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Covent Garden Cubs #2
The Rogue You Know
Gideon Harrow has spent his life in London's dark underworld-and he wants out. A thief and a con, he plans one last heist to finally win his freedom. But when everything goes wrong, he finds himself at the tender mercies of one of Society's most untouchable women-Lady Susanna Derring.
Susanna has spent her life in London's glittering ton, under the thumb of a domineering mother-and she wants out. When a wickedly charming rogue lands at her feet, she jumps at the chance to experience life before it's too late. But as she descends into London's underworld, she finds that nothing- not even Gideon-is as it seems.
Susanna has spent her life in London's glittering ton, under the thumb of a domineering mother-and she wants out. When a wickedly charming rogue lands at her feet, she jumps at the chance to experience life before it's too late. But as she descends into London's underworld, she finds that nothing- not even Gideon-is as it seems.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
About the author
Shana Galen
72 books1,456 followersShana Galen is three-time Rita award nominee and the bestselling author of fast-paced, witty, and adventurous Regency romances. Kirkus says of her books, "The road to happily-ever-after is intense, conflicted, suspenseful and fun," and RT Bookreviews calls her books “lighthearted yet poignant, humorous yet touching." She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city. Now she writes full time. She's happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making.
Want to know more? Visit Shana's website at http://www.shanagalen.com and sign up to be notified when Shana has a new release http://bit.ly/ShanaGalenNews
Want to know more? Visit Shana's website at http://www.shanagalen.com and sign up to be notified when Shana has a new release http://bit.ly/ShanaGalenNews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
February 2, 2016
2/2/16: Free on Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Know-Cove...
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life
Another great installment in the Covent Garden Cubs series! I haven't read a whole lot of Shana Galen but I have really enjoyed each installment in this series. This book is part of a series but it could easily be read as a stand alone novel. There are characters in this story from earlier books but everything that you would need to enjoy this story is contained in this book. I wouldn't hesitate to grab this book even if you haven't read the previous installments.
I really liked this book even though my initial reaction was that it was a bit predictable. After giving it some thought, I have decided that being predictable isn't always such a bad thing, especially when it comes to historical romance. I like to read historical romances that are historically accurate so that adds some predictability to the equation. I am not an expert on this time period by any means but based on other books that I have it read, it did seem to be at least somewhat accurate. I also like to see a happy ending. I not only like it....I demand it. There is almost nothing worse that a romance novel that does not have a happy ending. I could have told you that the two main characters would end up with their own happily ever after before I read the first word. That means that during the entire book, I knew that they would overcome any problems because they had to end up together. You know what...it doesn't even matter because I enjoyed the journey. This is the kind of predictability that works for me. It is the little things that make a book a little different than the rest that makes all the difference.
I love the fact that this series is focused on a group of thieves. One of the main characters in this story, Gideon, is one of those thieves. It quickly becomes apparent that Gideon is really much more than a thief. He is really quite honorable and a genuinely good man who happens to be a thief simply because it is a means to survive. For me, Gideon was really the star of this book. I did like Lady Susanna more as the book progressed but at the beginning of the story she seemed overly spoiled and I have to admit that I wanted to slap her a couple of times. Of course, as the daughter of an Earl that would probably be quite realistic. I enjoyed the chemistry between Gideon and Susanna. I found that I really liked them as a couple and their willingness to sacrifice for each other was well-done.
I really liked the pacing of the story. There was a surprising amount of action for a historical romance which I think really sets this series apart from many others. The dog, Beauty, was fantastic and stole more than a few scenes. The dog was able to get the pair out of a couple of nearly impossible situations that did stretch the imagination a bit but I enjoyed every scene that featured Beauty. The balance between action, romance, and a bit of humor made this novel very enjoyable.
I would recommend this book to fans of historical romance. This is only the second full length book written by Shana Galen that I have read but I plan to continue reading works by this very talented author. I can't wait to see what else is going to happen in this series.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I liked this one but found it to be rather predictable. Still enjoyable
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life
Another great installment in the Covent Garden Cubs series! I haven't read a whole lot of Shana Galen but I have really enjoyed each installment in this series. This book is part of a series but it could easily be read as a stand alone novel. There are characters in this story from earlier books but everything that you would need to enjoy this story is contained in this book. I wouldn't hesitate to grab this book even if you haven't read the previous installments.
I really liked this book even though my initial reaction was that it was a bit predictable. After giving it some thought, I have decided that being predictable isn't always such a bad thing, especially when it comes to historical romance. I like to read historical romances that are historically accurate so that adds some predictability to the equation. I am not an expert on this time period by any means but based on other books that I have it read, it did seem to be at least somewhat accurate. I also like to see a happy ending. I not only like it....I demand it. There is almost nothing worse that a romance novel that does not have a happy ending. I could have told you that the two main characters would end up with their own happily ever after before I read the first word. That means that during the entire book, I knew that they would overcome any problems because they had to end up together. You know what...it doesn't even matter because I enjoyed the journey. This is the kind of predictability that works for me. It is the little things that make a book a little different than the rest that makes all the difference.
I love the fact that this series is focused on a group of thieves. One of the main characters in this story, Gideon, is one of those thieves. It quickly becomes apparent that Gideon is really much more than a thief. He is really quite honorable and a genuinely good man who happens to be a thief simply because it is a means to survive. For me, Gideon was really the star of this book. I did like Lady Susanna more as the book progressed but at the beginning of the story she seemed overly spoiled and I have to admit that I wanted to slap her a couple of times. Of course, as the daughter of an Earl that would probably be quite realistic. I enjoyed the chemistry between Gideon and Susanna. I found that I really liked them as a couple and their willingness to sacrifice for each other was well-done.
I really liked the pacing of the story. There was a surprising amount of action for a historical romance which I think really sets this series apart from many others. The dog, Beauty, was fantastic and stole more than a few scenes. The dog was able to get the pair out of a couple of nearly impossible situations that did stretch the imagination a bit but I enjoyed every scene that featured Beauty. The balance between action, romance, and a bit of humor made this novel very enjoyable.
I would recommend this book to fans of historical romance. This is only the second full length book written by Shana Galen that I have read but I plan to continue reading works by this very talented author. I can't wait to see what else is going to happen in this series.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I liked this one but found it to be rather predictable. Still enjoyable
February 13, 2019
I'm not a fan of stupid weak females that have zero sense of self preservation.
I'm so torn on rating this between a 2 and a 3 star. I'm just not a fan of naive, "know it all" heroines and their shenanigans.
I'm so torn on rating this between a 2 and a 3 star. I'm just not a fan of naive, "know it all" heroines and their shenanigans.
October 3, 2015
4 "An Adventure for a Necklace" Stars! Historical romance lovers of improbable matches between two members of opposite classes will enjoy The Rogue You Know. I'm so accustomed to historical romances always featuring a hero who is a duke or some other sort of titled upper class designation that I was instantly attracted to the thought of a story where a lady falls for a commoner, and a thief (an original bad boy) no less.
Although this is the second book in the Covent Garden Cubs series, it can easily be read as a standalone as the romance between the hero and heroine is fully contained within this story. That said if you read Earls Just Want to Have Fun, you will be pleased to know that Marlowe and Maxwell make a reappearance in The Rogue You Know.
We first meet our hero, Gideon Harrow, in the streets where he has spent most of his life as a thief and a con. He is a good friend of Marlowe's having both belonged to a gang of thieves living in the London slums. He is presently on the run, having stolen a very valuable necklace, which he hopes will be his ticket out of the outlaw life he leads, and in an attempt to find Marlowe, and hide his stash, he finds himself at the house of Marlowe's sister-in-law, Lady Susanna Derring.
Susanna, the daughter of an Earl, has spent her life living in London's high privileged society. Constantly chastised by her mother, who is on an ever ending plight to find her a suitable match. In the process, Susanna has felt like she has missed out on life, never being able to do the things she really wants to do. One of which is visit Vauxhall Gardens.
When Susanna interrupts Gideon in his attempt to hide the necklace in her home after breaking in, she ceases her opportunity to get out and experience life for once. In that regard, she proposes a trade, she will return the necklace to Gideon if he takes her Vauxhall Gardens.
So begins Susanna's and Gideon's wild journey which will take them from the London's underworld to the discovery of their own secret wishes and desires, never mind the truth behind one of their families. But even if during this crazy adventure they share forbidden experiences, will society ever truly allow a thief and a lady find a a HEA together?
While I do have to say that the beginning of this book felt a little bit cliched, particularly when it came to heroine, who initially came across as completely naive trusting a thief to protect her on her journey, the story does eventually embrace depth and became an addicting read. Moreover, there are some unexpected plot twists mixed in which keep the reader on their toes. In addition, to a compelling romance between two characters who both seem to grow up and mature in the process of discovering each other and themselves in the process.
All in all, The Rogue You Know was an enjoyable romance and I look forward to exploring more of the Covent Garden Cubs Series.
Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
Although this is the second book in the Covent Garden Cubs series, it can easily be read as a standalone as the romance between the hero and heroine is fully contained within this story. That said if you read Earls Just Want to Have Fun, you will be pleased to know that Marlowe and Maxwell make a reappearance in The Rogue You Know.
We first meet our hero, Gideon Harrow, in the streets where he has spent most of his life as a thief and a con. He is a good friend of Marlowe's having both belonged to a gang of thieves living in the London slums. He is presently on the run, having stolen a very valuable necklace, which he hopes will be his ticket out of the outlaw life he leads, and in an attempt to find Marlowe, and hide his stash, he finds himself at the house of Marlowe's sister-in-law, Lady Susanna Derring.
Susanna, the daughter of an Earl, has spent her life living in London's high privileged society. Constantly chastised by her mother, who is on an ever ending plight to find her a suitable match. In the process, Susanna has felt like she has missed out on life, never being able to do the things she really wants to do. One of which is visit Vauxhall Gardens.
When Susanna interrupts Gideon in his attempt to hide the necklace in her home after breaking in, she ceases her opportunity to get out and experience life for once. In that regard, she proposes a trade, she will return the necklace to Gideon if he takes her Vauxhall Gardens.
So begins Susanna's and Gideon's wild journey which will take them from the London's underworld to the discovery of their own secret wishes and desires, never mind the truth behind one of their families. But even if during this crazy adventure they share forbidden experiences, will society ever truly allow a thief and a lady find a a HEA together?
While I do have to say that the beginning of this book felt a little bit cliched, particularly when it came to heroine, who initially came across as completely naive trusting a thief to protect her on her journey, the story does eventually embrace depth and became an addicting read. Moreover, there are some unexpected plot twists mixed in which keep the reader on their toes. In addition, to a compelling romance between two characters who both seem to grow up and mature in the process of discovering each other and themselves in the process.
All in all, The Rogue You Know was an enjoyable romance and I look forward to exploring more of the Covent Garden Cubs Series.
Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2019
3.5 stars
This is my first book by Shana Galen and it definitely piqued my interest to read her backlist (which is quite extensive). I've seen her books around and read friends' reviews, but for some reason I never followed through with reading any of her books. This was a good intro, and in terms of what type of writers she's like, think Julia Quinn, Alissa Johnson, Jacquie D'Alessandro, and Sabrina Jeffries.
Although this is the second book in a series, I didn't feel lost by not having read the first one and it can definitely be read as a stand-alone; there is overlap in characters and I think this is one of those where it could be a plus to have read the prior book(s), but is by no means a prerequisite.
Review Snapshot
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I had several laugh out loud moments. As individual characters, the hero and heroine were well-written and immensely likable. There are definitely some plot issues and some secondary character turnarounds that seem implausible or abrupt, but they're for the book's sake and as long as you can write them off as such, it's fine. The chemistry between Susanna and Gideon was very well done and seemed realistic, and I had fun joining them on their adventure.
Book Summary
Susanna is a 20-year-old society miss, very much under the thumb of her mother. She feels stiffled and oppressed and constantly criticized, and is eager to experience something else in life, before the rest of her predictable life unfolds (marriage without love, a gilded cage, children, etc.).
Though her mother has always been a stickler for propriety and is a large source of her distress in life, she learns by chance that perhaps her mother wasn't always like that - and it has something to do with Vauxhall Gardens. She becomes determined to find out what it is that her mother doesn't want her to find out in the Pleasure Gardens.
Susanna finds her perfect escort when she happens upon Gideon, a thief who is in the process of breaking into her home (or so she thinks—their first encounter is quite amusing). Turns out he just wanted to hide something there and he's actually an old friend of her new sister-in-law, Marlowe, who used to be in the same street gang Gideon is in.
Gideon feels some type of obligation and responsibility for Susanna, since she's Marlowe's sister-in-law, but he mostly agrees to take her to Vauxhall Garden because she manages to conveniently take the jewels he was trying to hide.
The majority of the book covers the following 36 hours that Gideon and Susanna spend together, trying to get to Vauxhall Garden while dodging the many ruffians that are out to get Gideon (especially now that he has a price on his head for stealing those jewels) and those who are on their trail trying to bring Susanna back home.
Susanna and Gideon
I loved that Gideon was this reluctant-hero; he is very open and honest with himself about where he is from and what he does, though his goal in stealing this last jewelry piece is to get out of this life and leave London. HIs progression into caring for and wanting to protect Susanna is slow and steady, as opposed to the quick turnaround that we sometimes get, which makes it hard to believe the hero was ever as hard-hearted or world-weary as he was supposed to be.
When it comes to Susanna, the truth is I thought the story was going to go in a very different direction - when we first meet her, her despair and sense of helplessness is very real and although yes, one can think "poor little rich girl," the truth is that for women of rank in those days, there were not many options and VERY little self-determination. There were certain expectations of what their role was in life, they didn't have much to do since actually doing anything was looked down upon, and they were at the mercy of the decisions of others.
Since we are presented with this stark reality in the beginning, I was very excited about the possibility that the book was going to explore this further and that that was the internal adventure and character development the heroine was going to experience. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and while what the story did end up being was enjoyable, it was a bit of a letdown because I felt like Galen started us off in a really promising and unique direction.
Other Miscellaneous Comments
I'm not normally a huge fan of rushed plots like these, because with so little time, how much character development can really occur and unless the hero and heroine have a history together, how much can they really grow to know - let alone love - one another? What saved it for me is that the book did not fall back on an instant-lust story, though yes, they notice each other's physical attractions quite early on (I'm not asking for them to be blind though).
If anything, I wish that it had been over a longer time, because I really did enjoy the development of Susanna and Gideon's relationship and I enjoyed the exchanges between them. When you have a romance with this type of class difference though, the author is definitely limited in how she's going to be able to have them spend time together though, so it's kind of a rock-and-hard-place situation.
It was a refreshing change to basically spend no time whatsoever in the ballroom and it was fun to meet a completely different cast of characters than one normally does in most regency novels. It seems like Galen portrays the street life of London's poor in those times accurately and there is not much romanticizing done at all, while at the same time we get to see both "good" and "bad" characters from that world.
I'm really looking forward to Book 3 in the series, which I assume will feature Brook, Susanna's other brother. He seems like a really delicious hero with lots of possibilities! Since Galen already gave his older brother the thief-turned-aristocrat heroine though, I wonder what kind of heroine she'll give him ...
Some of My Favorite Quotes
Hidden since they make the review so much longer and in case you want to read it all fresh, but there's nothing included that is an actual spoiler, not to worry.
*This review is of an ARC provided by Net Galley
This is my first book by Shana Galen and it definitely piqued my interest to read her backlist (which is quite extensive). I've seen her books around and read friends' reviews, but for some reason I never followed through with reading any of her books. This was a good intro, and in terms of what type of writers she's like, think Julia Quinn, Alissa Johnson, Jacquie D'Alessandro, and Sabrina Jeffries.
Although this is the second book in a series, I didn't feel lost by not having read the first one and it can definitely be read as a stand-alone; there is overlap in characters and I think this is one of those where it could be a plus to have read the prior book(s), but is by no means a prerequisite.
Review Snapshot
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I had several laugh out loud moments. As individual characters, the hero and heroine were well-written and immensely likable. There are definitely some plot issues and some secondary character turnarounds that seem implausible or abrupt, but they're for the book's sake and as long as you can write them off as such, it's fine. The chemistry between Susanna and Gideon was very well done and seemed realistic, and I had fun joining them on their adventure.
Book Summary
Susanna is a 20-year-old society miss, very much under the thumb of her mother. She feels stiffled and oppressed and constantly criticized, and is eager to experience something else in life, before the rest of her predictable life unfolds (marriage without love, a gilded cage, children, etc.).
Though her mother has always been a stickler for propriety and is a large source of her distress in life, she learns by chance that perhaps her mother wasn't always like that - and it has something to do with Vauxhall Gardens. She becomes determined to find out what it is that her mother doesn't want her to find out in the Pleasure Gardens.
Susanna finds her perfect escort when she happens upon Gideon, a thief who is in the process of breaking into her home (or so she thinks—their first encounter is quite amusing). Turns out he just wanted to hide something there and he's actually an old friend of her new sister-in-law, Marlowe, who used to be in the same street gang Gideon is in.
Gideon feels some type of obligation and responsibility for Susanna, since she's Marlowe's sister-in-law, but he mostly agrees to take her to Vauxhall Garden because she manages to conveniently take the jewels he was trying to hide.
The majority of the book covers the following 36 hours that Gideon and Susanna spend together, trying to get to Vauxhall Garden while dodging the many ruffians that are out to get Gideon (especially now that he has a price on his head for stealing those jewels) and those who are on their trail trying to bring Susanna back home.
Susanna and Gideon
I loved that Gideon was this reluctant-hero; he is very open and honest with himself about where he is from and what he does, though his goal in stealing this last jewelry piece is to get out of this life and leave London. HIs progression into caring for and wanting to protect Susanna is slow and steady, as opposed to the quick turnaround that we sometimes get, which makes it hard to believe the hero was ever as hard-hearted or world-weary as he was supposed to be.
When it comes to Susanna, the truth is I thought the story was going to go in a very different direction - when we first meet her, her despair and sense of helplessness is very real and although yes, one can think "poor little rich girl," the truth is that for women of rank in those days, there were not many options and VERY little self-determination. There were certain expectations of what their role was in life, they didn't have much to do since actually doing anything was looked down upon, and they were at the mercy of the decisions of others.
Since we are presented with this stark reality in the beginning, I was very excited about the possibility that the book was going to explore this further and that that was the internal adventure and character development the heroine was going to experience. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and while what the story did end up being was enjoyable, it was a bit of a letdown because I felt like Galen started us off in a really promising and unique direction.
Other Miscellaneous Comments
I'm not normally a huge fan of rushed plots like these, because with so little time, how much character development can really occur and unless the hero and heroine have a history together, how much can they really grow to know - let alone love - one another? What saved it for me is that the book did not fall back on an instant-lust story, though yes, they notice each other's physical attractions quite early on (I'm not asking for them to be blind though).
If anything, I wish that it had been over a longer time, because I really did enjoy the development of Susanna and Gideon's relationship and I enjoyed the exchanges between them. When you have a romance with this type of class difference though, the author is definitely limited in how she's going to be able to have them spend time together though, so it's kind of a rock-and-hard-place situation.
It was a refreshing change to basically spend no time whatsoever in the ballroom and it was fun to meet a completely different cast of characters than one normally does in most regency novels. It seems like Galen portrays the street life of London's poor in those times accurately and there is not much romanticizing done at all, while at the same time we get to see both "good" and "bad" characters from that world.
I'm really looking forward to Book 3 in the series, which I assume will feature Brook, Susanna's other brother. He seems like a really delicious hero with lots of possibilities! Since Galen already gave his older brother the thief-turned-aristocrat heroine though, I wonder what kind of heroine she'll give him ...
Some of My Favorite Quotes
Hidden since they make the review so much longer and in case you want to read it all fresh, but there's nothing included that is an actual spoiler, not to worry.
*This review is of an ARC provided by Net Galley
September 16, 2016
Like the previous book in Shana Galen’s Covent Garden Cubs series, The Rogue You Know features an engaging – if improbable – cross-class romance, this time between an aristocratic young woman and a thief who wants to get out of the game and make a better life for himself. We met Gideon Harrow briefly in Earls Just Want to Have Fun, when he helped its protagonists to dispose of a threat to the heroine, but while it helps to have a rough idea of who he is and how he relates to those events, it’s not absolutely necessary to have read that book, as this one works perfectly well as a standalone.
Lady Susanna Derring, sister to the Earl of Dane, is a very proper, well-brought up young lady who is never allowed to forget the importance of good ton and deportment by her overbearing mother. In fact, Susanna has been so properly raised that the constant need to be correct in all things is stifling her, and causing her to resent the Dowager Countess immensely. She cannot understand her mother’s suffocating over-protectiveness which extends to not even letting her go to the ladies’ retiring room on her own at the age of twenty!
On yet another boring visit to one of her mother’s acquaintances, Susanna at last manages to slip the noose for a few moments, and during that time is engaged in conversation by a malicious gossip who hints to Susanna that her mother might not have always been the upright, respectable matron she is now, and makes mention of events that may have taken place many years ago at Vauxhall Gardens. Susanna is instantly determined to go to Vauxhall to see if she can make any sense of the remarks made to her, but the Countess is adamant in her refusal to allow her to go.
Rookery thief Gideon Harrow is on the run from Beezle, the nasty piece of work who now runs the Cubs. He had agreed to do one last job – to steal an incredibly valuable diamond necklace – and planned to use the money he would earn to get out of London and make a fresh start somewhere else. Unfortunately, he ran into trouble during the theft and had to make a run for it, meaning that Beezle believes he has been double crossed. On the run from someone who knows the rookeries every bit as well as he does, Gideon heads for Mayfair instead, intending to hide the jewels at the home of his friend and former accomplice Marlowe, now the Countess of Dane.
But when he quietly enters the house, he is promptly hit over the head by a young woman he vaguely recognises, who then proceeds to take the jewels from him and tells him she’ll return them to him if he will take her to Vauxhall Gardens.
Gideon can’t believe his ears – but has no alternative other than to agree if he wants to save his neck. Together, the pair slips out into the night, and for the first time, Susanna feels what it’s like to be free and to be doing something she wants to do rather than what she’s told.
Very soon, however, what she had thought would be a very simple adventure takes a wrong turn, and she and Gideon find themselves thrown from one difficult situation to another at lightning speed as they race through some of the darkest, most dangerous areas of London. This is a rollicking, fast-paced adventure yarn, with the action taking place over the course of little more than twenty-four hours, yet the romance doesn’t suffer from it or feel overly rushed. Gideon and Susanna strike sparks off each other from the get-go and their interactions are witty and often very funny. I did find Susanna a little hard to like at first, simply because she is SO innocent and insists on not following the instructions Gideon gives her for her own safety. Her obsession with getting to Vauxhall is also rather irritating and built on such a flimsy premise, but she grows up during the course of the book and finds the strength to take charge of her own life and to realise that there is more than one side to any story.
I liked the inclusion of the sub-plot concerning the Dowager Countess, seeing an older woman in a romance get her HEA long after she had stopped looking for it, and then, of course the reasons for her overprotectiveness of her daughter become apparent.
Gideon is an attractive hero – rough around the edges, but making the best of the hand life has dealt him. He’s had a hard life and done things he’s not proud of, but through his association with Susanna, discovers that he’s not quite the conscienceless scoundrel he’d believed himself to be. Both Gideon and Susanna have been trapped – by their upbringings, their pasts and what is expected of them, and I like the way Ms Galen shows the reader that they are both ready to begin anew.
While the book is mostly a fun, frothy adventure romp, it’s not without its more serious moments as the author once again reminds us of the truly terrible living conditions experienced by the less fortunate of London’s denizens. It’s not a heavy-handed message, but Ms Galen has certainly done her homework and her descriptions of the sights and sounds (and smells!) of the rookeries paint a vivid picture in the mind of the reader.
All in all, The Rogue You Know is an enjoyable story that makes good use of its setting away from the glittering ballrooms of the ton. Ms Galen writes with a sure, deft touch, and the story has plenty of humour as well as a real emotional depth in some of its more serious moments. I had fun reading it and am eagerly looking forward to Brook’s story in the next book.
Lady Susanna Derring, sister to the Earl of Dane, is a very proper, well-brought up young lady who is never allowed to forget the importance of good ton and deportment by her overbearing mother. In fact, Susanna has been so properly raised that the constant need to be correct in all things is stifling her, and causing her to resent the Dowager Countess immensely. She cannot understand her mother’s suffocating over-protectiveness which extends to not even letting her go to the ladies’ retiring room on her own at the age of twenty!
On yet another boring visit to one of her mother’s acquaintances, Susanna at last manages to slip the noose for a few moments, and during that time is engaged in conversation by a malicious gossip who hints to Susanna that her mother might not have always been the upright, respectable matron she is now, and makes mention of events that may have taken place many years ago at Vauxhall Gardens. Susanna is instantly determined to go to Vauxhall to see if she can make any sense of the remarks made to her, but the Countess is adamant in her refusal to allow her to go.
Rookery thief Gideon Harrow is on the run from Beezle, the nasty piece of work who now runs the Cubs. He had agreed to do one last job – to steal an incredibly valuable diamond necklace – and planned to use the money he would earn to get out of London and make a fresh start somewhere else. Unfortunately, he ran into trouble during the theft and had to make a run for it, meaning that Beezle believes he has been double crossed. On the run from someone who knows the rookeries every bit as well as he does, Gideon heads for Mayfair instead, intending to hide the jewels at the home of his friend and former accomplice Marlowe, now the Countess of Dane.
But when he quietly enters the house, he is promptly hit over the head by a young woman he vaguely recognises, who then proceeds to take the jewels from him and tells him she’ll return them to him if he will take her to Vauxhall Gardens.
Gideon can’t believe his ears – but has no alternative other than to agree if he wants to save his neck. Together, the pair slips out into the night, and for the first time, Susanna feels what it’s like to be free and to be doing something she wants to do rather than what she’s told.
Very soon, however, what she had thought would be a very simple adventure takes a wrong turn, and she and Gideon find themselves thrown from one difficult situation to another at lightning speed as they race through some of the darkest, most dangerous areas of London. This is a rollicking, fast-paced adventure yarn, with the action taking place over the course of little more than twenty-four hours, yet the romance doesn’t suffer from it or feel overly rushed. Gideon and Susanna strike sparks off each other from the get-go and their interactions are witty and often very funny. I did find Susanna a little hard to like at first, simply because she is SO innocent and insists on not following the instructions Gideon gives her for her own safety. Her obsession with getting to Vauxhall is also rather irritating and built on such a flimsy premise, but she grows up during the course of the book and finds the strength to take charge of her own life and to realise that there is more than one side to any story.
I liked the inclusion of the sub-plot concerning the Dowager Countess, seeing an older woman in a romance get her HEA long after she had stopped looking for it, and then, of course the reasons for her overprotectiveness of her daughter become apparent.
Gideon is an attractive hero – rough around the edges, but making the best of the hand life has dealt him. He’s had a hard life and done things he’s not proud of, but through his association with Susanna, discovers that he’s not quite the conscienceless scoundrel he’d believed himself to be. Both Gideon and Susanna have been trapped – by their upbringings, their pasts and what is expected of them, and I like the way Ms Galen shows the reader that they are both ready to begin anew.
While the book is mostly a fun, frothy adventure romp, it’s not without its more serious moments as the author once again reminds us of the truly terrible living conditions experienced by the less fortunate of London’s denizens. It’s not a heavy-handed message, but Ms Galen has certainly done her homework and her descriptions of the sights and sounds (and smells!) of the rookeries paint a vivid picture in the mind of the reader.
All in all, The Rogue You Know is an enjoyable story that makes good use of its setting away from the glittering ballrooms of the ton. Ms Galen writes with a sure, deft touch, and the story has plenty of humour as well as a real emotional depth in some of its more serious moments. I had fun reading it and am eagerly looking forward to Brook’s story in the next book.
January 22, 2018
4 Stars
This is my second book by Shana Galen and she’s becoming one of my go-to historical fiction go-to authors. Her books are a slow-burn though so when I’m in that kind of mood it hits all the right spots.
This is Gideon’s story! He’s best-friends of Marlow, remember he had a crush on her?
So Susanna’s brother was in the first book and now it’s her turn. I was kind of indifferent to Gideon. I found him sweet and loyal. I didn’t understand why he went back to being a thief when he could have made something of himself after the first book, but I did like we got a huge glimpse of him.
You know the movie Titanic with Rose and Jack? This book is exactly like that. Think of wealthy boring girl, pressured by her mother to marry well and here comes this rouge, who’s a thief and offers nothing but an adventure.
The entire book is about Gideon and Susanna’s adventure and it’s one heck of a ride. It’s comical, sweet and endearing.
Gideon wants a necklace that Susanna has. Susanna is willing to part with this necklace once Gideon takes her to a place that isn’t fit for ladies. The thing I liked most about this book is that it wasn’t about Gideon trying to get over Marlow, in fact Marlow wasn’t really in the book which surprised me because usually previous characters come to play.
This book redeems Gideon. I usually don’t like a poor Hero and a wealthy Heroine, but I found this plot really refreshing and cute. I read it in one sitting and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Gideon and Susanna have a cute banter and what’ the author does well is build up the characters and chemistry.
I highly suggest you read this series in order so you can get a feel of Gideon before you start this book since his role was kind of major in the first book.
This is my second book by Shana Galen and she’s becoming one of my go-to historical fiction go-to authors. Her books are a slow-burn though so when I’m in that kind of mood it hits all the right spots.
This is Gideon’s story! He’s best-friends of Marlow, remember he had a crush on her?
So Susanna’s brother was in the first book and now it’s her turn. I was kind of indifferent to Gideon. I found him sweet and loyal. I didn’t understand why he went back to being a thief when he could have made something of himself after the first book, but I did like we got a huge glimpse of him.
You know the movie Titanic with Rose and Jack? This book is exactly like that. Think of wealthy boring girl, pressured by her mother to marry well and here comes this rouge, who’s a thief and offers nothing but an adventure.
The entire book is about Gideon and Susanna’s adventure and it’s one heck of a ride. It’s comical, sweet and endearing.
Gideon wants a necklace that Susanna has. Susanna is willing to part with this necklace once Gideon takes her to a place that isn’t fit for ladies. The thing I liked most about this book is that it wasn’t about Gideon trying to get over Marlow, in fact Marlow wasn’t really in the book which surprised me because usually previous characters come to play.
This book redeems Gideon. I usually don’t like a poor Hero and a wealthy Heroine, but I found this plot really refreshing and cute. I read it in one sitting and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Gideon and Susanna have a cute banter and what’ the author does well is build up the characters and chemistry.
I highly suggest you read this series in order so you can get a feel of Gideon before you start this book since his role was kind of major in the first book.
August 3, 2015
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.
I've not read a lot of Shana Galen's work but I did read Book 1 in her Covent Garden Cubs series (Earls Just Want to Have Fun). I really enjoyed it but the heroine kind of irritated at points. I think I'm starting to see a familiar pattern...
I didn't really like Susanna all that much. At first, I sympathized with her because her mother was so hard on her. And she was very cold towards Susanna as well. She (Susanna) led a very sheltered, boring, unhappy life. It seemed pretty awful and I couldn't wait for whatever was going to happen to shake up Susanna's life. But once her adventure began, her innocence and naivete was really obvious and not flattering. Her fixation on Vauxhall Gardens never made much sense to me, even after she explained it and herself. It just felt like she was very immature and even after all of her adventures and near-death experiences, she still seemed mostly unchanged. She hadn't grown or matured in any real way.
I liked Gideon, though. I remember liking him in Book 1 of this series, too. I kept hoping, like most readers, that Gideon was secretly part of the gentry or was some long lost viscount, knowing all the while that I would be disappointed if he was. I won't say what Gideon's past entailed because that would ruin the whole book and I want everyone to suffer, wondering what's going to happen! LOL! Anyway, Gideon was pretty great from the start. He's definitely a crook but he's not a bad guy. I liked that he was fed up with his life and wanted to start over. The best part about Gideon was watching him go from a bit of a rogue to a man who recognized his principles and morals.
The Sexy Time was typical for a historical romance. I wanted to like the relationship between Susanna and Gideon more but my dislike of Susanna kind of derailed my enjoyment of them together. But about halfway through the book, I did actually start to like them as a couple. They got into so many scrapes together and then managed to get out of them that it was next to impossible not to root for them!
Even though I didn't love the heroine, this book was fun to read. There was A TON of action! Susanna and Gideon racing around London's underbelly, trying to get to Vauxhaull Gardens (with no money, by the way) while avoiding the ruffians looking for Gideon was scary, fun, and exhilarating. I would have cried and begged to be taken home after about an hour of that kind of excitement! LOL! There were a few laughs and a couple of surprises, too. All in all, this was a good book with a fun and exciting story. Although it is the second book in a series, I feel like this could definitely be read as a stand-alone. I think I'd recommend this book to historical romance fans who want to see a little of the darker, more dangerous side of London.
I've not read a lot of Shana Galen's work but I did read Book 1 in her Covent Garden Cubs series (Earls Just Want to Have Fun). I really enjoyed it but the heroine kind of irritated at points. I think I'm starting to see a familiar pattern...
I didn't really like Susanna all that much. At first, I sympathized with her because her mother was so hard on her. And she was very cold towards Susanna as well. She (Susanna) led a very sheltered, boring, unhappy life. It seemed pretty awful and I couldn't wait for whatever was going to happen to shake up Susanna's life. But once her adventure began, her innocence and naivete was really obvious and not flattering. Her fixation on Vauxhall Gardens never made much sense to me, even after she explained it and herself. It just felt like she was very immature and even after all of her adventures and near-death experiences, she still seemed mostly unchanged. She hadn't grown or matured in any real way.
I liked Gideon, though. I remember liking him in Book 1 of this series, too. I kept hoping, like most readers, that Gideon was secretly part of the gentry or was some long lost viscount, knowing all the while that I would be disappointed if he was. I won't say what Gideon's past entailed because that would ruin the whole book and I want everyone to suffer, wondering what's going to happen! LOL! Anyway, Gideon was pretty great from the start. He's definitely a crook but he's not a bad guy. I liked that he was fed up with his life and wanted to start over. The best part about Gideon was watching him go from a bit of a rogue to a man who recognized his principles and morals.
The Sexy Time was typical for a historical romance. I wanted to like the relationship between Susanna and Gideon more but my dislike of Susanna kind of derailed my enjoyment of them together. But about halfway through the book, I did actually start to like them as a couple. They got into so many scrapes together and then managed to get out of them that it was next to impossible not to root for them!
Even though I didn't love the heroine, this book was fun to read. There was A TON of action! Susanna and Gideon racing around London's underbelly, trying to get to Vauxhaull Gardens (with no money, by the way) while avoiding the ruffians looking for Gideon was scary, fun, and exhilarating. I would have cried and begged to be taken home after about an hour of that kind of excitement! LOL! There were a few laughs and a couple of surprises, too. All in all, this was a good book with a fun and exciting story. Although it is the second book in a series, I feel like this could definitely be read as a stand-alone. I think I'd recommend this book to historical romance fans who want to see a little of the darker, more dangerous side of London.
April 17, 2017
What a disappointment, after enjoying the first book in the series so much! This one just didn't do it for me at all. The hero and heroine, both of whom I liked and was interested in when they were supporting characters in Earls Just Want to Have Fun, were bland and boring in their own story. Don't you hate it when that happens? All that character potential, and it just kind of fizzled out.
The romance of these two mismatched people -- the overprotected, naive sister of book one's earl, and a cynical thief from London's seedy underbelly -- takes place over two days, and I just couldn't buy them falling in love that quickly. The story has to work on every other level for me to accept a whirlwind romance like that, and this one didn't. They barely knew each other by the end of the story! Most of the two days they had together were spent either running around London being chased by bad guys, or holed up in hiding and making out. Not sure either of those is the basis of a lasting relationship.
And whereas in the first book of the series the hero (an earl) and the heroine (a thief) might have seemed unlikely to make a marriage in the early 1800s, I bought it because he was a powerful, wealthy man (and we all know they can basically do whatever they want to) and she was the long-lost daughter of a marquess, in spite of having lived for years as a thief. I know it sounds silly, but trust me, it worked. This pairing, though? I'm extremely dubious.
The side storyline about the heroine's mother and her long lost love was so hokey, and it was basically a Deus ex Machina when the man turned up toward the end of the story. Way too convenient. It all just felt very cheesy to me.
There's one more book left in the series. I hope it's more like the first one and less like the second. 2.5 stars
The romance of these two mismatched people -- the overprotected, naive sister of book one's earl, and a cynical thief from London's seedy underbelly -- takes place over two days, and I just couldn't buy them falling in love that quickly. The story has to work on every other level for me to accept a whirlwind romance like that, and this one didn't. They barely knew each other by the end of the story! Most of the two days they had together were spent either running around London being chased by bad guys, or holed up in hiding and making out. Not sure either of those is the basis of a lasting relationship.
And whereas in the first book of the series the hero (an earl) and the heroine (a thief) might have seemed unlikely to make a marriage in the early 1800s, I bought it because he was a powerful, wealthy man (and we all know they can basically do whatever they want to) and she was the long-lost daughter of a marquess, in spite of having lived for years as a thief. I know it sounds silly, but trust me, it worked. This pairing, though? I'm extremely dubious.
The side storyline about the heroine's mother and her long lost love was so hokey, and it was basically a Deus ex Machina when the man turned up toward the end of the story. Way too convenient. It all just felt very cheesy to me.
There's one more book left in the series. I hope it's more like the first one and less like the second. 2.5 stars
February 7, 2017
2.5 stars
I'm quite pleased to have finally finished a book. December was so incredibly busy at work that I found myself not wanting to read during my lunch break and even when I came home at night I did little more than crash on the couch and watch some mindless tv show. I had hoped to get some reading done over the holidays, when I had a week off from work, but ended up not feeling like it. Maybe I was suffering from some sort of reader's fatigue for a little while.
In any case, I'm getting back into the swing of things now, with a book I added to my "read next" shelf like a year ago. Ahem. New Year's resolution: try and be more organised.
Unfortunately, I could've picked much better books to start off the year with. I loved the first book in this series, despite its ridiculous plot. There was just something about it that grabbed me and took me along for the ride. While I very much liked Gideon and Susanna here, too, I honestly didn't like their story very much.
I debated whether to round up or down and still haven't truly decided. It's a pretty solid 2.5, but failing that option I decided to do the generous thing and go with three stars. There are a lot of Rapunzel comparisons and I did enjoy those. In Tangled she's locked in a tower and wants nothing more than to go on an adventure and see the lights in the sky. Susanna might as well be locked in a tower, or at least that's how she's felt her entire life, and she wants an adventure in the form of an outing to Vauxhall Gardens.
The similarities are fun, down to the animal sidekick (a dog in this case) that follows Gideon around and wants to tear out his throat, but that Susanna wraps around her little finger in a matter of seconds. They meet ruffians along the way, of course, which should've made for a pretty exciting adventure, but was a little dull for me.
The entire story takes about 48 hours, too. I know things happen fast in romance books, especially historicals, and I don't mind suspending disbelief, but honestly; 48 hours?!
Though I should say I had no problem whatsoever with imagining Gideon looking like Flynn Rider.
So I am left with mixed feelings because while it's entertaining in parts, it's not even close to being as good as the first one.
I'm quite pleased to have finally finished a book. December was so incredibly busy at work that I found myself not wanting to read during my lunch break and even when I came home at night I did little more than crash on the couch and watch some mindless tv show. I had hoped to get some reading done over the holidays, when I had a week off from work, but ended up not feeling like it. Maybe I was suffering from some sort of reader's fatigue for a little while.
In any case, I'm getting back into the swing of things now, with a book I added to my "read next" shelf like a year ago. Ahem. New Year's resolution: try and be more organised.
Unfortunately, I could've picked much better books to start off the year with. I loved the first book in this series, despite its ridiculous plot. There was just something about it that grabbed me and took me along for the ride. While I very much liked Gideon and Susanna here, too, I honestly didn't like their story very much.
I debated whether to round up or down and still haven't truly decided. It's a pretty solid 2.5, but failing that option I decided to do the generous thing and go with three stars. There are a lot of Rapunzel comparisons and I did enjoy those. In Tangled she's locked in a tower and wants nothing more than to go on an adventure and see the lights in the sky. Susanna might as well be locked in a tower, or at least that's how she's felt her entire life, and she wants an adventure in the form of an outing to Vauxhall Gardens.
The similarities are fun, down to the animal sidekick (a dog in this case) that follows Gideon around and wants to tear out his throat, but that Susanna wraps around her little finger in a matter of seconds. They meet ruffians along the way, of course, which should've made for a pretty exciting adventure, but was a little dull for me.
The entire story takes about 48 hours, too. I know things happen fast in romance books, especially historicals, and I don't mind suspending disbelief, but honestly; 48 hours?!
Though I should say I had no problem whatsoever with imagining Gideon looking like Flynn Rider.
So I am left with mixed feelings because while it's entertaining in parts, it's not even close to being as good as the first one.
September 7, 2015
Lady Susanna Derring needs some breathing room. She'd love to spend an entire evening alone unchaperoned by her overbearing mother and far away from the watchful eyes of the members of the ton. Susanna suspects that her mother may have been in love with another man prior to marrying her father and that the couple may have trysted at the Vauxhall pleasure gardens. How does an Earl's daughter visit the gardens at night and unchaperoned?
Gideon Harrow is a handsome, charming thief. He's decided to give up stealing and conning people. Gideon needs to score one more big job and he's home free. Gideon steals a diamond and emerald necklace and is barely able to outrun his fellow criminals. Where does a thief go to ground? At another thief's house?
Shana Galen's The Rogue You Know is the third book in her Covent Garden Cubs series. The novel captures the spirit of the determined Susanna and her hero Gideon, the charming rogue with a heart of gold. The dialogue is fabulous and so cleverly written. Ms. Galen has Gideon and his friends from the Seven Dials section of London speak in "flash ken". By using this dialect the author is able to present the differences between the hero and heroine in an honest and subtle manner.
Ms. Galen is well known for writing a well paced action story with fabulous characters. The Rogue You Know takes the reader on an unexpected adventure. There are several surprising developments in the story as Susanna and Gideon travel through the dark, seedy streets of the Seven Dials section of London. The couple's adventures on their way to the pleasure gardens add to the novel's suspense and kept me reading past my bedtime. Kudos to Ms. Galen for an excellent novel filled with suspense, adventure and fabulous characters!
Gideon Harrow is a handsome, charming thief. He's decided to give up stealing and conning people. Gideon needs to score one more big job and he's home free. Gideon steals a diamond and emerald necklace and is barely able to outrun his fellow criminals. Where does a thief go to ground? At another thief's house?
Shana Galen's The Rogue You Know is the third book in her Covent Garden Cubs series. The novel captures the spirit of the determined Susanna and her hero Gideon, the charming rogue with a heart of gold. The dialogue is fabulous and so cleverly written. Ms. Galen has Gideon and his friends from the Seven Dials section of London speak in "flash ken". By using this dialect the author is able to present the differences between the hero and heroine in an honest and subtle manner.
Ms. Galen is well known for writing a well paced action story with fabulous characters. The Rogue You Know takes the reader on an unexpected adventure. There are several surprising developments in the story as Susanna and Gideon travel through the dark, seedy streets of the Seven Dials section of London. The couple's adventures on their way to the pleasure gardens add to the novel's suspense and kept me reading past my bedtime. Kudos to Ms. Galen for an excellent novel filled with suspense, adventure and fabulous characters!
August 25, 2015
Historical romance will forever have a special place in my heart because it is basically the only sub-genre I read for my four years of high school. Moving forward with that thought, I liked this novel. It was a bit different and I'm a sucker for a redeemable guy. Gideon is pretty damn redeemable and makes me happy. Susanna is overly sheltered and dying for adventure and the possibility of something more than the life she is allowed to lead. When her and Gideon cross paths, they never think they will have a massive adventure together nor do they consider the possibility of falling in love with one another. Keeping this simple, sweet, and short, The Rogue You Know earned 4 charming and darling stars from me.
March 7, 2016
Hello Tangled.
It took me far too long to figure it out. But as soon as I realized that I was reading a Regency-retelling of Disney's "Tangled," I couldn't NOT continue reading. And then I sort of leaned into it and found the whole thing worked surprisingly well. The movie's frying pan became a candlestick, the chameleon/horse were combined into the role of a very-useful dog, and then point-by-point, the plot of "Tangled" was revealed. Thankfully, the mother in this version is a lot nicer. :) And our lovable rogue is just as lovable in this version as the original, which is really what counts. Such a fun, zany book, and great read in itself (not just for all the fun Tangled parallels). Good times, highly recommended.
It took me far too long to figure it out. But as soon as I realized that I was reading a Regency-retelling of Disney's "Tangled," I couldn't NOT continue reading. And then I sort of leaned into it and found the whole thing worked surprisingly well. The movie's frying pan became a candlestick, the chameleon/horse were combined into the role of a very-useful dog, and then point-by-point, the plot of "Tangled" was revealed. Thankfully, the mother in this version is a lot nicer. :) And our lovable rogue is just as lovable in this version as the original, which is really what counts. Such a fun, zany book, and great read in itself (not just for all the fun Tangled parallels). Good times, highly recommended.
May 16, 2016
Despite a few implausible situations in The Rogue You Know.. it was an enjoyable rich girl falls for the boy from the wrong side of the tracks kinda read.
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
August 30, 2015
There’s something slightly familiar about this book. Our heroine Rapunzel Susanna has spent her life locked in a tower respectability, closely watched by her mother. She longs for an adventure, to get out and see the world. And then a thief turns up in her library. Flynn Gideon is looking for somewhere to hide his satchel bag containing a valuable tiara necklace, which holds the key to freeing him from his life of crime. However, thanks to a trusty frying pan candlestick, Susanna manages to hide it from him. She’ll only give it back if he promises to take her to see the floating lights Vauxhall Gardens…
Okay, you probably get the picture. This isn’t just a fairytale retelling in a Regency setting, this is Disney’s Tangled, only with more grimy bits. It even has a bunch of ruffians who end up talking to Susanna about having a dream, when she tries to stop them from handing Gideon over for a reward. Instead of Maximus the horse, we have Beauty the dog who starts out the book by chasing Gideon. It even starts with the same line as the film!
Now, some people might find this cute. I did. At first. Then right about the moment when Gideon guesses for the second time where Susanna hid the necklace it started to grow old. When the head thug tells her to “Go. Live your dream.” I was so very close to giving up. If they’d sat in a boat on the way to Vauxhall watching the fireworks while gazing lovingly into each other's eyes, I definitely would have. It was a cute idea that went too far and is still hanging around right up to the end, which made this whole book a lot less enjoyable than it could have been.
Then again, Susanna is most definitely foolish beyond permission. I know she’s been sheltered by her mother’s overbearing protection, but really, can she possible be both incredibly naive and boldly reckless? I struggled to connect the girl who is almost sick at escaping to the retiring room at a garden party with the same one who runs off into the night with an unknown thief. The idea that she’s always been stubborn and headstrong really doesn’t fit in with the girl we first meet. Nor the dim-witted things she says when she and Gideon first start out on their adventure.
Gideon too suffers from being shoved into the Flynn Rider mould. I frequently wondered how he possibly managed to survive so long in London when he’s so very good at making enemies. Funny in a Disney film, but less workable in a book that’s trying to show off the dark side of Seven Dials. Considering how much I liked him in the last book ( Earls Just Want to Have Fun), I was a bit disappointed in him here. He seemed to have more integrity when dealing with Marlowe. Here he’s just too much the loveable rogue, always up to no good, but with a cheeky smile for the ladies. He even has aSmoulder Look.
As for the whole reason why Susanna wants to go to Vauxhall in the first place? Flimsy at best. Add in the lack of concern about how long she’s gone for… Well, let’s just say this book didn’t bowl me over. By the time I reached the (quite frankly ludicrous) plot with her mother I just gave up and hung on grimly for the end, just in case her hair turned magical and/or the chameleon turned up. I’m a little surprised that neither did.
Overall this book tries to be fun and sort of is, while also trying to show off the darker side of Regency London – with an added Disney twist. It’s daft, basically, and if you can put aside any hopes of a serious or even remotely believable tale, then go for it. I would have enjoyed it more if I knew Tangled less. In my opinion it’s neither as fun nor as strong as the first book in the series, even without the film references, but I still have hopes for Sir Brook’s tale in the future.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
Okay, you probably get the picture. This isn’t just a fairytale retelling in a Regency setting, this is Disney’s Tangled, only with more grimy bits. It even has a bunch of ruffians who end up talking to Susanna about having a dream, when she tries to stop them from handing Gideon over for a reward. Instead of Maximus the horse, we have Beauty the dog who starts out the book by chasing Gideon. It even starts with the same line as the film!
Now, some people might find this cute. I did. At first. Then right about the moment when Gideon guesses for the second time where Susanna hid the necklace it started to grow old. When the head thug tells her to “Go. Live your dream.” I was so very close to giving up. If they’d sat in a boat on the way to Vauxhall watching the fireworks while gazing lovingly into each other's eyes, I definitely would have. It was a cute idea that went too far and is still hanging around right up to the end, which made this whole book a lot less enjoyable than it could have been.
Then again, Susanna is most definitely foolish beyond permission. I know she’s been sheltered by her mother’s overbearing protection, but really, can she possible be both incredibly naive and boldly reckless? I struggled to connect the girl who is almost sick at escaping to the retiring room at a garden party with the same one who runs off into the night with an unknown thief. The idea that she’s always been stubborn and headstrong really doesn’t fit in with the girl we first meet. Nor the dim-witted things she says when she and Gideon first start out on their adventure.
Gideon too suffers from being shoved into the Flynn Rider mould. I frequently wondered how he possibly managed to survive so long in London when he’s so very good at making enemies. Funny in a Disney film, but less workable in a book that’s trying to show off the dark side of Seven Dials. Considering how much I liked him in the last book ( Earls Just Want to Have Fun), I was a bit disappointed in him here. He seemed to have more integrity when dealing with Marlowe. Here he’s just too much the loveable rogue, always up to no good, but with a cheeky smile for the ladies. He even has a
As for the whole reason why Susanna wants to go to Vauxhall in the first place? Flimsy at best. Add in the lack of concern about how long she’s gone for… Well, let’s just say this book didn’t bowl me over. By the time I reached the (quite frankly ludicrous) plot with her mother I just gave up and hung on grimly for the end, just in case her hair turned magical and/or the chameleon turned up. I’m a little surprised that neither did.
Overall this book tries to be fun and sort of is, while also trying to show off the darker side of Regency London – with an added Disney twist. It’s daft, basically, and if you can put aside any hopes of a serious or even remotely believable tale, then go for it. I would have enjoyed it more if I knew Tangled less. In my opinion it’s neither as fun nor as strong as the first book in the series, even without the film references, but I still have hopes for Sir Brook’s tale in the future.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
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September 2, 2015Also posted
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There’s something really easy about Shana Galen’s writing, which makes her books fast-paced and entertaining reads. I haven’t read that much from her, but what I’ve read I’ve enjoyed.
Covering a VERY short timeframe, this historical romance (I assume it’s supposed to be a Regency romance, but we’re given no dates) requires a massive suspension of disbelief, but the originality is what kept me turning the pages. We get to see London’s darker and poorer side, and it makes for a more interesting read than many a glittering ballroom book.
The action never really stops in The Rogue You Know. However, that also means the storyline takes place in a very condensed timeframe; the first three-quarters of the book happens over only twenty-four hours. In that time people fall in love, lives are changed massively, all sorts of things happen. After sleeping with the hero more than once hours after meeting him, I seriously doubt our heroine hadn’t thought about pregnancy, no matter what she said!
Well-researched – very well-researched, actually – this is an adventure book. It’s not one you should take too seriously, but unlike a lot of lighter-hearted historical romances, it never becomes silly. It’s a great balance of dark and light.
As ever, this is a book that could have done with a British or Antipodean editor, though I’m so glad this is one US author who uses the word arse! However, for example, as most of the book is set in London’s less pleasant places, the word trash popped up so many times it was a huge distraction.
I like Shana Galen’s writing. I like that she’s not afraid to write action and adventure into her historical romances, and I love that she writes about more than one social class. The Rogue You Know could be picked to pieces and have its improbabilities exposed, but it’s not that sort of book. This is a story you read for fun.
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
There’s something really easy about Shana Galen’s writing, which makes her books fast-paced and entertaining reads. I haven’t read that much from her, but what I’ve read I’ve enjoyed.
Covering a VERY short timeframe, this historical romance (I assume it’s supposed to be a Regency romance, but we’re given no dates) requires a massive suspension of disbelief, but the originality is what kept me turning the pages. We get to see London’s darker and poorer side, and it makes for a more interesting read than many a glittering ballroom book.
The action never really stops in The Rogue You Know. However, that also means the storyline takes place in a very condensed timeframe; the first three-quarters of the book happens over only twenty-four hours. In that time people fall in love, lives are changed massively, all sorts of things happen. After sleeping with the hero more than once hours after meeting him, I seriously doubt our heroine hadn’t thought about pregnancy, no matter what she said!
Well-researched – very well-researched, actually – this is an adventure book. It’s not one you should take too seriously, but unlike a lot of lighter-hearted historical romances, it never becomes silly. It’s a great balance of dark and light.
As ever, this is a book that could have done with a British or Antipodean editor, though I’m so glad this is one US author who uses the word arse! However, for example, as most of the book is set in London’s less pleasant places, the word trash popped up so many times it was a huge distraction.
I like Shana Galen’s writing. I like that she’s not afraid to write action and adventure into her historical romances, and I love that she writes about more than one social class. The Rogue You Know could be picked to pieces and have its improbabilities exposed, but it’s not that sort of book. This is a story you read for fun.
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
November 11, 2015
I've given this a B for both narration and content at AudioGals.
The Rogue You Know is the second book in Shana Galen’s Covent Garden Cubs series, and, like its predecessor, Earls Just Want to Have Fun, is an enjoyable, fast-paced and often humourous story featuring an improbable but well-written cross-class romance between a pair of engaging and attractive protagonists.
Lady Susanna Derring is twenty years old, but her mother, the Dowager Countess of Dane, refuses to cut the apron strings, keeping such a strict eye on her daughter that Susanna is feeling increasingly suffocated. It’s only when, at a gathering of ladies of her mother’s acquaintance, Susanna manages to break free for a few moments and is engaged in conversation by one of the other guests, that she begins to suspect that perhaps there may be more to the countess’ over-protectiveness than meets the eye. The woman hints that Susanna’s mother may not always have been the uptight model of propriety she is now, and her passing reference to Vauxhall Gardens makes Susanna determined to go there to see if she can find out anything about her mother’s past.
You can read the rest of this review at AudioGals.
The Rogue You Know is the second book in Shana Galen’s Covent Garden Cubs series, and, like its predecessor, Earls Just Want to Have Fun, is an enjoyable, fast-paced and often humourous story featuring an improbable but well-written cross-class romance between a pair of engaging and attractive protagonists.
Lady Susanna Derring is twenty years old, but her mother, the Dowager Countess of Dane, refuses to cut the apron strings, keeping such a strict eye on her daughter that Susanna is feeling increasingly suffocated. It’s only when, at a gathering of ladies of her mother’s acquaintance, Susanna manages to break free for a few moments and is engaged in conversation by one of the other guests, that she begins to suspect that perhaps there may be more to the countess’ over-protectiveness than meets the eye. The woman hints that Susanna’s mother may not always have been the uptight model of propriety she is now, and her passing reference to Vauxhall Gardens makes Susanna determined to go there to see if she can find out anything about her mother’s past.
You can read the rest of this review at AudioGals.
May 26, 2022
2019 rating: 5 stars
2022 rating: 3 stars
The same as the previous book, I felt this book lacked the romance and bond building between the hero and heroine because the action was more the romance. Hence, the romance was unbelievable to me.
When I see Susanna, I didn’t know whether to applaud her for being brave or just plain stupid by doing things or jumping into situations that she knows she doesn’t have experience in or is dangerous. Stupid of her really, as she wasn’t familiar with the place she was in and yet tried to do things. Should have listened to Gideon who knew the area well.
Gideon was a good man. Despite being a thief, he could have just throw Susanna away, took his necklace by force and not honor their deal. But he decided to honor the deal, protected Susanna and did nice things for her.
I didn’t particularly love either of them. There was insta lust, which I didn’t like. Chemistry wasn’t the best.
An alright book, but nothing too special.
2022 rating: 3 stars
The same as the previous book, I felt this book lacked the romance and bond building between the hero and heroine because the action was more the romance. Hence, the romance was unbelievable to me.
When I see Susanna, I didn’t know whether to applaud her for being brave or just plain stupid by doing things or jumping into situations that she knows she doesn’t have experience in or is dangerous. Stupid of her really, as she wasn’t familiar with the place she was in and yet tried to do things. Should have listened to Gideon who knew the area well.
Gideon was a good man. Despite being a thief, he could have just throw Susanna away, took his necklace by force and not honor their deal. But he decided to honor the deal, protected Susanna and did nice things for her.
I didn’t particularly love either of them. There was insta lust, which I didn’t like. Chemistry wasn’t the best.
An alright book, but nothing too special.
August 18, 2015
In THE ROGUE YOU KNOW by Shana Galen Lady Susanna Derring has one desire, to see Vauxhall Gardens. Her very strict Mother refuses to let her go. Susanna feels suffocated in her own home. She dreams of having an adventure. When Gideon Harrow, a common thief, jumps in the window of her Father's library, her adventure begins. She uses blackmail to force Gideon to take her to Vauxhall. Thus begins their wild escapades all over London. This book was soooo funny! The banter was the best I've read in a long time. Of course, there is danger, and excitement, and love. My favorite quote: "He wanted to be the sort of man who deserved to lie beside her, touch her, breathe her rarified air." I adored this book, and I promise you will too!
February 9, 2016
Another wonderful couple
Gideon harrow was a thief. He had been a thief most of his life. But that wasn't what brought him to Marlowe's house give night he met her sister in law Susanne Derring.
When she turns the tables in him she gets her dream come true, an escort to the place she just has to see. She had a mystery to solve.
Together the run the streets of London. Chased by men that have revenge in mind.
This is such a lively and lovely story. The characters are so easy to love. It is the perfect book to follow Marlowe's tale. It is a wonderful book. I am so glad that Shana Galen gave us Gideon and Susanna.
Gideon harrow was a thief. He had been a thief most of his life. But that wasn't what brought him to Marlowe's house give night he met her sister in law Susanne Derring.
When she turns the tables in him she gets her dream come true, an escort to the place she just has to see. She had a mystery to solve.
Together the run the streets of London. Chased by men that have revenge in mind.
This is such a lively and lovely story. The characters are so easy to love. It is the perfect book to follow Marlowe's tale. It is a wonderful book. I am so glad that Shana Galen gave us Gideon and Susanna.
July 6, 2015
My review for "The Rogue You Know" by Shana Galen will be linked back here to Goodreads in the near future. Stay tuned!
Read
March 8, 2016DNF
February 21, 2017
Even less believable than the first. Liked Gideon.
August 29, 2015
This book made me feel like a snob. And I'm not a snob. At least I don't think I am. Why do I feel like a snob you ask? Well, the main character in this book is not a dashing duke or an enticing earl... he is a thief from Seven Dials. And I found that I was just not as attracted to his character! How horrible is that? Gideon was gentlemanly enough for a thief. He was quite witty and patient, and I liked his personality. But despite all of that, I just couldn't connect with him the way I wanted to. Pity, that.
I also did not realize this was the second book in a series until after I started reading... and I didn't have time to go back and read the first book. While I would not say that its absolutely necessary for you to read the first book, there was A LOT of character overlap. So I would strongly suggest you start with the first book. The series is focusing on a gang from Covent Garden - those who make ends meet by less than honest means. And it seems that each book may follow one of the less fortunate who finds their HEA with a member of the gentry.
In this installment, our titled lady is Susanna, daughter of an earl. Susanna is a society miss who is being absolutely smothered by her over-protective mother. She can't even go to the bathroom by herself! Just when Susanna is at wit's end, she happens upon Gideon breaking into her home and demands that he take her to Vauxhall Gardens. This begins a series of misadventures for the pair which force Susanna and Gideon together into a sort of love-hate relationship. I liked Susanna well-enough, but again I was still feeling snobby because I kept hoping that Gideon was going to turn out to be an undercover earl or missing marquess. I must have been feeling the plight of a distressed damsel when I read this because I was feeling a lack of hero worship. C'est la vie.
I did like the abundance of street slang in this story. Although I had to look up words sometimes to see what they meant, it added something different to the story and I was able to get a picture of these downtrodden people speaking roughly throughout the book. Overall I liked the story and I will continue reading the series - I will just make sure the next time I pick one up, I am not in the mood for a dashing duke to take me away from it all.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars / 3 flames.
I also did not realize this was the second book in a series until after I started reading... and I didn't have time to go back and read the first book. While I would not say that its absolutely necessary for you to read the first book, there was A LOT of character overlap. So I would strongly suggest you start with the first book. The series is focusing on a gang from Covent Garden - those who make ends meet by less than honest means. And it seems that each book may follow one of the less fortunate who finds their HEA with a member of the gentry.
In this installment, our titled lady is Susanna, daughter of an earl. Susanna is a society miss who is being absolutely smothered by her over-protective mother. She can't even go to the bathroom by herself! Just when Susanna is at wit's end, she happens upon Gideon breaking into her home and demands that he take her to Vauxhall Gardens. This begins a series of misadventures for the pair which force Susanna and Gideon together into a sort of love-hate relationship. I liked Susanna well-enough, but again I was still feeling snobby because I kept hoping that Gideon was going to turn out to be an undercover earl or missing marquess. I must have been feeling the plight of a distressed damsel when I read this because I was feeling a lack of hero worship. C'est la vie.
I did like the abundance of street slang in this story. Although I had to look up words sometimes to see what they meant, it added something different to the story and I was able to get a picture of these downtrodden people speaking roughly throughout the book. Overall I liked the story and I will continue reading the series - I will just make sure the next time I pick one up, I am not in the mood for a dashing duke to take me away from it all.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars / 3 flames.
September 13, 2015
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
3 stars.
The Rogue You Know is a well-written Historical Romance adventure spanning 48-hours. With any book, you need to suspend belief as it's fiction. This book, however, took that to a whole 'nother level. A mile a minute, the H & h experienced death-defying action on all the pages that weren't filled with romance and smexy time scenes.
I felt mixed emotions while reading this title.
There were parts I absolutely adored: Beauty the dog was by far my favorite character of the story. The mother and her new friend were a good addition. I enjoyed their side story immensely. When the dog and the side story capture you more than the main story thread...
There were parts I was meh on: the plot of Susanne thinking with blinders on about getting to Vauxhall Gardens with no thought to other's needs (Yet she was saving widows, toddlers, and pups while facing off with bad guys which was contradictory). She wanted to be trusted, to have her mother respect her as an adult, but acted as if she were TSTL on dozens occasions, like a 12 year old girl, not her age. Innocent and sheltered is one thing; acting without thought of consequence is another. Acting pushy doesn't make you a strong heroine; it just makes you annoying to read. She was the reason Gideon was in constant danger by putting him into the lion's mouth at all times for her frivolous needs (It was his responsibility for his actions, but then she just kept him in danger on every page when he should have gotten to safety) Other than the truth falling into Susanne's lap, I'm not entirely sure what she thought she'd 'find' at Vauxhall 20+ years after the fact. She was one of the most irrational characters I've ever read. While cute in a child or pet... How short of a time frame the book entailed, falling in love with Gideon by the 24-hour mark.
The parts I was entertained by not blown away:The mother's past. Suzanne & Gideon's chemistry. The first few smexy time scenes were well-written and highly evocative. The tied up with a tidy bow ending. I did enjoy the resolution.
All in all, The Rogue You Know was an entertaining read that just didn't work for me. I do recommend this series, as book #1 with Marlowe was utterly unique. I look forward to book #3 in this series.
3 stars.
The Rogue You Know is a well-written Historical Romance adventure spanning 48-hours. With any book, you need to suspend belief as it's fiction. This book, however, took that to a whole 'nother level. A mile a minute, the H & h experienced death-defying action on all the pages that weren't filled with romance and smexy time scenes.
I felt mixed emotions while reading this title.
There were parts I absolutely adored: Beauty the dog was by far my favorite character of the story. The mother and her new friend were a good addition. I enjoyed their side story immensely. When the dog and the side story capture you more than the main story thread...
There were parts I was meh on: the plot of Susanne thinking with blinders on about getting to Vauxhall Gardens with no thought to other's needs (Yet she was saving widows, toddlers, and pups while facing off with bad guys which was contradictory). She wanted to be trusted, to have her mother respect her as an adult, but acted as if she were TSTL on dozens occasions, like a 12 year old girl, not her age. Innocent and sheltered is one thing; acting without thought of consequence is another. Acting pushy doesn't make you a strong heroine; it just makes you annoying to read. She was the reason Gideon was in constant danger by putting him into the lion's mouth at all times for her frivolous needs (It was his responsibility for his actions, but then she just kept him in danger on every page when he should have gotten to safety) Other than the truth falling into Susanne's lap, I'm not entirely sure what she thought she'd 'find' at Vauxhall 20+ years after the fact. She was one of the most irrational characters I've ever read. While cute in a child or pet... How short of a time frame the book entailed, falling in love with Gideon by the 24-hour mark.
The parts I was entertained by not blown away:The mother's past. Suzanne & Gideon's chemistry. The first few smexy time scenes were well-written and highly evocative. The tied up with a tidy bow ending. I did enjoy the resolution.
All in all, The Rogue You Know was an entertaining read that just didn't work for me. I do recommend this series, as book #1 with Marlowe was utterly unique. I look forward to book #3 in this series.
July 21, 2015
I loved it! I didn't think Gabriel and Lady Susanna would have anything in common or could possibly have a relationship with such differing backgrounds, but I was wrong. Gabriel Harrow is a thief living in St Giles and Lady Susanna is the daughter of an Earl living in Mayfair. The only thing they have in common is Marlow, Susanna's new sister-in-law and Gabriel's old friend. Susanna feels stifled and longs for an adventure, and when she encounters Gabriel, she coerces him into taking her to Vauxhall Gardens. Of course, something that seems so easy is anything but, and she certainly does have an adventure, with Gabriel and a stray dog she names Beauty along for the ride. With Gabriel's former associates chasing them, Susanna isn't afraid to defend herself and her companions, making new enemies as well as friends along the way. I loved the spunky little dog, as well as the secondary characters like Brenna and Des. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the Covent Garden Cubs series, I'd like to see Susanna's brother Sir Brook find his match.
September 1, 2015
If there can only be one thing I like about Shana Galens writing, it is the variety. Some of her stories are dark, deep & sad. But others are easy and fun.
Susanna & Gideons story is wonderful. There is plenty of suspense and action. And the two of them do make a wonderful couple.
Susanna is not a wimpy girl. She is smart. She even finds out that she can be rather fearless.
Gideon has lived a hard life. He has never met anyone like Susanna.
He is ready to begin a new life for himself.
And by a crazy coincidence, Susanna is also ready to begin a new life for herself.
The story keeps you involved and smiling. I could not wait to see what happens next.
One surprise after another.
And fireworks. Don't forget the fireworks.
Its another 5 star story from Shana Galen.
Susanna & Gideons story is wonderful. There is plenty of suspense and action. And the two of them do make a wonderful couple.
Susanna is not a wimpy girl. She is smart. She even finds out that she can be rather fearless.
Gideon has lived a hard life. He has never met anyone like Susanna.
He is ready to begin a new life for himself.
And by a crazy coincidence, Susanna is also ready to begin a new life for herself.
The story keeps you involved and smiling. I could not wait to see what happens next.
One surprise after another.
And fireworks. Don't forget the fireworks.
Its another 5 star story from Shana Galen.
September 11, 2015
Shana Galen just gets better and better!!! The Rogue You Know is the second book in the Covenant Garden Cubs series and it is a gem. Rapscallion Gideon is trying to leave his thieving past behind him. Susanna is trying to have an adventure. The two were destined to find one another and take each other on the journey of a lifetime. Galen once again delivers wit, intrigue, and deep emotion that combine to make an excellent story. She also gives some playful nods to another thief meets sheltered girl seeking adventure, although Susanna has a more manageable length of hair that did the fair Rapunzel. This is a can’t miss read!
August 12, 2015
Shana Galen does it yet again! Adventures and action, unpredictable plot twists, fabulous characters, and of course a lovely romance; everything is there for the discriminating historical romance fan! Beautifully written, witty, fast-paced and sweetly sexy!
Want to read
July 16, 2017Free on Amazon 02-02-16
Read
June 16, 2016I stopped reading at 15%. No rating.
I stopped because there is no chemistry between them. I think if a couple doesn't have attraction between them early, I will never warm up to them.
I stopped because there is no chemistry between them. I think if a couple doesn't have attraction between them early, I will never warm up to them.
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