My Darling Rogue (Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Book 2)

"Quickly, he removed his coat and draped it over her, hoping some of the warmth from his body would seep into hers. Working his arms beneath her, he struggled to stand with the mud sucking at her, seeking to reclaim her, to hold her captive. He'd not have it. He'd rescued a good many trinkets from the banks of the Thames, but he'd never rescued a woman. He wasn't about to let her die now that he had recovered her." --Drake Darling

I loved the prologue of this book. It was very different and served its purpose of gaining my interest and making me care for the wonderfully broken Drake Darling.

"He was a man striving to let go of his past, while she had none."

Lady Ophelia (Phee) is a woman of noble birth. She knows her place in Society and knows she must only mingle with those of nobility as well, just as her father taught her. Which is why she snubs and strives to humiliate Drake Darling whenever she can, to remind him that he is not of her world and to remind herself to stay away from wicked rogues. However, one night when Drake is walking along the river, he comes across a limp form who turns out to be Lady Ophelia. She does not remember who she is, what she is, or how she got there, so Drake decides to put her in her place and tells her she works for him as his housekeeper. As the charade continues however, Drake begins to see a different side to Phee--a warm and caring one--while Phee is able to see Drake clearly for the man he is, without the prejudice her father has instilled in her.

And this is where my ONE problem with this novel stemmed from. I felt like the "charade" part of the novel went on too long, causing things to become repetitive. The beginning was great, very intriguing and captivating, but when we get to the middle, it sorta became about Phee thinking that none of her "chores" were familiar but were something she needed to master to please Drake, and Drake realizing that Phee might be more complicated than she first appeared. And I enjoyed seeing them transform, really I did, especially Drake. But after a few chapters it got a bit cumbersome.

The ending really saved this novel for me though. Heath surprised me with the twist about Phee and her childhood, and her character really took on more depth. For anyone to do that to another human being, especially a child, is disgusting, and her having to deal with that all bottled up for years was so horrible yet realistic even today. Drake's inner monologues about why he shouldn't like/love Phee were lovely; I really enjoyed his character arc as he came full circle. The epilogue really brought everything together though and left me immensely satisfied, which is always nice. Definitely recommend this one, the character development is fantastic!

"Once More My Darling Rogue" is a good story, about how important self esteem is in our lives and how it does not matter how much we have or how well loved we are, if we do not like ourselves our life can be bleak. I have to tell you I did not like Lady Ophelia, she was mean, petty and selfish. The way she treated Drake was terrible. Drake, I liked, he had his issues but it was understandable because of his parents and his early childhood. Lady Ophelia did not deserve Drake, but Phee was an other story, she was kind, smart assertive and funny and she made Drake happy. Ok Drake was no saint he did lie to Lady Ophelia and told her she was his housekeeper but the truth is I could not blame him. You do realize how things are not always what they seem and you start wondering what could have happened to make her not want to remember. I won't say more because I don't want to give anything away. I do want to say that I loved how his adoptive family loved him unconditionally. I did like the story, and I'm hoping the next book will be the Duke of Avendale story.

Lorraine Heath’s dark and dramatic Victorian historicals remind me of the morality tales of beloved author, Charles Dickens. This one, particularly, brings to mind Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol, with Lady Ophelia Lyttleton’s gradual transformation from a spoiled rotten debutante into an empathetic and understanding young woman.
Drake Darling is a child rescued from the London streets by a duke and a duchess, a former street child herself. Though raised in an affectionate and welcoming house of love and privilege, Drake has never been able to forget his dark past and he believes he is tainted by it. The son of a murderer, he is afraid to ever love and marry because he doesn’t want his darkness tainting future generations. He is also a very attractive and astute businessman and also visionary, changing and adapting to Victorian society’s new rules, where the nobility has lost its wealth, replaced by affluent Americans in trade.
Drake smarts from Lady Ophelia’s constant set downs and cut directs—she thinks he’s far beneath her socially, though Drake’s sister, Grace, is Ophelia’s best friend. When he finds Ophelia nearly drowned in the Thames, covered in mud, he takes her to his town house, cares for her, and then determines to ruin her for revenge when he discovers she has no recollection of what has happened. He intends to keep her as his housekeeper only temporarily, but all bets are off when he sees her brother, Somerdale, at his club—instead of out looking for the whereabouts of his missing sister.
Drake watches over Ophelia, endearingly calling her Phee, and feels responsible for her, her safety and reputation should she be recognized in London. But time passes and his guilt increases…as does his love for her. He is reluctant to let her go out of his life.
“If she regained her memories, she might know what had happened. If he told her what he knew she might remember—and in the remembering he would lose her.” (p234)
I really like how Heath transforms the extremely rude and conceited Lady Ophelia into a kind and generous person. She becomes Phee, a strong-willed and righteous young woman. The amnesia plotline reminds me of Sherry Thomas’ heroine, Helena, in Tempting the Bride, where the hero and heroine despise each other, and are rude and nasty until amnesia provides them with a second chance to start over again. It worked in that story and it’s very effective here as well.
“She thought she should be more bothered by her lack of memories, and yet new ones were being created and she wanted to treasure them.” (p235)
The previous generation of heroes and heroines of Heath’s Scoundrels of St. James’ series all make appearances here. There is a lovely moment between the Duke of Greystone and Drake that perfectly captures the true essence of family. A family tree would have been helpful as it has been quite awhile since I have read that series; I had forgotten which child belonged to which scoundrel!
As in all her stories, Lorraine Heath writes with lovely emotion and a keen eye to the Victorian period, in her descriptions of fashion, interior decor, manners and mores, and social issues of the day. She is one of the best authors of Victorian historical romance writing today. A beautiful addition to a great series.

Always so freaking amazing!!!!
Lorraine Heath never disappoints! I have to be careful when I start her books that it’s on the weekend because I know that I’m not going to be able to put it down. I absolutely loved “Once More, My Darling Rogue.” This the second book in the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series the hero is Drake Darling son to Frannie Darling from “Surrender to the Devil.”

Although I never read Frannie’s story I loved the Scoundrels of St. James series as well. Drake is Frannie and Sterling Mabry’s (Duke of Greystone) adopted son. Drake was a street child that was adopted by Frannie and Sterling. Drake’s heritage was very common, his father was sentenced to death for numerous crimes. Although only a young child, he saw his father hang to death.

When the story begins Drake is at his sister Grace’s party. Despite the fact that Drake was raised in a wealthy home he never felt like he deserved love or to call The Greystone’s his parents that is why he never takes their name but adopts Frannie’s name from when she was a street child “Darling.”
This is all very relevant because our heroine Lady Ophelia Lyttleto, who is a horrible snub, always makes Drake feel like he is beneath her station. Ophelia belittles Drake and goes out of her way to humiliate him, although he is her dearest friend Grace’s brother. Grace and Drake grew up loving each other as brother and sister and have a special bond. In the previous book, Grace and Ophelia sneak into the gaming hall that Drake manages quite often. This book reminded me of Overboard with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell (one of my favorite movies). Just like the movie Ophelia loses her memory. Drake happens to be near the river when he sees her fall in.

Once he retrieves her and takes her to his home Ophelia has no memory of who she is. Drake can’t help but have a little fun with her. He tells her that she is his servant. Although it sounds terrible Ophelia was really so horrible and such a snub that it was gratifying to see her put in such a humble situation. Ophelia (prior to losing her memory) goes out of her way to be rude to Drake, calls him “boy” and always sends him to get her things as if he were a servant.

Drake intends to only have a little fun and a little revenge with Ophelia. He intends to have her in his home as a servant for a day and then he will tell her the truth. When Drake returns to the club he learns that Ophelia’s brother is very indebted and he worries that Ophelia’s life might be in danger. He thinks that someone might have intended to dump Ophelia in the river.

Drake decides that it won’t do any harm to keep her as his servant, her duties include everything from dusting to washing his back. There were some parts that were really comical but there were also very tender parts. Ophelia can’t remember that she is a lady but she does know that she and Drake had a past. Drake slowly realizes that it’s only a matter of time before she remembers who she is or before her family begins to question her whereabouts (her brother believes that she is with their uncle and aunt.

While Drake is having his fun with Ophelia she tries to remember who she was but at the same time “re-learn” all her duties as a servant. She also befriends the maid that works next door to Drake something she would never have done before losing her memory.

Inevitably two things happen Drake and Ophelia fall in love and she regains her memory. During these big events Ophelia’s big dark secret comes to light and she is able to start her life again. I can’t say how much I loved both these characters, although Ophelia was horrible at the beginning, seeing her transformation was very beautiful. Drake was such a fantastic hero, he was also wounded by his past. I loved this book, I could not put it down. I loved seeing characters from the previous books and I know that they will be a part of the next series. I loved and highly recommend this beautiful book about two very beautiful people who despite themselves fall madly in love with one another.
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Grace and the Duke of Lovington just had their happy ending, it’s time for Drake to have his. His childhood was rough, and he’d seen things a child shouldn’t see. He may have been raised by the Duke, but he felt he really didn’t belong. Or at least that’s what Lady Ophelia Lyttleton made him feel that way. She often reminded him that he was beneath all of them.

Until an accident had brought them together, but the thing is she can’t remember anything from her past. She doesn’t remember who she is, or where she’s from. He didn’t mean to at first, he was going to tell her the truth once she had rested – but he decided it was time for her to learn some lessons. He told her he was her housekeeper.

But as the day goes by – he sees the other side of Lady Ophelia, the good side, the vulnerable, the innocent. He couldn’t help but start to fall for her. She still has that inner fire that slips every now and then. He wanted to tell her the truth, he wanted to return her to her family. But first, he needed to know if she’s in any danger.

But what happens when Lady Ophelia regains her memory?

This question made this read un-put-downable for me. My stomach was in knots, I love what was happening between them, fell in love with Phee, but I couldn’t help to feel the impending doom.

And indeed, their romance was doomed before it even started. When she finally regained her memory, she felt so betrayed, and her walls were once again up. She never thought he’d do it, that he’d allow her to be a housekeeper.

I didn’t realize I’m going to say this – but this woman grew on me. She was way different from the Ophelia in the first few chapters. She amuses me, and made me laugh. I liked this Ophelia. What I didn’t expect is that she too has a dark past. It almost broke my heart… I understood now why she's that way.

But despite the fact he broke her heart, and he made sure that she was safe, that danger would no longer come to her. He made me fall in love with him even more. He respected her decision, even when she was rude to him – he didn’t fight back. He was still a gentleman about it.

I love the twist and turns, the secrets that seemed endless and are revealed one by one throughout the pages. This book had me in tears in its last few chapters. It is filled with moments that can break your hearts and make you fall in love.

•Complimentary Copy was given in exchange for an honest review.•

More of my reviews at http://reviewsofabookmaniac.blogspot.com

I went into this book a little wary, because, while the plot sounded good, it also sounded like something that could easily go wrong. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Once More, My Darling Rogue was an absolutely lovely historical romance. Sweet, enjoyable, and full of dark secrets lurking in the characters' past, this book was wonderful and I really liked it.

Ophelia was a good heroine. Honestly, at first, I didn't like her at all. She was mean, shrewish, snobbish, and just unlikable. However, as the book went on, things changed (and I thought that progression of her character was very well done). When she lost her memories, the constraints that dictated her actions disappeared and she proved that she had it within her to be a kind, though still frustratingly haughty, person. And, when we learn the circumstances behind some of her behavior, it shed a different light on it, though I still didn't think it justified how infuriatingly rude she was to Drake. But, all that wasn't why I ended up liking her a bit. It was because she admitted that she was wrong in her treatment of Drake, made no petty excuses for her behavior, and apologized for it. So, by the end, I was able to say that I liked her just fine.

Drake was a wonderful character. He started from the very bottom, but, through a lot of luck and some of his own skill, he was able to make something of himself. I wondered if I could understand his revenge against Ophelia, but it turns out I didn't have to be worried. Drake was an honorable man, despite what he might have believed of himself, and his actions were never malicious. I found him to be sweet and rather adorable and I really liked him.

The romance was good. Ophelia and Drake's relationship had a lot of tangles and it progressed realistically as they overcame those obstacles. I thought they were sweet together, especially with how, despite all the denial they could muster, they still fell for each other. And, the had some heat between them, though that wasn't the main point of their relationship. I thought they were a lovely couple.

The plot was fast paced and I was totally drawn in the entire way through. The secrets revealed in this book about Drake and Ophelia's past were dark and, though I had suspicious, I never guessed the full extent of them. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was perfect.

Once More, My Darling Rogue was a fantastic historical romance. I really enjoyed this book. From the romance, to the secrets, it was a wonderful read. Romance lovers, this is a book you won't want to miss.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Drake worries about the darkness inside him. He knows what his father did and worries he will do the same so he never plans to marry. He was born in the streets but an aristocracy family took him in and raised him like one of their own. He knows he is really one of them but one Lady really sets out to show him he is nothing. Ophelia doesn't like when ladies flirt with those beneath them. Drake has to be set in his place and she is the one to do so. When she looses her memory in a near drowning Drake sees it as the perfect time to get some revenge. He sill show her what it is like to be a housekeeper and how it feels to have someone order you around. He didn't plan on falling for her. Phee is sure this isn't her life but she enjoys being near Drake. When her memory returns she is horrified at how far Drake went to make a point and she doesn't think it will ever work with the man who now has her heart but not her trust.

Drake is a dark man inside but with the family who raised him he shows how charming and loving he can be. He takes insults all the time but he can be pushed to far. Even when he lets Ophelia think she is his housekeeper he still doesn't ask her to do a lot of work. He treats her good. He is also the type of guy who keeps digging to make him self better. Ophelia is snobby and a brat at first. I have to say I did not like her one bit. the way she treated people was horrible. Phee as Drake let her think her name was is a much more nicer person. She still has the airs of the rich but she learns what it is like to be poor. She takes care of animals and steps in when people try to hurt them. She is very giving and sharing. Phee is the true woman who hides behind the mask of a lady who looks down on everyone.

I have to say at first I worried I would not like this book. I didn't like the main character and thought how is this going to be good. However when Ophelia becomes Phee I ended up really loving her. She has many secrets and once they come out you see why she is the way she is. The author does an amazing job on these characters and all they ave gone through. There is a mystery to this story as Drake tries to figure out how Phee almost drown. With no memory he doesn't have a lot to go on. I was very surprised by who did it and why. It is a horrible person and they are a villain to the bone. I love the romance and love between Drake and Phee. They always had a spark but being close together that spark flares to a fire. This was an amazing book that I hated to see end. If you like historical romance then hurry and pick this one up!

Remember that movie “Overboard,” with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell? How tempting would it be if you had the opportunity to get a little of your own back against someone who had belittled you and scorned you at every opportunity? That’s the first thing that came to my mind as Lady Ophelia Lyttleton called Drake Darling “Boy,” and ordered him to bring her a glass of champagne at a ball. While Drake is not a noble, he is the adopted son of a duke, and has never done a thing to spark Ophelia’s spitefulness. So, later when he rescues a mud-covered lady from almost drowning, and takes her home, and realizes that it’s Ophelia, and that she has no memory of anything, he decides to make her believe she is a servant for a day before he returns her to her home.

This Ophelia, however, is not at all like the haughty heiress who has plagued Drake. While she is pretty inept as a servant, she quickly learns, and works hard, much to Drake’s amazement. Since the circumstances of her accident are very murky, Drake does some investigating, and feels that she may still be in danger, so he doesn’t take her home right away, as planned. They quickly develop an intimacy and an attraction. Without her prejudices clouding her judgment, Ophelia (now called “Phee”) sees Drake for the man he is. And Drake is a wonderful man – he’s big, strong, handsome, and protective. And I quite liked Phee now, that is, until her memory came back.

This book was well written, and flowed nicely. I love the trope of amnesia, when it’s well done. And, frankly, it was a good thing that Ophelia had a chance to reflect on her former nasty self, because she came out of it a much better person. There are a couple mysteries – what caused Ophelia’s accident, and what happened in her past to make her the unpleasant person she had been. There is a touching scene near the end between Drake and his adopted father which brought tears to my eyes. And I thoroughly enjoy that this series of books is about the children of the characters from Lorraine Heath’s previous series, The Scoundrels of St James. This is a wonderful read, particularly if you like stories of redemption and self-forgiveness. I highly recommend reading it.

originally posted at long and short reviews

2.5 stars
Lorraine Heath has been one of those authors who has been on my to read list for ages. I have to say though this book was quite disappointing from an author who has come so highly recommended. The story starts off slow and it took me a really long time to get into it. In fact, after starting it I put it down to read 3 other books in between. Part of the reason is the heroine, Ophelia, is so unlikeable (by design) and I totally understand why Drake feels the need to put her in her place BUT then he completely coddles her. In fact, the behaviors he despised in her before all of a sudden become endearing to him. That I didn't get. He let's her get away with speaking back at him even though she's supposed to be a servant, she sleeps in his bed, orders him about, spends a ridiculous amount of his money and so on. Eventually she shows some redeeming qualities and the romance between the two becomes more understandable but it was hard to get over his earlier infatuation over her what really should have been unlikeable behavior.

For the most part Drake is a really likable hero but I have to admit there is a point near the end that I can't list here without being a spoiler but it really tarnished him in my eyes. So though the later half of the book picked up that marred how I felt about the ending as well. So overall this is just a meh read for me.

3.5 stars
Hotness factor: Phee and Drake…

Have you ever watched the 1987 movie Overboard? Spoiled Heiress Goldie Hawn fell off her yacht and lost her memory. The contractor she has been tormenting, Kurt Russell, seeks his revenge by bringing back to his home and telling her that she is his wife. As much as I like this movie, I believe that’s kidnapping, so kids please do don’t this at home.
Now, take this interesting plot/felony, set it in Victorian England with more twist and less shoulder pads and you have Once More, My Darling Rogue.
Lady Ophelia started off as this repressed and rude woman but by the end of the book we understood her behaviour more. Drake was likeable from the beginning. He saved her from drowning for god sake! So he played a little joke and basically kidnapped a lady for a couple of weeks and told her that she was his maid… It’s all right, she didn’t press charges. She fell in love instead.
I enjoyed the story. It made for a nice afternoon read. There’s just something about these rogues that makes you want to come back for more. Can’t wait for Avendale’s book!

I received this book in exchange of an honest review.

I'll be honest, I usually avoid love stories based on the amnesia trope. I struggle with the idea of a person falling in love while trying to recover their identity. Despite my reservations, I was willing to suspend my disbelief for Peter Sykes' story because Surrender to the Devil (Scoundrels of St. James Book 3) - the novel in which he was adopted by the Duke and Duchess of Greystone - is my favorite book by Ms. Heath.

Unfortunately, I had trouble with the heroine. Even after learning of the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her uncle, I couldn't bring myself to empathize with her; her vile conduct toward the hero at the beginning of the story turned me completely off and I couldn't get past it. Moreover, I didn't buy the radical transformation of her character after she lost her memory. The final scene when she accepts his marriage proposal would have been sweet, had I not been so set against her.

Drake's behavior didn't endear him to me either. He took his own self-esteem issues out on a helpless woman, whose life he saved, for - I hope - reasons other than petty revenge. I could understand his desire to teach her a lesson, but I felt that he had gone too far with the charade.

So, after struggling for a week and skimming pages, I finally gave up and skipped to the final few chapters and epilogue. As always, the diary entries were touching, but the best part of the story was the scene between Drake and Greystone when all the men of the family gathered at the club before the opening ball. I'll read it again just for that, and maybe the rest of the story will grow on me.

Disclaimer: I love the movie Overboard. So when I read the synopsis for this book, I immediately wanted to read it. And I loved it! Phee was obnoxious at the beginning of the book, but a product of her upbringing. When her memory is lost, we see there is more to her than the icy facade she wears. I loved watching Drake develop feelings for her in spite of himself. I loved how tender he was with her. Phee and Drake have both been scarred by their pasts, but they ultimately realize they aren't broken. Their story is amazing. Lorraine Heath is honestly hit or miss for me, and I haven't read many of her recent releases. But I did not want to put this one down. I think it beats out my favorite, Texas Destiny, which I've loved since I was a teenager. I think I'll be looking through some of her books I've previously passed on, in case there are any other gems hiding out there...

This is another great book by Lorraine Heath and the second book in the series "Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James" But for me it is a stand alone book, so don't worry if you are jumping around in the series. I was caught up in this book by just reading the story line. I had to read this book in one sitting... I just could not put it down! Our hero Drake Darling, started off on the streets but was taken in my a aristocratic family. Our heroine, Lady Ophelia Lyttleton has for show a true lady of wealth and very snobbish ways mostly toward Drake. Little does the town know that she too has had a hard time growing up. Ophelia has a "accident" that leaves her with a head injury that makes it so that she does not remember anything. This is where the hero comes in and thinks to get back at her for some of the snubs she has caused him. This starts a truly emotional story that I was so sorry to see end. I hope that you enjoy this book too!

Really disappointed by this book. Lorraine Heath is one of my favorite authors and I have read almost all her books. They are normally fantastic. This one was just such a miss. I could not get myself to like Lady Ophelia. She went through a lot as a child but that does not excuse her behavior on how she treated Drake. He deserved much better. This was a painful read and had I not read anything from Ms. Heath before, I would have stopped 50 pages in. I gave the benefit of the doubt and finished it. It did not get much better.

Kinda like an angsty, reworking of the Goldie Hawn/Kurt Russell movie 'Overboard'

- Heroine was a bit of a classist snot....but she had reasons.
- I liked the hero a lot
- Class warfare & 'you make me afraid of what I am feeling' is the romantic conflict... and deception of course.
- ...but found myself skimming. Was too impatient to get to the part where she gets her memories back. Constantly waiting for the shoe to drop and for his deception to be revealed
- Book ended on a very strong note.

Rather middle-of-the-road HistRom with a slightly different hook.

Once More, My Darling Rogue is another fantastic book by Lorraine Heath. Although in the beginning of the book Lady Ophelia was snobbish and rude but I could tell that there was a reason behind her behavior. After Ophelia snubbed Drake in Grace's wedding, by chance Drake rescues her from a mysterious drowning. When he realizes that she doesn't remember her past, he decides to have his revenge for a day and insists that she is his housekeeper. Through the whole story I couldn't guess how Ophelia was in Thames and keep anticipating that she is going to remember any minute. Like all Lorraine Heath's books this is an amazing written book with dark secrets and great characters. Thank you Lorraine Heath.

I love Love/Hate relationships and that is definitely what Ophelia and Drake's relationship is in a nutshell. Although, they seem to really hate each other in the beginning, there is such chemistry and tension between them, there's no way it's all hate. Aside from the romance, there was a lot to this story. Drake is figuring out how he wants to proceed with business, there is some suspense, and of course the humor. It all weaves together to create an entertaining story.

Once More, My Darling Rogue by Lorraine Heath was kindly provided to me by the publisher through Edelweiss for review. The opinions are my own.

Disclosure: I received this ARC via Edelweiss. Thank you to Lorraine Heath and to Avon Books for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

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There's the kind of enmity you find in romance novels, where the hero and heroine secretly like each other, but can't express it, so they engage in barbs and banter. We know that, at the core of their biting riposte, is love just waiting for a chance.

Then there's the enmity that Lady Ophelia has for Drake Darling. There is nothing teasing or playful in how Lady Ophelia talks to Drake. It is painful to see Lady Ophelia slice at Drake with her words and actions, and she's very clear in what she wants to do: to remind Drake of his place in society, which is far, far beneath her. One would wonder what Drake had done to earn Lady Ophelia's disfavour, but Drake does not. As the son of a murderer, as a child of the streets, he believes that Ophelia is treating him that way he deserves to be treated.

"You are no better than the muck I wipe off my shoes."
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Very early on, Lorraine Heath hints at a "dis-ease" that rests deep within Ophelia -- this darkness inside her that calls her wicked and unworthy, and Ophelia seems to lash out at the one person she knows can withstand the abuse: Drake.

"No man would ever love her enough to forgive her for what she'd once done, and it was a secret she could not forever keep from a husband."
- loc 426

Is there attraction between the two? Can love grow between them? I wondered how Lorraine Heath would accomplish this love story. How could she convince her characters to give each other a chance to know each other?

After a painfully uncomfortable night at Grace and the Duke of Lovingdon's wedding party (and after an evening of suffering Ophelia), Drake finds her floating in the Thames, rescues her, and brings her back to his home -- fully intending to bring her home once she had recovered. But, when Ophelia wakes up with amnesia, Drake decides to to teach Ophelia a lesson on manners by telling her that she is his servant.

I have to say I was very worried at this point in the story and actually wrote to my book buddy, F, expressing my concerns about the book. First, amnesia is a problematic trope to use in a love story. Second, I wasn't happy at how Drake took advantage of Ophelia's situation and subjected her to his petty revenge. BUT I kept reading, and I'm glad I did -- Lorraine Heath has transformed a problematic situation into an opportunity to tell one of the most moving stories I've ever read. (By the end of the book, I was in tears.)

It may seem like an easy way out for the author to erase Ophelia's memories of Drake, but that didn't seem to be the point of Ophelia's amnesiac episode. Drake was not the aim of this particular plot device: it was Ophelia's _other_ memories. Ophelia has been caught up in the prison of her experiences that she isn't really able to live fully in the present. Her words, and her actions are all informed by her past -- and it's quite sad to see a person cheated of an opportunity to live, love and be happy because of what happened to her.

Amnesia is a gift to Ophelia, it is her chance to discover who she is. Without her memories, without her father's stern education and edicts, Ophelia breathes free for the first time in her life -- and we realise that she isn't that hateful or malicious (though, she's still haughty ^_^) and that she actually possesses a really, really good heart. It was endearing how she cared for the lost and abandoned animals that follow her home and how conscientious she was in wanting to do her job well.

It's really the conversations between Ophelia and Drake that makes this story so convincing: the pull between the idyllic relationship that they versus reality just gives so much meaning and weight to the words that they say -- and it all really plays up to the "what if" scenario that is unfolding between the two.

"Am I married?"

"No."

He could feel her gaze boring into him. Why were there so many dishes to be put away? Why was it taking forever to end this ghastly mistake? He should have never returned here with dinner. He should have stayed at the club.

"Is it because of the difference in our positions?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he answered succinctly. Tossing in the last of the items, he thought he heard a plate crack. Lovely.

"Our different places in Society matter to you," she said.

"They matter to you." Twisting around, he faced her. Feeling a need to lessen the tartness of his earlier response, he trailed his fingers over her cheek. "You'll remember that someday." He was quite sorry that she would.
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My second concern has to do with Drake's dishonourable choice -- a greater man would have taken the high road and restored Ophelia to her family sooner. A greater man would have told her the truth about herself sooner. Then I realised that Drake had never believed he was a gentleman, despite his upbringing in the Duke of Lovingdon's household -- he never believed he was a great man, or even a good man, for that matter. How he reacted to the situation was very human, and very Drake -- a reminder that not all men are knights in shining armour, but, that not all scoundrels are irredeemable.

In that, Heath does a good job of balancing fantasy and reality -- an amnesiac Ophelia is part of the evanescent and escapist and Drake's behaviour is very firmly rooted in humanity -- and there is an urgency by the dramatic irony: we know who Ophelia is and Drake knows, and it's only a matter of time before Ophelia will come to this realisation ... and we know what will happen to their relationship (the ramifications of Drake's actions) when _that_ happens.

The mystery of Ophelia's accident and subsequent memory loss is tied up with what happened to her in the past (that made her so miserable and angry) and it does seem as though there were a lot of pieces up in the air, but Heath showcases her caliber by creating such an incisive resolution. She took her characters through an inward journey where they discovered the best and worst in each other and, in the end, when the question of "why love?" comes up, the only answer is "why not?" --

As I finished reading this book, I realised that all my fears were unfounded and, while I went into this book a skeptic, I came out of it a believer: Lorraine Heath is, was and will always be amazing.

Warning: This review may contain spoilers

Once More, My Darling Rogue is the second book in the Scoundrels of St. James series by Lorraine Heath and focuses on Drake Darling and Lady Ophelia Lyttleton. We meet both of these characters in the first book, When the Duke was Wicked since Lady Ophelia is Lady Grace's best friend. We should also note that Drake Darling is that little boy Frannie and Sterling adopted in Surrender to the Devil who was then known as Peter Sykes.

Let me start to say this book is very emotional since it touches on subjects that are not usually touched on in Historical Romances. In this book, it is both hero and heroine that are scarred, that are presenting a facade different to hide their true feelings and nature.

Drake Darling, who now manages Dodger's Drawing Room, feels like he is still a few inches from the gutter where he came from despite being raised by the Duke and Duchess of Greystone, being friends with a Duke, a few other members of the peerage. Naturally, Ophelia knows about his sordid past and does not let anyone, including Drake, forget it. In fact, she treats him as little more than a servant. The twist comes when Drake rescues Ophelia by the Thames with amnesia and decides to teach her a lesson by claiming that she is his housekeeper.

When I started reading this book, I knew that there was something drastic in Ophelia's past that she was trying to conceal and she was also trying to hide her attraction to Drake. When she was rescued and woke up in the rooms of Drake with amnesia, her walls fell and Drake was able to catch a glimpse of the woman within. Initially, he had wanted to teach her a lesson for a day but he couldn't seem to let her go. There was also the mystery of how she came to be in the Thames, in the middle of the night.

I was not warming up to Drake when I started this book. In fact, I had no patience for his tricks and his plan to teach Ophelia a lesson but as the story wore on, I could see that Drake was also struggling. Not only with his past but with his future. I loved that both Ophelia and Drake cultivated a friendship and got closer as they were constantly in contact with each other.

I love the subtle passion that the author added to the story. It wasn't as spicy as most romances but there was a really steamy tub bath that I really loved, plus the passion sizzling between the two characters was just perfect.

When the villain of the story was finally revealed, I was not surprised. This trope has been done before but I liked the way Ms. Heath made it her own. I also liked that she used an issue that was not only true then but also today.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Hands down the best book in this series so far. Ms. Heath did not disappoint!

Read the full review on Night Owl Reviews.

I love my historical romances, even those that have a premise that could so easily fall into trite and over-played territory. In this book, Lady Ophelia is rescued from drowning , only to wake and find she has no memory of her life before. Fortunately, her rescuer was none other than Drake, an honorable if deeply secretive young man that has always held a touch of hope in her direction.

Drake convinces Ophelia that she is a servant, and slowly but surely the two start to work their relationship into something more fitting and suitable. The early, non-amnesia stricken Ophelia was a truly dislikable character: haughty, snarky, snobby and more than a bit of a shrew. She was despicable in her treatment of Drake, and to his credit, even though he wants to exact revenge he doesn’t treat her with anything less than gentlemanly behavior after that one misdirection.

Laden with backstory, there are several secrets that are revealed and help to explain the tension and conflict between the characters, and as Ophelia’s carefully contrived behaviors fall away due to her amnesia, we see the truly kind-hearted woman that hides beneath the society veneer. It is to Lorraine Heath’s credit that she created such a horribly unsympathetic character that has a transformation to more sympathetic and engaging, and readers are encouraged to cheer her on.

No such effort was needed for Drake: despite his moments of speaking in anger and occasional bouts of impulsivity he is engaging and likable, and his sense of honor as a gentleman, and his strength gained in his struggles for acceptance and entrée into society all make him the perfectly created hero for this story. Fast paced with several surprising reveals and a wonderful ending, this story is a perfect redemption story with the redeemed not necessarily the expected.

I received an eArc copy of the title via the publisher for purpose of honest review for The Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Let me first say that I have always loved Lorraine's books. They are always 4.5 or 5 star reviews. That being said I am not really a fan of amnesia stories.

The heroine Ophelia is not a very likable person who treats Drake is not worth her notice. Drake on the other hand is handsome and charming and loves to torment Ophelia.

When he rescues her from the Thames one night she doesn't remember who she is. Drake decides to teach her a lesson and tells her she is a servant in his household. Ophelia feels this isn't right, but since she cannot remember she goes along with it. She turns out to be a hard worker with a good heart and a genuinely nice person.

Meanwhile Drake is investigating why her brother has not signed the alarm that she is missing. He finds out a terrible secret about Ophelia that has shaped the person she was before she lost her memory. Drake also has something in his past that torments him.

Lorriane's writing brings out the depth of her characters with great emotional awareness. You know what they are feeling and you actually feel it thru her writing.

I was not enjoying the beginning of this book, but I kept reading because I knew that anything Lorriane writes is worth reading. When you get to know Ophelia and Drake you will be glad your read this book.

ONCE MORE, MY DARLING ROGUE is the second book in Lorraine Heath's new series. This new set of novels is a continuation of her Scoundrels of St. James series. Heath is a great writer. Both the plot and characters are outlined in the previous review. I agree that Heath writes 5 star fiction. I gave this novel 3 stars because of the disquiet it generated in this reader. Drake, the hero of Heath's Victorian romance, lies (in a very big way) to the heroine Ophelia to exact revenge for her treatment of him. When the truth comes out (very late in the story), he is all too easily and immediately forgiven by his friends and family. His sister Grace is Ophelia's best friend but she and the other secondary characters just shrug and move on. Even Ophelia's anger seems more generated by her own feelings of self-disgust than anger at Drake. This was a jarring note in an otherwise good novel. Ophelia's verbal humiliation of Drake has a devastating cause but that does not justify her behavior. Heath seems to say that Drake's revenge behavior is justified. So...It is okay to bully a Bully. Not sure how that is great romance.

Another great book in the series. I think the whole St. James series(Scoundrels and Scandalous Gentlemen) is my favorite of all the historical romances I've read.

I enjoyed reading about Drake and Phee. Ophelia was a little annoying at the beginning but I kind of understood her when she talked about what her father expected of her and how he made her act. Although I wanted to throw the champagne in her head when she was treating Drake the way she was. Drake was just like I thought he'd be, dark but just awesome. I thought Ophelia deserved for Drake to tell her she was a servant, although I thought it took a bit long to find out the truth. The end between Drake and his father, the Duke, had my eyes watering.

Wonderful read and I can't wait for the next book. Hopefully it will be Avendale's.

Read from August 26 to 27, 2014

The back cover provides a very catchy summary of what this story is about- and I must say that having read the author's latest books and them having been above 5 stars in my opinion, I did not hesitate to jump head on into this one. The story does grip you from the beginning and our leading lady, Ophelia Lyttleton is quite the condescending-nose-stuck-up in the air-arrogant b--ch I have ever seen. I definitely looked forward to her getting her amnesia and our very mysteriously dashing hero, Drake Darling raised by none other than a duke, to get his sweet revenge on her; by telling Lady Ophelia "Phee" that she was his house servant, and for that matter his only servant that does it all, from cooking, to cleaning to even personally washing his back!

The leading hero is just amazing in each and every way. He is carrying very heavy baggage due to his emotional scars initiated from having witnessed his parents' very violent marriage. He was so young (a mere eight year old boy) and afraid at the time his father was mentally and physically abusing his mother, that he never stepped in to defend her and felt finally at peace when his father was hanged for murder. Luckily a commoner turned Duchess took him in to live with her and the family (her duke, her daughter Grace and her son which loves to hang out with Drake on anything involving sin) to raise him as one of her own.

Lady Ophelia-(a.k.a. Lady O/"Phee") Lyttleton seems to carry her very own violently caused emotional scars in which her outlet from such a horrific event came in the form of a "convenient" amnesia. We do learn the reasons why "Lady O" is so nasty to Drake the last third of the book, but unfortunately for me as a reader, I just couldn't buy into said reasons. This character made such a HUGE transformation once she got the amnesia, and became Phee that I felt as if I was reading a completely different character, and that the amnesia itself seemed to have redeemed her, only to then have her unredeemed when the amnesia completely wore off at the flip of a sentence! "Lady O" gyrated between her emotions throughout the story that I felt that not even her emotionally strong hero could save her from her demons and a psychiatrist should have been called to the order!-- and this was a bit of a letdown for me. I could have genuinely accepted that “Lady O” came to this humble metamorphosis simply because she accepted her housekeeping job, that her good friend and neighbor of a servant Marla had a good influence on her, and even Drake himself taught her more to life than just ball gowns and dresses with his deception, but a lesson that needed to be learned nonetheless. What I couldn't accept was that Lady O was a wonderful person whose life turned upside down because of a violent incident she experienced at the hands of a family member during her teenage years would make her so rude and condescending enough to make her act so high and mighty—especially at Drake’s each and every expense. This is a false application to the "Keep Calm and Carry On" jargon because she was never calm and focused her anger ONLY out on Drake!--and for being beneath her station?—Lady O exerted this behavior CONSTANTLY to the degrading point of calling Drake “boy, come fetch me some champagne or boy, bring me this or that!” I wanted to punch the living daylights out of Lady O, and when her violent teenage incident was revealed, I couldn’t even feel sorry for her because I just couldn't buy the author's reason for making this character so out of touch- not only with her hero and reality, but to the society's entire peerage!

I felt that Drake was completely short changed and had to apologize for his misleading behavior a bit too often when in the end, Lady "O" kind of uses him again so that she can feel genuinely pure vs. "unclean and repulsive" feelings towards a man? It's like the entire story evolved around Ophelia's violent abuse and that having been the reason why she completely shunned Drake, while at the same time she would entertain suitors within her realm level. Huh? Come on lady, I can only understand that the abuse was indeed horrid, violent and should never happen to a teenager, but your escape was constant public bashing of your best friend’s “adopted brother” Drake simply because he is rumored to have been fathered by a violent man and murderer? Oh… and let’s not forget that not only were you publicly humiliating Drake at all costs, but you were also the big flirt that accepted attentions from aristocratic suitors to the point of leading them on but in your heart you were just playing a game so you could remain a spinster and inherit your dowry at the age of 30, which seemed to be nearing but your brother could not find out your true intentions because he would use up all your inheritance before your true plan came to fruition? – “uh, double take here—this is nuts!” And to further nut-the- whole reasoning behind your b---ch attitude, you want to remain clean and not marry beneath your station, but not only will you entice the aristocratic men so that your whole spinster plans come to fruition because you want to open up a shelter for abused animals in the countryside-- a cause that doesn't even correlate to the abuse you lived through. but since it is unheard of that women of the ton run service or work at anything for that matter, you just "act" out the childish, spoiled, bratty chit that you are expected to be?- that there is something more to you than what you lead on? The author was definitely pulling at dangling straws with this character, and I could not get past her bratty, spoiled, immature and irrational behavior.

Drake Darling was a very strong lead character. His assigned dialog was witty and fit his personality to a "T," while Ophelia came across as a pea brained senseless chit. The couple was mismatched indeed, and the only time I did feel they were somewhat well matched was when Ophelia thought she was Phee, the house servant tending to her very brisk and stand-offish employer. She loved being the only servant and having the house all to herself. It was funny to see Drake squirm and try to outguess how he would get out from answering Phee's very good questions as to what were the true terms between her relationship with Drake, how she got to the manor for work, and what her life truly was because she did not feel that she really did come from service. She would push Drake to no end in order to get her answers and it was funny to see him trying to squirm out of Phee’s inquisition. This witty exchange between the two lasted for about one week.

This story had great potential, but the author's decision to diving into Ophelia’s violent scars made this story a bit too far-fetched for my taste. I have never heard of a rape victim raising her nose in the air and acting as if she is above even the lowliest of men simply because it made her feel cleaner. Sorry Lorraine Heath, I think your reasons behind this character's personality fell too much into the unrealistic. I do love Lorraine Heath's latest stories and will assume that this was a minor fluke in her good repertoire, but I do expect that future writing does not have character "bad behavior" simply excused because of violent and abusive events that had occurred to them because this will definitely end up in a romance gone definitely rock bottom. I will attribute this rock bottom romance to have experienced a bit of its own amnesia.

I enjoyed this book very much. Two damaged souls come together and heal. It's a little more complicated than that but love wins out. I refuse to read or write plot spoiler reviews. Lorraine Heath is an excellent author. I am enjoying this series about the "Scoundrels" children. And it's always nice to check in on Dr. Graves!

Lorraine Heath is one of my favorite authors and I love all her books, and this one does not dissapoint. So romantic and so much depth to the characters. I just love the hole St James series and I recommend that they are read in order. Can't wait for the next one!!!

This book was previously published in August 2014 under the title "Between the Devil and Desire." I consider this a fraud on the publishers' part because readers might believe (and rightly so) that this book is new and it is NOT.

I really expected more for Drakes's story. This was awful, drawn out, and very, very boring. I love Lorraine Heath. I have read just about all her books. And I really don't believe she wrote this. I could not finish the book. It was torture trying to get to the end.