How to Tame a Wild Rogue by Julie Anne Long
The Palace of Rogues #6
Historical Romance
July 25, 2023- Avon
ARC

Review by Angela

Ahhhh, I loved this book. So much. Apparently, I’m a sucker for morally grey, charming heroes, and competent yet emotionally bruised heroines in historical romance.

How to Tame a Wild Rogue, the latest installment in The Palace of Rogues series introduces Lady Daphne Worth, a woman fast running out of options, and Lorcan St. Leger a man who pulled himself out of the slums of St. Giles to become a powerful privateer, with a vast network of friends across all stations in life. This is a fake marriage, forced proximity romance that worked for me in almost every way.

This book starts with the hero coming upon the heroine dangling from a bedsheet outside a window as she’s trying to escape a bad situation. He’s intrigued, so he helps her and then later comes to her rescue yet again when she’s set upon by a thief. Trying to outrun a massive storm, they end up together at the door of The Grand Palace on the Thames, but the only issue is that there is ONLY ONE BEDROOM available. Also, Daphne knows one of the proprietors of the establishment, so they have to convincingly pretend to be husband and wife in order to gain admittance and secure the room for the duration.

She’s a woman, down on her luck, used to taking care of everyone and he’s a guy from the streets, who managed to overcome the odds to become wealthy and powerful. She’s a lady, and he’s a rogue, but over the course of the storm and in the confines of their suite those differences don’t matter. He gets her to realize that her family, especially her father, has emotionally used and gaslighted her for years, and she teaches him that love and security matter.

I absolutely loved the tender, quiet moments between this couple. He may be a rogue, with a morally grey background, but his emotional support of Daphne is unparalleled. He listens to her. He lends his strength when she needs it most. Daphne is resourceful and competent, but she’s been let down so many times in her life. I loved that she found someone who appreciated her just for herself and was willing to meet her halfway on all things. The sex scenes come later in the book, but that just lends tension to the relationship and had me clutching my Kindle more than ready for them to finally give in. And even though the relationship develops over a short span of time I completely believed in their dedication to and love for each other. The epilogue is well done, I was so very happy at seeing Lorcan and Daphne years from now, still overcome with joy at the other’s presence.

Alongside the main romance, readers get a glimpse into the current tensions between Delilah and Hardy, and Angelique and Bolt- also at the mercy of the current storm as their ship hasn’t come into the harbor and their financial stability is in question. Lorcan’s questionable background and his past relationship with Captain Hardy add to the angst. I think readers will enjoy the platonic bed-swapping and sexy make-ups.

This is such a fabulous series. I’m always ready for another trip to The Grand Palace on the Thames. This is yet another fantastic installment, and I highly recommend.

Final grade- A