Game of Rogues: a review by Kayne
This is my new favorite historical romance book! It has a dark and dangerous club owner with a heroine who is trying to hold her family together after her brother gambles their inheritance away. It’s the 9th book in the Palace of Rogues series and I think it’s the best of the bunch!
Gabriel Marchand owns Lucifer’s Fall, a popular gaming club, and Ginny goes there asking him to forgive her younger brother’s gambling debt. Her brother is a young earl, who in one night at Gabriel’s club, gambled away his entire inheritance. Gabriel offers to cancel the debt if she’ll spend one night with him, which she refuses. But she is clever and stubborn and Gabriel tells her that her brother actually owes another club member the majority of the debt! She quickly discovers who owns the debt and it turns out to be an old friend of her father’s, who was jealous of him.
Ginny’s parents both died in a carriage accident eight years ago and Ginny has raised her two sisters and brother for the past eight years. Both of her sisters are getting married and they need the money for their dowries so Ginny is desperate to get it back. Gabriel is a self-made man who grew up in the slums of St. Giles. While he acts gruff, he is smitten with Ginny. They are both staying at the Palace of Rogues and when Gabriel realizes Ginny is going to see her father’s awful friend to ask him to tear up her brother’s vowels, Gabriel shows up to protect her.
There are a few mysteries with some good twists I didn’t see coming, plus we get to see the loveable characters from the Palace of Rogues. I liked that the main focus of the story was on Ginny and Gabriel’s romance and I loved the way the author shows their yearning and passion for each other. Gabriel tells her,
“I don’t think you’re pretty at all. You’re alarmingly beautiful in an entirely unique way that somehow seems different every time that I look at you.”
Ginny sees how vulnerable and caring he is and thinks he’s the best man she’s ever known.
Game of Rogues is a must read for historical romance readers and while I think it stands well on its own, I highly recommend checking out the rest of the series, especially another favorite, How to Tame a Wild Rogue. I’m happy to hear there are more stories and possibly some novellas planned for this world!
by Kayne Spooner