I really liked this one a lot and now want to read the first one as well to see if it starts off well. liked a lot of the characters so hope the series continues

Sloan and Annabeth have their future planned awaiting her 21st birthday. But as some plans do things go awry when Sloan is confronted with a difficult decision. Do what is asked of him or hurt the woman he loves. Both will be devastating to her and her family. He makes the decision he believes is the best. When he returns 12 years later a mystery reveals itself that both need to work together to solve. Will this be a second chance for them? A fast-paced, enjoyable read.

A Rogue at Stonecliffe is the second book in the Stonecliffe series, but can easily be read as a standalone. Annabeth Winfield and Sloane Rutherford grew up as friends and eventually fell in love. They wanted to marry, but Sloane's father had gambled away their fortune and he knew he couldn't marry Annabeth until he could support her in the way she was accustomed. He is approached by a government agent and offered a chance to own his own ship, but he would have to work for the government and spy on France. He refuses until he is told that Annabeth's father was a spy for France and he would be outed, unless Sloane agreed. Sloane disappears from Annabeth's life without a word as he embarks on his life as a spy for Britain. Fast forward twelve years and Sloane is no longer working as a spy, but finds out that Annabeth is in danger. He reappears in her life to protect her and find the document that someone is willing to kill for.

I enjoyed this book, but it was a bit slow to start. I'm glad I hung in there because once the story picks up, I couldn't stop reading. Although this is a romance, there was more of a mystery, spy story and adventure than romance. There was chemistry and slow burn romance, but it was not acted on until the last quarter of the book. I really liked Annabeth. She was a smart, independent woman who was not going to be hidden away while the investigation happened, she was right in there and was able to protect herself a couple of times when it was necessary. Sloane is a swoon worthy hero. He gave up who he loved when he found out about her family's problems. Although he never stopped loving Annabeth, he was willing to do what was necessary for her to have a happy life, and he didn't think it was with him. The writing was wonderful, the plot well-developed and the dialogue and banter enjoyable. With this book you get espionage/spying, double agents, moles, and traitors, as well as a slow-burn romance, deep feelings and a bit of steam. A welcome addition to the Stonecliffe series and one that I enjoyed. If you like a good historical romance that has some meat to the story, I recommend you pick up A Rogue at Stonecliffe.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Candace Camp delights historical romance readers with her latest irresistible tale full of intrigue, passion and seduction: A Rogue at Stonecliffe.

Annabeth Winfield had been devastated when the love of her life had left without an explanation. Sloane Rutherford had captured her heart with his intelligence and daring and when he’d left her, Annabeth had known that she would never find another man like him. Twelve years later, she’s ready to start a new life and is engaged to a safe and dependable man. Annabeth never imagined that she would meet another man like Sloan’s, however, fate had other ideas in store for her…

Nobody is more shocked than Annabeth when Sloan saunters back into her life with a shocking message: she’s in terrible danger. Sloan has spent the last twelve years working as a spy and thought he’d left espionage behind him – until he uncovers the threat to her life. Determined to protect Annabeth at all costs, Sloan offers to hide her at Stonecliffe, the Rutherford estate. But if Sloan thought that Annabeth was just going to sit idly by while he chases the bad guys, then he had another think coming!

As the two embark on an exciting and dangerous investigation, old feelings quickly resurface. Will it be second time lucky for Annabeth and Sloan? Or are there simply too many obstacles standing in their way?

Candace Camp’s A Rogue at Stonecliffe is an enjoyable historical romance spiced with plenty of humor, suspense, tension and seduction to keep readers on the edge of their seats and completely gripped from the first page till the last. A second chance historical romance that tugs at the heartstrings and raises plenty of smiles, A Rogue at Stonecliffe is the latest enjoyable historical romance by Candace Camp.

This Regency romantic suspense and mystery
Is a great mix of drama, spies and history.
With a hero determined to protect his love always
Even if he's the one who always pays....

Secrets, missions, spies and traitors, too,
Keep you guessing all the way through.
The class system, beliefs and attitudes all make
This a great read on which to partake.

Uncovering her father's past is the quest
But doing so will her feelings test.
Who can you trust to be true
And who should you be wary of, too?

A fascinating page turner with great characters who
Keep you guessing what will the traitor do?
Can Sloane and Annabeth put old feelings away
Can they solve the case or will their past make them pay?

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Annabeth Winfield moved on after her first love Sloane Rutherford left her. She believes their romance was reckless and temporary, and could never last. Twelve years later, Annabeth is engaged to a dependable man, ready to move on to the next stage of her life. Of course, that's when Sloane returns with a warning. He had been a spy for years, and a dangerous blackmailer is after Annabeth. He offers to hide her at Stonecliffe, the Rutherford estate, but she demands to be part of the investigation. Their old romance is about to be rekindled, no matter what else is happening around them.

A Rogue at Stonecliffe is the second novel in the Stonecliffe series, following An Affair At Stonecliffe. The Rutherford family is full of secrets, this time because of Sloane's job as a spy. We have a few callbacks to the first book in the form of returning characters in the beginning, seeing the effects of that happily ever after. Sloane from the start is blackmailed into being a spy for the sake of Annabeth's reputation, as he couldn't allow it to hurt her if news came out that her father worked with traitors. Documents outlining her father's past work might still be around, so even though he's dead, Annabeth is still in danger. He still loves her and always will, and she protests that her love for him had died years ago with his silence, which allowed her to get engaged to someone else. But everyone else around her knows full well that she still has feelings for him.

There are several secrets that are uncovered along the way, which sends Annabeth and Sloane to several different locations across England. They argue and can't agree on Sloane's actions in the past. He maintains he was protecting her, she maintains he didn't trust her or believe that a marriage between them would work. They work together to figure out the past, and by the end are debating suspects together and figure it all out. Their emotions are rekindled, and Sloane must admit that their love is stronger than his fear. It all works out in the end, of course, and we get a happily ever after that fits them.

Fictionally speaking, the Napoleonic Wars are a gift that just keeps on giving. And taking, as happens in this second book in the Stonecliffe series, after last year’s An Affair at Stonecliffe. (Which I have not read – yet – but am now looking forward to!)

The Napoleonic Wars are long over when that rogue of the title returns home to Stonecliffe, but that is not when this story begins. It began twelve years earlier, in 1810, when the war within the war known as the Peninsular War was still going hot, and the cold and chill war of spies and smugglers was complicating progress on both sides of the Channel.

Sloane Rutherford and Annabeth Winfield were young, in love, and expecting to marry as soon as Anna attained her majority at 21. As the children of somewhat spendthrift second sons of the aristocracy, they’ve been raised on the fringes of the ton without ever being truly part of it. They can marry for love – and that’s exactly what they intend to do.

At least until the seemingly endless war interferes with their hopes and dreams, in the person of Britain’s spymaster, Asquith. Asquith needs someone to pose as a disaffected spy and smuggler, and has decided that Sloane is the perfect man for a job that the younger man has no desire to do.

But Asquith has leverage. Not against Sloane himself, but against Anna’s beloved father, who has turned traitorous spy because someone in France has leverage on him. Sloane is faced with an impossible choice, whether to give up Anna, let everything think he has turned his back on his own country, and steal back the incriminating documents that keep her father in thrall, or let Asquith expose her father’s treachery and let the ensuing scandal fall on Anna and her family.

Sloane is damned if he does – literally – and equally damned if he doesn’t. So he does, because his choice is always going to be action over inaction. He leaves Anna in the painful lurch, and pretends to be everything that the ton ends up believing, that he’s a rogue, a smuggler, and a spy.

Even after the wars are over, and Sloane is back in England running the shipping empire that was his well-earned pay for a deadly and dangerous game, he and Anna stay far, far away from each other.

Until that incriminating paper that was once held over her father’s head puts Anna’s life in danger. So Sloane does what he always does – he acts. He’s the only one who takes the danger seriously enough to protect Anna at any and all costs – especially to his own heart.

Escape Rating B: The story in A Rogue at Stonecliffe reads like a combination of the chickens coming home to roost and an old truism about it not being the original crime that gets someone in trouble nearly half so much as it’s the coverup that does them in.

Mixed with a second chance at love story whose tension isn’t “will they, won’t they” because they already did, or even “should they or shouldn’t they”, because it’s obvious early on that they should, but much more about whether they can manage to get past all the damage that they’ve already done to each other.

Or more to the point, all the damage that Sloane has already done to Anna. Because he seriously effed up by taking solely unto himself a whole heaping helping of decisions that should rightfully have been shared. And that’s something they’re going to have to work on together in order to have any kind of future.

And it’s not easy to do that when bullets are flying and people are trying to kill one or both of them and there’s a dangerous secret at the bottom of the dirty barrel that neither of them knows the full depths of until it’s nearly too late.

There’s more than a bit of romantic suspense in this, as Sloane and Anna are searching for a secret that once damned her father and has the capacity to take the rest of the family down with him now that he’s dead. All the while, Sloane is trying to keep both of them a few steps ahead of a traitor who has been hiding in plain sight for over a decade.

But what makes this one so much fun is Anna and her relationship with Sloane. Not the hazy dream they had in the past, but the real, and increasingly honest and equal one they have in the present. Sloane wants to keep her safe. Anna has the right to know all the truths and make her own decisions. Navigating that minefield is even more of a threat to any possibility of their future happiness than any sharpshooters taking potshots from the woods.

The Stonecliffe series has proved to be a fascinating mix of historical romance and romantic suspense, at least based on this second book in the series. So I’ll be reaching back for that first book, An Affair at Stonecliffe, and looking forward to the third, A Scandal at Stonecliffe, coming next year.

It's summer and I'm the mood for entertaining novel and travelling back to Stoneville was a good way to relax, have fun and escape reality.
A well plotted story featuring strong characters, a lot of fun and a compelling plot.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A ROGUE AT STONECLIFFE (A Stonecliffe Novel Book #2) by Candace Camp is an intriguing and fast-paced historical second chance romance/romantic suspense set in the Regency period. This is the second book in the series following An Affair at Stonecliffe and while you have more background on the relationships between characters if you read these books in order, this second book still stands well on its own.

Sloane Rutherford is considered a rogue in the worst sense of the word. He broke the heart of his young love when he left and became a spy and smuggler during the war twelve years ago with the belief that he had no choice. He has returned and has no love of his noble relations as he runs his shipping line, gambling hells and taverns and believes he is done with espionage.

Annabeth Winfield is shocked when the man who left her heartbroken returns to Stonecliffe to warn her that her life may be in danger. A letter of confession her father wrote while he was still alive is a danger to an unknown person and they are willing to do anything to find it. Annabeth thought she was done with Sloane, but when there is an attempt made to kidnap her, he is determined to protect her, find out where the letter is and who is after her. Annabeth is no longer that you girl left behind and she demands to part of the investigation.

Annabeth and Sloane are investigating a world of lies, double agents, and traitors all while the love they thought they had buried once again grows. Will Sloane walk away again?

I really loved Annabelle and Sloane and believe they made a wonderful pair. Second chance romances are always so interesting because I get to understand them as young characters and then see how they have changed and matured as they come back together. The sex scenes are steamy, but not gratuitous. All the secondary characters are fully drawn and believable and I especially love Lady Lockwood, Annabelle’s grandmother. The mystery/suspense plot in this story is just as prevalent as the romance plot and kept me turning the pages as Annabelle and Sloane traveled London and the countryside searching for her father’s letter.

This is an exciting and entertaining historical second chance romance/romantic suspense and I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

Good combination of second chance romance and spy story. The book opened twelve years before the main story. Sloane and Annabeth are teenagers in the throes of first love. They are full of plans for their future, including marriage, as soon as Annabeth is old enough. But fate has other plans for them. Sloane is approached by a man who tells him that Annabeth's father is selling secrets to the French. He promises Sloane he won't turn in her father if Sloane goes to work for him as a spy and smuggler. Sloane will do anything to protect Annabeth from the scandal of having a traitor for a father, so he agrees. But he can't tell Annabeth why he's leaving, so he just disappears.

Sloane is back in London twelve years later, his spying days behind him. He's turned his smuggling into a successful business, but rumors that he was spying for the French have made him a social pariah. He avoids society whenever possible and doesn't care about their opinion of him. When he gets word that Annabeth is in danger because of either his or her father's actions, Sloane is determined to protect her. The trouble is Annabeth wants nothing to do with him or his protection.

Sloane's abandonment devastated Annabeth, and it took her years to put him behind her. She's engaged to Nathan, a good man she can depend on. Their relationship may lack the fire of her time with Sloane, but passion isn't everything. She's furious when he reappears in her life, claiming she's in danger and trying to get her to leave London. But when she is kidnapped and only escapes with the help of her maid (who isn't really a maid), she agrees that she needs help.

I loved that Annabeth wouldn't sit back and be taken care of. The news that she is in danger because someone wants one of her father's papers has her determined to be involved in finding the paper. Sloane walks a fine line between truth and deception, keeping what is in that paper a secret. There's plenty of action as he and Annabeth travel all over while attempting to find the missing document. It doesn't take long for their old feelings to come back to life, but Annabeth isn't sure she's ready to trust Sloane with her heart again. It doesn't help that she's certain he's still keeping secrets, and his lack of trust feels like another betrayal.

I liked seeing the changes in Sloane and Annabeth. She is no longer the naïve teenager who believes love is all she needs. Her strength, determination, and resourcefulness amaze Sloane. At the same time, Annabeth can see that Sloane is just as charming as ever and more confident than he was as a boy. Both need to let go of their past hurts and bitterness before they can look to a future together. And to do that, they must learn to trust each other. It wasn't easy, but the emotional clearing of the air gave me hope for a bright future for them.

The suspense of the story was well done. I was glued to the pages through each step of the search. Some intriguing twists kept Annabeth and Sloane on their toes. As the story progressed, I got the feeling that there was more to the missing paper than they knew. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was resolved, and the bad guy was caught in his own web.

As is usual with the author's books, the secondary characters play critical roles in the story. Annabeth's fiancé, Nathan, is a nice guy, and I felt bad for him once Sloane reappeared on the scene. Not only does he do the right thing, but he also becomes an active participant in resolving the mystery. Also involved is Verity, a former spy partner of Sloane's. She is bold, beautiful, and extremely good at what she does. The antagonism between her and Nathan is hilarious, and the sparks of attraction leap off the page. It looks like they will be the main characters in the next book, and I can't wait to read it. I also adored Annabeth's grandmother, Lady Lockwood. She is a hoot to watch as she keeps everyone in line.

She hasn't moved on in twelve years....

Seriously, twelve years! Back then, that was a third of your life! Annabeth is making a feeble attempt to move on from Sloan, who ghosted her twelve years before. He certainly moved on in a huge way. He's a spy, keeping secrets and I didn't really buy that he thought he wasn't good enough. He pulled a Poldark and wanted adventure over marriage.

Title: A Rogue at Stonecliffe
Author: Candace Camp
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

When the love of her life left without any explanation, Annabeth Winfield moved on despairingly, knowing she’d never have a love as thrilling as her first ever again. Sloane Rutherford was roguish and daring, but as Annabeth grew up, she realized that their reckless romance was just a passing adventure, never meant for stability. Twelve years later, Annabeth is engaged to someone new, ready to start her life with a dependable man.

That’s when Sloane returns. And he brings with him a serious warning: Annabeth is in trouble.

After spending the past dozen years working as a spy, Sloane thought he’d left espionage behind him. But now a dangerous blackmailer is after Annabeth. Sloane offers to hide his former lover at Stonecliffe, the Rutherford estate, but stubborn Annabeth demands to be part of the investigation. As the two embark on a dangerous and exciting journey, memories of their past romance resurface. Sloane and Annabeth aren’t the wide-eyed children they used to be, but knowing they’re wrong for each other makes a nostalgic affair seem very right…

I enjoyed seeing this continuation of the Stonecliffe series. This was filled with mysteries, secrets, and red herrings, and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Annabeth’s grandmother was definitely the scariest character in the novel, but she was such a great character! I loved how even the secondary characters were so vivid and believable. This is a solid romance read, perfect for a lazy weekend afternoon.

Candace Camp is a bestselling author. A Rogue at Stonecliffe is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Canary Street Press in exchange for an honest review.)

I'm normally a huge fan of Candace Camp's books and I really enjoyed book 1 in this series, but I didn't really get into this book. Annabeth is trying to move on with her life and marry Nathan, despite only seeing him as a friend, she no longer believes she is capable of the passionate love she felt for Sloane when they were young, before he abandoned her. Sloane thinks he isn't good enough for Annabeth because of everything he's done during and after the war. He's got plenty of secrets and doesn't think she can handle his kind of life. When it looks like she's being targeted because of something from the past, Sloane plans on helping protect her, then disappearing.

Annabeth wants to solve the mystery that has put her at risk and is willing to stand up to everyone telling her not to put herself in danger. I definitely liked that about her. I wasn't as impressed with how long it took Sloane to realize that she wasn't the naive girl he had left behind and that maybe she had opinions about how her life should be lived, but I get that plenty of that is down to the time period. There's a lot of feeling like they should hate each other without really hating each other, nearly angsty emotions that didn't really work for me. The pacing also dragged a lot for me, very unusual for one of Candace Camp's books.

Plot, pacing, and characters just didn't mesh into an engaging story for me this time.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Newly engaged, Annabeth receives a visit from her first love, Sloane, with a warning that she's in danger. During their investigation, secrets from their past come to light. Will their discoveries bring them closer together or tear them apart?

This book was a little slow to start, but the pace soon picked up. I really enjoyed these characters and the mystery plot. While Sloane wanted to protect Annabeth, she wanted to make her own choices. He proves that he's willing to become the man she needs.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I had a hard time warming up to this story. I guess that I get irritated by stories where one character is keeping a major secret from the other and that drives most of the plot of the book. The whole plot was unbelievable and everyone’s motivations just didn’t ring true. I didn’t buy that the two characters had this deep, unbreakable love for each other. None of that was really motivated except to say that they loved each other when they were young.

I usually like this author’s books, but I can’t really recommend this one.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I liked this one quite a bit! I enjoy Camp's writing style and her suspense plots, so this series has been exciting. I love a second chance romance, and it's also kind of an enemies to lovers. I love the tension between them, the return of the family outcast, and the HEA is very satisfying. Looking forward to more in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

When espionage and renewed interest into her father’s mysterious death bring childhood sweethearts Annabeth Winfield and Sloane Rutherford back together after a painful separation, they must work through old hurts and misunderstandings in order to build a brighter future and uncover a plot that threatens England’s security.

After loving the first book in this series, I was excited to revisit the world of the Rutherfords and Stonecliffe. Although the first book might still be my favorite— this one dragged a bit in the middle for me— I still found this to be a great read for people looking for some intrigue alongside a heartfelt regency romance. I really enjoyed it and will look forward to Nathan and Verity’s book. 4 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have to say that I didn't truly enjoy this story. It's a shame because I like Candace Camps work. I never connected with the main characters, they seem stiff & if there was a spark between them I couldn't feel it. The crotchy grandmother was the most fun to read. The plot was ok but the action seemed off and I had a hard time finishing the book.

#netgalley #ARogueatStonecliffe #CandaceCamp #historicalromance #romance

Annabeth Winfield loved Sloane Rutherford, but he left her and she realized their reckless romance was never meant for stability. Twelve years later, Annabeth is engaged to someone new, ready to start her life with a dependable man. After working as a spy to save Annabeth’s father’s reputation, Sloane thought he’d left espionage behind him. But now a dangerous blackmailer is after Annabeth.

This is #2 in the series and there were a lot of background characters introduced in the beginning. Probably best to read in order.

This had a good balance between the spying mystery and the second chance romance. The arguing over how involved Annabeth would be in helping resolve the threat went on a little long. Good character development even if the pacing was choppy for me. Some sections were page turners and other times I kept putting it down and coming back. Some readers might miss an epilogue, but I’ll come back for Verity and Nathan’s story.

Romantic mystery- quite unique.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to say, I really enjoyed this particular story because it was more of a spy and mystery story with that romance flowing throughout. Camp really reels us in with this one, offering layers of undertone that she builds into this book.

We get things like espionage and spying, double agents, moles, and traitors. We also get longlasting love, deep connections, slow-burn build-up, and some steamy romance. It really has it all.

Rich writing and wonderful characters make this book come alive. Annabeth was a force to be reckoned with and many times she frustrated me with her stubborn, unwavering resistance to anything. Got a bit crazy for a minute, but then Camp saved this one with a wonderful ending that leaves you smiling.

I did not read book one, but A Rogue at Stonecliffe is a standalone that you can escape into easily!