Name: Lover of Romance 's review of All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue by Sophie Jordan
Item: All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue
Rating: 3
Author: Lover of Romance

Sophie Jordan

First friends, then enemies . . . Lady Aurelia hasn't always hated Max, Viscount Camden, her brother's best friend. In fact, as a besotted girl, she thrived under his kind attention— sure that he was the most noble and handsome man in the land. Until her young heart discovered what manner of rogue he really was. Now, though she enjoys nothing more than getting on his last nerve, she can't deny Max drives her to distraction— even if she tries to pretend otherwise. Now something more . . . Max cannot recall a time when Aurelia did not vex him. If she was not his friend's sister, he would stay far away from the infuriating vixen. Unfortunately, they are always thrown together. At parties and family gatherings . . . she is always there. Mocking him, tossing punch in his face, driving him mad . . . until one night, she goes too far and he retaliates in the only way he can: with a kiss that changes everything.

The Debutante Files

All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue

Kaylee Beasley

Lover of Romance 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
  


 
 
  
    Summary
  
 
Aurelia once loved Max, and admired him but when she caught him in a certain act, her love turned slowly into anger, and that anger has fueled a conflict between them for years. Aurelia is very talented at drawing, but Max takes acception to it, since out of her anger she drew one of him that mocked him and still is whispered about. Max and Aurelia run in the same circles, since Max is best friends with Aurelia's brother. Max has never known why Aurelia began hating him or when their conflict became so severe, but when Aurelia crosses a line, battle lines are drawn and soon Max and Aurelia will be tested in the worst ways. What comes to a surprise to both Max and Aurelia is the way that desire sparks between them despite how much they despite one another. But both soon learn that the line between love and hate is very thin at times, and that love can heal old wounds and form a closeness and intimacy they couldn't ever imagine with each other.

 
 
  
    Plot and Story Line
  
 
I quite enjoyed this story for the most part, very entertaining, and the writing as always was very engaging and Sophie Jordan can always draw me in like a moth to a flame into her stories. The reason my rating is a bit lower, is because I had issues with both of the main characters. Quite frankly both of them were quite perfect for each other, and both of them tended to get on my nerves quite a bit. I just couldn't quite like them as much as I wanted to, or maybe I was trying too hard, but honestly these two would try the patience of a saint if need be. What we have over years of fighting, is a misunderstanding, and if Aurelia had just confronted Max about what she had seen the circumstances would be far different from what we see here. Max and Aurelia are both selfish quite a bit in this story, especially in the beginning, and it seems that they are so focused on hating each other they don't see the big picture, just their inner world and don't seem to care how much they are hurting each other. This was more than a simple angsty romance, but having said all this...I did like it quite a bit. And I just couldn't put it down, despite my issues with the characters, but no worries eventually they come to terms and once they are fully honest with each other I began to soften towards them. I honestly never blamed Max in most of the interactions even if he could be pig headed, because Aurelia started it all and it all comes down to pride (greatest human downfall right folks?) but we also see the human mistakes and how despite how much they despise each other, this tension builds into something more that neither expects to find. That is the moment that the story really gets interesting. I really liked seeing the bantering and boy could they both go at it, they were just meant to be together just for their fighting alone. There was quite a great cast of supporting characters...and a sexy scot...I am curious if he will get a story because I liked him, really liked him.
 
  
    The Cover
  
 
I love the dress, I just love pink and always have adored this color, and I love the pose, and what lovely wallpaper in the background.
 
  
    Overall View
  
 
All The Ways To Ruin A Rogue is a tension filled romance, with sparky character, engaging writing talent, and a love story that blossoms beneath a bond of hatred....a bond that forms into a tender love. STIMULATING TILL THE END!!

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads
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Unlike many other reviewers, I actually connected to this story and Aurelia at the beginning. I liked her. I felt for her as she discovered what Max in flagrante delicto. She was young. He was her first crush and... he crushed her with his behavior. No, it's not entirely rational, but does it have to be? Who hasn't been there before? She didn't set out to hurt him intentionally. She was dealing with her hurt the only way she knew how: tears and drawing. She didn't intend for her mean drawing to be discovered and for him to start being called Cockless Camden.

But, I'm also not blaming Max for his actions as a teen. He had no idea of the depth of Aurelia's feelings. She was, at that point, his best friend's little sister and someone he considered a friend. There was no betrothal or relationship between them. He was a teenage boy with hormones and he wasn't in the wrong either. I can understand why he was hurt and embarrassed... and completely baffled... when someone he considered a friend hurt him in such a public way.

It was, truthfully, a lot easier for me to dismiss the behavior of the characters when they younger than it was to look past some of the present day antics. I’m all for good banter and don’t mind when there’s a bit of antagonism between the love interests in a book. These two, however, were downright mean to each other at times. While I always thought there was something there – a spark that could lead to something real – it wasn’t always easy to cheer them on. I felt they belonged together, but would either of them ever fully admit to it? Could they talk without sniping at each other and work through the issues of their pasts?

While I had some issues with this couple and their behavior, there was no denying that when they were on, they were on. They had tons of chemistry and the attraction was fierce. There was tons of passion between them and I expected they could be good for each other if they just gave it a chance. As much as I love a good friends to lovers book, I do also enjoy when friends become enemies and eventually realize that animosity just might be masking something else. Though they frustrated me at times, I was definitely cheering these Aurelia and Max on, hoping they would come to their senses and find a new way to work out all that aggression, if you know what I mean. ;)

I’ve been a fan of Sophie’s since reading her young adult science fiction and new adult contemporaries, but this is the only the second of her historical romances I’ve read. I’ll definitely be back for more. I love her writing and the sexiness and humor she brings to her books. I'm a fairly new fan of historical romance and this one was a little different than the others I've read so far, but I liked that. I definitely enjoyed this one – I couldn't put it down once I started reading. I had to find out if they could pull it together. If there are additional books in this series, I'll be reading them. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

I was incredibly excited to read All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue, since I was intrigued by Aurelia and Max in A Good Debutante’s Guide to Ruin. I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance, and they seemed like they would make a great couple. There’s a well-crafted love-hate relationship between Aurelia and Max, although there was too much hate for my taste. While I did have some problems with this book, it was still an overall enjoyable read. I wouldn’t say All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue is for everyone, but fans of the series should definitely give this a try.

Aurelia and Max used to be close friends, and Aurelia used to have the biggest crush on him, her brother’s best friend. But when she catches him with a maid in a scandalous position, her heart breaks and she ends up drawing an awful caricature of him that accidentally goes public and completely humiliates Max. So ensues their hate-filled relationship. Sophie Jordan did really well with the banter and insults between them. I could just feel that thin line between love and hate, and the chemistry between them was on fire. They do many, many things to get back at one another for the hurts they’ve caused, all the while lusting for each other. I felt like the hate overpowered the love sometimes, but it was still fun to read the back and forth between them.

I actually liked Aurelia – I felt sorry for her mostly, but I still really liked her character. She’s an unwed twenty-three year old bordering on a spinster. To make matters even worse, her brother and his wife are expecting a baby, leaving Aurelia a burden on his finances. So Aurelia decides to finally find a man to marry, though she doesn’t have very many options. When she doesn’t expect is for Max to be there every step of the way, annoying her and deterring her suitors.

Max, unfortunately, was a disappointing hero. I really wanted to love him – he had great potential, but I just couldn’t forgive some of the cruel things he does to Aurelia. There definitely should’ve been a LOT of groveling coming from him, but I sadly, there wasn’t very much of it. Because of his tragic past, he doesn’t believe in love, but I felt like his past doesn’t justify all the hurt he causes Aurelia. I was shocked sometimes at how cruel he was – he’s still holding a grudge against her after all these years for the caricature. I didn’t really understand why – she was fifteen when she humiliated him, and he was a grown man. He shouldn’t have let the drawing affect him at all. Aurelia was definitely in the wrong for the creating the drawing – she had no claims to him… but she was a GIRL. A girl completely undeserving of Max’s rage and hate. But Aurelia is tough and hates him right back – which leads to fight after fight over many years, with undercurrents of lust mixed in.

I also wanted more of Max actually IN LOVE with Aurelia, but that was only apparent at the very end of the book. I enjoyed this book for the most part – it’s an easy, fast-paced novel, but there were some things that I just couldn’t get over. While I loved the love-hate relationship, I was disappointed in the development of the romance. There’s just so much fighting that there wasn’t enough tender moments to make me invested enough in their romance. I really wish I could love this book more, but I only ended up liking it. If you’re a fan of the series, you might end up loving it more than I did.

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1Ln457K
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1PxKIil

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Kaylee Beasley &
All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue by Sophie Jordan

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