Love Is a Rogue: Wallflowers vs. Rogues

Lenora Bell

Oct 2020 · Wallflowers vs. Rogues Book 1 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

Once upon a time in Mayfair a group of wallflowers formed a secret society with goals that had absolutely nothing to do with matrimony. Their most troublesome obstacle? Rogues!   

They call her Beastly Beatrice. 

Wallflower Lady Beatrice Bentley longs to remain in the wilds of Cornwall to complete her etymological dictionary. Too bad her brother’s Gothic mansion is under renovation. How can she work with an annoyingly arrogant and too-handsome rogue swinging a hammer nearby?

Rogue. Scoundrel. Call him anything you like as long as you pay him.

 Navy man Stamford Wright is leaving England soon and renovating Thornhill House is just a job. It’s not about the duke’s bookish sister or her fiery copper hair. Or the etymology lessons the prim-yet-alluring lady insists on giving him. Or the forbidden things he'd love to teach her.

They say never mix business with pleasure. But when Beatrice and Ford aren't arguing, they're kissing. 

Sometimes temptation proves too strong to resist…even if the cost is a heart.

Ratings and reviews

4./5 Love is a Rogue by Lenora Bell, book one in her Wallflowers vs. Rogues series, is a role reversal story based on Beauty and the Beast. Lady Beatrice Bentley is a wallflower, preferring to read than socialize and attract a man at any of the Ton parties for the season. Beatrice has a facial palsy, caused at the time of her birth. Her mother is determined to find a match for her while Beatrice would rather be a spinster, researching and completing her etymological dictionary; especially in the wilds of Cornwall at her brother’s estate. Spending her summer at her brother’s Gothic mansion to work on her dictionary was supposed to peaceful and productive. Unfortunately, it is also under renovation, the work being done by a handsome rogue, always swinging a hammer and whistling a tune nearby. Stamford Wright is a navy man and is leaving England soon. Renovating Thornhill House was supposed to be just a job; not about the duke’s bookish sister, with her fiery copper hair or the etymology lessons, or even the forbidden things he’d so love to teach her. So much happens upon her return to London that having Beatrice is happy to have the help and assistance of Ford before his ship departs. From the beginning, there was a magnetism and attraction between Beatrice and Ford. Ford was the first man, possibly person, to tell Beatrice that she was beautiful. It might have been his presence or his wording or his attention that made Beatrice believe him. These two could light up the sky with the fireworks they set off when together; either arguing or kissing. Beatrice, being a lady, and Ford, being a carpenter, makes it impossible for them to be a match; or does it? Love has no boundaries and sometimes, temptation can be too strong to resist. Ms. Bell wrote an emotional and wonderful story that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, amusing banter, and the strong characters, giving Beatrice and Ford a chance at true love and a forever together. I highly recommend Love is a Rogue to other readers and look forward to the next book in the series. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Filled with humor, fun characters. witty dialogue and a sigh worthy hero, this story is a great start to a new series! Love is a rogue, oh yes and while Lady Beatrice Bentley was trying to do research in quiet surroundings... supposedly quiet at her brother's home, Thornhill.. that dreadful man Mr Stanford Wright, was making noise doing renovations! She could not wait to tell her brother how he acted! "Tuneless whistling. Ribald jokes. Flagrant displays of sculpted musculature. Refusal to modify his work habits to suit hers." He would be in trouble! Ford was a carpenter for the Royal Navy but was helping with renovations on Thornhill. He encounters Beatrice when she drops her glasses while peering out the upper window at him and he takes then up to her. Simply fascinating how Beatrice loved words and how she would throw them at him. But what she really wanted was to be kissed by him.. I loved Bea and could feel a parallel on her love of reading! The two encounter each other again in London and fun begins! Sparks sizzle and attraction builds. But she is a Duke's daughter and he is a carpenter. Can it ever work? Simply Delightful!

No! No. No! I couldn't find the strength to finish this because of the MCs. This couple, Lady Beatrice Bentley and Stamford Wright, would have never worked out and as the story progressed, it was difficult to envision a relationship between them. A bibliophile and a scoundrel? Nope. I love the opposites attract trope as much as the next reader but our heroine was in another stratosphere. Incompatible is putting it lightly and the main characters differences negatively impacted my thoughts about them and this book itself. To add on, this novel was not engaging. I was bored and disinterested and left scratching my head on the 'romance' segment of this read. It didn't do it for me for obvious reasons and I can only hope with the next installment, I can find a deeper connection or attachment with the characters, plot and storyline.

About the author

Lenora Bell is a USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of historical romances. A teacher with an MFA in Creative Writing, Lenora has lived and worked on five continents. She currently lives in Colombia with her partner and two tiger-striped rescue kitties. She loves hearing from readers! Sign up for her mailing list to hear about new books, sales, and giveaways.