Rogue Most Wanted

by Janna MacGregor

Overview

Wanted: an engagement of convenience. Found: A noble suitor.

Raised on a remote Scottish estate by her adoring grandfather, Lady Theodora Worth has inherited an earldom as well as the land itself. But when an upstart duke challenges her claim to the title and the Ladykyrk estate, Thea is suddenly in need of a husband—in name, at least. An elderly neighbor with a thoroughly modern sensibility and a dashing great-nephew just might be the answer to Thea’s prayers. Except she has no intention of marrying the first man she meets. That would be utterly ridiculous.

It just can’t be him. . .

Lord William Cavensham is entirely too devoted to his family’s estate—ever since he was jilted as a lad—to wed, but he agrees to meet the woman his aunt has taken under her wing—and introduce her to possible suitors. But after just one meeting with beautiful, spirited Thea, Will is determined to help her reclaim her title. And even moreso, he can’t stop thinking that perhaps marriage to this bold, passionate woman may be the one thing he’s been missing all along?

Praise for the Cavensham Heiresses series

“Full-bodied romance…with intelligence and heart.”—New York Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell

“Sparkling…MacGregor brings England’s Regency era to life.” —Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250295996
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/25/2019
Series:	The Cavensham Heiresses , #5
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	477,712
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.70(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Janna MacGregor was born and raised in the bootheel of Missouri. She credits her darling mom for introducing her to the happily-ever-after world of romance novels. Janna writes stories where compelling and powerful heroines meet and fall in love with their equally matched heroes, and her novels include the Cavensham Heiresses series. She is the mother of triplets and lives in Kansas City with her very own dashing rogue, and two smug, but not surprisingly, perfect pugs.

Editorial Reviews

05/13/2019

MacGregor’s bold fifth Cavensham Heiresses Regency (after The Good, the Bad, and the Duke) once again provides a decadently delightful love story that refuses to conform. Thea is a 25-year-old countess in her own right, heir to her grandfather’s estate, Ladykyrk. Having taken care of her ailing grandfather for the last seven years of his life, she’s still grieving him when she learns she could lose her claim to her beloved lands. Enter William Cavensham, second son of a duke and great-nephew to Thea’s neighbor, meddlesome mischief-maker Stella. He’s a guarded man who understands a bit of Thea’s experiences with the London gossip rags, as well as her sense of duty and loyalty. After only one meeting he’s taking up her cause, trying to ease her way into proper society, supporting her bold moves to protect her inheritance, and losing his heart. Filled with delightful characters and an impish innocence, the novel eschews many of the common Regency romance elements, blazing a new trail of complementary character weaknesses and strengths. Readers will lose their hearts (and a few tears) to the Cavensham clan. Agent: Pamela Ahearn, Ahearn Agency. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"A decadently delightful love story that refuses to conform." - Publisher's Weekly

"An unforgettable love story." - Booklist, starred review

"Deliciously romantic and poetic." - Fresh Fiction on Rogue Most Wanted

“Sparkling...a richly engaging romance with a heroine we should all resolve to be more like.” - Entertainment Weekly on The Good, the Bad, and the Duke

From the Publisher

2019-06-17
An earl's daughter raised in the wilds of Northumberland must fight for her title and home with the help of a dashing lord who has sworn off love.

When dementia afflicted her beloved grandfather, the Duke of Ferr-Colby, Countess Theodora Worth stepped in. They retreated to his remote Ladykyrk Estate in Scotland for privacy, where she cared for him and managed his estates until his death. The new duke, Garrett Fairfax, hopes to take Ladykyrk for its mineral stores, but Scottish law allows Thea, a woman, to inherit. A London gossip rag has twisted Thea's hard work and sacrifice into a malicious story of greed and murder, and the new duke plans to press his claim in the House of Lords. Thea, having lived a secluded and informal existence, seeks help from her kind neighbor, Lady Stella Payne. Lady Payne takes Thea to London to prepare for her interview with the Committee for Privileges and, perhaps, to find a husband to strengthen her claim to the earldom. Lady Payne's great-nephew, Lord William Cavensham, has sworn off romance since he was jilted years prior. Will makes a big show of being cynical and withdrawn, yet he instantly responds to Thea's great beauty, bravery, and intelligence and agrees to help her. As their friendship grows, so does their attraction, making for several explicit sex scenes that clash with both Thea's naïve, sheltered personality and with MacGregor's (The Good, the Bad, and the Duke, 2018, etc.) otherwise authentic depiction of Regency law, etiquette, and mores. The threat to Thea's title drags on until it is solved by a simple search that could have been conducted in the first chapter, while she and Will throw up unconvincing reasons that they cannot marry.

This installment of The Cavensham Heiresses ranks well below its predecessors thanks to a slow pace, inconsistent characterization, and implausible motivations.

Kirkus Reviews