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Lords of Deception #1
What A Rogue Wants
Lady Madelaine Aldridge might be the worst lady-in-waiting to ever grace King George III’s court. An oddball who prefers archery to embroidery and honesty to deception, she earns the dislike of the Queen, the cruelty of the other ladies-in-waiting and the advances of a lecherous fiend who wants to possess her body. Her father demands she find a proper husband―a task that seems hopeless until Lord Grey Adlard rides into court.
Grey Adlard lives up to his reputation as a dangerously handsome rake when he proposes Madelaine meet him in the stables for a tumble. Yet when she needs a protector the most, Grey offers his services and vows he wants to court her. Wary yet intrigued by the mystery he presents, Madelaine slowly allows Grey to capture her confidence and then her heart.
Things seem perfect until her father is imprisoned for plotting against the King and Madelaine learns Grey is not who he pretends. As King George III sinks deeper into insanity, Madelaine must prove her father’s innocence in order to save his life. With the future of England hanging in the balance and a ruthless murderer hunting them Grey and Madelaine engage in a clash of wills and a battle fraught with suspicion, secrets, betrayal and two hearts that cannot deny the impossible, irresistible love between them.
Grey Adlard lives up to his reputation as a dangerously handsome rake when he proposes Madelaine meet him in the stables for a tumble. Yet when she needs a protector the most, Grey offers his services and vows he wants to court her. Wary yet intrigued by the mystery he presents, Madelaine slowly allows Grey to capture her confidence and then her heart.
Things seem perfect until her father is imprisoned for plotting against the King and Madelaine learns Grey is not who he pretends. As King George III sinks deeper into insanity, Madelaine must prove her father’s innocence in order to save his life. With the future of England hanging in the balance and a ruthless murderer hunting them Grey and Madelaine engage in a clash of wills and a battle fraught with suspicion, secrets, betrayal and two hearts that cannot deny the impossible, irresistible love between them.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2013
44 people are currently reading
635 people want to read
About the author
Julie Johnstone
98 books763 followersJulie Johnstone is a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author. Scottish historical romance and Regency historical romance featuring highlanders and aristocrats are her love, and she enjoys creating both with a hefty dose of twists, plenty of heartstring tugs, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Her books have been dubbed "fabulously entertaining and engaging," making readers cry, laugh, and swoon. Johnstone lives in Alabama with her very own lowlander husband, her two children - the heir and the spare, her snobby cat, and her perpetually happy dog.
In her spare time she enjoys way too much coffee balanced by super hot yoga, reading, and traveling.
Sign up for her newsletter here: http://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/newsl...
Her books have been dubbed "fabulously entertaining and engaging," making readers cry, laugh, and swoon. Johnstone lives in Alabama with her very own lowlander husband, her two children - the heir and the spare, her snobby cat, and her perpetually happy dog.
In her spare time she enjoys way too much coffee balanced by super hot yoga, reading, and traveling.
Sign up for her newsletter here: http://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/newsl...
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 19, 2024
Review from 2014
This was a really hard one to rate. The narrator gives an excellent performance, but his English accent was painful at times! I ended up giving him a C-, but his acting is much better than that!. C for content.
Lady Madelaine Aldridge is a Lady in Waiting to Queen Charlotte, but doesn’t quite fit in at Court and is frequently the subject of cruel remarks from the other ladies of the queen’s retinue. She doesn’t possess any of the usual female “accomplishments”, preferring archery to embroidery and riding to singing or painting, and has little patience with the pretense and deceit continually practiced by those around her. She is not happy in her position – the queen dislikes her intensely because of an old feud with Madelaine’s late mother – but she bears it as best she can because she wants to please her father, who has sent her to Court in order for her to learn to be a “proper lady” and find herself a husband.
Lord Grey Adlard (Grey doesn’t seem to me to be the sort of name that would have been found in Georgian England, I must say!) arrives at Court to take up the position of equerry to Lord Pearson. He is immediately attracted to Madelaine, and believes she’s probably like so many other court ladies and will be up for a quick tumble in the stables. He’s a rake of the first order, a lifestyle he’s pursued most diligently in order to annoy his father, who has never had time or affection for his second son. Grey’s determination to seduce Madeleine naturally sees him spending more and more time in her company, and as they get to know each other, he is stunned to realise that he wants more from her than some short-lived, illicit liaison, and determines to win her honourably.
Things between them are going well, until Grey discovers the real reason he has been summoned to Court. Shortly after that, Madelaine’s father is arrested for treason and imprisoned in the Tower, and Grey is instructed to use his relationship with her to discover all he can about the plot against the king. Madelaine protests her father’s innocence, and while Grey can’t believe that the woman he loves can have had any part in her father’s treachery, her determination to exonerate her father leads her to make a poor decision which brings her into conflict with Grey and puts both their lives in danger.
The story is decently told and reasonably engaging, although I felt it could have done with some judicious editing as there are numerous repetitions which interrupt the flow. For example, Madelaine often mopes that such a gorgeous specimen as Lord Grey can’t possibly be interested in a girl like her – and just as often expresses her astonishment that he likes her in spite of her oddness, and perhaps because of it. There is occasionally some terribly creaky dialogue, and the plot, while decently constructed and executed, is fairly predictable. But on the positive side, the author takes the time to fill the listener in on Madelaine’s life at Court, and allows time for the romance to develop rather than relying on the insta-lust that seems to be a feature of so many romances at the moment.
I had a hard time grading Tim Campbell’s narration. In fact, I wish I could be like one of the Olympic judges in the gymnastics who gets to hold up two score cards – one with a mark for artistic merit and the other with a mark for technical ability! If I did, I’d be giving this performance something like an 8 for the former and a 3 or 4 for the latter, because this would have been a highly graded narration were it not for one massive technical flaw.
Mr Campbell has, quite rightly I think, has chosen to perform the entire audiobook using a British accent. But the problem is that it’s immediately obvious that he’s not British (I haven’t looked him up, but I’m guessing he’s American). To be fair, he does a very good job with the accent 80% of the time, and it’s quite possible that someone less picky than I am – and not British – might not notice, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard so many mispronunciations per hour in an audiobook before. As I listened, I realised that these tend to focus around certain letters and sounds. When words contain the letter “A” – pronounced as in “cat” – it is incorrectly pronounced “AH”; so instead of “fancy”, we get “fah-ncy”; “dash” comes out as “dahsh” and “grand” as “grahnd”. And words containing the letter “U”- pronounced as in “tug” – are instead pronounced using the “oo” sound as in “pool”. So “pulse” sounds like “poolse” and “gulp” sounds like “goolp”. And then there are the words which are commonly mispronounced, such as “Aunt”, which is pronounced “ont” and “Calm”, which comes out as “com” or “colm”. There are others, too, but I think these provide sufficient illustration of the issue. And we’re not talking about the odd mispronunciation here and there – it is continual. If it’s not one per minute, it’s not far off.
On a more positive note, Mr Campbell’s vocal acting is quite impressive, which makes that flaw all the more annoying. He has a very attractive speaking voice and he differentiates well between all the characters. Grey’s appealing baritone is used to good effect in the more romantic moments (when I wasn’t wincing at the pronunciation!) and Madelaine’s softer, higher pitched tones are easy to listen to. Mr Campbell even makes use of some regional British accents, such as for the maid, Constance, who is given a pleasant and consistent Irish lilt. His narrative is a little stilted at times and, as I’ve noticed with other non-British narrators using British accents, generally sounds a little too careful; but otherwise, he performs using a wide variety of expression and does a very good job of capturing and bringing out the characters’ emotions. Most impressive of all is his portrayal of the female characters, who are clearly female without being screechy or squeaky!
If you’re someone who doesn’t mind if the accent used throughout an audiobook is approximate, then Mr Campbell’s performance may work for you. But I had to work to allow myself to listen to the story rather than to the sometimes-tortuous pronunciation. That said, I was able to listen to it for ten-plus hours without screaming once I knew what to expect; and in spite of the criticisms I’ve made of the story, it was still engaging enough to enable me to do so.
Overall, What a Rogue Wants is a bit of a mixed bag. The storyline may be rather unoriginal, but it’s decently told and the principal characters are engaging. The narration, however, is incredibly frustrating, because it is almost excellent. Taken as a performance, it works very well indeed, but it’s too flawed on the technical side for me to grade it as highly as the performance aspect deserves. I would certainly be willing to listen to Mr Campbell again in something he performs in his native accent – or even if he does a bit of work on his British one, because he’s very talented and I really think he could nail it with a few tweaks here and there.
This was a really hard one to rate. The narrator gives an excellent performance, but his English accent was painful at times! I ended up giving him a C-, but his acting is much better than that!. C for content.
Lady Madelaine Aldridge is a Lady in Waiting to Queen Charlotte, but doesn’t quite fit in at Court and is frequently the subject of cruel remarks from the other ladies of the queen’s retinue. She doesn’t possess any of the usual female “accomplishments”, preferring archery to embroidery and riding to singing or painting, and has little patience with the pretense and deceit continually practiced by those around her. She is not happy in her position – the queen dislikes her intensely because of an old feud with Madelaine’s late mother – but she bears it as best she can because she wants to please her father, who has sent her to Court in order for her to learn to be a “proper lady” and find herself a husband.
Lord Grey Adlard (Grey doesn’t seem to me to be the sort of name that would have been found in Georgian England, I must say!) arrives at Court to take up the position of equerry to Lord Pearson. He is immediately attracted to Madelaine, and believes she’s probably like so many other court ladies and will be up for a quick tumble in the stables. He’s a rake of the first order, a lifestyle he’s pursued most diligently in order to annoy his father, who has never had time or affection for his second son. Grey’s determination to seduce Madeleine naturally sees him spending more and more time in her company, and as they get to know each other, he is stunned to realise that he wants more from her than some short-lived, illicit liaison, and determines to win her honourably.
Things between them are going well, until Grey discovers the real reason he has been summoned to Court. Shortly after that, Madelaine’s father is arrested for treason and imprisoned in the Tower, and Grey is instructed to use his relationship with her to discover all he can about the plot against the king. Madelaine protests her father’s innocence, and while Grey can’t believe that the woman he loves can have had any part in her father’s treachery, her determination to exonerate her father leads her to make a poor decision which brings her into conflict with Grey and puts both their lives in danger.
The story is decently told and reasonably engaging, although I felt it could have done with some judicious editing as there are numerous repetitions which interrupt the flow. For example, Madelaine often mopes that such a gorgeous specimen as Lord Grey can’t possibly be interested in a girl like her – and just as often expresses her astonishment that he likes her in spite of her oddness, and perhaps because of it. There is occasionally some terribly creaky dialogue, and the plot, while decently constructed and executed, is fairly predictable. But on the positive side, the author takes the time to fill the listener in on Madelaine’s life at Court, and allows time for the romance to develop rather than relying on the insta-lust that seems to be a feature of so many romances at the moment.
I had a hard time grading Tim Campbell’s narration. In fact, I wish I could be like one of the Olympic judges in the gymnastics who gets to hold up two score cards – one with a mark for artistic merit and the other with a mark for technical ability! If I did, I’d be giving this performance something like an 8 for the former and a 3 or 4 for the latter, because this would have been a highly graded narration were it not for one massive technical flaw.
Mr Campbell has, quite rightly I think, has chosen to perform the entire audiobook using a British accent. But the problem is that it’s immediately obvious that he’s not British (I haven’t looked him up, but I’m guessing he’s American). To be fair, he does a very good job with the accent 80% of the time, and it’s quite possible that someone less picky than I am – and not British – might not notice, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard so many mispronunciations per hour in an audiobook before. As I listened, I realised that these tend to focus around certain letters and sounds. When words contain the letter “A” – pronounced as in “cat” – it is incorrectly pronounced “AH”; so instead of “fancy”, we get “fah-ncy”; “dash” comes out as “dahsh” and “grand” as “grahnd”. And words containing the letter “U”- pronounced as in “tug” – are instead pronounced using the “oo” sound as in “pool”. So “pulse” sounds like “poolse” and “gulp” sounds like “goolp”. And then there are the words which are commonly mispronounced, such as “Aunt”, which is pronounced “ont” and “Calm”, which comes out as “com” or “colm”. There are others, too, but I think these provide sufficient illustration of the issue. And we’re not talking about the odd mispronunciation here and there – it is continual. If it’s not one per minute, it’s not far off.
On a more positive note, Mr Campbell’s vocal acting is quite impressive, which makes that flaw all the more annoying. He has a very attractive speaking voice and he differentiates well between all the characters. Grey’s appealing baritone is used to good effect in the more romantic moments (when I wasn’t wincing at the pronunciation!) and Madelaine’s softer, higher pitched tones are easy to listen to. Mr Campbell even makes use of some regional British accents, such as for the maid, Constance, who is given a pleasant and consistent Irish lilt. His narrative is a little stilted at times and, as I’ve noticed with other non-British narrators using British accents, generally sounds a little too careful; but otherwise, he performs using a wide variety of expression and does a very good job of capturing and bringing out the characters’ emotions. Most impressive of all is his portrayal of the female characters, who are clearly female without being screechy or squeaky!
If you’re someone who doesn’t mind if the accent used throughout an audiobook is approximate, then Mr Campbell’s performance may work for you. But I had to work to allow myself to listen to the story rather than to the sometimes-tortuous pronunciation. That said, I was able to listen to it for ten-plus hours without screaming once I knew what to expect; and in spite of the criticisms I’ve made of the story, it was still engaging enough to enable me to do so.
Overall, What a Rogue Wants is a bit of a mixed bag. The storyline may be rather unoriginal, but it’s decently told and the principal characters are engaging. The narration, however, is incredibly frustrating, because it is almost excellent. Taken as a performance, it works very well indeed, but it’s too flawed on the technical side for me to grade it as highly as the performance aspect deserves. I would certainly be willing to listen to Mr Campbell again in something he performs in his native accent – or even if he does a bit of work on his British one, because he’s very talented and I really think he could nail it with a few tweaks here and there.
June 16, 2013
I recieved a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I do love a good romance wrapped in suspense. What hooked me first about this book were the dynamics between Madelaine and Grey. She's a little lonely and insecure at court, a situation only exacerbated by the Queen's callous regard and her fellow ladies' scorn, but she still stands out as a kind, brave individual with a strong sense of duty and good within her. Grey, however, starts off as dissolute and quite the reprobate, but it quickly becomes clear that his rakish conquests have only been a cry for his father's earnest affection.
So without spoiling too much, we got a plot twist! As these two meet again at court and embark on a budding romance, Grey learns a few family secrets and soon becomes embroiled in a special service to the king. From this point onwards, the novel gains an additional layer of secrecy and intrigue. Many historical suspenses have a clear-cut good and bad, but I liked that the sides were all murky shades of gray (pardon that pun!). At times, it was hard for me to distinguish who was in the right and who was in the wrong- and I liked that. It added an extra dimension to each character as they all fought to protect their loved ones and their country. My heart went out to Grey and Madelaine for having to choose between their allegiances and each other, but I knew it'd end happy for them ;)
I really liked the atmosphere created by this special mix of romance, suspense and intrigue. It was a gripping story- I couldn't put it down until I had finished it around 1 in the morning! And I can't wait to read the fabulous supporting cast get their stories told to. I hope Edward gets one!
Anyways, it's a fun read that definitely keeps the reader guessing. I totally recommend What A Rogue Wants if you love a good romance with a side of mystery, suspense and intrigue!
I do love a good romance wrapped in suspense. What hooked me first about this book were the dynamics between Madelaine and Grey. She's a little lonely and insecure at court, a situation only exacerbated by the Queen's callous regard and her fellow ladies' scorn, but she still stands out as a kind, brave individual with a strong sense of duty and good within her. Grey, however, starts off as dissolute and quite the reprobate, but it quickly becomes clear that his rakish conquests have only been a cry for his father's earnest affection.
So without spoiling too much, we got a plot twist! As these two meet again at court and embark on a budding romance, Grey learns a few family secrets and soon becomes embroiled in a special service to the king. From this point onwards, the novel gains an additional layer of secrecy and intrigue. Many historical suspenses have a clear-cut good and bad, but I liked that the sides were all murky shades of gray (pardon that pun!). At times, it was hard for me to distinguish who was in the right and who was in the wrong- and I liked that. It added an extra dimension to each character as they all fought to protect their loved ones and their country. My heart went out to Grey and Madelaine for having to choose between their allegiances and each other, but I knew it'd end happy for them ;)
I really liked the atmosphere created by this special mix of romance, suspense and intrigue. It was a gripping story- I couldn't put it down until I had finished it around 1 in the morning! And I can't wait to read the fabulous supporting cast get their stories told to. I hope Edward gets one!
Anyways, it's a fun read that definitely keeps the reader guessing. I totally recommend What A Rogue Wants if you love a good romance with a side of mystery, suspense and intrigue!
July 3, 2017
So this book had some things going for it...but it tried to be too many things at once. Once Madelaine's father is arrested for treason and murder, it all goes spiraling downhill and never recovers. The plot becomes harder to follow, scenes more confusing, and the characters' actions simply ludicrous. The level of 'betrayals', the back and forth, the problems stemming from zero communication and trust BUT OMG WE'RE IN LOVE YOU GUYS. Madelaine's made to seem so plucky and unique but near the end of the book we find out that her father hadn't raised her throwing knives and stringing bows, but seemingly taught her these skills pretty late in the game (and was never around, so how on earth could they have practiced much?) Throw in things like this and other little things that didn't add up and you've got a severe case of two-star-sadness.
I love a good twist, I love complex plots...but this...was not that.
This is the second time I've tried a Julie Johnstone book and I have to say now I don't think I'll try again. There are some things about her style that are fun, but she can't seem to hold her books together with any more than frothy bits and ladyboners.
I love a good twist, I love complex plots...but this...was not that.
This is the second time I've tried a Julie Johnstone book and I have to say now I don't think I'll try again. There are some things about her style that are fun, but she can't seem to hold her books together with any more than frothy bits and ladyboners.
November 17, 2015
What A Rogue Wants is apparently a lady who is out of the ordinary. The well-schooled misses are all too easy to walk over. In this tale the lady with a difference has come from a northerly estate to make a good match. She's grown up riding, striding and practising archery.
From the cracking beginning, the tale does fall a little flat as the Queen's ladies in waiting are not allowed to do anything active or fun. Our heroine is stifled by formality and boredom, while lords at Court have wandering hands that repel her. When her friend's brother comes to pay a call, he recognises her as the archer. But he's got a rogue's reputation - can she even be seen with him?
There are fun situations and good descriptions of period life. The romance is more implied than physical but strong enough to convince. Enjoy.
From the cracking beginning, the tale does fall a little flat as the Queen's ladies in waiting are not allowed to do anything active or fun. Our heroine is stifled by formality and boredom, while lords at Court have wandering hands that repel her. When her friend's brother comes to pay a call, he recognises her as the archer. But he's got a rogue's reputation - can she even be seen with him?
There are fun situations and good descriptions of period life. The romance is more implied than physical but strong enough to convince. Enjoy.
February 27, 2017
This story was about 3.5 hours too long. It became kind of boring and there were some very annoying cheesy parts. It was a struggle to get through. (audible review)
Too many inner thoughts not a fan of books written where the whole story is pretty much written in Court with the ladies in waiting.
It started out very interesting for the first 25 pages then went down hill from there. A lot of unnecessary details and description. A bit repetitive at times. The dialogue was rough.
The story line and plot ended up kind of stupid to me. Just my opinion.
As for the narration, it was decent. I like Tim Campbell he does a pretty good job on the women's voices. He has a nice reading voice too.
Too many inner thoughts not a fan of books written where the whole story is pretty much written in Court with the ladies in waiting.
It started out very interesting for the first 25 pages then went down hill from there. A lot of unnecessary details and description. A bit repetitive at times. The dialogue was rough.
The story line and plot ended up kind of stupid to me. Just my opinion.
As for the narration, it was decent. I like Tim Campbell he does a pretty good job on the women's voices. He has a nice reading voice too.
March 5, 2014
A feisty woman has always had a difficult time in society and especially if she were expected to find a wealthy husband at King George III's court. Madeleine preferred archery to embroidery, riding horses to pianoforte, a bit of adventure to the boring chatter of insipid ladies-in-waiting. She would never find a husband who would allow her to be herself. Enter Lord Grey, second son and notorious womanizer, summoned by the King. Palace intrigue, spies, a King gone mad, a missing letter, romance. What a great read !
November 22, 2015
Well written. Different.
June 27, 2016
Drivel
This was a long read. Normally I enjoy Ms. Johnstone's books, but this one was a very long and predictable read.
This was a long read. Normally I enjoy Ms. Johnstone's books, but this one was a very long and predictable read.
February 9, 2021
So disappointed...it started well...
April 13, 2015
I bought this book because it was on sale ($.99) and I was looking for a romance with no complications to while away an afternoon. Boy, was I wrong. This book is full of intrigue. Set in Their Majesties' court at the time of "Mad" King George - remember him from history? ~1804
Almost at the beginning one is drawn into a scene of a young lady displaying her archery talents in the Golden Square, an area set near the "art district" of London, where one can act "odd" and no one is offended. There Madelaine meets Lord Grey Adlard, a jaded young man intent on drawing the attention of his father. Grey has learned that just about the only thing to tweak his father's nose is Grey's promiscuity. And Grey has tried other things. His father seems to only have time and attention for his first born son, Edward.
Lady Madelaine Aldrige is enjoying a rare day of freedom as her father has deposited her in the Queen's court to serve as a Lady-in-Waiting where Madelaine's lack of any refined skills, i.e. embroidery, sewing, painting tables, etc. has earned her both the scorn of Her Majesty as well as the brutal distain of another Lady-in-Waiting.
Both persons, upon acquaintance, introduce themselves as Miss Prattle and Lord Drivel. Grey is intrigued. Madelaine promises to meet him the next day knowing her freedom is limited and thus that will never happen. A year passes. Among the other ladies in the Queen's retinue happens to be a Lady Elizabeth Adlard. We read on about plotting to introduce one lady to the other lady's brother and about the men surrounding the King. The King with his moments of "spells", moments of clarity and his Circle of Six and the spy ring's new code.
This book is not a straight forward romance but one with mystery, treason, treachery, betrayal, trust/distrust, murder and families with misunderstood events within their circles. The reader is not allowed to know who is to trust or what motives are involved as well.
Grey has vowed to never marry. While Madelaine, on the other hand, has the sole goal of marriage and vows to keep that in order to honor both parents, although each for different reasons. Her father treated her as a boy growing up, teaching her to use weapons to defend herself while her mother only wanted her to be true lady with gentile skills.
There are two scenes for Mature Audiences. It was enjoyable to read as Grey's motives change but also of his struggle between loyalty to his King and his love for Madelaine. Which do you put first if your love is involved in a plot against the king? While Madelaine resists being drawn in by the sexual chemistry between them. Then there is her loyalty to her father, the only family she has left…
This story kept my attention. If you enjoy romance as well as intrigue I can recommend this book to you. I had not read this author's works previously.
Almost at the beginning one is drawn into a scene of a young lady displaying her archery talents in the Golden Square, an area set near the "art district" of London, where one can act "odd" and no one is offended. There Madelaine meets Lord Grey Adlard, a jaded young man intent on drawing the attention of his father. Grey has learned that just about the only thing to tweak his father's nose is Grey's promiscuity. And Grey has tried other things. His father seems to only have time and attention for his first born son, Edward.
Lady Madelaine Aldrige is enjoying a rare day of freedom as her father has deposited her in the Queen's court to serve as a Lady-in-Waiting where Madelaine's lack of any refined skills, i.e. embroidery, sewing, painting tables, etc. has earned her both the scorn of Her Majesty as well as the brutal distain of another Lady-in-Waiting.
Both persons, upon acquaintance, introduce themselves as Miss Prattle and Lord Drivel. Grey is intrigued. Madelaine promises to meet him the next day knowing her freedom is limited and thus that will never happen. A year passes. Among the other ladies in the Queen's retinue happens to be a Lady Elizabeth Adlard. We read on about plotting to introduce one lady to the other lady's brother and about the men surrounding the King. The King with his moments of "spells", moments of clarity and his Circle of Six and the spy ring's new code.
This book is not a straight forward romance but one with mystery, treason, treachery, betrayal, trust/distrust, murder and families with misunderstood events within their circles. The reader is not allowed to know who is to trust or what motives are involved as well.
Grey has vowed to never marry. While Madelaine, on the other hand, has the sole goal of marriage and vows to keep that in order to honor both parents, although each for different reasons. Her father treated her as a boy growing up, teaching her to use weapons to defend herself while her mother only wanted her to be true lady with gentile skills.
There are two scenes for Mature Audiences. It was enjoyable to read as Grey's motives change but also of his struggle between loyalty to his King and his love for Madelaine. Which do you put first if your love is involved in a plot against the king? While Madelaine resists being drawn in by the sexual chemistry between them. Then there is her loyalty to her father, the only family she has left…
This story kept my attention. If you enjoy romance as well as intrigue I can recommend this book to you. I had not read this author's works previously.
February 9, 2017
A very interesting tale! Full of intrigue, and of course a great romance. The twists in this story were well written, there were only a couple you could kinda guess, the rest were surprises which made the tale all the more interesting. Some of the supporting characters were written as a way that the author could potentially give them their own story and I will have to look and see if she in fact did.
But as for this book, if you love a handsome rogue who has a devilish smile and a strong heroin, this is your story!!!
But as for this book, if you love a handsome rogue who has a devilish smile and a strong heroin, this is your story!!!
August 12, 2016
I received What a Rogue Wants as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
Hopelessly out of place as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte, Lady Madelaine Aldridge crosses paths with the roguish Lord Grey Adlard. A decent guy at heart, Grey agrees to court Madelaine to protect her from the disdainful (and often shadowy) characters at court. But will Grey and Madelaine find something real and lasting behind the facade of their courtship? (Well, duh, of course. It's a romance novel, let's be real.)
I'm a big fan of spy/secret-keeping stories (The Scarlet Pimpernel and Jane Eyre are two of my favorites), so I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this one, and I did. Johnstone does a great job of balancing the characters' initial wariness of each other with their growing affection. Grey and Madelaine are engaging and fun (even if they are typical romance novel cliches), and there are some truly interesting secondary characters as well, like Liz, Grey's twin sister.
A fun, escapist read on a weekend afternoon.
Hopelessly out of place as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte, Lady Madelaine Aldridge crosses paths with the roguish Lord Grey Adlard. A decent guy at heart, Grey agrees to court Madelaine to protect her from the disdainful (and often shadowy) characters at court. But will Grey and Madelaine find something real and lasting behind the facade of their courtship? (Well, duh, of course. It's a romance novel, let's be real.)
I'm a big fan of spy/secret-keeping stories (The Scarlet Pimpernel and Jane Eyre are two of my favorites), so I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this one, and I did. Johnstone does a great job of balancing the characters' initial wariness of each other with their growing affection. Grey and Madelaine are engaging and fun (even if they are typical romance novel cliches), and there are some truly interesting secondary characters as well, like Liz, Grey's twin sister.
A fun, escapist read on a weekend afternoon.
April 18, 2015
This was the first book I've read (listened to) by this author. The story was entertaining. I like the time period and "the King's spies" always make for an exciting genre. Kudos to the author. However, there were numerous distractions that should have been caught by a good editor or even proofreader. People are hung not hanged. Someone COULDN'T care less, not could care less. And there was constant repetition. One word that always popped out at me was "material." It was overused. Why not use the name of the material or another word. Fabric? I found the narrator easy to listen to but I found fault with the production. What I assume to be do-over sentences were very obvious. The sound quality was very different. Like I said, these were all distractions from an entertaining story. I did expect Lady Grace to pop up in some sinister manner. I hope to listen to another book by Julie Johnstone.
February 26, 2015
I am seriously in love with this book. Maybe it has been a long time that I read a historical novel and also the one with a feisty heroine(which I always like in such novels. Honestly i hate clingy depending heroines).
the characters were cute and the sense of love was just amazing- no matter the betrayal revolving around and the conflict to chose between the country and a women, I like how both the hero and heroine, i-e, Madeleine and Grey- somehow pass through the conflicts.
The book is amazingly written and enjoyed it a lot. The mystery was perfect- but i still wish the villain could have suffered a little more- the way he and other situations caused the couple to doubt and question their love for each other.
I am totally going to recommend this book to everyone- especially the historical romance readers and lovers.
the characters were cute and the sense of love was just amazing- no matter the betrayal revolving around and the conflict to chose between the country and a women, I like how both the hero and heroine, i-e, Madeleine and Grey- somehow pass through the conflicts.
The book is amazingly written and enjoyed it a lot. The mystery was perfect- but i still wish the villain could have suffered a little more- the way he and other situations caused the couple to doubt and question their love for each other.
I am totally going to recommend this book to everyone- especially the historical romance readers and lovers.
February 16, 2015
After getting this book, I read it in less than 4 hrs! I loved the characters of Madeline and Grey, how they interacted with each other and how their individual stories came into one. The chemistry between the characters kept me gripped in the story line, anxiously waiting for them to finally get together! I didn't like how at the end, certain things weren't resolved with "extra" characters. I would have loved to have seen more interaction with Grace at the end in response to her comments. The back ground on Madeline's family coming out all at once near the end sort of left me hanging. I'm hoping that the series will be continued so I could find out more about the others that were involved in the story and tie them all up!
November 15, 2016
A little bit of mystery, a whole lot of romance! Lady Madeline finds herself at court as one of the Queen's ladies, what she doesn't expect is to be swept off her feet by a dashing rogue! Lord Grey has a reputation as a rakehell of the worst kind, but what the public doesn't know is the secret life he leads beyond that. He's a spy for the king who will stop at nothing to protect his monarch and his country. Grey's perspective does a 180 when he meets Lady Madeline, her father has been accused of treason and she's a suspected accomplice. Will Grey follow his heart over his country?
Julie Johnstone has written another page turner!
Julie Johnstone has written another page turner!
August 7, 2014
I loved this book! The characters are witty, charming, the hero is sexy and strong, the heroine is beautiful, kind, fearless (she shoots w/bow & arrow!) I enjoyed the suspense and intrigue of the spy aspect of the story, but nothing of romance was lost along the way, there was plenty of hot romance. It was wonderful watching as the main characters develope from beginning to end of story, and how each had their own demons to slay. Julie Johnstone has a beautifully written and well told story here that I highly recommend adding to your reading list.
October 28, 2014
This was a great story. It was filled with love, mystery, betrayal, and madness. The novel was well written and begged to be read quickly. I enjoyed the characters and the various personalities. Looking forward to reading more by Julie Johnstone soon.
April 30, 2015
A good balance of historical fiction and romance. The best part was the peek into the madness of King George and his Queen and court. The court intrigue was an added bonus often missing from HF romance titles.
July 20, 2015
Madeleine made this book. Her loyalty for her father, her love for Gray, and maintaining the streak of independence everyone wanted to take away from her. Her character was written beautifully with a balance of strength and vulnerability in her. definitely worthy read.
June 9, 2015
A gripping page turner!
Intrigue and mystery at court makes this a story that keeps you turning the pages. With all the twists and turns you aren't sure how everything will work out in the end. Good story with insight to the upheaval at court during those times.
Intrigue and mystery at court makes this a story that keeps you turning the pages. With all the twists and turns you aren't sure how everything will work out in the end. Good story with insight to the upheaval at court during those times.
July 9, 2016
TERRIFIC
This was a different take on English spies and the king who aS crazy. I really enjoyed that not all the ladies in waiting were sleep around and not all possessed female endeavors.
This was a different take on English spies and the king who aS crazy. I really enjoyed that not all the ladies in waiting were sleep around and not all possessed female endeavors.
August 15, 2015
Excellent story. Loved it!
October 7, 2015
Romance and mystery! Loved it.
December 10, 2015
just so so. Had a lot of fluff on the story. can't believe how naive the heroine is (which you find in books) and surprisingly how naive the hero is.
January 2, 2017
A good plot, although predictable in places and it became a little laboured in the end.
did-not-finish
October 7, 2019Contained within the multi-author book collection called Lords of the Kingdom
April 29, 2015
Lord Grey was awesome. I enjoyed this book a lot. Wonderful read :)
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