The Rogue

Claire Delacroix

Feb 2013 · The Rogues of Ravensmuir Book 1 · Deborah A. Cooke

About this ebook

Dear Reader— 

Seductive and mysterious, Merlyn was the laird of Ravensmuir—never had a man so stirred my body and soul. I gave myself to him—willingly, trustingly, passionately—and we soon wed. Then a horrible revelation emerged, shattering my innocence and my marriage…

Five years later, Merlyn returned to my doorstep, desperate for my help. The scoundrel swore he was haunted by memories of me, that a treasure locked in Ravensmuir could clear his name. Yet I could not surrender to his will again. Now he is said to be murdered and Ravensmuir has fallen into my hands.

But even as I cross the threshold of this cursed keep, I hear his whisper in the darkness, feel his caress in the night, and I know that Merlyn has told me but part of his tale. Should I do as is right and expose his lair? Or dare I trust my alluring but deceptive spouse—the rogue who destroyed my heart?

—Ysabella 

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"A beguiling medieval romance from Delacroix…readers will devour this rich and compulsively readable tale."—Publishers Weekly

"An engaging tale of lost love found!"—Booklist

"Merlyn is a delightfully charming rogue, Ysabella an admirable heroine, and the mystery just intriguing enough to keep you interested. Ms. Delacroix evokes the era, providing us with an accuate portrait and an enchanting tale—just what readers expect from this talented author."—Romantic Times Bookclub

“Claire Delacroix always manages to create spellbinding magical stories that enthrall readers and keep them coming back for more. With her newest release, The Rogue, she does it again. If you loved Claire Delacroix’s Bride Quest books, then you don’t want to miss reading The Rogue. If you have never read a Claire Delacroix book before, this is the perfect book to start with. It will add a little spice and romance to your life this holiday season and have you wondering where Claire’s books have been all your life.”—Writers Unlimited

“The Rogue, a gothic medieval romance, is an intriguing tale of deception upon deception with all the ingredients to make for a delightfully spooky read.”—Romance Reviews Today

“Rich historical details, unusual plot-line, witty repartee, simmering romantic tension and violent intrigue surrounding the hunt for a mysterious and priceless treasure – all contributed to make this book one inspiring and exciting read! A gripping story with fascinating characters, lush sensuality and a page-turning plot! A gem!”—ARomanceReview.com

“This tale of secrets, the lies told to perpetuate those secrets, and the ultimate outcome when all truths are revealed, is deep, complex and well-written.”—Old Book Barn Gazette

“Powerful medieval drama…highly recommended!”—WordWeaving.com

“Very, very beguiling. The Rogue has almost a gothic feel to it, a throwback to historical romantic mysteries that mystified and beguiled readers with little effort (but much cunning on the author’s part). No forgery this: religious artifacts may oft have questionable provenance, but Ms. Delacroix’s roguish heroes are compellingly genuine…and just a little bit dangerous to know.”—Heartstrings

“Ms. Delacroix is extremely gifted in creating wonderfully three-dimensional characters, as well as intriguing plots and sub-plots. And The Rogue offers that and a myriad of themes for the reader in this tale of long ago love. Within the pages, the reader finds mystery, love gained and lost, then found again, and feels the weight of the burden of guilt and deceit, not matter how well intentioned. A perfect mix of dialog and narrative give this wonderful tale its momentum and an excitement that doesn’t let up until the very end.”—The Road to Romance

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Claire has written numerous books featuring the Lammergeier family and set in her fictional medieval Scottish realm of Ravensmuir, Kinfairlie and Ravensmuir. You can read all the books in order, or read each series in order.

A. The Rogues of Ravensmuir

The first trilogy. It all begins with Merlyn at Ravensmuir...

1. The Rogue - Merlyn and Ysabella's second chance romance

2. The Scoundrel - Gawain (Merlyn's brother) and Evangeline's mistaken identity/disguise romance.

3. The Warrior - Michael (the Hawk of Inverfyre and son of Gawain and Evangeline) and Aileen's marriage of convenience and second chance romance

B. The Jewels of Kinfairlie

This series tells the stories of the children of Roland, the younger son of Merlyn and Ysabella. There are eight children, and they appear briefly at the end of The Warrior.

1. The Beauty Bride - Madeline and Rhys' marriage of (in)convenience romance

2. The Rose Red Bride - Vivienne and Erik's mistaken identity and marriage of (in)convenience romance

3. The Snow White Bride - Alexander and Eleanor's marriage of convenience Christmas romance

4. The Ballad of Rosamunde - a short story featuring Rosamunde (the pirate queen) and Padraig and a friends-to-lovers romance.

The True Love Brides

This series follows the next four siblings and features a battle against the Fae for the hearts of those from Kinfairlie.

1. The Renegade's Heart - Isabella and Murdoch's forbidden love and protector romance

2. The Highlander's Curse - Annelise and Garrett's outcast and protector romance

3. The Frost Maiden's Kiss - Malcolm and Catriona's protector and marriage of convenience romance

4. The Warrior's Prize - Elizabeth and Rafael's protector, forbidden love, and outcast romance

The Brides of Inverfyre

This series (in progress) takes us into the Highlands to Inverfyre for the story of Ross, the eighth sibling, as well as the stories of the children of the Hawk and Aileen.

1. The Mercenary's Bride - Mhairi and Quentin's second chance Christmas romance

2. The Runaway Bride - Ross and Aiofe's runaway bride, protector and forbidden love romance.

You can download free family trees from Claire's website, right here:

https://delacroix.net/ravensmuir/family-trees/

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rogue, medieval, disguise, second chance, secret baby, intrigue, thief, hidden heiress, protector, gothic, on the rocks, class war, protector, guardian, knight, warrior, bride, witch, gothic romance, love at first sight

Ratings and reviews

not as good as her other books, to much rumbling thoughts of a 17 year olds righteous demands and thoughts. Lies begets lies. Demanding being told the truth but never beign truthful herself. Typical teenager, been there, done that, lived it, dont need to read in a book!

I liked the writing and the story line, but the heroine acts like a child.I could not get past her petulance and wanted an explanation why she acted so self righteous. I will read more of this author and see if it was just a one off

I liked the story but it moved soooooo slow - hard to keep my attention.

About the author

Deborah Cooke sold her first book in 1992, a medieval romance called The Romance of the Rose published under her pseudonym Claire Delacroix. Since then, she has published over seventy novels in a wide variety of sub-genres, including historical romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, fantasy romance, time-travel romance, women’s fiction, paranormal young adult and fantasy with romantic elements. She has published under the names Claire Delacroix, Claire Cross and Deborah Cooke. The Beauty, part of her successful Bride Quest series of historical romances, was her first title to land on the New York Times List of Bestselling Books. Her books routinely appear on other bestseller lists and have won numerous awards. In 2009, she was the writer-in-residence at the Toronto Public Library, the first time the library has hosted a residency focused on the romance genre. In 2012, she was honored to receive the Romance Writers of America’s Mentor of the Year Award.

Currently, she writes the Dragonfire series of paranormal romances featuring dragon shape shifter heroes under the name Deborah Cooke. She also is writing the True Love Brides series of medieval romances as Claire Delacroix, which continues the story of the family introduced in her popular title The Beauty Bride. Deborah lives in Canada with her husband and family, as well as far too many unfinished knitting projects.