Rogue Desire

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Title: Rogue Desire
Author: Adriana Anders, Dakota Gray, Amy Jo Cousins, Emma Barry, Stacey Agdern, Jane Lee Blair, Tamsen Parker, Ainsley Booth  
Publication date: 07/20/2017
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

I think by now you all know that I’m a huge Adriana Anders fan. I reviewed and LOVED Under Her Skin, and the author is a repeat offender on our weekly “best of” lists. So, at this point, I’ll pretty much read anything that has her name on without bothering to look at a blurb or cover. That’s what I did with this book, so imagine my surprise when I find out it’s not a standalone Adriana Anders book, but rather an anthology featuring a ton of other authors (some I’ve read before, some I haven’t). ​

It was like winning the book lottery! I love anthologies. They’re the quickest way I know to try out a bunch of new authors and see who might become your next favorite. I’m happy to say this anthology didn’t disappoint.

​I’ll admit, though...I was a tiny bit skeptical when I read the blurbs. My husband was a West Wing FANATIC. He once suggested that we install a special TV in our living room that descended from the ceiling and played nothing but West Wing 24/7. (Crusher of hopes and dreams that I am, I nixed the idea. But I digress...) So, needless to say, I’ve seen every episode of the show a couple of times. I thought it was a great show, but I never LOVED it as much as my husband did. So, when I read that this was a romance anthology with a political/pseudo-West Wing vibe to it, I pouted a little. Would I get the big, strong, scarred alphas I so enjoy reading about in my favorite romance novels?

Well, I didn’t really get those kinds of alphas, but the book was full of great short, sexy reads nonetheless.

True to form, my fav author in this anthology didn’t take the easy route with her story. I loved that she wrote about a blind, hermit, virgin hero who moonlights as an online political activist. And despite the short length of the story, I felt like Zach and Veronica’s relationship went beyond instalove and that those two crazy kids actually had a happily ever after in their not-too-distant future.

The other stories were great, too, and I’ve now found several authors I plan to add to my cyber stalking list. But the thing that really surprised me the most was the diversity in this anthology. This is a REALLY diverse list of authors. There’s super sweet and sexy romance (Anders), there’s hot and dirty-talking romance bordering on erotica (Gray), there’s a steamy M/M romance (Cousins) and even a second-chance romance with a pastor (Blair). All in all, I’d say there’s at least a couple stories in this anthology every type of romance reader will enjoy.

Now, I will say that if you tend to get political and can’t handle someone cracking on your chosen political party, you might want to steer clear of this one. I won’t give anything away, but let’s just say that even if you’re only half paying attention as you read, you won’t have any trouble discerning the authors’ chosen political affiliations. Ahem.

That said, I highly recommend this to fans of smart, political romances and anthologies that just might help you find your next favorite author.

Full disclosure: We received an ARC from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review.  

Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
Crushes it! This one is clean and sober. No rehab needed.  

Other reading suggestions
I got nothin’, I’m afraid. I can’t say that I’ve read too many other political/activist romances. But I do highly recommend the entire Adriana Anders backlist.

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