for a debut author.
An understandable flaw seemed to be that there was a lot of setup prior to getting into the heart of the story, which does make sense when setting up a new series. Truth be told, the story only took off past the halfway mark. The estrangement took a bit too long to explain leading me to, at times, lose interest in Alec and Lottie but added enough to make me eager for Rafe's story.