All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue
3 Stars

For some truly incomprehensible reason and despite a simply obnoxious heroine and a complete a-hole hero, I somehow managed to enjoy this book, SMH!

Love/hate relationships with witty and snarky banter are a favorite trope of mine and it is always clear in these stories that the hero and heroine's sniping conceals true affection and respect. This is not the case for Aurelia and Max, who actually despise one another. Their banter is neither clever nor charming, but bitingly cold, cruel, and vicious.

Nevertheless, there is something about Aurelia and Max's romance that does appeal. Perhaps it is the fact that they are both equally insufferable and deserve one another. Another possibility is that Sophie Jordan has a way with words and certainly knows how to ratchet up the sexual tension. Aurelia and Max's obvious antagonism cannot conceal their intense attraction and sizzling chemistry.

Whatever the reason, I found myself rooting for their HEA despite the hero and heroine's actions. Go figure!
( )

3.5 stars - This book was okay. I don’t think it’ll be very memorable to me. The first book in this series was definitely the best. But the writing was still solid in this one. ( )

2.5 stars rounded up. This wasn't as good as the first in the series, but hasn't discouraged me from trying others by Jordan. I wanted to like these two MCs, but they were just such fools... And, as with many 'enemies to lovers' the mean things they did when in opposition never were entirely erased for me by their attraction later. =/ ( )

Not enough grovel. He is awful to her. I cried and I don't do that. He was awful and for a pretty stupid reason.

Needed more grovel. ( )

2.5 stars

I sooooooooo get what you all were saying! This wasn't banter, teasing, or sniping, it was meanness. I was hanging in there until around the 40% mark when the hero is incredibly cruel to the heroine not in just an one on one situation but in front and with a mean girl from her past and present. My heroes always come through for the heroines in those situations.

I didn't feel the romance here, especially since they didn't really come together until the last 10% of the story, yes really, the VERY end.

This could all be my personal preference but you're honestly going to have like meanness between your leads to like this.

*I still like Jordan's overall writing, she is great at sexy sex scenes (hellooooo desk scene!) and will be giving her next book a try, which I hope will feature Struan the seemingly cold-hearted Scot. ( )