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Virginia Heath
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That Despicable Rogue Mass Market Paperback – April 19, 2016

by Virginia Heath (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 104 ratings
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A lady's mission of revenge…

Lady Hannah Steers has three reasons to loathe and despise Ross Jameson. He's a scandalous libertine, he stole her home and he was responsible for the death of her brother!

Determined to expose Ross for the rogue he is, Hannah dons a disguise and infiltrates his home as his new housekeeper. Unfortunately, this scoundrel proves himself to be the epitome of temptation and, instead of building a case against him, Hannah finds herself in a position she never expected…falling head over heels in love with him!
Previous page
  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harlequin Historical
  4. Publication date
    April 19, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    4.26 x 0.67 x 6.54 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0373307381
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0373307388
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Witty, wickedly delicious and absolutely mesmerizing, fans of Tessa Dare and Amanda Quick are going to love Virginia Heath's That Despicable Rogue!"- Bookish Jottings

"I really loved this story! I will add this to my re-read list- Great characters always bring me back." -The Romance Reviews

"That Despicable Rogue is filled with such passionate characters that you can't help but fall in love with them" - Megan Goodreads

"THAT DESPICABLE ROGUE kept my interest from beginning to end. It was quick paced but flowed smoothly and had well thought out characters. The characters were multifaceted and kept me on my toes" -Romance Junkies

From the Author

One day, while vacuuming, a title floated into my odd head. That Despicable Rogue. I remember thinking, that's a good title and assumed somebody else had written it. When I checked the internet and realised they hadn't, I decided to. I had a title but no story and certainly no characters aside from my despicable rogue. I had no idea if he was despicable or if people simply thought he was.Fortunately, my husband is fond of analogies. One of my favourites is a story about two brothers. One is a successful doctor and the other is a low-life drunk with no job. Their father was a cruel and violent man. One day the brothers were both asked the same question- why are have you turned out theway you are? Despite the vast difference in their lives, both brothers gave exactly the same answer, "It is hardly a surprise when you had a father like mine?"
It is an extreme example, I know, but the past shapes us all. That is a fact. Sometimes it makes us into better people, other times it holds us back and stops us living life to the full. In my novel, That Despicable Rogue, I created two people who are shaped by their pasts.

Ross Jameson has dragged himself out of the gutter and done everything possible to make sure he never has to go there again. Lady Hannah Steers has had her life destroyed by the past and feels that she has no future.

Once I created these two people, and introduced them to each other, they pretty much wrote their own story for me. At times, I had no idea what they were going to do next. I hope that you enjoy their trials and tribulations as they seek their happy ending. An ending, incidentally, that they never told me until it actually happened!

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harlequin Historical; Original edition (April 19, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0373307381
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0373307388
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.26 x 0.67 x 6.54 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 104 ratings

About the author

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Virginia Heath

Virginia Heath

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When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happily ever after. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Twirty Regency Romcom books, two publishers and three Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations later, and it still takes her forever to fall asleep.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
104 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Laurel
5.0 out of 5 stars Humor, Wit & Passion!
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2020
Verified Purchase
Another great read from Virginia Heath! Loved Ross Jameson!! What a endearing hero he was. Such a fun story filled with humor, witty banter, plot twists and passion. I enjoyed every moment and am eager to read more from this author.
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Airbecca8
4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written, character-driven, enemies-to-lovers romance
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2017
After reading Virginia Heath's A Discerning Gentleman's Guide and absolutely loving it, I added everything from Heath's short backlist to my pile (she is a relatively new author which is impressive because her ability to create layered characters is superb).

That Despicable Rogue is Heath's debut novel and one I greatly enjoyed, though not as much as A Discerning Gentleman's Guide. In this novel, the heroine, Hannah pretends to be a housekeeper for the hero, Ross, so she can gather dirt on him in order to avenge her brother's death. Things are dark and messy at the beginning of the book where Ross ends up winning the deed to a house in a card game and the losing man commits suicide at the club. The book then picks up almost a year later when Hannah forges some references and leans on her old friend to get her hired as a housekeeper for her ancestral home, the same home that she believe Ross stole from her brother and caused him to kill himself.

As a reader, we know some truths, but for the most part, things are revealed to us in layers, much as Ross and Hannah learn more about each other. This complex layering of the characters was also present in Heath's other book and if this ability to create fully-fleshed, flawed characters is a trademark of hers, then consider me an auto-buy fan of hers forever.

This story mostly takes place in the ancestral home as Hannah helps Ross restore the place while still conducting her furtive search for his "dark secrets." As her quest for dirt continues to fail and she only sees Ross' kindness, fairness, and humor, she begins to doubt her preconceived notions and slowly opens up to him. I loved Ross from the get-go, but Hannah was harder to like. She clung to her assumptions to the bitter end and even slept with Ross without telling him the truth. Her persistent lying is what kept this book from being a full 5 stars. Additionally, the ending is really dramatic and over the top which jarred with the slower pace of the rest of the book. Despite these quibbles, this is still an excellent read. Heath does a great job building a character-driven story and I appreciate how well she has her characters explain themselves. Even when they do stupid things, I still understand why, and that is awesome.

I look forward to my next book by Heath. I am so pumped she has several releases slotted for 2017.
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Karen
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2018
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The plot was rather obvious but still maintained reader interest. The ending , while happily ever after, strained credulity in view of the historical era. But, the book was well written and characters entertaining.
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Laurie
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but...
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is the first time I have felt a little uncomfortable with any of Heath's books. Normally her heroes are unfailingly respectful, and ALWAYS listen when the heroine says "no" or "stop"--even when it appears to him or to the reader that in fact she does not want him to stop--not so with this hero. Compared to other authors, the rapiness factor in this book was mild, but it was enough to put me off.
3 people found this helpful
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Lover of lovers
5.0 out of 5 stars Lover of lovers.
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2017
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Great fun. Lots of intrigue and action. Very entertaining. What a wonderful hero! Ross proves you can't judge a book by its cover.
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Julie
5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulously written historical romance!
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2016
Written with flair, assurance and sophistication, That Despicable Rogue is the spectacular debut novel from a gifted new writer of historical romance – Virginia Heath!

There is nobody in the world Lady Hannah Steers despises more than Ross Jameson. Hannah blames the guttersnipe, who had managed to infiltrate polite society with his charm, charisma and business acumen, for her feckless brother George’s suicide and for being the reason why the family had lost Barchester Hall, the stately home that has been in the her family for generations. Hannah had vowed to wreak revenge upon the man who had ruined her life and when she discovers that Ross is looking for a housekeeper for Barchester Hall, she realizes that she has finally found the perfect opportunity she has been looking for for years. By posing as a servant, Hannah can get close to the man and find evidence that can incriminate him and have him hanged for his misdemeanors and for wrongly claiming Barchester Hall. Hannah thinks that her plan is foolproof, however, she hadn’t counted on just how devastatingly handsome and charming Ross Jameson could be….

Ross Jameson hasn’t had the easiest starts in life. The son of a forger who grew up in abject poverty, Ross had vowed at a very young age to make something of himself. Having worked his fingers to the bone to become a successful businessman, Ross is now in a position to lead the life of a fashionable gentleman. Having found himself the owner of a grand country house like Barchester Hall, Ross thinks that the time has come for him to turn that dilapidated old wreck into a home and when the widowed Mrs Hannah Preston applies for the position, he thinks that he has found the perfect person for the job. However, Ross cannot help but be intrigued by his new housekeeper and he is convinced that there is more to her than meets the eye!

Having borrowed her aunt’s horn rimmed spectacles, forged some references and disguised her figure in shapeless brown dresses, Hannah is relieved when Ross offers her the job. Although Hannah had originally dismissed him as an uncouth and despicable rake with no values and morals, when she begins to spend time with him, she quickly realises that he is a kind, loyal and caring man whom she simply cannot stop thinking about…

Having been thrust into close proximity with a man who has been her enemy for years, Hannah never imagined that she would find herself falling head over heels in love with him! But is Ross really the villainous rogue responsible for her family’s downfall? Or will Hannah manage to uncover the real story behind the loss of Barchester Hall without jeopardising her burgeoning relationship with Ross?

Historical romance fans have got such a marvellous treat ahead of them with That Despicable Rogue. Poignant, hilarious and absolutely impossible to put down, That Despicable Rogue is a wonderful story of wrong impressions, scandalous secrets and red-hot sensuality that readers will find themselves unable to resist. Virginia Heath’s characters are wonderfully vivid and engaging. I absolutely adored plucky, resilient and strong Hannah and Ross Jameson will have readers reaching for the smelling salts with his brooding charm, wicked sense of humour and kind soul.

Witty, wickedly delicious and absolutely mesmerizing, fans of Tessa Dare and Amanda Quick are going to love Virginia Heath’s That Despicable Rogue!
7 people found this helpful
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Vickie Chapin
5.0 out of 5 stars That Dispicable
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2018
This was the best one of of her books I have read and I have said that about each one but this one can move you to tears such love for all the characters
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Jaqouia3
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, inventive, endearing.
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2017
"That Despicable Rogue" by Virginia Heath.
Funny, inventive, endearing.

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Buba
5.0 out of 5 stars Divertido e romântico
Reviewed in Brazil on September 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
Com um texto super agradável, personagens bem concebidos e uma trama ao mesmo tempo romântica e cheia de vivacidade That Despicable Rogue encanta o leitor desde o primeiro capítulo.
A trama é centrada nos charmosos personagens principais Ross e Hannah, a evolução de seu relacionamento ganha o palco principal mostrando o talento da autora como excepcional contadora de estórias. Contudo, a estrela do espetáculo é certamente o protagonista Ross. Tido como mulherengo e um homem de negócios a ser temido, Ross é um homem correto, honesto e principalmente solidário. É ele que sai do lugar comum, do clichê do herói “alpha male” e mostra sua grandeza moral e boas intenções nos momentos chave.
That Despicable Rogue é uma obra que com certeza irá agradar todos que procuram por um romance divertido, romântico e com ótimos personagens.
Este é meu segundo livro da autora e confesso que virei fã.
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Lizzie Canvin
5.0 out of 5 stars A clever, gritty love story. A must read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2016
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What a brilliant story, wonderfully told. I was completely carried along with these fantastic characters, Prim and Ross, who you can't help but fall in love with. I was rooting for them all the way through. A true love story.
One person found this helpful
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Clare H
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 16, 2016
Verified Purchase
This book was great, I loved it! The characters were very real and the storyline combined romance, intrigue and humour brilliantly - I will definitely be looking out for other books by this author.
One person found this helpful
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Belinda
5.0 out of 5 stars Really good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 4, 2016
Verified Purchase
Ross and Hannah are two strong characters. They both come to terms with their pasts and realize that they belong together. Ross is a lovable rogue and Hannah miss prim and proper. A good read.
One person found this helpful
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avidreader
4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
Very enjoyable story. Not a new plot - a woman posing as a housekeeper in order to find some incriminating evidence about a man who has, in her opinion, been the author of her current problems. However, this was told well, and for me the main attraction was that I liked both the main characters immediately. Ross, the hero of the story, is a self-made man who is kind and honourable, but allows the popular press to write what they will of him, having tried unsuccessfully to stem that tide when he was younger [a side-swipe by the author at today's popular press?] The heroine has been treated despicably by her brother, and she blames Ross for her brother's suicide. As they live under the same roof, they come to appreciate one another's qualities, while slowly falling in love, but raising barriers because neither of them think there is any future for them. Ross enjoys teasing Hannah with his attempted seduction scenes, and Hannah learns that there is more to this man than she realised. She makes monumental mistakes in her judgement of him, but she apologises when she knows she is in the wrong. The ending is very sweet.
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