Synopsis
The Garde values four ideals: The Truth we twist. The Beauty we flaunt. The Freedom we grant. The Power we take.
I believed their lies until Lacey O’Shea.
She’s the only daughter of the Garde’s leading family, and she was meant to be mine. But her father stole her from me to sell to another.
So I stole her back.
But there’s more to the conspiracy that kept us apart, and we have to keep our relationship secret from her former fiancé, the Baron, to find the truth.
He wants to lock her away, but she’s a bird desperate to flee her gilded cage.
I’ll fight the Baron, the Garde, and the whole damn world to free her.Goodreads
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Review
Rouge by Greer Rivers was a fantastic dark romance. If you’ve seen Moulin Rouge, you are a little familiar with the story, and I loved all the easter eggs in this book.
While this is a loose retelling of Moulin Rouge, this book adds many more layers. The mafia and secret society elements add layers to the star-crossed lovers tale. We get a morally grey hero that we can easily route for in Kian and a fierce heroine in Lacey. I love that this book also touched on mental health and alcoholism issues. While it wasn’t always easy to read, Lacey’s captivity felt much more honest with those elements.
Lacy and Kian’s chemistry was fantastic. From their first interaction, sparks flew! We don’t need to wait too long for the steam either. Something else I appreciated about Rouge. And as their relationship grew, I loved them even more.
The Baron is a villain you will love to hate. And his villainy makes it even easier to root for Kian and Lacey. I enjoyed the mystery element and how it played into Kian and Lacy’s story and the bigger organization.
I cannot wait to read more of this series!
