Product Description

After a wayward youth, David Reece, the youngest scion in a noble family, has been called one of the most scandalous rogues of the ton. What he wants to be called is trustworthy and a true gentleman. To prove he has reformed he's agreed to watch over his absent brother's estate and signet ring. All is going swimmingly until highwaymen waylay his coach and steal that precious ring...Street orphan Vivian Beecham has grown up a pickpocket, and a very pretty one indeed. Now she and her brother have reluctantly graduated to highway robbery. And handsome David Reece has become their victim - until he tracks her down and makes her his prisoner. Locked in a spare bedroom, Vivian vows to hate her captor. Instead she becomes a former rogue's greatest challenge: the object of a passionate seduction. But David and Vivian are playing a dangerous game in which forbidden love is a wild card...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #150769 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

From Booklist
David Reece is robbed while traveling by coach to London. Vowing to reclaim a family signet ring, he sets a trap in London, and much to his surprise, the person caught trying to pawn the ring is one of his fellow travelers, the widowed Mrs. Gray. After locking the lovely thief up in his townhouse, David gradually learns her real identity. The last thing he would ever have predicted was falling in love with a beautiful pickpocket. A roguish hero trying to redeem his rakish ways meets his romantic match in a beautiful woman whose social class and past threaten any chance of a future together in Linden's latest elegantly written, lushly sensual Regency historical romance. Charles, John

Customer Reviews

Thief steals the most elusive & valuable prize -a rogue's heart
Stand and deliver!.....Those are not the words one wants to hear while traveling on the road. Apparently the day has just gotten even worse for David Reece. First his brother, the duke, decides to leave the care of his entire finances to David while on his honeymoon trip abroad for three months. The pressure enough of that responsibility is suffocating. Next he becomes stranded while his horse goes lame on the way to London. And finally he's forced to take a smelly, dusty and dingy coach the rest of the way. Now he has to deal with highwayman! Bloody hell! Life was so much easier when he had no responsibilities; gambling away his fortune, dallying with any willing woman and drinking till he couldn't remember where he was or where he'd been.

Life has never been easy for pickpocket and thief Vivian Beecham, but that hasn't stopped her from getting what she can for her and her brother. It may be illegal but it keeps food in her belly. But when she tries to pawn some stolen goods, its her that gets captured by none other than one of her victims. Only this time its not the constable she has to worry about. The danger lies in the rogue who just might steal her heart.

So good! Not precisely a reformed rake story but similar. David has already decided to change his scandalous behavior on his own. Vivian just adds fuel to the fire. Their relationship begins rather oddly (he keeps her prisoner in his house!) and then changes several times through out the the book. Great characterizations by Linden (author). I was particularly impressed by the way she showed the consequences of Davids lifestyle. I don't think I've ever really read that before. It always seems that the rogue hero's life is secretly envied and even admired by everyone. Obviously thats not true. Seeing the ramifications was eye opening. I also love how Vivian is a real commoner and not someone who is, for example, the long lost daughter of an earl. Just makes the whole book more credible. David needs someone like Vivian who understands the lows and highs of his life and his shame.

Definitely a stand alone book, but I strongly recommend the prequel 'What a Gentleman Wants' (great Lizzy/Darcy thing going on in that one). I normally don't say this but you'll miss out if you don't read it first. David's scandalous behavior is highlighted there. You'll get a better general picture of who he was and why he determined that he must change. So if you haven't read it, go and read it first.

What is a Rogue?
A Rogue is a scoundrel, overbearing, lusty, wicked, troublesome and this is only in polite company. Who would know that the man would try to amend his ways! Oh well, it can be done, but can David Reece really be that man?
If you read the previous book titled What a Gentleman Wants, you couldn't believe that David could become a responsible person. He meets his match in Vivian Beechman who was in on a robbery in the coach he was riding.
This story was so great, I love the exchange between David and Vivian.
Ms. Linden's writing shows such depth in her characters. The story flows so sweetly but can turn sensual in a moments time. Thanks again Ms. Linden for telling David's side. Can't wait til the next one comes out.
Bravo!!

No action and no chemistry
2 big problems with this book - there is zero chemistry between the hero and the heroine. Nada. Zilch. The other is that the heroine is locked in a room for half the book. How exciting can you make that?

One star - I couldn't make it past the first third.