Catherine M. (Catherine1) reviewed All Night with a Rogue (The Lords of Vice, Bk 1) on + 60 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I really feel like a large chunk of this story was missing. The book reads more like an outline than an in depth exploration of two characters falling in love. The premise sounded like the movie Cruel Intentions, and since I enjoyed that I figured I'd give this a try. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this set up or the characters very much.
Alexius Sinclair, otherwise known as Sin, agrees to a plot his half sister, Belle, hatches. Sin is to seduce and then discard Juliana Ivers because she is heartless and is trying to steal Belle's beau. Sin is more than happy to help out his half sister, but is shocked to discover Juliana is a woman he had met previously and been intrigued by. Juliana's mother has brought her and her sisters to London in hope of arranging advantageous marriages for them. The family has fallen on hard times since their father died five years before. Juliana is not very interested in marriage but becomes intrigued by the rakish Sin after their first meeting together.
This story seemed like it was designed solely to make Juliana suffer in every possible way. Not only is Sin horrible toward her, but her own mother is even worse. It's bad enough to be betrayed by a man you're interested in, but it is so much worse to be betrayed by someone who loved and raised you. It wasn't a little betrayal either! It was a huge one that shocked and disgusted me. I couldn't understand why all the characters weren't more upset with the mother.
We get the lead up in Sin and Juliana's relationship and we get the conclusion of it, but the middle part where we would be expected to watch the characters grow to love each other was only told, not shown. Weeks were skipped over and mentioned briefly and by then they were in love. I really would have preferred to actually watch their feelings develop. Also, I never saw any real redeeming traits in either of the protagonists to actually make them interesting to me. They both seemed like weak, shallow people. Also, why was Sin so ok with what his sister did? When he finds out all the facts it doesn't really seem to impact him. Later in the book when one of the characters points out what role Sin plays for his sister I couldn't agree more with their assessment.
Alexius Sinclair, otherwise known as Sin, agrees to a plot his half sister, Belle, hatches. Sin is to seduce and then discard Juliana Ivers because she is heartless and is trying to steal Belle's beau. Sin is more than happy to help out his half sister, but is shocked to discover Juliana is a woman he had met previously and been intrigued by. Juliana's mother has brought her and her sisters to London in hope of arranging advantageous marriages for them. The family has fallen on hard times since their father died five years before. Juliana is not very interested in marriage but becomes intrigued by the rakish Sin after their first meeting together.
This story seemed like it was designed solely to make Juliana suffer in every possible way. Not only is Sin horrible toward her, but her own mother is even worse. It's bad enough to be betrayed by a man you're interested in, but it is so much worse to be betrayed by someone who loved and raised you. It wasn't a little betrayal either! It was a huge one that shocked and disgusted me. I couldn't understand why all the characters weren't more upset with the mother.
We get the lead up in Sin and Juliana's relationship and we get the conclusion of it, but the middle part where we would be expected to watch the characters grow to love each other was only told, not shown. Weeks were skipped over and mentioned briefly and by then they were in love. I really would have preferred to actually watch their feelings develop. Also, I never saw any real redeeming traits in either of the protagonists to actually make them interesting to me. They both seemed like weak, shallow people. Also, why was Sin so ok with what his sister did? When he finds out all the facts it doesn't really seem to impact him. Later in the book when one of the characters points out what role Sin plays for his sister I couldn't agree more with their assessment.
Melinda F. (Lindy67) -
Helpful Score: 1
Loved the way Ms Hawkins wrote, the language and details were in keeping with the period. Her research on the era must have been very thourough. Some of the scenes were quite steamy, but the actual building of the relationship of the couple was lacking. In time I believe this author can be awesome.
Michelle D. (Michelle74) reviewed All Night with a Rogue (The Lords of Vice, Bk 1) on + 153 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
London 1820
This is the first in a series called the "Lord's of Vice"
I actually started with the third, which I liked well enough so decided to request the previous two from PBS.
I am glad I didn't start with number one. I don't think I would've given the others a chance.
Half way through the book, the heroine realizes she has fallen in love with the hero, and I have yet to find a reason to like him. There seems to be very little in his character to draw anyone with self respect to him.
The secondary characters aren't much better. His friends are disreputable (which I know is common for reformed rake stories) with one in particular being especially dastardly.
The heroine's sisters are petty and argue. Her mother is an avid gambler and does some things to draw ire. And finally, the hero's sister initiated the whole story by being jealous and vindictive.
I also prefer the "F" word to not be thrown about quite repetatively. After a while, it just gets old.
The story however does have some interesting turns that I did not expect, and in the end, the characters do begin the redemption process. I would've just liked to see more of their good sides from the start.
This is the first in a series called the "Lord's of Vice"
I actually started with the third, which I liked well enough so decided to request the previous two from PBS.
I am glad I didn't start with number one. I don't think I would've given the others a chance.
Half way through the book, the heroine realizes she has fallen in love with the hero, and I have yet to find a reason to like him. There seems to be very little in his character to draw anyone with self respect to him.
The secondary characters aren't much better. His friends are disreputable (which I know is common for reformed rake stories) with one in particular being especially dastardly.
The heroine's sisters are petty and argue. Her mother is an avid gambler and does some things to draw ire. And finally, the hero's sister initiated the whole story by being jealous and vindictive.
I also prefer the "F" word to not be thrown about quite repetatively. After a while, it just gets old.
The story however does have some interesting turns that I did not expect, and in the end, the characters do begin the redemption process. I would've just liked to see more of their good sides from the start.
Helpful Score: 1
Can't wait for more of her books.
Ugh. I have read worse books but this can't even hit the mid-level of quality historical romance. Go read Lisa Kleypas, Loretta Chase, Karen Raney, Lorainne Heath - so many good authors. This one - not so much.
The characters were so unlikeable. I thought the heroine, Juliana, was the most stupid and gullible character ever. She fell for every trick and game the "hero" played. Further not one female or other person Juliana knew suggested that maybe her behavior was inappropriate, or that his character was extremely questionable. There is no Love in this love story. Never do these characters learn anything about each other, no personal history, no facts of character or personality - just that they are attracted to each other and she gives it up for him like a cat in heat. The book was pretty long for a story that NEVER has the main couple having a conversation. Finally, the mother of the heroine essentially sells her daughter, twice, and ultimately both hero and heroine forgive her and actually seem to think maybe it was "clever". ICK ICK ICK.
Alexandra Hawkins apparently has never read Jane Austen or Charoltte Bronte or done any research on how people behaved in the early 19th century. The gentry were extremely uptight, to put it mildly. So why is a mother letting her young, virginal daughter ride alone in a carriage with an unmarried man, with not even a maid as chaperone? And then lets her daughter leave a ball with same man, to go off alone in his carriage and stay away all night? It makes no sense. And for heavens sake, a mother wouldn't let a strange man give her daughter a valuable string of pearls TODAY much less 200 years ago. The lack of faithfulness to the period of which Alexandra Hawkins writes is jarring and takes you out of the story to wonder what the heck she's thinking rather than care about the characters.
2 stars.
The characters were so unlikeable. I thought the heroine, Juliana, was the most stupid and gullible character ever. She fell for every trick and game the "hero" played. Further not one female or other person Juliana knew suggested that maybe her behavior was inappropriate, or that his character was extremely questionable. There is no Love in this love story. Never do these characters learn anything about each other, no personal history, no facts of character or personality - just that they are attracted to each other and she gives it up for him like a cat in heat. The book was pretty long for a story that NEVER has the main couple having a conversation. Finally, the mother of the heroine essentially sells her daughter, twice, and ultimately both hero and heroine forgive her and actually seem to think maybe it was "clever". ICK ICK ICK.
Alexandra Hawkins apparently has never read Jane Austen or Charoltte Bronte or done any research on how people behaved in the early 19th century. The gentry were extremely uptight, to put it mildly. So why is a mother letting her young, virginal daughter ride alone in a carriage with an unmarried man, with not even a maid as chaperone? And then lets her daughter leave a ball with same man, to go off alone in his carriage and stay away all night? It makes no sense. And for heavens sake, a mother wouldn't let a strange man give her daughter a valuable string of pearls TODAY much less 200 years ago. The lack of faithfulness to the period of which Alexandra Hawkins writes is jarring and takes you out of the story to wonder what the heck she's thinking rather than care about the characters.
2 stars.
Megan B. (musicmeg) reviewed All Night with a Rogue (The Lords of Vice, Bk 1) on + 16 more book reviews
Like another reviewer, I started with the 3rd of this series. Adoring the 3rd, I jumped to the first. I am a sucker for a good love story, so I gave it a high star review, but I have mixed feelings like the others. I'm not a fan of heavy smut. The 3rd book of the Lords of Vice wasn't terribly smutty, but this book was a bit heavy. I love the author's writing style, but I agree with others that it's hard to agree to the transition. Lady Juliana sounds smart, sensible, but she jumps into bed with the first man she sees. He does TERRIBLE things to her. Granted, he's used to treating women like meat objects and nothing more, but I'm not sure I could ever trust or forgive a man who betrayed me in such a manor, even if he saved my life. Still, love is triumphant, and that's what makes this fiction and makes me like it. The notion that somewhere, maybe someone could forgive no matter what when what the heart wants and truly needs is at stake. It's worth a read, but skip over some of the "love scenes" to enjoy it more (IMO). It gives more background to the Lords of Vice characters that you will love when you get to series #3.
