When You Wish Upon a Rogue by Anna Bennett
My Rating: 
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: May 26, 2020
Formats: eBook ($8), Paperback ($6)
When You Wish Upon a Rogue is book #3 in Anna Bennet’s Debutante Diaries series (see my review of book #2). Like the previous entry, the pacing in which the two main characters’ relationship grew was done well. Also like the previous entry, the circumstances that thrusts them together is too far-fetched, which seemed unnecessary since they are both in the same social circle.
Miss Sophie Kendell must marry for money, not love, to save her family. She’s agreed to marry a marquess, Lord Charles Singleton, in two months time, a situation she’s unhappy with but resolved to do. Henry Reese, the Earl of Warshire (who is referred to as “Reese” throughout the book), is plagued with the grief of losing his older brother and the circumstances that arose when he left the war to take over the earldom. When Sophie, who runs the Debutante Underground society, seeks out a new, suitable location for its growing numbers, she meets Reese and though it’s a rocky start, she affects him in a way he hasn’t experienced in a long time.
She helps him fall asleep.
That’s the premise that brings Reese to seek out Sophie again—a request to, at least once a week, help him sleep. Not sleep together in a sexual way, but to offer her presence so that Reese can simply evade the nightmares and feel like a person once again, however briefly. Like I said, it’s far-fetched, but it allows the two to spend time together and get to know each other.
The story has a lovely connection with flowers. They become an integral part to building their relationship and offer an organic element to how it builds over time. Reese is cunning and tenacious, growing as a character to work past, or at least with, his demons. Sophie isn’t a shy miss, takes her married friends’ advice, and was both forthcoming and cautious about the realities of her and Reese’s situation early on. It was refreshing to see Reese respect her boundaries even as their feeling grew.
When You Wish Upon a Rogue takes you on a romantic journey through Sophie and Reese. It’s a story that reminds us that not all is lost, even if the odds seem against you. The book is a fast read that will sweep you into their little corner of London and leave you feeling warm inside. It is part of the Debutante Diaries series, but can be read as a standalone.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Note: I have additional end-of-book spoiler commentary on my Goodreads review (since there’s no tag to hide those comments here). I suggest avoiding it prior to reading the book unless you want the resolution to the story completely spoiled.
The Concordium of Cyliena 