Angel Reads

15 Nov

Discussion: A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore with Ely

Posted by angelreads Buddy Read, Discussions No Comments

It’s time for another discussion with Ely from Earl Grey Books. Today we are talking about A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore. This is the second book in the ‘A League of Extraordinary Women’ series and focuses on Lady Lucie and Lord Tristan Ballentine. Now enough of all this let’s get into talking about this wonderful book.

A Rogue of One’s Own (A League of Extraordinary Women #2) by Evie Dunmore

Pages: 448
Publish date: September 1st 2020
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 9781984805706
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

A lady must have money and an army of her own if she is to win a revolution – but first, she must pit her wits against the wiles of an irresistible rogue bent on wrecking her plans…and her heart.

Lady Lucie is fuming. She and her band of Oxford suffragists have finally scraped together enough capital to control one of London’s major publishing houses, with one purpose: to use it in a coup against Parliament. But who could have predicted that the one person standing between her and success is her old nemesis, Lord Ballentine? Or that he would be willing to hand over the reins for an outrageous price—a night in her bed.

Lucie tempts Tristan like no other woman, burning him up with her fierceness and determination every time they clash. But as their battle of wills and words fans the flames of long-smouldering devotion, the silver-tongued seducer runs the risk of becoming caught in his own snare.

As Lucie tries to out-manoeuvre Tristan in the boardroom and the bedchamber, she soon discovers there’s truth in what the poets say: all is fair in love and war…

A Rogue of One’s Own:

Angel: We both really enjoyed the first book in this Bringing Down the Duke and A Rogue of One’s Own has been a book that we have both been really looking forward to reading this year. What did you think?

Ely: I was so nervous going into this one. I think most of the time with historical romance series if you like one you’ll probably like the others, but still! I really shouldn’t have worried because this was incredible and I loved every second of it. What about you?

A: I absolutely agree with you on everything here. Yes, there are some books that I like in historical romances series over others, but I haven’t come across one that I hated especially if I loved other books in this series. And this one was no different. I had so much fun reading it. The characters were fantastic, the romance was great and I just kept on reading. We talked about this before, but Lady Lucie and Annabelle, from book one, are two very different characters and I loved that we get to see the contrast between the two of them.

E: I know exactly what you mean there. I think that because of the way historical romances are usually more of a companion than a series, it means if you don’t particularly like one set of characters, at least you know you’ll be meeting another pair in the next book. They are very, very different characters and I loved seeing that. Here’s a nice tough question for you, which of them do you prefer?

Photo by Utsav Srestha on Unsplash

A: For sure and I think that is one of the reasons that I love reading historical romance, in saying that I haven’t read many that I haven’t really enjoyed. Ohh that is such a tough question. I think that Annabelle was a great character to start the series with. She was strong in her own right. But Lucie is loud and demanding and that is what drives this series even further. I think that Lucie needed to be the way she is throughout A Rogue of One’s Own because of the romance. What did you think of Lucie? Do you know who you prefer?

E: I love Annabelle, I think she’s great, but I also think she’s more of the typical protagonist you see in romance. You know she comes from more humble beginnings but she still has that strength to her. I haven’t seen a character quite like Lucie before, and I think that’s why I love her so much. She is unapologetically herself—she’s determined and feisty, but she knows she has her faults as well.

We get to talk about Tristan now, right? What did you think of him?

A: Could not agree with you more about Lucie. You sometimes see a character like that in romance, but you rarely see it in historical romance and that’s what made A Rogue of One’s Own even better. Lucie just felt very real, there are hundreds of years between us, but she was honest and her character arc was fantastic.

I mean yer we have to talk about Tristan. At first, I didn’t know what to make of him. It took me a little while to warm up to him, but as soon as those walls were broken I just fell in love with him. Tristan is a great mix of being sweet and mysterious. As well as a little devious. What did you think of him?

E: I wonder if I love Lucie so much because she’s so different from what I am. I mean, you know how quiet I am and I guess I’m more like Annabelle in that way.

I was kind of the opposite—I loved him from the very beginning. He is definitely mysterious, and honestly at times, just a plain asshole but there is a sweetness and a sensitivity behind him that I really liked. He definitely has his moments, but what HR love interest doesn’t? So I think we should talk about his sexuality, which I think is one of the most interesting parts of his character. We’ve been talking about this, but you agree that it kind of seems like he’s bisexual right?

A: That could definitely be the reason. It’s also fascinating what characters we click and connect too and enjoy reading.

I mean by chapter 3 I was hooked, so it honestly didn’t take me too long to love him. Oh, he has his moments for sure. Like a lot of characters and people really, he has had some rough patches in his life and this plays a lot on who he is. But I honestly love the combo of being an asshole and sweet haha. I absolutely think he is bi or not afraid to be with anyone. Obviously, at the time it wasn’t legal and there were serious consequences. So while it was explicitly in the book, there were moments for sure that really got me thinking about it.

This one also utilised one of my favourite tropes of ‘bargaining a deal with the devil.’ The ‘we will let each other be together for one night and that’s all we need’ – and we all know how that turns out. What did you think of the romance?

Photo by Tetiana SHYSHKINA on Unsplash

E: He definitely had some rough patches there. I think it’s just such an important thing to see in historical romance. You obviously have more experience reading HR, and romance in general, than I do so how often do you really see bi characters?

I thought their romance was adorable. I love a good enemies to lovers romance as well, and that definitely played a part in this one as well. And I don’t know if you’ll agree with this, but this felt a little tamer than some of the other HR’s I’ve read. I feel like it was a little more subtle in the way it described the, as you call it, sexy times. Am I just imagining this?

A: On the top of my head there are a few that have characters that are LGBTQIA+ that I can think of, but it’s not something that is explored enough in HR. And I really do want to find and read more.

The romance is exactly what I adore. I love the tension when everything builds up and then they break. It’s just fun to read and watch it all play out. Oh for sure. I found it with the first one as well. I don’t mind either or in regards to the sex scenes. But if someone is just starting out, I think this is a great series to start with.

We have both talked about this before, we prefer regency historical romance and this is more Victorian? How did you go with those elements of the book?

E: You’re right, this would be a great series for someone looking to get into HR especially if they’re someone who has been reading primarily YA and is looking to branch out.

Regency is definitely more of my jam. I don’t even know why I guess maybe it’s due to my love of Jane Austen. Anyway, I don’t struggle so much with this series as I have with others for whatever reason. I think maybe it’s because of the suffragette angle? I love to read non-fiction books about the suffragette movement, and of course, about feminism more generally so I think part of the draw for me here is getting to learn more about that. How about you?

A: I totally agree with you, it’s perfect for those that love YA but want to try HR. The characters are young and the book explores things that a lot of people can connect with especially females.

A Rogue of One’s Own is very easy to read if that makes sense. It doesn’t complicate things. It doesn’t talk about things that might confuse the reader. Everything is there where you need it. This series explores the suffragette movement and I’m so excited to see where the rest of the series goes regarding that. I love when books get me to learn more. I love researching and know more and when something in a book catches my eye. It’s fantastic.

Are you looking forward to the next book as much as I am? While we don’t know much, we know it’s about Hattie and Mr. Blackstone’s.

Photo by Chen Yi Wen on Unsplash

E: I think that’s a perfect summary of this book. While it does teach you about the suffragette movement as it goes along, it doesn’t go into complex explanations of different laws or philosophy or anything like that. At the same time, it’s obvious that Evie Dunmore has done a lot of research. She knows exactly what she’s talking about, and she wants to make sure that you do too.

I’m incredibly excited to read about Hattie, especially since she’s an artist. I think that will make for a really interesting story. I have to say though, I’m still dying to read Catriona’s story—I think hers might be a favourite when it finally comes around to her turn!

A: You can tell right from the start how much Evie Dunmore has researched and explored not only the genre but the history as well.

I just can’t wait for more in this series honestly. They are such a blast to read.

Well, thank you so much, Ely, for chatting with me about A Rogue of One’s Own. Ely and I try and buddy read at least a book a month. You can check out our last discussion on The Duke and I by Julia Quinn over on Earl Grey Books now.

Have you read A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!

12 Nov

Author Interview: K E Osborn | Romance Thursdays

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On this week’s Romance Thursdays I have the amazing K E Osborn. You can also check out last weeks interview with Felicia Grossman as we talked writing historical romance, her Truitt’s series and more.

Romance Thursdays is a feature that spotlights romance authors to highlight how amazing the romance writing community is. Each week I’m will be interviewing a different romance author from across subgenres as well as both traditionally and self-published. I want to share their experience writing romance and why they love it so much. While also focusing on their writing and books.

K E Osborn has a big backlist of titles including her MC series; Chicago Defiance MC, Satan’s Savages MC and Royal Bastards MC: Tampa, FL. As well as her other series including the Recoil Rock Series, The Next Generation Series and The Trust Me Trilogy. Her most current series is back in the MC world with the Houston Defiance MC. So let’s get to know K E Osborn a little more.

Hi K E, and welcome to Angel Reads. For those that haven’t read anything by you yet. Tell us a little about yourself and your books?

Thank you for having me. I’m an indie author who has been writing since 2012. Predominantly in the MC genre, but I also venture out from time to time into other genres as well. I write Rock Stars, Billionaires, Secret Agents, Sports Romance, Rom-coms, and others. I do love writing a little of everything, but I have had the most success with my Chicago and Houston Defiance MC series. Plus, I have the most fun writing them. Gotta love an alpha male, a sassy heroine, and a hell of a lot of action!

Why did you start writing romance novels? Is there anything in particular that drew you to it over other genres?

I think I started writing romance because that’s what I read. It’s what I knew. I was a big fan of Stephanie Meyer and EL James, and coming right of the back of their successes, I stepped into the Indie arena and dipped my pen in the ink. Because of Twilight and FSOG, I found my love for the written word, and I suppose, like many other authors out there, found my voice through those stories. Though, my actual starting point came from a vivid dream one night. I got up the next morning and started typing, and the next thing I knew, it was a four-book series. That was in 2012, now here we are eight years later with over forty books written, and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

You write a range of romances, but you also write multiple series that link together, either through familiar characters or generations. What is your favourite thing about doing this?

The best part about leaving funnels in stories is for the readers to find them. I love getting messages from a reader who is so excited that their favourite side character has shown up in another story. I’m currently doing this with the Houston Defiance. Funnelling side characters into other stories for my readers to find these little surprises. I can’t wait for you to read about them all.

As for the series that link together, I do this in various ways. With my rockers, it is the generations or the backing bands. With MC, it’s the brother chapters, and we get to see glimpses of the other chapters in books with various issues and troubles they come across. I love the different Defiance chapters I’ve created, and there are so many I can go on with. This ride is nowhere near done!

What is your favourite thing about romance as a genre? Why do you like reading and writing it?

I adore writing it. The ebbs and flows, the angst, the build-up and suspense of will they-wont they. My favourite thing about writing romance is when the flawed character grows, finds their inner strength, and builds on themselves, not just because they have found their one, but because of that love, they can love themselves. The growth of a character is so important in each novel. Without it, the story doesn’t have the depth it should.

Why do I like reading romance, for all the reasons I have just mentioned. 😊

What are some of your favourite tropes that you like reading and writing in the romance genre?

I like all tropes. I don’t have a favourite, but if I had to pick, I suppose enemies to lovers is the most fun to write. Because having that undeniable hatred, but with that underlying chemistry, it is SO much fun!

You have published multiple MC series. What is your favourite thing about writing books that include MC’s characters that keep pulling you back in?

I’m going to sound a little dark here, but I adore the drama and chaos of an MC book. Yeah, love and romance are great. But I love getting down into the grit of the MC club. When the bad guys almost win. When everything looks lost. And when all the blood and anarchy takes hold. I love the mayhem. I thrive when writing that. It excites me to my very core.

What are some of the ways that you think we can start overcoming the stigma of romance novels?

I guess not all life is sunshine and rainbows, and this is probably why I write more gritty romance. I think writing about flawed characters is something readers can relate to, rather than everything being happy and fluffy. However, in saying that, there is nothing wrong with a great story if it has a happy ever after and is not full of problems. Readers read to get away from everyday life, and therefore escape is real. If they can escape even for a few hours within a romance novel, even if there is a stigma attached to reading them, then I say go for it. I guess what I am trying to say is that there will always be a stigma regarding romance novels no matter what you write. It’s just a matter of writing what makes you happy as an author and hoping that the readers love it as much as I do writing them.

Have I found the stigma associated with me as a romance author? The answer is always going to be yes. However, mostly I find people congratulate me, even if they don’t want to read my books. It’s always going to be a happy medium, I am afraid.

Do you currently have any books in the works? Is there anything that you are looking forward to writing, but haven’t started yet?

I constantly have books in the works. I have books lined up for months. But my next project is book four of the Houston Defiance Series. I’m really looking forward to writing that book. I also have book three of the Royal Bastards coming up. There is a collaboration project – The Diamond Dozen – and included in that is my book Stripped by Silence, which is about a burlesque dancer, so that’s taking a little left turn for me, but I am super excited to write something different from my MC genre. I can’t wait to get into that one.

Thank you so much for coming by Angel Reads. It was lovely having you here. And I can’t wait to read more of your books!

Thank you so much for having me! It’s been an absolute pleasure. xoxo

***

If you love reading MC series, K E Osborn writes some intense, fast and addicting books that you need to get your hands on. I hope that you liked this weeks interview.

If there is an author that you would like to see featured here, please do let me know and I will try my best. If you are a romance author and would like to be apart of Romance Thursdays, don’t hesitate to message me.

Have you read any books from K E Osborn before? Are you excited for more Romance Thursday posts? Let’s Chat!

About the Author

With a flair for all things creative, International Bestselling Author K E Osborn, is drawn to the written word. Exciting worlds and characters flow through her veins, coming to life on the page as she laughs, cries, and becomes enveloped in the storyline right along with you. She’s entirely at home when writing sassy heroines and alpha males that rise from the ashes of their pasts.

K E Osborn comforts herself with tea and Netflix, after all, who doesn’t love a good binge?

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Website

11 Nov

2020 YA Releases I Still Need To Read

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Today I thought I would share all the books that came out in 2020, that I still haven’t managed to read. There are so many books that come out each year. And there are times where I either miss the book or just haven’t had the time to pick it up.

So today I thought I would share some of the 2020 young adult releases that I still need to read. I decided to split this post between YA and Romance. It would be far too long if I do it all together. Anyway, like always these are in no order.

A Love Hate Thing by Whitney D. Grandison: I’m so excited to read this one. I have heard mixed things about it, but I’m still excited to see what I think.

Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles: This is another one that I ordered ages ago, but with Covid getting books to the US especially those published in the US has been long. I have heard so many good things about this one and that makes me so excited.

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller: This sounded like my sort of YA fantasy from the start but I just haven’t had the chance to pick it up and read it yet. I’ve heard some great things about it, and I’m really looking forward to reading more ya fantasy.

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light: This one caught my eye right away, and while I haven’t picked up my copy yet, I hope that I can soon. It just sounds adorable and I’m here for that.

When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk: My copy of this one finally arrived at work which means that I can pick it up very soon. I’ve heard some great things from people that I really trust about it. And that makes me so excited to read it.

The Midnight Lie (The Midnight Lie #1) by Marie Rutkoski: I was planning on reading this one last week, but just never got around to it and was never in the mood. But I hope to get to it by the end of the year for sure! I’ve loved reading Rutkoski’s fantasies before and that makes me so intrigued.

They Went Left by Monica Hesse: I will never say no to more historical fiction, especially WWII historical fiction. This one sounds amazing and I can’t wait to finally get to it.

Incendiary (Hollow Crown #1) by Zoraida Córdova: This is another YA fantasy that just sounds like it’s my jam. I can’t wait to pick this one up.

The Extraordinaries (The Extraordinaries #1) by T.J. Klune: I have had my copy for too long without it being read. I don’t know why I keep putting reading this one off but I need to get on it.

Now That I’ve Found You by Kristina Forest: I’ve been hesitant to pick this one up, but I still want to read it bad. It sounds like it’s going to be interesting for sure.

Blood & Honey (Serpent & Dove #2) by Shelby Mahurin: While this is a semi-new release, I still haven’t picked it up and I adored Serpent & Dove so much. But I’m finally excited to read it soon.

Rebel Spy by Veronica Rossi: I haven’t read a book from Rossi in such a long time, but this historical fiction screams me and it has such fantastic reviews. Hopefully, soon I can get on it.

And that is it for today’s post! What are some of the young adult books from 2020 that you haven’t for to this year? Have you read any from my list? Let’s Chat!