Once Upon a Reckless Rogue took me by surprise. This is a rip-roaring adventure with plenty of banter and drama. Don’t let the cover fool you; it takes a while to get to that ballroom because much of the novel is spent on the road with our hero and heroine. They hit a few bumps along the way and a few of our hero’s choices didn’t quite work for me, but there’s passion, eventual camaraderie, and a healthy sense of respect between them.

British spy Captain Thomas Markham suffers torture and more at the hands of the French when he’s captured in Spain in 1817. He’s shocked to find himself being nursed back to health by the enemy. Elena Diaz isn’t exactly friendly, but she’s tried to staunch the bleeding after Thomas loses a finger, so she must have a reason for her kindness. 

Elena dislikes the English for killing her brother, Juan, and the French for threatening to burn her village down. She’s just as much of a captive as Thomas, but keeps treating him because she sees kindness in him. The French want him alive so they can torture information out of him, but when the opportunity to escape approaches, Elena brokers a daring escape by dressing Thomas up in her brother’s clothing.

It’s a long march through many miles as they work their way toward Elena’s mother’s village. Along the way they decide to marry, but the French aren’t going to let them get away that easily…

It’s a swashbuckler and has a lot of high points: a brave, tough, no-nonsense heroine, an action-packed story, real tenderness between our protagonists and a hero who’s true to his lady. But he spies on her while she’s changing which really bothered me. The connection between them is also very insta-love, which is amazing because of how the whole connection starts. Though they eventually have to learn to trust each other and seal the past behind them, this takes a bit.

I really liked Elena. I related to her bravery and hoped that she would succeed. She learned medicine at her father’s knee, where she learned how to treat the illness instead of the person. She is professional and tough, but also soft and romantic when she needs to be. They move through life as equals and the book does very well with that.

They move through life as equals and the book does very well with that. Thomas’s spying and insta love kept this one at a C, but it was still a solid little romance with some lush scenery and fun adventures.

Lisa Fernandes has been reviewing romance novels ever since her great aunt left a Billie Douglas book out in the bathroom. She’s currently working on a biography about Julian Sands.