This is the 2nd book by Maya Rodale, it follows “The Heir and the Spare” which was also a great read.

Phillip Kensington, Marquis of Huntley has been a rake and a scoundrel of the worse sort. In the previous book he had tried to seduce his brother’s love from under him for her money. He had been brought up as the heir to a Dukedome but on his father’s death he found that he was actually the 2nd son and his brother Devon was to be the Duke.

Six years on and he is on the run from a creditor in France, where he has been for 4 years when he is attacked and left for dead. He is found by some locals and taken to Sherbrook Abbey where is nursed back to health by Angela Sullivan.

Angela has spent 6 years at the Abbey, she had been sent there after she had disgraced her family by being compromised by a man she thought would marry her. Under Angela’s care Phillips changes the way he thinks and falls in love with her.

Matters are taken out of his hands when his creditors catch up with him and he has to leave Angela and it takes some time before he is reunited with Angela.

I loved this story from start to finish, it was hard to put down. ( )

Angela Sullivan is living in a convent, where she chose to flee after being embroiled in a scandal that caused her family to suffer a tragedy. She is still wrestling with herself about whether or not she is ready to take her vows when an injured man is brought to the convent. Phillip, the Marquis of Huntley, is a class A rake and wastrel. He was beaten and left for dead over his debts but through the sheer cussed luck of the charmed, he survives and wakes up to find himself being nursed back to health in a convent. Angela has been assigned to be the one to nurse him, despite her feelings toward men in general after being ruined six years earlier. The two reach an uneasy detente and eventually slowly fall for each other throughout Phillip's convalescence. But just when things seem to be falling into place, Phillips disappears and Angela comes to the conclusion that she can never be a nun, hightailing it to her aunt's home in London where she sets out to erase Phillip from her heart, perhaps with the conveniently widowed Lord Frost, who was the one to ruin her so many years before.

Rodale does a nice job building the relationship between Angela and Phillip. The reader can really see the evolution of their feelings for each other and how they become better, more compassionate people through their interactions with each other. Wrenching Phillip from Angela happens rather abruptly in the plot but without the wrench there would be no room for conflict, making for a fairly milque-toast story so it is forgiven. What was less understandable was Phillip's bloody-minded insistence in staying away from the woman he loved and Angela's obsessive need to have him pay for his betrayal. The secondary plot with Lucas, Lord Frost, returning after so many years was almost incidental to the main thrust of thigns. But overall Rodale has doen a nice job and historical romance readers will mostly approve of this. Strong characters and a decent plot make this a nice way to while away a few hours. ( )

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Nov08

If I had to make a list of unlikely settings for a humorous and witty romance, I’m pretty sure a convent would be fairly high up on that list. Yet Maya Rodale has managed that with “The Rogue and the Rival”, the follow-up to her debut novel, “The Heir and the Spare”. After having enjoyed this book so much, it looks like I’ll be heading to pick up a copy of her first, especially since a few characters from that first book make a return appearance in this one.

Angela is a fallen woman. After she disgraced her family six years ago, she was asked to leave. Rather than go to the scoundrel who ruined her and left her for another, she came to Stanbrook Abbey and has been there ever since, supposedly preparing to take her vows. But no matter how much she distrusts titled men, heck all men, she just can’t quite give up her dream of a home and family of her own. Even so, how in the world can she be willing to trust one of the most scandalous rakes in the ton?

Lord Phillip is a total rogue. He freely admits it and is almost proud of it. After his unsuccessful bid to steal his twin’s bride and dowry, he fled to France in an orgy of bad behavior. When he runs out of money, he decides to return to England. Unfortunately, he still owes a good sum to a nasty loan shark whose men follow Phillip back to England and catch up with him on a country road. He was lucky enough to be found and brought to nearby Stanbrook Abbey to recover. Or is that unlucky? After all, his room is spare and grim and there’s not a drop of alcohol to be found…the only saving grace is the presence of the irritated angel who cares for him.

What a pair! And what witty repartee; from the first ‘Lord Invalid’ comment to Phillip’s hilarious effort to re-ingratiate himself into Angela’s heart (as well as that of her dragon aunt who dislikes him for a darn good reason!), I couldn’t keep the grin off my face for most of this read. The setting itself, late Regency England, provided plenty of ammunition for poking fun at the highly structured society of those times and the author didn’t stint in doing so. Even when the story required a more serious tone, one of the characters usually was quick with biting sarcasm or black humor to swing the pendulum back to the light and frothy style of the rest of the story.

“The Rogue and the Rival” is not a read for those looking for a serious historical tale. But if you like an amusing plot, sparkling wit, and characters that are funny even when they smack of stereotyping, then I really suggest you pick up a copy of Maya Rodale’s latest. She’s an author I’ll be watching. ( )

The last place anyone ever thought Phillip Kensington would end up was in an abbey. But when his near-lifeless body is found in a ditch, he's brought to Stanbrook Abbey to recuperate under the care of Angela Sullivan - a young lady whisked away to life at the abbey after a youthful indiscretion left her ruined in the eyes of society. She hates everything he represents, reckless indifference, selfishness, lechery, but she can't help but feel drawn to the charming scoundrel (and neither could I).

Maya Rodale is now officially on my auto-buy list. I was skeptical about this one. At the end of The Heir and the Spare, Phillip doesn't seem to have much going for him - he's ruined four women, he's an inveterate gambler, he drinks too much, he doesn't kiss well. And usually I don't much like reformed rake stories. But The Rogue and the Rival changed my mind.

The characters are so believable, and there's such emotional depth here that this earned an immediate place on my keeper shelf. I love that Angela is an artist. I love that they play cards for secrets. I love the chemistry sparking between the two main characters at any moment. I love Phillip grinning ear-to-ear while being beaten with roses. I was just swept off my feet by Phillip, by Angela, by the two of them. Together.

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FTC Disclosure: I received a free review copy from the author - after I had run to the nearest store the moment I heard it was out and got my own copy. ( )