Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed (Sons of Sin, #1)

by Anna Campbell

The sensuous new novel from the Queen of Regency Noir - book 1 in the Sons of Sin series.
WILL A WEEK OF SEDUCtION ...Desperate to save her sister's life, Sidonie Forsythe has agreed to submit herself to a terrible fate: Beyond the foreboding walls of Castle Craven, a notorious, hideously scarred scoundrel will take her virtue over the course of seven sinful nights. Yet instead of a monster, she encounters a man like no other. And during this week, she comes to care for Jonas Merrick in ways that defy all logic-even as a dark secret she carries threatens them both.... SPARK A LIFEtIME OF PASSIONAtE SURRENDER?Ruthless loner Jonas knows exactly who he is. Should he forget, even for a moment, the curse he bears, a mere glance in the mirror serves as an agonizing reminder. So when the lovely Sidonie turns up on his doorstep, her seduction is an even more delicious prospect than he originally planned. But the hardened outcast is soon moved by her innocent beauty, sharp wit, and surprising courage. Now as dangerous enemies gather at the gate to destroy them, can their new, fragile love survive?

• ISBN10: 1743095449
• ISBN13: 9781743095447
• Publish Date: 1 October 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: AU
• Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 402
• Language: English

Reviews

[stacey_is_sassy]

***4.5 Stars***

Holy Shamoly that was hard work. Bloody brilliant, but seriously full of feelings that I got to nearly the last page before everything was settled.

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed is the story of Sidonie and Jonas. Sidonie is the twenty-four year old virgin spinster sent as sacrifice to pay the debt of her beloved (bitch) sister Roberta to Jonas Merrick, bastard by name and bastard by action. I'm not going to go over the full details of this story, but I will say that everything is not as it seems.

This story was brilliantly written with a talent and professionalism that is not always found in modern writing. It was clear and precise and the only time I stumbled was trying to understand the accent of Mrs Bevans, Merrick's housekeeper. The writing flowed and I was never in doubt in regards to the sentiment and feelings of the characters.

I took away half a star because at times I was overwhelmed by the sadness and injustice this couple have faced in their lives. Merrick has been treated badly not just because of his bastardry but also because of a scar across his face that nearly cost him his life when he was young. I just felt that there was little happiness and for a long time, no hope that things will get better or resolved.

There was never a question of cheating or other women or men, but Jonas does talk about how he treated or was treated by women before Sidonie entered his life. All angst revolves around the relationship and the people in their lives.

I did enjoy this story, but it is not a lighthearted read. I would liken it to Beauty and the Beast. I felt a connection to both the characters and could understand some of the motives behind their actions. Saying that, I still wanted to bash them over the heads for their stubbornness. It is well written and I did not find any mistakes. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/

[kimbacaffeinate]

Eek Gads this was yummy! Seven Nights in a Rogue’s Bed sounded sinfully delicious and I was excited to read it. As Anna Campbell’s first book in the Sons of Sin series she dished up a hot steamy tale with wonderful characters and an engaging plot. Reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast I was quickly ensnared in this wicked tale and lost myself in its pages.

Sidonie Forsythe, in an attempt to save her older sister’s life, agrees to go in her stead to fulfill a debt. She arrives at the Castle Craven the home of a hideously scarred scoundrel to surrender her virtue for seven sinful nights. Willing to do anything to protect the one’s she loves, she braces her back, calms her nerves and prepares to meet this monster. The tale that unfolds was absolutely delightful, positively sinful and kept me turning the pages.

I adored the complex characters we meet in Campbell’s novel. Sidonie is brave, opinionated, flawed and has a secret. Jonas Merrick is disfigured and is often referred to as a monster. He lives in solitude and seeks revenge on the ones who betrayed him. He is such a complex man, and Campbell does an excellent job of revealing the many facets which explain his outward personality. The interaction between these two was enthralling to witness. They had me laughing one minute and wanting to clunk them over the heads the next. Watching these two strong personalities try to figure things out was such fun. The romance felt genuine and the characters became three dimensional. Secondary characters helped build suspense and reveal things. We met Cam Rothermere and Richard Harmsworth, two childhood friends of Jonas and I am anxious to read their stories. Richard’s story will be told in the next Son’s of Sin novel.

The tale itself captivated me as I turned page after page wanting my happily ever-after. I loved the story behind Sidonie’s predicament and why Jonas would even do such a thing. The chemistry between Jonas and Sidonie was absolutely delicious; filled with tension, angst and page melting scenes. This tale delivered seven very steamy, detailed nights in a rogue’s bed but it also provided a strong plot filled with suspense. Campbell’s writing style is enjoyable and the tale flowed effortlessly. The character of Jonas was wonderfully developed and I adored how she was able to show both the monster and the tender man beneath. This is a book you cannot put down and that leaves you smiling just thinking about it.

I recommend Seven Nights in a Rogue’s Bed to fans of historical romance with a side of suspense. This was hot! hot! hot! I am looking forward to A Rake’s Midnight Kiss which will be released in 2013. My advice: grab this book, a glass of wine, some chocolate truffles and lock yourself away because once you start reading you'll be lost.

I want to thank Grand Central Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[EBookObsessed]

Jonas Merrick is a bitter man. When his father’s marriage to his mother could not be proven, he lost his right to inherit his father’s title of Lord Hillbrook, but that was only beginning of life’s punishments. Others wanted to punish the bastard son, and a gang of boys held down and carved up his face. A hideous and constant reminder of this status as a bastard. Not only does Jonas feel betrayed by the world, but his cousin William, the current Lord Hillbrook, is the embodiment of all the evil done to Jonas and the hatred between the two fuels them both.

Jonas has seen William’s wife, Roberta, at the gaming tables and gets her to bet larger and larger sums until he holds notes that he knows she has no way of paying. His solution to her dilemma is to sleep with him for a week and he will not tell William of her debts. Jonas is enjoying the thought of defiling his cousin’s wife, a woman who often shows her disgust of his scared face.

At first he is unhappy when it is not Roberta who shows up at his doorstep as arranged, but he soon decides that spending a week bedding Robert’s sister, the beautiful Sidonie Forsythe, is so much more interesting then bedding the pompous Roberta.

Sidonie knows that her brother-in-law William has a violent temper and if he were to find out about Roberta sleeping with his enemy, his usual beating of his wife would turn deadly. She is willing to exchange her innocence for her sister’s safety. A sister who was always like a mother to her.

Sidonie very soon looks past the scars to see the man beneath. She learns that there is a thoughtful, caring man beneath his cool, aloof behavior, and that he merely uses his mockery to keep the world away, a world that has shown him nothing but pain.

As desires flame hot between the two, the question we want to answer is: can beauty win the heart of the beast?

THOUGHTS:
As you can guess, this is a beauty and the beast story. I really enjoyed the characters in this well written story. Jonas comes off at the beginning of the story as very heartless and cold, but we quickly see that he does have a conscience although he denies it, and that his coldness is a defense to people who have mistreated him either for his bastard status or his scars.

There is some false advertising in the name since there wasn’t really 7 nights as the title suggestions, as it takes a few days for Jonas to talk Sidonie into bed, but once they get there it is quite sensual and you better have a magazine handy to fan yourself with.

You should also have a hankie close by since it does get very tear-jerky at the end when misunderstandings and betrayals come into play. Of course, (thankfully) everything gets worked out for our HEA.

I would highly recommend this novel. The characters were sympathetic and easy to associate with, and the storyline took me in directions I wasn’t expecting. This was the first book in a new series by Anna Campbell, and I will be putting the next book on my list.

See more at http://ebookobsessed.com.