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I don’t generally read time-travel romances. I loved the first couple I read, which were from a YA series that I positively adored (and whose title and author I have since forgotten). But my very first adult time travel romance turned out to be a tragedy, which put me off the whole sub-genre for many years. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed Linda Kay’s first single title release, To Tame A Rogue, very much. Like those first YA titles I read so many years ago, it had that enchanting quality that every good romance should have: it made me wish it would never end.
Arden St. Clare, the sheltered, orphaned heiress to the stuffy St. Clare Spice empire, harbors a longing to break free from her family’s repressive attitudes and no-nonsense ways. When she spies a travel agency called Any Time, Any Place on the streets of her native New Orleans, she decides a vacation is just what she needs to escape both the watchful and disapproving eyes of her relatives and the insanity of the rapidly approaching Mardi Gras season. What she doesn’t realize is that the insanity has just begun. For the travel agency is not merely a historical tour company; it offers actual trips through time, delivered by one Tobias Thistlewaite, a somewhat amateur sorcerer who mumbles mythical babble about being the heir to “Merlin’s Stone,” which is the rather fluffy mechanism through which time travel is made possible. And so before she can quite grasp that this is all very real, Arden finds herself alone in the middle of a forest in Regency England, arriving just in time to save a defenseless boy – who turns out to be a real, live Duke – from villains bent on his murder. Thus begins her “vacation.”
Royce Warrick is a returning war hero from the Battle of Waterloo, who finds Arden and his nephew William, Duke of Wolverton at the scene of the crime. Although he is drawn to her, he can’t help doubting her dubious claim that she is an American heiress abandoned by her tour guide. For her part, Arden begins to suspect that Royce may be exactly what Thistlewaite promised her – her heart’s desire.
The plot quickly becomes more complicated. Royce promised his recently departed brother that he would behave himself and avoid disgracing the family name. But he also has a fiancé named Christobel, who, Arden soon discovers, “may be a Lady with a capital L”, but is also “a witch with a capital B.” Arden also runs into her St. Clare ancestors, and she and Royce both must foil a plot to kill young Duke William – or, as Arden calls him, Billy Bob. Meanwhile, Arden is trying to get through the London Season without too many faux pas, while attempting to seduce Royce, ensure the historical continuity of her family tree, and find Thistlewaite. And oh yes – figure out Regency-era underwear.
To Tame A Rogue is probably on the lighter side of time-travel, but that fact detracts little from the reader’s enjoyment. Arden is a likable heroine, feisty and full of modern sensibility, while Royce and the other characters are by contrast well-placed in their timely attitudes. The main characters sizzle together, and if their story isn’t a deep exploration of love, it is certainly enough to make a rainy afternoon cozier.
If I had to come up with something about this book that doesn’t quite ring true, it would be that the heroine does not end up in Bedlam when she reveals her secret. However, it is otherwise believable enough, and more than entertaining. My only other minor complaint is the easily-skipped epilogue, which features Thistlewaite researching his next client, and actually belongs in the next book – which I eagerly await.
To Tame A Rogue has all the best qualities of a light, romantic read, and is positively marvelous as a first novel. This book is a treat for time-travel fans and other romance readers alike. With her first non-series release, Ms. Kay has become an auto-buy for me, and I’m sure she will be for you soon, as well.
Grade: B+
Book Type: Time Travel Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 28/03/01
Publication Date: 2001
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.