When the Rogue Returns

The Duke's Men #2

by Sabrina Jeffries

Victor Cale never imagined that his sweet, shy bride, Isabella, would use her talents for creating exquisite imitation jewels criminally. But there's no denying that her handiwork was used in the theft of the Dutch royal diamonds-- right after Isa disappeared into the night.

Ten years later, Victor is sent to Edinburgh to investigate a wealthy baron's mysterious bride-to-be... who turns out to be Isa, masquerading as an alluring widow. No longer the meek girl he once knew, Isa boldly asserts that it was Victor who abandoned her, after he helped steal the royal diamonds!

Piecing together the truth of the past reawakens their volatile passion, which burns hotter than ever. But with a decade of secrets between them, Victor and Isa must trust each other to bring the real thieves to justice-- without getting burned themselves.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance, Adult

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 21, 2014

About the author

Sabrina Jeffries is the NYT bestselling author of over 50 novels and works of short fiction (some written under the pseudonyms Deborah Martin and Deborah Nicholas). Whatever time not spent writing in a coffee-fueled haze of dreams and madness is spent traveling with her husband and adult autistic son or indulging in one of her passions—jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, and music. With over 11 million books published in print and electronically in 25 different languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction, and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world.

She always dreams big.

Reviews

[Sammy Loves Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3.5 Jewel Thief Stars***



This was a pleasant surprise. A couple separated by lies are reunited ten years later. Full of action and romance!

[Lover of Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victor Cale was once betrayed by Isabella, his young sweet wife who he trusted with his life. But when she used her talent to create imitation jewels, to steal authentic jewels, then she disappeared from his life. Now ten years later he has found a family, a job in a investigation business called the "Dukes Men". Victor is sent on a job, up to Edinburgh, to investigate a woman who is involved with a young man, whose mother is concerned for his welfare. So when he learns that her description fits the exact image of his wife, he knows he must head up to Edinburgh, and discover the truth. Isa believes that it is Victor who abandoned her. Isabella has always loved Victor, but years ago, her family coerced her into working for them, but she never stole the jewels Victor believed her to have stolen. Isa believes that Victor betrayed her, and then abandoned her and their daughter. Now ten years later, with a new life and changed identity, she has a place here in Edinburgh, until the husband that abandoned her shows up asking all sort of question and demanding explanations. Victor and Isabella will have to learn to let go of mistrusts and learn to trust in each other and the love they share to defeat the enemy that is just beyond their reach and could threaten their future and their daughter.

When The Rogue Returns is the second in the Dukes Men series. I was given a ARC of this title in return of a honest review through Edelweiss and Pocket Books. Now I have to say that after reading this I don't know which book in the series is my favorite, I feel like ripping my hair in frustration, how to choose? Well I think I am at a impasse! When The Rogue Returns was so amazing!!! I still can't believe how much I actually enjoyed this one. I really love the second chance themed romances, especially when Sabrina Jeffries is at the helm. This story was so romantic and sweet and suspenseful and plenty of steamy action to satisfy any romance lover. When The Rogue Returns is a story that begins with beginning glimpse of Isabella and Victor when they were newly married and young, and full of love not knowing what future awaited them or that they would be torn apart for ten years. Then it jumps ten years into the future, and you see both sides, and what each has suffered and struggled with over the past years. Secrets abound, and suspension rise when they see each other again. When they both eventually learn the truth of how they were both betrayed and lost ten years together, they join forces both in rediscovering each other and discovering the truth and finding a way to be together once again. This plot is definitely packed full of action and mystery and intrigue. I enjoyed the way the author seemed to put this story together in such a way that it enthralls the reader until you have finished the story and are left aching for more and more from this author.

There is quite a bit that goes on in this story, much more than I ever expected to find. We see a suspenseful portion to the story, a small side romance of a friend of Isa's, more involvement from Dom and others in the Duke's Men, and more history on Victor Cale. Even though this story takes place in Scotland, its in the Regency era, so you don't see too much of culture or countryside of Scotland or the irresistible brogue. It definitely has more of a regency theme to the story, however this would probably be one of my top favorite regency romances yet. This unique story is somewhat different than most other regency style romances, and I loved the ups and downs and unique flips this story takes on. Definitely can hardly wait until the third installment comes out.

Overall a thrilling paced romance that is going to drive you wild!! A love story that is tender and sweet, yet suspenseful and intense at times. A tale to give you a thrill and bring a few surprises to your doorstep. A hands down unforgettable story of betrayal, sacrifice, and love. REMARKABLY WRITTEN!!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victor Cale is shocked when he learns that his beautiful young wife deceived him. Isabella left him ten years ago, and Victor hasn't heard from her since. Now working for Manton Investigations, Victor is sent to Scotland to investigate a woman who may be taking advantage of a young Baron. This is where he discovers Isabella.

Isa can't believe that Victor is back in her life. She blames him for abandoning her after helping her relatives steal priceless diamonds. Isa left her sister and brother-in-law in Amsterdam, changed her name, and started a new life with her daughter. She doesn't want Victor involved in her new life or possibly finding out that he has a nine-year-old daughter.

Both Victor and Isa are well-developed characters. They both thought the other was a crook who abandoned them. I was happy that the "Big Misunderstanding" didn't play out over half of the book. Isa and Victor compared notes and realized that Isa's family lied to both. They know that Isa's brother-in-law will be back to cause more trouble for them and possibly for their daughter. They need to stop him now.

This is the second book in The Duke's Men series. Many of the characters in the first book appeared in this one. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. My rating: 4 Stars.

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* 'It Aint What You Think!' Stars

I really enjoyed this one. It was a bit over-the-top as most of her books are, but it kept me captivated. The storyline was different than most historical romances I have read, which is partly what kept me interested all the way through to the very emotional ending.

Victor and Isabelle were husband-and-wife and madly in love, but then they were separated 10 years ago due to the underhanded machinations of greedy lying relatives. They now each believe the other person is a thief and a criminal. Whew!

After ten years of searching, Victor finally finds his missing wife living in Scotland under an assumed name. Because of her (or, so he thinks), ten years ago he was wrongly accused of stealing royal jewels. Hired to investigate a woman with possible dubious intentions toward a young Barron, low and behold he discovers it is her. Does she plan to become a bigamist and marry the rich Barron? Steal royal jewels?

Isabelle has been running from her evil, greedy family for a decade. Her sister and brother in law are rotten, no-good thieves. The man she married at age 18 abandoned her, revealing himself to be nothing but a liar and thief too. Heavy with child, she creates a false identity and soon moves to Scotland as a jeweler's apprentice.

When Victor and Isabelle cross paths again, the anger and resentment boils high for both. Victor wants his revenge, and Isabelle will do anything to protect her daughter Emily. The daughter Victor knows nothing about.

This was really a fun and angsty read, and even had a few interesting secondary characters. The Barron was such a clueless, bumbling nerd that I couldn't help but love him. The ending was over-the-top, but also well done. I couldn't figure out how they could possibly break free from their situation, but Sabrina Jeffries gave us a great ending that worked. I especially loved watching Victor and Isabelle come to trust each other again, and felt horribly heart broken for them once they realized how senseless their separation had been.

Next up is likely Tristan's book (I hope!). If I am correct, we get a glimpse of his heroine in this story. If so, that will make one of the funniest 'how I met my wife' stories. He essentially grabs her off her horse when she stumbles into a secret plot, and threatens to shoot her to keep her quiet and the secret secure. All the while flirting with her too. She promises to keep quiet in exchange for a favor from the investigation firm, which will be decided at a later time.

Overall, I am enjoying this new series by Sabrina Jeffries. I have read nearly every novel she has published, and once again she delivers a fun and entertaining romances with a good dollop of steamy passion.

[*MariaA* · Rating 5 out of 5]

***4.5***

YESS!!Sabrina J's done it AGAINNN!!! Umm..Victor ;)
..oh and I'm having that craving for 'Banketstaaf' now :)

[Севдалина · Rating 5 out of 5]

Виктор Кейл и Изабела Кейл

Ето тази книга я погълнах направо. Адски много ми хареса. Започнах я сутринта и цял ден просто не я пуснах. Беше великолепна и съчетаваше толкова много неща, които обичам в историческите романи. Просто наистина прекрасна книга. Голямо 5 от мен.

Честно казано, ако авторката бе решила да напише още 100-тина страници, и ни въведе в това как главните герои се запознават и влюбват един в друг, нямаше да никак лошо. Обаче не е проблем. Ще го преживеем.

Иза и Виктор се срещат още когато са много млади. Той работи като нощен пазач в една бижутерия, а тя, като помощник чирак. Двамата се влюбват и много скоро се женят. Научила как да обработва бижута от баща си, умел часовникар, Иза е изключително добра в работата си. Толкова добра, че се оставя сестра й и зет й да я убедят, че може да прави фалшификати на бижута и да ги продават на хора, които искат да носят красиви накити, но не могат да си позволят истински. Така подведена, тя прави идеална реплика на кралските бижута, които изработва собственика на магазина в който работи. Роднините й обаче, решават че ще е по-доходоносно, да я накарат да замени фалшификата с оригинала, за да могат да го продадат. Иза не иска да участва в това. Едва преди няколко седмици се е омъжила за мъжа, който обича, затова, за да избегне плана на роднините си, се преструва на болна, така че да не може да извърши злото деяние. На сутринта обаче разбира, че сестра й и зет й са направили замяната на бижутата миналата вечер. Тe й казват, че съпруга й Виктор също е участвал, и че трябвало да се разделят за кратко. Че е взел част от накитите и ще дойде при нея скоро, затова да го чака в Париж.

Минават няколко месеца, но от Виктор няма и следа. Колкото и да не й се вярва, че той е участвал с плана на роднините й, факт е, че Виктор не идва да я намери и тя решава да мисли най-лошото за него, че я е изоставил бягайки с накитите. Разбирайки, че е бременна, Иза решава да избяга от роднините си, и става чирак на бижутер, заминавайки с него за Шотландия.

Минават десет години. Виктор живее в Лондон, при херцог Лайън, братовчеда за който до скоро не е знаел че съществува. Преживял много през годините, Виктор още пази болезнения спомен за съпругата си. В нощта в която я оставя болна в дома на сестра й, Виктор получава вест, че Иза го напуска. Скоро след това, разбира, че кралските бижута, които е пазел в магазина са били заменени, и осъзнава, че Иза и роднините й са го използвали, за да откраднат накитите. Въпреки, че е наранен от предателството й, той я е защитил от полицията, когато са го разпитвали и измъчвали заради кражбата на бижутата.

Сега, десет години след случилото се Виктор още не може да спре да мисли за своята съпруга, и когато случайно се оказва в детективската агенция на Доминик, когато се получава молба за помощ от една Шотландска благородничка, Виктор осъзнава, че може би е намерил измамната си съпруга. Благородничката иска детективската агенция да проучи жената в която е влюбен сина й, смятайки, че не е подходяща за него. Но факта, че жената носи моминската фамилия на майка му и че притежава магазин за бижута навежда Виктор на мисълта, че това е не друга, а собствената му съпруга Иза.

Заминавайки за Шотландия, той скоро открива, че не греши. Двамата се срещат отново и макар страстта помежду им да е по-силна от всякога и двамата са наранени, смятайки, че са били излъгани от другия.

Много ми хареса, как двамата се разбраха. Как изясниха всичко, за това, че са били подведени от роднините й. Беше невероятно да видим как любовта им се ражда наново, въпреки годините и огорчението, което са пазили. Как се изправиха заедно срещу лъжите от миналото си, за да открият, че са станали жертва на коварен замисъл. Всичко се разкриваше постепенно, защото всеки от тях бе наранен и се боеше да се разкрие, което направи историята още по-вълнуваща. Докато чаках Виктор да научи, че с Иза имат дете, буквално си гризях косата от нетърпение.

Беше наистина вълнуваща и много интересна книга. Това, което бяха преживели по отделно и заедно, и всичко през което минаха, направи книгата толкова реална и завладяваща. Хареса ми от началото до самия край. Една невероятна красива любовна история. Прочела съм само 2 книги от поредицата и вече напълно я ОБОЖАВАМ. Продължавам с Тристан и Дом, и нямам грам търпение <3 <3 <3

[Tin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received this review copy from Netgalley. Thank you to Sabrina Jeffries and Pocket Books for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

* * *

When the Rogue Returns is the second book in Sabrina Jeffries's new series about The Duke's Men, detectives from Manton's Investigation, who, at one point, worked for the Duke of Lyons on a very important mission.

This is Victor Cale's story.

In the first book of the series, Victor discovers that he is related to the Duke of Lyons and his status was elevated overnight: from lowly soldier to noble cousin. It's a transition that hasn't sat well with Victor, who still feels the burden of his past weighing down on his shoulders. He also doesn't like the idleness of his new life and has sought out work at Manton's Investigation. His first assignment: to investigate Sophie Franke, a Belgian immigrant who designs jewelry in Scotland. When he hears about Sophie's background, Victor has a sinking feeling that he knows who this woman is ... intimately.

Ten years ago, Victor Cale was married to Isabella and, while their lives were simple, and they were content. But the theft of some royal jewelry from the shop that both Isa and Victor work at, and the subsequent disappearance and separation of the two, leads to so many doubts and questions for the two of them -- add to this, Isa's sister and brother-in-law have fanned the flames of distrust with their untruths and deception. For ten years, our hero and heroine believed the worst in the other -- but, now, finally, the truth can come out.

I have mixed feelings about this latest instalment from Sabrina Jeffries. On one hand, here are some things that I loved about this book:

1. The characters aren't British and have working class backgrounds.
Victor and Isa are from Belgium and their beginnings are very humble: Isa is the daughter of a clockmaker who has an extraordinary gift for designing jewelry and can create imitation diamonds that can pass off as real. Victor's story is tied to Dom's (first book) and he isn't proud of his past. He hid it from Isa when they were newly-married because he was worried that she might reject him if she knew about his mad father and about his father's terrible deed against the Duke's older brother. Their relationship isn't easy and has an added dimension of struggle: they have no maids or deep pockets to soften their falls. They must rely on their own two hands to make things work.

It's refreshing to see a non-titled hero and heroine searching for the happily-ever-after and, because of their backgrounds, the story's setting isn't in any ballroom or country house -- but in the everyday workplace and their conversations aren't about which party or ball to attend and what to wear -- but of regular day-to-day things.

2. Isa's talent and the trouble it leads to.
It's interesting how one's gift becomes a curse when used for the wrong reasons. All Isa wanted to do was to make beautiful things with the knowledge she had gained from working with her father, but her sister and brother-in-law saw it as a means to a nefarious end and used Isa's goodness and innocence against her.

What amazed me about Isa, though, was how dedicated she was to her craft and how driven she was to succeed in it. It was clear that Isa, in her youth and naiveté, could not handle her relatives but, as the story developed, Isa grew into a very capable and self-sufficient woman.

"I'm beginning to miss the old Isa," he grumbled, "the one who deferred to her husband."

She grew solemn. "I hope not. She was the one who didn't believe in you when she should have. Who didn't stand up for herself."
- loc 1645

3. Truth and Trust
Victor and Isa had to live ten years before being able to confront each other about that once incident that changed all of their lives forever. Isa has always believed that Victor was the villain in this story and Victor has believed that Isa had deceived him all those years. It is a powerful moment when the two of them are finally able to sort through the lies and find the truth -- but, ten years have taken their toll on each other and there is a strain of distrust that still exists between them.

There is tension with each conversation as each one decides whether the other is speaking the truth or not.

"All of it matters!" She grabbed him by the arm. "It's still a thorn in your heart, making you wary of me, making you do things like call your friends without consulting me, and refuse to let me take the diamonds, Because deep down, you're afraid it will happen again -- Jacoba and Gerhart and I destroying your life, fooling you--"
- loc 2917

4. Our hero and heroine's reunion

I really wish the author focused more on this aspect of the story. She built up the longing and resentment very well and I held my breath when I was reading about the confrontation between Isa and Victor. What would they say? What would they do? What happens next?

There was so many things that hadn't been said between Victor and Isa and so much emotion, misplaced and otherwise. I wanted to step into the eye of this particular tempest and see how the hero and heroine would weather through it now that they were finally together.

"...And you're right -- you aren't the same woman. But I'm not the same man, either."

Sadness spread over her face. "No, you're not." She seized his hands as her eyes met his. "There was always a darkness in you, and I accepted that because i knew it came from your service in the war. But you were never hard, as you are now. What happened to make you so hard?"

He stiffened. "My wife deserted me, that's what happened. I was left to pick up the pieces and be accused of--"
- loc 1356

My enjoyment of the book was hampered by the number of "telling" instead of showing in the story: Isa and Victor both say and think that sex between them is phenomenal, but we never see it. The actual scenes feel a bit impersonal and felt like a token gesture rather than something very important between the two. I was actually expecting more from two people who have remained celibate for ten years, especially when they have admitted to themselves (and to the other) how sexually attracted they have remained to each other.

The existence of multiple conflicts took the focus off the love story: I would have loved to see Victor and Isa work through their trust issues now that they have reunited and that would have made a very powerful story ...





*** slight spoiler ***
*** slight spoiler ***
*** slight spoiler ***
*** slight spoiler ***
*** slight spoiler ***





... but the author chose to bring back old villains (Isa's sister and brother-in-law), which muddles Victor and Isa's relationship again. I could not help but feel it was a convenient device to quickly resolve the problem between Victor and Isa since they now have to focus their attention and energies to defeating a common enemy.

I also didn't really like how "talky" this part was (Chapter 21) and lost track of their plan to entrap Gerhart but, when the investigators from Manton finally arrived in Scotland, I also felt a spark of excitement and enjoyed seeing them work together.



*** end of spoiler ***
*** end of spoiler ***
*** end of spoiler ***

Was I satisfied with how our hero and heroine handled their marital issues? Not really. Did Jeffries resolve the story well? In a sense.

Would I continue reading this series? Yes. While I feel this isn't Jeffries's best work, I see the promise of this series and characters.

When the Rogue Returns is book 2 in Sabrina Jeffries's The Duke's Men series and will be released on January 21, 2014.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've given this a B- at AAR, so 3.5 stars rounded up.

When the Rogue Returnsis an entertaining and undemanding read – I whipped through it in a couple of sessions – but the fast pacing and the intriguing storyline of the re-building of a marriage couldn’t quite disguise the fact that the characterization was somewhat thin and that the plot hinged on one element which was too contrived for my taste.

Of course, most fiction – and perhaps romantic fiction most of all – does make use of circumstance and coincidence in order to further the plot. Long-lost siblings or parents, evil relatives, missing heirs – all of those have been used as plot devices over the centuries, and on the whole, I say if it was good enough for Shakespeare, then it’s good enough for everyone else!

But this was one of those times when I couldn’t quite suspend my disbelief enough to accept it.

I read the previous book in this series - What the Duke Desires - last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, giving it 4.5 stars. As a result, I had high hopes for this sequel, in which the hero is Victor Cale, the long-lost cousin of Maximillian Cale, Duke of Lyons. Max found Victor – seriously ill - in France and brought him back to England where he has publicly acknowledged him as his cousin and treats him like a brother.

At the beginning of this book, Victor is feeling rather bored by his new life in London, and wants something to do. He approaches Dominic Manton of Manton Investigations (the company which was indirectly responsible for his being found by Max) with a view to becoming an investigator for them. Dominic assigns him to a simple case; Lady Lochlaw believes her son, Baron Lochlaw, is considering marriage to a woman who has designs on his fortune and wants the agency to look into her past and dig up any dirt. Victor jumps at the chance to take on the case – but for reasons other than his desire to prove his suitability as an investigator.

What his friends don’t know is that Victor is married and that his wife deserted him almost ten years ago, after just a week of marriage. Isabella – or Isa – is an extremely talented designer and maker of jewellery with a special gift for making high quality paste gems, not for nefarious purposes, but rather as a means for less well-off women to be able to afford to wear something beautiful.

After a short courtship and a blissful week of marriage, Isa disappeared following the theft of the royal diamond parure (a parure is a matching set of jewels designed to be worn together). The reader learns in the prologue that Isa’s sister and brother-in-law carried out the theft, replacing the originals with paste items made by Isa when the set was sent to be cleaned, and that they then manipulate both Isa and Victor into believing the other is responsible. They flee to Paris, telling Isa that Victor will join them there, all the while having led him to believe that Isa has abandoned him and only married him to make use of his position as a guard at the jeweller's shop in order to perpetrate the theft.

With no other suspects, Victor is arrested, but a lengthy period of interrogation, is released through lack of evidence. But by that time, the trail has gone cold and he has no idea whatsoever where to begin to look for Isa.

Victor has never stopped looking for her whenever and wherever he could, his love for her now subsumed by his desire to bring her to justice for her crimes and to have revenge on her for breaking his heart. So when he learns that the subject of his investigation is a woman who has a talent for making paste jewellery… well, to say he’s keen to get started is an understatement.

While the story, once it gets going after this, is well-paced with a plenty of sexual tension between Victor and Isa and a devious twist on the part of Isa’s scheming relatives towards the end, the way things were set into motion was so contrived that it continued to annoy me throughout the rest of the novel, which was a shame, because it really isn’t a bad book.

The distrust that naturally exists between Victor and Isa and the conflict it causes between them is not strung out unnecessarily; so by around the halfway point, all has been confessed and they realise that they had both been pawns in the scheme to steal the royal jewels. But that doesn’t mean that everything in the garden is rosy, because although they have talked about the things that separated them, they are both nurturing deep-rooted suspicions which mean that they continue to hold back snippets of important information from each other.

On the one hand, I could understand their reasoning, but on the other I wanted to smack them both and tell them to work it out and move on!

I felt that the characterisation of both leads – and Victor especially – was rather thin. I was about halfway into the book and realised that I didn’t have much of a sense of who he really was. Of the two, Isa was probably the most well-rounded, and I liked the way that the timid young woman we meet at the beginning has become so much more independent and self-confident. But Victor remained fairly two-dimensional throughout the book; he was so consumed by resentment and suspicion that I often felt that was all there was to him. I can understand that this may have partly been because Isa doesn’t really know him, and that perhaps the author’s intent was for the reader to find out about Victor’s past when the heroine does (and if you haven’t read the previous book, then there will be gaps that need filling in) – but if that is the case, it’s very frustrating.

The fact that the protagonists are already married affords the author the chance to put in a couple of steamy sex-scenes fairly early on, but it did seem a bit of a stretch that the pair - who have been apart for almost ten years and who were married for only a week - would jump into bed so quickly, especially with so many unresolved issues between them. (And also that they would have such good memories about how much great sex they had in that one week of marriage ten years ago!)

When it comes down to it, I did enjoy When the Rogue Returns, but it had too many weaknesses for me to be able to rate it more highly. With some books, there are elements of characterisation or plot or emotional content that are so strong that it’s possible to overlook or underplay faults, but I’m afraid that wasn’t the case here. The elements that worked – the re-building of the trust between Isa and Victor, the side-plot involving the very sweetly nerdish Baron Lochlaw and the machinations of Isa’s evil relations – weren’t quite good enough to erase my memories of the massive coincidence at the beginning and the lack of depth in the characterisation.

If you’ve read the first book in the series, and are someone who likes to read each book in a series, then I’d say you’ve nothing to lose by reading this one as it’s certainly an engaging read. But if you you’re thinking of picking this one up as representative of the series, I’d advise reading When the Duke Desires first as I thought it was a much stronger book.

[D.G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was bad.

I know the narration didn't help - what accent was THAT? - but the asinine plot didn't help at all. It just didn't make any sense!!

Isa is a jeweler, with a talent for doing really good fakes. After getting roped by her sister and her husband to make a fake version of the Dutch royal diamonds, she's shocked to learn they plan to steal the diamonds and substitute for her fake. Instead of letting, her husband Victor in on her family's thieving plans, she invents a cockamamie plan to stop the theft without telling him anything (why didn't she just destroy the fake?) Her plan doesn't work and her family steals the jewel, convincing her that Victor was in on it and that they should run away to Paris. When Victor doesn't show up, she's convinced he abandoned her.

Of course, poor Victor has nothing to do with anything and instead is left holding the bag. After barely escaping prison, he bums around in the Continent for 10 years looking for his wife, until his luck turns and he discovers that alas, he's the long lost cousin of a Duke! Because he's not a guy used to being idle, he asks his friends at Manton Investigation to give him a job as an investigator and that's how he finds Isa in Scotland.

Isa is living there under an assumed name. When they meet again, they are both angry at the other because each thinks the other had something to do with the theft. There are recriminations, bla, bla, bla. Once things are cleared, Isa's evil family shows up asking for money. How they found her and the reason why was so crazy!! Why no try to extort money from Victor, who as the cousin of a Duke should have some money? Why assume that Isa was in a position even to pay them?

Victor was the worst investigator ever. He has no subtlety, so people realize he's investigating Isa right away. And it took him days to find Isa's house!! Why not just follow her one morning?

I knew from the first book that the narration wasn't great but here, it totally sucked. Isa sounded like her mouth was full was marbles, with the most horrendous accent ever.

Anyhow, not interested at all in continuing the series.

[Tandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was well written and it appears the author did her homework to keep things historically accurate. Lots of intrigue, danger, and derring do. I didn't realize that this was the second book in a series until after I finished it. It's a stand alone story, I'm guessing that certain side characters played a part in the first book.

In the Prologue, we meet 18 year old Isa. She's a fairly new bride working for a jeweler who also employs her husband, Victor, as a guard. Even though Isa is married now, she's still under her family's thumb. Her sister and brother-in-law are criminals and they don't want to give Isa's talents up. She makes exquisite imitation jewelry and wants to sell it legitimately to people who want cheaper copies of the fancy stuff. She's tricked into making a piece that the nasty family swaps for real stuff belonging to royalty. They convince Isa that her hubby was in on the heist and received a cut of the profit, then abandoned her. Heartbroken, she makes a desperate choice to escape her family and start a new life in a new country.

Fast forward ten years. Victor Cale is involved with a detective agency nicknamed 'The Kings Men' and has been searching for the wife who duped him all those years ago. Isa only married him to gain access to the jewelry vault he guarded. She and her family disappeared & left him to take the fall for a crime he had no part in. He's bitter & is determined to use the detective gig to find Isa and her family and expose them. He takes a case requiring him to travel to Scotland. A mother has hired him to investigate her baron son's fiancée. A fiancée who sounds very much like Victor's missing wife.

Nothing new about lovers driven apart by misunderstandings. It was entertaining & had me rooting for them to work things out.

[Monique Takens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Onschuldige harten - Candlelight Historische roman 1151

Ik zou dit boek 3 en een half sterren geven wanneer dat kon .

Isabella Cale staat na bijna 10 jaar onverwacht oog in oog met haar man Victor Cale . Beiden denken zij dat de ander hem/haar in de steek heeft gelaten dankzij de gemene machinaties van Isa's zus en zwager . Zij wilden Isa en haar man dwingen om met een juwelen roof mee te doen maar toen ze niet mee wilden werken hebben ze met een truc het zo laten lijken dat Isa en haar man de schuldigen waren . Na dit verraad besluit Isa met een juwelier naar Schotland te verhuizen en voor hem te werken , zij is namelijk erg goed in het namaken van juwelen .
Na de hereniging is het gelukkig al vrij snel duidelijk dat ze beiden onschuldig zijn en dat ze nog net zo veel van elkaar houden als bijna 10 jaar geleden . Helaas proberen Isa's zus en haar man weer roet in het eten te gooien , wat vooral op het eind van het verhaal voor veel spanning en sensatie zorgt .

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from 2014

B- for content / A- for narration.

When the Rogue Returns is the second book in Ms Jeffries series The Duke’s Men, which began with What the Duke Desires. In it, we were introduced to Victor Cale, who turned out to be a long-lost cousin of the hero, the Duke of Lyons. This is Victor’s story, and we pick it up a few months after the events of book one with Victor, now living in London and openly acknowledged as part of Lyons’ family, feeling restless and in want of something to do. He approaches Dominic Manton, of Manton Investigations (the company who tracked him down in the previous story) to ask him for a job, believing his experience as a soldier and later as an agent of the Sûreté make him qualified for a position as an investigator.

Dom assigns him a case in Edinburgh, the sort of “digging up dirt” case which is their bread and butter but which Dom is nonetheless none too keen on. Manton’s has been approached by the dowager Baroness Lochlaw to look into the background of the “grasping harpy” who has attracted the attention of her son, and – presumably – to find out something unsavoury which she can use to separate him from the object of his affections.

When Victor learns that said object is a widow named Sophie Franke, a woman who makes her living designing and making jewellery, his interest in the case takes on a completely different complexion. Ten years previously and after only a week of marriage, his young wife, Isabella, deserted him following the theft of a diamond parure belonging to the Dutch royal family. Victor has never told anyone of his marriage, but has continued to search for Isa at every opportunity – and can’t believe his luck. Franke was his mother’s maiden name, the widow proclaims herself to have been married to a soldier – and how many other women can there possibly be who possess her talent for cutting gems?

Victor travels to Scotland immediately, and sure enough, the Mrs Franke he has been employed to investigate is indeed his missing wife. The two are naturally highly suspicious of each other, as each has spent the last decade believing that they had been deserted, courtesy of the web of lies spun by Isa’s sister and brother-in-law, who were actually responsible for the theft. Fortunately, the suspicions and misunderstandings are not allowed to continue for too long, as Victor and Isa begin to work out the truth and to realise that despite the heartbreak they suffered, and the trust issues they are still dealing with, they want to remain together.

While the story is well-written and fast-paced with plenty of sexual tension between Victor and Isa and a devious twist on the part of Isa’s scheming relatives towards the end, I found it difficult to get past the whopping coincidence at the beginning which set things into motion. I was also less than convinced by the characterisation of Victor who seemed to me to be defined almost completely by resentment and suspicion. I was well over half-way through the story when I realised that I had no real concept of who he was, even after he’d finally told Isa the truth about his past and his relationship to the Duke of Lyons. If this was a deliberate technical device on the part of the author – the reader finding out about Victor at the same time as Isa does – I can understand it, but it is no less frustrating for that. Isa is a more well-rounded character and I liked the way she had developed from the timid girl we met at the beginning of the book into a confident, independent woman.

I thoroughly enjoyed Corrie James’ narration of the previous book, and confidently expected to do the same here. I wasn’t disappointed. Her narration is very clear and well-paced and every character is clearly delineated by use of tone, timbre and register. She has a naturally deep, mellifluous voice which means she is able to portray male characters convincingly without sounding as though she has to strain to maintain the lower pitch. What I said before about Victor’s being defined by mistrust and resentment is perfectly reflected in his speech, which is frequently clipped and hard-edged. Isa is more softly spoken, and is given a slight, but obviously Dutch-influenced accent, which was consistent and well-maintained throughout. There were a few occasions where it did sound a little odd – when certain sibilants were elongated for no reason I could discern, but for the most part Ms James performs it perfectly. It is much more difficult to give a character a hint of an accent than it is to give them a full-blown one, and it’s something she has done very well in both books in this series. Isa’s despicable brother-in-law is given harsh, heavily-accented, guttural tones which, while appropriate for the character, struck the one false note in the narration by going just a little bit over the top.

In addition to the almost-Dutch accents, Ms James has also to perform a number of characters who are Scottish – such as Lady Lochlaw, her son and Isa’s partner. One again, she rises to the challenge and delivers another set of distinctly and appropriately voiced characters, complete with varying degrees of Scottish accent.

Although I had a few reservations about the story, I did enjoy it – just not as much as I’d hoped, given that I gave the first book an A- for content. The elements that worked, such as the rebuilding of the trust between Victor and Isa, the developing romance featuring the sweetly nerdish Lochlaw and the scheming of Isa’s relations couldn’t quite make up for the lack of depth to the characterisation and the fact that the plot hinged on a massive contrivance. With all that taken into account, however, I am still giving When the Rogue Returns a qualified recommendation, mostly due to another superb performance by Corrie James. If you’re someone who likes to listen to every book in a series, then I’m sure you will find things to enjoy in this, even though it’s not as strong as the first book. I certainly intend to stick with The Duke’s Men, and will be picking up the third book later this year.

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 not bad.

A decade earlier, the heroine's sister and brother-in-law lied to the hero and heroine to separate them. Heartbroken and pregnant, she runs away from her family since she doesn't want to live a life of thievery and wants a better life for her unborn child. The H/h are married at the beginning of the book. The misunderstanding was not cleared up until almost halfway through the book, and I just couldn't enjoy it until they learned what truly happened in their past. I couldn't completely connect with the H/h so I didn't enjoy this book for that reason, too.

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read, full of romance, secrets, and betrayal, When the Rogue Returns was absolutely wonderful. I loved every bit of this book. Just loved it!

Victor and Isabel were married 10 years before and had started a happy life together. Until, Isabel's sister and brother-in-law brought them into a scheme and tore them apart in order to steal some jewels. Now Isabel thinks that Victor only married her so that he could use her ability to create fake jewels to steal, then abandoned her. Victor thinks that Isabel only married him because he was a guard at a jewelry store, then abandoned him. Do you see the dilemma? Ten years later, after all this time they had to nurture their hatred for each other, they find out that what they believed that entire time was wrong. And, they can start to plan some revenge :)

Isabel was a great heroine. After being "abandoned" and left to fend for herself, she doesn't cower. Instead, she takes her ability to create fake jewels, finds a respectable place to work where her skills are needed, and makes a decent life for herself. She was strong, clever, and a force to be reckoned with when you get on her bad side. I thought she was great.

Victor was also amazing. It seemed like nothing in his life worked out the way he wanted it to, from the whole thing with his father, to his disastrous marriage. But, he picked himself up and found a way to survive in spite of it all. Despite the terrible hand he had been dealt, he wasn't bitter, though he was certainly cynical. He could be very sweet and he was a gentleman at heart. He was very devoted to his loved ones and would protect them at all costs. I thought he was perfect.

The romance was lovely. I appreciated that Isabel and Victor didn't spend most of the book thinking the worst of each other. They were both clever and they managed to figure out the truth shortly after they reunited. And, after that, they began to fall in love again, though those old suspicions still reared their ugly heads a few times. I thought they were so sweet together. They were really in love when they first married and those feelings never went away. They were just buried underneath 10 years worth of bitterness. But, once that was cleared away, they were obviously still in love with each other and they only fell more as they got to know each other again. And, the chemistry between them was hot. Even when they still hated each other, their attraction was obvious. There were definitely some steamy moments. I thought these two were wonderful together.

The plot was fast paced. I was hooked the entire way through. There were plenty of surprises, secrets, and betrayals that kept me on the edge of my seat. They kept me guessing, unable to figure out how it was all going to work out. I really enjoyed the story and I thought the ending was lovely. I can't wait to read the next book in this lovely series. I'm truly in awe of Sabrina Jeffries. She has a gift for writing amazing romances. I've read several of her books and I've loved every one of them. This book was certainly no exception.

When the Rogue Returns was a brilliant historical romance. I loved every bit of it, from the romance, to the secrets, to the betrayals. It was all wonderful. Lovers of romance, you must read this book!



*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Cheesecake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Victor and Isa. Well, I just couldn't get into this one. I was just so disappointed in both MCs, and couldn't get past their foolish gullibility. I hate stories where 10 years are wasted so I was bound to feel let down. So I skimmed a lot but essentially this was a DNF for me.

[ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...] · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...

After reading the backlist of Sabrina Jeffries I can honestly say that majority of her stories have a feel good quality that makes me return to her books again and again. The newest installment in The Duke’s Men series, When the Rogue Returns was no exception. The story got me hooked right from the start and I enjoyed every moment of it. It’s a sweet story of a couple having their second chance at happiness.

If you haven’t read the Duke’s Men yet, you might wanna start with Hellions of Hallstead Hall as this series is somewhat linked to the Hellions. Most of the lead male characters here were introduced as secondary characters in the Hellions series.

‘Duke’s Men’ is a fancy name for Manton’s Investigation, run by Dominic Manton. Dominic or Dom’s younger half-siblings (his deceased father, the viscount’s mistress’s children) also help him running this company. Though Dom’s elder brother can’t stand the sight of either Tristan or Lisette, Dom is fond of both and appreciates having them close. Thus he has been banished and disinherited. But Dom doesn’t care a whit, he has studied and happy doing what he loves best.

We meet Dom at the end of the Hellions series. He helped in an investigation, which is how he met the Duke of Lyons, Max, another also a secondary character of the Hellions series. Now, the H of book 1, What the Duke Desires, Max asks for Dom’s help in solving a family mystery. Max’s uncle abducted his older brother, the original heir to the Dukedom a long time ago. There’s a complicated and sad family history too, in which I won’t delve into to save my time and space but the story was very heart-tugging. Anyway, Max wanted Dom to investigate the rumors surrounding his older brother. Is he alive or dead? Has his uncle died too as the rumor goes? The result of the investigation is not positive because Max finds that he’s, indeed, now the Duke of Lyons. But I won’t say that the whole outcome was negative because in searching for his brother, Max, who has missed having a real family because his parents neglected him while mourning for his elder brother, gains a cousin; his uncle’s only son, Victor.

Because this was such a big news and the way Max has been involved with Dom’s company, the media dubbed Manton’s Investigation as the ‘Duke’s Men’, to Dom’s chagrin (and Tristan’s amusement).

Needless to say, his rogue of an uncle never informed about his whereabouts after that ‘incident’, and so, Max had no idea that his uncle had a family, let alone a son. Likewise, Victor had no idea about his father’s legacy, or treachery for that matter. It was Tristan, who met Victor first, makes the connection through a distinctly designed handkerchief that is unique to the Dukes of Lyons. It was in possession of Victor ever since he could remember.

Victor hadn’t had a nobleman’s upbringing as his mother was a barmaid. Thankfully, his father, who was gradually going insane (story in book 1), married his mother. But he never treated her well. Now he finds that not only the slightly older boy he thought his elder brother in reality is not his own brother but also that he himself is related to a Duke! He also learns of the abduction and is not happy about it. But Max doesn’t blame Victor at all. He welcomes his only cousin with open arms... but unfortunately, Victor wasn’t doing well.

When Victor was brought to London, he was languishing, sick and dying. There was no clarification to what had happened to him, but that Tristan found him in Europe before he fell sick. Though he gradually gained his life and health back, Victor got bored with the banal, inactive life of a nobleman pretty soon. He is an ex-soldier, ‘action’ is all he knows. He tells Max that he wants to help out in the Manton Investigation, but there was a ‘business’ that he also needs to attend to. I didn’t think we’d read his story so soon because when book 1 ended, I remember reading something about Dom and him having some kinda history with a girl............. Anyhoo, I’m not complaining.

The story starts out 10 years earlier, when we find a young Victor recently gotten married to his shy, young wife, Isabella or Isa, as they call her. Isa is a jeweler’s daughter and has worked with her father before he passed on. She’s a very talented chemist, as well as expert in making replica jewelry. Since her father died, Isa’s shop has been looked after by her BIL, Gerhart. But today, Isa is trying to avoid something both her sister Jacoba and Gerhart have planned and forcing her to take part in.

Gerhard has not been much of a ‘guardian’ to her and his gambling has amassed to a big debt. He wants out and has forced Isa to create a replica of the Royal jewelry that has been under Victor’s watch. Incidentally, before they met, Isa met Victor when he was made the guard of the jewelry store. It was not a permanent job but that didn’t deter the two young lovers to fall in love and marry after a whirlwind courtship. Isa has always been a little in awe of Victor’s manly good-looks. But she has always been reminded by her BIL and sister that she’s nothing but a mousy little thing. And in doing so, they methodically crushed Isa’s self-confidence. This came to play a big, yet sadly negative part in Isa and Victor’s separation. She’s not only manipulated by Gerhart to create the replica but also to replace thoses with the original Royal jewels, something she never meant to do in the first place. Isa had no intention to be a party of that betrayal, neither did she want any trouble for her and Victor. Yet, her evil relatives did everything to influence the incident in a way that Isa could barely control. The jewels are replaced by the two crooks even before Isa could do or say anything.

Jacoba, who was a very loving sister before marrying her a-hole of a husband, convinces Isa that Victor helped them in it, something Isa couldn’t entirely believe. But money is needed and Victor didn’t have much. Did he really succumb to the greed? Jacoba and Gerhart leave Belgium right that day for Paris, taking Isa with them. They tell Isa that Victor will meet up with them later…. But he never arrives. Isa grows depressed, more so when she figures out she’s pregnant with Victor’s baby. By then, her sister and BIL have already been forcing her to make more replicas and Isa knew exactly why. They’ve been living off the money that came from selling of the Royal jewels in a lavish manner. Isa doesn’t like anything about it, and she’s not going to give into her manipulative relatives anymore. Since it’s also apparent that Victor is not coming for her (as Jacoba has already emphasized that he never really was into ‘someone’ like her), Isa decides to run. She could hide somewhere, have a decent but honest job because now she has a baby to think of...

Too sad, Isa never knew that Victor was never a party to anything. He was tricked, then caught, but he never confessed to anything, even when he finally figured out what might’ve happened. He was tortured for information but out of his love for Isa, he kept quiet. But no matter, by the time he was released, Victor was convinced that Isa has helped her sister and BIL, the superbly made replica proved it to him, as Victor already had some idea of Isa’s talent. This horrid misunderstanding takes away 10 years of their life. Right now, this is THE business he wants to take care of. Victor wants to catch Isa and bring her to justice for what she’d done.

At the Manton’s, as per his request, Victor is given an assignment. But when Dom and Tristan begin giving him an account of the small investigation he has to perform in Edinburgh on a woman, Victor becomes excited. A wealthy dowager wants this mysterious European widow investigated because she thinks that woman has designs on her son, the only heir to the Lochlaw earldom. She has been living in Edinburgh for the last 10 or so years. And the description of everything about her sounds more and more like Victor’s errant wife, down to the fact that this widow shares his mother’s surname! Could it be that he has finally found her?

But of course, that was Isa, living under a fake name, on the outskirts of the city to hide herself from the society. Isa is a partner to a jewelry shop where she makes replica jewelries which sell very well. Her work is quite popular and Isa doesn’t have any financial problem anymore, thanks to the proprietor of the shop, Mr. Gordon, who listened to her plea for help and gave her a chance all those years ago. Isa is forever grateful to him but she loves to protect her privacy more than anything. Isa doesn’t need to mingle with the society but she also doesn’t want gossip; a big reason is to keep her daughter Amalia’s identity a secret. Of late, Rupert, the young earl of Lochlaw has taken an infatuation towards her. Yes, she considers him a friend but not the type people might think. There is nothing going on between them. Rupert is a shy, bookish young man whom no one really understands. Having a harpy for a mother hasn’t helped him either. Rupert is a little scared of her cause the woman doesn’t give him a moment of peace, trying to dictate his life even now. Poor guy loves his mother but it’s only Isa that he can talk to about his interest in science and chemistry. But the rumors have spread, making people think there’s something between them. This is the reason why Victor has been summoned to investigate Isa, whom the dowager countess deems as someone very outlandish (due to the fact that she came from elsewhere) and so not of their rank. She wouldn’t stand it that her only son and heir would marry someone like Isa!

Victor and Isa’s first meeting in 10 years was less than cheerful as both are angry and instantly suspicious. Isa immediately begins thinking Victor came to turn her life upside down, messing with her peaceful existence. Worst still, what if he’s learned of Amalia and came to take her away? She can’t even begin to imagine living without her little girl. Leaving her in a faraway school is tough enough but this, she can’t take. So Isa immediately decides to dodge Victor at all cost. Amalia at that time was visiting her. Isa journeys towards Amalia’s school in secret. For Victor, it was a bittersweet moment too as seeing Isa after such a long time, the only thing he can think of is to... well, how good she looks and how much he still wants her. At least, his body gives him signs that it does. But he won’t let his body rule his mind. Victor is more than determined to see that justice is served.

But it was really fun to watch Isa and Victor re-discovering themselves as a couple in this process of hide and seek. Isa trying to dodge him, yet realizing pretty fast that she doesn’t hate him after all these years. Though her only concern is that he’d take Amalia away, Isa finds that she wants him and it’s been so long she’s been with anyone. Not since Victor of course. So the attraction is there, shimmering; sometimes scorching too. I must admit that the ‘Big Mis’ with which this story started got me a little apprehensive as I don’t like such situation all that much. But I knew SJ to handle the whole thing like the pro she is. So it happens, I loved watching Victor getting super jealous whenever Rupert came near Isa or she getting jealous whenever the talks of any other women came into the conversation. It was pretty much apparent that these two never really gotten over each-other. Now, this closeness is threatening their sanity.

Isa and Victor give into the kisses and fondlings, both loving each-other’s touches that they missed for all those years. The scene where the truth is finally revealed was very satisfying. Isa just wanted to make sure Victor stays away from her home and Amalia so she goes to meet him in Max’s mansion, where he was staying. Isa already figured out that Victor has no idea about Amalia. He’s here on his own ‘business’, and it has everything to do with what happened 10 yrs. ago. Isa decides not to tell him about their daughter... at the least not until she’s sure of his stance in this whole matter. But when their stories were revealed and Isa and Victor start comparing what they were told by Jacoba and Gerhart, they knew instantly just how they were tricked, manipulated. It was, again, bittersweet cause though the matter is kind of solved, it also reminded Isa and Victor what they’ve lost in these 10 yrs. Just then, that night, consummating their marriage once more seemed like the thing to do. I loved it honestly. It wasn’t easy, and there were still some trust issues but Isa and Victor decide to work through it rather than throwing accusations and playing the blame-game. He also opens up to her about his own miserable existence since he thought she had left him. He was lonely; I could literally feel the bleakness pouring out of Victor. Isa’s heart is broken over and over again to hear what he’d suffered and it was all thanks to her own sister and BIL.

When Isa thought she had it all covered, suddenly, her life is upside-down, again, as Gerhart and Jacoba return. When Jacoba threatens to do something bad, Isa, for the first time, stands up to her and kicks her out. It was such a scene and I was cheering her along all the way! Since Victor was also present, he learns of their daughter from Jacoba. He’s shocked, hurt, amazed altogether but not angry when Isa tries to explain why she hid Amalia from him... it seemed logical at first but ever since they came together, she had already decided to tell him. Victor decides that it’s time to let others know that they’re, indeed, married, to avoid any gossip. Rupert is somewhat deflated by this news but his attention is soon diverted by the young, shy and pretty Mary Grace, Mr. Gordon’s niece. His mother seems happy that Isa is now out of question, until she hears of Mary Grace of course.

Then, at the house-party where Rupert invited them both, Gerhart finally makes his vile appearance to threat Isa; bring the Lochlaw jewels to him or else they’d take Amalia away. Apparently, they’ve already managed to fool staff of the school and had taken her out. Isa is completely scared out of her wits. She tells Victor everything. He summons Dom and Tristan from London to get some much needed help. Things pick up from there pretty fast and I found myself glued to the story. I enjoyed everything that happens from here but my most favorite scene has to be the moment Victor meets his little girl. Oh, that brought tears in my eyes; Victor’s desperation to save her, Amalia’s confusion about suddenly having the father she was told died long ago... and then, the first time calling Victor ‘daddy’. Ah, it was all good!

I believe in this book we’ve met Tristan’s match in an inquisitive young Miss. If I read their brief interaction correctly, she’s probably going to keep Tristan on his toes. There’s an instant love-hate attraction between them that already got me intrigued. I’m not sure who is getting the next installment but I damn sure is going to wait eagerly for that one. 4.25 lovely stars for When the Rogue Returns.


I was auto-approved for this ARC by Pocket Books/Simon and Schuster via edelweiss which didn’t influence my review and rating in any way.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

When the Rogue Returns by Sabrina Jeffries
Book Two of The Duke's Men series
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: January 21, 2014
Rating: 2 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

The second sparkling book in the New York Times bestselling Duke’s Men historical romance series, featuring the Duke’s cousin and a skilled female jeweler who must unravel a mystery ten years in the making.

It had been a decade since Victor Cale, first cousin to the Duke of Lyons, had seen his wife. After some royal jewelry went missing from the jeweler’s shop where they worked, Isabel Mertens disappeared. When Victor gets word of a woman who fits his wife’s description, he sets out to confront her. But he discovers that nothing is as it seems—and revenge is never as sweet as true love.

What I Liked:

I read and enjoyed the first book in this series (What the Duke Desires) earlier this year, so naturally, I was excited to read the second in the series. I have to admit, I wasn't as pleased with this book as I'd hoped to be, for various reasons. However, for the most part, I found this a tolerable and okay read.

Victor Cale and Isabel Mertens married ten years ago - but they have been separated for ten years. Just months after they got married, they parted ways, but both of them had different understandings of why the other had left. Both of them thought that the other stole a diamond necklace - a necklace that was supposedly replaced by Isabel's recreation. Isabel is a jewelry designer - she designs pieces of jewelry that are mostly fake, but look very real.

Well, fast forward ten years. Victor finds Isabel, and tracks her down. The rest of the book follows Victor and Isabel's feelings of anger and betrayal, and their slow journey to piece together what really happened ten years ago.

I really liked Victor. I felt bad for him the entire time - he lost SO MUCH more than Isabel did. I didn't like Isabel. She's stupid (see below). Victor deserved better.

I can safely say that the author created an interesting premise to this novel - I haven't read any historical romance novels even close to what Jeffries has woven here. I'm not saying I loved it - the execution wasn't the best, but I applaud her originality. For a while, I really wanted to know what was going on. After a while, it's a tad bit predictable.

What I Did Not Like:

In general, my biggest problem with this book was that it was BORING, overall. There weren't just pockets of boring scenes - the book, in general, was boring. I'm pretty experienced with reading boring books, and I like to say that I have the patience to read them, which is why I finished this book, and it has a review. But it was still boring. The plot seemed to drag on and on, laced with petty squabbles and angry banter and fizzling chemistry. I use the word "fizzling", because the chemistry in this book was seriously lacking, in my opinion.

Yes, that brings me to problem number two: I really was not feeling the chemistry OR the romance. I honestly could care less if Victor and Isabel got back together, in the end. Wait, no - I cared because I really liked Victor, and Victor deserves to happy. For some reason, that involves Isabel.

I really just did NOT like Isabel. Yes, I understand that both of them were under false impressions, about what happened ten years ago, but I dislike Isabel and what she did, what she took away from Victor. I blame her for many things, especially for being so stupid, with her relatives. Poor Victor.

So, I basically spent the entire book hating Isabel. There's a problem there, when you hate the heroine of the novel. And when you dislike the plot, because the story is predictable. And the ending just worked out too well - everything fell right into place, down to the lovesick duke finding someone else to fawn over. Just a little TOO perfect - which I'm not a fan of.

Would I Recommend It:

Ehhh, not really. If you read and enjoyed the first book in the series, then I think you should read this book. But otherwise, this one wasn't really remarkable or noteworthy or anything. I don't think it would be worth starting a new series, because this book wasn't nearly as good as the first book (for me, unfortunately).

Rating:

2.5 stars -> rounded down to 2 stars. I wasn't really impressed, but I suppose it was worth the read. The third book doesn't have a synopsis yet, but I might read that one still. Might.

[Amy Alvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for: Historical Romance Lover blog

Victor Cale has been looking for his jewel thief wife for ten years and he might have finally found her. Victor has gone to Manton's Investigations and the first job they give him, has him looking into a woman that sounds remarkable like his wife.

The first day in Scotland, Victor is "introduced" to his wife, but instead of being frightened when she sees him she looks furious! How can that be when she is the one that ran away from him?

After being abandoned by her husband, Isabella has finally made a life for herself and her daughter. She can't believe that it has taken 10 years for her husband to finally come back for her. She even took his mother's maiden name to make it easier for him to locate her.

Victor believes that Isabella only married him to get to the jewels that were stolen and then ran off without him. Isabella believes that she was abandoned by her husband after he took his share of the stolen diamonds and has only come to find her because the money has run out.

Will the two of them finally figure out what truly happened? Will the real thieves be caught? Will this husband and wife find their way back into each other's arms?

This story starts out just after the marriage of Victor and Isabella and you can see that both of them have such high hopes for each other and their marriage. We then jump ahead 10 years and we see that both of them have suffered for what they thought happened back then. They both have misconceptions about the other and as they try to figure out what really happened, you see the two of them falling in love again. The mystery of 10 years ago plus another suitor, an unwanted guest, a kidnapping and a theft make this a great read.

At the end of the novel, we see some foreshadowing of the next story in the series. How the Scoundrel Seduces will be out in August. I can't wait to read it!

Thanks go to Edelweiss and Pocket Books for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Rogue Returns by Sabrina Jeffries

Isabella Cale is forced to create and participate in an exchange of diamonds for imitation ones by her unscrupulous sister and brother-in-law. They lied to her about her husbands inclusion in the theft so she left and created a successful life for herself in Edinburgh but her husband Victor Cale, now an investigation agent, has caught up with Isa. As Isa and Victor get reacquainted other family issues arises and they are forced to make decisions about their future.

It was perfect when Isa and Victor start talking and comparing notes and they realize very early on that they were both lied to. It's so frustrating when characters don't talk to each other and suffer in silence. Not here. These two say what they want and listen and find they have so much in common. Secrets and misunderstandings are quickly dealt with and dispersed.
Clothing from the regency period is very layered and it's described well here in a couple of scenes where the couple gets intimate. But in one I wondered how she got redressed by herself when he was sleeping. Sure it's possible today, but then? I pictured her riding home on her horse with half her clothing undone! Funny.
Isa is very honest with her friends, even though she has been hiding for ten years. I liked that. It made her sincere.
Overall a lovely romance and entertaining revisit of the Dukes Men.

I received a copy of this book via NetGallery.

[♡ Sassy ~ Amy ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isa/Sophie is tricked by her sister & brother-in-law into thinking that her husband abandoned her after they stole the prince jewels her husband was guarding. Isa's husband Victor was tricked into believing his wife left him because he would be out of a job & unable to support them since his post was no longer required. Since she also fled immediately, it backed up the note that was left for him.

A newly pregnant Isa, fled her family, by convincing a jeweler in Paris to take her with him to Scotland as his apprentice. Both Isa & Victor now think the other has abandoned them.

Victor is hired to investigate a woman whom a young Baron is fond of. She is below his station & his mother is afraid she is after his title & money. For some reason Victor thinks this could be his estranged wife, so he goes to Edinburgh to investigate...

Although this story is very predictable, it was a fun read. It is half and half as far as the historical & modern slang go, so if you can over look the modern slang, it doesn't matter. It was not a detraction. Also, there is quite a bit of inner dialogue & self convincing why NOT to disclose things that should be disclosed. I get a little bored with that.

It was a quick light read, even though is was a full length book & I really liked it. This author has already proven herself as a writer.

This is a great book for someone who likes historical romance without the intensity of accurate period language.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this one, provided by netgalley. It has some differences from your regular HR, which amount to more than just window-dressing, and which made it a really pleasant, enjoyable read, generally. The hero and heroine both come from slightly down-at-heel origins, even though they've both done well (for different reasons and independently), and I love that this story DOESN'T take place in London (as though that was the only civilized city in Western Europe..), but in the Netherlands and Edinburgh. I did feel that more could have been made of this..

The tension and history between the hero and heroine actually works really well. I'm not a fan of the "second chances" trope. It always feels too much like the protagonists are settling for "second best", rather than moving on in a more healthy way, but that probably says more about me.. Both the hero and heroine have evolved since last they met, and it's just wonderful to see how they've picked up the pieces of their lives and just got on with it.

I did have issues with how the climax evolves. It just felt a bit weak to me, and a bit of a let-down in its predictability.

I also wanted to note that it's the second in a series, but honestly, it didn't stop me from knowing what was what in any way.

3 stars. I liked it.

[✿kawehi.reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I did enjoy this book very much, some parts of it were a little over the top and unrealistic.

Nevertheless, it definitely piqued my recent intrigue of historical romances with some danger, suspense, romance, and a whole of of adventure!!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this installment even though I do have to sheepishly confess that I did not read the first book in the series. *ducks head*. I am now a fan of Ms. Sabrina Jeffries and will rush to Amazon to buy my copy of book one!! I can't wait!!

[Readallnight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mmm... I don't know how I feel about this one. I loved the characters Isa and Jeffrey but I just felt like they were put through too many trials to prove their love. Bad things shouldn't happen to good people, at least not in books.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Rogue Returns
4 Stars

A decade following the disappearance of his young and shy bride, Victor Cale finally receives information regarding her whereabouts and sets out for Edinburgh to find the woman who betrayed him. However, Victor soon learns not only that Isabella is innocent of deception but she is no longer the meek girl he remembers. For her part, Isa always believed that Victor had deserted her and is now forced to accept that they were both cruelly deceived. Can they reconcile their differences and find happiness together again?

Series note: There are numerous references to characters and events from book #1, especially as they pertain to Victor's recent history. Thus, the books should be read in order.

The first half of the book focuses on Victor and Isa's second-chances romance. While long separations and reunions are not my favorite, Jeffries manages the tropes associated with this theme well enough to make this a worthwhile read. After a couple of understandably bitter encounters, they have a proper adult conversation and compare notes regarding the heist that led to their separation. There are none of the silly misunderstandings that can make this type of plot excruciating.

Both Victor and Isa are likable characters. They have grown over the years and are no longer the gullible couple so easily duped by Isa's thieving family members. That said, their chemistry is not as strong as it could have been.

The second half revolves around the suspense plot and is actually better than the romance. While some of the elements are predictable such as the return of the nefarious in-laws and the abduction of Isa's daughter, there are a couple of original twists and Jeffries manages to avoid the TSTL moments that could have so easily gone wrong.

The inclusion of characters from the first book is an added bonus as is the hint at the upcoming romance between Tristan and a certain vivacious lady. It will be interesting to see how these two manage to get along.

In sum, this is an enjoyable read overall, especially the second part, and I look forward to the next one.

[Dottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightfully sexy historical romance you won't want to miss! Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:

When Victor Cale, who is the guard for the royal jewelry, takes his sick wife to her sister’s home to have someone to watch over her while he works, he never expects that he will not lay eyes on her again for ten years. He is deeply in love with his shy, innocent wife, so he would never equate her with the jewel thief she has become. However, it is her talent that is evident in the theft of the royal jewels. Victor had nearly been charged with the crime, but had managed to clear himself. Over the years he has never stopped looking for her. So, a decade later, when he is hired by Max to research a potential baron’s bride, the similarities in this lady and his own wife leave him eager to get started. Just as he suspects, he soon comes face-to-face with his own wife, but she is no longer the retiring miss he married. Instead, she is a confident beauty and considering her glaring expression, she is very angry at him.

Isa loved her husband and could not understand why he left her. Her sister and brother-in-law manipulated her into using her talent for creating imitation jewelry to produce a look alike for the royal jewelry. Not wanting to go ahead with the plan of obtaining her husband’s key and switching the jewelry, Isa had pretended to be sick. Unfortunately, her sister took matters into her own hands and switched the jewelry herself. When her sister tells her that Victor will be meeting them later, she believes her, although she is astounded that her husband would do anything as devious as become involved in the theft.

As time goes by, she despairs of ever seeing her husband again and strikes up a deal with a jeweler, who is moving his business to Scotland. Ten years later, when her husband appears again, she still believes he took part in the theft and is determined to keep him from finding out about their child.

Seeing Isa again, Victor begins to doubt that she participated in stealing the jewels. He wants his wife back, but can he convince her? Together, can they bring the real thieves to justice and start anew? When danger strikes, will Victor be able to protect Isa this time, and how will he take the news that he has a child she never told him about?

WHEN THE ROGUE RETURNS, the second book in bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries’ THE DUKE’S MEN series, is a delightfully sexy historical romance that is sure to captivate readers from the very beginning. The misinformation that leads both Victor and Isa into taking the actions they do raises the suspense in this wonderfully intriguing tale. Throw in danger, some villains, an unmistakable love for each other, a royal theft and the Duke’s men and you have a story that will consume you with curiosity right up to the very last page. Although this story can be read as a standalone, the Duke’s men are such wonderful heroes, and the women they love so fascinating, that I recommend also reading the first novel in this series, WHAT THE DUKE DESIRES. In the meantime, I look forward to reading the next installment of this delectable series. With this novel, fans of the series will also be able to revisit the characters from Ms. Jeffries’ previous book. If you are looking for a great story with humor, heat and plenty of intrigue, this book is for you!

Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com

[Marilyn Rondeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meek and mild 18 year old Isabella Cale was a genius at copying and making fake diamond jewelry. Isa had been married to Victor for only a week and already she felt she had to deceive him before she was forced into doing something nefarious by her sister and brother-in-law. Unfortunately, her plans to delay them were found out and after being drugged, Isa found herself waking up to find that they had gone ahead and switched the royal jewels for her paste fakes. After being told that her husband had also been in on heist, Isa finding herself pregnant and apparently abandoned by her husband took her chance to escape from her sister and brother-in-law.

Ten years later a very bitter Victor Cale has had many surprises in his life including discovering a long lost cousin, who turns out to be a Duke. Needing something to do, Victor requests a favor from the Manton Investigation Agency, aka The Dukes Men (a family enterprise). He is given a case of investigating a woman in Edinburgh, Scotland who it’s felt is using her wiles to snare a young and susceptible Baron. What piques Victor’s interest is the name of the woman - Sofie Franke - the very same name his mother had. Coincidence? Victor was on the case and would find out!

*** Whenever I pick up a book by Sabrina Jeffries I expect to be entertained from first page to last and with WHEN THE ROGUE RETURNS, it fulfilled all of my expectations. Whether fast-paced or not with regard to the action, this also exceeded my expectations as I was so enthralled with the story, I couldn’t put it down! I read this in one sitting and lately that is a feat for me and my tired eyes! All I can say is that WHEN THE ROGUE RETURNS was just that good!

I had read the first book in this trilogy - WHAT THE DUKE DESIRES - and while thoroughly enjoying that, I think I might have enjoyed book #2 even more. I think it was the fact that Isa was such a creative and original character in her strength of taking a chance while pregnant to totally relocate herself to another country, and the fact of her amazing talents in designing jewelry. I love strong and capable heroines and loved how Isa had overcome her shyness to become so successful.

Sabrina Jefferies worked the angst in this book beautifully. First of all, Victor was totally suspicious and imagined all kinds of evil things Isa had to have done after she abandoned him. Obviously, everything he observed - her success; the young and impressionable baron Rupert; and her secretiveness set warning bells ringing in his head. Then, on the other hand, she gave Isa her own opinions of the rogue who teamed up with her scurrilous family and then abandoned her after he got his cut of the diamonds they’d stolen. Isa had no intention of letting him into her life and especially of their daughter Amelia. Adding to all that it was no wonder that Isa’s relatives would then show up to throw even more monkey wrenches into the mix.

Bottom line: I would think most readers would be like myself - once they pick up WHEN THE ROGUE RETURNS - they’re not going to put it down until they finish this amazing story from the always wonderful pen of Sabrina Jeffries!

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

[Pj Ausdenmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victor Cale has been nursing a grudge against his wife for ten long years. Though they had been married only a week, he believed they had a love that would last a lifetime. But that was before his young wife made a fool of him and left him to take the blame for the jewel theft she and her family engineered. Now living in London, Victor, the newly discovered cousin to a duke, is not cut out to live a life of leisure so when a friend, who owns Manton Investigations, has a request to investigate a woman in Scotland who sounds suspiciously like his wife, Victor jumps at the opportunity. Maybe, finally, he'll get an answer to the question that's waited ten long years to be answered. Why?

At eighteen years of age, Isabella was already a talented jewelry designer specializing in paste replicas but remarkably innocent in the ways of the world and easily manipulated by her family. For the past ten years she's believed that her husband, the man she loved more than life, abandoned her after stealing priceless jewels from her employer. But she's not that naive young girl any longer. Extricating herself from her family, she's become a strong woman who has made a name for herself in the jewelry industry and has a good career and reputation in Scotland. The only thing missing is an answer to why Victor betrayed her all those years ago.

As the truth of what really happened all those years ago unfolds, Isa and Victor face the fact that the feelings between them burn brighter than ever. But ten years of hard feelings and mistrust are not easily overcome and a secret that one of them is keeping may bring their new-found love to a screeching halt.

Sabrina Jeffries is one of my "go to" authors who rarely disappoints. One of the things I enjoy about her books is her willingness to venture outside the box. When the Rogue Returns, the second book in Jeffries' new Duke's Men series features a hero and heroine who are Dutch. I don't think I've seen that before. The heroine is in trade, and proud of it, and while the hero has new-found connections to a duke, he's led a working life and is more comfortable there than among the peerage. Another thing I like about this book is the growth of the characters. They are both very young when first married and, while still married, they have each changed significantly during their years apart. The spark that first ignited their young love is still present but they need time to get to know the people they are today and grow together as a couple. I appreciate the fact that Jeffries gives them that time and that she doesn't make it easy. They've mistrusted one another for a long time. Those doubts and feelings don't just disappear overnight, especially when tested by someone determined to keep them apart. The action is fast-paced, the story line intriguing and the dialogue between the hero and heroine is snappy and realistic. The supporting cast moves the story forward and gives us a glimpse into the next book in the series which, if my guess is correct, will be filled with fireworks aplenty. I can't wait!

4.5 Stars
~PJ Ausdenmore
As posted at The Romance Dish

[Sonya Heaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted HERE .

He’d been so stupidly in love that he would have believed anything she told him.

My goodness, did I ever love this book.

Sabrina Jeffries is the author of one of my favourite historical romances: The Forbidden Lord. When the Rogue Returns matches it in quality, originality and sheer angst.

A look at the author’s note at the end of the book showed the extensive research that went into this story, and considering how many different ideas were pulled together – including a strong jewellery-making storyline, legal issues and a hero and heroine who begin their life together outside of Britain – I really appreciated all the work that went into constructing such an original story.

There is just so much… love and passion in this book. Not just between the two main characters, but between the characters in general. Everyone is trying to protect someone, even when they have very little reason to. There was a great cast of characters, and while there were a few rather enormous coincidences that moved the action along, there aren’t many historical romance authors who can weave a mysterious web the way Jeffries can.

A favourite aspect for me was that when the drama picked up and I thought I could guess the way characters were going to act, they acted differently. There were ample opportunities for ‘too stupid to live’ moments, but Jeffries made these characters smart, and they acted accordingly. It was refreshing to read.

That said, the most important aspect of this story was the angst-ridden relationship between hero and heroine. When we meet them they are very young newlyweds living on the Continent, desperately in love with each other. However both are tricked and turned against each other, each believing the other abandoned them.

Ten years down the track, and fate throws them back together.

Reunion stories are always appealing to me, and add in a revenge plot, and I’m more than likely to be satisfied. However, When the Rogue Returns was a particularly memorable one, and achingly beautiful in how the characters came to love and trust once more.

Highly recommended.


Review copy provided by NetGalley.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

booknerdloleotodo.blogspot.com/
ARC received via Netgalley from publisher for an honest review
*ARC copy via Netgalley from Publisher in exchange for an honest opinion.*
Sabrina Jeffries never disappoints. She always delivers an original storyline with interesting and dynamic characters. I could not put this book down.
There were so many aspects of the story that I loved! First, Isa (alias Sofia) although the first couple of pages she is young and vulnerable she realizes quickly that she needs to change. 1) Her family is trying to lead her to a life of crime and 2) her husband has abandoned her.
Victor Cale has some skeletons in his closet. Although he was not a part of high society when he marries Isa he learns that he is cousin to the Duke of Lyons. Because of his new found position in society he is able to travel and make connections. One connection that he has fought to make for 10 years is finding his wife-Isa that is going by the alias-Sofia. Victor wants to join the Duke’s Men and find her and find out why she ran off 10 years ago.
The minute Victor hears about a woman that produces fake diamonds and is engaged to a baron he knows he has found her. When Victor and Isa finally come face to face there are many different elements in place. 1) Mutual distrust for each other. 2) Anger and hurt on both their parts and 3) Indecision-what do they do now? As Victor and Isa communicate they start to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Jacoba ( Isa’s sister) and Gerhart (Isa’s husband) were vile characters that I could not help but hate. They really had gall. They provided a lot of tension and in the last scenes they provided many heroic opportunities for Victor and the Duke’s men. (Ms Jeffries provided enough teasing for the next story of The Duke’s Men)
Ms. Jeffries’ also provided a great history! She explained many interesting and unknown parts about “fake diamonds”. She used the life of a real person to create Isa who was a “working” woman in her own right! There are many secrets that come to light in this story and I don’t want to give them away.
My only issue was the title-When the Rogue Returns. I assumed that the Rogue was Victor and he was anything but a Rogue. He was actually a very sweet and dedicated husband. Another great story by Ms. Jeffries!

[Sue Galuska · Rating 5 out of 5]

When What the Duke Desires came out, I thought there was no way Sabrina Jeffries could top it. Boy was I wrong. When the Rogue Returns is the second book in the The Duke's Men series. It is the story about Victor and Isabella. Victor and Isa get married very young and are living with Isa's sister, Jacoba and her husband, Gerhart. Victor works at the jeweler's shop as a guard protecting the merchandise. Isa works in her deceased father's jewelery shop. She is very talented and can make imitation stones look like the real thing. Gerhart wants her to make copies of the Royal jewels so they can switch them out and be wealthy. Isa does not want to do this and especially does not want to involve her new husband in the crime. Isa fakes being sick thinking they won't be able to switch the jewels since they are being returned to the Royal family in the morning. What she doesn't know is that Gerhart tricks Victor into unknowingly helping with the crime. Then they convince Isa that Victor has taken his part of the reward and left her, while they then convince Victor that Isa has left him because he is no good for her. The story picks up ten years later and Isa/Sofie is living in Edinburgh,Scotland. She is great friends with Rupert, the Baron Lochlaw. Rupert's mother, Lady Lochlaw thinks Sofie is just after her son's money and wants her checked out. She hires Manton Investigations and the case is given to Victor. After hearing about the case, Victor thinks Sofie may be his long lost wife and decides to take the case. When Victor meets with Lady Lochlaw he is then introduced to Sofie Franke, who is indeed, Isa. From there sparks fly! The chemistry...yep still there. The distrust...yep, that too! The story revolves around Victor and Isa finding out the truth of what really happened ten years ago and a few new surprises along the way. The humor, the chemistry, the love of this story was just wonderful. This was Sabrina Jeffries best happy ever after yet!