Gone With the Rogue by Amelia Grey

A powerful handsome rogue finally meets his match in Gone With the Rogue, the second book in the First Comes Love series from bestseller Amelia Grey.

She had an acceptable marriage of convenience. Now widowed, can this determined and beautiful mother find true and forever love?

The sinking of the Salty Dove took her husband’s life—but it didn’t drown Julia Fairbright’s courage to endure. She creates a proper life for herself and her young son. But now, the ton’s most notorious rogue is back, and how he makes Julia feel is anything but proper. She can’t deny the desires he awakens in her, even though she knows that the handsome devil will surely break her heart.

Garrett Stockton owns a successful shipping company and is rumored to have a woman on every continent and half-a-dozen in England. The truth, however, is that Garrett has but one mistress: the wide open sea. That is, until he meets Julia, whose spirit of independence matches his own. What begins as a flirtatious battle of wits turns far more passionate than either of them could have imagined. Suddenly, Garrett’s only desire is to sail into the sunset with Julia as his wife and young Chatwyn his son. But she won’t take his hand—how can he convince her that his love is real and his heart is hers?

Review

Julia entered a marriage of convenience to find freedom - but with her husband's death, she finds herself under the thumb of her self-righteous father-in-law. In order to win her freedom and that of her son, she enlists the help of an attractive sojourner and quickly finds her heart entangled.

I feel that calling Garrett a rogue does him a disservice. Sure, he owns (and runs!) a shipping company, and sometimes his salvage operations have been less than perfectly above board, but he seems rather decent. He is honest, hard-working, doesn't gamble nor smoke, and is still invited to a selection of parties with the ton. His supposed love of the sea barely makes an appearance. I also quite liked Julia's kindness and convictions, but did find myself impatient with her choices. I can understand impulsivity, but she swings between denying herself completely due to the perceived consequences and jumping headfirst into poor decisions without considering possible outcomes. Like pregnancy. Yeah.

I enjoyed this book - the ending is charming - but couldn't quite reconcile myself to how it played out.

Three stars

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, all opinions are my own