Rogue Affair

Rogue #2

by Tamsen Parker, Ainsley Booth, Olivia Dade

When all else fails, find passion...

Ten all-new resistance romances for readers who take their happily ever afters with love, hate, and all the dirty bits in between.

Dedication of a Lifetime by Tamsen Parker
School counselor Sean wants to fix the world. No social justice slouch himself, Sean's chemist husband Isaiah is exhausted. Their world crumbling, their marriage in trouble, Isaiah suggests they run away, but Sean balks. Will they honor their vows or will their relationship be a casualty of the country gone mad?

Personal Proposal by Ainsley Booth
Brianne can't afford a crush on her boss. Thanks to a storm of media attention, she's fled her old life and needs to please the demanding Astrid. So she ignores the zing every time they touch, and the ache inside as she tumbles into a lonely bed. But as their work gets harder, and their days longer, boundaries crumble and Astrid puts forth an unexpected proposal.

Work of Heart by Olivia Dade
Artist Jenny Meyers may need money, but when a politician tries to pay for his portrait with charity funds, she balks...and contacts David Redi, the most trusted investigative reporter around. David knows a romance with his source would wreck his credibility, but Jenny is one lead he can't refuse to follow. Soon it's not only truth, justice, and liberty at stake--it's love.

The President's Protector by Kris Ripper
Miriam West is a good president--though she'd say she's never good enough. Ram Ruiz is a Secret Service agent who garners some side-eye because he's trans, but in this administration, that doesn't stop him from being part of the president's protective detail. She's the president. He's her bodyguard. Nothing can happen between them. Until it does.

Fallacies and Flirtations by Amy Jo Cousins
She's an ex-chain mail bikini-wearing actress-turned-mayor of a major city, and I'm a speechwriter still paying off student loans. She's my boss, nothing can happen. But somehow it's always Anna and me in the office at 2 a.m., and I'm starting to think I'm not imagining the heat between us...

The Fourth Estate by Emma Barry
Reporter Drew Orlov wants to write about the corrupt president, but readers only care about the bombshells penned by his rival Brynn Allen. But when he goes after Brynn's source, he finds himself snagged on more complicated feelings. Brynn doesn't have time for Drew, even if he's sexy when he smolders, and they're soon tussling over the truth with their hearts on the line.

Such Great Heights by Adriana Anders
Reporter O'Neal Jones is a sucker for a good story. Which is why she can't resist following high school crush Kurt Anderson on his trip up a North Cascades peak. But when it's time to come down, she's not sure she can go back to real life. Could one night with a man on a mountain change everything?

Dissent and Desire by Kelly Maher
With her future crumbling, Frankie focuses on one thing she can do: help fight in the war against science. PhD candidate Rafe is unsure about continuing his career with the EPA. Neither expects to see their crush at a meeting, but networking turns into dinner, which turns into more. Hope in the future may be possible after all.

Mr. Klein Goes to Albany by Stacey Agdern
When the Canadian government--via hockey player-turned-diplomat Adam Klein--proposes a work around to the president, legislative aide Tamara Schneider knows she needs to set them straight. She arranges a trip to show Adam the state, tricky business given their history. Can she give Adam a second chance?

Take a Knee by Jane Lee Blair
After police kill her cousin, Rochelle Morris turns to her high-school crush turned NFL player Jack Murphy to bring attention to the cause. Jack just wants to play football, so he refuses. But as Rochelle's passion continues to affect him, he realizes justice and the heart of the woman he loves are worth the struggle.

Genres: Anthologies, Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Contemporary Romance, Short Stories, Fiction

661 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 8, 2017

About the author

Tamsen Parker is a stay-at-home mom by day, erotic romance writer by naptime. She lives with her family outside of Boston, where she tweets too much, sleeps too little and is always in the middle of a book. Aside from good food, sweet rieslings and gin cocktails, she has a fondness for monograms and subway maps. She should really start drinking coffee.

You can sign up for her newsletter here to find out about her latest release, sales, or other goings on: http://bit.ly/1Bry07O

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dedication of a Lifetime by Tamsen Parker

I'm torn - I don't know how to feel about this story. I enjoyed it, but at the same time I was hoping for a little bit...more? Let me explain - I have many points!

1. I love Tamsen Parker and her writing style - she matches with me so well. So writing style wise, I really enjoyed this story. It is smooth and flows easily, which made it easy to read. She gets point for that.

2. But...I felt like there wasn't much of a plot. It felt more like a discussion, a few random situations, and lots of "sexy time". I couldn't see the plot line this story was following. It just seemed to random for me.

3. That being said, this may not have been the best time for me to read it. I'm incredibly frustrated at the moment and I thought some reading would help me. Also, the tablet I read it on now has a random crack and that put me in an even worse mood - so I kept looking at the little crack in my screen as I read it.... Sooooooo... I think I just threw all of my frustration at this story. I picked it apart WAY more than I typically do when casually reading. So keep that in mind...

So, in summary - this book is another great read by Tamsen Parker. It's an easy, contemporary (yet really sexy) read that is great for one sitting. It's nothing mind blowing - no crazy "Inception" like plots to follow, it's just a casual read. Which means, if you are looking for a nice, easy read that involves some heavy romance - you've got it!!

Four out of five Stars.

I also read through some of the other stories, so I will rate them as followed:
Ainsley Booth's Personal Proposal - 4 stars.
I have never read anything by Ainsley Booth before (not that I can remember, anyways) and I think I might have to pick up a few of her books/stories. This story was definitely within my my interests.
Side note: AND SHE HAS A CANADIAN EROTIC ROMANCE SERIES?! I'm totally in. Where can I find this lady's books?!

Olivia Dade's Work of Heart - 3 stars.
I spent way to long spelling Olivia as Olicia as I tried to write this review.
This story was cute and I enjoyed it! I just found that this story didn't wow my socks off. I would like to read more by Olivia to give her a chance because she seems like a really great author. I liked her writing style and the story moved at a good pace for me. I think if she had more room & chapters to expand her story, I would REALLY like her writing.

Kris Ripper's The President's Protector - 3 stars.
I'm not super crazy into political romances, but this story was a good read. It was very casual, and flowed easily. I liked Kris's ability to build characters within this short amount of time - I just don't think this specific story if my (personal) cup of tea. I would definitely suggest readers giving this story a try because it is REALLY good.

Amy Jo Cousins's Fallacies & Flirtations - WAS NOT IN MY COPY. It's in it when it's released. I'm kind of sad, I won't lie...but hey! You can't have everything, can ya? ;)

Emma Barry's The Fourth Estate - 4 stars.
I liked this story! I thought it was really sexy and I am determined to find more stories by Emma Barry! I love anthologies like this where I can find new authors easily by just reading little snippets of their work!! I really enjoyed reading about Drew and Brynn and their strange relationship. I would have loved for this little concept to be an entire book, because the writing was just fantastic!!

Adriana Anders's Such Great Heights - 4 stars.
Adriana Anders is another author I HAVE to read more by. I keep falling in love with her little stories - so at some point I will read her books!!! Adriana has a lot of writing talent - her writing isn't exactly my "style", but I still get hooked and addicted. It takes quite a bit for an author to do that - so I'm impressed! The story is smooth, it moves fast enough to keep my attention held and it's well written. Four stars Adriana!! Looooove it!

Kelly Maher's Dissent and Desire - 3 stars.
Kelly Maher has a great story within this anthology! She definitely is a writer to watch out for!!

Stacey Agdern's Mr. Klein Goes to Albany - 4 stars.
A Canadian hockey player turned diplomat...That alone got me hooked. I can't help it, my inner Canadian gets excited about Canadian centered stories (that doesn't mean every Canadian story is good, but this one was)!! This story had me hooked at the start and kept my attention all the way through. I definitely need to pick up more by Stacey! This story was a pleasant surprise! I'm always a little worried about silly Canadian stereotypes, but this story did not disappoint!

Jane Lee Blair's Take a Knee - 3 stars.
Another story where the author's writing shines through!! Jane's story telling is addicting... I'm really interested in the stories she can tell with her voice!!



Thank you Tamsen Parker for sending me this wonderful advanced reader's copy! It's a real joy getting these books BEFORE all the spoilers come out - I'm horrible at reading spoilers!! It'sj ust to tempting...

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

**I'm not sure how much of this I'm going to read, so it's probably going to hang out on my currently reading shelf for awhile. I'll add individual reviews as I go.**

On the whole, I think this was pretty average. There was a lot more variety, but the same problems of wanting to be super close to the moment and then sticking fake names on it were there. I don't know how to get around it, but it's really jarring and it almost never works for me when the authors try it.

I am mostly just glad to have this off my currently reading shelf.

Dedication of a Lifetime by Tamsen Parker, 3/5 stars

This is fine, but I'm sort of distressed that we're presenting being a full time social justice warrior as a good thing. It's not, it can't be. It's why people who work in non-profit work burnout at such high rates. Author does write nice sex scenes, though.

Personal Proposal by Ainsley Booth, DNF

SMUUUUUUUUUUG. Too much smug.

Work of Heart by Olivia Dade

Skipped. I was going to read it because the premise isn't bad, but it's too thinly veiled and I can't.

The President's Protector by Kris Ripper

No summary. Skipped.

Fallacies & Flirtations by Amy Jo Cousins, 3/5 stars

I liked so much of this (older woman/younger man! hot!), but sometimes when AJC's characters start getting activist, they just don't sound like human beings to me? They're a section where Anna is making a point to Oscar about how he's mansplaining being an older woman to her, and his inner dialogue devolves into talking points about how he's tried so hard to overcome societal bias and yet he's doing it anyway, and it just doesn't sound real to me!!! Maybe I'm the weird one, I don't really know.

The Fourth Estate by Emma Barry, 4/5 stars

Honestly, I bought this for her and it didn't disappoint. Yay, journalists in love. I did think there were moments when the hero was slightly too deferential to the heroine's career--you are competing for information and she can and would do the same to you--but I'd rather have that than the opposite, so whatever, I will take it. Really liked this.

Such Great Heights by Adriana Anders

Skipped. Premise didn't engage me.

Dissent and Desire by Kelly Maher, 1/5 stars

The heroine is dumb. Like, I get the impulse to blame someone from an organization that is screwing you over, but it ignores that the organization is being screwed over AND ALSO HE TOLD YOU THAT HE WAS ON LEAVE. And I really didn't understand the sex as revenge angle at all. Not for me.

Mr. Klein Goes to Albany by Stacey Agdern

Skipped

Take a Knee by Jane Lee Blair, DNF

This just felt stilted. I think it's an author thing, because if I recall correctly, I felt the same way about Ms. Blair's offering in the first collection.

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love so many of the participating authors and I’m bummed this particular Rogue anthology didn’t work better for me. Novellas are a tricky form and most of these could have been expanded on—and probably needed to be in order for me to believe in the romance. But at the same time, I found a lot of these to be quite boring so further development might not have fixed anything. At least I finally read it!


Dedication of a Lifetime by Tamsen Parker: 3 stars
The way Sean approaches being a school counselor is not healthy and should not be romanticized.

Characters: Sean is a white school counselor. Isaiah is a Black medical researcher. They are married and have been together 10 years. This is set in Philadelphia.

Content notes: systemic transphobia in the news (trans ban in the military), systemic racism, student’s parents are undocumented and brother is a Dreamer, Isaiah studies Type I diabetes, on page sex, alcohol, excessive drinking, gendered pejoratives


Personal Proposal by Ainsley Booth: DNF

Characters: Brianne is a 23 year old white park ranger and photographer’s assistant. Astrid is a lesbian landscape photographer who is significantly older than Brianne. This is set in Vancouver and Whistler, BC.

Content notes: violation of professional regulations (Brianne has a protest Twitter account, which is forbidden by the National Parks Service), past immigration to Canada when marriage equality was legalized, on page sex, alcohol, ableist language


Work of Heart by Olivia Dade: 2 stars
I can’t understand Jenny’s justification for agreeing to paint Bigelow (Trump stand-in) in the first place. I have experienced some very lean financial times and I still wouldn’t ever take money or be associated with a bigot like that. Also had trouble believing David would risk professional credibility and his career after briefly meeting Jenny. Not Dade’s best work, alas.

Characters: Jenny is a white portrait painter. David is a 39 year old investigative reporter with brown skin.

Content notes: professional ethics violation (MMC kisses FMC and almost has sex with her when she’s a source), charity fraud (presidential candidate), past divorce, small dick jokes (slightly countered), STI sigma (somewhat countered), unsafe sex practices (no condom for penetrative sex without discussion of STI and pregnancy prevention), on page sex, mention of systemic and past racism


The President's Protector by Kris Ripper: 2 stars
I wish this hadn't been structured as if it were a presidential memoir.

Characters: Miriam is the 53 year old white US President. Ram is a 37 year old trans Secret Service agent and Marine veteran with light brown skin. (He is likely Latino based on his last name but otherwise unclear.)

Content notes: assassination attempt, depression, transphobia, racism, valorization of military, racial unrest, National Guardsman beaten to death by white supremacists (in the news), professional ethics violation (MMC and FMC kiss after she’s almost shot; he asks for reassignment immediately after), aftermath of hurricane, past death of FMC’s husband, off page sex, alcohol


Fallacies and Flirtations by Amy Jo Cousins: 3 stars

Characters: Anna is a bisexual white mayor and former actress with a silver streak in her hair. Oscar is a political speechwriter and accidental vegan who wears glasses. (Some hints he might be Latino but very underdeveloped rep if so.) Anna is 20 years older than Oscar. This is set in Chicago.

Content notes: fatphobia (not countered), systemic sexism, student loan debt (mentions), fade to black sex, masturbation, alcohol, ableist language


The Fourth Estate by Emma Barry: 2 stars

Characters: Drew is a reporter. Brynn is a white reporter who wears glasses. This is set in DC.

Content notes: past immigration (MMC’s parents left the USSR in the 80s), past parental divorce, gendered pejoratives, ableist language


Such Great Heights by Adriana Anders: 2 stars
This needed a more sensitive, nuanced touch. If you are sensitive to depictions of suicide and/or disability, I would avoid it.

Characters: O’Neal is a white reporter. Kurt is a white Marine vet. This is set on Mount St. Jacob, WA.

Content notes: suicidal ideation, past death of friend by suicide (he was hit by an IED and lost both legs. He did not want to live in a wheelchair and died by suicide), ableism (friend who died), past injuries from IED (lost some of his intestine), past military deployment, past infidelity (MMC’s ex-wife cheated), spreading ashes, minor car accident, past football injury, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, hyperbolic language around addiction


Dissent and Desire by Kelly Maher: DNF

Characters: Rafe is a 30 year old man on sabbatical from his job at the EPA to finish his dissertation. Frankie is getting her Masters in environmental engineering. This is set in College Park, MD and Washington, DC.

Content notes: financial anxiety (FMC lost her assistantship), on page sex, power exchange, alcohol, ableist language


Mr. Klein Goes to Albany by Stacey Agdern: DNF

Characters: Adam is a white Jewish Canadian diplomat and former hockey player. Tamara is a white Jewish American legislative aide. Adam disavowed their relationship on national TV six years ago. This is set in Albany, NY.

Content notes: sexism, alcohol, inebriation, hangover


Take a Knee by Jane Lee Blair: skipped
I have major qualms about a white author writing about anti-Black police violence and I DNFed Blair’s contribution in a different Rogue anthology. I’m going to trust my gut and skip this one.


*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle)
Purchased: 2020

[Maria Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rogue Affair is an engaging and sexy collection of novellas from ten different romance authors that takes the theme of resistance, a topical one in today’s political climate, and finds ways to show the resilience of the human spirit, while finding new love or rekindling old flames along the way. The stories are m/f and LGBTQ pairings, with characters from all walks of life. They range in heat level from warm to hot!! (extra exclamations for some of them), and each one is a snapshot into the diverse voices that make up America today. Some stories make use of current headlines to tell a tale with a happy ending for the characters while others envision a different future, or a side effect of real life acts of resistance. In each case, the author has done an excellent job of taking a scenario and making it their own. I loved all the stories I’ve had a chance to read and will definitely be revisiting some of them again!

The following are brief notes on some of the stories.

Dedication of a Lifetime by Tamsen Parker
Trust Tamsen to come up with a super sexy m/m romance while still delving into some serious topics. For scientist Isaiah, it's tempting to leave the US for a country where the government encourages his research, but husband Sean, a school counselor, sees the direct impact of the current political climate on his students and knows he needs to be strong for them. The strain in their marriage comes to a head and sex might be a distraction, but it can also lead them to a better understanding of where they see their relationship. No worries, they get a happy ending and renewed determination to fight the good fight.

Personal Proposal by Ainsley Booth
Ooh, Ainsley's first f/f romance! I loved the story idea here, of a rogue national parks twitter account holder Brianne being found and out and needing to lay low for a while. Heading to Canada to take a job with her now ex-boss's sister Astrid leads to some alone time in the woods, and a spark of attraction that neither of them knows quite what to do with but dive in head first. I loved the hiking and photography details here, and the way the story unfolds. I wasn't sure how they could get a truly happy ending, but they do!

Work of Heart by Olivia Dade
A certain real life financial investigative reporter I suspect was the inspiration for the hero in this story. Jenny isn't keen on copying famous paintings with modern subjects but it pays the bills. Except when the corrupt new President tries to pay her from his charitable foundation, she knows exactly whom to call to expose him. She knows she's risking alot by contacting David, as a story that centers on her could mean a very hard time getting real painting contracts again. But she's willing to take that risk. I like how these two interact with each other and we get some sexy scenes (that don't compromise the integrity of the reporter). They just both seem very real and believable, and the happy for now ending totally suits them.

The President's Protector by Kris Ripper.
A little revisionist history happening here, with a female president (we wish!) being the heroine , though unfortunately she is widowed soon after winning the presidency. The story reveals her growing friendship with secret service agent Ram, which becomes something more. It's the first time I've read a story with a trans hero (and make no mistake, Ram is definitely hero material, willing to risk his life for the President). The heat level on this one is low compared to some of the others in the set, but the story is just as compelling and the author does a fabulous job of showing how Miriam and Ram's relationship develops, and the inherent problems due to their careers.

The Fourth Estate by Emma Barry
Rival newspaper journalists looking for the next big story - it's definitely a page right out of today's political climate and told as always in Emma's unique and believable style. This one is lower on the heat scale but just as intriguing, with lots of sexual tension between Drew and Brynn. The conflict is real, as is the stress of covering a news cycle that doesn't let up with one revelation after another. I really enjoyed this in depth look at reporting in a digital age, and the story gets a suitable happy for now ending.

Such Great Heights by Adriana Anders
This story also has a journalist heroine, but here the story diverges quite markedly from others in the set, following an ex-soldier, a definitely 'wounded warrior' on his quest to find meaning in the death of a teammate and life after the military. Set on a mountain hiking trail, it delves into the effect that the political climate is having on veterans, while also delivering a gut wrenching and simultaneously heart warming tale as they open up to each other. It's also got a pretty steamy scene and a happy for now ending as they take their one night together and find a plan to move forward, one day at a time.

An early copy of this collection was provided for review, but at under $3 it's a bargain!

[Kaetrin]

pre-order from Amazon.

[Pelusa Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received an ARC at no cost to authors for my voluntary review..This anthology has something for everyone and is a collections of short stories. We have Adriana Anders, which you can never go wrong with. We Ainsley Booth, and if you do not know, it is time to get introduced. We have many others, and to completely honest, I had not read some of the others before, so this is a great way to learn more about them and their style of writing, I have now added some more names to my "to be read" list.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mixed Bag

I’m not sure what to make of this anthology of The Resistance. It mostly missed the mark for being too sincere and optimistic. As I write this in January 2018, we’re still a long way from from fixing our damaged government. A lot of the writing struck me as naive, stiff, and preachy. Maybe it’s too raw for now. I really didn’t enjoy it and reading for pleasure and escape is where I want to be for now. Reading it made me feel sad and edgy; kind of like reading twitter.

[Brandy Painter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like in Rogue Desire, the stories in this anthology are diverse. Again, there were a couple I didn't read for reasons involving my own comfort level with descriptiveness. The rating is for the stories I did read. I thoroughly enjoyed all the ones I did. My absolute favorite of those was Emma Barry's story, which is unsurprising as I love everything she writes. But this story is about a journalists and I happened to be married to a journalist. The number of times the hero's professional thoughts and frustrations matched what I hear from my husband on a regular basis was amazing. I also really enjoyed the story by Jane Lee Blair too, which is fairly amazing given my total lack of caring about football. I just really love the way she writes and can't wait until she has more stories for me to buy. The other story that stood out to me in this one was Stacey Agdern's, which I found surprising since I liked her story in the first one just fine but didn't love it. I almost skipped it and I'm really glad I didn't.

[The_Book_Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall anthology rating: 3 1/2 Stars!

Some I really enjoyed, some I liked okay, a couple were more skim than read. Another great anthology, and I love the diverse stories being shared. Steam levels were also all over the place.


~ * ~ * ~ * ~


I will be talking about the book on my next Whatcha Reading? podcast, which is now up on TBQ's Book Palace [Saturday (11/11) episode].


If you wish to look at some quotes/thoughts I highlighted, please check out my Twitter feed

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always floored by the Adriana Andrews creativity. She has a unique perspective in her unusual storylines. How do you take a story about a homeless man pushing a wheelchair up a mountain and make it into a romance? Aren't you intrigued already? The story is told with great dignity and respect and honors our military personnel who come back wounded from their service. Beautiful and poignant.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is for Personal Proposal by Ainsley Booth - This was a first for me, a f/f romance, but I'm an Ainsley Booth fan and always enjoy her books so I was willing to give this one a try. This was a fast, hot, enjoyable read with great characters, humor, fun and I loved the ending. Astrid and Brianne were great together and made you want more of their story.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Review for Such Great Heights by Adriana Anders**

I'm usually a bit torn on how I feel about anthologies. On one hand, I get several stories by what are usually some of my favorite authors all in one place, usually with a common theme. On the other hand, the stories are usually much shorter than I'd like, which leaves me wanting.... more.

This was no exception. Adriana Anders is my new auto-buy author. Everything I've read by her has been exceptional. I love her writing style, I love the unique storylines.... everything. Such Great Heights fell right in with all of her other books. Quirky, vulnerable, flawed characters thrown together in an unexpected way and figuring out a way to make it work.

One aspect of her books that I find intriguing is her depiction of the heroes. You will not find a cookie cutter bad boy or good ol' boy or even a bossy alpha in an Adriana Anders book. What you will find is men with their own special story, who are even somewhat undesirable in some way, but she has a way of making the reader fall in love with them anyway.

Kurt Anderson and O'Neal Jones were high school classmates. Kurt was the golden boy - a popular athlete who would never give someone like the geeky O'Neal a second glance. In Such Great Heights, O'Neal and Kurt are reunited on the side of a mountain. O'Neal is a reporter on her way back from an assignment when she practically runs over a man pushing an empty wheelchair up the road. What the hell, right? Her natural ability to ferret out a story knows there is more than meets the eye, and the reporter in her refuses to turn away. When she realizes who he is, and that she knew him way back when, her curiosity is even greater.

Kurt has no desire to talk to anyone, let alone give a reporter a story. It doesn't matter that the reporter is familiar to him, and that she has turned into an appealing, if persistent, lady. He is a man on a mission, and as far as he's concerned there is no story to tell. He doesn't want O'Neal's nosiness or her sympathy, so he does his best to ignore her and just finish what he started. O'Neal refuses to go away, though, sensing not only a story, but a loneliness in Kurt that she longs to fill, even if only for a night.

The chemistry between them was undeniable even if it was unwelcome, at least for Kurt. Who wouldn't want the chance to jump into the sack with a former crush turned sexy mountain man? But.... is it smart to get involved with some crazy guy who walked across the country pushing an empty wheelchair? Spending the night in Kurt's tent, and his sleeping bag, enlightens O'Neal on what makes this enigmatic man tick. It also shows her that maybe what she thought she wanted and needed out of life wasn't 100% correct.

This story was unique and refreshing. Ms. Anders has a way of tugging at the reader's heartstrings regardless of her characters' stories. The only thing keeping me from giving this five stars was
O'Neal. She was nosy and bossy and independent and not romantic at all..... which is basically the opposite of the type of heroine I normally relate to! It's a testament to the author's ability that she was able to make me wish for O'Neal and Kurt's happy ever after.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dedication of a Lifetime by Tamsen Parker
Love Isaiah and Sean. While I don’t live in the US anymore, I have many friends and family there and the political and social situations are frustrating to say the least.
I felt deeply for each and every aspect voiced in this story, and while sexy and sweet, the heartache I got from it were almost too much. I guess that’s what happens when the romance isn’t honey and roses but REAL.
5 stars

Personal Proposal by Ainsley Booth
I was soooo pleasantly surprised to get a sequel to Marcus’s story. And while this is about Brianne, it was just as sweet if not sweeter. Matching her with Astrid was perfect and sexy. And the idea their romance is wrapped around was inspiring.
5 stars

Work of Heart by Olivia Dade
My god I wish this story were true in real life.
That was sweet, daring and probably the closest thing anyone has gotten close to fictionalize Trump without naming him.
4 stars

The President’s Protector by Kris Ripper
That. Was. Awesome.
The slow burn, the looks, the openness, the fact that it’s a complete 180 from what we live through right now.
Beautiful romance.
5 stars

Fallacies & Flirtations by Amy Jo Cousins
We’ve been duped, people!!! AJ totally fooled us (well, me, as I got an ARC).
This story will be published with the anthology on publish day. Until then…

The Fourth Estate by Emma Barry
I liked this one very much. It wasn’t a romance per the pattern we know. The pacing was different, the romance was barely there, even. But somehow it was a sweet rivalry that ended with a promise for something special.
4 stars

Such Great Heights by Adriana Anders
This one was.... straight to the gut. While I don’t live in the US anymore, I understand the veterans situation very, very well. That’s an issue that should be a priority and isn’t in most places. Andres wrote a romance around it in the most unique way and it was spot on.
5 stars

Dessent and Desire by Kelly Maher
The EPA is a major factor in everything that’s troubling with the administration, and while this was the least resistance like story of the bunch, it’s on point with one of the topics that is very important to me personally. As for the romance? It was sexy and cute.
3.5 stars

Me. Klein Goes to Albany by Stacey Agdern
Ok, so I enjoyed theJewish references in this one. The idea around which the story is based is awesome. Fighting idiocy can produce such creativity, it’s quite beautiful.
4 stars

Take a Knee by Jane Lee Blair
That was perfect. It deals with such a frustrating issue and really makes you think. Sometimes (too often) it feels like we’re going backwards in so many ways, but mor than that, it makes it clear that acceptance, tolerance and compassion are key for a healthy and as close to harmonious coexistence as possible.
5 stars

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

    Dedication of a Lifetime by Tamsen Parker
Ok. The tension and stress was too much for me, with too much time spent in the main characters heads.

    Personal Proposal by Ainsley Booth
Alt Park heroine. Sweet love story between Astrid and Breanne. 

    Work of Heart by Olivia Dade
A thinly veiled story with a Trump-like president and the artist who paints his portrait. I really enjoyed reading Jenny and David’s love story. So much passion for their cause, and willing to make sacrifices. 

    The President's Protector by Kris Ripper
This one has a long-build romance. Like, six years before they even admit out loud that they like each other. A well-written story, that treats concepts like a female president and her younger, trans lover, as no big deal. Progress, yannow? I feel like it’s happening. 

    Fallacies and Flirtations by Amy Jo Cousins
Pretty sure the heroine in this story is based on Carrie Fisher. That’s who I thought of when I read the story. Another well written love story, also with an older woman and younger man. 

    The Fourth Estate by Emma Barry
Drew and Brynn - interesting characters, not what they seem at first glance. I like that they respected each other’s work. The sub-plot with her big source, particularly her conversations with her big source were kinda weird. 

    Such Great Heights by Adriana Anders
Sweet love story, with a generous amount of angst. It’s really well done. 

    Dissent and Desire by Kelly Maher
Well written. Features an agency not brought up much - the EPA. Another pair of idealists, willing to make sacrifices for what they believe in. 

    Mr. Klein Goes to Albany by Stacey Agdern
The hero fucked up big time with the heroine about five years before the story starts. I liked how he respected, listened and regained her trust. I also loved that they were both observant Jews, and it was no big deal, just a part of their lives. 

    Take a Knee by Jane Lee Blair
This one is tough - a very difficult topic of justice for black people, who deserve it but haven’t gotten it for so long. There is also a deep examination of white privilege and helping the hero (and therefore the reader) see just how much he has benefited from it. I loved that there were strong black characters in the story who lead and showed the hero the truth and how to love. Pretty heavy subject, very rewarding to read. 

Bought from kobo

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

As of now I've just read two of the stories in this book, so going to round it off to an average of 4 Stars.


Dedication of a lifetime by Tamsen Parker - 3.5 Stars.

This was my first time reading something by this author and I liked it. I really liked both MC's, probably Isaiah that little bit more. Really enjoyed reading about what they both done for their work.

“So Sean reached for the mass and breadth of his lover’s shoulders, digging fingertips into the wings of his shoulder blades and trying to pull Isaiah down so his heft could anchor them both—in what was real, in what was important, in what mattered and what would be constant.”

I think this story really would have suited much better being a full length novel. I personally think it just needed that extra page time to develop and get connected with the relationship and the characters since they're an already established couple.
The synopses for this book hints at trouble for the couple, or at the least a struggle of emotions and it wasn't really there to the extent I'd thought so I would've loved a bit more... something. Maybe some confused emotions and some groveling.
Steamy story with likeable characters but just a little bit too contained story and I personally needed more.
Definitely checking out this authors other work.

Personal Proposal by Ainsley Booth - 4 Stars

Again, my first story from this author and I enjoyed it. This felt a little more rounded out than the previous story. The story moved much more. I loved the setting(s).


Astrid is a little older than Brianne and much more jaded, underneath it all though she is sensitive and fears getting hurt again and she eventually gives this power to do so to Brianne.
Brianne is fresh faced with ideas and motivation on activism even if anonymous, but it is what gets her in a spot of traveling and ending up in Astrid's life. Not a bad thing in the end for both characters.

“I gasp as she presses me back against the wall and kisses me senseless. Yes, yes, yes, I’ve missed her too. Her taste, her laugh, the ways her eyes crinkle at the corner. Her camera and her amazing vision, too.

This was romantic, steamy, sweet fun. Enjoyed it a lot.

*Will add more ratings/reviews as I read more from this anthology.*

[Trader (RedHotBlueReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthologies are great to find new authors and get something new from favorite authors. There's both for me in this anthology. A collection of stories with political themes and situations, aka resistance romances, Rogue Affair is a second volume of contemporary romance stories with rich diversity.

I'm going to review two stories from Rogue Affair. Tamsen Parker's Dedication of a Lifetime is a quiet story that captures perfectly those times in a long term relationship when you're just not seeing eye-to-eye with your partner. Sean and Isaiah are both concerned about the direction of the country. It's impacting them both in their personal and professional lives. It's clear that there is so much at stake and so much emotion regarding what is happening that Sean and Isaiah can't get around their feelings to communicate and that's causing a strain. A big one.

When Isaiah comes home and makes a proclamation that stuns Sean, they both have to decide their priorities if they want to move forward together. This was a very sweet slice of married life and captures the political climate in a very interesting and romantic way. I loved it.

In Personal Proposal by Ainsley Booth, Brianne is running from twitter notoriety and ends up working for a reclusive outdoor photographer, Astrid Dane. Astrid has had her share of relationship disappointments and she's not really into being around people. But Brianne catches her attention and respect and their relationship builds on that.

Ainsley Booth is a new author for me and I found myself really liking this story. Even though there's a spark between the two women early on, they get the job done and then they get it on together. The political aspects of the story are woven into the details and I liked how that was presented. A very sweet and enjoyable story about two people connecting.

There's something for everyone in this anthology. I love the timeliness of the content, and a release date just after election day. These are hopeful and diverse tales, and we need these kinds of stories of right now.

Definitely recommended.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review for Ainsley Booth's Personal Proposal. I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Brianne's leaving Colorado, and Marcus Dane's protection. She's leaving her boyfriend too, but that doesn't seem to bother her as much as the end of her time with the National Park Service. Of course, it had to come to an end once it was revealed that she was alt-NPS on twitter. Fortunately, Marcus has gotten her a job working for his cousin Astrid who's a photographer based in Vancouver Canada.

This is their love story. Brianne the young, confused, in-over-her-head (but not really) adult, and Astrid the aloof, burnt-by-love, older woman who has turned herself into something of a recluse. Brianne breaks down Astrid's walls, and they embark on a tender, sexy, and sometimes confused (not in the bedroom, they both have their own issues with self-expression) relationship.

I don't in general pick f/f love stories, and Ainsley Booth doesn't, in general, write them (this is her first), but this was exactly what I love about the author. It was a thoughtful and tender story. There's that sense of humour so characteristic of Booth's writing reflected in how each character's thought process about their relationship is expressed. So witty, and so well woven into the tenderness and sexiness of the story. Another great short novella from Ainsley!

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Political romance anthology

You can probably tell this from the book descriptions, but just to reiterate, this is an anthology of political, extremely liberal romances with thinly veiled references to US politics post 2016. So, you know, definitely not for everyone.

However, I read these anthologies not so much for the politics but for the huge array of diversity and intersectionality they represent, and new authors to discover. I honestly find the political part boring because I've seen all of the talking points before (and it doesn't help that some stories reference increasingly dated news items; however, it's hard to generalize because some stories do address powerful and important themes in a way that lingers). But I imagine I'm in that minority of readers, having that perspective.

This took me a while to read because I got bored with some of the stories. But my favorites are Personal Proposal by Ainsley Booth (the details of the photography are fascinating and I love the climactic scene) and The President's Protector by Kris Ripper (female President and trans Secret Service man have adorable workplace romance).

[Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for two of the stories I read.

‘Such Great Heights’ by Adriana Anders

We have Kurt and O'Neal meeting again after knowing each other (kinda) back in HS. She’s a reporter who is always in search of a story and he has a great one, but after spending some time together, she realizes that a story is the least of her concerns when it comes to Kurt.

Great chemistry between these two.

Since this is an anthology, these stories are rather short, and in this case I’d love to read more of these characters. Very intriguing.

‘Work of Art’ by Olivia Dade

Here we have Jenny and David. They meet when Jenny approaches David about a scandal regarding one of her clients. He’s a candidate using his charity’s money for personal expenses. I liked these two and I enjoyed seeing David relax a little after meeting Jenny. She was a breath of fresh air, she came off innocent and kinda naïve at times. So it was fun to see her interact with a jaded David.

A fun and short read as well.

*Thank you to the author for providing an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion*

[Ira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, different authors, different styles, so I didn't like every story as much as the others but on the whole I really enjoyed reading this collection.
Many of the stories are not only about love in all its variations but they do also show the impact that bigotry, intolerance, hate, and racism have on peoples' lives. And they show that peoples' lives matter, no matter where they come from or whether they are white, black or - whatever.
These stories show the love of many different couples for each other, some of them homosexual, many of them somewhat steamy (some others very steamy) and, well, some of them are also a bit rough around the edges and some are a bit sweeter.
These stories are like a caleidoscope of human relationships that shows how much diversity enriches our lives and our society.
If you don't mind a bit of steam, a lot of love and many different and colourful characters, this collection of novellas might be just right for you!

[Gladys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rogue Affair (Rogue , #2) is a great collection of short reads. Providing a range of romance stories that feature a variety of couples including M/F, F/F and M/M. Entertaining and engaging Rogue Affair is for anyone looking for quick reads and fans of romance.
SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS by Adriana Anders is a very fun and sexy read. Kurt and O'Neal are so hot together. The chemistry they share just sizzles. A entertaining plot about former schoolmates that were from different cliques and are reunited years later. An emotional read that I just loved.
PERSONAL PROPOSAL by Ainsley Booth is a very enjoyable older woman/younger woman romance. I loved the tender emotions, steaming chemistry and passionate love between these two. A very, very beautiful romance.
I really enjoyed this entertaining collection. I am posting an honest review after reading an ARC copy of this book.

[Mary Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of collections. I love it when authors get together to create a book with short stories. This was a great one! It features "resistance romance" stories. This was the first time I had actually heard of this genre. I am a fan! Each one of these stories had me intrigued, involved, surprised and wanting more! I loved that they were all different. Each author had their own writing style. I originally read this book because I am a fan of author Adrian Anders. Her story was great (who does love a hot adventure seeker). But I ended up falling in love with all the stories and now I have a list of new to me authors that I want to check out more from. I highly recommend this to romance lovers. This book needs to be in your collection!

[Pippa D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a set of novellas by different authors. The genre is steamy romance, but each one has it's own flavour. I thought most of the stories were clever and well written, and I really liked the variety and characters. Many of the main characters were LGBT, and even the hetero characters had elements of the queer about them. It made it a much more interesting book for me to read.

It isn't going to suit everyone; the stories are principally romances, and some have explicit sex scenes, but all have an interesting sense of character. Some were the common cute/meet or work together plotlines, but others were established couples dealing with a particular time in their lives. I really enjoyed the variety.

[Nancy Wege · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great collection of books! A little bit of something for everyone! I enjoyed each and every book, and wished most of them went on a few more chapters, because I wanted more story. The different story lines and author styles worked well together, even though the books are not at all continuous. You know how you move from one book to another, and sometimes it’s a little jarring to switch gears? Yeah, you don’t have that with this book.

I especially liked Personal Proposal (Ainsley Booth) and The President’s Protector (Kris Ripper), but they were all good. Highly recommend the whole book. There’s at least one story that will be for you – I promise!

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something I read recently of historical romances pointed out that it gives the author a chance to right some of the wrongs of history - even most of your basic bodice-rippers give women a voice and agency that they didn't have until recently (and still don't always today).

So this anthology is particularly interesting in the light of the tearful and fearful frustration that many of us are feeling about the current political climate. If you like your smut with a dose of liberal activism, it's great. If you want escapist fluff to distract from the misery of it all, not so much.

And the last story really rubbed me up the wrong way, so 1 star off for that.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

So grateful to have received a copy of this to review! I don't normally read a lot of romantic fiction, but I'm reassessing my stance on that. I had such a blast reading this anthology. There really is a story in here for every taste, heat and flavor. The writing was terrific, I was thoroughly engaged in each of the stories. I think it takes a lot to make you invested in characters in a short story, but these authors managed to pull it off. I would really struggle to pick my favorite short story, but I can definitely say that Kelly Maher's one had me blushing and looking over my shoulder like a youngin caught looking at something she's not supposed to. I would definitely recommend this!
You can find all of my reviews at www.tomesandtequila.com and this one at http://www.tomesandtequila.com/2018/0...

[Laila Viking · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for Personal Proposal by Ainsley Booth.
This was a first for me, a f/f romance. I'm an Ainsley Booth fan and always enjoy her books so I gave this one a try. This was a fast, hot, enjoyable read with great well described and nicely developed characters. It has humor, fun and I liked the ending. Astrid and Brianne were a nice couple.

**I am voluntarily reviewing an Advanced Readers Copy of this book**

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of stories from some spectacular authors, I especially loved Ainsley Booths story, Personal Proposal, it was my first ever F/F read and what a story to start out with! Such a beautiful story.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of stories that represent current political affairs and culture. Several new-t0-me authors included, several of which I will begin following. Purchased mostly because one of my favorite authors had a story included... Ainsley Booth wrote Personal Proposal, which I really enjoyed.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as the first one

Another great installment in the Rogue Hearts anthology series. I’m a fan of many of these authors, and putting them together in 1 volume with a Resistance theme is reading perfection.