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The Rogue Files #1
While the Duke Was Sleeping
Sometimes the man of your dreams . . .
Shop girl Poppy Fairchurch knows it’s pointless fantasizing about the Duke of Autenberry. Still, dreams can’t hurt anyone . . . unlike the carriage Poppy spies bearing down upon the unsuspecting duke. After she pulls him to safety, the duke lapses into a coma and Poppy is mistaken for his fiancée. But one person isn’t fooled: his arrogant and much too handsome half-brother, Struan Mackenzie. Soon Poppy isn’t sure what she wants more . . . the fantasy of her duke or the reality of one smoldering Scot who challenges her at every turn.
. . . is not who you think.
An illegitimate second son, Struan may have built an empire and established himself as one of the wealthiest men in Britain, but he knows he will always be an outsider among the ton. Just like he knows the infuriating Poppy is a liar. There’s no way the haughty Duke of Autenberry would deign to wed a working class girl. It doesn’t matter how charming she is. Or tempting. Or how much Struan wants her for himself.
Shop girl Poppy Fairchurch knows it’s pointless fantasizing about the Duke of Autenberry. Still, dreams can’t hurt anyone . . . unlike the carriage Poppy spies bearing down upon the unsuspecting duke. After she pulls him to safety, the duke lapses into a coma and Poppy is mistaken for his fiancée. But one person isn’t fooled: his arrogant and much too handsome half-brother, Struan Mackenzie. Soon Poppy isn’t sure what she wants more . . . the fantasy of her duke or the reality of one smoldering Scot who challenges her at every turn.
. . . is not who you think.
An illegitimate second son, Struan may have built an empire and established himself as one of the wealthiest men in Britain, but he knows he will always be an outsider among the ton. Just like he knows the infuriating Poppy is a liar. There’s no way the haughty Duke of Autenberry would deign to wed a working class girl. It doesn’t matter how charming she is. Or tempting. Or how much Struan wants her for himself.
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First published October 25, 2016
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About the author
Sophie Jordan
78 books8,963 followersPseudonym:
Sharie Kohler
Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.
A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.
In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.
Sharie Kohler
Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.
A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.
In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.
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February 1, 2023
*2 the movie was waaaay better stars*
This wasn't what I was hoping it would be.
Since this is a very obvious retelling of the beloved romcom While You Were Sleeping, it’s hard not to draw comparisons while reading this. And this fell very short in comparison unfortunately. It's a regency interpretation of the story so of course some things were obviously tweaked but Sophie Jordan missed the beats and hit the wrong notes. And the things she did change I honestly wish she hadn't.
The coma aspect didn't bother me because again.....the movie. Is it farfetched for a historical? Yup, you bet. But I was expecting that before reading this. You kind of have to suspend belief for this part especially if you are familiar with the movie, and this particular author's usual writing formulas. For me though, it was everything else that was a bigger issue.
First thing, I did not like the heroine Poppy.
This girl is no Lucy Moderatz let me just get that out there. She's a shopgirl who is struggling to make ends meet to provide for her and her younger sister. She has a starry-eyed crush on Marcus, the Duke of Attenbury, who comes in to buy flowers for his countless paramours every week. A point which seems to just fly right over her head (a recurring theme here). Oh no, her Duke is a perfect gentleman. He's kind, generous and has a good heart.
Who is a complete stranger.
Who she knows NOTHING about.
But more on that later........
Overall I found Poppy lacked compassion, kindness and just substance of any kind. I don’t think she was very dimensional and not enough effort was put into showing readers how & why she's considered sweet, "guileless" (😂) and kind hearted. There is nothing sweet-natured about this girl. Every character in this book labels her as sweet and tender hearted immediately after meeting her without missing a beat. And that kinda drove me batty considering her obnoxious OTT defensive contrary behavior around the hero Struan and how she acts around her sister. This is more of personal taste but uptight shrewish attitude is never charming to me. At one point she's even labeled as shy...lol SHY? When??? Where? Did I blink and miss it? If this bitch is shy then I'm Madonna. lmao. 😂😂😂 Come on Jordan, give me a damn break with this. I felt I was being pitched a false product. And what the hell was with all the wincing? Was this seriously the only way to show this character showing remorse? Honestly?? Argh. Poppy's reactions to things in general were so misfired, getting sniffy & offended over the dumbest things yet not batting an eye over meaningful revealing moments with Struan. I just found her so damn unsympathetic with her nonreactions that I couldn't understand her. It just made emotionally charged moments fall so flat.
Moving on to my next issue. The Duke thing. What ruined the story was the fact that the heroine thought herself to be in love for 90% of the story with an unconscious Duke who in reality is a self-entitled hateful snob.
Why do this? It's just an absolute buzzkill to see your heroine spinning fantasies in her head & constantly defending the honor of a virtual stranger. It's absurd. Not what I had in mind. Because of this the h/hr's connection greatly suffered.
Another problem: Where was the romance? All Poppy and Struan did THE WHOLE TIME was argue and fling empty-headed barbs at each other. That's it.
That’s not the kind of charged tension I like to read about. I found them so incompatible. All the constant ‘let me say something mean to her and let me say something mean to him in return’ tossed back and forth with no sympathy or feelings in between was really tiresome. The lack of sensitivity between these two just made things unpleasant, superficial and not genuine. The author focused too much time on them bickering, being nasty and misunderstanding each other for their to be any real genuine heartfelt moments together. Usually when you have leads that are sparring and antagonistic there is always an underlying layer of tension, emotional vulnerability, softening that builds up slowly. There was absolutely none of that here. The vulnerable undercurrents was completely missing. There is zero emotional arc between the hero and heroine in this story. Which is another flaw in Jordan's writing. I see it in every book of hers I've read. It lacks emotion, the emotional connection between her hero and heroine is always missing. It's all just black and white sparring. I think Jordan confuses 'battle of wills' with 'battle of cruel awfulness'. Struan took a backseat to a comatose Duke which was so depressing because he was worth so much more page time....and more development. There is no development, no growth or emotions shared between the two outside of contempt and lust. I honestly did like Struan....at times. What made this story lose it's edge was having the brooding hero constantly provoke and corner the heroine into lifting her skirts for him. There is nothing to recommend or gauge why Struan feels anything for Poppy besides the fact that she says 'no' to him all the time. Which is probably my least favorite trope of all time with battling couples. Do NOT fill a whole book up with a hero chasing an obstinate heroine around who's constantly telling him to leave her alone, go away and running away like a scared defiant rabbit just to avoid being alone with him. Where is the romantic angst in that? Jordan kept missing the beats entirely.
My other issue: the family connection. Where was that? In the movie, the brothers’ family fall in love with Lucy gradually & separately and you see them spending time with her and enveloping her into their family and accepting her. Here Jordan entirely cuts out the whole ‘bonding’ part and we are just told they fall in love with her on sight and think she’s perfect for Marcus. Uh...ok. There is literally no follow up to that to show us why the Duke's sisters and the eccentric Duchess would be singing Poppy’s praises after first meeting. This was such an obvious cheap ploy to get readers to like the heroine, the good ol' if all the characters love her, you will love her too! schtick.
A big fat NO there. Marcus’s best friend Lord Strickland also is immediately smitten with her and talks her into continuing on with the charade, to make Marcus's family happy. Which completely avoids the elephant in the room, how will this not break their hearts in the long run once he wakes up? Strickland doesn’t want his best friend’s family hurt by a lie, yet convinces her to keep lying to them until/if he wakes up.
Who exactly does that benefit? In the film, it made sense for old Sal to at least (passive aggressively) continuously try and break the news to them, here it was the complete opposite and made no sense. It’s as if Jordan doesn’t think her plot through, just throws contrived plot points to push the plot along. And a borrowed plot no less. If you are doing to do a retelling, don’t reinvent the wheel IMO. *shrugs* At least, not like this.
Honestly, I'm not even sure if I will read the next book. The secondary characters, except for maybe Enid, just confused me and left me feeling nothing. I thought I was going to like Poppy's spirited younger sister Bry until she opened her mouth and was nothing but an OTT bratty brazen idiotic flirt. (PS: Was anyone seriously supposed to like this girl? She's ridiculous and how Poppy treats her like some prized show horse who doesn't know any better is even more offensive.) The dynamic between the sisters was seriously bizarre and a little disturbing to say the least. It's like the author has no understanding of basic meaningful relationships. And Strickland giving heated stares to the much older Duchess was such a turn off. But given how much page time was spent on Poppy championing and defending the much lauded Duke, I have a feeling he will be the hero of the next book or down the road. If so, all I will say is Jordan has her work cut out for her. Just please.....don't tell your readers about your characters, show them. Give them depth, layers and emotions.
This wasn't what I was hoping it would be.
Since this is a very obvious retelling of the beloved romcom While You Were Sleeping, it’s hard not to draw comparisons while reading this. And this fell very short in comparison unfortunately. It's a regency interpretation of the story so of course some things were obviously tweaked but Sophie Jordan missed the beats and hit the wrong notes. And the things she did change I honestly wish she hadn't.
The coma aspect didn't bother me because again.....the movie. Is it farfetched for a historical? Yup, you bet. But I was expecting that before reading this. You kind of have to suspend belief for this part especially if you are familiar with the movie, and this particular author's usual writing formulas. For me though, it was everything else that was a bigger issue.
First thing, I did not like the heroine Poppy.
This girl is no Lucy Moderatz let me just get that out there. She's a shopgirl who is struggling to make ends meet to provide for her and her younger sister. She has a starry-eyed crush on Marcus, the Duke of Attenbury, who comes in to buy flowers for his countless paramours every week. A point which seems to just fly right over her head (a recurring theme here). Oh no, her Duke is a perfect gentleman. He's kind, generous and has a good heart.
Who is a complete stranger.
Who she knows NOTHING about.
But more on that later........
Overall I found Poppy lacked compassion, kindness and just substance of any kind. I don’t think she was very dimensional and not enough effort was put into showing readers how & why she's considered sweet, "guileless" (😂) and kind hearted. There is nothing sweet-natured about this girl. Every character in this book labels her as sweet and tender hearted immediately after meeting her without missing a beat. And that kinda drove me batty considering her obnoxious OTT defensive contrary behavior around the hero Struan and how she acts around her sister. This is more of personal taste but uptight shrewish attitude is never charming to me. At one point she's even labeled as shy...lol SHY? When??? Where? Did I blink and miss it? If this bitch is shy then I'm Madonna. lmao. 😂😂😂 Come on Jordan, give me a damn break with this. I felt I was being pitched a false product. And what the hell was with all the wincing? Was this seriously the only way to show this character showing remorse? Honestly?? Argh. Poppy's reactions to things in general were so misfired, getting sniffy & offended over the dumbest things yet not batting an eye over meaningful revealing moments with Struan. I just found her so damn unsympathetic with her nonreactions that I couldn't understand her. It just made emotionally charged moments fall so flat.
Moving on to my next issue. The Duke thing. What ruined the story was the fact that the heroine thought herself to be in love for 90% of the story with an unconscious Duke who in reality is a self-entitled hateful snob.
Why do this? It's just an absolute buzzkill to see your heroine spinning fantasies in her head & constantly defending the honor of a virtual stranger. It's absurd. Not what I had in mind. Because of this the h/hr's connection greatly suffered.
Another problem: Where was the romance? All Poppy and Struan did THE WHOLE TIME was argue and fling empty-headed barbs at each other. That's it.
That’s not the kind of charged tension I like to read about. I found them so incompatible. All the constant ‘let me say something mean to her and let me say something mean to him in return’ tossed back and forth with no sympathy or feelings in between was really tiresome. The lack of sensitivity between these two just made things unpleasant, superficial and not genuine. The author focused too much time on them bickering, being nasty and misunderstanding each other for their to be any real genuine heartfelt moments together. Usually when you have leads that are sparring and antagonistic there is always an underlying layer of tension, emotional vulnerability, softening that builds up slowly. There was absolutely none of that here. The vulnerable undercurrents was completely missing. There is zero emotional arc between the hero and heroine in this story. Which is another flaw in Jordan's writing. I see it in every book of hers I've read. It lacks emotion, the emotional connection between her hero and heroine is always missing. It's all just black and white sparring. I think Jordan confuses 'battle of wills' with 'battle of cruel awfulness'. Struan took a backseat to a comatose Duke which was so depressing because he was worth so much more page time....and more development. There is no development, no growth or emotions shared between the two outside of contempt and lust. I honestly did like Struan....at times. What made this story lose it's edge was having the brooding hero constantly provoke and corner the heroine into lifting her skirts for him. There is nothing to recommend or gauge why Struan feels anything for Poppy besides the fact that she says 'no' to him all the time. Which is probably my least favorite trope of all time with battling couples. Do NOT fill a whole book up with a hero chasing an obstinate heroine around who's constantly telling him to leave her alone, go away and running away like a scared defiant rabbit just to avoid being alone with him. Where is the romantic angst in that? Jordan kept missing the beats entirely.
My other issue: the family connection. Where was that? In the movie, the brothers’ family fall in love with Lucy gradually & separately and you see them spending time with her and enveloping her into their family and accepting her. Here Jordan entirely cuts out the whole ‘bonding’ part and we are just told they fall in love with her on sight and think she’s perfect for Marcus. Uh...ok. There is literally no follow up to that to show us why the Duke's sisters and the eccentric Duchess would be singing Poppy’s praises after first meeting. This was such an obvious cheap ploy to get readers to like the heroine, the good ol' if all the characters love her, you will love her too! schtick.
A big fat NO there. Marcus’s best friend Lord Strickland also is immediately smitten with her and talks her into continuing on with the charade, to make Marcus's family happy. Which completely avoids the elephant in the room, how will this not break their hearts in the long run once he wakes up? Strickland doesn’t want his best friend’s family hurt by a lie, yet convinces her to keep lying to them until/if he wakes up.
Who exactly does that benefit? In the film, it made sense for old Sal to at least (passive aggressively) continuously try and break the news to them, here it was the complete opposite and made no sense. It’s as if Jordan doesn’t think her plot through, just throws contrived plot points to push the plot along. And a borrowed plot no less. If you are doing to do a retelling, don’t reinvent the wheel IMO. *shrugs* At least, not like this.
Honestly, I'm not even sure if I will read the next book. The secondary characters, except for maybe Enid, just confused me and left me feeling nothing. I thought I was going to like Poppy's spirited younger sister Bry until she opened her mouth and was nothing but an OTT bratty brazen idiotic flirt. (PS: Was anyone seriously supposed to like this girl? She's ridiculous and how Poppy treats her like some prized show horse who doesn't know any better is even more offensive.) The dynamic between the sisters was seriously bizarre and a little disturbing to say the least. It's like the author has no understanding of basic meaningful relationships. And Strickland giving heated stares to the much older Duchess was such a turn off. But given how much page time was spent on Poppy championing and defending the much lauded Duke, I have a feeling he will be the hero of the next book or down the road. If so, all I will say is Jordan has her work cut out for her. Just please.....don't tell your readers about your characters, show them. Give them depth, layers and emotions.
March 9, 2021
This was so much fun. I loved how it was a play on While You Were Sleeping and how Poppy and Strain instantly hated each other but were super attracted to each other. It was adorable how Poppy and her sister started growing closer to the duke's family, but Poppy's secret was eating away at her. And then she was falling more for Straun when she was supposedly engaged and in love with the duke. I do think things went to love a little too quickly at the end and I don't think Poppy and Straun had as deep of a connection as we were supposed to believe. I wanted to see them connect more and have more authentic conversations. I did love how Straun was Scottish and brooding, but I am definitely also intrigued by the duke. I can't wait to get to his book!
June 4, 2019
No, it was far safer falling in love with an impossible fantasy. A fantasy couldn’t come true.
A fantasy couldn’t hurt you.
Poppy Fairchurch knows that fantasizing about the Duke of Autenberry is wishful thinking for a plain shop girl, but dreams are harmless. Until she saves the Duke from being mauled down by a carriage. And when the duke goes into a coma, Poppy’s life is complicated when she's mistaken for his fiancée. All of the duke’s family is happy to believe that he fell in love with a shop girl, everyone except his estranged half-brother, Struan Mackenzie. Who is arrogant and far too handsome for Poppy’s peace of mind. Her feelings for Struan was nothing like she the warm and content feelings she feels for the duke. He makes her blood boil, her nerves tingled as he continuously challenge and bicker with her.
As the illegitimate second son to a duke, Struan is used to being an outsider. He is a self-made man, one of the wealthiest men in Britain and knows a liar when he sees him, or in this case her. There is no way his snobbish half-brother would ever stoop so low as to propose to a mere shop girl. No matter how intriguing, how charming, how tempting she is. And Struan can’t help but want her for himself.
Is it possible that the sleeping duke is not the man of Poppy’s dreams?
Struan did not make her feel comfortable. He made her feel like she was on fire from the inside out.
He made her feel necessary.
Poppy was a great heroine. She’s responsible, loyal and protective of those she cares about. I love that she’s a dreamer but also a fighter. She’s isn’t this great beauty that men fall over their feet for, which just made me like her even more. The way she changed her entire life to care for her teenage sister after her father passed away, just made me admire her even more. And I liked how sassy and feisty she was around Struan ;-D
“I want your love because God knows you have my heart. It’s yours. I love you. I love you more than I thought I could ever love a person.”
I loved Struan, with his scottish brogue and his very unusual but sexy name. He had a very hard childhood, with just him and his mom, struggling to make ends meet. It broke my heart at what his mother had to do for income after she became pregnant with Struan, and the duke refused to take care of them. I love how he pursued Poppy, even though she was his half-brother’s fiancée, he couldn’t help but want her. And I loved his nickname for her :-D
“And you didn’t want that? Your duke? The fantasy? Being a duchess?”
She shook her head. “The reality of you is better than any fantasy I’ve ever had.”
The romance was awesome. I loved the early animosity between Poppy and Struan, their banter was excellent, and the chemistry between them was so intense and hot. Neither has much family, and both are quite alone, and it was wonderful seeing them fall in love.
I loved the duke’s family, especially his stepmother and best friend, and I really hope their will be a book about them.
I loved the movie ‘While you were sleeping’ and I’m amazed that he author managed to keep the most important aspects similar to the movie, but that she also had many differences that made it unique and wonderful. This was a wonderful HR that i enjoyed immensely. Highly recommended to all HR fans.
October 29, 2016
I'm glad I gave this one a chance. I liked it a lot!
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
While the Duke Was Sleeping by Sophie Jordan
Book One of the Rogue Files series
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: October 25, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Sometimes the man of your dreams . . .
Shop girl Poppy Fairchurch knows it’s pointless fantasizing about the Duke of Autenberry. Still, dreams can’t hurt anyone . . . unlike the carriage Poppy spies bearing down upon the unsuspecting duke. After she pulls him to safety, the duke lapses into a coma and Poppy is mistaken for his fiancée. But one person isn’t fooled: his arrogant and much too handsome half-brother, Struan Mackenzie. Soon Poppy isn’t sure what she wants more . . . the fantasy of her duke or the reality of one smoldering Scot who challenges her at every turn.
. . . is not who you think.
An illegitimate second son, Struan may have built an empire and established himself as one of the wealthiest men in Britain, but he knows he will always be an outsider among the ton. Just like he knows the infuriating Poppy is a liar. There’s no way the haughty Duke of Autenberry would deign to wed a working class girl. It doesn’t matter how charming she is. Or tempting. Or how much Struan wants her for himself.
What I Liked:
I actually wasn't sure that I would enjoy this book, since the premise was all about a girl who is infatuated with one man from afar, but really falls in love with another. BUT, this book surprised me! The romance was so fun and steamy and shippy. Jordan's historical romance novels have been good and not-so-good, for me, but this one was great.
Poppy Fairchurch is a shopgirl, working in a florist's shop. One of the shop's best customers is the Duke of Autenberry, who comes every week to buy flowers for a different woman (doubtless his various paramours). The first time Poppy sees him, she is totally infatuated. She builds a fantasy in her head that they fall in love, and get married... despite the fact that neither has said more than five words to each other. One day, she sees the Duke punch another man, and a fight ensues. She runs to stop the fight, and the Duke gets hurt to the point of a coma. When she accompanies him and the stranger (who turns out to be the Duke's half-brother), Poppy is beside herself. She mutters something along the lines of "we're to be married someday, remember?"... and the housekeeper hears her muttering, and mistakes Poppy as the Duke's fiancee (the Duke has no fiancee though). Soon everyone is convinced that Poppy is Autenberry's fiance (the dowager duchess, the Duke's siblings, even Struan Mackenzie, the Duke's half-brother from the fight). But Poppy finds herself drawn to the half-brother, and not the Duke. As the Duke lies in a coma, Poppy plays along with her lie, and she and Struan get closer. But what will happen when the Duke awakes?
Like I said, this book's premise didn't really appeal to me, so I wasn't sure I'd like this book. Even if Poppy is simply pretending to be the fiancee... she is infatuated with Autenberry. But as the story progresses, we can clearly see that she adores the idea of Autenberry - the idea she has in her head. Who he really is, that's a completely different story.
So, Poppy is a romantic and a dreamer. She follows her heart and not always her head, though she is clever. She feels awful about the lie, and would have come clean within the day, but Autenberry's friend Lord Tucker asked her to continue the lie, since Autenberry's family was so happy about him finally settling down (Autenberry is a rake of epic proportions). Poppy is kind and selfless, giving up a lot of her life to take care of and raise her beautiful and vivacious fifteen-year-old sister.
Struan Mackenzie is the bastard son of the late Duke of Autenberry, just a year younger than the current Duke. He's from Scotland (hence the name), and he has never had anything to do with his father's family. His father threw Struan's mother out, and the current Duke never wanted to be reminded of his father's indiscretions. So Struan has no relationship with his half-brother, or half-sisters, or the dowager duchess. And after Struan's mother died young... Struan has no one. And he wants nothing from Autenberry. Struan is extremely wealthy and successful. He came to England looking for a bride, and he definitely found what he was looking for.
I adored Struan! He had an incredibly difficult childhood, but he made himself into something much more. He's big and rough and a little possessive, and he likes getting what he wants. Jordan writes this type of alpha really well.
You'll recall Struan being in Jordan's Debutante Files series - he courted Aurelia in All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue! I like this crossover between the series.
The Duke of Autenberry was in a coma for the entire book, and anyway, there was no real romance between Poppy and him. The romance is entirely between Struan and Poppy, and it's steamy and sweet. At first everything is purely physical, but you can see that the two are drawn to each other. They have verrrry hot chemistry, and the tension boils throughout the book. But I liked seeing them fall for each other too. It wasn't easy, because Struan believed her to be his brother's fiancee, and Poppy knew that she wasn't but had to keep up the pretense. So in a way, it was wrong of them to fool around, but the engagement was never real. Still, questionable morals much, Struan?
One thing that I especially loved was the ending, for several reasons. Yes, we get a nice happily-ever-after. But I love that Struan leaves after Poppy pushes him away (and the Duke too - after he wakes up), and POPPY is the one to chase Struan down. Often in adult romance novels, you'll see that the woman pushes the man away, the man leaves, and then the man comes back begging and pleading. To me, I'd like to see the woman fight for what she wants more often... especially if she's the one messing up (in this case, Poppy kept saying no and pushing Struan away). So, good for Poppy! I'm glad she created her own ending.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! I look forward to reading more from this series. I'm sure Jordan will write a book for Autenberry, redeeming him in some way. And we'll see Tucker's story too (I hope). I would love to read about Bryony (Poppy's younger sister) too!
What I Did Not Like:
One could say that the entire idea behind this book is silly... Poppy's ridiculous dream about marrying the Duke, and getting overheard muttering that. BUT. I liked how absurd it was, though at first the idea really bothered me.
Another thing - so Jordan specifically writes that Struan has rough, slightly more adventurous tastes than English noblemen... I was totally hoping to see this wild side, when Struan would get it on with Poppy. Sadly nothing they did together was "wild" or "rough". Still steamy, but nothing different.
I felt a little weird about typing this dislike. Hopefully that made sense though!
Would I Recommend It:
This was probably one of the more fun and steamy historical romance novels I've read recently, and I would definitely recommend it. It's not bogged down by angst and drama and hardships, though it's not cute and fluffy either. This book is full of fiery passion!
Rating:
4 stars. I'm glad I wasn't deterred - I almost didn't read this one. I hope the next book, The Scandal of It All, will be just as good!
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
While the Duke Was Sleeping by Sophie Jordan
Book One of the Rogue Files series
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: October 25, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Sometimes the man of your dreams . . .
Shop girl Poppy Fairchurch knows it’s pointless fantasizing about the Duke of Autenberry. Still, dreams can’t hurt anyone . . . unlike the carriage Poppy spies bearing down upon the unsuspecting duke. After she pulls him to safety, the duke lapses into a coma and Poppy is mistaken for his fiancée. But one person isn’t fooled: his arrogant and much too handsome half-brother, Struan Mackenzie. Soon Poppy isn’t sure what she wants more . . . the fantasy of her duke or the reality of one smoldering Scot who challenges her at every turn.
. . . is not who you think.
An illegitimate second son, Struan may have built an empire and established himself as one of the wealthiest men in Britain, but he knows he will always be an outsider among the ton. Just like he knows the infuriating Poppy is a liar. There’s no way the haughty Duke of Autenberry would deign to wed a working class girl. It doesn’t matter how charming she is. Or tempting. Or how much Struan wants her for himself.
What I Liked:
I actually wasn't sure that I would enjoy this book, since the premise was all about a girl who is infatuated with one man from afar, but really falls in love with another. BUT, this book surprised me! The romance was so fun and steamy and shippy. Jordan's historical romance novels have been good and not-so-good, for me, but this one was great.
Poppy Fairchurch is a shopgirl, working in a florist's shop. One of the shop's best customers is the Duke of Autenberry, who comes every week to buy flowers for a different woman (doubtless his various paramours). The first time Poppy sees him, she is totally infatuated. She builds a fantasy in her head that they fall in love, and get married... despite the fact that neither has said more than five words to each other. One day, she sees the Duke punch another man, and a fight ensues. She runs to stop the fight, and the Duke gets hurt to the point of a coma. When she accompanies him and the stranger (who turns out to be the Duke's half-brother), Poppy is beside herself. She mutters something along the lines of "we're to be married someday, remember?"... and the housekeeper hears her muttering, and mistakes Poppy as the Duke's fiancee (the Duke has no fiancee though). Soon everyone is convinced that Poppy is Autenberry's fiance (the dowager duchess, the Duke's siblings, even Struan Mackenzie, the Duke's half-brother from the fight). But Poppy finds herself drawn to the half-brother, and not the Duke. As the Duke lies in a coma, Poppy plays along with her lie, and she and Struan get closer. But what will happen when the Duke awakes?
Like I said, this book's premise didn't really appeal to me, so I wasn't sure I'd like this book. Even if Poppy is simply pretending to be the fiancee... she is infatuated with Autenberry. But as the story progresses, we can clearly see that she adores the idea of Autenberry - the idea she has in her head. Who he really is, that's a completely different story.
So, Poppy is a romantic and a dreamer. She follows her heart and not always her head, though she is clever. She feels awful about the lie, and would have come clean within the day, but Autenberry's friend Lord Tucker asked her to continue the lie, since Autenberry's family was so happy about him finally settling down (Autenberry is a rake of epic proportions). Poppy is kind and selfless, giving up a lot of her life to take care of and raise her beautiful and vivacious fifteen-year-old sister.
Struan Mackenzie is the bastard son of the late Duke of Autenberry, just a year younger than the current Duke. He's from Scotland (hence the name), and he has never had anything to do with his father's family. His father threw Struan's mother out, and the current Duke never wanted to be reminded of his father's indiscretions. So Struan has no relationship with his half-brother, or half-sisters, or the dowager duchess. And after Struan's mother died young... Struan has no one. And he wants nothing from Autenberry. Struan is extremely wealthy and successful. He came to England looking for a bride, and he definitely found what he was looking for.
I adored Struan! He had an incredibly difficult childhood, but he made himself into something much more. He's big and rough and a little possessive, and he likes getting what he wants. Jordan writes this type of alpha really well.
You'll recall Struan being in Jordan's Debutante Files series - he courted Aurelia in All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue! I like this crossover between the series.
The Duke of Autenberry was in a coma for the entire book, and anyway, there was no real romance between Poppy and him. The romance is entirely between Struan and Poppy, and it's steamy and sweet. At first everything is purely physical, but you can see that the two are drawn to each other. They have verrrry hot chemistry, and the tension boils throughout the book. But I liked seeing them fall for each other too. It wasn't easy, because Struan believed her to be his brother's fiancee, and Poppy knew that she wasn't but had to keep up the pretense. So in a way, it was wrong of them to fool around, but the engagement was never real. Still, questionable morals much, Struan?
One thing that I especially loved was the ending, for several reasons. Yes, we get a nice happily-ever-after. But I love that Struan leaves after Poppy pushes him away (and the Duke too - after he wakes up), and POPPY is the one to chase Struan down. Often in adult romance novels, you'll see that the woman pushes the man away, the man leaves, and then the man comes back begging and pleading. To me, I'd like to see the woman fight for what she wants more often... especially if she's the one messing up (in this case, Poppy kept saying no and pushing Struan away). So, good for Poppy! I'm glad she created her own ending.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! I look forward to reading more from this series. I'm sure Jordan will write a book for Autenberry, redeeming him in some way. And we'll see Tucker's story too (I hope). I would love to read about Bryony (Poppy's younger sister) too!
What I Did Not Like:
One could say that the entire idea behind this book is silly... Poppy's ridiculous dream about marrying the Duke, and getting overheard muttering that. BUT. I liked how absurd it was, though at first the idea really bothered me.
Another thing - so Jordan specifically writes that Struan has rough, slightly more adventurous tastes than English noblemen... I was totally hoping to see this wild side, when Struan would get it on with Poppy. Sadly nothing they did together was "wild" or "rough". Still steamy, but nothing different.
I felt a little weird about typing this dislike. Hopefully that made sense though!
Would I Recommend It:
This was probably one of the more fun and steamy historical romance novels I've read recently, and I would definitely recommend it. It's not bogged down by angst and drama and hardships, though it's not cute and fluffy either. This book is full of fiery passion!
Rating:
4 stars. I'm glad I wasn't deterred - I almost didn't read this one. I hope the next book, The Scandal of It All, will be just as good!
January 28, 2018
I read this in between doses of NyQuil, so my memory is a bit fuzzy but suffice to say, it did not live up to its inspiration of the move While You Were Sleeping.
I was not a fan of the "hero" in this one. He is basically constantly telling the heroine that she wants it. I still read bodice rippers of old but heroes like this in modern romances get my foot on their bum and kicked out the door.
Follows the movie's script pretty closely, even some same lines!, but because of the hero, the story was meh for me.
I was not a fan of the "hero" in this one. He is basically constantly telling the heroine that she wants it. I still read bodice rippers of old but heroes like this in modern romances get my foot on their bum and kicked out the door.
Follows the movie's script pretty closely, even some same lines!, but because of the hero, the story was meh for me.
May 18, 2021
2.5🌟
This was an obvious retelling of "While you were sleeping" but unlike the movie which I love, this book was just not it.
I think my biggest problem was the h. She was no Sandra Bullock that was sure😂 She was so bland and boring honestly and I found her actions annoying. Her little sister also was so selfish and rude and needed a good slap or two!
The H was decent enough and at least he had a personality.
Next time I'll just watch the movie tho!😂
This was an obvious retelling of "While you were sleeping" but unlike the movie which I love, this book was just not it.
I think my biggest problem was the h. She was no Sandra Bullock that was sure😂 She was so bland and boring honestly and I found her actions annoying. Her little sister also was so selfish and rude and needed a good slap or two!
The H was decent enough and at least he had a personality.
Next time I'll just watch the movie tho!😂
November 14, 2017
I’ve seen this book in a movie!! It was called While You Were Sleeping, except this had a historical setting and I loved it. Super cute and endearing!!
September 27, 2016
ARC from Edelweiss and Avon for an honest review.
I enjoy Sophie Jordan's books. But this one I did have some issues with.
Poppy works at a flower shop and has developed a crush for one of the customers. The Duke of Autenberry purchases flowers there regularly. Poppy dreams and hopes that he'll notice her one day and they'll fall in love and marry.
But one day as the Duke was leaving there was an altercation right outside the flower shop. Poppy runs out to help and finds the Duke fighting with his brother Stuart (half brother). The unfortunete outcome of the fight is the Duke is in a coma. And the fortunate part for Poppy is she somehow mentions she is his fiancee and word gets out they are to be married. Oh what a tangled web we weave. This starts a very slippery slop for Poppy, while the Duke is in a comma and she's caring for him, she slowly gets to know Stuart, the Duke's half brother. Feelings start developeing on both sides. And Poppy starts questioning herself and her growing feeling for Stuart, realizing she's going to have to make a choice soon and also reveal the lie she told.
I really liked the writing and pacing but struggled with the storyline. Found it hard to accept the concept of a man in a comma, with the lie that Poppy told and then growing feelings for the brother. The whole premise just didn't sit well with me and might not bother others.
I enjoy Sophie Jordan's books. But this one I did have some issues with.
Poppy works at a flower shop and has developed a crush for one of the customers. The Duke of Autenberry purchases flowers there regularly. Poppy dreams and hopes that he'll notice her one day and they'll fall in love and marry.
But one day as the Duke was leaving there was an altercation right outside the flower shop. Poppy runs out to help and finds the Duke fighting with his brother Stuart (half brother). The unfortunete outcome of the fight is the Duke is in a coma. And the fortunate part for Poppy is she somehow mentions she is his fiancee and word gets out they are to be married. Oh what a tangled web we weave. This starts a very slippery slop for Poppy, while the Duke is in a comma and she's caring for him, she slowly gets to know Stuart, the Duke's half brother. Feelings start developeing on both sides. And Poppy starts questioning herself and her growing feeling for Stuart, realizing she's going to have to make a choice soon and also reveal the lie she told.
I really liked the writing and pacing but struggled with the storyline. Found it hard to accept the concept of a man in a comma, with the lie that Poppy told and then growing feelings for the brother. The whole premise just didn't sit well with me and might not bother others.
October 12, 2016
3.5 stars
I loved the movie While You Were Sleeping, so I was pretty much sold on this premise.
I liked Poppy and Struan. Their banter is playful and amusing and their chemistry is off the charts. I'm a bit surprised she didn't end up pregnant just from the way he looked at her. At the very essence of the story, they're both two people who are alone, but find each other. And that's what kept me reading. Well that and those lusty glances.
This particular plot line seems a bit unbelievable for the time period, but it was a fun story with minimal angst. I'm definitely interested in other books in this series.
**Huge thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I loved the movie While You Were Sleeping, so I was pretty much sold on this premise.
I liked Poppy and Struan. Their banter is playful and amusing and their chemistry is off the charts. I'm a bit surprised she didn't end up pregnant just from the way he looked at her. At the very essence of the story, they're both two people who are alone, but find each other. And that's what kept me reading. Well that and those lusty glances.
This particular plot line seems a bit unbelievable for the time period, but it was a fun story with minimal angst. I'm definitely interested in other books in this series.
**Huge thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
November 22, 2016
While I don't remember watching the movie ‘While you were sleeping’, I admit that I have mixed feeling for this book!
I had a few quibbles here.
The first one is that there was overmuch inner dialogue for my taste; the second was the behaviour of the hero, Struan.
About Struan, I found he trated Poppy very badly at the beginning. He supposed that Poppy was the Duke's mistress without any proof, just because she was of lower class! Just because of that he treats her like a prostituite, using crude speach, making salacious innuendos and inappropriate words. I didn't like it!
I had the impression that he keeps pursuing her, even after she directly tells him to leave her alone, because he wants some kind of revenge on his half-brother, the Duke.
After the first half of the book his behaviour gets better and his obsession with Poppy becomes more affection than lust, but it still took me more time to get to like him.
Poppy has her own problems. First of all her romantic notions were a bit exaggerated. She saw everything through rose colored glasses on one hand, but on other she was overly responsible. It clashes somehow for me...
I didn't like her sister Bryony - a spoilt and irresponsible young girl! If she was my sister I would have been much more stern. When Bryony maked a move toward Struan in the stable, I was appalled!!! It was the behaviour of a prositute!!! And Struan was amused (while thinking Poppy was one!!!)!!!
So, I have a mixed feeling: I liked the writing and the story, but not the characters! So for me it's 3 stars!
I had a few quibbles here.
The first one is that there was overmuch inner dialogue for my taste; the second was the behaviour of the hero, Struan.
About Struan, I found he trated Poppy very badly at the beginning. He supposed that Poppy was the Duke's mistress without any proof, just because she was of lower class! Just because of that he treats her like a prostituite, using crude speach, making salacious innuendos and inappropriate words. I didn't like it!
I had the impression that he keeps pursuing her, even after she directly tells him to leave her alone, because he wants some kind of revenge on his half-brother, the Duke.
After the first half of the book his behaviour gets better and his obsession with Poppy becomes more affection than lust, but it still took me more time to get to like him.
Poppy has her own problems. First of all her romantic notions were a bit exaggerated. She saw everything through rose colored glasses on one hand, but on other she was overly responsible. It clashes somehow for me...
I didn't like her sister Bryony - a spoilt and irresponsible young girl! If she was my sister I would have been much more stern. When Bryony maked a move toward Struan in the stable, I was appalled!!! It was the behaviour of a prositute!!! And Struan was amused (while thinking Poppy was one!!!)!!!
So, I have a mixed feeling: I liked the writing and the story, but not the characters! So for me it's 3 stars!
October 18, 2025
The writing is good but has some modern language here and there like the "MMC wanting to get the MFC out of his system by sleeping with her once".
Also, I dislike it immensely when the author actually hates the MFC to the extent that readers need to be constantly reminded of how plain, unremarkable, never a beauty, down on her luck, never to grab any man's attention, always compared to her sister who is a ravishing beauty and how ordinary the MFC is in comparison which made me want to pull my hair out one by one.
That said, let me talk about the characters including the MCs one by one.
Poppy, is a delusional dreamy uptight young girl. She lost both her parents and is now the sole carer of her younger sister of 15. She's a shop girl, works in a flower shop. Her parents have been a love match who made her believe in fairytale love. Even though she was ditched by her childhood friend who was meant to be her husband, who ditched her for reasons unknown to the readers and who while they were betrothed demanded so much physical attention from her but she kept denying him. She meets the Duke in the flowershop when he personally comes for his weekly visits to purchase flowers for his extensive harem of paramours. A fact that our clueless Poppy doesn't mind because according to her, he's handsome, a Duke and he hasn't found the right person for him yet🙄. Because, you know, his right person is within the arms of his limitless number of women. Anyway, she knows nothing about him except his consistent dalliance with women but she labels him kind, honourable and good because he at least buys them flowers. 🙄 alrighty then... moving on.
Struan, is the by-blow of the Duke's father. He was also ditched by his father and raised by his mother who had to resort to prostitution to keep him and herself alive. Struan was raised in extreme poverty and after his mother died climbed his way out of the slums by being smart and resourceful thus amassing a fortune that rivals that of the Duke. He meets Poppy and falls in lust in all of 2 days time.
Now see, I would have found this plausible, realistic and even romantic if I actually believed that he really liked Poppy, who's not his type, is plain, unremarkable and ordinary. How pray tell, am I to believe that someone who is plagued by vengeance falls for someone like Poppy, who is obstinate, keeps running away from him, unattractive, name calls him every chance she got and is "supposedly" betrothed to his half brother? In my humble opinion, I think he only wants her because he thinks his privileged brother whom he despises had her first and is his paramour.
Graciella, the Duke's step mom who is only in her mid to late thirties, acts like a Mamma Bear, treating everyone around like her long lost chics. She's sweet, accepting and welcoming yes but are you to convince me that a Duchess is ok with a mere shop girl marrying a Duke? She welcomed her with open arms and considered her family once Poppy blurted out the lie that she is the Duke's betrothed. Not likely! 🙄
The duchess's 14 year old daughter Clara and her step daughter Enid, are extra ink on the paper.
And finally we come to Bryonne, Poppy's little sister who is a stupid most entitled brazen flirt. Apparently, the sun is dependent on her existence and Poppy treats her as a dumb prize horse who needs to constantly be on a leash so as not to fall for the carnal temptations of men. This 👆 little girl, with the body of a woman 🙄, actually flirts with Struan, touching him, batting her eyelashes at him and actually had the nerve to kiss him, albeit on the cheek! 😤 What does our "honourable" Struan do, well he smiles and thinks of letting her down gently but he doesn't get to do that because Poppy sees them and instead of feeling ashamed of what happened even if he didn't have a hand in it, he actually uses Poppy's sister to make her jealous. Let me rephrase that, HE USES A 15 YEAR OLD GIRL TO MAKE POPPY JEALOUS!!! 🤨😠😵💫🙄
I've read so many HR books of which some had mediocre plots, not fully thought of plots, missing plots and absurd plots. This one though falls in the latter category.
-There is so much miscommunication between everyone involved.
-A lot of lying under false pretexts.
-The MMCs stalking is romanticised.
-There is no connection between the MCs except to insult each other, use each other under the excuse of "you can't touch me, stay away from me but my body is treacherous, and I know what you want even though you don't know what you want but your body is saying otherwise" 🤦♀️
-The side characters don't bring anything to the table.
-The less than admirable Duke is the MMC in a different book.
-The Duke's best friend falls for his best friend's step mom who acts like a mother hen of 50. 🤦♀️
I did not enjoy any of these characters. I didn’t relate to the MCs. And I will not keep on reading the series.
Ticking another Fall/Winter 🍁❄️ Bingo square:
21) "MC name starts with S"
🔴 | 05 | 30 | 🔴 | 15 | 20
34 | 09 | 31 | 04 | 25 | 26
19 | 08 | 13 | 31 | 17 | 35
07 | 🔴 | 12 | 🔴 | 04 | 🔴
27 | 36 | 28 | 🔴 | 29 | 11
🔴 | 33 | 18 | 32 | 06 | 🔴
Also, I dislike it immensely when the author actually hates the MFC to the extent that readers need to be constantly reminded of how plain, unremarkable, never a beauty, down on her luck, never to grab any man's attention, always compared to her sister who is a ravishing beauty and how ordinary the MFC is in comparison which made me want to pull my hair out one by one.
That said, let me talk about the characters including the MCs one by one.
Poppy, is a delusional dreamy uptight young girl. She lost both her parents and is now the sole carer of her younger sister of 15. She's a shop girl, works in a flower shop. Her parents have been a love match who made her believe in fairytale love. Even though she was ditched by her childhood friend who was meant to be her husband, who ditched her for reasons unknown to the readers and who while they were betrothed demanded so much physical attention from her but she kept denying him. She meets the Duke in the flowershop when he personally comes for his weekly visits to purchase flowers for his extensive harem of paramours. A fact that our clueless Poppy doesn't mind because according to her, he's handsome, a Duke and he hasn't found the right person for him yet🙄. Because, you know, his right person is within the arms of his limitless number of women. Anyway, she knows nothing about him except his consistent dalliance with women but she labels him kind, honourable and good because he at least buys them flowers. 🙄 alrighty then... moving on.
Struan, is the by-blow of the Duke's father. He was also ditched by his father and raised by his mother who had to resort to prostitution to keep him and herself alive. Struan was raised in extreme poverty and after his mother died climbed his way out of the slums by being smart and resourceful thus amassing a fortune that rivals that of the Duke. He meets Poppy and falls in lust in all of 2 days time.
Now see, I would have found this plausible, realistic and even romantic if I actually believed that he really liked Poppy, who's not his type, is plain, unremarkable and ordinary. How pray tell, am I to believe that someone who is plagued by vengeance falls for someone like Poppy, who is obstinate, keeps running away from him, unattractive, name calls him every chance she got and is "supposedly" betrothed to his half brother? In my humble opinion, I think he only wants her because he thinks his privileged brother whom he despises had her first and is his paramour.
Graciella, the Duke's step mom who is only in her mid to late thirties, acts like a Mamma Bear, treating everyone around like her long lost chics. She's sweet, accepting and welcoming yes but are you to convince me that a Duchess is ok with a mere shop girl marrying a Duke? She welcomed her with open arms and considered her family once Poppy blurted out the lie that she is the Duke's betrothed. Not likely! 🙄
The duchess's 14 year old daughter Clara and her step daughter Enid, are extra ink on the paper.
And finally we come to Bryonne, Poppy's little sister who is a stupid most entitled brazen flirt. Apparently, the sun is dependent on her existence and Poppy treats her as a dumb prize horse who needs to constantly be on a leash so as not to fall for the carnal temptations of men. This 👆 little girl, with the body of a woman 🙄, actually flirts with Struan, touching him, batting her eyelashes at him and actually had the nerve to kiss him, albeit on the cheek! 😤 What does our "honourable" Struan do, well he smiles and thinks of letting her down gently but he doesn't get to do that because Poppy sees them and instead of feeling ashamed of what happened even if he didn't have a hand in it, he actually uses Poppy's sister to make her jealous. Let me rephrase that, HE USES A 15 YEAR OLD GIRL TO MAKE POPPY JEALOUS!!! 🤨😠😵💫🙄
I've read so many HR books of which some had mediocre plots, not fully thought of plots, missing plots and absurd plots. This one though falls in the latter category.
-There is so much miscommunication between everyone involved.
-A lot of lying under false pretexts.
-The MMCs stalking is romanticised.
-There is no connection between the MCs except to insult each other, use each other under the excuse of "you can't touch me, stay away from me but my body is treacherous, and I know what you want even though you don't know what you want but your body is saying otherwise" 🤦♀️
-The side characters don't bring anything to the table.
-The less than admirable Duke is the MMC in a different book.
-The Duke's best friend falls for his best friend's step mom who acts like a mother hen of 50. 🤦♀️
I did not enjoy any of these characters. I didn’t relate to the MCs. And I will not keep on reading the series.
Ticking another Fall/Winter 🍁❄️ Bingo square:
21) "MC name starts with S"
🔴 | 05 | 30 | 🔴 | 15 | 20
34 | 09 | 31 | 04 | 25 | 26
19 | 08 | 13 | 31 | 17 | 35
07 | 🔴 | 12 | 🔴 | 04 | 🔴
27 | 36 | 28 | 🔴 | 29 | 11
🔴 | 33 | 18 | 32 | 06 | 🔴
April 6, 2025
Summary:
I’ve finished While the Duke Was Sleeping by Sophie Jordan and I’m giving it 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5. And honestly? I’m mad at myself. Why did I sleep (ha) on this book for so long? I’ve been so excited to read book three in this series for ages, so I treated this one like the starter salad before the real meal—but surprise! Absolutely charming from start to finish.
Characters:
Poppy: Poppy is chaotic in the best possible way. She lies one time and suddenly she’s knee-deep in aristocratic nonsense, fake fiancée status, and an actual grumpy dream man. And you know what? She rolls with it. I respect her.
Struan: My brooding, illegitimate, Scottish king. He scowled, he sulked, he glared—and then he fell so hard for Poppy it was adorable. Once he stopped being emotionally constipated, he was basically a walking heart-eyes emoji.
Overall Thoughts:
Important disclaimer: I’ve never seen While You Were Sleeping, so if this is supposed to be an homage, I was just blissfully unaware and having the time of my life. The writing was solid, the romance was believable, and the vibes were excellent. I’m now fully in my Sophie Jordan era, and if you have a fave of hers, I’m taking recs. Send help. Or more books.
Rating:
★★★★★ (Rounded up from 4.5/5 stars)
I’ve finished While the Duke Was Sleeping by Sophie Jordan and I’m giving it 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5. And honestly? I’m mad at myself. Why did I sleep (ha) on this book for so long? I’ve been so excited to read book three in this series for ages, so I treated this one like the starter salad before the real meal—but surprise! Absolutely charming from start to finish.
Characters:
Poppy: Poppy is chaotic in the best possible way. She lies one time and suddenly she’s knee-deep in aristocratic nonsense, fake fiancée status, and an actual grumpy dream man. And you know what? She rolls with it. I respect her.
Struan: My brooding, illegitimate, Scottish king. He scowled, he sulked, he glared—and then he fell so hard for Poppy it was adorable. Once he stopped being emotionally constipated, he was basically a walking heart-eyes emoji.
Overall Thoughts:
Important disclaimer: I’ve never seen While You Were Sleeping, so if this is supposed to be an homage, I was just blissfully unaware and having the time of my life. The writing was solid, the romance was believable, and the vibes were excellent. I’m now fully in my Sophie Jordan era, and if you have a fave of hers, I’m taking recs. Send help. Or more books.
Rating:
★★★★★ (Rounded up from 4.5/5 stars)
July 13, 2017
"Infatuation is oft mistaken for love. In whatever form, it drives people to act idiotic."
"Idiotic? Love is idiotic?"
"I didn't say that. I said love makes people act like idiots. Evidently you love him."
So the major thing I've come away from after reading this book? I really really need a Sandra Bullock movieathon. And I need to start with While You Were Sleeping. Yes, obviously this is a historical romance based on the aforementioned movie. And I think I enjoyed this a little more than other readers simply because I literally remember only the bare bones of the flick and therefore my comparisons are more vague and hazy.
"Stubborn chit--"
"I'd appreciate it if you did not call me names simply because I won't let you order me around."
While this was by no means the perfect romance or story, with perfect leads, it was actually a lot of fun. Even without the similarities to the movie, I love the idea of the shop girl landing the Duke, or building up a fantasy in her head about someone who seems perfect and lovely, only to be completely taken awares by another who she thinks is all wrong for her and all wrong in general. And in this case.. the chemistry between Struan and Poppy? It was pretty fiery.
"Wouldn't you rather be doing this than fighting? You and I would fit together just right, lass."
There was one scene.. I mean, it's not exactly hate-sex because this is a historical romance based on a romantic comedy, but there was some pretty close to it hate-making-out and this one scene.. whew. Wow. Hello.
Straun did not make her feel comfortable. He made her feel like she was on fire from the inside out. He made her feel necessary.
I'll admit it wasn't all smooth sailing on the banter and swoons train (mixing metaphors but whatever). There was a lot of repetition, one or two inconsistencies that probably only a few others would ever notice, and the sister, Bryony, was annoying af more often than not.
"I can see you both belong together -- that you want to be together. The man did not even respond to my flirtations and not many men can do that, let me assure you."
"Bry. I feel as though I need to deposit you in the nearest convent."
Considering all the lies and deceptions floating around in this story about a girl who pretends to be in love with a man who can't refute it, egged on by another in order to keep the family's spirits up, all while dodging the advances of someone who might truly like her, I enjoyed how the lies both were and weren't an issue. Most romantic climaxes have some kind of big epic breakdown or break-up and I liked how that didn't come into play. It's always refreshing when an author mixes up the formula.
This was all she had ever wanted and more. Belonging. Her charming duke. An instant family. Everything she had dreamed to the letter. Only now she realized that getting what you want wasn't all she thought it would be.
I did love the cast of characters that made up the Duke and Straun's family, and am glad to see The Rogue Files seem to be connected in that sense (Strickland & the Dowager up next!), so am excited to read on.. especially as I was lucky enough to get my grabby hands on an ARC. So I'll be diving right into that one.
"You lied about loving my brother, about being betrothed to him? That's the sweetest lie I ever heard."
So even though it was a little rocky at times, and I would've preferred some more resistance and/or self-realizations from Straun, the man who professed to be resistant to love and then busted out quite the confessional at the end, I did enjoy this read. But I think I'll like book two even better.
3.5 "the reality of you is better than any fantasy I've ever had" stars
"Idiotic? Love is idiotic?"
"I didn't say that. I said love makes people act like idiots. Evidently you love him."
So the major thing I've come away from after reading this book? I really really need a Sandra Bullock movieathon. And I need to start with While You Were Sleeping. Yes, obviously this is a historical romance based on the aforementioned movie. And I think I enjoyed this a little more than other readers simply because I literally remember only the bare bones of the flick and therefore my comparisons are more vague and hazy.
"Stubborn chit--"
"I'd appreciate it if you did not call me names simply because I won't let you order me around."
While this was by no means the perfect romance or story, with perfect leads, it was actually a lot of fun. Even without the similarities to the movie, I love the idea of the shop girl landing the Duke, or building up a fantasy in her head about someone who seems perfect and lovely, only to be completely taken awares by another who she thinks is all wrong for her and all wrong in general. And in this case.. the chemistry between Struan and Poppy? It was pretty fiery.
"Wouldn't you rather be doing this than fighting? You and I would fit together just right, lass."
There was one scene.. I mean, it's not exactly hate-sex because this is a historical romance based on a romantic comedy, but there was some pretty close to it hate-making-out and this one scene.. whew. Wow. Hello.
Straun did not make her feel comfortable. He made her feel like she was on fire from the inside out. He made her feel necessary.
I'll admit it wasn't all smooth sailing on the banter and swoons train (mixing metaphors but whatever). There was a lot of repetition, one or two inconsistencies that probably only a few others would ever notice, and the sister, Bryony, was annoying af more often than not.
"I can see you both belong together -- that you want to be together. The man did not even respond to my flirtations and not many men can do that, let me assure you."
"Bry. I feel as though I need to deposit you in the nearest convent."
Considering all the lies and deceptions floating around in this story about a girl who pretends to be in love with a man who can't refute it, egged on by another in order to keep the family's spirits up, all while dodging the advances of someone who might truly like her, I enjoyed how the lies both were and weren't an issue. Most romantic climaxes have some kind of big epic breakdown or break-up and I liked how that didn't come into play. It's always refreshing when an author mixes up the formula.
This was all she had ever wanted and more. Belonging. Her charming duke. An instant family. Everything she had dreamed to the letter. Only now she realized that getting what you want wasn't all she thought it would be.
I did love the cast of characters that made up the Duke and Straun's family, and am glad to see The Rogue Files seem to be connected in that sense (Strickland & the Dowager up next!), so am excited to read on.. especially as I was lucky enough to get my grabby hands on an ARC. So I'll be diving right into that one.
"You lied about loving my brother, about being betrothed to him? That's the sweetest lie I ever heard."
So even though it was a little rocky at times, and I would've preferred some more resistance and/or self-realizations from Straun, the man who professed to be resistant to love and then busted out quite the confessional at the end, I did enjoy this read. But I think I'll like book two even better.
3.5 "the reality of you is better than any fantasy I've ever had" stars
April 21, 2021
3.5⭐
Well, if you have watched the movie "while you were sleeping" you basically know everything that is going to happen in this book. Only a little more anger between brothers, one bastard and the other legitimate, one English and the other Scottish, one with a big family and the other without anyone.
It was nice enough if you don't keep comparing with the movie.
The hero was annoying sometimes in his vulgarity without any proof of the heroine's character. But at the same time he judged her as he knew his brother to be. And she also judged him based on his outer appearance and brusque way of speaking. So, I guess they were even.
And beware of an annoyingly annoying teenager sister.
Well, if you have watched the movie "while you were sleeping" you basically know everything that is going to happen in this book. Only a little more anger between brothers, one bastard and the other legitimate, one English and the other Scottish, one with a big family and the other without anyone.
It was nice enough if you don't keep comparing with the movie.
The hero was annoying sometimes in his vulgarity without any proof of the heroine's character. But at the same time he judged her as he knew his brother to be. And she also judged him based on his outer appearance and brusque way of speaking. So, I guess they were even.
And beware of an annoyingly annoying teenager sister.
July 13, 2018
Yo this book was ok and then it went OOOOOOOOO spicy then it went kind of creepy cause our main girl felt threatened by our hero and I'm like das not cool and then it went back to ok and kind of boring and then it went into a crash landing that seemed sped and forced up! 3/5 for an okay entertaining read with not that many sexy times and more omg why is our main girl's little sister so annoying lol
August 7, 2019
Review posted on Got Fiction?
While You Were Sleeping but with a duke and a Scotsman? Did she reach inside my brain to find all of my favorite things? Oh boy! This is my catnip! Going into this, I was thrilled!
The hero, Struan Mackenzie appeared in All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue, but you don’t need to have read that one, this can stand on its own.
The heroine, Poppy is a shopgirl. Twice a week, the Duke of Autenberry stops into the florist shop where she works, and buys flowers. He’s beautiful, polite, and asks about Poppy when he sees her. Of course, Poppy is in love.
I wanted to love this book so much! And I did love the first half. I mean love. But if you’re going to reboot While You Were Sleeping, you need to understand why it worked so well.
You need show all the family as more than a quick whirlwind who blows in and sweeps you off your feet. You need to show the scene where Joe Jr. leans, and you definitely need to show your main characters falling in love. There was so much banter and sexual tension, and then…that’s all there was. There was very little romance and love, but a whole lot of sniping at each other and kissing, then regretting it. The ending was so ridiculously rushed that I kept swiping back and forth between pages to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.
That’s not to say this wasn’t a fun book! I really liked it. But I think it’s missing some core parts. I didn’t feel that Struan and Poppy loved each other. I felt that they lusted after each other and bickered. Sophie Jordan is talented enough that she could have pulled this off. I’m disappointed it wasn’t a five star book for me.
***ARC courtesy of the Avon Addicts program
While You Were Sleeping but with a duke and a Scotsman? Did she reach inside my brain to find all of my favorite things? Oh boy! This is my catnip! Going into this, I was thrilled!
The hero, Struan Mackenzie appeared in All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue, but you don’t need to have read that one, this can stand on its own.
The heroine, Poppy is a shopgirl. Twice a week, the Duke of Autenberry stops into the florist shop where she works, and buys flowers. He’s beautiful, polite, and asks about Poppy when he sees her. Of course, Poppy is in love.
I wanted to love this book so much! And I did love the first half. I mean love. But if you’re going to reboot While You Were Sleeping, you need to understand why it worked so well.
You need show all the family as more than a quick whirlwind who blows in and sweeps you off your feet. You need to show the scene where Joe Jr. leans, and you definitely need to show your main characters falling in love. There was so much banter and sexual tension, and then…that’s all there was. There was very little romance and love, but a whole lot of sniping at each other and kissing, then regretting it. The ending was so ridiculously rushed that I kept swiping back and forth between pages to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.
That’s not to say this wasn’t a fun book! I really liked it. But I think it’s missing some core parts. I didn’t feel that Struan and Poppy loved each other. I felt that they lusted after each other and bickered. Sophie Jordan is talented enough that she could have pulled this off. I’m disappointed it wasn’t a five star book for me.
***ARC courtesy of the Avon Addicts program
September 20, 2020
I don't know what it was, but something in this book didn't work for me...I don't know if it was one thing or multiple things, but the promise of the blurb is certainly much better than the actual book..
and the heroine is one of those "sees good in everyone" that I can't vibe with because no matter how "enamored" with her should that makes me feel..it just comes across as naïve and I can't deal with that.. romance felt all over the place and it was unconvincing...
2,5 stars
and the heroine is one of those "sees good in everyone" that I can't vibe with because no matter how "enamored" with her should that makes me feel..it just comes across as naïve and I can't deal with that.. romance felt all over the place and it was unconvincing...
2,5 stars
December 2, 2016
Loved the story.
I could not put this book down. Another great story by Ms. Jordan!! Hopefully we will have additional books with the secondary characters.
I could not put this book down. Another great story by Ms. Jordan!! Hopefully we will have additional books with the secondary characters.
September 16, 2019
This is a wonderful, well-written historical romance with engaging characters and a happily ever after ending. I am looking forward to reading the other entries in Ms. Jordan's Rogue Files series.
July 15, 2016
Notice what they did with the title there? Yes. This is a historical romance reboot of While You Were Sleeping . It made me realize a few things . . . .
1. The movie hinges on its strength as an ensemble piece. If you can't recreate the banter between family members and if you CUT Joe Jr. and if you cut the main character's relationship to the "Saul" character you had better work your butt off to make up for it. I don't know that Jordan did that here. So you don't see the heroine falling in love with the family. You don't see her developing a friendship with someone you know doesn't want the family hurt. You don't see her in the trap of living a lie and needing these people in her life, which makes the heroine seem less cool.
2. The brothers kinda need to get along. Here they don't. Jordan makes the hero a bastard brother that the duke cannot abide. So there is this acrimony that gives the hero latitude in thinking the worst about the relationship between the comatose brother and his "fiancee." So he thinks the worst of her morals and Jordan just doesn't do a good job of making this obviously self-respecting woman mind that. It is almost like, if the brothers got along, Jordan would have had to write a clean romance and she had no interest in that.
3. The social difference between the comatose brother and the heroine is much less marked when you are talking about a somewhat slimy lawyer from a solid working class family than a Duke and a Shop girl. Seriously. A shop girl. And a Duke. The work to overcome this is, again, extreme. It was work that Jordan didn't do.
This romcom from the nineties/early naughts seems to be a possible trend. See Maya Rodale's Lady Bridget's Diary . Very meta. Do better than this and I am yours. I relish the idea of falling back into these stories. French Kiss would be a great choice. Just don't leave out the Jean Reno Character. Seriously. He matters.
1. The movie hinges on its strength as an ensemble piece. If you can't recreate the banter between family members and if you CUT Joe Jr. and if you cut the main character's relationship to the "Saul" character you had better work your butt off to make up for it. I don't know that Jordan did that here. So you don't see the heroine falling in love with the family. You don't see her developing a friendship with someone you know doesn't want the family hurt. You don't see her in the trap of living a lie and needing these people in her life, which makes the heroine seem less cool.
2. The brothers kinda need to get along. Here they don't. Jordan makes the hero a bastard brother that the duke cannot abide. So there is this acrimony that gives the hero latitude in thinking the worst about the relationship between the comatose brother and his "fiancee." So he thinks the worst of her morals and Jordan just doesn't do a good job of making this obviously self-respecting woman mind that. It is almost like, if the brothers got along, Jordan would have had to write a clean romance and she had no interest in that.
3. The social difference between the comatose brother and the heroine is much less marked when you are talking about a somewhat slimy lawyer from a solid working class family than a Duke and a Shop girl. Seriously. A shop girl. And a Duke. The work to overcome this is, again, extreme. It was work that Jordan didn't do.
This romcom from the nineties/early naughts seems to be a possible trend. See Maya Rodale's Lady Bridget's Diary . Very meta. Do better than this and I am yours. I relish the idea of falling back into these stories. French Kiss would be a great choice. Just don't leave out the Jean Reno Character. Seriously. He matters.
January 3, 2021
*3.5!
First book of 2021!! I honestly meant to finish this in 2020 but got too busy ~ I’m now historical romance trash lmao who would have thought?? This was another fun one! There were some slight consent issues but overall I don’t think they were too concerning. This book made me smile and swoon and was just a fun time
First book of 2021!! I honestly meant to finish this in 2020 but got too busy ~ I’m now historical romance trash lmao who would have thought?? This was another fun one! There were some slight consent issues but overall I don’t think they were too concerning. This book made me smile and swoon and was just a fun time
September 4, 2017
Well, this just goes to show me to not judge a book by its GR rating. (As I am typing this, the GR rating is 3.59... which to me is not that good.) I was very hesitant to give this book a try as it is from a new author for me and several of my GR friends rated it on the low side.
But since the movie While You Were Sleeping is one of my all-time favorites, and my last several books read were somewhat bombs, I figured I had nothing to lose. So I laid down on my hammock with my dog curled up next to me, opened the book, and..... I devoured the first 250 pages in one sitting! I hardly ever do that. It was loosely like the movie, but of course in a historical setting kind of way. I found it to be very cute, fluffy and it grabbed me in the feelers several times. I thought most of the characters were written very well and likeable (except the sister Enid, she seemed to be a cold fish, not sure how her future story will be written...). But the heroine and hero were just perfect for me. I loved how the hero was an alpha in a big way, yet sensitive and knew what he wanted love-wise. It was a very feel-good story.
PS: It took me forever to pick the book back up after I stopped at page 250, because my oldest daughter was getting ready to turn 18 years old and it really stressed me out .. and I just couldn't focus :) So in reality, I read it in 2 sittings :)
But since the movie While You Were Sleeping is one of my all-time favorites, and my last several books read were somewhat bombs, I figured I had nothing to lose. So I laid down on my hammock with my dog curled up next to me, opened the book, and..... I devoured the first 250 pages in one sitting! I hardly ever do that. It was loosely like the movie, but of course in a historical setting kind of way. I found it to be very cute, fluffy and it grabbed me in the feelers several times. I thought most of the characters were written very well and likeable (except the sister Enid, she seemed to be a cold fish, not sure how her future story will be written...). But the heroine and hero were just perfect for me. I loved how the hero was an alpha in a big way, yet sensitive and knew what he wanted love-wise. It was a very feel-good story.
PS: It took me forever to pick the book back up after I stopped at page 250, because my oldest daughter was getting ready to turn 18 years old and it really stressed me out .. and I just couldn't focus :) So in reality, I read it in 2 sittings :)
July 10, 2022
I am very conflicted with this rating! I want to give it my very first half rating and give this a 3.5 stars. This book was a great story. Poppy is a simple girl dreaming of the Duke who always buys flowers at the shop she works at. When he gets in a fight outside and she saves his life, he goes into a coma. She gets caught up in helping him get safely home where she then gets mistaken for his betrothed. She then gets caught up in lies and a relationship with his brother while he is in this coma.
I loved so much about this story! It was funny, I loved the fact that Poppy was feeling the guilt of the lies, and I loved the Duke's family. What I did not like was the interactions between the Heroine and the Hero. It was a little creepy. I understand what she was going for. They didnt want to want each other so they were pushing each other away at the same time. This might not bother other readers it was just a little weird for me and I wanted to touch on it here. If we didn't get Poppy's thoughts to know what she was thinking, I would not have liked it. Overall, I would recommend this for the unique and fun story.
I loved so much about this story! It was funny, I loved the fact that Poppy was feeling the guilt of the lies, and I loved the Duke's family. What I did not like was the interactions between the Heroine and the Hero. It was a little creepy. I understand what she was going for. They didnt want to want each other so they were pushing each other away at the same time. This might not bother other readers it was just a little weird for me and I wanted to touch on it here. If we didn't get Poppy's thoughts to know what she was thinking, I would not have liked it. Overall, I would recommend this for the unique and fun story.
February 11, 2019
I HATED this book. Hate. I could just write hate 5,000 times for this review and that would sum up how I felt.
I gave up after 208 pages.
The heroine has no redeemable qualities about her that I could find. Lying to the extreme, unlikable, mean, unloyal. Gross.
The hero was okay I guess he didn’t really have much to make me love or hate him but WHAT did he see in this psycho and WHY would he continue it?
I seriously couldn’t stomach this book at all.
Don’t care how it ends. I could not stand another second of it.
I gave up after 208 pages.
The heroine has no redeemable qualities about her that I could find. Lying to the extreme, unlikable, mean, unloyal. Gross.
The hero was okay I guess he didn’t really have much to make me love or hate him but WHAT did he see in this psycho and WHY would he continue it?
I seriously couldn’t stomach this book at all.
Don’t care how it ends. I could not stand another second of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2021
5 stars ｡･:*˚:✧｡ I truely loved this book so much, and I wasn’t really expecting this to be a five star read. It was full of funny drama and sexy scenes (that were written really well may I add) I loved both the hero and heroine of this book a lot, Struan was so funny and sexy I adored him and Poppy was such a precious main character. I enjoyed this authors writing and will definitely be continuing this series as soon as I get my hands on the other books. Can’t wait to read more about this crazy family.
July 6, 2024
Review from 2016
C+ for both content and narration.
How much you enjoy the storyline of While the Duke Was Sleeping (the first in Sophie Jordan’s new series, The Rogue Files ) may well depend on how familiar you are with the plot of the 1995 Rom Com, While You Were Sleeping and whether or not you enjoyed it. Adapting a plot from a well-known source can be a double-edged sword, as fans of the original are bound to make comparisons, although some such retellings have worked extremely well. Clueless, for example, is a brilliant re-working of Jane Austen’s Emma,successfully translating the action of the novel to Beverly Hills while keeping very much to the spirit of the original. And Sophie Jordan’s isn’t the only Historical-Romance-Rom-Com-Makeover currently doing the rounds; Maya Rodale’s current series, Keeping Up with the Cavendishes also uses famous films as the inspiration for its plotlines, having so far mined Bridget Jones’ Diary and Roman Holiday.
Coming back to While the Duke… now I’ve listened to it, I think anyone considering it would be best off NOT thinking about the original movie while listening. In fact, the only real similarity between the two is the premise; in the film, lonely Lucy falls for the gorgeous guy she sees every day from her booth at the train station and after she saves his life, a mix up leads his warm, loving and wonderfully scatty family to believe she is his fiancée. In the book, shop-girl Poppy Fairchurch worships the handsome Duke of Autenberry from afar, eagerly awaiting his weekly visit to the flower shop where she works. When he becomes involved in an altercation with another man in the street and is knocked into the path of an oncoming carriage, Poppy pulls him to safety, and is afterwards mistaken for the duke’s fiancée.
So far, so similar, but right there is a bit problem. While it’s clear that movie-Lucy doesn’t move in the same high-powered (what we’d have called “yuppie” in the 80s!) circles as does the object of her affection, in the 1990s, there were no class distinctions that would have caused too many raised eyebrows at the idea of them as a couple. But in the early 1800s, the social difference between a duke and a shop-girl was absolutely huge, and while I read and listen to romance novels for a bit of enjoyable escapism, cross-class romances are very difficult to pull off because of the need to maintain at least some degree of awareness of the class distinctions and social conventions of the time. Sure, I like a good Cinderella story as much as the next person so I’m willing to suspend disbelief to an extent, but what really bothers me here is the ease with which the unconscious duke’s family accepts Poppy as his fiancée without batting an eyelid. In the movie it works – here, not so much. I also couldn’t work out why Poppy, who we’re told can speak four (or five?) languages and is obviously well-educated is working in a shop.
When Poppy rushes to the duke’s aid, he is involved in a fight with a man who later introduces himself as Struan Mackenzie, Autenberry’s half brother. He has come to London to confront his father and to show him that the boy for whom he didn’t give a damn and whose mother he left to a life of prostitution and poverty has made something of himself and could now purchase Autenberry’s estates using his small change. When Struan discovers his father is dead, he approaches his half-brother, hoping that perhaps they can establish some sort of relationship, but is rejected outright. A chance meeting in the street leads to harsh words and to fisticuffs – Autenberry throws the first punch – and then to the accident which leaves the duke comatose.
The storyline proceeds as per the original, with Poppy finding herself unexpectedly drawn to the duke’s brother and he to her, even as Poppy continues to maintain the fiction that she is the duke’s betrothed. But soon, her desire to continue the deception becomes bound up with her liking for the duke’s family and her gratitude for their care and kindness towards her and her younger sister (who is a fifteen-year-old seductress-in-training), and her wish not to upset or disappoint them before it’s absolutely necessary.
This is a romance, so of course there’s an HEA, and fans of the film will know how it all turns out. But I said earlier that it’s probably best to listen to this without reference to the film, so how does the book stand up on its own as an historical romance? I’m afraid the answer to that is not especially well. There are several glaring historical inaccuracies which I’m sure have arisen as a consequence of the author’s taking characters from the 1800s and trying to fit them into the holes made by characters from the 1990s, and I was taken out of the story a few times as a result. On the positive side, the two leads are attractive and engaging characters; Poppy is kind, sweet and optimistic, in spite of the fact that she and her sister are now alone in the world, and Struan’s unhappy background and his drive to succeed add depth to his character. But I couldn’t really buy them as a couple. There’s plenty of sniping and verbal sparring, numerous forbidden kisses and touches that get quite steamy – and are then regretted – but I never heard a relationship developing, and there’s a lack of emotional connection between them.
Carmen Rose is a narrator I’ve listened to quite a lot, and my ratings for her work have tended to vary considerably. She’s received A- grades at her best, but most recently has rarely received anything higher than a B- from me. I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve listened to her a lot and am less tolerant of her quirks and ticks, or if it’s because she’s recording a lot of historical romance and it’s getting stale for her; but whatever the reason, her performance here never really comes to life and I actually found myself zoning out and having to rewind on several occasions when neither she nor the material was holding my interest. A top-notch narrator can keep a listener engaged in a less than scintillating book, but the marriage of an average story and an average narration is going to equal an average audiobook, and that’s what I felt I’d heard when I finished While the Duke Was Sleeping. It’s not a bad book or a terrible performance; I’m used to Ms. Rose’s odd intonation and breathing patterns by now (although that doesn’t mean I like them), and at least the somewhat dodgy Scottish accent she adopts for Struan isn’t as horrible as some of her Scottish accents have been in the past. The pacing is fine and her character differentiation is good all round. I just felt as though she sounded like she’d rather be doing something else, and that disconnect no doubt communicated itself to me given what I said before about zoning out.
I can’t really recommend While the Duke Was Sleeping, for fans of the film or for people who don’t know it but are looking for a new historical romance to listen to. Movie fans will probably be disappointed at the changes the author has made in order to fit the original story into her historical setting, and romance fans will probably be disappointed at the lack of chemistry and actual romance. To cheer myself up, I’m going to dig out my DVD of While You Were Sleeping and remind myself of why it’s such a terrific feel-good movie.
C+ for both content and narration.
How much you enjoy the storyline of While the Duke Was Sleeping (the first in Sophie Jordan’s new series, The Rogue Files ) may well depend on how familiar you are with the plot of the 1995 Rom Com, While You Were Sleeping and whether or not you enjoyed it. Adapting a plot from a well-known source can be a double-edged sword, as fans of the original are bound to make comparisons, although some such retellings have worked extremely well. Clueless, for example, is a brilliant re-working of Jane Austen’s Emma,successfully translating the action of the novel to Beverly Hills while keeping very much to the spirit of the original. And Sophie Jordan’s isn’t the only Historical-Romance-Rom-Com-Makeover currently doing the rounds; Maya Rodale’s current series, Keeping Up with the Cavendishes also uses famous films as the inspiration for its plotlines, having so far mined Bridget Jones’ Diary and Roman Holiday.
Coming back to While the Duke… now I’ve listened to it, I think anyone considering it would be best off NOT thinking about the original movie while listening. In fact, the only real similarity between the two is the premise; in the film, lonely Lucy falls for the gorgeous guy she sees every day from her booth at the train station and after she saves his life, a mix up leads his warm, loving and wonderfully scatty family to believe she is his fiancée. In the book, shop-girl Poppy Fairchurch worships the handsome Duke of Autenberry from afar, eagerly awaiting his weekly visit to the flower shop where she works. When he becomes involved in an altercation with another man in the street and is knocked into the path of an oncoming carriage, Poppy pulls him to safety, and is afterwards mistaken for the duke’s fiancée.
So far, so similar, but right there is a bit problem. While it’s clear that movie-Lucy doesn’t move in the same high-powered (what we’d have called “yuppie” in the 80s!) circles as does the object of her affection, in the 1990s, there were no class distinctions that would have caused too many raised eyebrows at the idea of them as a couple. But in the early 1800s, the social difference between a duke and a shop-girl was absolutely huge, and while I read and listen to romance novels for a bit of enjoyable escapism, cross-class romances are very difficult to pull off because of the need to maintain at least some degree of awareness of the class distinctions and social conventions of the time. Sure, I like a good Cinderella story as much as the next person so I’m willing to suspend disbelief to an extent, but what really bothers me here is the ease with which the unconscious duke’s family accepts Poppy as his fiancée without batting an eyelid. In the movie it works – here, not so much. I also couldn’t work out why Poppy, who we’re told can speak four (or five?) languages and is obviously well-educated is working in a shop.
When Poppy rushes to the duke’s aid, he is involved in a fight with a man who later introduces himself as Struan Mackenzie, Autenberry’s half brother. He has come to London to confront his father and to show him that the boy for whom he didn’t give a damn and whose mother he left to a life of prostitution and poverty has made something of himself and could now purchase Autenberry’s estates using his small change. When Struan discovers his father is dead, he approaches his half-brother, hoping that perhaps they can establish some sort of relationship, but is rejected outright. A chance meeting in the street leads to harsh words and to fisticuffs – Autenberry throws the first punch – and then to the accident which leaves the duke comatose.
The storyline proceeds as per the original, with Poppy finding herself unexpectedly drawn to the duke’s brother and he to her, even as Poppy continues to maintain the fiction that she is the duke’s betrothed. But soon, her desire to continue the deception becomes bound up with her liking for the duke’s family and her gratitude for their care and kindness towards her and her younger sister (who is a fifteen-year-old seductress-in-training), and her wish not to upset or disappoint them before it’s absolutely necessary.
This is a romance, so of course there’s an HEA, and fans of the film will know how it all turns out. But I said earlier that it’s probably best to listen to this without reference to the film, so how does the book stand up on its own as an historical romance? I’m afraid the answer to that is not especially well. There are several glaring historical inaccuracies which I’m sure have arisen as a consequence of the author’s taking characters from the 1800s and trying to fit them into the holes made by characters from the 1990s, and I was taken out of the story a few times as a result. On the positive side, the two leads are attractive and engaging characters; Poppy is kind, sweet and optimistic, in spite of the fact that she and her sister are now alone in the world, and Struan’s unhappy background and his drive to succeed add depth to his character. But I couldn’t really buy them as a couple. There’s plenty of sniping and verbal sparring, numerous forbidden kisses and touches that get quite steamy – and are then regretted – but I never heard a relationship developing, and there’s a lack of emotional connection between them.
Carmen Rose is a narrator I’ve listened to quite a lot, and my ratings for her work have tended to vary considerably. She’s received A- grades at her best, but most recently has rarely received anything higher than a B- from me. I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve listened to her a lot and am less tolerant of her quirks and ticks, or if it’s because she’s recording a lot of historical romance and it’s getting stale for her; but whatever the reason, her performance here never really comes to life and I actually found myself zoning out and having to rewind on several occasions when neither she nor the material was holding my interest. A top-notch narrator can keep a listener engaged in a less than scintillating book, but the marriage of an average story and an average narration is going to equal an average audiobook, and that’s what I felt I’d heard when I finished While the Duke Was Sleeping. It’s not a bad book or a terrible performance; I’m used to Ms. Rose’s odd intonation and breathing patterns by now (although that doesn’t mean I like them), and at least the somewhat dodgy Scottish accent she adopts for Struan isn’t as horrible as some of her Scottish accents have been in the past. The pacing is fine and her character differentiation is good all round. I just felt as though she sounded like she’d rather be doing something else, and that disconnect no doubt communicated itself to me given what I said before about zoning out.
I can’t really recommend While the Duke Was Sleeping, for fans of the film or for people who don’t know it but are looking for a new historical romance to listen to. Movie fans will probably be disappointed at the changes the author has made in order to fit the original story into her historical setting, and romance fans will probably be disappointed at the lack of chemistry and actual romance. To cheer myself up, I’m going to dig out my DVD of While You Were Sleeping and remind myself of why it’s such a terrific feel-good movie.
October 25, 2016
Rating: 4.5/5
Original review on Julalicious Book Paradise
Getting to read this book made me so happy, you have no idea. I was really looking forward to read more about Struan Mackenzie since we met him in All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue. He was this character that you didn’t know what to think about. Not many seemed to like him, but I don’t know, I was intrigued by him. Reading about his backstory, you really get a good feel about what kind of man he is and what kind of man he doesn’t want to be.
Poppy Fairchurch is the kind of character that reminded me a little bit of a lioness; she was caring and sweet, but don’t you dare harm those she cares about or else, she attacks. She is sassy yet she looks innocent and I think that's why Struan is firstly intrigued by her. She isn't described as the most beautiful girl in the world, but I liked that the author seemed to describe her beauty like a subtle one; one you discover as you get to know her.
And from the moment these two meet, they bicker for every little thing. It was quite entertaining to read about these moments because he always seemed surprised when she wouldn’t back down from confrontation. There’s obvious attraction between the two of them, but she is supposed to be engaged and she doesn’t want to be attracted to him while he is interested to find what the Duke could have found interesting about that girl while trying to justify is interest in her.
Poppy’s sister is a character who I wasn’t sure how to like, but she was a teenager forced to stay inside for her own security so I could understand some of her frustration. She was also quite aware of just how beautiful she is and sometimes, that could cause some headache to Poppy. Sometimes, I liked her and sometimes, she annoyed me and I wanted to send her to her room hahaha
And the Duke’s family… God, I loved them. I loved the way his stepmother is so welcoming and his sisters just as much. I’m looking forward to read more about them (hint to Sophie ;)).
So overall, I fell once again in love with one of Sophie’s books and she is the reason I might start to expand my collection of historical romances and search for new authors.
I was giving an advanced copy of this book by Edelweiss and Avon Books in exchange of an honest review.
Original review on Julalicious Book Paradise
Getting to read this book made me so happy, you have no idea. I was really looking forward to read more about Struan Mackenzie since we met him in All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue. He was this character that you didn’t know what to think about. Not many seemed to like him, but I don’t know, I was intrigued by him. Reading about his backstory, you really get a good feel about what kind of man he is and what kind of man he doesn’t want to be.
Poppy Fairchurch is the kind of character that reminded me a little bit of a lioness; she was caring and sweet, but don’t you dare harm those she cares about or else, she attacks. She is sassy yet she looks innocent and I think that's why Struan is firstly intrigued by her. She isn't described as the most beautiful girl in the world, but I liked that the author seemed to describe her beauty like a subtle one; one you discover as you get to know her.
And from the moment these two meet, they bicker for every little thing. It was quite entertaining to read about these moments because he always seemed surprised when she wouldn’t back down from confrontation. There’s obvious attraction between the two of them, but she is supposed to be engaged and she doesn’t want to be attracted to him while he is interested to find what the Duke could have found interesting about that girl while trying to justify is interest in her.
Poppy’s sister is a character who I wasn’t sure how to like, but she was a teenager forced to stay inside for her own security so I could understand some of her frustration. She was also quite aware of just how beautiful she is and sometimes, that could cause some headache to Poppy. Sometimes, I liked her and sometimes, she annoyed me and I wanted to send her to her room hahaha
And the Duke’s family… God, I loved them. I loved the way his stepmother is so welcoming and his sisters just as much. I’m looking forward to read more about them (hint to Sophie ;)).
So overall, I fell once again in love with one of Sophie’s books and she is the reason I might start to expand my collection of historical romances and search for new authors.
I was giving an advanced copy of this book by Edelweiss and Avon Books in exchange of an honest review.
June 29, 2021
✨I’m in love with your son—I know—not that one, that one.✨
To begin, While You Were Sleeping is one of my all-time favorite movies. I think I watched it five times this past Christmas and I’m about to watch it again because the main thing this book did was make me desperate for the movie. Now, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book—I just couldn’t help the comparisons that every scene provoked.
I’ve listed all the similarities and differences below because if you’re like me, you’re probably wondering how good of a retelling this was!
Similarities that I liked:
- He did the lean!! He didn’t mention it but he definitely braved her against a few walls. Lucky walls.
- There was a bit of Christmas, so like the movie this would be a good one for the holidays and a cup of cocoa.
- The big family she was “marrying” into was definitely present.
- She saved Marcus’s life in a very entertaining fashion and the whole fake fiancé bit worked pretty much exactly like the movie.
-Struan tells the comatose Marcus he’s never been envious of anything of his until Poppy. (Swoon)
Additions that I liked:
- Strickland and the duchess: GET IT!!!
- Steamy scenes are always a plus and there were multiple.
- Knowing that Marcus gets his own book to redeem himself because he is definitely a handful.
Differences that I didn’t like:
- Struan’s overall persona: this is probably the only time I wanted the hero to be less “rakish” and rough around the edges. He just wasn’t all together too likable. I appreciated that we saw his softness laying beneath the surface, especially him wanting a family, but we barely got any of his interactions with them. Bill Pullman was just so *good* and wholesome.
- Struan and Poppy didn’t really have any cute moments that were cute for the sake of cuteness and not sex. In the movie, Lucy and Jack were moving furniture and taking walks and just getting to know each other.
- I never got the sense that Poppy actually liked Struan until the very very end. She was totally hot for him, but did she actually enjoy his company? I’m not sold. She always thinks about how he makes her feel and not his personality. I think some cute moments would have added another level to their love.
- Plus, the cute moments could have added humor! There just wasn’t much jazziness to the story.
-Poppy was good, but not as lovable as Sandra and honestly that’s not a fault because that’s nearly impossible.
Note about the steam:
I’ve seen many authors say that some of their early books or even books a few years ago wouldn’t be able to be published today: expectations of consent and standards are higher now for good reason. I think that applies to this book, at least mildly, as it was published in 2016.
Struan always stopped and respected her wishes not to progress things but he definitely suffered from the delusion of thinking he knew what she wanted without her saying or asking for it unprompted. Every time she asked him to stop he did (which is great and necessary) but then he follows it up with “but you don’t want me to stop.” Also most of the time Poppy wasn’t comfortable or at ease around him, which again could have been remedied by having them actually get to know each other more than just in flagrante delicto. He also didn’t pull out???? I haven’t seen that many times without at least a conversation between the couple.
Overall, I liked it but didn’t love it. You may think I’m biased—I am—but I think if it was written today with more of a Cinnamon roll hero, I’d eat it up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My main dislike, Struan, wasn’t even really a comparison to the movie it was just ~him~ lol.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶🌶.25/5
To begin, While You Were Sleeping is one of my all-time favorite movies. I think I watched it five times this past Christmas and I’m about to watch it again because the main thing this book did was make me desperate for the movie. Now, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book—I just couldn’t help the comparisons that every scene provoked.
I’ve listed all the similarities and differences below because if you’re like me, you’re probably wondering how good of a retelling this was!
Similarities that I liked:
- He did the lean!! He didn’t mention it but he definitely braved her against a few walls. Lucky walls.
- There was a bit of Christmas, so like the movie this would be a good one for the holidays and a cup of cocoa.
- The big family she was “marrying” into was definitely present.
- She saved Marcus’s life in a very entertaining fashion and the whole fake fiancé bit worked pretty much exactly like the movie.
-Struan tells the comatose Marcus he’s never been envious of anything of his until Poppy. (Swoon)
Additions that I liked:
- Strickland and the duchess: GET IT!!!
- Steamy scenes are always a plus and there were multiple.
- Knowing that Marcus gets his own book to redeem himself because he is definitely a handful.
Differences that I didn’t like:
- Struan’s overall persona: this is probably the only time I wanted the hero to be less “rakish” and rough around the edges. He just wasn’t all together too likable. I appreciated that we saw his softness laying beneath the surface, especially him wanting a family, but we barely got any of his interactions with them. Bill Pullman was just so *good* and wholesome.
- Struan and Poppy didn’t really have any cute moments that were cute for the sake of cuteness and not sex. In the movie, Lucy and Jack were moving furniture and taking walks and just getting to know each other.
- I never got the sense that Poppy actually liked Struan until the very very end. She was totally hot for him, but did she actually enjoy his company? I’m not sold. She always thinks about how he makes her feel and not his personality. I think some cute moments would have added another level to their love.
- Plus, the cute moments could have added humor! There just wasn’t much jazziness to the story.
-Poppy was good, but not as lovable as Sandra and honestly that’s not a fault because that’s nearly impossible.
Note about the steam:
I’ve seen many authors say that some of their early books or even books a few years ago wouldn’t be able to be published today: expectations of consent and standards are higher now for good reason. I think that applies to this book, at least mildly, as it was published in 2016.
Struan always stopped and respected her wishes not to progress things but he definitely suffered from the delusion of thinking he knew what she wanted without her saying or asking for it unprompted. Every time she asked him to stop he did (which is great and necessary) but then he follows it up with “but you don’t want me to stop.” Also most of the time Poppy wasn’t comfortable or at ease around him, which again could have been remedied by having them actually get to know each other more than just in flagrante delicto. He also didn’t pull out???? I haven’t seen that many times without at least a conversation between the couple.
Overall, I liked it but didn’t love it. You may think I’m biased—I am—but I think if it was written today with more of a Cinnamon roll hero, I’d eat it up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My main dislike, Struan, wasn’t even really a comparison to the movie it was just ~him~ lol.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶🌶.25/5
Want to read
July 27, 2016Readers may remember Struan Mackenzie as a suitor from All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue. He may not have won that heroine, but he'll do here. With a true heroine (one who goes around saving people)
April 28, 2021
Sandra Bullock’s While You Were Sleeping is one of my favorite movies, sadly this adaptation wasn’t as good as I had hoped :(
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