MUCH ADO ABOUT ROGUES by Kasey Michaels Book Review
Series: Blackthorn Brothers, #3
Publication Date: March 27th 2012 by Harlequin
Summary: Meet the Blackthorn Brothers—three unrepentant scoundrels infamous for being mad, bad and perilous to love.
Who is the darkly handsome Don John “Black Jack” Blackthorn? With his air of mystery and menace, the whispers about him hint of highwayman or government agent or even dark prince. But no one knows what it is Black Jack does… or how dangerous he can truly be. Now Jack’s mentor has disappeared, and Jack must track him down before it’s too late. His unlikely help: the man’s daughter—the very woman Jack had once wooed and betrayed.
Lady Tess Fonteneau knows more about the fine art of clandestine activities—and about the mysterious Mr. Blackthorn—than he realizes. As their journey leads them on the adventure of a lifetime, their reunion is fraught with passion, high-stakes danger and the one twist of fate Jack never saw coming…
Heroine: I like that Tess puts her son first before anything else. But other than that, there’s very little else that I like about her. I honestly could not believe that she was actually willing to bribe Jack to have sex with her in exchange to be included in the mission to hunt down her father. Um seriously? I know you have a past together, but this is the first time you saw the man in four years. And he broke your heart. Um, okay. Furthermore, she cries. A lot. Nothing wrong with a little emotion, but I feel like whenever things get tough, she breaks out the tears. What happened to that kick ass girl who was trained in fencing and pick-locking?
Hero: Eh, I wasn’t such a big fan of Jack to be honest. I liked the angle that he was Tess’s father’s protegé, but I really didn’t feel sympathy for all his brooding. I feel like he’s constantly running away from his problems instead of just confronting him. And I honestly just didn’t get his hang up about him being a bastard son. It’s not like he was shunned by his father. And by now, he should have realized that his mother lies all the time. On the other hand, I do love that Jack took an instant liking to his son, Jacques. Points for adorable daddy/son moments!
Supporting Cast: I can’t believe that Jack would let a supporting character steal the thunder from him. MUCH ADO ABOUT ROGUES is supposed to be Jack’s story, but once we are introduced to his younger, charismatic brother Puck, I completely lost interest in Jack. He’s funny and quite the charmer, and he also has a way with kids. And of course, I can’t not leave out Jacques. Cutest toddler ever.
Plot: This was the biggest problem for me in MUCH ADO ABOUT ROGUES. I simply could not follow the plot. Hey, I get it that this is the third book in the series. Most romance novels do not have to be read in order, but I guess this isn’t one of them. I had a hard time understanding what Sinjon was up to. I could not follow Tess and Jack’s train of thought. It’s like, one moment they’re talking about being at a country fair, and the next they’re racing back home because OMGTHEYJUSTFOUNDSOMETHINGOUT. What?! I don’t know if I just don’t get the characters, or if the plot itself is confusing, but I felt like the storyline was everywhere. Overall, the plot simply overpowered the romance of the book. It became more of a historical action/thriller/crime novel than a historical romance with some other plot elements. Was this intentional? I don’t know. But the title and the cover is very misleading.
Romance: And when it finally came down to the romance, MUCH ADO ABOUT ROGUES did nothing for me. I honestly felt that Tess and Jack lacked chemistry. None whatsoever. At first, I did like the fact that Tess and Jack had a shared past between them, but it gets unraveled way too quickly. Furthermore, Tess was just so willing to jump back into bed with Jack that very same day that they met for the first time in four years. There was hardly any tension and hardly any buildup.
Love Potion Strength:
– Poor
While I’m not the biggest fan of MUCH ADO ABOUT ROGUES, I’d still be willing to give the other books of the Blackthorn Brothers series a chance. Puck’s character especially intrigued me and I’d love to read a story featuring him as the main character.
