The Varlet and the Voyeur (Rugby, #4) by L.H. Cosway, Penny Reid Series: Rugby #4
Published by Cipher-Naught on June 12, 2018
Pages: 410
Format: ARC
Genres: Romance, Romantic Comedy
Amazon
He kept his salacious secret for years. But soon, everyone is going to be reading about it in their morning paper…
THE VARLET (and the VOYEUR)William Moore is a long way from home. A farm boy from Oklahoma, he’s now the most well-respected member of the Irish rugby team. But appearances are often deceptive, and Will isn’t the clean-cut, all-American good-guy everyone imagines him to be. He’s got a secret, one that will tarnish his reputation forever.
THE VOYEUR (and the VARLET)Josey Kavanagh is a self-proclaimed mess, but she’s finally getting her shi… uh, act together. She’s set her sights on becoming a veterinarian, but there’s one teeny tiny road bump. Her living arrangements are coming to an abrupt end, leaving Josey homeless and in need of a job to pay her way through college.
THE PLANWhat he needs is a companion to keep him on the right path.What she needs is an apartment with free rent.Will is convinced Josey will make the perfect companion, since she’s brutally honest and basically ‘just one of the guys.’ Josey is convinced she can ensure Will doesn’t succumb to his voyeuristic proclivities by keeping a scrupulous eye on him. Except, what happens when the varlet is tempted by the voyeur, and vice-versa?!Perchance something very, very volatile. And vexing.
The Varlet and the Voyeur is a full-length romantic comedy novel, can be read as a standalone, and is the 4th (and last) book in the USA TODAY bestselling Rugby Series.
The Varlet and the Voyeur is the final book in the Rugby series—a collection of romantic comedies written by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid that are intended to make readers fall in love with a bunch of Irish meatheads and the unique women who redeem them. Their efforts have been successful, by the way.
The shining star in this story is Josey. She is the very definition of a hot mess. She is socially awkward to the extreme, and I couldn’t wait to see what weird things would fly out of her mouth next. At least she’s gorgeous and just doesn’t know it, right? Isn’t that how things are supposed to go in rom coms? Well, Josey is fully aware that she’s no beauty queen. Her physical features don’t conform to normal beauty standards. She is wonderfully unique and the cause for at least one massively embarrassing moment of my uncontrollable laughter in public.
While I love the heroine, and the comedy is superb, the book didn’t quite click with me the ways some of the previous ones did. Essentially, I just didn’t buy the premise. I didn’t think Will did anything terribly scandalous for this day and age—certainly nothing that would require a 24/7 babysitter. He’s a nice guy and the relentless fallout from the “scandal” seemed over the top.
Will is overly noble, overly needy, and overly insecure. Vulnerability in a man is sexy, but all these “overly”s add up to a less than attractive hero. I really enjoyed the fun friendship between Josey and Will, and they have some great chemistry. However, the amount of restrictions they place on their relationship seems unnecessary. I’m not a huge fan of riding a drama llama, and there are so many moments that come across as much ado about nothing.
The romance is sweet, and is quite enjoyable if you can accept the surrounding drama. As always, the friendships among the rugby teammates are very entertaining. If you need a bit of cheering up, this amusing book will do quite nicely. If you are new to the series, be sure to check out the other books!
**I voluntarily read an early version of this book. This does not affect my opinion or the content of my review.**
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About L.H. Cosway
L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favorite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.
She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories. L.H. is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.
About Penny Reid
Penny Reid is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. When she’s not immersed in penning smart romances, Penny works in the biotech industry as a researcher. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.
Agreed, the drama seemed a bit outlandish. I couldn’t connect with this book like I could with the last one either. Fantastic review❤️