Sandy M’s review of A Rogue by Night (Devils of Dover, Book 3) by Kelly Bowen
Historical Romance published by Forever 28 May 19
I’ve been searching for a new historical author to read, and I may have found that in Kelly Bowen. I didn’t know until I finished this book that it’s the third in a series. That didn’t alter my enjoyment of the story one bit.
I really enjoyed the storyline of a lady smuggler from a family of smugglers. She’s finally quit the dangerous parts of her familial pursuits, concentrating on her medical abilities to keep her father and brother and neighbors on the mend when things go wrong. But when she’s needed after her brother is injured, Katherine reluctantly steps back into the shoes that still seem to fit her quite well.
Then there’s Harland of the nobility – a baron and also a physician, which intrigues Katherine as much as he dismays her, and add smuggler himself to the mix. His position as both baron and doctor helps keep his secret as well as assisting those who have lived their lives in rough waters to bring in goods to keep his family in financial solvency.
With a local captain dogging everyone involved in their smuggling ring, Harland and Katherine are thrown together, working side by side and keeping their secrets hidden. I enjoyed the slow buildup toward love for these two, all amid a lot of dangerous, fast-paced action. I’ve noticed some reviews out there declare this series is not historically accurate. So what? It kept me entertained and happy while reading. I wouldn’t know a thing about smugglers and pirates and barons from this time period anyway. It’s a romance book, for heaven’s sake. Fantasy. If you’re a history buff, read your history somewhere else and leave romance alone. I’ve been reading romance for 45-plus years. When did it become such an uproar for romance to be historically accurate? If I want real life in my books, I’ll find it in another genre, just as the history buffs should. I have enough crap going on in my life, I need the getaway reading about over-the-top characters in whatever situations an author gives them and they end up in love. Yes, exactly what we don’t get in everyday life, no matter the era. This book does that wonderfully well.
That’s all I need. Well done, Ms. Bowen. I plan on reading the first two books in your series and enjoying every historically inaccurate thing in them. And that’s a good thing!
Grade: B+
Summary:
Baron. Physician. Smuggler. Harland Hayward is living a double life as an aristocrat by day and a criminal by night. As a doctor, Harland has the perfect cover to appear in odd places at all hours, a cover he uses to his advantage. He’s chosen this life to save his family from financial ruin, but he draws the line at taking advantage of the honest and trustworthy Katherine Wright.
Katherine thought she was done smuggling. Having finally convinced her ailing father and injured brother to abandon their criminal pursuits, she’s returned to England to help them escape to a new life–once she helps them fulfill their last contract. And that means working with Hayward, even when her instincts tell her that becoming his ally may be a risk to her heart – as well as her life.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
