The Rogue (The Rogues of Ravensmuir)

Dear Reader:

Seductive and mysterious, Merlyn was the laird of Ravensmuir — never had a man so stirred my body and soul. I gave myself to him — willingly, trustingly, passionately — and we soon wed. Then a horrible revelation emerged, shattering my innocence and my marriage...

Five years later, Merlyn returned to my doorstep, desperate for my help. The scoundrel swore he was haunted by memories of me, that a treasure locked in Ravensmuir could clear his name. Yet I could not surrender to his will again. Now he is said to be murdered and Ravensmuir has fallen into my hands.

But even as I cross the threshold of this cursed keep, I hear his whisper in the darkness, feel his caress in the night, and I know that Merlyn has told me but part of his tale. Should I do as is right and expose his lair? Or dare I trust my alluring but deceptive spouse - the rogue who destroyed my heart?

— Ysabella


Praise for THE ROGUE:

“Passion and intrigue test the boundaries of love and honor – THE ROGUE is medieval storytelling at its best!”
Terri Garey, RITA Award Winning Author of DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY

“An engaging tale of lost love found.”
Booklist

“A beguiling medieval romance from Delacroix…readers will devour this rich and compulsively readable tale.”
Publishers Weekly

This edition includes excerpts from THE SCOUNDREL and THIRD TIME LUCKY.

Average Customer Review: ( 14 customer reviews )

Ysabella inherits her husband's estate, Ravensmuir. During her first night in the keep, Ysabella dreams of making love with Meryln. When she awakens with proof of their passion, Ysabella seeks answers. Merlyn confesses to staging his demise because someone seeks to kill him. He hopes to flush out his aggressor by giving Ysabella his property. Merlyn demands her trust even while withholding all the information she demands. Somewhere within the keep lies a treasure men will kill for.

Clair Delacroix pens an intriguing medieval romance with THE ROUGUE. Delacroix demonstrates a remarkable creative flair with THE ROGUE as it vividly creates a marvelous fourteenth century tale. Her vividly realized characters create a fabulous world of fierce loyalty and dangerous betrayal. Ysabella's five years of struggle to provide for her family, thereby clinging to her moral and ethical values despite starvation and deprivation proves her a powerful heroine. Her common background and lack of education and breeding sharply contrasts the laird of Ravensmuir, even as they are spiritually matched. While the choice of a first person narrative distances readers from the roguish hero, it also adds a beguiling sense of immediacy. THE ROGUE comes highly recommended.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

Interesting and excitingDec 23, 2003
By M. Rondeau
Setting - Scotland 1371 --- The story opens with our heroine, Ysabella, who was once married then left the wealthy Merlyn Lammergeier, laird of Ravensmuir, five years previously after only a fortnight of marriage. She is shunned by the townspeople after they believe she had been cast off and set aside by her husband. In order to support her sister and brother, she is forced to brew ale under the auspices of another due to arcane local ordinances. It is a meager existence but one of her choosing since she rejected and abandoned the husband she could not reconcile herself with once she believed that he dealt in stolen religious artifacts. Now, Merlyn has returned to reclaim her and though she certainly feels the passion he elicits in her she spurns him again.

The next day she is informed that Merlyn has been murdered and she is his heiress, inheriting Ravensmuir which she promptly moves her family into. Her first night in her solar and she dreams of making quite passionate love to Merlyn, only to discover the next morning that it wasn't a dream but reality. Merlyn is alive, having survived an ambush, and he asks Ysabella to continue to play a grieving widow to help him discover his assailant.

The intrigue and mystery of the book is very clever with a couple of surprises, though somewhat predictable. The reader should find the historical aspect of this novel very interesting highlighting the illicit religious artifact trade that was prevalent in that period. Ysabella's illiteracy, figuring prominently and another source of conflict in the marriage, was also an interesting historical aspect to discover in how it was dealt with during that period. Of course, Ysabella's continued obstinacy did begin to grate on my nerves as I found Merlyn to be quite charming and most deserving of a second chance and her `secret' was really quite easy to figure out. All in all, I would definitely recommend this first book in the Ravensmuir saga, and though I was introduced to the series by reading the third book first, they both stand alone and are engrossing and fabulously exciting reads by this very talented and gifted author.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

Come back to Ravensmuir, come back to romance, come back to The RogueMar 31, 2011
By Deborah Haupt
Five years ago Ysabella gave her love to Merlyn of Ravensmuir, she knew the rumors, she heard the whispers but he somehow just moved her, it didn't take long for him to show his true colors, his true nature so Ysabella left Ravensmuir and left "The Rogue". Merlyn has always had to live down the reputation set by his father, he wants to be known as an honorable man, but it's hard to do especially when your own wife doesn't believe you. Well it's been five long years without her, and now he needs her, he still has deep feelings for her and it's now or never because someone wants to silence "The Rogue" forever.
You know there are so many great contemporary romances out there that I sometimes forget just how passionate historical romance can be, and this author is the Queen of historical romance as far as I'm concerned. It takes a certain kind of magic to describe to a media savvy world the interior of a 12th Century keep, to make her readers use their imagination when picturing characters of that era and no one does it better than Ms. Delacroix. So it's very fortunate we are that her Ravensmuir series is being re-released for the Kindle right now with the cover that shows Merlyn as the rogue he truly is. She takes us to her imaginary castle in a real Scotland at a long ago time, she gives us a history text book worthy plot, with Oscar worthy characters. The first thing you'll notice is the antiquated dialogue that fits right in with the times and which shows off effectively her history background. She introduces us to her historically accurate men, women and children she showcases the hard life, the cruelty but she shows us that even in the mean old middle ages love still not only survives but conquers all. Her hero and heroine are head butting, one moment and cleaving to each other the next, does it work, you bet it does. Her romance is of second chances, my favorite, it's sweet while at the same time heady and innocence mixed with potent sexuality. The love scenes are daydream like and impressionistic and then she'll hit us up side the head with in your face earthy, visceral action, but she does shade it with innuendo and adult language and it won't offend any true romance lover.
If you've forgotten the allure of historical romance or if you just want to fall in love again with the old fashioned kind of knight and lady then come back to Ravensmuir, come back to Scotland, come back to "The Rogue" and come back to Clair Delacroix. You'll be glad you did.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

Amazing!Aug 20, 2008
By LTR "Love to Read"
I was hooked right from the first page. Claire Delacroix has an amazing writing style. This is my first book of hers and I can't wait to start the next in the trilogy. The chemistry between the H/h was perfect and the dialogue was quick and witty. Talk about a strong heroine! Merlyn was dark, mysterious and wonderful. I absolutely loved the way this book flowed. Wonderful!

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

exciting historical romanceOct 09, 2002
By Harriet Klausner
In 1371, Merlyn Lammergeir goes to see his estranged wife Ysabella, but she rejects him as she has done for the past five years since she learned he peddled religious relics. Ysabella works extremely hard as an ale maker to provide food and shelter for her sister and brother. The next day she finds out that her spouse died and she inherited his estate Ravensmuir. She moves into the hold.

That night she dreams of making love with Merlyn only to awaken in the morning and know he still lives as her dream was real. When she confronts him, he admits he faked his death because he was framed for murder. Merlyn believes that Ysabella will uncover the culprit and so set in motion his plan by giving her the property. Unbeknownst to Ysabella is that Merlyn has a second objective to reconcile with his spouse.

THE ROGUE is an exciting historical romance that lives up to its title through the dynamic charming Merlyn. Ysabella is a fine lead character, but at times one must wonder about the cost of her obstinacy on her relatives so that she can comply with her so-called values. The intrigue is cleverly handled so that the audience receives a wonderful fourteenth century tale as expected from the gifted Claire Delacroix.

Harriet Klausner

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