All Men Are Rogues

reality check: Romance heroines have come a long way, with or without the bodice-ripper clinch and the Ah-nold type heroes on the cover. And villains have come a long way since the mustache-twirling melodrama maniacs. They may even be spymasters for British Intelligence who have none of Bond's sensuality or M's ethics, but plenty of flaws cloaked in duty to king and country. Lord Tristram Wheaton intends for Lord Justin Barclay to carry out a mission vital to homeland security. Trouble is, Justin has to kill a woman suspected, like her father, of being a traitor to the British crown. However, Justin starts to fall for the lady as romance turns Hitchockian in the best "Notorious" sense, with hero and heroine guilty over divided loyalties and conflicts of the heart. The novel's heroine and spy target Lady Evelyn Amherst is as emotionally guarded and scarred as Ingrid Bergman-at least when it comes to the subject of love or marriage. Despite a determination to finish her murdered father's mysterious last mission, she feels guilt over deceiving while lusting after Justin, who she seduces in marked contrast to yesteryear's frightened breathless passive miss submitting to the hero's wicked desires despite herself. Evelyn and Justin's emotional and suspenseful journey is no less bold, taking them through tangled loyalties, discoveries of each other's true mission. Is the mission marriage? Ah, but a rogue wouldn't give away the ending...

This was my first book by Sari Robins and I will certainly look for more of her books. For me, this started a little slowly - I just didn't feel the connection between Jusin and Evelyn. Maybe it was becuz she actually liked him - in most books there is the immediate tension. Of course as you continue into the story you find more than enough tension - enough so you are never certain whether this couple will ever get together. The intrigue with the masterful plot of treason and the motive behind the colonel and his quest to capture Evelyn make for a very good story. In the end this was a beautiful love story and I thorougly enjoyed it!

I bought this book together with "Her Scandalous Intentions", and after reading that one (which by the way was a total disappointment) I let this one sit unread for several months, until the other day I found myself with nothing else to read, so I grabbed this one. And almost put it down again when I came across all the mistakes in the forms of address. Justin is called "Lord Justin Barclay", which made me assume he was the younger son of a Duke or a Marquis, so he held a courtesy title. But then we read that he is the Marquis of Rawlings, in which case his title would be "Lord Rawlings" not "Lord Barclay" or "Lord Justin Barclay" and his mother would be "Lady Rawlings" not "Lady Barclay". You would think that the author would know these basic facts, or at least her editor would. Does anybody check these books for errors before they are printed? I'm not an expert in the matter, and even I knew that. I think it is embarrassing.And talking about his mother, I did not like her, but neither did I like the way he treated her when he finally stood up to her. I think he was a little harsh. Granted, his mother was a harpy, but she was still his mother, and he always said that he knew deep down she loved him, so I had hoped for reconciliation and maybe a little mellowing on her part. But anyway, it is the author's right to work out the situations as she sees fit, after all it is her novel, I'm just expressing what I would have preferred.Other than that, the rest of the book was fairly good. Entertaining, fast paced and romantic. I liked the fact that the hero Justin is sweet and tender and vulnerable and at the same time dangerous and sensual.I loved Angel, and hope he gets his own novel. Oh, and by the way, if she is going to include Spanish words in her writing she should get advise on how to use them properly from someone who actually has good knowledge of the language. For example, when Angel says "You English are [chiflado]", it should have been "chiflados", since he is talking in plural and in Spanish the adjective changes depending on whether is being used in singular or in plural. I know this is not big deal, and most readers won't even notice, but anyone who speaks Spanish would.I know that by my review, it doesn't sound as if I liked the book, but I really did. I'm just writing about the mistakes in the hope that if the authors or the editors ever read the critiques, will try to fix these errors before they are printed. Little things like that take away from a good story and ultimately give a bad name to the genre.

Setting - England 1813 - The very lovely Miss Evelyn Amherst mourning her father had come home to England to carry out his last dying wish. Although, she had hated the conspiracies and the intrigues of the life he lived, she loved and was proud of his commitment and loyalty to his country. As he lay dying in her arms he made her promise to return to England to collect her inheritance then leave as quickly as possible for her safety's sake. Having not set foot on English soil for nearly 12 years she really did not know anyone. Lord Justin Barclay was a distant relative many times removed and had arranged for her to stay at his Aunt's home. Justin was handsome enough to turn any ladies head but Evelyn was determined it wouldn't be hers and difficult as it would be, she would try to learn the truth surrounding her father's death.Lord Justin Barclay, handsome and titled, was not all as he appeared. He'd been working undercover as a spy for some years now and because of family connections he was selected to ferret out the secrets of Evelyn's father's last assignment. As beautiful as Evelyn turned out to be he looked forward to spending time with his very lovely new assignment. What he was not expecting was to be so enchanted that rather than looking to entrap her and prove her of treasonous activities, he would be more apt to prove her innocence. This was my first book by this author and I was totally immersed in the romance and mind twisting intrigue almost from the very first pages. This was a difficult book to lay aside both from a sensual and mystery standpoint. Just when you would think that circumstances between the two protagonists were settling into a set pattern for the usual historical romance scenario, another betrayal event would set you off down another road of twists and turns keeping the intrigue level high! And if the intrigue doesn't keep your interest piqued the sensual by-play certainly should! Sprinkled throughout you are introduced to some very strong and vivid secondary characters as well that I certainly hope to see expanded upon for sequels. I'd love to see what happens to Angel Arolas when cupid finally targets him! However, one of the aspects that I truly enjoyed in this story was to see such a strong caring heroine, turn what appeared as a strong and self assured gentleman into a `real' man who ended up taking charge of his life to suit what was best for him! This was an extremely satisfying read and one that I highly recommend.

This book is fast paced and sexy. You'll fall in love with these characters. Evelyn Amherst, the heroine, is intelligent, savvy and more street smart than any character I've come across in a romance novel. Definitely more street savvy than high society realizes. She has to be.Justin Barclay is a man looking for a way out. He's tired of the double life he's been leading and the guilty burden he's been carrying for far too long. His secrets are killing him. Both these people start off using each other as pawns. For Evelyn, Justin is an innocent escort through a world she left long ago and needs to master once again in order to save herself. For Justin, Evelyn is his last assignment- if he plays his cards right. Once you crack the spine on this one, you'll be hooked. The writing is GREAT. The characters truly come to life. The mystery will absolutely keep you rivetted. If you want an incredible escape, this is a no-brainer. BUY THIS.