Romancing the Rules #1
By: Christy Carlyle
Releasing November 1, 2016
Avon Impulse
Link to Follow Tour: Tasty Book Tours
Goodreads
Goodreads Series
Blurb
From the USA Today bestselling author of ONE DANGEROUS DESIRE comes a sparkling new series about a rogue who must learn how to follow the rules and a woman who wants to break all of them, perfect for fans of Maya Rodale and Lorraine Heath.
Kit Ruthven’s Rules (for Rogues)
#1 Love freely but guard your heart, no matter how tempting the invader.
#2 Embrace temptation, indulge your sensual impulses, and never apologize.
#3 Scorn rules and do as you please. You are a rogue, after all.
Following the rules never brought anything but misery for Christopher “Kit” Ruthven. After rebelling against his controlling father and leaving the family’s Ruthven Rules etiquette book empire behind, Kit has been breaking every one imaginable for the past six years. He’s enjoyed London’s sensual pleasures and secured his reputation as a Rogue, but he’s failed to achieve success. When he inherits his father’s publishing business, Kit is forced back into the life he never wanted. Worse, he must face Ophelia Marsden, the woman he jilted but never forgot.
After losing her father and refusing a loveless marriage proposal, Ophelia has learned to rely on herself. To maintain the family home and support her younger brother, she tutors young girls in deportment and decorum. But her pupils would be scandalized if they knew their imminently proper teacher was also the author of a guidebook encouraging ladies to embrace their independence and overthrow outdated notions of etiquette like the Ruthven Rules.
As Kit rediscovers the life, and the woman, he left behind, Ophelia must choose between the practicalities she never truly believed in, or the love she’s never been able to extinguish.
Ophelia “Phee” Marsden has a secret, one she can’t afford – literally- to get out. However, she doesn’t let worry or fear stop her from mission- modernizing society and its perpetual rules. She’s not trying to overthrow the crown or anything. She just wants women to understand they have options concerning their own lives.
Kit and Phee once loved each other, and although neither will openly admit it at first – to anyone- they still do. However, times have changed, and Phee’s life holds a lot more responsibility than it did four years earlier when they were together. Kit left her to pursue his dream of becoming a famous London playwright, and although she understood his desire to get from beneath his father’s firm hand, she didn’t understand why he never visited her. She felt abandoned, and as if he never cared like he claimed.
Although Kit has been out chasing his dream, Phee was always in his mind. Not a day went by that he didn’t think of her. When he returns home after his father’s death, his only goal was to settle his affairs and make sure his sisters were taken care of. He knew how difficult it would be if he saw Phee again. Unfortunately (and fortunately) for him, his heart won the war, although his brain was a worthy adversary.
This book started out very interesting. Although it was obvious (thanks to the rules of a romance) that the two would wind up together, it’s the “how” that captivates. The first few chapters were perfectly paced, but eventually the north winds shifted south. Halfway thru, I found myself skimming thru the thick narrative to get back to the interesting parts. And yes, things did pick back up. The characters were actually pretty interesting, and I must say that Grey (Kit’s friend) was quite roguishly charming. He stole every scene he was in, which was perfect for the character who happened to be an actor. He didn’t overshadow anybody, but he did bring life to the scenes he was in. Clarissa (Kit’s sister aka Clary) is quite intriguing as well. I know there’s something more to her, and I’d actually like to find out what. Her unique interests were a nice twist to a historical.
Overall, it was an ok read.
Rating system: Cups of Coffee (the less the better)
0: You won’t need any coffee to stay up for this one. It’s intriguing enough all on its own.
1: You’ll stay up late, but not all night. Brew one cup.
2: You’ll read as long as you’re not tired. If you are, two cups should do the trick.
3: I hope you got plenty of rest; you’ll need it, or at least 3 cups.
4: If the cable goes out, read the book. It’s better than nothing, I guess. Oh, don’t forget your brew!
5: Find anything else to do- it doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t waste your coffee. Too much caffeine is bad for you.
My rating: 2 1/2 cups of coffee
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo
Author Info
Fueled by Pacific Northwest coffee and inspired by multiple viewings of every British costume drama she can get her hands on, Christy Carlyle writes sensual historical romance set in the Victorian era. She loves heroes who struggle against all odds and heroines who are ahead of their time. A former teacher with a degree in history, she finds there’s nothing better than being able to combine her love of the past with a die-hard belief in happy endings.