Love and Family Secrets

She steals from his garden so she can provide for her family. When she sees him, his scars do not disturb her. When he realizes she is stealing from him, instead of calling the magistrate, he offers her shelter. Nicholas and Gwendolyn are two delightful, but lonely souls. They find themselves falling in love, but he is a duke, and she is a poor governess whose parents were tried for treason. Then, there is the matter of the obnoxious fiancée, who knows a family secret that could destroy Nicholas and his family. Can love find a way? For the answer, you would want to read this delightful historical romance.

Gwen has fallen on hard times and resorts to stealing flowers from Nicholas' garden to sell to get food for her and her brothers. Nicholas is a Duke who has just returned from war. He sees her stealing and follows her home to realize what conditions she and her brothers are forced to live in. He offers her a position as governess to his other siblings. Gwen and her brothers move in. I was very glad that he rescued her out of her horrible conditions. This is a very sweet story with a bunch of notable children that will warm your heart. Just seeing her littlest brother Guthrie enjoy the simple joys of life such as regular food and sweets and being able to be a kid again, just good for them all.

Miss Romy is just trying keep her siblings out of trouble and feed. Taking flowers from a beautiful garden to sell. The Duke of Gordon has just returned from France as a war hero. Only to find a beautiful woodland nymph taking flowers.
This book was entertaining as well as poignant. Finding out which conundrum needs to be solved first and to go about finding the truth. This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed reading it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with guidelines.

This book was a quick and light-hearted read — despite my still struggling to read the Scottish dialect, but I’m getting better at it from being on my historical romance kick lately. The moment I read the premise of the story, I was eager to dive in. I love a masked protagonist.

I enjoyed all the characters in the story and the romance between Nicholas and Gwen, but their romance did feel a bit off-balance to me. They don’t truly interact with one another until about 20% through the story and then their romance is slow burn since Nicholas was betrothed to someone he had no interest in marrying. But when they finally did admit their feelings to one another, it felt too fast. Almost as if the author was rushing to wrap up the story and give us actual crumbs of romance.

Another thing that bothered me was the fact that the conflict within the story was built up so much just to be resolved extremely quickly. It felt like a non-issue in the end and almost as if more time could have been spent fostering the romance between the two main characters instead.

Sweet Rouge O’ Mine by Brenna Ash is wonderful story of a duke, Nicholas Gordon, Duke of Gordon, who was burned as a child, leaving scars on his face. He perceives that most people run from him, including the woman his mother has “betrothed” him to. Gwendolyn Romy is the daughter of a baron but she and her brothers were thrown into poverty when her parents were tried and hung for treason, as counterfeiters. She is struggling to take care of the four of them. One of her main sources of income is the cut flowers she sells, cut from the duke’s garden. When he had been at war, no one noticed. Now he was home and he noticed. After observing her several times, he followed her to ascertain what was happening and he was shocked. He could not allow these things to happen to this young woman and her family so he offered her a position as governess to his younger siblings. His mother didn’t care for them and his “betrothed” didn’t even like them.

Nicholas has outright refused to marry this woman; Collette Northton. She was unpleasant, unattractive, and some ulterior motive. He was a good man. His siblings and staff loved him. Even his “betrothed” had run when she had seen his face. Excellent character, but an even better one was Gwen, who was nothing but charm and goodness. She had taken his twin siblings and brought order to their lives. The plot was enjoyable, if full of holes. Many characters were introduced during the story, and I expect to see them turn up in subsequent books. It was a fun read, with decent characters and an acceptable plot. Thanks Ms Ash for an enjoyable few hours.

I was invited to read Sweet Rogue O’ Mine by Dragonblade. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #BrennaAsh #SweetRogueOMine

This author is new to me and I must say I WILL be reading more of her stories. She has a way of making the characters so very real and important to your life that you want to know more and more about them. I loved how Gwen was such a strong woman without really realizing it and really seeing Nickolas for himself and willing to do whatever it took to get him to come out from behind the wall he had built. The mystery of Collette kept me guessing for the entire book, until the big reveal and the children were so adorable! In my estimation , Mother had a lot of explaining to do, but was quick to see her error. My only concern was a small issue that the author made a big issue that really can’t be named here as it will be a spoiler. It has to do with Nickolas’s secret that other regency romance novels portray differently than what the author does here. But I know little of Scottish law, so I will accept it for what it is worth. All in all , enthralling story that I read in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down! Loved it!

I received this book for free and these are my own opinions

Returning from war, Nicholas Gordon, Duke of Gordon, faces unruly siblings, a garden thief, and Collette an unknown fiancée, courtesy of his ill, but meddling mother. Gwendolyn Romy, living in squalor with her siblings after their parents' execution for treason, resorts to stealing flowers from Huntly Castle to survive. They’ve lost everything—their home, belongings, and sense of security, she risks it all to save her brothers, and does what she must. The return of the ruggedly handsome, mask-wearing duke is unexpected. Though not so much as his offer of a governess position, a solution marred by his persistent fiancée and a family secret threatening to disgrace them.
The start of a new series & a well written enjoyable book, secrets abound in this slow burn romance. I really liked both Nicholas & Gwendolyn & loved their very rocky journey to a HEA. A quick read but I did feel Collette has more page time than Gwen. An interesting series starter
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I loved this book! It was very sweet and enjoyable. I loved the two main characters and the plot was very interesting. I would recommend this book!

Beautiful story set in Scotland of Nicholas, scarred duke and Gwen, who needs saving. The first book in a series with great characters that you will want to read about. Nicholas has six siblings plus four best friends. Gwen has three brothers that she's raising. Well crafted with just enough steam, not an excessive to keep the reader fully engaged. I wasn't a fan on Nicholas' mom both because she was forcing him into an engagement with Collette (horrible woman) and because she's self centered. The author really works at how much Nichols thinks of his mom but I really couldn't like her at all. Looking forward to reading more of her work.

1️⃣ First in a series
👑 Regency romance
🕯️ Slow burn
👩‍❤️‍👨 Found family
Nicholas and Gwen’s sweet romance will have you cheering them on as they deal with a sticky situation brought on by his mother. Fans of “Pride and Prejudice” will see the similarities to Mrs. Bennett in Nicholas’ mother and her obsession with matchmaking. However, Nicholas forges his own path with the shy “garden nymph” (AKA Gwen) who is caring for her brothers after tragedy befalls their parents. As their siblings become closer, and Nicholas’ friends arrive to provide support, Nicholas determines to make Gwen his own. The road isn’t smooth, but true love will always win.
Received from NetGalley.

Beauty and the Scarred Duke...

Nicholas is returned from war. He wears a mask due to an unfortunate accident a long time ago. He's got a lot of chaos around him. Namely, an engagement he didn't initiate.

Gwendolyn is dirt poor, barely surviving and only managing some income from stealing from the duke's garden to support her younger siblings (they are both the oldest sibs).
She's pretty and he's masked. He's also already engaged. Vast social class difference. I enjoyed Nicholas,
Recommend.

Secrets, Interloper, Different Stations, Romance:
My first time reading Ms.Ash's writing and I was very pleased with the blossoming of the characters and the amount of desirous passion.
Both characters Gwen and Nicholas turned this romance story into a very gripping and emotional love story that captured my heart.
The handsome man with the mask and the charming lass with a horrible past. 
They had a rough road filled with lies, secrets, a determined interloper, a conniving mother, but family and friends brought everyone to a HEA.
💖Cover was quite pretty.
📖I would gladly read another book by this author,

For me. This was a fresh take on an old theme and was a quick read. That being said, I felt there was very good character development that swept me up with the rest of the characters. It begins with Nicholas, the Duke of Gordon, who returns home from war to find out his mother has betrothed him to Collette, a sharp edged, shrill woman, who his siblings detest. She was, however thick as thieves with his mother, both determined that there will be an upcoming wedding. Nicholas, is determined there will not. He also sees that his siblings have not been cared for by their mother, rather duty fell to his younger sister. The Duke, as a small child, had boiling water hit the left side of his face, leaving him disfigured. He never found a debutante that was able to look at his uncovered face. Instead they would scream and run away. this caused him to wear a mask to keep from looking like a monster. Colette was no different when she saw the Duke without his mask. Yet Collette and his mother were still determined that they were betrothed and continued to spend her energy planning a wedding. This was the first in a series by Brenna Ash. I am anxiously awaiting the next. Special thanks to the following for allowing me to review an early unedited copy and give my own honest opinion. I would definitely recommend this this book.
#NetGalley
#DragonbladePublishing
#BrennaAsh
#SweetRogueO’Mine
Publication DateMarch 26, 2024
Get your copy for your weekend read.

This is a sweet romance, one in which the usual rules of society are thrown over. Nicholas has worn the horror of his scarred face his entire life and rather than endure the horrified expressions on the faces of the people he meets, he has taken to wearing a mask, even though his scars served him well in the war against Napoleon. Returning home his mother presents him with a feit accompli, informing him that she has arranged his marriage during his absence. The situation does not sit easily with him, especially as his mischievous siblings seem to abhor the woman. Espying an intruder in his flower garden, Nicholas follows the young woman and discovers that Gwendolyn is living in poverty with her brothers through no fault of their own and is selling his flowers to take care of her brothers. Persuading her to take on employment as his siblings' governess takes a bit more skill than he would have thought, but the attraction between them is something that needs to be avoided, especially as he still has to deal with the betrothal that he never agreed to. The novel is a standalone and comes to a sweet conclusion, and although I felt there were a few loose ends I did enjoy this romance. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

A Scottish duke saves a young lady and her brothers from living on the streets. She's afraid to tell him her family secret or it may be back out on the streets. He also carriers a family secret threatened by a mysterious young lady demanding they marry. He won't be swayed by blackmail when he's already found the lady he loves. I call the blackmail a surface problem that doesn't cause as much angst as in some books I've read. Once solved the story quickly comes to a happy conclusion. Much humor with all the siblings.
Open bedroom door.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Sweet Rogue O'Mine is a really sweet romance and makes for a pretty quick read. The characters of Gwen and Nicholas are easy to like and root for and the supporting characters really add to the story rather than detract from it. There is not a lot of filler here, I found this to be a story that moves along at a good pace. I would have loved more with Gwen and Nicholas falling in love - that all happens pretty quickly and easily. I also felt that the subplot involving Collete was resolved a little too easily. A nice confrontation between her and Nicholas or her and Gwen would have been entertaining. On a slightly related note, I have no idea why his mother would have ever told him he wasn't the legitimate heir - just seems like one of those things where the fewer people who knew about it, the better. It was nice to see that Gwen's love for him helped him overcome his insecurities regarding his scares, but that seemed to happen a little too quickly as well. Being the first in the series this gives you a quick intro to the men who will make up half of the couples for the remaining books. I'm especially interested to find out if Clarissa ends up with Alexander!

Once I saw the cover art for Sweet Rogue O' Mine, I knew I needed to request it from the catalog. Scarred heroes are one of my favorite subgenres and I love reading romances about these type of men. I firmly subscribe to the ideal that true beauty comes from within. I would be happy with my own scarred hero and that's why I enjoy books like these so much. Sweet Rogue O'Mine was as sweet as the orchids in the duke's greenhouse. I immediately wanted this couple to be together and I cursed every obstacle that stood in their path to happily ever after. This was a very slow burn and our protagonists didn't even get to talk to each other until the 20% mark. Gwen stole the duke's prize flowers as well as his heart directly from his garden!

Sweet Rogue O'Mine was a darling love story, but there was only one major weed that spoiled the floral bouquet. Nicholas's unwanted fiancee had far more screen time than his actual love interest, Gwen. The interloper kept butting in and showing up at his estate at the most unwanted occasions. His mother made the arrangement to help raise his siblings and provide him a wife, but the suitor was a nasty woman who flinched at his scars. Personally, I would have snipped out the fiancee altogether from the story and just made Gwen the governess within the first quarter of the novel. They would have had their relationship develop more organically and their only conflict would be bypassing the class system. Other than the unnecessary fiancee plotline, this was a charming and sweet romance. It makes sense that their courtship revolved around flowers because their love was constantly blooming!

Sweet Rogue O'Mine was a darling romance plucked straight from the garden. I loved watching this couple fall in love and eventually getting their happy ending. I plan to read more from this author and I believe the duke's friends are the future protagonists in the Rogues of Redemption series. My only hope is that there are no more interloping fiancees to bother this upcoming Sweet Rogue O'Mine.

Nicholas returns from the war to find his mother has betrothed him to an unacceptable woman.
He feels stuck in his situation when he spies a beauty traveling through his gardens.
Gwen is stealing flowers in order to sell them so she can try to feed her three brothers.
Nicholas realizes he wants to help her as he slowly falls in love but his betrothal needs to be clarified.
Secrets, plot twists, and misunderstandings lead to complicated decisions.
Enjoyable and easy to read.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

If you enjoy the sexy Scottish accent and Beauty and the Beast vibes, then you might enjoy this!

It follows the story of Nicholas Gordon, a Duke, who just returned home after two years away, only to find out his mother had managed to get him engaged to a Collette Northton. Collette Northton is a cockroach who keeps appearing whenever she feels like it and is entirely unwelcomed by everyone, and even though Nicholas has tried to tell her that they won't be getting married, she assures him that they will. Come to find out, Collette knows some juicy secrets that could bring Nicholas and his family to ruin.

He meets Gwen, who has been sneaking into his gardens and clipping his beautiful flowers to sell on the streets for money so she can provide for her three younger brothers. Gwen and her brothers were children of a Baron who had been found guilty of treason, and after their parents were hung, they were thrown out on the streets to fend for themselves. But on the day that Nicholas returns home, he catches Gwen in the garden, and after a few more times to find her, he decides to follow her and give her an offer of employment in this household: to act as a governess to his own younger siblings, in exchange for food and board for her and her brothers.

Overall, it was fine. It was a quick read, and it was interesting to find out how Collette knew about the Gordon family secret and why she was so pushy about being married to him. Nicholas and Gwen's romance seemed very rushed and was very insta-lovey, and very love at first sight, but it came second to everything else. I wish we had more of their romance and more of them together and being interrupted by Collette. However, Collette had more time in the book than Gwen. It seemed like the story mostly surrounded Nicholas and Collette and finding out why she was so adamant about the marriage rather than Nicholas and Gwen falling in love.

I would put this on my list of Historical Romance recommendations for someone who is just starting to get into historicals, as this would be a good introductory read for them.

When Nicholas returns home from the war his mother tells his that he is engaged even if he doesn't want to marry a woman who don't love him or like him because of the scar he has on his face . The only place it makes him relax is the garden and lately a mysterious woman is stealing flowers from it . Gwendolyn Romy was a daughter of a Baron but after her parents were hanged for treason and now she has to steal flowers to sell at the road to gain money so she can feed her three younger brothers . When Nicholas and Gwendolyn meet they fall in love but a secret keeps them apart .
I received this book from netgalley and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .