Friday, May 31, 2019

Review - A Rogue by Night

Title:   A Rogue by Night
Author:  Kelly Bowen
Series:  The Devils of Dover #3
Genre:   Historical Romance
Publisher:   Forever
Format:  Print ARC
No. of Pages:  368
Date of Publication:  May 28, 2019
My Rating:  5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

From the author who Sarah MacLean calls "a charming, clever, and engaging storyteller" comes the next regency romance in the witty and sexy Devils of Dover series!

Baron. Physician. Smuggler. Sir 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 in the dead of night, a cover he uses to his advantage to bring in all sorts of illicit cargo from across the English Channel. 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 has returned to Dover to find that her family is working for a mysterious new crime boss. Growing up in a family of smugglers, she knows it's only a matter of time before they are caught—and killed. So after her brother is shot, she convinces her family to move away and start over. After they honor their last contract, of course. With her injured brother and elderly father unable to work, Katherine reluctantly steps back into the life she had left behind. And straight into the path of the merciless Harland Hayward. 




MY THOUGHTS:

How is it Sir Harland Hayward, who happens to be both a baron and a physician, managed to show up just as Katherine Wright's brother Matthew was bleeding out? Katherine, very experienced as a physician, while in the process of stitching up Matthew, was suddenly forced face Harland. He is quite impressed by her skill and ends up devising an ingenious way of protecting Katherine and her family from soldiers.

Thing is, Harland is also a smuggler, a fact that he keeps close to his vest. As a doctor, Harland is able to find himself in any number of situations without attracting much notice. Although well titled, Harland has good reason for his illegal activities, and that is to save his family from financial ruin.

Katherine has only recently returned home after several years away. She is actually not surprised that her father and brother are smugglers, although she is rather curious as to why they do not even know who their boss is. After patching Matthew up, Katherine accompanies him to Harland's residence for him to recuperate - and to hide him from the soldiers seeking to punish him for his crimes.

As Katherine spends time in Harland's home, she learns that the "job" Matthew was involved in when he was injured was not complete. and Katherine has no choice but help finish what was left undone. It is at this point that she runs dead smack into Harland and begins to learn the truth about him.

Things become a battle of wills, and much more, for Katherine and Harland. They share a strong attraction to one another, all while facing very dangerous conditions. This story morphs into quite an intense journey that brings these two to a place neither can deny, and that is, to each other. 

I adored this read by Kelly Bowen. In fact, the previous two stories, A Duke in the Night and Last Night with the Earl, were equally compelling and are excellent predecessors to this engaging series, The Devils of Dover. The way this story is told, it definitely can do quite well as a standalone. So, for excellent storytelling, action, danger, passion and great characters, this book most certainly comes highly recommended.

Many thanks to Forever and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.


Review for A Duke in the Night - 
https://www.robinlovesreading.com/2019/01/review-duke-in-night.html

Review for Last Night with the Earl -
https://www.robinlovesreading.com/2019/02/review-last-night-with-earl.html


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I was born and raised in Manitoba, Canada.  I attended the University of Manitoba where I earned a graduate degree in veterinary physiology and spent many years happily working as a research scientist in the agriculture industry.  None of which, of course, has anything to do with writing romance novels.

My writing stemmed from my lifelong obsession with history, a weakness for a good love story and after my first child was born, I sat down to do what I'd also wanted to do - write a novel.  (The entire process being facilitated by the abundance of winter months that can be found in this particular province).  

Currently, I live in Winnipeg with my husband and two boys who are wonderfully patient and supportive of the writing process.  Except, that is, when they need a goalie for street hockey.

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