Game of Rogues by Julie Anne Long: Book Review

I really don’t know what I expected when I decided to read this book. I can’t even tell you why, exactly, I decided to do it. It was recommended enough times, I suppose, and considering I really loved What I Did for A Duke, I thought it might be a good thing to read another Julie Anne Long.

The thing is, I believed this book was released ages ago, that’s how many times I’ve seen it recommended. Turns out, it’s only been out for a few months, and now, after reading it, I definitely understand why people talk about it so much.

Verdict: This is one of the most beautiful romance books I have ever read. It left me choked up, happy, tearful, and unable to read anything else for a while. Game of Rogues has two brilliant leads who banter like nobody’s business and fall in love so slowly, so deeply that it takes your breath away. Just read it, you won’t regret it!

What is this book about?

Guinevere — or Ginny, for short — has raised her younger brother and sister ever since her parents died eight years ago. Now, her younger brother became an earl, and to celebrate, it seems he’s gambled away all the family money (and the dowries they need). So, Ginny takes off to London to the nefarious Lucifer’s Fall, a gaming club, to confront its owner, Gabriel Marchand and get him to give up the name of whoever took the money from her brother. 

But Gabriel Marchand has worked hard for everything he has, and he’s not so easy to manipulate. He makes a proposition he knows will make Ginny go away, and both believe they’ll never see each other again. 

However, fate has other plans. While Ginny is staying at the Grand Palace on The Thames, she’s joined by none other than Mr. Marchand, whose house is getting roofed, and he needs somewhere to sleep. So, forced into tight quarters together, they end up having to work with each other to save Ginny’s family while not ruining either her or his reputation. 

Game of Rogues Review

I always have trouble talking about the books I love quite this much. The words won’t come and won’t form coherent sentences. I wish I could just press all of my feelings into text and have them convince you of this book’s worth, but unfortunately, that’s not possible, so I’ll just do my best and hope it’s not incoherent, yeah? Yeah. Let’s go. 

The book opens with our two main characters meeting. And from the moment they meet, the banter is sublime. I love intelligent characters, I love competent characters, and these two are that and more. When they speak to each other, it’s like they’re having multiple conversations at once, that’s how nuanced the dialogue is. 

Ginny is the eldest sister, the mother to her three siblings and she has so much weight on her shoulders, though she’s relatively young. Gabriel is older, a jaded man who’s worked hard for all he has and he’s not so willing to let Ginny ruin it by embarrassing his clients. 

They’re also almost immediately fascinated by the other, not so much because of looks (though that plays into it) but because of the intelligence both display. And Gabriel is the kind of hero you rarely encounter.

He is kind, protective without being restrictive, polite and concerned with Ginny’s reputation to a fault. But he does have that dark, dangerous persona he keeps up for the world. And it’s not just a persona either — he’s actively a dangerous man if provoked, which he shows on the page. 

Watching him fall in love slowly with Ginny is delicious, because he doesn’t want to, and yet he can’t help it. She’s exactly his match in most things, and they grow to understand one another more than anyone probably does. 

And I simply adore books where one of the characters feels they can’t be themselves anywhere, but then they meet that one person whose opinion they don’t care about, so they act as the absolute truest version of themselves. This is what happens for Ginny, and I loved watching her finally get some respite from her difficult life. 

This isn’t an easy romance. Gabriel has a past, and he’s well below Ginny’s station in life so marrying him or even being seen with him could ruin her life. Her family and friends would shun her and she’d never be accepted in society again. 

And those circumstances never change, a magical solution doesn’t present itself. Rather, Gabriel and Ginny have to choose each other and do the hard work to get their happy ending.

“I am who I am, and you are who you are. I will give you the whole goddamn world. But I can’t change who I am.” 

There isn’t one momentous moment where they realize they’re in love. It’s more layers and layers of conversations and looks and actions that build up to what is truly heart-wrenching love that consumes them both.

Game of Rogues has one of the best love confession scenes I’ve ever read. It’s so tender and charming (especially because they know their circumstances) and so worth the wait. Plus, I love how the men in Julie Anne Long’s novels (at least ones I’ve read so far) aren’t pushy, they don’t force the heroine to accept them or grovel incessantly (though there’s nothing to grovel for in this one, Gabriel is more of a hero and does literally nothing wrong). Instead, what I found is that this author lets the heroine choose the hero without his input. It’s lovely and so heartwarming when they finally do. 

Bottom Line

Game of Rogues is my hall-of-fame favorite romance book, right up there with Black Silk or You Deserve Each Other. It made me feel so many things and it made me laugh, and what more can you ask of a story. I highly recommend it if you like slow burn romances with fantastic heroes who’d do anything for their love interest but aren’t manipulative or restrictive in any way. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

If you liked Game of Rogues try…

From what I hear, the entire Palace of Rogues series is great, so maybe give it a shot. I’ve heard great things about After Dark With The Duke by Julie Anne Long, and though I haven’t tried it, I definitely will. Other than that, you can try reading:

• What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long has very similar vibes, though a faster burn, and perhaps a hero that’s a little more manipulative in nature. 
• If you’re looking for a fantasy romance with similar-ish vibes, I would say The Starling House by Alix E. Harrow definitely has them. The heroine has been taking care of everything since forever and she finally meets someone willing to take care of her. 
• If you would like a contemporary book with something similar, I’d recommend Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood just because you get that age gap dynamic and a man determined to do best by his love, even if it hurts him. 
• I also feel like This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan has similar vibes. There’s financial ruin, a competent man wanting to help, and a woman who just wants some peace. Great friendship in this too!
• At First Spite by Olivia Dade has a man similarly very much in love and determined to do best by his love interest, though you may find her slightly annoying (?)