Twice Tempted by a Rogue [Mass Market Paperback]

I definitely preferred the storyline in Twice Tempted by a Rogue to that of the first in the trilogy One Dance with a Duke. I loved the idea of someone that felt so worthless and unlovable (Rhys) paired with someone that had always loved him no matter what (Meredith). I think this is the first book I've read that had a widow so that was a welcome change for me! I liked how confident she was in her abilities to take care of the people that frequented her inn. I also really liked that the mystery of the murder of the Stud Club founder took a back seat for most of the book, a lot less horse talk.

We did get to learn a bit more about Julian who takes center stage in the third and final book, Three Nights with a Scoundrel. In the first book I didn't really like him but he's starting to grow on me and we are also introduced to Cora who plays a role in the mystery and has a sorted past but ends up fighting for a new life for herself, I liked that!

Rhys and Meredith's back and forth keep me going through most of the book, with new revelations about their shared past constantly being brought up but towards the end I started to feel like the magic was sort of fading for me. I don't know what it was, maybe the predictability of the genre? I really don't know. Overall still a fun book

One thing Rhys St. Maur, the newly appointed Lord Ashworth knows for sure is that fate wants him to live. Having suffered brutal beatings growing up, horrendous battles in war, and just being all around roughed-up, he is still standing and breathing. His body is covered in scars and the deepest are hidden under the skin.

Last in the village of Buckleigh-in-the-Moor when he was seventeen, many years have passed since his family's estate burned to the ground. He still hears the horses cries as the stable burned that terrible night. Now he is back to see what is left of his family's estate. Stopping at The Three Hounds Inn for the night, he meets a blast from the past. Meredith Lane Maddox, who grew up with him. For Meredith, she has been infatuated with Rhys ever since she was young skinny and girl. Rhys is very attracted to the adult, widowed Merry Lane.

Upon inspection of the ruins of his family's estate, he comes to realize the entire village suffered a loss that night. When his family left, the tenants stopped receiving money. The vicar was forced to leave town. The only driving force in town is Meredith's inn. Feeling extremely guilty over these events, and really having nothing else in his life to live for, Rhys decides to stay in the small town and start making a difference. To redeem himself. For starters, he wants to rebuild his home and marry Meredith. Although these words make Meredith's heart all a flutter, the inn is her life. She doesn't want someone taking care of her. She also doesn't trust that Rhys is actually going to stay permanently.

As started in book one, One Dance With a Duke, the murder investigation of Leo, the founder of the Stud Club continues as the remaining members try to find the man responsible. Julian Bellamy comes into town with a lead. As Rhys makes his presence known in town, many townsfolk see his return as more of a threat. Rhys not only has to prove himself to the villagers, but to Meredith as well.

Twice Tempted by a Rogue is the second book in Tessa Dare's Stud Club trilogy. I'll say right off the bat, I loved Rhys and I had problems with Meredith. Rhys is just a big hunkin' man full of sweetness. Oh, he has anger and has lived a hard physical life. But he treats Meredith with the utmost respect. He truly wants a companion, a lover, a wife. He feels like he owes Meredith something better in life since she has worked so hard to repair the damage his family leaving caused.

I liked Meredith in the sense that she was not shy when it came to telling Rhys that she wanted him. She is not a virgin and did not hide her lust filled glances toward him at all. What became tiresome was her lack of communication and indecisiveness. One minute she thought she loved him and wanted him, and the next she decided she only wanted to have sex and that is it. She also kept secrets from him and I never truly understood why. Rhys kept saying- I want to marry you and take care of you. Meredith took this as, she wasn't allowed to run her inn anymore, hanging onto that as her reason not to get married. By the end, she contradicts herself.

Although Meredith and I didn't see eye to eye, Tessa Dare still writes wonderful romance. There is a scene with the simple act of Rhys taking off Meredith's apron that becomes anything but simple. She just adds something special to her romance scenes that make them so rich. The last book in the trilogy features Julian and I also look forward to the resolve of the murder that took place in book one.

Okay, this may sound silly, but I tend to get a little teary whenever I read a decent romance. When I picked up Twice Tempted, I wasn't expecting it to completely blow Book 1 out of the waters - holy SMOKED KIPPER, did I ever bawl my eyes out! Which is why I am writing the review for Book 2 first - don't get me wrong, I adored Book 1 (One Dance With A Duke) - but I loved Twice Tempted so much more! I don't think I've met a more emotionally-charged couple than Meredith and Rhys - they were so achingly love/hate, yes/no, go away/come back - that I just got swept in their relationship. It was really adorable to see Rhys try to bully Meredith into marrying him after one day and, even though she refused, he went ahead with building their cottage with his bare hands to prove his seriousness. Not to mention, I laughed at how he tries to circumvent Meredith's adamant refusal and carries on with their "engagement" because he knows she'll cave eventually. He only got more attractive when he finally listens to Meredith and attempts to woo her, though he manages to always say and do the wrong things. His intentions and sincerity were just to die for - and it is simply mind-boggling to see how long Meredith tried to resist him! Meredith, on the other hand, was not the usual virgin-in-distress - she was perfectly capable of handling herself and running an inn to drive the entire village's economy. It was great to see a woman who wasn't inhibited by manners and societal rules, but instead independent and hard-working! She didn't need Rhys and his lordly riches - she could manage just fine on her own financially - but Meredith didn't count on falling in love with Rhys for just being himself, a 110% sincere man who is trying very hard to do the gentlemanly thing despite wanting to do all sorts of naughty things to her! Twice Tempted was such an unexpected delight! The plot was very engaging with a whole motley crew of characters, and Ms. Dare threw in a few plot twists that kept my curiosity purring like a contented cat - and when I finally hit the final aha!, was I ever stunned! Quite simply, the title sums my reaction very accurately since I am sorely tempted to re-read at least once more (maybe twice!) and dream about Rhys and his Wolverine-like gorgeousness some more!

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