Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Royal Rogue
SERIES: Tales of Lilleforth
AUTHORS: Sarah Honey
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 206 pages
RELEASE DATE: January 27, 2025
BLURB:
Thomas Malone is the new Captain of the Guard at Lilleforth Castle. He loves his job, but it leaves him no time for himself. It’s been way too long since he’s had anyone share his bed, let alone his life. To say he’s frustrated is an understatement.
To make matters worse, the King’s disreputable cousin Evan Devere, the Duke of Ravenport, is back from his travels. Evan is as scatterbrained as he is attractive, which is a shame—if Evan had even half a brain, he’d be exactly Thomas’s type. As it is, Thomas has resigned himself to spending his days keeping Evan out of trouble.
But when a threat emerges against the crown, Thomas and Evan have to work together to find who’s behind the plot, and Thomas discovers there’s more to Evan than meets the eye. So when Evan suggests that they act on their mutual attraction, Thomas throws caution to the wind and agrees. After all, it is just a fling, right? There’s no way Thomas is actually going to fall for the sexy, infuriating cousin of the king.
No way at all.
REVIEW:
Note: This is the third book in this series and as such contains spoilers for the first two books. That being said, it can technically be read as a standalone – although I recommend the whole series.
The new Captain of the Guard of King Leopold has his hands full with all the neighboring countries visiting the King to renew their trade agreements. King Leo and his husband consort, Prince Felix are renegotiating the trade terms to use the kingdom’s ports and some of the ambassadors are none too happy. It seems that what they are reporting and what is actually the output from their lands are not exactly lining up. But where are Leo and Felix getting this information?
While watching over the castle while all of the visitors are around, Thomas has to keep his eye on the Duke of Ravenport, the king’s cousin. He always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, half in his cups, bedding whoever turns his fancy. Thomas is very observant though and he watches out for Evan so that another international incident doesn’t occur on this watch. Evan notices Thomas though – and propositions him
As the negotiations go on, some of the ambassadors are still in residence. There is a rumor that someone in the royal family is in danger. Never one to overlook any possibility of danger, the king and prince meet with Thomas to make him aware. Then one of the guards fetches Thomas after seeing someone sneak into the castle to the guest wing. Thomas manages to get the drop on the person who it seems is wrestling one of the trade representatives. When he confront the man, the stranger surprises Thomas with his actions. Thomas is then drawn into a world he never thought he’d be a part of, but it’s his duty to protect the king and his family.
Thomas throws his lot in with Evan to discover who is behind the plot. Both men go to great lengths to throw the culprit off. They have to keep the royal family safe. The man behind the plot has more surprises for them both though Danger continues to come at them and they will need to be a real team to save to the day.
Oh my this was so much fun! I absolutely loved Thomas and Evan. Their chemistry was so on point. They were perfect for each other – once Thomas got to see the real Evan. Romances between commoners and royalty are always interesting Evan is really a “character” in every sense of the word. Thomas was attracted to him even when he thought he was a bit of a ninny. He watched out for him and then when he discovered the real Evan, well off we go! Both men are quick on their feet
When they finally got together, well they were just fire! It was also fun revisiting the other couples in this series – especially King Leo and Prince Felix
Their relationship was a source of both pride and envy for Thomas. Who knew he could get his own happily ever after too? He didn’t see it coming – and it kind of knocked him off his feet. This was a first real relationship for both men and thankfully they figured out that this was it – their one and only. I don’t know if this is the end of this series or not, but if it was, it was a lovely and fitting finale. I think it was my favorite in the series
RATING:
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