She's beyond his reach...
Gideon Harrow has spent his life in London's dark underworld-and he wants out. A thief and a con, he plans one last heist to finally win his freedom. But when everything goes wrong, he finds himself at the tender mercies of one of Society's most untouchable women-Lady Susanna Derring.
...and out of her depth.
Susanna has spent her life in London's glittering ton, under the thumb of a domineering mother-and she wants out. When a wickedly charming rogue lands at her feet, she jumps at the chance to experience life before it's too late. But as she descends into London's underworld, she finds that nothing- not even Gideon-is as it seems. As excitement turns to danger, Susanna must decide what price she's willing to pay...for the love of a reformed thief.
Book 2
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Bad Boy Inspiration by Shana Galen
Gideon Harrow has spent his life in London's dark underworld-and he wants out. A thief and a con, he plans one last heist to finally win his freedom. But when everything goes wrong, he finds himself at the tender mercies of one of Society's most untouchable women-Lady Susanna Derring.
...and out of her depth.
Susanna has spent her life in London's glittering ton, under the thumb of a domineering mother-and she wants out. When a wickedly charming rogue lands at her feet, she jumps at the chance to experience life before it's too late. But as she descends into London's underworld, she finds that nothing- not even Gideon-is as it seems. As excitement turns to danger, Susanna must decide what price she's willing to pay...for the love of a reformed thief.
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Bad Boy Inspiration by Shana Galen
When we think about Regency England, we tend to think of the balls, the carriages, the gowns. We forget that for every duke or marquess, there were hundreds of thieves and pickpockets living in the slums of the city. Covent Garden was an area of London with plenty of rookeries, and the thieves who lived there often banded together because there’s protection in numbers. My fictional gang called the Covent Garden Cubs is made up of the leader Satin, his second-in-command Beezle, and an assortment of pickpockets and house-breakers with names like Gap, Racer, and Stub. The gang also has one girl, Marlowe, and I wrote about her in Earls Just Want to Have Fun. Her best friend in the gang in Gideon, and he’s the hero in The Rogue You Know. Gideon is the ultimate bad boy who can cheat, lie, and steal with the best of them. He was orphaned at a young age and had no choice but to steal to survive. Now Gideon wants a different life for himself, and if he can just complete one last job, he’ll have it…or die trying.
When writing about my bad boy hero, I had plenty of inspiration.
1) Flynn Rider from Tangled
Yes, I know Flynn is animated, but he is the main inspiration for Gideon. Like the Disney bad boy, Gideon is charming, funny, and self-deprecating. Flynn makes no apologies for his lifestyle, and while he may try to hide his sensitive side, his love for Rapunzel brings it out.
2) George Gordon Byron, Baron Byron
Byron was a poet, nobleman, and ultimate bad boy. Described as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” Byron titillated the Regency world. He generated enormous debts, had numerous affairs and liaisons, and ultimately died young and tragically abroad. A bad boy with the heart of a romantic is always an inspiration.
3) Danny in Grease
We’ve all seen Grease so many times we forget that Travolta’s character was really a bad boy. He’s dangerous for Sandy’s reputation and just plain dangerous, period. But like any bad boy we love, love wins Danny over and he’s willing to change to be with the woman who means everything.
4) Patrick in 10 Things I Hate About You
I love a bad boy who sets out to corrupt the good girl and then is corrupted by her instead. Heath Ledger is fabulous as the new kid in school who agrees to date the heroine…for a fee. “How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.” The banter between Patrick and Kat makes this bad boy movie memorable.
5) Nick Gentry in Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas
While Gideon may be on the wrong side of the law and Nick Gentry a Bow Street Runner, Nick definitely serves as an inspiration. He’s a man with a dark past and much to hide, but Charlotte is able to peel away the layers one by one. Her love for him, and his for her, redeems this bad boy and makes us love him all the more.
I enjoyed taking inspiration from each of these bad boys and creating the character of Gideon. He may be a thief and a rogue, but he is also capable of deep love. And that’s what my books are about—characters for whom love changes everything.
Who are your favorite redeemed rogues?
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Erica – ☆☆☆
The Rogue You Know is a well-written Historical Romance adventure spanning 48-hours. With any book, you need to suspend belief as it's fiction. This book, however, took that to a whole 'nother level. A mile a minute, the H & h experienced death-defying action on all the pages that weren't filled with romance and smexy time scenes.
I felt mixed emotions while reading this title.
There were parts I absolutely adored: Beauty the dog was by far my favorite character of the story. The mother and her new friend were a good addition. I enjoyed their side story immensely. When the dog and the side story capture you more than the main story thread...
There were parts I was meh on: The plot of Susanne thinking with blinders on about getting to Vauxhall Gardens with no thought to other's needs (Yet she was saving widows, toddlers, and pups while facing off with bad guys which was contradictory). She wanted to be trusted, to have her mother respect her as an adult, but acted as if she were TSTL on dozens occasions, like a 12 year old girl, not her age. Innocent and sheltered is one thing; acting without thought of consequence is another. Acting pushy doesn't make you a strong heroine; it just makes you annoying to read. She was the reason Gideon was in constant danger by putting him into the lion's mouth at all times for her frivolous needs. (It was his responsibility for his actions, but then she just kept him in danger on every page when he should have gotten to safety.) Other than the truth falling into Susanne's lap, I'm not entirely sure what she thought she'd 'find' at Vauxhall 20+ years after the fact. She was one of the most irrational characters I've ever read. While cute in a child or pet... How short of a time frame the book entailed, falling in love with Gideon by the 24-hour mark.
The parts I was entertained by not blown away: The mother's past. Suzanne & Gideon's chemistry. The first few smexy time scenes were well-written and highly evocative. The tied up with a tidy bow ending. I did enjoy the resolution.
All in all, The Rogue You Know was an entertaining read that just didn't work for me. I do recommend this series, as book #1 with Marlowe was utterly unique. I look forward to book #3 in this series.
Also Available in the Covent Garden Cubs Series
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For reviews and more info, check out our Viscount of Vice blog post.
Buy Links
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B&N ~ iTunes
For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Earls Just Want to Have Fun Blog Tour.
Shana Galen is the bestselling author of passionate Regency romps, including the RT Reviewers' Choice The Making of a Gentleman. Kirkus says of her books, “The road to happily-ever-after is intense, conflicted, suspenseful and fun,” and RT Bookreviews calls her books “lighthearted yet poignant, humorous yet touching.” She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city. Now she writes full time. She's happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making. Shana loves to hear from readers, so send her an email or see what she's up to daily on Facebook and Twitter.
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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Rogue You Know (Covent Garden Cubs #2) by Shana Galen to read and review for this tour.
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