How much does it cost to protect a past, a secret, and a mistake that can destroy everything? How to trust someone you seem to know for a lifetime, even though only a few days have passed? Can you fall in love in such a short time?
The story of Tavish and Elspeth is an exciting story about the past and the future. A story about destiny and love, in which myths, magic, and amazing characters are intertwined. It is short and really fast-paced. The complex story line, a little romance, engaging characters, and fantastic world building this is the perfect book for people who enjoy historical fantasy.
Their first meeting wasn't something they have planned. Attracted by the melody of her voice, as well as her narrative abilities, Tavish loses the ability to think soberly and reveals secrets that need to be buried deep. A storyteller and collector of stories, Elspeth is captivated by the handsome stranger who tells her the tale of the sword Lann Dhearg, which is alleged to be the twin of Dyrnwyn, the sword given to Gareth of King Arthur lore, but what steals her heart is the kiss they share and his promise to return. They share several amazing hours, the kiss that is engraved in their hearts, and hope for a future meeting before they say goodbye... Bit years go by, and nothing happens…Will that be the end of it all?
The title as well as the amazing cover immediately caught my attention, and although I am not a fan of this genre, I decided to give this book a chance, and believe me I did not regret it. I enjoyed every moment of this enchanting story, which is filled with twists and secrets. Both the hero and the heroine are simply amazing. She is a great storyteller, smart, sassy, and intelligent. He is the brave, dangerous as hell, and twice as hot devil that manages to capture her heart from the very beginning. I was not pleased with the ‘insta’ love and believe that such love deserves more detailed elaboration. It felt a bit far-fetched and odd, but I’m not complaining about their steamy moments, which were perfect.
Filled with magic that usually surrounds the legends of King Arthur and his famous knights, and an endearing love tale, this book is a nice getaway from everyday life.

I enjoyed this quick read. Elspeth is a great leading lady. She is strong, determined and intelligent.  Tavish is a good match for her. Loved the flow of the story!

Just....okay. The characters were all right, but I didn't ever truly buy the romance or the world. Good enough to finish, but nothing that stands out.

The legend of a rogue.
The title captivated me and I went with high hopes of enjoying this book. This book does not sit well with me personally because I couldn't keep up with the names and history. I felt overwhelmed.
I am sure somebody who is patient enough will find this book interesting.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are mine.

A fun historical romance.  It felt a little rushed at the end and the overall book felt shorter than usual.   However, it's exactly what I expected and I enjoyed it.

I have never read any of the books in the series but I do think that this was generally stand-alone which makes sense since it is a prequel to the series. It whet my appetite for this story as I'm curious what ends up happening in the future. This story follows Tavish and Elspeth. Elspeth is kind of a historian and writes down compelling and interesting stories. Tavish told her one a couple of years ago and then they lose touch. They meet again and she is drawn into his life when she helps him track down his sword, Lann Dhearg. There seems to be a bit of the paranormal aspect (a sword of fire!) and the story is relatively fast moving. I didn't really feel too many sparks between the characters (although there were areas of steam but it may be just a reflection of the fact that this is a novella so character development is more difficult.) That said, I feel like it's an interesting intro into the series as a whole. Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy.

Darcy Burke never fails to write an entertaining historical romance. 

Elspeth is known for her storytelling abilities. One afternoon a handsome stranger captures her interest with a thrilling tale about a mystical sword and then with a searing kiss. Two years later, she meets that handsome stranger again but the man she remembers is not the same man she meets. A mysterious sword is not the only tale spun all those years ago. 

The last thing Tavish expected was to run into the enchanting Elspeth again let alone that all his secrets would be in jeopardy when they meet again. He's never forgotten the lass who enchanted his mind and heart all those years ago. But he is on a mission to find his ancestral sword, most recently sited at the battle of Culloden, before nefarious forces threaten to take the sword and the woman who is now his heart.

The Legend of a Rogue was so entertaining. I loved the mysterious sword and its mystical history. I can always count on a good light-hearted historical romance from Darcy Burke. I was so not expecting such a fun mystery. I was thoroughly entertained. Plus, all the Die Hard references were an absolute delight! Loved it! I have not read the Legendary Rogues series and I fear that I must now. Darn my OCD ways. I guess mama's got a bunch of stuff to add to her Christmas list now.  =  )

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I liked this novella, but I feel like the story focused a little too much on the sword plot line and not enough on the romance. I definitely started skimming through the fight scene toward the end because of that. However, I liked Elspeth and Tavish together and I thought they had really good chemistry. At the end of the day, this definitely wasn’t my favorite Darcy Burke work, but it wasn’t bad either.

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

Elspeth Marshall is a story teller. She meets Tavish Crawford as she is telling a story one afternoon. He leaves and she thinks about him for the next two years. She is returning home with her aunt and stops for the night because of a snowstorm. There he is again. He is looking for the sword he lost at Culloden. It is a very special sword that has been in his family for many years. They realize they are in love. They go through a lot to regain the sword. A very interesting story.

A very fun prequel story to League if Rogues.

Elspeth Marshall is a spunky heroine out to gather data to write her stories on old legends when she runs into Roy Williams an enigmatic fellow, with whom she shares an impulsive kiss. Then he disappears from her life to run Into to her again after 2 years as John McLean. Beginning of an interesting relationship and story of a very special legendary sword. 

Not the usual Ms Burke regencies of handsome lords and ton heroines. 

This is a tale of some intrigue, mystery adventure and romance.

It’s a Novella snd definitely a fun read.

Darcy Burke is an author that I love but I had not read any books in this series. The Legend of a Rogue is a prequel to the legendary rogue series. I enjoyed Elspeth especially in that she is a storyteller and seeks out and records stories and legends. This is what leads her to Tavish who tells her the story of a mythical sword, that she determines is not so mythical. As a novella this is a nice quick read with a HEA. I look forward to reading the rest in the series and seeing how this novella ties in.

MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE READ THE SERIES FIRST?

When reading this novella I kend of felt like I was missing something. Though it totally works a stand alone novella, I still think I might have gotten more out of it, if I knew the rest of the series. Still, it was enjoyable and a fun way to spend a couple of hours. Historical fantasy is something that I actually really enjoy but don't really read a lot of, so it was nice to get it here.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Elspeth: Elspeth is a story teller and collector. I found that to be really interesting and original and I enjoyed it. I also really liked that it was this side of Elspeth that made Tavish attracted to her and made him want to get to know her.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Romance: I am a little sad to say this, but I didn't feel the romance or chemistry between Elspeth and Tavish. It just didn't leap of the page and I couldn't connect with them as a couple. I think it just happened too fast and without any real connection between them, aside from a kiss and a shared interest, to sell the romance to me.

The Legend of a Rogue
Novella prequel to the "Legendary Rogues" series
Rating: 3 stars
Thank you to the author/publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review.  All opinions are my own.

This was a very fun and entertaining read.  I enjoyed learning about the lore about the hidden treasures that are out there.  I have not read the other books in the series, but this one is a great start.  I loved how the author was influenced by Die Hard and Harry Potter ( she includes this in her author's note).
Elspeth and Tavish were very interesting characters.  Elspeth loved to tell other peoples story.  I liked how she just enjoyed listening to other people share their tales and then put them into writing.  Tavish had too many names at times I had a hard time keeping up. LOL

Good story!

This book was a lot of fun. 

Burke does a good job incorporating history into the story and a bit of mythology and fantasy. There was only one point in the story where the dialogue was cheesy/bad but overall it is a great read and (apparently) a set up for a series.

I loved this bewitching romance!

This enchanting story is filled with twists and secrets as it sets forth a story to rival the legends of King Arthur and his famous knights. Tavish is by necessity a man of mystery, but he can’t hide his attraction to the captivating Elspeth despite how much that complicates his ultimate quest.

I loved every bit of this breathtaking story as it took us from such beautifully romantic highs to nail-biting, painful lows until finally giving us the kind of victorious HEA that makes a legend truly memorable. I especially loved the “moral of the story” that they discover about the artifact that is the centerpiece of the quest.  

This story is a fine example of why this author is consistently at the top of my favorites list, and you don't want to miss is.  I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

***Historical Novella***

'The Legend Of A Rogue' is a historical novella set in the Scottish Highlands in the 1740s.

There is a certain air of mysticism and romance to this book that gave an ethereal quality to the narrative. The story centres around two main characters; Elspeth and Tavish. Tavish is an enigmatic fellow with a few different names, who is desperately searching for a missing legendary sword. Elspeth is a young woman who gathers stories and has a natural enquiring mind. These two people are strongly drawn to each other like kindred spirits, but are both trying to avoid sinister characters who are hot on their heels. 

This book had intrigue, drama, action, threats, romance, heat and love. I thought this was an entertaining and charming historical romance from Darcy Burke that I really enjoyed.

Elspeth Marshall was a storyteller. She collected all kinds of stories and legends and told them to anyone who wished to hear. She did not know there were two magical swords. She had only heard rumors about Dyrnwyn. The blue sword, Dyrnwyn., which was for good, and the red sword, Lann Dheary, the sword of evil. No one knew that he had the red sword, But he was a silly man, he took it with him when he went to fight at Culloden. He was injured and someone else had the sword.
Roy Williams is the first name he gave her after he listened to one of her stories. They spent some time together but he had to leave and the next time they saw each other it was two years later. She was very angry with him and he tried to explain. The attraction between them was great.
This was a different kind of story and I enjoyed it as she read to the children and let him read some of the stories, she has written down. The characters were fun and sweet. It was difficult to put the novel down and there was a goodly amount of action. It was exciting and it was nice to see some of the guests fight back at the inn. I highly recommend it.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Tavish Crawford, who goes by a number of other names, comes upon Elspeth Marshall as she tells stories about treasures and legends to children at a festival. They talk and find they both have an interest in a pair of legendary swords, swords with magical powers. When they meet two years later at the Balthazar Inn, they discover that one of the swords may be in a secret room of treasures known as the Chamber of Sorrows. They also learn they are not the only ones looking for it. This one is an adventure drama, action, lots of danger, a secret organization up to no good, and, of course, a happily ever after. Tavish and Elspeth are great characters and are perfect for each other. The big surprise is the secret they learn about the flaming sword.

I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Darcy Burke is a wonderful historical romance writer. This short novella is connected to another series she has written about myths and treasure hunting. I've only read a bit of the series, so I can say that this novella works well as a stand alone as well. 

The story is about a story collector, Elspeth Marshall, who meets a man Roy Williams one afternoon and becomes smitten. She doesn't see him again until two years later at Bathazar's Inn. It is eight months after The Battle of Culloden and they are both tracking a story of a flaming sword. 

This is an action packed story. I feel like there was too much and also not enough...which often happens with a short format. I'm looking forward to reading this entire series!

This book started out good and then 2 years  pass and both characters seem to have stayed the same. The whole mystery/hunt for the sword was the main story with added romance.

The last 30% percent were over the top and I skimmed most of it.

I received this ebook arc from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.