Reluctantly Rogue

Royals Gone Rogue, Book 2

By: Erin Nicolle

Narrated by: Jason Clarke, Melissa Moran

Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

A bodyguard, she's-off-limits, he falls first, secret relationship romance!

The gorgeous, brilliant woman I have dirty dreams about every damned night?
She's supposed to marry my best friend.
She's supposed to be queen someday.
She's off-limits.

But I can't walk away.
I'm supposed to protect her.
Maybe even be her friend.

I should not be lusting after her.
And I absolutely cannot fall in love with her.

But I can’t forget that one spontaneous, stolen kiss. I can’t stop taking care of her. I can’t stop wanting her secrets. I can’t get over her smiles, her laughter, her happiness. I can’t get over her.

So, while my head knows she can’t be mine, my heart doesn't care.

And if it comes down to choosing between her or... everything...I won’t have to think twice.

Reluctantly Rogue is Jonah and Linnea's story. It is book two in the steamy modern royal romance series Royals Gone Rogue. It is definitely best enjoyed after book one.

©2024 Erin Nicholas (P)2024 Erin Nicholas

Jonah........ daaannnngggg

OVERALL: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
•Storyline: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
▪︎Spice Level:  🌶🌶🌶/ 5
•Narration: 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 /5 -Duet style
•Swoon level: 🫠🫠🫠🫠/5
•Bookshelf Worthy: 📚📚📚/5
•Platform: Audio and E-book
•Recommend: Yes, I sure will
▪︎Re-read/re-listen: I think I will
•Trope: Bodyguard Romance, Forbidden, Forced Proximity, He falls first, and he falls hard.

• Thoughts:
I freaking LOVED Jonah!!!! My hell, his mouth, and his inner dialog. I am a puddle on the floor!! Linnea is a gem!! I love her character and how she is bold and not shy around Jonah. They developed a friendship, and that is just so Swoon worthy. I thought this couple was perfect. I adore Jonah and his thoughts of wanting to protect and give her experiences, not just the steamy geez, get your head out of the gutter..... but those were on fire!!!! ... you're welcome! Now go read the book. I will say. I would definitely recommend what the author is saying and read book 1 first. I did not. And it took me a min to fill in gaps and characters. Amd the timeline. I think reading the first book would have helped.

•Narrator Thoughts:
This is duet style, and it was perfection. Melissa Moran is a new to me narrator, and I loved her. She did a great job, and I will be looking forward to more books that feature her as the narrator. Jason Clarke and accents is all I have to say.... I think that sentence sums it up beautifully..... and if you read my review. Dirty talking, Jonah.... again, you're welcome. I recommend this audio and storyline!!

Brilliant forbidden romance in duet!

Reluctantly Rogue is book 2 in the Royals Gone Rogue series and I was so excited to get it! I have been eagerly awaiting Jonah and Linnea’s story since finishing Reluctantly Royal (which I listened to again to soak it all in). I’m all in for a forbidden bodyguard romance, but this story goes beyond with so much heart. I love all of the characters so much and I’m really looking forward to more stories in the series. Jonah is so honorable, intelligent, and smolderingly delicious! Linnea is an amazingly brilliant woman who is so strong and capable. The way each character finds their voice and comes to term with their feelings is steamy perfection! To top it all off, Cara is a beautiful place with so much potential. Each of the side characters is beautifully woven into the story with enough snippets to leave us wanting more and more and more!

Jason Clarke is my all-time favorite narrator, so I love that he was cast in this project for duet narration with Melissa Moran. They are both excellent performers and I loved every moment of this audiobook! Melissa captures Linnea’s personality so well and really brings her to life in full color. Excellent casting for this beautifully written forbidden love story. I loved this book and this series and I can’t wait for more!

Entertaining

Having read the first book in the series from Erin Nicolle I couldn’t wait to read Reluctantly Rogue. From the first chapter I was invested in the story that Ms. Nicolle wove about bodyguard Jonah and Linnea whom we met in the first book. Parts of this book run parallel to book one so I suggest you read that book first. 

These two could not be more different and yet as a couple they worked well together. The story was well paced, the characters engaging and there was a good balance of romance and humour and some angst.

The narration by Jason Clarke and Melissa Moran was spot on. They brought the characters and story to life for me. Their voices were easy to listen to and did justice to the story that Ms. Nicolle wove.

💖💖💖💖

Jonah and Linnea

This is Torin's best friend and head of security and the one he was suppose to marry. First the narrators did a good job. Especially Jonah's character the deep masculine voice and when he would do his dirty talking swoon. I enjoyed this story more than the first one. I felt bad for Linnea it seemed that people thought she was a pawn, first she's suppose to marry the oldest prince but he left, then she was told she had to marry Torin and she just was willing to go with it because that is what she was told her whole life. Then Torin told her to date and kinda pimped her out hoping she would fall in love and would marry Torin. The more time she spent with Jonah she realizes what she experienced every time he was around meant she was into him and Jonah has been infatuated with her for a while. I love how Linnea always told the truth and saw nothing wrong with sharing things that would make some blush. Also when she found her voice and let some people have it.

Royally addictive 😍

🎧 Just finished the *Royals Gone Rogue* audiobook and WOW! Jason Clarke nails Jonah's alpha charm, while Melissa Moran (new fave!) brings Lennea's sass to life. Their chemistry is 🔥🔥🔥! Perfect blend of emotion, steam, and royal drama. Highly recommend for your next listen! #AudiobookLove #RoyalsGoneRogue #BookReview #JasonClarke #MelissaMoran

Forbidden Love, Duty vs. Heart, worth the battle

Book 2 in the series it can be read alone however the timeline overlaps with book 1 and made me very happy to puzzle out how it all fit together.

Jonah and Linnea are so star crossed at the beginning of this. She's been betrothed/promised to someone since she was a child and groomed to be the future queen once wed to the crown prince. But no one ever asked her what she wanted.

Jonah knew he couldn't have her. But he wanted her, so he cared for her and that made me swoon. He wanted to help his best friend who didn't want to marry her, help her be happy and in love but not with him, he wasn't worthy... but he was exactly what she needed.

The battle between duty and heart, between love and loyalty was such a tightrope for these two. It was a great story and I look forward to seeing more of them in future books for this family.

The audiobook was narrated in Duet style by Melissa Moran & Jason Clarke. They both did an amazing job with this one. Melissa is a new to me narrator and I loved the richness in her performance. I could really feel her emotional battle for self freedom. To follow her heart and be a little selfish over her happiness. Jason voiced the previous book of the series so that continuity of voice for Jonah and Torren was delicious for the ears (Irish accented Jason is always a treat). I love the way he brought out Jonah's protectiveness and the internal battle for wanting her, self awareness to try and not because he didn't feel worthy of her. I just wanted to hug him at times because he was so selfless giving up his potential for happiness...

I requested and was provided with an advanced copy of the audiobook. These are my honest opinions.

so good

by: Jason Clarke & Melissa Moran
Jonah is the bodyguard and bestfriend to Torin who is a Prince and engage to Linnea but he doesnt have romantic feelings and Jonah has an attration toward her.
Linnea has been raised and train to be a Queen because of linnea and Torin grandfather bet but its more than that as you will find out when you read the book. Linnea has feelings for Jonah she a Vírgín so everyone has been controlling her life since she was little and Torin wants her to fall in love and he come up with a plan. she going to date to fall in love.
Jonah isnt really happy about it, and he has to tag along the date until both realize they want to be together but they have to keep it a secret until Torin look for the woman he love and marry her and for his grandfather to love as well. there a lot of back and forth to book one which I didnt like but I understand why she has to to bring it up.
in the end Torin grandfathef wanted Linnea to marry in the family but she had enough and blur out she in love with Jonah so it open for Book 3 which Im excited for.

Bodyguard romance

Reluctantly Rogue is the second book in the Royals Gone Rogue series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Jonah and Linnea’s story takes place before and during Torin and Abigail’s story (Reluctantly Royal).

This is a bodyguard, forbidden, royal romance. Jonah wasn’t exactly Linnea’s bodyguard, but as she was slated to be the future queen of Cara, he had to protect her as well. At least, that was his excuse for always watching out for her.

The mutual pining and the friendship between these two was great! I loved that Jonah truly saw Linnea for who she was, and he helped her get more confidence in standing up for herself. (And he also taught her a lot with his…spicy lessons.)

This was a great addition to the series, and I can’t wait for the next book.

Audio:
Narrators: Jason Clarke and Melissa Moran
Narration Style: Duet

Jason Clarke’s voice is perfect for the slight broody bodyguard, Jonah. And his other “voices” for different characters were great as well. Melissa Moran did an excellent job bringing the slightly naive, but very kind and sweet Linnea to life.

The duet narration is fabulous and fun!

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 4/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) Lots of details and I bump up for public places.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 The duet narration is fabulous and fun! Jason Clarke is perfect for the protective and so very dirty talking Jonah. Melissa Moran gives a perfect performance of both sides of Linnea—strong and sophisticated but also flirty and playful.
🤩 MCs to love and adore: Jonah Greene is Prince Torin’s bodyguard and best friend. Linnea Olsen (princess in the making) is the woman in an arranged marriage with Prince Torin.
🤩 No worries—not a love triangle.
🤩 These tropes: bodyguard, princess (promised to be), forbidden romance, forced proximity, & “Can I practice with you?” (teach me)!!
🤩 “Ironing naked shouldn’t be hazardous.” This sentence & fun meet-cute.
🤩 The birthday cookies.
🤩 That first kiss! Her first EVER kiss!! I love how they both keep thinking about it. I’m so glad we get the flashback to experience it—so hot and wonderfully written.
🤩 When Noah tells her what dresses (and shoes and hair) to wear on her dates!
🤩 Her first everything—virgin FMC. And she’s so ready to experiment!
🤩 Linnea & Jonah are just so cute and hot and beautifully intimate.
🤩 Sneaking around the palace.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I would have liked the Iris chapters to be Jonah chapters with him chatting to Iris and the other bodyguards. It was a little confusing, especially on audiobook.
💫 The end felt a little underwhelming to me. I wish it was focused more on our MCs instead of trying to connect to the other books in the series.

Loved it!

Reluctantly Rogue is a forbidden royal, bodyguard romance. We got to see part of Linnea and Jonah’s romance in the first book of the series and it was great to go back and see how it all started. I loved that these too developed a friendship with each other that turned into much more. I loved seeing the tension between them as they tried to resist each other until they just couldn’t. These two had an undeniable chemistry and I loved every moment of their romance.

Melissa Moran and Jason Clarke narrate this book in duet. They did an amazing job at showcasing the emotions and passion between their characters. I loved hearing these two bring to life Linnea and Jonah.