Unwrapping: Review of HOW A LADY WEDS A ROGUE by Katharine Ashe

A fan of the Falcon Club series by Katharine Ashe, I knew I definitely wanted to read HOW A LADY WEDS A ROGUE featuring the Raven, Wyn Yale and the incorrigible, Diantha Lucas so I decided to purchase this one for my own pleasure and of course, share my thoughts on it with you.

Blurb of HOW A LADY WEDS A ROGUE:

Gentleman’s Rule #1: If a lady is virtuous, he should deny her nothing.
Beautiful Diantha Lucas understands society’s rules: a young lady must find a man to marry. But Diantha has a bigger goal, and she’s not afraid of plunging into adventure to achieve it. When daring, dashing Wyn Yale rescues her, she’s certain he’s just the man she needs.

As an agent for the secret Falcon Club, Wyn knows his duty, but he’s not about to admit he’s a hero of any sort. He has a plan, too: steal a prized horse, murder an evil duke, avenge an innocent girl, and probably get hanged for it—in that order. Wyn can’t afford to be distracted by a pretty face, even one with delectable dimples and kissable lips. But how can a country miss and a hardened spy solve their problems when they can’t keep their hands off each other?

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Diantha Lucas needs to speak with her mother, a mother who left her four years earlier without so much as a farewell. Having discovered through a bit of snooping that her mother is in Calais, Diantha has left school early to travel to France to confront her, never considering the dangers that might await a young beautiful woman traveling alone since her maid has decided to run off with a young man. But then again, Diantha Lucas is a girl who dreams of heroes, a gentleman hero in particular and discovers the one she dreams of most traveling alongside her in the Mail Coach - Mr. Wyn Yale.

Wyn Yale, aka the Raven is on a mission to deliver a racing filly to the man he intends to assassinate which will probably be the end of his career as a member of the Falcon Club and the end of his life. He understands the consequences but has lived with the guilt the Duke of Yarmouth caused him through the death of an innocent girl Wyn had intended to protect. The last thing he expected was to find him, once more, protecting a young woman from the dangers of villainous scoundrels, including himself.

I have been awaiting Wyn Yale's story since first meeting him as a member of the Falcon Club. His charm, his gentle nature with women, and his tortured soul drew me immediately and in HOW A LADY WEDS A ROGUE, he is everything I expected and hoped he'd be. Even more tortured by the sense of responsibility he has for Diantha and his loyalty to her family, Wyn finds himself battling his own needs for both Diantha and the bottle. In an attempt to keep his wits around Diantha and to protect her from his own lustful pursuits, Wyn stops drinking and nearly destroys himself in the process.

I have great admiration for Katharine Ashe tackling such a delicate and intense subject as alcoholism in a romance novel. Seeing this tragic and out of control side of a man such as Wyn Yale, brings out the hero in him and the heroine in Diantha in a way we don't normally see in historical romance. It works and it works marvelously. There were times when the story moved a bit slow toward the middle but then it came alive with the emotion of Wyn's vulnerability and Diantha's ability to take charge and not panic when faced with dealing with a man who stood on the precipice of hell. Her faith in Wyn was the most incredible asset Diantha brought to the story.

HOW A LADY WEDS A ROGUE by Katharine Ashe is an extraordinary tale of a woman who appreciates the rules and manners of society, and appreciates a gentleman hero but accepts the faults as part of the man even when the manners are perfection. It's a tale of a man tortured by guilt, an abusive childhood, and the tragedy of alcoholism yet can see the youth and beauty in a wildly rebellious girl who brings out the best in him despite his own resistance.

I highly recommend HOW A LADY WEDS A ROGUE, a Falcon Club novel by Katharine Ashe if you've read any of this wonderful series or even if you haven't. If you're tempted to read a historical romance that will have you quickly caught up and wringing your hands in wonder as to whether Diantha and Wyn will ever have their happily-ever-after, then this is a must read.

Happy Reading Everyone!

HOW A LADY WEDS A ROGUE, a Falcon Club novel by Katharine Ashe, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats.