Victoria and the Rogue

Growing up in far-off India, wealthy young heiress Lady Victoria Arbuthnot was accustomed to handling her own affairs -- not to mention everyone else's. But in her sixteenth year, Vicky is unceremoniously shipped off to London to find a husband. With her usual aplomb, however, Lady Victoria gets herself engaged to the perfect English gentleman, even before setting foot on British soil. The Rogue Hugo Rothschild, ninth earl of Malfrey, is everything a girl could want in a future he is handsome and worldly, if not rich. Lady Victoria has everything just as she'd like it. That is, if raffish young ship captain Jacob Carstairs would leave well enough alone. Jacob's meddling is nothing short of exasperating, and Victoria is mystified by his show more persistence. But when it becomes clear that young Lord Malfrey just might not be all that he's professed to be, Victoria is forced to admit, for the first time in her life, that she is wrong. Not only about her fiance, but about the reason behind the handsome ship captain's interference. show less

A cute love story in the same vein as Heyer’s The Grand Sophie. There’s no depth or subtlety to this story, but it was refreshingly free of the misunderstandings that usually tear the love interests apart. Oh the agony! In fact, Victoria not only knows that her considerable wealth plays a part in her fiance’s proposal, but thinks it absolutely right that it would be. Even better, she’s well-informed about love affairs in general and is far from shocked when her fiancé is called a “rogue” but instead, asks in what precise way. I liked Victoria even if I didn’t like her eventual husband, who is overfond of growling at her and being shocked at her sensible ideas. It is overall a fun, fast read.

I must say that although this was predictable as far as romance stories go, it was enjoyable mostly because of Victoria’s character. She was so funny and irreverent and a busy body and a fixer and all other manner of annoying habits, and although you as a reader totally got why her uncle’s shipped her away when she was becoming too vocal about her opinions of their lives and why Jacob wants to either kiss her or strangle her, I really liked her and I laughed aloud more than once. So, even though the story was predictable, it was sweet and the characters memorable in their ways.

I liked this a lot better than Nicola & the Viscount, mainly because Victoria is more of an engaging heroine. It also seems a little more plausible plot-wise, with Hugo trying to marry Victoria for her money. I had less “historical accuracy RAAAAAGE” while reading this (with maybe exception to the orphan subplot), the characters are a lot more fun and seem a lot more like people, rather than just plot points. While I’m still not happy with the “I hate you! But you’re attractive!” model of Jacob and Victoria’s relationship, it did come across as Jacob having Victoria’s best interests at heart. In conclusion: a fun read for anyone looking for something easy.

This was cute--I think it's meant to be for a YA audience, though some of the ideas that are implied make me think it'd definitely be for an older YA audience.

I would never go so far as to say the story was provocative or inappropriate, however. I thought it was a lot of fun to read. It seems as though everyone in the story (including the reader) knows what's going to happen to the protagonist, except she herself.

Having just wrapped up watching the first three seasons of Downton Abbey, I appreciate the setting of this story.

Growing up in far-off India, wealthy young heiress Lady Victoria Arbuthnot was accustomed to handling her own affairs—not to mention everyone else’s. But in her sixteenth year, Vicky is unceremoniously shipped off to London to find a husband. With her usual aplomb, however, Lady Victoria gets herself engaged to the perfect English gentleman, even before setting foot on British soil.

Hugo Rothschild, ninth earl of Malfrey, is everything a girl could want in a future husband: he is handsome and worldly, if not rich. Lady Victoria has everything just as she’d like it. That is, if raffish young ship captain Jacob Carstairs would leave well enough alone.

Jacob’s meddling is nothing short of exasperating, and Victoria is mystified by show more his persistence. But when it becomes clear that young Lord Malfrey just might not be all that he’s professed to be, Victoria is forced to admit, for the first time in her life, that she is wrong. Not only about her fiancé, but about the reason behind the handsome ship captain’s interference. show less

Sixteen year old Victoria is on her way back to England from India to find herself a husband. But she is still en route when she becomes engaged to the handsome and charming Lord Malfrey. That is good. There comes into her life yet another not-so-handome gentleman who proves to be a real thorn in her side. That is not good. And between managing these two men Victoria feels she has a great responsibility in managing the affairs of her cousins - the Gardiners. I picked this one up (having been told by a friend that Cabot wrote light-hearted, feel-good fluff)for an easy, relaxed read - my first Meg Cabot - and I wasn't at all impressed. For one, the style was a little contrived, obviously written by someone who doesn't know much about the show more Regency era and for whom the language of the day does not come easily. Secondly, way too many liberties are taken with utter disregard to the social etiquette of the time. I also found it gratingly annoying that the heroine was off to rectify and improve everyone while she seemed to be twice as faulty as anyone. She is quite the shrew and a very interfering busy body with too much self consequence. I think this is a story that could easily have been finished in less than a hundred pages for most of it was repeated, mindless pontification on Victoria's part. I have watched The Princess Diaries movies and enjoyed them. But this book was a real disappointment. I realise that it is written for teenagers, but surely it could have been better! Also, to anyone used to reading well flushed out Regency romances (especially Georgette Heyer) this is a farce. I'm sorely tempted to never read Cabot again...but I suppose she is better with something contemporary? I will give one of The Princess Diaries a try.While I would have given this just one star, there were three or four instances where I did laugh and so it gets a two. show less