A Rogue by Any Other Name: The First Rule of Scoundrels: 1 Mass Market Paperback – 28 Feb. 2012

Ten years ago, Michael Lawler, Marquess of Bourne, was left with nothing to his name except his title. Now a partner in London's most notorious gaming hell, Michael is a cold and ruthless man who will stop at nothing to get his revenge - even marrying Lady Penelope Marbury - his childhood friend for her dowry.Penelope was put firmly on the shelf when she was jilted and left for fortune hunters. She is determined to find adventure, passion and love. Luckily for her, Penelope dreams of finding all these things with her new husband, even if he's no longer the fun loving man she remembers.Bourne is determined to spare Penelope from the hard and unsavoury man he has become but he has no power to fight against the love that she will offer if he takes the greatest risk of all.--Sarah MacLean has been an auto buy for me ever since I read the wonderful Nine Rules... This story doesn't quite reach the same heights but I still loved it and definitely feel it's deserving of 5 stars.Michael is my favourite kind of hero - tortured, full of angst and feels undeserving of, while really in need of, the love of a good woman. I also just adored Penelope. She appeared briefly in Eleven Scandals... but this book starts a new series (the Rules of Scoundrels Quartet) so there's no need to have read any books to understand and enjoy this one. Penelope was feisty and fun while also being quite vulnerable and naive at times. She was someone that I really rooted for from beginning to end.The relationship between Michael and Penelope was filled with chemistry and passion. The letters that started off each chapter were a lovely addition and really built on the pair's past relationship. It was also easy to see the pair growing and falling in love which was a treat to read and kept me turning the pages at all hours.I'm looking forward to the other stories in the series and would recommend this book to you if you like a fun and interesting romance with great characters and good storytelling. 5 stars.

This book was a delightful treat, the type of book you want to curl up with as you a transported away. There’s a richness to this story that was unexpected, and which ensured I was engrossed.In this story MacLean gives us Michael, Marquees of Bourne, who in a night of gambling and betrayal at the age of 21 lost all, and gained a deep thirst for revenge and a drive to gain back all that he had lost. Then there is strong and intelligent Lady Penelope Marbury, Michael’s childhood friend but also someone he uses in his driving need for revenge. Watching the conflict and tension in Michael as his desire for Penelope and all she promised clashed with his longing for revenge was overall riveting, MacLean knows how to draw the reader in.This is an interesting book, written well, with MacLean taking the bones of a story we have seen before and creating a story with depth, and which has you rooting for Michael and Penelope, individually and as a couple.Looking forward to reading the second book in the series.

Sarah Maclean managed to impress me for numerous reasons, but first and foremost because she convinces her reader from the first page onwards that she is a very gifted writer and story-teller with a distinct voice. Secondly, I find her approach to historical romance refreshing in its originality and charming wit. Maclean's characters are strong and bold and full of edges. They truly fly off the page. Her narrative is rich and her plot is always well-paced. I cannot think of another voice in historical romance that I have enjoyed reading as much in the past five years or so. Don't miss out on this novel or on any other novel by Sarah Maclean!

Good quality characters,well written. Entertaining a bit slushy but likable characters. Needed a bit more starch to give the story a solid hero.

I loved this story... the romance between Michael and Penelope was great I didn't want to put it down....I do love this author and I always look out for her books..... but like most American authors they always seem to get the money for the period that they write about so wrong it was already mentioned that £35 was more money than some would see in their lifetime then starts talking in Hundreds of Thousands of pounds which in this day is huge amount of money it must have been in the millions in that period so please do a bit more research in to the money side of the period as well as all the rest please it's most off putting for your British readers

I enjoyed this book, the first in a series of four. I felt for Penelope the heroine in the story, who had been 'jilted' in her first season resulting in her 2 older sisters not making notable matches, and herself struggling to find someone she could settle down with. With her two younger sisters due to make their debut their mother was pushing her to marry, but she was reluctant to do so. Penny's dowry had been increased to include property which had belonged to her old male friend (Michael) who had lost everything including this property in a wager when he was a young man.. Since that time Michael had become hardened and a part owner in a 'gaming hell' all be it a high class establishment. He compromised Penny so that they had to marry and then planned his revenge on the man he lost his property to, he then planned on setting Penny 'free' but he hadn't planned on Penny being a strong and formidable female who 'shook' her husband up and 'thwarted' all his plans, heedless to say they gained their H.E.AI would thoroughly recommend this book.