Search - An Arranged Marriage (Company of Rogues, Bk 1)

I stumbled upon the Company of Rogues series several years ago and recently decided to read the complete series in order. If you are remotely interested in Regency romance novels, I highly recommend that you do the same. The Rogues and their heroines all felt like friends by the end of the series and I was sorry that I'd finished the last book.

In this book, Eleanor's brother arranges for her to be raped by the Earl of Stainbridge; attempting to trap him and force her into marriage with someone else. The Earl quickly arranges for her to marry his brother, Nicholas. Unfortunately Nicholas is already working for the government in an attempt to uncover a plot to free Napoleon which requires him to conduct an affair with a former lover. From the beginning, the reader can see the potential for a true partnership between Nicholas and Eleanor but his clandestine activities cause him to distance himself from her. He calls the Rogues into duty to squire her around London and distract her.

After reading this, I can't help but wish that Nicholas had been honest with Eleanor from the beginning. Of course, that would have been a completely different story; but it seems like he would have caused her less hurt and she very well could have offered him wisdom on his situation--they're just so well-made for each other that you can only believe they would have handled the whole situation much better if they'd been working together.

I was appalled to read that this book started out with rape. Not the best way to start a series of romance novels! The author did salvage the story somewhat, but it still ended up not being as good a novel as it could have been.

Her brother is disgusting. He drugs her and she is ruined. Marriage is arranged to twin brother of her attacker(he was drugged too and blames attack on twin brother). Twin brother is an English spy. Good read. Lots of action.

Great!

I really enjoy the company of rogues series and am currently trying to finish reading all of them.

The first book in one of my favorite series, the Company of Rogues.