If you're in the mood for a regency romance that throws decorum out the window and replaces it with sharp banter, sizzling tension, and high-stakes schemes, this is the book for you.

Miss Caroline Devereux isn’t your typical damsel in distress. Yes, her family is on the brink of financial ruin thanks to her father’s reckless gambling, but this heroine refuses to fade into genteel poverty. Instead, she takes up the pen to write scandalous Gothic novels and, when that’s no longer enough, pulls off the unthinkable: blackmailing an earl into marriage.

Enter the Earl of Rockford—wealthy, enigmatic, and very much not the gentleman Caroline bargained for. Their first encounter crackles with energy, and the sparks only intensify from there. He’s dangerous in more ways than one, and Caroline soon discovers that surviving high society might be easier than surviving him—especially when hearts (and pride) are on the line.

This book is deliciously tropey in the best ways: enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, mutual blackmail (yes, really), and a battle of wits that will have you grinning and gasping in equal measure. The Gothic fiction subplot adds a charming metafictional twist, and the emotional growth—particularly as both characters begin to realize what they truly want from each other—is deeply satisfying.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC and am voluntarily leaving my review.

"The Writer and the Rogue" is an enjoyable historical romance. FMC Caroline is struggling to keep her father and brothers afloat through gothic writing. When it seems like that might not be enough, she resorts to trying to blackmail MMC Gabriel into marriage. Gabriel is furious and then intrigued by Caroline as they sort through where their relationship might ultimately end.

I like Caroline and Gabriel together quite a bit - she is smart and determined but also practical and a little bit vulnerable. Gabriel never intended to take a title but is now tasked with reforming his family name. He definitely falls first and hard. The book really is just about the development of their relationship and the related angst - there is no big bad, no real threats of violence, etc. There is some well-handled steam, and I do think this is a good way to pass a few reading hours.

4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

The characters are so real and fun, the dialogue witty and logical, you immediately find yourself rooting for the protagonists and dying to find out what is going to happen next. A blackmail plot against an Earl, a smart and relatable heroine, a gentle falling in love story, relations getting in the way…oh this one was so so good. It made me want to go back and read all her others!

Oh goodness I was waiting for this one!! I am a huge Lydia Drake fan and was so excited to read The Writer and the Rogue! As I started, it immediately reminded me of what I love about her writing. The characters are so real and fun, the dialogue witty and logical, you immediately find yourself rooting for the protagonists and dying to find out what is going to happen next. A blackmail plot against an Earl, a smart and relatable heroine, a gentle falling in love story, relations getting in the way…oh this one was so so good. It made me want to go back and read all her others!

The Writer and the Rogue is a delightful historical romance full of wit, chemistry, and heart. Caroline Deveruex is a clever, independent heroine determined to save her family, even if it means blackmailing the brooding Earl of Rockford into a fake engagement. Gabriel can’t help but be drawn to her fire and eccentricity, and their sharp banter and evolving feelings make them a perfect match.

With humor, swoon-worthy moments, and plenty of tension, Lydia Drake crafts an entertaining enemies-to-lovers story that’s impossible to put down. Whether you’ve read the first book or not, this charming romance will leave you eager for more.

I had enjoyed reading this book.

Caroline will do anything to help her family get out of debt. She isn’t the most beautiful or gracious woman but she has a certain eccentric qualities. The more time she is with the Earl of Rockford the more he is drawn to her and his feelings towards her start to change.

I liked the main characters in this book. Caroline and Gabriel were very good for each other and I liked their interactions together.

Trying to forge your way in an unyielding society as an independent woman is difficult. Caroline Deveruex has been left high and dry by her family. Between her dad and his gambling debts and brothers who are not interested in helping, the family is teetering on the edge of losing everything. To save everyone and keep what they have Caroline turns to blackmail. A Farce marriage turns into-finding a man she loves and accepts and respects her for who she is. I love great historical romance. I really enjoyed reading this book. I had not read the prior book but found it easy to get into and enjoyed it from the start. Will be adding the first book to my TBR! Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for the ARC which I voluntarily read, and these opinions are my own.

Twenty-four-year-old spinster Caroline Devereux has a secret life. She writes moderately successful Gothic pamphlets under a fake pen name-C. D Winthrop. The Earl of Rockford, Lord Gabriel Kane, is more upset though, because Caroline had written him a letter about a clandestine affair that his mother had, which means that Gabriel isn’t really the true earl’s son. Caroline does have a solution for Gabriel to marry her, keeping the affair secret, and when he marries her, she will give him the letter. Gabriel decides to marry Caroline after all. This is a business arrangement and nothing more. As Gabriel spends more time with Caroline, he discovers that maybe she isn’t the enemy after all, by sabotaging her deviousness and ends up falling for her instead.
I was happy to be offered this book to read by Netgalley. It’s so nice to find a book that you can read and just enjoy all the hijinks that will happen. Ms. Lydia Drake writes some pretty compelling stuff that I just love reading about. A historical Regency filled to the brim with crazy shenanigans, but most of all, the heroine blackmailing the hero is just one I would never ever imagine. Yes, it’s unusual because I would think it would be the other way around. Yet, all the characters mainly did sparkle, especially the heroine, Caroline, and Gabriel were just her perfect counterpart. I think Gabriel didn’t know what to make of Caroline’s audacious and feisty nature, but who wouldn’t love it? The book definitely hit on all points, and I loved reading it. Gabriel didn’t really strike me as much of a rogue, yet he was still a great hero. I look forward to more of Ms. Drake’s stories and can’t wait to read more!

The Writer and the Rogue is an utterly delightful historical romance brimming with wit, tension, and irresistible charm. Caroline is a bold, clever heroine whose secret life as a Gothic writer—and her daring blackmail scheme—makes for an unforgettable entrance. The Earl of Rockford is deliciously brooding with just the right hint of danger, and their fiery banter crackles with chemistry. Lydia Drake crafts a captivating enemies-to-lovers tale full of heart, humor, and surprising tenderness. With twists, scandal, and swoon-worthy moments, this book is impossible to put down. A sparkling gem for fans of sharp heroines and roguish gentlemen!

I dove back into the genre that addicted me to reading, historical fiction. Now the little girl that was so fascinated with history added a little romance and smut to her tastes.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️

This book was all the historical expectations mixed with modern behavior and reactions and I loved it!

Just when I thought the story was over it just kept going and still I want more. Please tell me there’s going to be a spin off of the other characters????

Charming historical romance with a competent, likable FMC, and an MMC who is not nearly the rogue everyone believes him to be.

Caroline has held her family together since her mother’s death, despite her father gambling away the family’s fortune. An accomplished author, she sells her writings as serial stories (penny dreadfuls) that are wildly popular. They’re enough to keep her family out of the poorhouse - barely.

At her wits end, she latches onto the idea of blackmailing the Earl of Rockford over a family secret she discovered in her father’s past correspondence with the Earl’s late father.

What ensues is a tantalizingly delightful story of finding trust and love in the most unusual circumstances.

3.75⭐️ Round Up

This was a fun story! I really enjoyed Caroline’s character. She’s a strange, intelligent, and a little morbid. I loved that she wrote gothic fiction, as well as her very straightforward, yet apologetic, manner of blackmailing an earl. Her and Rockwell had a great dynamic that was fun to follow. Their banter and cat and mouse style interactions were entertaining. It was also nice seeing their characters behind their social masks. I did feel bad for Caroline and the lack of support she gets from the people around her. I think even her brother and her best friend are a bit callous and uncaring, even though they’re supposed to be her main support in this. Her father is an idiot but gets some clarity in the end.
The overall angst in the story was relatively low until the very end, and it resolved itself pretty quickly. I enjoyed Lydia Drake’s writing style and will most likely continue with the series

Gabriel and Caroline came together due to a desperate circumstances that forced Caroline to make a decision. Gabriel immediately enjoyed Caroline’s gumption although it did frustrate him to be in a situation where he lacked control. The more time they spent together the more they enjoyed each other. A series of unfortunate events lead them to pause their love but they did reconnect and found their way.

This story was a bit confusing at first I won’t lie. It felt like the story had already started and we missed the inciting incident. That being said, after a few chapters the story started to flow much better. We are following Caroline, the daughter of a baron who has been quickly depleting all their funds, who has secretly been penning gothic tales for extra cash. She found some damning information in a letter to her father and is using it to her advantage to blackmail the Earl of Rockford, Gabriel, into marrying her to secure her family’s stability. The two verbally spar over the situation, but eventually work out a deal where they go on outings to make the impending engagement seem more organic. I liked their relationship progression. They took time to get to know each other and Gabriel is very supportive of Caroline’s writing. Although I know the book is supposed to evoke the idea of a gothic tale at points and one of the features of that time period of gothic books was their length, this book went on a little long for me. We would hit a good ending spot and then something else would pop up to prolong the story even more. In the end, I enjoyed this story and I was happy to have a little cameo of the hero from the previous book in this series.

This second book in the Debutantes of London series was an absolutely brilliant and fun historical romance. I really enjoyed this captivating and intensely entertaining love story. I highly recommend reading!

I received an ARC of this book from Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

I have been in the mood for a historical romance so when an opportunity came up to read this book, I immediately applied. I’m so glad I did as this is exactly what I wanted!!

A historical romance that doesn’t feel like a history lesson. The banter between the FMC and MMC was perfect and kept this story entertaining. Everything I love about romance was captured in this story.

A definite recommend for fans of Historical Romance. If you’re interested in giving the genre a try, this would also be a great entry point.

An entertaining read with a charming premise and good chemistry between the leads. Some parts felt predictable and the pacing was a bit uneven, but the characters were likable enough to keep me interested. A decent romance that hits the basics but doesn’t fully stand out.

I enjoyed this immensely!
I love when a heroine is also an author in her own right! And during this time period in England when it wasn’t allowed makes it all the better! Add in a devilishly handsome take to the mix and we get ourselves a deliciously wanton book 😜
Thankful to Entangled publishing NetGalley and the author for the ARC 🥰🥰🥰

The Writer And The Rogue pairs Caroline Devereux, the daughter of an impoverished baron and Gabriel, Earl of Rockford, whom she has attempted to blackmail in a bid to secure some much needed funds to support her family. Of course that plan is doomed to fail and it does when Gabriel arrives on her doorstep to confront her. Of course the zing of attraction is there from the start but it is the banter between Caroline and Gabriel that made this story so entertaining for me. They're both great characters and I was cheering for them from the moment they met. Caroline is wonderful and utterly committed to keeping her family fed and housed, despite her father's constant investment in the next great thing. She's a strong character and a perfect match for Gabriel, who is a thoroughly decent man. This story moves along at a clipping pace, though it is also sensual and allows readers to immerse themselves in the romance between Caroline and Gabriel. This book has been a very enjoyable read.

I haven't read a historical romance for a long time & I'm so glad I picked this book. It's a well-written and entertaining read with a smart and likable female protagonist, along with a kind and caring male protagonist. I loved the banter and chemistry between them with a suspenseful ending. Overall, a heart warming romance, now I need to read the first book in the series. I'm hooked!

I received this advance review copy from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.