Angel Rogue: Revised Edition

When I first read this book, it was not my favorite in the Fallen Angel series - I liked Michael's story best. However, this book is one I keep coming back to and enjoy reading over again, which I did recently - hence the review.

I agree with several other reviewers that the strength of this book is in the depth and development of the characters and their relationships. I especially enjoyed that between Robin and his brother Giles and the romance between Giles and Desdemona!

It is refreshing to have characters with doubts and flaws and watch them deal with them; it is refreshing to have a very different heroine and watch her reaction to a "familiar" (to regency era fans) environment. Meeting characters from the other books once Robin and Maxie get to London, added greatly to my enjoyment.

The plot line is not as action filled as the other books in this series, nor do outside events bring historical interest - so if that is what you seek in an "historcial", this book might disappoint.

I do agree with another reviewer that the title is wrong - I always thought this book should have been titled "Listen to the Wind".

I have never read a MJP book that wasn't simply wonderful. Even her contemporaries (which I don't really care for) deserve five stars. Angel Rogue is no exception, it is an unusual, beautiful love story that will leave you sighing long after you turned the last page.
Lord Robert Andreville (Robin) has returned to England after a dozen years of spying for the British crown in the fight agaisnt Napoleon. He is weary in mind and spirit and tortured by memories of the past when he meets Maxima Collins. Maxie is an American with an unique heritage: she's half Mohawk and half English and she has come to England with her father who died shortly afterward. Maxie feels all alone in the world, she feels like an alien among her aristocratic English family. She also has reason to suspect foul play in her father's sudden death. So she decides to leave the country manor where she was staying with her uncle and travel to London masquerading as a boy to learn what she can about her father's last hours. She meets Robin on the way by literally falling over him. He is immediately taken by her exotic looks and unconventional ways. He decides to appoint himself her guardian and together they embark on a perilous journey during which Maxie teaches Robin to trust and let go of the past while falling irrevocably in love with him.
Maxie is a delightful heroine, she is strong,intelligent and independent. No chin lifting, blushing, simpering heroines for MJP. She creates characters that are real, with credible issues and feelings that the reader can relate to. Robin is adorable and
even though he's extremely drool-worthy I found it interesting that he's of average height. I had never before read about a hero in a romance novel that was less than a six footer so this was a refreshing change and made him seem more real to me.
In short, this a great book and certainly another winner in MJP's long list of excellent romances. :)

I don't normally rave about romance novels. I enjoy them enough to buy them and pass them on. This is one of the only ones that I kept. It is so wonderful! It is a refreshingly new twist on a worn out genre.
First, the hero and heroine are absolutely wonderful and the side romance adds a nice contrast and comparison. Contrary to what Ms. Pecone (another reviewer) said, neither romance is love at first sight. It is interest sparked by meeting an intriguing new person that grows into attraction and finally love. For once we have a romance that isn't raw, animal passion masquerading as love at first sight.
Second, I was also slightly annoyed by the constant mention of Robin's slight stature, but this was due to the repetition of that fact. I found it nice to have a hero that wasn't all big and brawny and overbearing.
Third, I liked Robin's character. He had a rather dark past and a bit of a broken heart, but he didn't let this drag himself and those around him down. It wasn't an excuse for him to be a jerk. Instead, his constant wandering, quietness, and willingness to join up with Maxie indicated a man who was sad and a little lost, but trying to recover and overcome. He was trying to find himself rather than wallow in his own muck. This is someone you can sympathize with as a human being with a human life.
Fourth, Maxie's character was another refreshing change. Females in these romances are either passive and submissive or annoyingly spunky past the point of good sense who battle the men at every step. Maxie is a little bit hotheaded, but this is tempered with intelligence and ability. She made some foolish decisions, but this made her human, without her making so many that she was just stupid. She is independent, so she doesn't want Robin's help, but they didn't become antagonists, which is too often used as a plot device to bring the raw, animal passion about. In fact, they settle down and enjoy each other's company and work together. (By the way Ms. Pecone, Robin did try to get Maxie to take a safer route, she would not be deterred.) Finally! I got sick of the opposite happening in most romances. I'm not going to go over the Indian issue Ms. Pecone started that so many others have addressed already.
Finally, I am one of those people who finds bad grammar akin to nails on a chalkboard, but Ms. Putney's writing did not drive me off. I don't know where Ms. King learned her grammar, but there is a difference between bad grammar and informal grammar. This is a work of fiction, not an essay or research paper. The only real problem was in her last example. Ms. King seems more to be one of those people who looks for problems rather than relaxing to enjoy the ride.
This is too wonderful a book to let anyone dissuade you from reading it. It's good for the jaded romance reader, the novice romance reader, even someone who doesn't normally read romance. Don't let this book pass you by, this is too good to miss!

I don't know how I had not discovered this author sooner. I have been reading romance novels for about 3 years now and never before had I read a book by Mary Jo Putney. The first one I read "Dearly Beloved", was so beautiful that I went back for more, and after reading "One Perfect Rose" which is part of the Fallen Angels series, I was hooked. I knew I had to read the whole series, and so far none of the books I have read have dissapointed me.

In the case of this book, I have not yet read "Petals in the Storm", so I did not have any background knowledge about Lord Robert Andreville, but he is a fascinating character. His dazzling personality was so well portrayed that it leaps from the pages and you feel like you know him. I loved his sense of humor, his charm, his varied and amusing talents, the fact that under all that fancy facade there was a core of steel. Maxima was an exceptional heroine too, even though I can't really say that I feel a strong conection with her (I would never even dream of embarking on a trip of over 200 miles on foot, on a strange land and with almost no money) But that is what makes her extraordinary besides, she is also very kind, courageous and intelligent and those are qualities I admire.

The only thing that I found that was a little unbelievable and incomprehensible is the fact that Robin would embark on this trip with her with no money, and no provisions whatsoever. That he felt the need to accompany her, I can understand, but why didn't he make a small detour to the house first to fetch money, and two horses or a carriage to make the trip more confortable? I know he is an adventurer and an excentric, but my practical and comfort-liking mind just rebelled at the thought that someone would deliberately choose the hard path when there was an easier and more efficient way to accomplish things. I guess I'm not very adventuresome.

I connected more with Robert's brother Giles (which doesn't mean that I liked him better than Robin, just that I find his personality easier to relate to) He and Maxima's aunt Desdemona are great secondary characters. I wish they had gotten their own novel instead of just being a sub plot of this one. But their story definitely enriched this book.

All in all, I think this book is excellent. I would recommend this and all the books in this series to anyone who likes a well written story, with strong lovable characters and a mix of passion and adventure to make it all more interesting.

This is my favorite book of Mary Jo Putney's. And that is saying a lot, because she is one of the few authors whose heroes are not 90% spoiled brats. (Well, Rafe is rather spoiled and selfish, but he is only in a few pages)
Yes, Robin is a tormented hero, but his pain is not self-inflicted. And he does not use his pain as an excuse to hurt others like so many other "heroes". At the end of "Petals" (the prequel), I was a little mad at Margot for choosing Rafe (who WAS a "tormented hero" who brought his own pain on himself, and inflicted it on the entire world) but I am glad she did, because Maxie deserves Robin. And Robin deserves Maxie.
How wonderful to see a romance where Hero/Heroine do not spend 225 pages of 250 spewing their bile at each other, when they are not engaging in back-breaking sex. And how wonderful to have a hero who is not a rapist/abuser/male slut who spends 225 pages treating the heroine as a punching bag, then magically reforming in the last chapter. These two people are wary but treat each other with respect.

I've enjoyed all of Mary Jo Putney's books, especially the Fallen Angel series, and Angel Rogue is a personal favorite. I can identify with both hero and heroine, something that one can rarely count on in romance novels. To the reviewer below, I must protest the complaints that Maxima and Robin are "unrealistic." Though Maxie wasn't raised as an Indian, she was not cut off from them, and she spent a fair amount of time among them... and obviously she identified with them strongly, easily accounting for her skill in archery and her interest in and knowledge of their customs. As for Robin, he was painted from the beginning of the books as a creature of whimsy--he warned his brother that if he vanished, it would just mean that he had taken off with some passing gypsies. How is it a stretch to assume that, if Maxie showed no signs of being dissuaded from walking to London, he would decide to go with her? Furthermore, one doesn't have to be big and powerful to be an effective fighter; agility can count for as much as, if not more than, sheer strength. I personally don't like romance heroes to be huge and hulking. Well, it's a matter of taste, I suppose. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed Angel Rogue (despite its rather saccharine title). Robin, with his mixture of elegant whimsy and inner darkness, is one of my all-time favorite heroes, and likewise tough, sensible Maxie is one of my favorite heroines. This book isn't for those who prefer their heroes dark and menacing and their heroines sweet and gentle, but it is an excellent read.

This author has a small problem with writing in English, i.e. basic grammar and syntax (and I mean real basic). Obviously, this means little to her multitude of fans, but if you agree this sort of unskilled writing defeats the purpose of reading as surely as wrong notes defeat the purpose of a symphony, be warned! Whether one likes a story and its characters is subjective, but there are rules governing the construction of sentences, and I think an author's failing in this area is akin to a bricklayer not being able to use a trowel.
I've read the first 50 pages of this book, and I want my money back. I'm not upset over a few sloppy sentences or a bit of confusing syntax here and there. I'm not referring to one or two paragraphs containing disparate or extraneous sentences. I'm talking about almost every sentence and almost every paragraph. May I share a few random examples?
"Expression unconvinced, Giles changed..." [Have you ever tried to convince an expression of anything? But then the expressions in this book do a lot of things. Read on.]
"Voice dangerously soft, Maxie said...." [Since it takes Ms. Putney two paragraphs to describe a walk down the hall, and another for raising a hand to knock on a door, and yet another while the hero contemplates standing vice sitting, I can't figure out why she tosses out necessary pronouns and adjectives.]
"She shoved all but one of the arrows point-first into the earth near her right hand, then nocked the remaining shaft." [The imagery here is priceless. Is she trying to tell us poor Maxie's right arm is closer to the ground than the left? Also, this made me wonder what would happen if Maxie tried to put the arrows in the other way around. Point first! Clever girl, Maxie. But then, what can you expect from a heroine named after a feminine hygene product?]
"Her expression, however, had returned to its normal determination after two months of drifting." [Where did it drift to? The Himalayas? Are drifting expressions painful?]
You get my drift? Every page is filled to overflowing with this sort of writing. I wish publishers would take note and stamp these books with a disclaimer, "Warning! Published Before Editing!"

This was a wonderful story that has some very touching moments. I agree with the other reviews. It is very nice to read about a tormented hero who does not inflict his misery on others, or wallow in his own self pity.
It is such a refreshing change to read about two people who help each other overcome their dark past. The hero needs to come to terms with his dark memories of spying for England during the war with France. The heroine is mourning the loss of her father.
Mary Jo Putney has created a very touching story, that has a combination of humor and some serious emotional scenes. This is the first book i've ever read by this author. I am now starting on Shattered Rainbows which i've heard is just as good.

While not technically one of Mary Jo Putney's Fallen Angels, Lord Robert Andreville played a pivotal role in Petals in the Storm; he was that heroine's former lover and fellow spy. Now that the war is finally over, Robin has come home to England a man on the brink, exhausted physically, emotionally, and psychically from his twelve years as a British spy in war-torn Europe. His brother Giles has inherited the marquisate and while Robin is given a warm welcome, he is at loose ends - what is a weary ex-spy to do with his life?

While napping under a tree in the woods after a good tramp, Robin is awakened when a woman dressed as a boy literally trips over him. Maxie Collins is the daughter of an Englishman and a Mohawk woman. She and her father are visiting family and she is staying with her uncle in the north of England when her father suddenly dies while on business in London. A few months later she overhears her uncle imply that her father's death was not an accident, and there is talk of a legacy. Was her father murdered? Was her uncle involved? Looking for answers and not certain of her own safety anymore, she leaves to walk to London to her bluestocking widowed aunt, with whom she has corresponded. Once she finds some answers to the many questions about her father and uncle, she plans to return to Boston. She is three days into her journey when she trips over Robin.

Robin is fascinated. Maxie is obviously self-reliant, intelligent, and independent - not to mention beautiful - and her notion to walk to London surprises and delights him. Robin has finally found something of interest to do - he will walk with Maxie to London, whether she wants him to or not. She thinks that Robin is a charming, feckless, unemployed rogue with the face of an angel, but she cannot shake him. When she realizes that he is serious about walking the 250 miles with her, she decides that perhaps it's nice to have some company after all. And even as Robin jokes with her, she senses his underlying shadows.

Mary Jo Putney has stated that Robin is her favorite hero, and I agree with her - I fell for him the moment I met him in Petals in the Storm. Robin is the best kind of tortured hero - one who doesn't wear his grief on his sleeve or impose it upon others, either with sulkiness or anger. He has always been a charming, vivacious and spirited man, but those close to him - his brother, his ex-lover, and now Maxie - can see that there is an underlying melancholy beneath his hail-fellow-well-met façade. He has suffered torture and relives his physical and emotional pains in nightmares. But being with Maxie pulls him out of himself. Her corresponding spirit, coupled with her calm serenity soothes him and captivates him.

While Robin is definitely the main draw of the book for me, Maxie is a strong presence as well. She has that American spunk and lack of reverence for the English nobility coupled with a centeredness and grounding from her mother's people, though she has never been fully accepted by or comfortable in either world. Robin's easy acceptance, companionship, and humor ensure that they become good friends very quickly. However, when an affectionate embrace after a close escape becomes a searing kiss, things change. But they are grownups and talk things through, acknowledging their passion, and indulging it from time to time, without letting it get out of control. Maxie is on a quest, she needs answers, and she needs a friend, not a lover, though it is only a matter of time before she has both.

There is a lovely and fun secondary romance between Robin's country gentleman brother Giles and Maxie's young fire-breathing reformer aunt Desdemona. Both are looking for the runaways and often cross paths, rubbing each other the wrong way - and then the right way. I enjoyed this romance every bit as much as Robin and Maxie's.

Angel Rogue is the perfect road romance with an incredibly appealing hero, a confident heroine, an expanded secondary romance, lots of sexual tension and a moving, emotion-packed denouement. What's not to love? (Psssst...it's just been reissued by Signet.)

The Fallen Angel Series (in order):

Thunder and Roses
Petals in the Storm
Dancing on the Wind
Angel Rogue
Shattered Rainbows
River of Fire
One Perfect Rose

I will read any book published with Mary Jo Putney's name on it. She has a gift for developing very special characters and for making strong characters interdependent in a most unique and positive way. I look forward to her next publication.