How to Tame a Modern Rogue is a light contemporary romance with some Regency elements thrown in. I found it to be a lot of fun and was particularly captivated by the plot.
Ally Giordano has had enough of New York City so she accepts a teaching job in California and gives up her apartment. Days before she is ready to leave, her plans go awry when she discovers that her beloved grandmother – Granny Donny – is wearing Regency costumes and riding around New York in a horse-drawn carriage.
This is no joke. Granny Donny thinks it is 1812 and she’s living in Regency England. Come to find out, she’s living out one of her favorite Regency romances, The Dulcet Duke, the tale of a virginal Princess who attracts the attentions of a rakish duke. Granny Donny believes that Ally is 16-year-old Princess Alexandra and that the duke is Sam Carson.
Sam is the perfect modern day rake. He’s rich, gorgeous, and genuinely British. Most important, he is a confirmed bachelor; one month with any woman, and he’s through, and on to the next. Sam initially gets involved with Granny Donny as a way out of a tight squeeze with a woman he just dumped. Soon, he’s charmed by her, and is caught up in her problems. Ally is another matter.
Sam is disappointed when he meets Ally and he feels she’s nothing like her charming grandmother. In fact, Sam thinks Ally is downright dowdy. In turn, Ally doesn’t trust Sam, and initially wants nothing to do with him. Soon, after a round of doctor visits, Ally finds herself planning a road trip with her grandmother, with Sam along for the ride.
For me, this was like a modern day fairy tale, with an interesting ensemble cast, featuring not simply Sam, Ally and Granny Donny, but also Ally’s best friend, the carriage driver, and his horse.
I felt that Ally and Sam could have used a bit more depth. Both have issues from their childhoods that help explain their present day behaviors and attitudes, but for most of the book, I was much more entranced with the plot than with Sam and Ally. I didn’t dislike them, but they were just part of the bigger picture. However, that changed near the end. I absolutely adored how Sam and Ally eventually grew closer to each other. While they are physically separated, the author put a nice twist on their separation, one completely fitting with the Regency theme.
I really enjoyed the incorporation of the fictional Regency romance into the plot, as virtually all the characters read the book. There was a particularly funny scene when a bartender gives Sam advice on what women want based on romance novels (waxed chest, rippling thighs, and a mullet).
If you’re looking for a light beach read this summer, this might just fit the bill. It definitely worked for me, and left me smiling at the end. However, if you prefer more emotional depth and complex characters, this probably won’t be your cup of tea.
-- LinnieGayl Kimmel
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