To Trust a Rogue by Christi Caldwell

To Trust a Rogue by Christi Caldwell
Also by this author: The Love of a Rogue, Seduced By a Lady's Heart, Loved by a Duke, My Lady of Deception, The Heart of a Scoundrel, To Wed His Christmas Lady, To Woo a Widow, To Redeem a Rake (The Heart of a Duke Book 11), The Rogue's Wager (Sinful Brides #1), Along Came a Lady (All the Duke's Sins, #1)
Series: The Heart of a Duke #8
Also in this series: The Love of a Rogue, Loved by a Duke, The Heart of a Scoundrel
Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on January 10 2016
Genres: Historical, Romance
Pages: 288
Format: eBook
ASIN: B01AB1EQL6
Goodreads

A rogue
Marcus, the Viscount Wessex has carefully crafted the image of rogue and charmer for polite Society. Under that façade, however, dwells a man whose dreams were shattered almost eight years earlier by a young lady who captured his heart, pledged her love, and then left him, with nothing more than a curt note.

A widow
Eight years earlier, faced with no other choice, Mrs. Eleanor Collins, fled London and the only man she ever loved, Marcus, Viscount Wessex. She has now returned to serve as a companion for her elderly aunt with a daughter in tow. Even though they’re next door neighbors, there is little reason for her to move in the same circles as Marcus, just in case, she vows to avoid him, for he reminds her of all she lost when she left.

Reunited
As their paths continue to cross, Marcus finds his desire for Eleanor just as strong, but he learned long ago she’s not to be trusted. He will offer her a place in his bed, but not anything more. Only, Eleanor has no interest in this new, roguish man. The more time they spend together, the protective wall they’ve constructed to keep the other out, begin to break. With all the betrayals and secrets between them, Marcus has to open his heart again. And Eleanor must decide if it’s ever safe to trust a rogue.

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Review by Karen of To Trust a Rogue

 

To Trust a Rogue by Christi Caldwell, is simply a superb historical romance.  There are some authors that when they put words to paper, those words, unlike no others sing to my heart; Christi Caldwell is one of those few authors.  In To Trust a Rogue, Caldwell weaves a romance that is full of heart, passion, love, romance and gut wrenching heart break. From the first pages of the novel I was pulled into the world of Marcus Gray, the Viscount of Wessex, and the widowed Mrs. Eleanor Collins. It is one of the gifts Caldwell has as an author, the ability to set the story and from the very first pages, have me as a reader invested in the story of Marcus and Eleanor.   The story is one of reunited young lovers.  I refuse to spoil the plot for you in this review and Caldwell does and excellent job in her synopsis, so there is no reason for me to re write it here.  But, I do want to go into the depth of the characters and why these two characters should be read.

The male protagonist is Marcus, and he has been wounded by love.  As a youth he opened himself up to love and his heart and his trust was stomped on by Eleanor Collins neé Carlyle an eighteen year old merchants daughter. Marcus is a character that first appeared in Caldwell’s Loved by a Duke as the friend of both the male and female protagonist of that story.   He appeared as someone that nothing could touch, but looks and affectations can be deceptive.  He is actually a character who felt and loved deeply and when he was betrayed he cut that part of himself off from himself and the rest of the world.

Enter in the betrayer, in the female protagonist Eleanor Collins, widow, and mother of a seven year old girl. She is the woman who destroyed Marcus. Her betrayal led to his becoming a rogue, for in being a rogue nothing could touch him.  If he did not care then, nothing could again tempt or break his heart.  When in comes to this character in this book I was completely blown away by her strength and fortitude in her willingness to do anything for her beloved daughter Marcia.  Eleanor’s transformation in this book is one that I will always remember, as it brought tears to my eyes.

The secondary characters that inhabit the book are all fleshed out, and complete characters.  Which I adore about Caldwell’s books as she never has secondary characters that are just place holders in her stories, they are all three dimensional characters.  I honestly can’t stand card board cut out secondary characters.

When it comes to writing children, most authors who aren’t parents have a tendency to have children portrayed as too precocious. As secondary characters in a romantic plot, I adore when authors write kids spot on. Christi Caldwell, like historical romance author Elizabeth Hoyt, wonderful children characters.  Writing good children characters in a romance is not an easy feat.  I have read some wonderful romances; that came to a screeching halt, because of the poorly written character of a child.  In Caldwell writes a very sweet and utterly believable little girl in Marcia.  I think both Caldwell and Hoyt should teach a classes in the writing of secondary children characters.

Caldwell did and excellent job of keeping me as the reader on my toes.  I thought I knew where the story was headed, but Caldwell has pulled out all the stops in this story, to keep me as a reader enthralled to the end.  This story as enough twist and turns to satisfy any romance reader, without the angst feeling contrived.  To Trust a Rouge and Christi Caldwell, needs to be on every romance readers radar.

 

Please be advised some dark content is explored in this book and could be a trigger for those readers who are sensitive to those types of situations. Note the author deals with this content in a manner that is true to her characters and story.

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