THE ROGUE YOU KNOW by Shana Galen

I took close to four hours reading this book.  I kid you not, I started the book, got very engrossed in it and when I read the final words, I looked at the time and realized that I read this book quickly and loved almost every bit of it.  Almost!

Gideon Harrow has spent almost his entire life in the Gallows of London's Underworld.  Having to steal and con for a living, trying to survive.

After all these years, Gideon finally wants out, but the only way he can do that is with money.  His chance comes in the form of a job from his former employer.  A job where he has to steal a valuable necklace from one of their own.

Gideon accepts, picturing getting his payment and leaving London forever.  Only, something went wrong and Gideon finds himself with the stolen necklace for himself and many people after him, including a dog.

Trying to outrun them, he goes to the only place he knows someone that would help him.  His friend Marlowe, who used to be in the same street gang as him, but went on and married an Earl. 

(Surprising, I know.  Refer to the first book, Earl's Just Want to have Fun, for more details) 

But instead of finding a safe place to hide until things died down, he gets a candlestick to the head.

Lady Susanna Derring has lived a suffocating life. Having a mother that won't even allow her to go to the powder room unattended, Susanna is at the end of her rope.  She wants an adventure, but that's really hard to achieve when her mother refuses to let Susanna out of her sight.

Her chance for an adventure comes in the form of a thief she knocked out with a candlestick in the library.  She saw that he hid something in one of the bookcases before he found her hiding spot. When he came to, Susanna did the boldest thing she has ever done in her entire life, and that is to blackmail a thief.

After hearing a story about her overbearing mother, being in love, Susanna's curiosity was great. She needed Gideon to take her to the place where her mother "supposedly" had picnics in the park with a certain gentleman.

Susanna thought that it would be a quick trip to the park and back, but nothing can go right when your guide is a wanted man. Come on a journey with our heroes as they brave the perils of London to get to see the floating lanterns.......wait, wrong story.

+Shana Galen wrote a compelling story that had me intrigued from the beginning to end.  What captured my interest was the narration at the beginning that reminded me of Flynn Rider from Rapunzel.  Yes, the movie Rapunzel was the inspiration for this book, and yes, there are very similar things between the two, but this book is not a copy of the movie.

Susanna is one spoiled little lady.  It's not really her fault, she never had any form of freedom and was always thought that she must be a proper lady at all times.  That's why when she finally had her first taste of freedom, she dressed inappropriately, wore silk slippers on her feet and did not think to bring her own money.

You would think that the adventure would have been over before it really began, but you would be wrong.  Susanna has a stubborn streak that she did not anticipate she had, and neither did Gideon.

Gideon just wanted to get his necklace and be done with London, but this little slip of a woman had him cavorting all over London, just to get to some stupid park.  Well, he will leave her to her own devices and sneak back into her house, collect his necklace and be on his way.  But for some reason, Gideon cannot find it in himself to leave her.

The worst part in this adventure was when Gideon realized he was falling in love with Lady Susanna.  A Lady that is destined to be sold to the highest bidder by her mother, a Lady, that is out of his league.  Of course, love always finds a way and where love leads these two, was fun, heart warming and dangerous.  Very, very, very dangerous.

My only negative thought about the book was the easy solution to their problem and a lack of confrontation between Susanna and her mother.  One minute the mother was mean and restrictive and the other she was kind and understanding.  Nobody changes that quickly, it was just not believable.


Fans of Shana Galen and newcomers alike are really going to enjoy this tale of daring, romance and danger.

HAPPY READING!

You can get the book at the following links!