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The Lady Thief of Belgravia
A notorious thief joins up with Belgravia’s most eligible gentleman to steal for Queen and country…
London, 1879. Della Rose scans the crowds until she finds her target. A well-dressed gentleman with a fine gold watch. Stealing it will be easy. Everyone knows she has the quickest hands in the notorious Seven Dials.
The gentleman’s name is Cole Winthrop and he’s been watching her for a while, waiting to see whether the scandalous things people say about her are true. Because if they are, he needs her help. Something was stolen from him long ago. And only a thief can get it back.
But to do so, Della must first learn how to walk, talk, ride and flirt like a lady. Only then will she be welcomed into Cole’s glamorous world of lavish balls and high tea – and catch the eye of the villainous Duke of Salisbury, so she can crack his safe and steal its mysterious contents.
When Cole finally trusts her enough to reveal his greatest secret, Della understands that completing the job is about more than earning the money to start a new life. The safety of the entire country rests on her shoulders. And this thief won’t let the small matter of falling in love get in her way…
With irresistible charm, sparkling romance and an unforgettable heroine, The Lady Thief of Belgravia will delight fans of Evie Dunmore, Minerva Spencer and Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton.
London, 1879. Della Rose scans the crowds until she finds her target. A well-dressed gentleman with a fine gold watch. Stealing it will be easy. Everyone knows she has the quickest hands in the notorious Seven Dials.
The gentleman’s name is Cole Winthrop and he’s been watching her for a while, waiting to see whether the scandalous things people say about her are true. Because if they are, he needs her help. Something was stolen from him long ago. And only a thief can get it back.
But to do so, Della must first learn how to walk, talk, ride and flirt like a lady. Only then will she be welcomed into Cole’s glamorous world of lavish balls and high tea – and catch the eye of the villainous Duke of Salisbury, so she can crack his safe and steal its mysterious contents.
When Cole finally trusts her enough to reveal his greatest secret, Della understands that completing the job is about more than earning the money to start a new life. The safety of the entire country rests on her shoulders. And this thief won’t let the small matter of falling in love get in her way…
With irresistible charm, sparkling romance and an unforgettable heroine, The Lady Thief of Belgravia will delight fans of Evie Dunmore, Minerva Spencer and Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton.
Audiobook
Published January 18, 2024
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About the author
Allison Grey
2 books19 followersAllison has been a life-long lover of history and writing and discovered long ago if she combined the two, she got a whole new thing to love – historical romance!
Now she writes about dashing dukes and daring heroines and hopes you’ll love reading their stories as much as she loved telling them.
When Allison isn’t writing, she dabbles in interior design and spends her free time loving on her rescue dog, traveling, and baking.
She lives in Mississauga, Ontario raising two future readers of her own.
Now she writes about dashing dukes and daring heroines and hopes you’ll love reading their stories as much as she loved telling them.
When Allison isn’t writing, she dabbles in interior design and spends her free time loving on her rescue dog, traveling, and baking.
She lives in Mississauga, Ontario raising two future readers of her own.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
January 17, 2024
In a Nutshell: Doesn't deliver what the title and the blurb promise. Focuses more on the 'stirrings in the stomach' than on the workings of the mind. Very disappointed because I hoped for far better from the premise.
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Story Synopsis:
Bookish Yays:
🍓 A pretty cover and an attention-grabbing title.
🍓 A narrative voice for both Cole and Della – a rare occurrence in this genre for the male lead to get his thoughts on paper. (Never mind that his thoughts were almost the same as Della’s!)
🍓 Never heard of a place called Seven Dials in historical London, so I learned something new. (I also learned that one can wiggle one’s backside even in a bustle gown. Who knew! What will I do with this knowledge? No idea!)
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🍍 The actual “heist”, if I can call it that, is decently executed. (This was the only thing that saved the book from getting a one star rating.) But this comes too late in the story. Moreover, every heist story has to have something going majorly wrong. This one was too smooth to be fun.
🍍 A couple of the secondary characters from Seven Dials – I’d have loved to know them better.
Bookish Nays:
🌶 The character development is almost non-existent. Della and Cole meet within the first few pages of the book, so we get their backstory only in bits and pieces through their conversations. The Duke was so idiotic that I failed to understand how Britain’s best spies also had failed to recover the stolen property from that nincompoop. The overall effect is very flat.
🌶 All the steamy stuff - aargh! I expected ‘My Fair Lady’ combined with a daring heist plan. What I didn't realise was that the focus of the writing would be more on the intense physical attraction that Della and Cole feel for each other. Every single scene with the two of them contains at least one instance of stirrings or feelings or some other kind of physical palpitations, no matter whether they were alone or with anyone else, whether they were talking or quiet, whether they were dancing or horse-riding… heck, even during the heist, their libido isn’t in control. It was over the top and cringeworthy. I am no prude, but there has to be a way in which lascivious scenes/thoughts are incorporated into the plot smoothly. You can’t shove them into every single scene!
🌶 Anachronisms in the writing, especially but not only in the conversations. Imagine someone saying “plant a bomb” in 1879 – Sheesh! Moreover, Cole promises Della 10000 pounds if she completes her assignment. Really? In ‘Pride & Prejudice’, written just seven decades before this story is set, Darcy’s annual income of 10000 pounds makes him the richest man around for miles. Was inflation so much that by 1879, earls had 10000 pounds – worth almost 15 million pounds today – to spare as reward money, no matter how valuable the item? Also, the use of the F word (even by the Earl, not just by Della) – a nope for the periodic setting.
🌶 Too many illogical occurrences! (I know romance is not to be read with logic, but this book isn't a plain romance, so heck yeah, I'm using my logic!) Cole hires Della as a last resort and takes her to his mansion on the very day they meet, saying that “time is of the essence” as the job needs to be completed urgently. And then he plans to invest a few weeks in training her to become a proper lady, with horse riding, lessons, piano lessons, social behaviour training, language polishing, and what not! Then the plan is for her to meet the Duke and woo him into trusting her enough so that she can carry out the job. I fail to see how any of this can be called “urgent.”
🌶 Della’s makeover itself is fraught with goofs. She isn’t taught art, but is trained to play the piano, apparently because the piano can be learned well enough within a few weeks to impress the high society snobs. Seriously? The piano is easier to master than painting? Has any musical novice attempted playing dual-clef classical sheet music within that tiny time frame? Moreover, Della’s accent keeps changing even before her training. She pronounces or skips the final ‘-ing’ as per her convenience, no consistency at all. It was also very convenient that Della had access to the “classics” and loved books that most of us today would yawn at. (Books by Homer, Plato and their ilk.) Not once did Della struggle to adapt to the drastic change in her life, which made the whole thing even more unreal.
🌶 The ‘relationship” – An Earl lusting after a beautiful thief? Definitely possible. An Earl pursuing a serious relationship without a single thought about society or scandal and not a tinge of regret or doubt, not even once dwelling on the what-ifs? Unlikely. And not a single person throwing looks of derision at their union? Impossible. Nothing about their relationship felt rational.
I never pick up steamy romances, and this book isn’t indicated as such anywhere. (I don’t think “sparkling romance”, as used in the blurb, indicates “steamy” or “spicy”.) To any reader who enjoys raunchy love stories, this book might work better. But I just kept rolling my eyes and almost fractured them in the process.
Then again, the “steam” isn’t the only reason I am steaming right now. There was so much potential in the base premise, but the execution needs a whole lot of developmental editing to make sense. Della was a strong character, so it is sad that her character wasn’t allowed to shine on her own merits.
Apologies to the team behind the book, but It’s a no from me. I hate being so harsh on an ARC, especially when it is a debut work, but I struggled with this read all the way, and found barely anything to justify my efforts. This might work better for regency romance lovers looking for a smutty romance story and not for a historical heist novel. Maybe its marketing ought to be changed as the current blurb doesn't give a true idea of the content.
1.5 stars.
My thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Lady Thief of Belgravia”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Story Synopsis:
1879. Della is a twenty-four year old pickpocket, and quite good at her job in the notorious Seven Dials area of London. Imagine her surprise when the Earl of Bradford hires her for a special task: she needs to steal back some very important documents from the evil Duke of Salisbury. Della doesn't work for anyone, but at the high reward he offers, she can't refuse. Now with the help of the Earl, whose name is Cole, Della needs to train herself to become a high-society lady so that she can get her work done quickly and earn enough to get out of Seven Dials.
The story comes to us through the limited third person perspective of Della and Cole.
Bookish Yays:
🍓 A pretty cover and an attention-grabbing title.
🍓 A narrative voice for both Cole and Della – a rare occurrence in this genre for the male lead to get his thoughts on paper. (Never mind that his thoughts were almost the same as Della’s!)
🍓 Never heard of a place called Seven Dials in historical London, so I learned something new. (I also learned that one can wiggle one’s backside even in a bustle gown. Who knew! What will I do with this knowledge? No idea!)
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🍍 The actual “heist”, if I can call it that, is decently executed. (This was the only thing that saved the book from getting a one star rating.) But this comes too late in the story. Moreover, every heist story has to have something going majorly wrong. This one was too smooth to be fun.
🍍 A couple of the secondary characters from Seven Dials – I’d have loved to know them better.
Bookish Nays:
🌶 The character development is almost non-existent. Della and Cole meet within the first few pages of the book, so we get their backstory only in bits and pieces through their conversations. The Duke was so idiotic that I failed to understand how Britain’s best spies also had failed to recover the stolen property from that nincompoop. The overall effect is very flat.
🌶 All the steamy stuff - aargh! I expected ‘My Fair Lady’ combined with a daring heist plan. What I didn't realise was that the focus of the writing would be more on the intense physical attraction that Della and Cole feel for each other. Every single scene with the two of them contains at least one instance of stirrings or feelings or some other kind of physical palpitations, no matter whether they were alone or with anyone else, whether they were talking or quiet, whether they were dancing or horse-riding… heck, even during the heist, their libido isn’t in control. It was over the top and cringeworthy. I am no prude, but there has to be a way in which lascivious scenes/thoughts are incorporated into the plot smoothly. You can’t shove them into every single scene!
🌶 Anachronisms in the writing, especially but not only in the conversations. Imagine someone saying “plant a bomb” in 1879 – Sheesh! Moreover, Cole promises Della 10000 pounds if she completes her assignment. Really? In ‘Pride & Prejudice’, written just seven decades before this story is set, Darcy’s annual income of 10000 pounds makes him the richest man around for miles. Was inflation so much that by 1879, earls had 10000 pounds – worth almost 15 million pounds today – to spare as reward money, no matter how valuable the item? Also, the use of the F word (even by the Earl, not just by Della) – a nope for the periodic setting.
🌶 Too many illogical occurrences! (I know romance is not to be read with logic, but this book isn't a plain romance, so heck yeah, I'm using my logic!) Cole hires Della as a last resort and takes her to his mansion on the very day they meet, saying that “time is of the essence” as the job needs to be completed urgently. And then he plans to invest a few weeks in training her to become a proper lady, with horse riding, lessons, piano lessons, social behaviour training, language polishing, and what not! Then the plan is for her to meet the Duke and woo him into trusting her enough so that she can carry out the job. I fail to see how any of this can be called “urgent.”
🌶 Della’s makeover itself is fraught with goofs. She isn’t taught art, but is trained to play the piano, apparently because the piano can be learned well enough within a few weeks to impress the high society snobs. Seriously? The piano is easier to master than painting? Has any musical novice attempted playing dual-clef classical sheet music within that tiny time frame? Moreover, Della’s accent keeps changing even before her training. She pronounces or skips the final ‘-ing’ as per her convenience, no consistency at all. It was also very convenient that Della had access to the “classics” and loved books that most of us today would yawn at. (Books by Homer, Plato and their ilk.) Not once did Della struggle to adapt to the drastic change in her life, which made the whole thing even more unreal.
🌶 The ‘relationship” – An Earl lusting after a beautiful thief? Definitely possible. An Earl pursuing a serious relationship without a single thought about society or scandal and not a tinge of regret or doubt, not even once dwelling on the what-ifs? Unlikely. And not a single person throwing looks of derision at their union? Impossible. Nothing about their relationship felt rational.
I never pick up steamy romances, and this book isn’t indicated as such anywhere. (I don’t think “sparkling romance”, as used in the blurb, indicates “steamy” or “spicy”.) To any reader who enjoys raunchy love stories, this book might work better. But I just kept rolling my eyes and almost fractured them in the process.
Then again, the “steam” isn’t the only reason I am steaming right now. There was so much potential in the base premise, but the execution needs a whole lot of developmental editing to make sense. Della was a strong character, so it is sad that her character wasn’t allowed to shine on her own merits.
Apologies to the team behind the book, but It’s a no from me. I hate being so harsh on an ARC, especially when it is a debut work, but I struggled with this read all the way, and found barely anything to justify my efforts. This might work better for regency romance lovers looking for a smutty romance story and not for a historical heist novel. Maybe its marketing ought to be changed as the current blurb doesn't give a true idea of the content.
1.5 stars.
My thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Lady Thief of Belgravia”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
January 12, 2024
Never judge a book by its cover. Well I did and this cover led me to expect a Regency type romance with maybe some mystery thrown in, and perhaps a little bit of originality since the Lady is a thief. My bad.
I did get some of that but the whole thing was very heavy on the romance which led very quickly to a succession of long bedroom scenes which were not really very interesting. I also spent a lot of my reading time wondering how on earth the author was going to reconcile the two characters according to the rules of society in London 1879. The answer was unrealistically.
Not a bad book but not really my cup of tea.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book
I did get some of that but the whole thing was very heavy on the romance which led very quickly to a succession of long bedroom scenes which were not really very interesting. I also spent a lot of my reading time wondering how on earth the author was going to reconcile the two characters according to the rules of society in London 1879. The answer was unrealistically.
Not a bad book but not really my cup of tea.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book
January 7, 2024
It was 1879 and Della Rose was on the look out for someone affluent on whom to use her skills. She was the best pickpocket in London and had never been caught, so her confidence was high. But Cole Winthrop had an agenda and had been watching Della for some time, so when she approached him, he was ready. Cole needed a thief to catch a thief. When his father's papers had been stolen, Cole was determined to carry on his father's work, and he needed to get the papers back. So Della had a new job; one she was prepared to work for as the end result was good.
As Della slowly learned to be a lady, she was prepared by Cole - who was an Earl - about the person she needed to get close to; the person who she needed to steal from. And she wasn't impressed. But she was determined to do her job, and do it well...
The Lady Thief of Belgravia is the debut novel by Allison Grey and I quite enjoyed it. The cover is gorgeous and the premise was intriguing. Della was a strong character - she had to be in her situation - while Cole was a "nice guy", kind and caring, but hard and cold when necessary. My only quibbles were the use of the "f" word, which, when I googled, wasn't around back in 1879. And the over use of the fully described sex scenes - after about the 5th or 6th time, the tone of the story was changed for me. Oh, and the £10,000 agreed on for Cole to pay Della converts to £1,532,390.16 today - so perhaps not!
With thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
As Della slowly learned to be a lady, she was prepared by Cole - who was an Earl - about the person she needed to get close to; the person who she needed to steal from. And she wasn't impressed. But she was determined to do her job, and do it well...
The Lady Thief of Belgravia is the debut novel by Allison Grey and I quite enjoyed it. The cover is gorgeous and the premise was intriguing. Della was a strong character - she had to be in her situation - while Cole was a "nice guy", kind and caring, but hard and cold when necessary. My only quibbles were the use of the "f" word, which, when I googled, wasn't around back in 1879. And the over use of the fully described sex scenes - after about the 5th or 6th time, the tone of the story was changed for me. Oh, and the £10,000 agreed on for Cole to pay Della converts to £1,532,390.16 today - so perhaps not!
With thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2024
I did enjoy this debut story, a very steamy romance, a mystery and two people from opposite sides of the tracks, what will happen when a very good pickpocket is asked to help a Lord regain some important letters?
Della Rose is known as Rosie Diver, the best pickpocket in Seven Dials, she has learnt in her life to not trust and to depend on herself, always, things change when she picks the wrong gentleman’s pocket to steal from.
Cole Winthrop, Earl of Bradford needs a clever smart female to help in his quest to retrieve some important papers stolen from The Home Office of England, these hold secrets that his father worked hard to get and could put a lot of people in danger, he has been watching Della Rose and is about to offer her a lot of money to become his off-sider.
Della excepts the offer reluctantly only because she knows that it will get her and her best friend Violet a new life, but to do so she must learn to be a proper lady, that means horse riding, playing the piano, talks and flirt because she needs to get close to The Duke of Salisbury.
Cole and Della get along well but it is not long before they cannot deny the pull they share and soon as well as danger building to retrieve the letters but it appears they are falling in love.
I did really like Della, she is feisty and strong and stands her ground and Cole is strong and caring and they make a really good team, I do recommend this one to any reader who enjoys a very steamy historical romance.
My thanks to the publisher, Storm and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.
Della Rose is known as Rosie Diver, the best pickpocket in Seven Dials, she has learnt in her life to not trust and to depend on herself, always, things change when she picks the wrong gentleman’s pocket to steal from.
Cole Winthrop, Earl of Bradford needs a clever smart female to help in his quest to retrieve some important papers stolen from The Home Office of England, these hold secrets that his father worked hard to get and could put a lot of people in danger, he has been watching Della Rose and is about to offer her a lot of money to become his off-sider.
Della excepts the offer reluctantly only because she knows that it will get her and her best friend Violet a new life, but to do so she must learn to be a proper lady, that means horse riding, playing the piano, talks and flirt because she needs to get close to The Duke of Salisbury.
Cole and Della get along well but it is not long before they cannot deny the pull they share and soon as well as danger building to retrieve the letters but it appears they are falling in love.
I did really like Della, she is feisty and strong and stands her ground and Cole is strong and caring and they make a really good team, I do recommend this one to any reader who enjoys a very steamy historical romance.
My thanks to the publisher, Storm and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.
March 3, 2024
This book is such a fantastic blend of historical romance and a grand heist. When Cole a spy for the home office recruits Della, a highly skilled pickpocket from Seven Dials to steal something for him, the two begin a thrilling adventure and a steamy romance.
The Lady Thief of Belgravia is an entertaining take on romance. It's filled with secrets and a ton of passion. Honestly, I wasn't expecting this book to be as steamy as it was and was very pleasantly surprised.
Overall, this was such a fun read, and I especially enjoyed the My Fair Lady vibes.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
The Lady Thief of Belgravia is an entertaining take on romance. It's filled with secrets and a ton of passion. Honestly, I wasn't expecting this book to be as steamy as it was and was very pleasantly surprised.
Overall, this was such a fun read, and I especially enjoyed the My Fair Lady vibes.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
February 17, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book for an honest review.
I quite enjoyed this book. I finished it in one sitting. I had just finished a similar book last month and was definitely keen to stay on the genre train. A good suspense. Historical setting and a badass character.
I would definitely recommend!
I quite enjoyed this book. I finished it in one sitting. I had just finished a similar book last month and was definitely keen to stay on the genre train. A good suspense. Historical setting and a badass character.
I would definitely recommend!
January 9, 2024
2 stars because i finished the whole thing, against all odds. i'm about to rant about this and there WILL be spoilers/ read at your own risk
Characters- cartoonish, very little depth. Della was a study in contradictions, but at least she had some sort of personality. Cole was supposed to be charming, but had as much charm as a piece of cardboard. He gave me bad vibes, especially because he had no interest in her until he saw her in a pretty dress. He was ever the gentleman with her when she was learning to be a lady or pretending to be one, but when she was herself, a thief from the slums, he was all too eager to get under her skirt, which felt extremely icky.
The romance was basically non-existent as far as emotions go. They were into each other physically from the jump, but the relationship didn't really have any depth to it. I also find it extremely difficult to believe that . I'm just too avid a reader of historical books to be able to skip past this really big roadblock that was solved with like 3 words.
The plot was all over the place and we were told of developments rather than seeing them. Everything was hilariously easy
The writing is choppy and words/phrases not always period appropriate, which rips you right out of the story every time it happens. It felt like the author really just wanted to write some fanfiction of characters she created and put them in situations that were totally unbelievable (why did they eat outside so many times??) without giving much attention to even a smidge of historical accuracy or atmosphere.
I finished it, but should have trusted my gut and quit at the halfway point.
Characters- cartoonish, very little depth. Della was a study in contradictions, but at least she had some sort of personality. Cole was supposed to be charming, but had as much charm as a piece of cardboard. He gave me bad vibes, especially because he had no interest in her until he saw her in a pretty dress. He was ever the gentleman with her when she was learning to be a lady or pretending to be one, but when she was herself, a thief from the slums, he was all too eager to get under her skirt, which felt extremely icky.
The romance was basically non-existent as far as emotions go. They were into each other physically from the jump, but the relationship didn't really have any depth to it. I also find it extremely difficult to believe that . I'm just too avid a reader of historical books to be able to skip past this really big roadblock that was solved with like 3 words.
The plot was all over the place and we were told of developments rather than seeing them. Everything was hilariously easy
The writing is choppy and words/phrases not always period appropriate, which rips you right out of the story every time it happens. It felt like the author really just wanted to write some fanfiction of characters she created and put them in situations that were totally unbelievable (why did they eat outside so many times??) without giving much attention to even a smidge of historical accuracy or atmosphere.
I finished it, but should have trusted my gut and quit at the halfway point.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2024
The Lady Thief of Belgravia is the first book I've read by Allison Grey but it definitely won't be the last.
Della Rose is our heroine and she also happens to be the best pickpocket in the Seven Dials. When she targets a gentleman in a crowd who has a gold watch she wants, she steals it (with a bit of trouble) and her life suddenly takes a turn.
The gentleman who was robbed is Cole Winthrop and he isn't in Della's sights by accident. He has been watching her for a while, waiting to see if what he has heard about her is true. If so, he needs her help to retrieve something that was stolen from him and he's willing to go to extremes, including hiring a pickpocket, to get it back.
As Della and Cole start to work together to get her up to snuff for society, things eventually shift. They start to realize they are attracted to one another but to make anything work, When Cole finally trusts her enough to reveal his greatest secret, Della understands that completing the job is about more than earning the money to start a new life. The safety of the entire country rests on her shoulders. ACole would have to disclose who he is to the world and he's not sure he is ready. I loved how the relationship was developed between these two. They come from very different lives/backgrounds and they were both realistic about what they were going to face if they came together.
If you're looking for a new historical fiction that has interesting characters, a solid story, and a class difference trope, grab this one when you can. I enjoyed it and can't wait to read whatever is next from this author.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Della Rose is our heroine and she also happens to be the best pickpocket in the Seven Dials. When she targets a gentleman in a crowd who has a gold watch she wants, she steals it (with a bit of trouble) and her life suddenly takes a turn.
The gentleman who was robbed is Cole Winthrop and he isn't in Della's sights by accident. He has been watching her for a while, waiting to see if what he has heard about her is true. If so, he needs her help to retrieve something that was stolen from him and he's willing to go to extremes, including hiring a pickpocket, to get it back.
As Della and Cole start to work together to get her up to snuff for society, things eventually shift. They start to realize they are attracted to one another but to make anything work, When Cole finally trusts her enough to reveal his greatest secret, Della understands that completing the job is about more than earning the money to start a new life. The safety of the entire country rests on her shoulders. ACole would have to disclose who he is to the world and he's not sure he is ready. I loved how the relationship was developed between these two. They come from very different lives/backgrounds and they were both realistic about what they were going to face if they came together.
If you're looking for a new historical fiction that has interesting characters, a solid story, and a class difference trope, grab this one when you can. I enjoyed it and can't wait to read whatever is next from this author.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 11, 2024
I didn’t expect myself to like this one as much as I did. I loved that she was a crafty thief and that she could surprise him so much. I also like that they were able to find an intimate level of trust with each other and, ultimately, they gave up their old lives for each other too. The end was so sweet.
🌀Synopsis
To Della Rose, stealing is easy. She identifies a target and she doesn’t miss. It’s how she’s making a living but it doesn’t make enough. Which is why when the handsome stranger, Cole, approaches her with a business deal, she accepts. It’s her ticket out of the poorhouse.
The job is to steal documents back from a prosperous member of society. Posing as Cole’s cousin, Della is on a mission to get the documents. Only, someone is onto her and putting her in danger and then she’s putting herself and the mission in danger too. Cole is about to it all up when Della comes through with a major surprise.
🌀Synopsis
To Della Rose, stealing is easy. She identifies a target and she doesn’t miss. It’s how she’s making a living but it doesn’t make enough. Which is why when the handsome stranger, Cole, approaches her with a business deal, she accepts. It’s her ticket out of the poorhouse.
The job is to steal documents back from a prosperous member of society. Posing as Cole’s cousin, Della is on a mission to get the documents. Only, someone is onto her and putting her in danger and then she’s putting herself and the mission in danger too. Cole is about to it all up when Della comes through with a major surprise.
January 6, 2024
4/5. Releases 1/18/2024 (audio).
Vibes: Sydney/Vaughn (if you know... you know) otherwise known as spy/handler, coiffed gentleman/brassy broad, My Fair Lady but make it espionage and also there's fucking
Heat Index: 6/10
It's rare for expert pickpocket Della Rose to get caught--and rarer still for the person she's stolen from to hire her to steal from a duke. But the payout Cole Winthrop (secret operative/lord) offers is too good to resist. In order for Della to succeed, Cole must teach her how to pass as a fine lady--but the more time they spend together, the more they get under one another's skin, and the harder it becomes to imagine the day they'll part.
Historical romances with lite mystery elements are hit or miss for me, and espionage historicals... even more so. But something about this one--maybe it's the fact that it's a debut--made me want to give it a shot. And I'm glad I did! It's a run romcom with fun sparks between a sleek, cool hero and a heroine who frankly doesn't give a fuck about his deal and turns his world upside down. It really does lean in to the My Fair Lady/Pretty Woman vibes, which keeps Della from coming off as grating. There are some aspects that could've perhaps been a bit tighter, but it's a debut with a strong voice and a focus on the love story, which is something I've found a lot of historical romances with mystery arcs miss. I enjoyed the undercover spy stuff (I mean really, it's more undercover than mystery but that all blends together for me) and I had even more fun watching Cole and Della fall in love and break through each other's walls.
Quick Takes:
--Della Rose is the type of character I have a hard time buying into: a tough, hardscrabble woman who eschews high society and doesn't need a man!!! Like, great, but I tend to prefer refined ice queens or women who actually like... do want to fall in love. And there were points in the beginning of the book where I was like "I don't know if this girl is going to work for me".
But she does work, and I want to get into why. Yes, Della is mouthy and brassy and an extremely competent pickpocket, and so on. However, she also has deep-seated vulnerabilities and fears, and the narrative makes it clear that these aspects of her personality? Are really driving a lot of that brassiness. And yeah, she does actually want to be loved. She's a bit awed by the luxury of Cole's home. She WANTS nice things. She WANTS a soft place to land. She WANTS to be touched and kissed and comforted by this compelling, accomplished man--but she doesn't trust that she can accept all of this and be safe at the same time. She believes the rug is going to be pulled out from under her, and she's prickly and guarded in advance.
Which like--should be something we see a lot of, and I think many writers believe they're conveying this, but they forget to write in the character beats Grey adds. I won't lie: at points, I was like "Della, get over this shit, be with him". But then Grey would write something that reminded me of why this woman was being so difficult. Because she's like me and you and every other woman who's a bit too snarky and a bit too frosty because she can't accept love. And she can't accept love because she doesn't trust it. WHEW.
--This is a heroine-forward romance, but Cole is still a strong hero. He's got his own tragic backstory, it's good if not super original, and he is a very good spy and he is hot and there is a moment when they're outside and he has her up against a wall or something and he jerks his glove off so he can finger her properly and THAT. SHIT. HIT.
However, where Cole shines is in being in love with Della. Like, these two are immediately attracted to each other, but I super disagree with the reviews that call this instalove. It's by no means an emotional or physical slow burn, but it's also not instalove or fuck first feelings later. It totally makes sense that these two would fall for each other relatively quickly. They're spending all their time together. And the more time Cole spends with her, the more he gets all heart eyes--and why wouldn't he? Della is a cool broad! They actually have a lot in common! Cole has a competence kink, and honestly, he's right for it.
What keeps Cole from being just... besotted and without conflict... is a little shallow compared to what Della's dealing with. But it does what it needs to do, and I actually really liked a hero that was basically on a "I love you but no, I can't give you everything you need" level. Their conflicts actually did make sense to me. They weren't the most original conflicts, but they didn't annoy me.
--Della is one of those characters that is like, only looking out for herself... but also like, that one person who super matters to her. And I enjoyed that she had a female friend (who I hope gets her own book) with a consistent presence. I also loved that they were kind of scammy together.
Cole also has a friend and mentor, who's basically a wise older woman. I enjoy historical romance heroes who get advice from women who've been around the block because the heroes themselves are dumb and don't understand how their hearts work.
--There are a lot of cute scenes where Della is acting undercover as Cole's COUSIN and he's like, desperate to have her, staring longingly, watching with irritation as she dances with other dudes.... And everyone is all "dude that's your cousin...."
--Audiobook note: solid narrator. I think she captured Della's voice and personality well, while also giving an appropriate gravity and lovelorn vibe to Cole.
The Sex:
The sex is good in this one! It starts a bit more chill and light, and builds as Cole and Della's feelings grow. I mean, I really loved that glove moment. I really did.
But you also get some super good angsty sex towards the end. Della was super living on the edge at points, but it made sense and reflected her getting all twisted up in the game as she fell harder for Cole.
Also, Cole is one of those guys who corrects her when she says "fuck me" and is like "um excuse me I am going to MAKE LOVE to you" which really. Reflects their different perspectives on shit. Cole is one of THOSE but then when shit hits the fan he's also one of THOSE. Good for Della.
Anyway, this was a super cute first book out, and I definitely want to read more from Allison Grey. There were points in the last act where I was definitely thinking "Please pull yourselves together", but then... it did. I really liked how the book came together in the end. Yay! Always nice to see a new historical romance author dipping their toe in the water.
Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with a copy of this audiobookbook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Vibes: Sydney/Vaughn (if you know... you know) otherwise known as spy/handler, coiffed gentleman/brassy broad, My Fair Lady but make it espionage and also there's fucking
Heat Index: 6/10
It's rare for expert pickpocket Della Rose to get caught--and rarer still for the person she's stolen from to hire her to steal from a duke. But the payout Cole Winthrop (secret operative/lord) offers is too good to resist. In order for Della to succeed, Cole must teach her how to pass as a fine lady--but the more time they spend together, the more they get under one another's skin, and the harder it becomes to imagine the day they'll part.
Historical romances with lite mystery elements are hit or miss for me, and espionage historicals... even more so. But something about this one--maybe it's the fact that it's a debut--made me want to give it a shot. And I'm glad I did! It's a run romcom with fun sparks between a sleek, cool hero and a heroine who frankly doesn't give a fuck about his deal and turns his world upside down. It really does lean in to the My Fair Lady/Pretty Woman vibes, which keeps Della from coming off as grating. There are some aspects that could've perhaps been a bit tighter, but it's a debut with a strong voice and a focus on the love story, which is something I've found a lot of historical romances with mystery arcs miss. I enjoyed the undercover spy stuff (I mean really, it's more undercover than mystery but that all blends together for me) and I had even more fun watching Cole and Della fall in love and break through each other's walls.
Quick Takes:
--Della Rose is the type of character I have a hard time buying into: a tough, hardscrabble woman who eschews high society and doesn't need a man!!! Like, great, but I tend to prefer refined ice queens or women who actually like... do want to fall in love. And there were points in the beginning of the book where I was like "I don't know if this girl is going to work for me".
But she does work, and I want to get into why. Yes, Della is mouthy and brassy and an extremely competent pickpocket, and so on. However, she also has deep-seated vulnerabilities and fears, and the narrative makes it clear that these aspects of her personality? Are really driving a lot of that brassiness. And yeah, she does actually want to be loved. She's a bit awed by the luxury of Cole's home. She WANTS nice things. She WANTS a soft place to land. She WANTS to be touched and kissed and comforted by this compelling, accomplished man--but she doesn't trust that she can accept all of this and be safe at the same time. She believes the rug is going to be pulled out from under her, and she's prickly and guarded in advance.
Which like--should be something we see a lot of, and I think many writers believe they're conveying this, but they forget to write in the character beats Grey adds. I won't lie: at points, I was like "Della, get over this shit, be with him". But then Grey would write something that reminded me of why this woman was being so difficult. Because she's like me and you and every other woman who's a bit too snarky and a bit too frosty because she can't accept love. And she can't accept love because she doesn't trust it. WHEW.
--This is a heroine-forward romance, but Cole is still a strong hero. He's got his own tragic backstory, it's good if not super original, and he is a very good spy and he is hot and there is a moment when they're outside and he has her up against a wall or something and he jerks his glove off so he can finger her properly and THAT. SHIT. HIT.
However, where Cole shines is in being in love with Della. Like, these two are immediately attracted to each other, but I super disagree with the reviews that call this instalove. It's by no means an emotional or physical slow burn, but it's also not instalove or fuck first feelings later. It totally makes sense that these two would fall for each other relatively quickly. They're spending all their time together. And the more time Cole spends with her, the more he gets all heart eyes--and why wouldn't he? Della is a cool broad! They actually have a lot in common! Cole has a competence kink, and honestly, he's right for it.
What keeps Cole from being just... besotted and without conflict... is a little shallow compared to what Della's dealing with. But it does what it needs to do, and I actually really liked a hero that was basically on a "I love you but no, I can't give you everything you need" level. Their conflicts actually did make sense to me. They weren't the most original conflicts, but they didn't annoy me.
--Della is one of those characters that is like, only looking out for herself... but also like, that one person who super matters to her. And I enjoyed that she had a female friend (who I hope gets her own book) with a consistent presence. I also loved that they were kind of scammy together.
Cole also has a friend and mentor, who's basically a wise older woman. I enjoy historical romance heroes who get advice from women who've been around the block because the heroes themselves are dumb and don't understand how their hearts work.
--There are a lot of cute scenes where Della is acting undercover as Cole's COUSIN and he's like, desperate to have her, staring longingly, watching with irritation as she dances with other dudes.... And everyone is all "dude that's your cousin...."
--Audiobook note: solid narrator. I think she captured Della's voice and personality well, while also giving an appropriate gravity and lovelorn vibe to Cole.
The Sex:
The sex is good in this one! It starts a bit more chill and light, and builds as Cole and Della's feelings grow. I mean, I really loved that glove moment. I really did.
But you also get some super good angsty sex towards the end. Della was super living on the edge at points, but it made sense and reflected her getting all twisted up in the game as she fell harder for Cole.
Also, Cole is one of those guys who corrects her when she says "fuck me" and is like "um excuse me I am going to MAKE LOVE to you" which really. Reflects their different perspectives on shit. Cole is one of THOSE but then when shit hits the fan he's also one of THOSE. Good for Della.
Anyway, this was a super cute first book out, and I definitely want to read more from Allison Grey. There were points in the last act where I was definitely thinking "Please pull yourselves together", but then... it did. I really liked how the book came together in the end. Yay! Always nice to see a new historical romance author dipping their toe in the water.
Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with a copy of this audiobookbook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 14, 2024
I really enjoyed the unique twists Allison Grey has placed in The Lady Thief of Belgravia. It's an interesting mix of Pygmalion, undercover spys, mystery, and opposites attract.
Della's character isn't a shrinking violet though, she's strong and confident. A well written heroine.
Grey also doesn't shy away from exploring the class disparities of Victorian Era England, which I appreciated. Plus it's a mighty steamy romance.
The audio version of The Lady Thief of Belgravia is nicely performed by Katy Sobey.
an audiobook copy of The Lady Thief of Belgravia was provided to me by Dreamscape Select, Storm Publishing, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
Della's character isn't a shrinking violet though, she's strong and confident. A well written heroine.
Grey also doesn't shy away from exploring the class disparities of Victorian Era England, which I appreciated. Plus it's a mighty steamy romance.
The audio version of The Lady Thief of Belgravia is nicely performed by Katy Sobey.
an audiobook copy of The Lady Thief of Belgravia was provided to me by Dreamscape Select, Storm Publishing, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
January 5, 2024
“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙮?"
ME! ME! I volunteer as a tribute!
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for my very first arc! What a joy it has been! I really enjoyed this debut book by Allison Grey, it has a solid plot, interesting characters and it is very well paced! Read this if you’re looking for a sexy book about spies, full of suspense and romance! Can’t wait to read whatever Allison puts out next!
ME! ME! I volunteer as a tribute!
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for my very first arc! What a joy it has been! I really enjoyed this debut book by Allison Grey, it has a solid plot, interesting characters and it is very well paced! Read this if you’re looking for a sexy book about spies, full of suspense and romance! Can’t wait to read whatever Allison puts out next!
November 11, 2023
What a delightful and exhilarating story! This novel really captured my attention. The Lady Thief of Belgravia is an exciting blend of Victorian adventure and passionate romance.
Our heroine, Della Rose, is a likeable, strong, resourceful and determined woman who has had to fight for everything. After her mother dies she ends up in an orphanage and as an adult continues to fend for herself. She becomes known as Rosie Diver, a most accomplished female thief. Although she has a knack for stealing without getting caught, she discovers she has other more respectable talents after meeting Lord (Cole) Bradford. She learns quickly to play the piano, ride horses, dance, act, speak well—in fact to become a lady of high society. We cannot help but admire her. So, when she is discovered by Lord Bradford and offered a large sum of money to steal from his arch-nemesis, the Duke of Salisbury, she sees it as a golden opportunity to help make her dreams come true. It will offer her an escape from the dangerous life of Seven Dials, provide enough funds to set herself up in a nice dwelling where she can study books, become a scholar and help her best friend amateur painter, Violet, get her artwork out to the public.
Once recruited Della ‘trains’ to keep her real identity hidden and to make others believe she is a woman of high society. In fact, she becomes known as Cole’s cousin with a believable backstory to ward off any suspicions. She certainly adapts well to this fictitious life. One thing she does not prepare for or expect, though, is to have her heart fall for her employer. She gets emotionally lost in Lord Bradford’s charisma. He is described as being quite handsome, kind and private. But there is more to Cole than meets the eye. And his reasons for hiring Della are quite legitimate. We get to know him quite well and he is a perfect match for her (though society would disagree). So when these two unlikely pair begin to have great feelings for each other, Della fights it furiously as she knows his world is very different from hers. Yet the heart wants what it wants and this novel really showcases that battle. Love knows no social boundary. There are many intense romantic scenes in this novel that would make Victorians blush but it is, after all, a Romantic Victorian adventure story. It is also a revealing portrayal of the class differences. There are a few heart-racing danger moments that book end the sizzling attraction scenes. I loved the growth in Della— to see her finally appreciated. And that she realises she is worthy of love and that a man of higher social standing could truly care about her.
Allison really covers brilliantly the broad spectrum of rags to riches settings. We get a clear picture of the urban poverty of Seven Dials described by poet John Keats “where misery clings to misery for a little warmth, and want and disease lie down side-by-side, and groan together.” Then we are transported to the aristocratic fashionable gilded residential districts of Belgravia where dangers still lurk but are more hidden. These two worlds are showcased side by side through Della’s and Cole’s interactions as they travel back and forth while on a mission to take down the enemy. Della gets to live for a while in his world. And he gets a glimpse of hers but does it matter in the end where they come from if they want to remain together? The two realms eclipse and it is an exciting climax that carries forward a hopeful release to the conclusion.
I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it to those who love a strong Victorian heroine set against a rollicking high adventure. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my review copy.
Our heroine, Della Rose, is a likeable, strong, resourceful and determined woman who has had to fight for everything. After her mother dies she ends up in an orphanage and as an adult continues to fend for herself. She becomes known as Rosie Diver, a most accomplished female thief. Although she has a knack for stealing without getting caught, she discovers she has other more respectable talents after meeting Lord (Cole) Bradford. She learns quickly to play the piano, ride horses, dance, act, speak well—in fact to become a lady of high society. We cannot help but admire her. So, when she is discovered by Lord Bradford and offered a large sum of money to steal from his arch-nemesis, the Duke of Salisbury, she sees it as a golden opportunity to help make her dreams come true. It will offer her an escape from the dangerous life of Seven Dials, provide enough funds to set herself up in a nice dwelling where she can study books, become a scholar and help her best friend amateur painter, Violet, get her artwork out to the public.
Once recruited Della ‘trains’ to keep her real identity hidden and to make others believe she is a woman of high society. In fact, she becomes known as Cole’s cousin with a believable backstory to ward off any suspicions. She certainly adapts well to this fictitious life. One thing she does not prepare for or expect, though, is to have her heart fall for her employer. She gets emotionally lost in Lord Bradford’s charisma. He is described as being quite handsome, kind and private. But there is more to Cole than meets the eye. And his reasons for hiring Della are quite legitimate. We get to know him quite well and he is a perfect match for her (though society would disagree). So when these two unlikely pair begin to have great feelings for each other, Della fights it furiously as she knows his world is very different from hers. Yet the heart wants what it wants and this novel really showcases that battle. Love knows no social boundary. There are many intense romantic scenes in this novel that would make Victorians blush but it is, after all, a Romantic Victorian adventure story. It is also a revealing portrayal of the class differences. There are a few heart-racing danger moments that book end the sizzling attraction scenes. I loved the growth in Della— to see her finally appreciated. And that she realises she is worthy of love and that a man of higher social standing could truly care about her.
Allison really covers brilliantly the broad spectrum of rags to riches settings. We get a clear picture of the urban poverty of Seven Dials described by poet John Keats “where misery clings to misery for a little warmth, and want and disease lie down side-by-side, and groan together.” Then we are transported to the aristocratic fashionable gilded residential districts of Belgravia where dangers still lurk but are more hidden. These two worlds are showcased side by side through Della’s and Cole’s interactions as they travel back and forth while on a mission to take down the enemy. Della gets to live for a while in his world. And he gets a glimpse of hers but does it matter in the end where they come from if they want to remain together? The two realms eclipse and it is an exciting climax that carries forward a hopeful release to the conclusion.
I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it to those who love a strong Victorian heroine set against a rollicking high adventure. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my review copy.
February 13, 2024
Della Rose (a.k.a Rosie Diver) is a successful pickpocket. She lives in a brothel with her best friend Violet, and both dream of better lives for themselves.
One day Della attempts to pick the pocket of a gentleman, Cole Winthrop, Lord Branford, and fails, with him chasing after her, then hiring her for a job. He wants an attractive young woman who can charm the Duke of Salisbury, then steal some of Winthrop's papers, containing the country's secrets, back from the other man.
Della agrees, and then we get a version of Pygmalion, and My Fair Lady, but with two people who fall in lust with one another almost immediately after meeting. *sigh* This book, instead of being a humorous, fun heist story, was really just a story about getting two people in bed, several times, without any of the following:
-interesting analyses of class and economic differences
-sparkling dialogue
-interesting prose. For example, "intense feelings in the belly", or similar phrases, used waaaay too often to denote attraction in Della and Cole
-credible retention of new skills (she can play the piano well enough to fool other gentry??? I've learned various instruments, an it took me some weeks longer to play more than scales, and the simplest tunes, on a piano.
-credible style of speech from the period
-believable reward for the theft. Della demands 10000 pounds from Cole to do the job. This sum is beyond ridiculous, as this would be well over several million dollars. Nope
The first few pages of the book were fine, but the whole story went downhill fast, and stayed there.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.
One day Della attempts to pick the pocket of a gentleman, Cole Winthrop, Lord Branford, and fails, with him chasing after her, then hiring her for a job. He wants an attractive young woman who can charm the Duke of Salisbury, then steal some of Winthrop's papers, containing the country's secrets, back from the other man.
Della agrees, and then we get a version of Pygmalion, and My Fair Lady, but with two people who fall in lust with one another almost immediately after meeting. *sigh* This book, instead of being a humorous, fun heist story, was really just a story about getting two people in bed, several times, without any of the following:
-interesting analyses of class and economic differences
-sparkling dialogue
-interesting prose. For example, "intense feelings in the belly", or similar phrases, used waaaay too often to denote attraction in Della and Cole
-credible retention of new skills (she can play the piano well enough to fool other gentry??? I've learned various instruments, an it took me some weeks longer to play more than scales, and the simplest tunes, on a piano.
-credible style of speech from the period
-believable reward for the theft. Della demands 10000 pounds from Cole to do the job. This sum is beyond ridiculous, as this would be well over several million dollars. Nope
The first few pages of the book were fine, but the whole story went downhill fast, and stayed there.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.
September 21, 2024
Ce roman m’a totalement plongée dans une ambiance cozy parfaite pour une lecture de janvier. J’ai vraiment apprécié l’intrigue et la dynamique entre les personnages.
L’idée d’une voleuse talentueuse formant une alliance secrète avec un comte pour mener des aventures à haut risque était ingénieuse et rafraîchissante. Il y a eu plusieurs moments où j’étais littéralement sur le bord de mon siège. L’intrigue regorge de suspense, et on ne peut s’empêcher de suivre les péripéties de ces deux personnages. 🫖
Cependant, même si j’ai globalement aimé l’histoire, j’ai ressenti quelques dissonances dans certains moments de résolution, où on retrouve des conclusions un peu trop irréalistes à mon goût. Ça a parfois brisé le rythme de ma lecture. 💍
De plus, je réalise de plus en plus que je ne suis pas une grande fan des scènes épicées. J’aurais préféré une version plus douce, qui aurait mieux convenu à l’ambiance générale du roman et aurait permis de mieux savourer la relation entre les personnages. 🌶️
Cela dit, c'était une lecture captivante, parfaite pour les amateurs de mystère et d’aventures avec une touche de romance.
L’idée d’une voleuse talentueuse formant une alliance secrète avec un comte pour mener des aventures à haut risque était ingénieuse et rafraîchissante. Il y a eu plusieurs moments où j’étais littéralement sur le bord de mon siège. L’intrigue regorge de suspense, et on ne peut s’empêcher de suivre les péripéties de ces deux personnages. 🫖
Cependant, même si j’ai globalement aimé l’histoire, j’ai ressenti quelques dissonances dans certains moments de résolution, où on retrouve des conclusions un peu trop irréalistes à mon goût. Ça a parfois brisé le rythme de ma lecture. 💍
De plus, je réalise de plus en plus que je ne suis pas une grande fan des scènes épicées. J’aurais préféré une version plus douce, qui aurait mieux convenu à l’ambiance générale du roman et aurait permis de mieux savourer la relation entre les personnages. 🌶️
Cela dit, c'était une lecture captivante, parfaite pour les amateurs de mystère et d’aventures avec une touche de romance.
October 19, 2023
4.5 stars! This was such a stellar debut and I have a blast reading it. The plot was so unique and really thought out and the characters were so well developed.
Della Rose, oh what a character! I adored Della so much she was so witty and unapologetically herself, I loved going through her journey of trust with Cole, it felt so real and relatable. Cole Winthrop LADIES & GENTS this man had me blushing!! He was kind and his love for Della made my heart ache.
This book had such a beautiful romance (and some 10/10 spicy scenes) but I loved the mystery elements as well as the mission Della Rose was doing.
So if you like:
🌹witty characters (and side characters)
🌹badass fmc & a swoon worthy mmc
🌹thieves and spies
🌹mystery and suspense
🌹historical romance
Add this to you TBR!
“I shall consider myself lucky every day that you grace me with your presence – the thief who stole my heart.”
Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing this ARC for my honest opinion
Della Rose, oh what a character! I adored Della so much she was so witty and unapologetically herself, I loved going through her journey of trust with Cole, it felt so real and relatable. Cole Winthrop LADIES & GENTS this man had me blushing!! He was kind and his love for Della made my heart ache.
This book had such a beautiful romance (and some 10/10 spicy scenes) but I loved the mystery elements as well as the mission Della Rose was doing.
So if you like:
🌹witty characters (and side characters)
🌹badass fmc & a swoon worthy mmc
🌹thieves and spies
🌹mystery and suspense
🌹historical romance
Add this to you TBR!
“I shall consider myself lucky every day that you grace me with your presence – the thief who stole my heart.”
Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing this ARC for my honest opinion
January 5, 2024
Thank you to Allison Grey, Dreamscape Select/Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This wasn't a bad book, but it ended up not really being to my taste. Waaayyy too much sex, even for a romance. There had to be, like, half a dozen sex scenes. Relatively graphic, and started pretty early. I was looking forward to My Fair Lady meets Ocean's Eleven, but it seemed they spent more time forking and feeling inadequate than heisting or lady-training. And the heisting went way too smoothly for them--everything happened exactly right until the end, because, you know, climax. A great heist plot has NOTHING going according to plan--Ocean's movies, Mission Impossible movies. That doesn't mean the characters have to be dumb or incompetent, rather life and people are truly unpredictable and they have to be clever and skilled enough to think on their feet and improvise.
The duke was a creepy misogynistic asshole to be sure, but he didn't really strike me as dangerous, or very smart. On the villain scale I'd give him a thumbs-down-raspberry.
Brandon was super sensitive, which isn't necessarily bad, but he wore his heart on his sleeve and came off as needy. He was likeable enough and somewhat sympathetic, but that's about it. Whenever the story mentioned he could fight, I was surprised, because he did not seem like the type. I could see him fencing, where there's rules and honor, but not "no-rules" scrapping. Hard to believe he's a spy. What I wonder is how he allowed the letters to be stolen from him to begin with; I can't remember if the narrative said. Doesn't really lend confidence in him.
Della was sympathetic, but I didn't like her much. She struck me as self-centered/interested, but I suppose a person in her position in life needs to be. Doesn't change the fact that it wasn't an endearing quality. Also, I didn't care for her liberal use of the F-word. Again, I suppose it's realistic for someone in her position to use such crass language, but that doesn't mean it was endearing. Unless the tone is dark and gritty, it's always jarring to hear that word in a historical. Kicked me right out of the story. And I'd think she'd have stopped once she began lady training.
Also, it baffled me that someone so determined not to sell herself would allow herself to go to bed with her employer. He wasn't paying her for sex, but he was still paying her. She was still working for him. Gray area, I guess.
Overall, the writing wasn't bad, the pace slow but steady, but the story just wasn't what I expected/wanted it to be. Read this book for romance, not for action.
This wasn't a bad book, but it ended up not really being to my taste. Waaayyy too much sex, even for a romance. There had to be, like, half a dozen sex scenes. Relatively graphic, and started pretty early. I was looking forward to My Fair Lady meets Ocean's Eleven, but it seemed they spent more time forking and feeling inadequate than heisting or lady-training. And the heisting went way too smoothly for them--everything happened exactly right until the end, because, you know, climax. A great heist plot has NOTHING going according to plan--Ocean's movies, Mission Impossible movies. That doesn't mean the characters have to be dumb or incompetent, rather life and people are truly unpredictable and they have to be clever and skilled enough to think on their feet and improvise.
The duke was a creepy misogynistic asshole to be sure, but he didn't really strike me as dangerous, or very smart. On the villain scale I'd give him a thumbs-down-raspberry.
Brandon was super sensitive, which isn't necessarily bad, but he wore his heart on his sleeve and came off as needy. He was likeable enough and somewhat sympathetic, but that's about it. Whenever the story mentioned he could fight, I was surprised, because he did not seem like the type. I could see him fencing, where there's rules and honor, but not "no-rules" scrapping. Hard to believe he's a spy. What I wonder is how he allowed the letters to be stolen from him to begin with; I can't remember if the narrative said. Doesn't really lend confidence in him.
Della was sympathetic, but I didn't like her much. She struck me as self-centered/interested, but I suppose a person in her position in life needs to be. Doesn't change the fact that it wasn't an endearing quality. Also, I didn't care for her liberal use of the F-word. Again, I suppose it's realistic for someone in her position to use such crass language, but that doesn't mean it was endearing. Unless the tone is dark and gritty, it's always jarring to hear that word in a historical. Kicked me right out of the story. And I'd think she'd have stopped once she began lady training.
Also, it baffled me that someone so determined not to sell herself would allow herself to go to bed with her employer. He wasn't paying her for sex, but he was still paying her. She was still working for him. Gray area, I guess.
Overall, the writing wasn't bad, the pace slow but steady, but the story just wasn't what I expected/wanted it to be. Read this book for romance, not for action.
January 13, 2024
Yet another book whose content is seriously misrepresented by the publishers summary. Sigh.
I was excited to read this, as a female Victorian thief getting mixed up in some light spy craft sounds like a great premise for a novel. I was expecting a sort of adventurous period piece crossed with a RomCom.
Alas, there’s very little actual thieving and adventure in this one, and the tone is largely dominated by lengthy, cringey, and very open door smutty romance.
I have no issue with a genre like this existing for those who enjoy it or with the inclusion of the occasional open door sex scene being present in books that occupy other genres. But I don’t like being misled, and it’s especially disappointing because the concept here (or at least the alleged concept according to the publishers summary) was a good one. I love the idea of a clever, light historical heist novel with a cute love story on the side.
But what happened here wasn’t that. We don’t ever really hear how the protagonist plies her trade. The actual theft at the center of the novel feels like an afterthought in the end. And the schlocky romance that takes over the story seriously damaged the quality of what could have been a fun read.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I was excited to read this, as a female Victorian thief getting mixed up in some light spy craft sounds like a great premise for a novel. I was expecting a sort of adventurous period piece crossed with a RomCom.
Alas, there’s very little actual thieving and adventure in this one, and the tone is largely dominated by lengthy, cringey, and very open door smutty romance.
I have no issue with a genre like this existing for those who enjoy it or with the inclusion of the occasional open door sex scene being present in books that occupy other genres. But I don’t like being misled, and it’s especially disappointing because the concept here (or at least the alleged concept according to the publishers summary) was a good one. I love the idea of a clever, light historical heist novel with a cute love story on the side.
But what happened here wasn’t that. We don’t ever really hear how the protagonist plies her trade. The actual theft at the center of the novel feels like an afterthought in the end. And the schlocky romance that takes over the story seriously damaged the quality of what could have been a fun read.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
January 10, 2024
A loose My fair lady retelling that sees a Victorian pickpocket recruited by a Lord who is secretly working for the government and in need of her particular talents to help seduce a scoundrel in possession of important documents.
I really enjoyed this dual POV, opposites attract romance. It was steamy, full of great banter and had the right balance of action, adventure and romance. Perfect for fans of authors like Evie Dunmore or India Holton and good on audio too.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. This was a wonderful debut and I'm excited to read what the author writes next!
Steam level: open door, some explicit scenes
I really enjoyed this dual POV, opposites attract romance. It was steamy, full of great banter and had the right balance of action, adventure and romance. Perfect for fans of authors like Evie Dunmore or India Holton and good on audio too.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. This was a wonderful debut and I'm excited to read what the author writes next!
Steam level: open door, some explicit scenes
January 27, 2025
So much insta-lust. Tried listening while I grocery shopped and found myself tuning out, not following, not caring. Time to move on.
October 19, 2023
I will start by saying that from the title of the book and the description I was expecting something quite different: as the lady lead is a thief and there is a mission to be completed, I supposed to get more action. Well, we get a lot of action but it is of the bedroom variety.
The first third of the book proceeds a bit slowly, but the story is well written and the characters well defined.
All in all, I guess this book is more for readers looking for romance than people looking for some thieving action.
I received an advance copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily, thanks to the author for it.
The first third of the book proceeds a bit slowly, but the story is well written and the characters well defined.
All in all, I guess this book is more for readers looking for romance than people looking for some thieving action.
I received an advance copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily, thanks to the author for it.
January 19, 2024
Della Rose is a pickpocket from the slums of Seven Dials - shrewd and quick. A chance encounter with the Earl of Bradford, Cole Winthrop, results in a proposition that would result in Della being set up for life, if she can pull it off: break into the Duke of Salisbury's safe and steal papers of the highest importance.
Della is a realist - out for whatever she can get in life, in order to better herself and pulls no punches in her speech or her actions. Cole, on the other hand, is a spy for the British Home Office, and full of smouldering looks and "golden/amber eyes". The Duke is the stereotypical rich bad guy who feels untouchable. The side characters were practically non-existent.
I really wanted to like this one - a historical heist novel along the lines of My Fair Lady meets James Bond meets Enola Holmes meets Jane Austen (yes, I know Recency != Victorian era!), would have been awesome, but after a strong first half (with the occasional hint of romantic longing) this spiralled very quickly into historical smut with graphic sex scenes and the actual plot being a vague side note. The actual climax of the story (the heist and the aftermath) was completely oversahdowed by multiple chapters of graphic sex that felt anachronistic to the time period (and status of the Earl) and made me lose interest.
I would have given this a much higher rating for a "clean" version - there was so much that could have been included: backstories, the Duke's shady dealings, a new career for Della as a lady spy, *detail* about the heist, and so on.
This could have been a really good, rollicking story, but it felt a bit like a bait and switch the way the tone shifted, and I feel the blurb wasn't accurate when it described the book as "irresistible charm, sparkling romance and an unforgettable heroine".
As a general note, (not just about this book) - If a book is going to be a smut book or have graphic sex scenes, it is up to the publisher to be honest and up front about it. Don't bait and switch us. Nothing about The Lady Thief of Belgravia - not the cover, not the blurb, not the entire first half - indicated that it was going to include graphic content. It's a disappointing trend I am seeing more and more.
~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy op this book in exchange for an honest review~
Della is a realist - out for whatever she can get in life, in order to better herself and pulls no punches in her speech or her actions. Cole, on the other hand, is a spy for the British Home Office, and full of smouldering looks and "golden/amber eyes". The Duke is the stereotypical rich bad guy who feels untouchable. The side characters were practically non-existent.
I really wanted to like this one - a historical heist novel along the lines of My Fair Lady meets James Bond meets Enola Holmes meets Jane Austen (yes, I know Recency != Victorian era!), would have been awesome, but after a strong first half (with the occasional hint of romantic longing) this spiralled very quickly into historical smut with graphic sex scenes and the actual plot being a vague side note. The actual climax of the story (the heist and the aftermath) was completely oversahdowed by multiple chapters of graphic sex that felt anachronistic to the time period (and status of the Earl) and made me lose interest.
I would have given this a much higher rating for a "clean" version - there was so much that could have been included: backstories, the Duke's shady dealings, a new career for Della as a lady spy, *detail* about the heist, and so on.
This could have been a really good, rollicking story, but it felt a bit like a bait and switch the way the tone shifted, and I feel the blurb wasn't accurate when it described the book as "irresistible charm, sparkling romance and an unforgettable heroine".
As a general note, (not just about this book) - If a book is going to be a smut book or have graphic sex scenes, it is up to the publisher to be honest and up front about it. Don't bait and switch us. Nothing about The Lady Thief of Belgravia - not the cover, not the blurb, not the entire first half - indicated that it was going to include graphic content. It's a disappointing trend I am seeing more and more.
~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy op this book in exchange for an honest review~
Read
January 20, 2024Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy.
This was great fun and, if I'd had time, I could have read it all in one sitting quite easily. The romance was compelling, the dialogue was funny, and the action/climax at the end had me postponing my food shopping so that I could find out what happened.
Della was the shining star of the story. She learns everything she needs to learn to fit in with high society, while never losing sight of her roots and remaining true to herself. I also liked the fact that she wasn't particularly embarrassed by where she came from and never shied away from the fact that she was a thief. (For most of the book, she was quite proud of the fact and, since she was mainly stealing from rich, white men, this made me like her even more.) She's also just an incredibly fun character, who throws herself head-first into danger to save others rather than shying away from it.
I liked Cole, too, especially his kindness and compassion, but I found his charisma lacking in comparison to Della (then again, everyone is lacking in comparison to Della). He accepts Della wholeheartedly for who she is, never once judging her for doing what she has (and had) to do to survive. The twist about him was good, if a bit under-utilised. We never see him until the very end, and even then, it's mostly Della doing the work. I could pretty much overlook this, though, since the story was so enjoyable.
The only reason this didn't end up getting five stars from me is that at times I felt like there were actually too many sex scenes, and they ended up detracting from the overall story. (I enjoy smut in my romance, so that's saying something.) I also felt like £10,000 was an exorbitantly high price for Cole to pay Della for her work. Even some wealthy gentry of the era wouldn't earn this much money annually.
But aside from that, I loved this. It was a delightful romp and I'd happily reread it in the future. The only thing I'd say is don't go in expecting a Six of Crows-type heist, it's not quite on that scale. Other than that, if you enjoy spicy historical romance and women being competent af, then you'll probably enjoy this one.
This was great fun and, if I'd had time, I could have read it all in one sitting quite easily. The romance was compelling, the dialogue was funny, and the action/climax at the end had me postponing my food shopping so that I could find out what happened.
Della was the shining star of the story. She learns everything she needs to learn to fit in with high society, while never losing sight of her roots and remaining true to herself. I also liked the fact that she wasn't particularly embarrassed by where she came from and never shied away from the fact that she was a thief. (For most of the book, she was quite proud of the fact and, since she was mainly stealing from rich, white men, this made me like her even more.) She's also just an incredibly fun character, who throws herself head-first into danger to save others rather than shying away from it.
I liked Cole, too, especially his kindness and compassion, but I found his charisma lacking in comparison to Della (then again, everyone is lacking in comparison to Della). He accepts Della wholeheartedly for who she is, never once judging her for doing what she has (and had) to do to survive. The twist about him was good, if a bit under-utilised. We never see him until the very end, and even then, it's mostly Della doing the work. I could pretty much overlook this, though, since the story was so enjoyable.
The only reason this didn't end up getting five stars from me is that at times I felt like there were actually too many sex scenes, and they ended up detracting from the overall story. (I enjoy smut in my romance, so that's saying something.) I also felt like £10,000 was an exorbitantly high price for Cole to pay Della for her work. Even some wealthy gentry of the era wouldn't earn this much money annually.
But aside from that, I loved this. It was a delightful romp and I'd happily reread it in the future. The only thing I'd say is don't go in expecting a Six of Crows-type heist, it's not quite on that scale. Other than that, if you enjoy spicy historical romance and women being competent af, then you'll probably enjoy this one.
January 10, 2024
Book Title: The Lady Thief of Belgravia
Author: Allison Gray
Narrator: Katy Sobey
Publisher: Dreamscape Select- Storm Publishing
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Pub Date: January 18, 2024
My Rating: 3,6 rounded up
Pages: 334
Time Period 1879 London:
Della Rose is the thief in the title she is actually great at pick-pocking. When he spots a man wearing a gold watch he appears to be an easy target. The truth of the matter is the gentleman is Cole Winthrop/Lord Bradford has had his eye on Della as he has something taken he wants back. He tells Della that rather than turn her; he wants her to steal something for him and she can earn £5000; they negotiate the reward to £10,000.
Since Lord Bradford is an autocrat living in a glamourous world, he needs to prepare Della to act the role of his cousin who is a Lady; which requires more than fine clothes she also has to act like a Lady! Hmm this is going to take some work!
When Lord Bradford has transformed her into a refined lady and that he completely trusts Della he tells her a secret which involves the safety of the entire country.
Although there is a big of drama the story is a romance and some may say predictive which reminded me of what Romance author Katherine Center has to say about Romance Novels.
Reading romance stories is fun.
She goes on to say that all stories have an emotion this emotions fueled my anticipation
Mysteries ~ curiosity
Thriller ~ Heart Thumping
Horror ~ Fear
Romance ~ gives us the sense that something is going to get better; something to look forward to.
~ Awww so true!
So I am careful about describing a romance novel as predictive but one that satisficed my positive anticipation ~ and gives me a good feeling!
Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Select-Storm Publications for granting me this early
Audiobook Publishing Date scheduled for January 18. 2024.
Author: Allison Gray
Narrator: Katy Sobey
Publisher: Dreamscape Select- Storm Publishing
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Pub Date: January 18, 2024
My Rating: 3,6 rounded up
Pages: 334
Time Period 1879 London:
Della Rose is the thief in the title she is actually great at pick-pocking. When he spots a man wearing a gold watch he appears to be an easy target. The truth of the matter is the gentleman is Cole Winthrop/Lord Bradford has had his eye on Della as he has something taken he wants back. He tells Della that rather than turn her; he wants her to steal something for him and she can earn £5000; they negotiate the reward to £10,000.
Since Lord Bradford is an autocrat living in a glamourous world, he needs to prepare Della to act the role of his cousin who is a Lady; which requires more than fine clothes she also has to act like a Lady! Hmm this is going to take some work!
When Lord Bradford has transformed her into a refined lady and that he completely trusts Della he tells her a secret which involves the safety of the entire country.
Although there is a big of drama the story is a romance and some may say predictive which reminded me of what Romance author Katherine Center has to say about Romance Novels.
Reading romance stories is fun.
She goes on to say that all stories have an emotion this emotions fueled my anticipation
Mysteries ~ curiosity
Thriller ~ Heart Thumping
Horror ~ Fear
Romance ~ gives us the sense that something is going to get better; something to look forward to.
~ Awww so true!
So I am careful about describing a romance novel as predictive but one that satisficed my positive anticipation ~ and gives me a good feeling!
Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Select-Storm Publications for granting me this early
Audiobook Publishing Date scheduled for January 18. 2024.
January 18, 2024
The Lady Thief of Belgravia By Allison Grey is a classic My Fair Lady/ Pygmalian retelling, where a person from the lower classes is taken and remade into one of their betters for some ulterior purpose.
Miss Della Rose is the best pickpocket in the seven dials. She’s never been caught, that is until she pockets the watch of Cole Winthrop, the Earl of Bradford and he easily corners her. It helps that he’s also a secret operative, and looking to recruit her for a mission.
He needs a beautiful and stealthy thief infiltrate a high ranking peers to retrieve some stolen items. Della Rose has the skill, she just needs to be polished in order to complete this mission. Cue the incessant lessons and training that occurs for a few weeks time and makes her into a perfect London lady.
Through all of this training, Bradford takes hands on approach and feelings are caught on both sides. But just like north and south there’s a great divide in between the reality of Della and Bradford. The differences in their station and their lives is too much for them to breach… or is it?
I was anticipating a lot more mystery and sleuthing, and found that this was more extreme makeover.
I listen to the audiobook version, narrated by Katy Sobey and found that she had a voice that once you got used to provided an appropriate voice for this book. I neither found it improved upon the story or distracted from it. Sobie does a good job delineating her character voice work and injecting emotion into her reading.
Overall, I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it. I wonder if I was expecting a simple romance if I would’ve enjoyed Della’s extreme makeover more.
Thanks to Dreamscape Select (Storm Publishing) for my advance listening copy. Opinions are my own.
Miss Della Rose is the best pickpocket in the seven dials. She’s never been caught, that is until she pockets the watch of Cole Winthrop, the Earl of Bradford and he easily corners her. It helps that he’s also a secret operative, and looking to recruit her for a mission.
He needs a beautiful and stealthy thief infiltrate a high ranking peers to retrieve some stolen items. Della Rose has the skill, she just needs to be polished in order to complete this mission. Cue the incessant lessons and training that occurs for a few weeks time and makes her into a perfect London lady.
Through all of this training, Bradford takes hands on approach and feelings are caught on both sides. But just like north and south there’s a great divide in between the reality of Della and Bradford. The differences in their station and their lives is too much for them to breach… or is it?
I was anticipating a lot more mystery and sleuthing, and found that this was more extreme makeover.
I listen to the audiobook version, narrated by Katy Sobey and found that she had a voice that once you got used to provided an appropriate voice for this book. I neither found it improved upon the story or distracted from it. Sobie does a good job delineating her character voice work and injecting emotion into her reading.
Overall, I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it. I wonder if I was expecting a simple romance if I would’ve enjoyed Della’s extreme makeover more.
Thanks to Dreamscape Select (Storm Publishing) for my advance listening copy. Opinions are my own.
January 10, 2024
Review of the NetGalley Audiobook ARC.
Does contain mild spoilers to the story.
Unfortunately, I could not get into the story from the start.
Della, a skilled pickpocket of Seven Dials is caught by a mere toff. Said toff, Lord Bradford, manages to follow Della into the back alleys and offers her a job. He needs a lady thief and is willing to pay for her services. Miss Della Rose is to live with him, so that she can be tutored and establish in society as Bradford's cousin, in the hope that their mark falls for her and she can steal the papers.
For an orphan from Seven Dials Della is actually very well educated, she likes reading and does have a lot of knowledge apart from how to survive on the street and still look like a debutante at 24 years old. Naturally, she takes to her new life like a duck to water. She learns all the etiquette rules, playing the piano, waltzing, etc etc basically over night. And from there on out it is nearly smooth sailing. She's accepted in society, she manages to ensnare the mark, she can easily outsmart all measures preventing her from stealing the papers back, and she and Bradford enjoy the carnal aspects of their insta-love.
If you can overlook the flat characters, the historical inaccuracies, the anachronistic phrases, the raunchy sex-scenes, the clunky plot, then you might enjoy this insta-love 'My Fair Lady'-ish romance.
Does contain mild spoilers to the story.
Unfortunately, I could not get into the story from the start.
Della, a skilled pickpocket of Seven Dials is caught by a mere toff. Said toff, Lord Bradford, manages to follow Della into the back alleys and offers her a job. He needs a lady thief and is willing to pay for her services. Miss Della Rose is to live with him, so that she can be tutored and establish in society as Bradford's cousin, in the hope that their mark falls for her and she can steal the papers.
For an orphan from Seven Dials Della is actually very well educated, she likes reading and does have a lot of knowledge apart from how to survive on the street and still look like a debutante at 24 years old. Naturally, she takes to her new life like a duck to water. She learns all the etiquette rules, playing the piano, waltzing, etc etc basically over night. And from there on out it is nearly smooth sailing. She's accepted in society, she manages to ensnare the mark, she can easily outsmart all measures preventing her from stealing the papers back, and she and Bradford enjoy the carnal aspects of their insta-love.
If you can overlook the flat characters, the historical inaccuracies, the anachronistic phrases, the raunchy sex-scenes, the clunky plot, then you might enjoy this insta-love 'My Fair Lady'-ish romance.
January 18, 2024
The beautiful cover and the catchy title caught my eye.
I was expecting more of a regency spy mystery with a cute romance but it didn't really materialise. There are shades of My Fair Lady but I couldn't quite believe she was being made to learn the piano in order to pass herself off as accomplished at tonnish events.
All she had to do was steal a few papers I couldn't believe that the Home Office couldn't have dealt with that themselves without bringing in a criminal to help them. Everything she goes to do is accomplished straight away and she has no trouble stealing, making a mould of a key and replacing said key around the duke's neck all without him noticing. This just made him look dumb and not much of a villain to worry about.
I've seen a few reviewers complain that Della uses the F word a lot and that it wasn't used back then. It has actually been around for centuries and came into common usage in the 18th and 19th centuries.
I however, winced at the use of fall instead of autumn.
There are scenes upon scenes of sex so if you are into that you will be happy. Maybe a naked character on the front of the novel would give readers a better idea of what to expect.
The final few chapters where there is a lot of tense drama and action saved the blah storyline but I was still glad to see the end of this book.
I was expecting more of a regency spy mystery with a cute romance but it didn't really materialise. There are shades of My Fair Lady but I couldn't quite believe she was being made to learn the piano in order to pass herself off as accomplished at tonnish events.
All she had to do was steal a few papers I couldn't believe that the Home Office couldn't have dealt with that themselves without bringing in a criminal to help them. Everything she goes to do is accomplished straight away and she has no trouble stealing, making a mould of a key and replacing said key around the duke's neck all without him noticing. This just made him look dumb and not much of a villain to worry about.
I've seen a few reviewers complain that Della uses the F word a lot and that it wasn't used back then. It has actually been around for centuries and came into common usage in the 18th and 19th centuries.
I however, winced at the use of fall instead of autumn.
There are scenes upon scenes of sex so if you are into that you will be happy. Maybe a naked character on the front of the novel would give readers a better idea of what to expect.
The final few chapters where there is a lot of tense drama and action saved the blah storyline but I was still glad to see the end of this book.
January 18, 2024
3.5 Stars
London, 1879. Della Rose learned her trade as a pickpocket on the streets of the notorious Seven Dials. But when the handsome Cole Winthrop, Earl of Bradford & kept my interest. offers her a huge sum of money to steal from his arch nemesis, the nefarious Duke of Salisbury, it seems Della’s days of deceit and thievery could soon be behind her. To do the job she must go undercover as a member of high society, learning to walk, talk, ride and flirt like a lady.
As an undeniable attraction grows between Della & Cole. Succeeding in her mission could be her ticket to a new life.
I believe a debut novel for the author & I enjoyed the book & look forward to reading more from the author as she hones her craft. The characters had some depth but I felt it was a bit superficial & I didn’t really get to know them. The pace was good & the story flowed well. There were historical inaccuracies & sometimes I felt it was more Regency than Victorian. Overall an interesting & entertaining debut
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
London, 1879. Della Rose learned her trade as a pickpocket on the streets of the notorious Seven Dials. But when the handsome Cole Winthrop, Earl of Bradford & kept my interest. offers her a huge sum of money to steal from his arch nemesis, the nefarious Duke of Salisbury, it seems Della’s days of deceit and thievery could soon be behind her. To do the job she must go undercover as a member of high society, learning to walk, talk, ride and flirt like a lady.
As an undeniable attraction grows between Della & Cole. Succeeding in her mission could be her ticket to a new life.
I believe a debut novel for the author & I enjoyed the book & look forward to reading more from the author as she hones her craft. The characters had some depth but I felt it was a bit superficial & I didn’t really get to know them. The pace was good & the story flowed well. There were historical inaccuracies & sometimes I felt it was more Regency than Victorian. Overall an interesting & entertaining debut
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
March 30, 2024
Audio arc provided by NetGalley.
Love Katie Sobey's narration. Have enjoyed many of her performances.
As to the book well it's not My Fair Lady meets Ocean's Eleven. It's a smutty romance with weak historical setting and a vague mystery subplot.
If you are a romance first reader and you enjoy the NetFlix adaptation of Bridgerton (I do but historical inconsistencies often annoy me and no I don't mean the blind casting) then you will probably enjoy this as a lught steamy romp.
However if, like me, you were hoping for an actual heist with character development and a romantic subplot that answered qyestions like 'why would a lord want to marry a pickpocket without regard for societal norms and social rules?' you'll be disappointed.
There's nothing wring with pure wish fulfillment but a book's marketing does it a diservice when it tries to make out it's anything else.
Overall I enjoyed parts of this due to the narrator but was left baffled by the unlikeliness of the plot. I can see why others love it but ultimately it wasn't for me.
Love Katie Sobey's narration. Have enjoyed many of her performances.
As to the book well it's not My Fair Lady meets Ocean's Eleven. It's a smutty romance with weak historical setting and a vague mystery subplot.
If you are a romance first reader and you enjoy the NetFlix adaptation of Bridgerton (I do but historical inconsistencies often annoy me and no I don't mean the blind casting) then you will probably enjoy this as a lught steamy romp.
However if, like me, you were hoping for an actual heist with character development and a romantic subplot that answered qyestions like 'why would a lord want to marry a pickpocket without regard for societal norms and social rules?' you'll be disappointed.
There's nothing wring with pure wish fulfillment but a book's marketing does it a diservice when it tries to make out it's anything else.
Overall I enjoyed parts of this due to the narrator but was left baffled by the unlikeliness of the plot. I can see why others love it but ultimately it wasn't for me.
November 7, 2023
This was such a promising book! A notorious London thief teams up with a gentleman spy to steal back some important documents. Unfortunately, it’s more insta-love and less plot. The characters all just seem a little flat and the ending feels quite rushed. A lot of potential, but I just couldn’t connect to this!
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