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Rules for the Reckless #3
Lady Be Good
The third searing novel in the Rules for the Reckless series by Meredith Duran, the USA Today bestselling author of sexy and evocative Regency romances in the tradition of Sarah MacLean.
Catching the Lady Red-Handed
Born to a family of infamous criminals, Lilah Marshall has left behind her past and made herself into the perfect lady. Working as a hostess at Eveleigh's, London’s premier auction house, she leads a life full of art, culture, and virtue. All her dreams are within reach—until a gorgeous and enigmatic viscount catches her in the act of one last, very reluctant theft.
Chasing One Red-Hot Passion
Christian “Kit” Stratton, Viscount Palmer, is society's most dashing war hero. But Kit’s easy smiles hide a dark secret: he is haunted by a madman’s vow to destroy anyone he loves. When his hunt for the enemy leads to Everleigh’s Auction Rooms, he compels Lilah to help him. But one tempting touch may be their undoing—for what Kit needs threatens all Lilah holds dear, and losing her may destroy Kit.
Catching the Lady Red-Handed
Born to a family of infamous criminals, Lilah Marshall has left behind her past and made herself into the perfect lady. Working as a hostess at Eveleigh's, London’s premier auction house, she leads a life full of art, culture, and virtue. All her dreams are within reach—until a gorgeous and enigmatic viscount catches her in the act of one last, very reluctant theft.
Chasing One Red-Hot Passion
Christian “Kit” Stratton, Viscount Palmer, is society's most dashing war hero. But Kit’s easy smiles hide a dark secret: he is haunted by a madman’s vow to destroy anyone he loves. When his hunt for the enemy leads to Everleigh’s Auction Rooms, he compels Lilah to help him. But one tempting touch may be their undoing—for what Kit needs threatens all Lilah holds dear, and losing her may destroy Kit.
367 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 28, 2015
115 people are currently reading
1603 people want to read
About the author
Meredith Duran
18 books1,835 followersMEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. She is the author of twelve novels, all published by Pocket Books. Her debut, The Duke of Shadows, has been translated into thirteen languages and was ranked among the top 100 romances of all time by NPR and All About Romance. Her other books include RITA award winner Fool Me Twice and her February 2017 release, A Lady's Code of Misconduct, which was called one of the best romances of the year by BookList and Amazon, and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, the latter of which opined: “This book weaves its spell so thoroughly that the most fortunate reader will be the one who has time to read the entire thing in one sitting.” Her next release, THE SINS OF LORD LOCKWOOD, hits the shelves on February 27, 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
March 12, 2018
Well, on I plow through this series.
Why only 3 stars, when Duran has a writing style that is really top-notch? Once again, I have a problem with the borderline abusive hero and the heroine who subordinates her own needs and desires in order to smooth the way for the hero.
Christian is a war hero bent on revenge and worrying about protecting his family from the Russian renegade who tortured him then organised the death of Christian's brother and had promised to get the rest of his family.
Lily is working as a hostess at an auction house (her female boss is the boss from hell) but her origins are Whitechapel and thieving. Indeed, her uncle is pretty much the crime boss of the London east end.
Christian catches her stealing documents (she is being blackmailed by her uncle), steals the letters back while seducing her with his oh-so- overpowering kisses (why are these women such f***ing pushovers??) and then blackmails her into spying for him.
While at the same time trying to get into her pants- not that she puts up any sort of fight. So he is a really nice guy- NOT.
Anyhoo, all I can say is Lily was disappointing. I'm afraid I have no time for women who can't cut their losses and move on when it is a hopeless case. Lily just wouldn't move on.
Don't even get me started on the crudely demeaning way he talks to Lily about having sex with her. I have decided there are two ways for that sort of language to be used: it can be sexy where there is a real relationship and respect, and you are only expressing the sexy things you want to do in a dirty, turn-me-on kind of way. Then it is titillating and arousing. Or it can be cruel and demeaning, where it is used to belittle a person. Then it diminishes both the partner and the sexual act itself. Unfortunately it seems to be the latter here. I just felt a bit sick when I read it. And Christian struggled to make it back from there for me. When he was happy for a gun manufacturer to use him to promote a new gun (Christian was a war hero- his poem/song was actually great), because he really didn't give a toss about anything but his need to protect his family and get revenge for his brother, it was definitely over. I could not like him.
Lots of action in this one at the end, what with kidnappings and murders etc.
The next book is about Lily's uncle Nick, who comes across as a truly horrible person in this book, totally ok with Lily doing whatever she needs to do to get the letters back (She was being blackmailed separately by two different men who supposedly cared for her. Was there ever such a sorry pair of arseholes?) Even if it means using her body. Nick also forced her to thieve for him from a very young age, despite the personal danger this always put her into, and instead of applauding her efforts to educate herself and lift herself out of the east end slums, condemns her for abandoning her "family".
With uncles like that, who needs..... you know how it goes :)
By the end, I was so disgusted with the way all the women seemed to be controlled and manipulated by the men in this book, I was just plain relieved to finish it. Maybe I expect too much from my HR and should lighten up?
Onward (and hopefully upward) to Nick's story in Luck be a Lady.
Why only 3 stars, when Duran has a writing style that is really top-notch? Once again, I have a problem with the borderline abusive hero and the heroine who subordinates her own needs and desires in order to smooth the way for the hero.
Christian is a war hero bent on revenge and worrying about protecting his family from the Russian renegade who tortured him then organised the death of Christian's brother and had promised to get the rest of his family.
Lily is working as a hostess at an auction house (her female boss is the boss from hell) but her origins are Whitechapel and thieving. Indeed, her uncle is pretty much the crime boss of the London east end.
Christian catches her stealing documents (she is being blackmailed by her uncle), steals the letters back while seducing her with his oh-so- overpowering kisses (why are these women such f***ing pushovers??) and then blackmails her into spying for him.
While at the same time trying to get into her pants- not that she puts up any sort of fight. So he is a really nice guy- NOT.
Anyhoo, all I can say is Lily was disappointing. I'm afraid I have no time for women who can't cut their losses and move on when it is a hopeless case. Lily just wouldn't move on.
Don't even get me started on the crudely demeaning way he talks to Lily about having sex with her. I have decided there are two ways for that sort of language to be used: it can be sexy where there is a real relationship and respect, and you are only expressing the sexy things you want to do in a dirty, turn-me-on kind of way. Then it is titillating and arousing. Or it can be cruel and demeaning, where it is used to belittle a person. Then it diminishes both the partner and the sexual act itself. Unfortunately it seems to be the latter here. I just felt a bit sick when I read it. And Christian struggled to make it back from there for me. When he was happy for a gun manufacturer to use him to promote a new gun (Christian was a war hero- his poem/song was actually great), because he really didn't give a toss about anything but his need to protect his family and get revenge for his brother, it was definitely over. I could not like him.
Lots of action in this one at the end, what with kidnappings and murders etc.
The next book is about Lily's uncle Nick, who comes across as a truly horrible person in this book, totally ok with Lily doing whatever she needs to do to get the letters back (She was being blackmailed separately by two different men who supposedly cared for her. Was there ever such a sorry pair of arseholes?) Even if it means using her body. Nick also forced her to thieve for him from a very young age, despite the personal danger this always put her into, and instead of applauding her efforts to educate herself and lift herself out of the east end slums, condemns her for abandoning her "family".
With uncles like that, who needs..... you know how it goes :)
By the end, I was so disgusted with the way all the women seemed to be controlled and manipulated by the men in this book, I was just plain relieved to finish it. Maybe I expect too much from my HR and should lighten up?
Onward (and hopefully upward) to Nick's story in Luck be a Lady.
August 6, 2017
*4.5 stars*
If you are a historical romance lover and you aren't reading Meredith Duran you are missing out on something VERY special.
Lady Be Good is another stellar book in the very good Rules for the Reckless series. No, you don't have to read the series in order (I bounced around), but you'll want to buy up the whole series after just one book. They are that good.
I read a lot of romance, and a lot of M/F historical romance, and I'm a jaded, picky reader. What Meredith Duran does better than most is she makes her stories complex. These aren't breezy reads. The MCs are usually strong personalities and they usually have a ton of baggage, and Meredith Duran takes her time developing the story and the romance.
I adored this one. It's a little long, but well worth your time and energy. The romance builds and builds, and I just love a misunderstood royal story. There is just so much to work with here.
I even loved reading the story in paperback form, something that often irritates me now that I have my Kindle Voyage. There was something tactile and satisfying about reading this particular story this way.
Overall, an excellent read, and I'm totally hooked on this series.
If you are a historical romance lover and you aren't reading Meredith Duran you are missing out on something VERY special.
Lady Be Good is another stellar book in the very good Rules for the Reckless series. No, you don't have to read the series in order (I bounced around), but you'll want to buy up the whole series after just one book. They are that good.
I read a lot of romance, and a lot of M/F historical romance, and I'm a jaded, picky reader. What Meredith Duran does better than most is she makes her stories complex. These aren't breezy reads. The MCs are usually strong personalities and they usually have a ton of baggage, and Meredith Duran takes her time developing the story and the romance.
I adored this one. It's a little long, but well worth your time and energy. The romance builds and builds, and I just love a misunderstood royal story. There is just so much to work with here.
I even loved reading the story in paperback form, something that often irritates me now that I have my Kindle Voyage. There was something tactile and satisfying about reading this particular story this way.
Overall, an excellent read, and I'm totally hooked on this series.
July 7, 2022
Re-read on 7th of July 2022
This book, unfortunately, suffers upon re-read. I had to downgrade it to 3 stars. Upon re-read, I noticed there were a lot of implausible plotlines that made my eyebrows arched. I had no idea why I gave this one 5 stars before. It might have been because it exceeded my (albeit low) expectations, but I just feel that it doesn’t warrant 5 stars.
1. There is a mad Russian super villain running around in London with no one none the wiser.
2. Kit’s determination in wanting to marry Catherine because she is in contact with the Russian for the artefacts sale. I think there are other ruses more probable than him wanting to marry Catherine just because he wanted to get hold of the Russian. Also, he will only return the letters to Lilah when Catherine agreed to marry him by end of June. In the meantime, Lilah has to do some spying for him and sings his praises in front of Catherine.
3. Nick’s blaseness when he heard Lilah’s telling him that she wanted to trade her body for those letters that she was supposed to steal for him. He even offered to get a prostitute to speak to Lilah about contraceptives. She’s your niece, for heaven’s sake! How could you let her do such a thing and what’s up with you threatening to expose her at her workplace just because she wanted to better herself? Looking at my old review, why would I ever be interested in Nick's story since he's such an ass?
4. What’s with the stolen letters anyway? The letters do not seem important because no one seems to miss them.
On a good note, the writing is above average and the love scenes are emotional.
I did not expect to ever feel this way about Ms Duran’s book. I loved Fool Me Twice and it is still a 5 stars read for me. I’m willing to suspend disbelief in the interest of a good story but the plot is simply too ridiculous. It makes me anxious about how the next couple of books in the series will hold up upon re-read. I think I’ll need to take a break from her books.
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I didn't think I would love this book by reading the blurb but I actually do, which is a nice surprise. The pacing is good (not a single dull moment!) and the characters are simply great. This book cements my opinion that Meredith Duran simply couldn't write badly. This book actually got me pretty excited to read the next one in the series which is Luck Be A Lady (this book is about Nick O'Shea - lord of the underworlds and Lady Catherine Everleigh - the ice queen, I'm wondering how's that going to play out?)
This book, unfortunately, suffers upon re-read. I had to downgrade it to 3 stars. Upon re-read, I noticed there were a lot of implausible plotlines that made my eyebrows arched. I had no idea why I gave this one 5 stars before. It might have been because it exceeded my (albeit low) expectations, but I just feel that it doesn’t warrant 5 stars.
1. There is a mad Russian super villain running around in London with no one none the wiser.
2. Kit’s determination in wanting to marry Catherine because she is in contact with the Russian for the artefacts sale. I think there are other ruses more probable than him wanting to marry Catherine just because he wanted to get hold of the Russian. Also, he will only return the letters to Lilah when Catherine agreed to marry him by end of June. In the meantime, Lilah has to do some spying for him and sings his praises in front of Catherine.
3. Nick’s blaseness when he heard Lilah’s telling him that she wanted to trade her body for those letters that she was supposed to steal for him. He even offered to get a prostitute to speak to Lilah about contraceptives. She’s your niece, for heaven’s sake! How could you let her do such a thing and what’s up with you threatening to expose her at her workplace just because she wanted to better herself? Looking at my old review, why would I ever be interested in Nick's story since he's such an ass?
4. What’s with the stolen letters anyway? The letters do not seem important because no one seems to miss them.
On a good note, the writing is above average and the love scenes are emotional.
I did not expect to ever feel this way about Ms Duran’s book. I loved Fool Me Twice and it is still a 5 stars read for me. I’m willing to suspend disbelief in the interest of a good story but the plot is simply too ridiculous. It makes me anxious about how the next couple of books in the series will hold up upon re-read. I think I’ll need to take a break from her books.
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I didn't think I would love this book by reading the blurb but I actually do, which is a nice surprise. The pacing is good (not a single dull moment!) and the characters are simply great. This book cements my opinion that Meredith Duran simply couldn't write badly. This book actually got me pretty excited to read the next one in the series which is Luck Be A Lady (this book is about Nick O'Shea - lord of the underworlds and Lady Catherine Everleigh - the ice queen, I'm wondering how's that going to play out?)
December 10, 2015
3.3 stars
November 29, 2020
This is my first Meredith Duran book and I enjoyed the intriguing story, intelligent writing, fascinating characters and sensual love story.
This is book 3 in the series but can easily be read as a standalone.
I love Lily’s character. She’s intelligent, tenacious, ambitious and courageous. We see it in her determination to fulfil her sister’s dream and make a better life for herself; in the hard-work and self-discipline needed to become a perfect lady; in her desire to earn an honest living as a hostess at the prestigious Everleigh’s Auction Rooms. I like how she holds her own in the initial verbal battle with Christian and I love the knife throwing scene where she certainly comes out on top!
I had mixed feelings about Christian. I liked the rakish, flirtatious side we see in his interactions with Lily but he also has a darker side. He is obsessed with finding and killing Bolkhov, the madman responsible for his brother’s murder and now threatening the lives of his mother and sister. I didn’t approve of the way he is prepared to use Catherine Everleigh as an innocent pawn in his plans. I thought this was particularly reprehensible given he knew full well what would happen to her if she fell into Bolkhov’s hands.
I enjoyed how Ms Duran develops the romance between these two… the witty banter, the heady attraction, the smouldering kisses and the desire and passion that burns between them.
One of the highlights of the book for me is the developing friendship between Lily and the previously obnoxious Catherine Everleigh. Here are two women who refuse to be constrained by what society expects of them. Both are strong, capable women and I love how they use their own abilities to outwit the villain.
I was intrigued by Nick O’Shea, Lily’s ruthless uncle and infamous ruler of Whitechapel and it will be interesting to see how Ms Duran redeems him in the next book, LUCK BE A LADY. Pairing him with “Ice Queen” Catherine Everleigh should definitely prove interesting!
MY VERDICT: This was a very enjoyable book and I will certainly be looking to read more by Meredith Duran.
REVIEW RATING: 4/5 STARS
This review is also posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:
https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...
This is book 3 in the series but can easily be read as a standalone.
I love Lily’s character. She’s intelligent, tenacious, ambitious and courageous. We see it in her determination to fulfil her sister’s dream and make a better life for herself; in the hard-work and self-discipline needed to become a perfect lady; in her desire to earn an honest living as a hostess at the prestigious Everleigh’s Auction Rooms. I like how she holds her own in the initial verbal battle with Christian and I love the knife throwing scene where she certainly comes out on top!
I had mixed feelings about Christian. I liked the rakish, flirtatious side we see in his interactions with Lily but he also has a darker side. He is obsessed with finding and killing Bolkhov, the madman responsible for his brother’s murder and now threatening the lives of his mother and sister. I didn’t approve of the way he is prepared to use Catherine Everleigh as an innocent pawn in his plans. I thought this was particularly reprehensible given he knew full well what would happen to her if she fell into Bolkhov’s hands.
I enjoyed how Ms Duran develops the romance between these two… the witty banter, the heady attraction, the smouldering kisses and the desire and passion that burns between them.
One of the highlights of the book for me is the developing friendship between Lily and the previously obnoxious Catherine Everleigh. Here are two women who refuse to be constrained by what society expects of them. Both are strong, capable women and I love how they use their own abilities to outwit the villain.
I was intrigued by Nick O’Shea, Lily’s ruthless uncle and infamous ruler of Whitechapel and it will be interesting to see how Ms Duran redeems him in the next book, LUCK BE A LADY. Pairing him with “Ice Queen” Catherine Everleigh should definitely prove interesting!
MY VERDICT: This was a very enjoyable book and I will certainly be looking to read more by Meredith Duran.
REVIEW RATING: 4/5 STARS
This review is also posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:
https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...
August 10, 2015
I love Ms. Duran's writing and her "unusual" heroines! This book was no exception.
September 9, 2015
That is how a historical romance should be written. One of the best books I've read in this genre. The characters are real and mature. The heroine is not your typical lady. She is from a rather scandalous background and I loved every minute in Lilah's shoes. I must admit: I haven't sympathized to any heroine so much for a long time. She is brilliant, intelligent, she is strong - a survive, she is funny - oh yes, I couldn't stop laughing while reading this book. She is no damsel in distress and can rival any man. Lady be good, indeed!
The hero Christian was a great partner for Lilah: strong, broody - yes, but also determined and stubborn when it came to his goals. An excellent male species (swoons dreamily). How refreshing it is to read a book that lacks unnecessary drama. The romance was graduate and hot as hell (well, definitely hotter). And there wasn't any rush, just getting to know each other and having fun in process (not the fan you just thought about... well, ok, this kind of fun too;))
Meredith Duran done a great job recreating historical surroundings that are a great match to real history. This book is not only about romance, it is about the way people lived and not just nobles, but people from the other side of the city.
The hero Christian was a great partner for Lilah: strong, broody - yes, but also determined and stubborn when it came to his goals. An excellent male species (swoons dreamily). How refreshing it is to read a book that lacks unnecessary drama. The romance was graduate and hot as hell (well, definitely hotter). And there wasn't any rush, just getting to know each other and having fun in process (not the fan you just thought about... well, ok, this kind of fun too;))
Meredith Duran done a great job recreating historical surroundings that are a great match to real history. This book is not only about romance, it is about the way people lived and not just nobles, but people from the other side of the city.
Highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a solid historical romance with amazing characters in a rich background and a bit of danger in the process and all this spiced with excellent humor. And as a bonus damsels will save the day!Her eyes narrowed. “Forgive me. Of course you’re right. We women are very predictable.” Then, with a surprising show of strength, she yanked the dagger out of the door, hefted it once in her hand, and threw it.The blade flashed by him. It came so close that he felt the flutter of air displaced by its passage.Thunk.Speechless, he turned. The knife now pinned the ancient tapestry to a mortared joint in the wall. It pinned the eye of the lion to the wall.That was a happy accident. Surely.“Oh, look,” she said from the doorway. “It seems a woman can surprise you, after all!”
He kissed her mouth again. So sweetly. Had she ever been kissed like this? Pray God this would not be the last time—“Wait.” That wasn’t the right thought. “I—”
“What happens,” he asked, “in the last week of June?”She pressed her lips together. “Nothing.” And then, with a shrug: “The devil will have his due.”“Sweet girl.” He held out his hand to help her rise. “I have good news. From now on, the only devil you need fear is me.”
His lips came against her ear. “The things I would do to you,” he said. “Give you what you need.”Her hips jerked. Do it.“Say the word.” He pressed harder. “Yes, that’s it. Rock. Rub against me.”Ah, God—“Say it.” He was growling against her now. “Tell me you want this.”I want this.“Tell me to take you.”Take me. The words rang so clearly in her head that they penetrated her fever. She pushed away from him.“Stop!” She scrambled to her feet, knocking her skirts down. “Stop! It’s my choice, you said.”
February 8, 2022
Reread on December 31, 2020: I love Meredith but this isn’t her best book. The rereading process has been interesting as it’s easier to rank/compare the backlist. A lot about this romance does not hold up (ughhh at the solider hero backstory/arc in the British Empire).
Let’s say four stars for nostalgia, compelling prose, and heroine Lilah. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my reread but I’m *extremely* aware of certain problems. The romantic connection isn’t good when compared to other Duran books.
Let’s say four stars for nostalgia, compelling prose, and heroine Lilah. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my reread but I’m *extremely* aware of certain problems. The romantic connection isn’t good when compared to other Duran books.
March 4, 2017
This is third in a series. By all means, read the others. Certainly read them before this one, though none of those characters seem to matter in this book, really. I'd reconsider continuing on to this one, though, as the story relies on a lot of dumb conveniences and the plot only works if you don't care about things like, well, plot.
I struggled through for nearly three quarters of the book making excuses for continuing as I went along. The thing is, the main plot is driven by an idiocy that's as transparent as finely-wrought glass and Kit not only has to buy into the stupidity, he does so in a manner that is as unflattering to him as he could make it. I hate the whole "clever madman" plot device anyway and this one just doesn't work on any level. . And Kit does the stupid thing where he blames himself for failing to prevent a madman from harming people (which is particularly galling when said madman only succeeded because the author declared that he did because, well, spoiler).
It's a real shame that this plot attached to characters I might have otherwise liked. I mean Kit and Lilah are okay but that plot distorts everything around it because it forms the basis of all the motivations and actions. So we have people who should be smart and capable being stupid and incompetent and doing things that make zero sense while they're at it. I mean, half the book has Lilah and her employer in some country estate (with Kit, of course) for reasons that are contrived where things happen that are random, sometimes menacing, and everybody reacts like they're starring in a new gothic soap opera aimed at teenagers (when they aren't acting like there's nothing at all suspicious about lying about the place). So while the romance may be kind of working it's set among a great, whopping swirly-thing of stupid that the whole time I'm reading I have a low-grade friction going on in the back of my mind telling me this is all bollocks and why am I still reading it.
Sigh. If the stupid had been less huge or less pervasive or expressed less in the reactions of the lead characters, I might have liked this story. I gave it way longer than I should have to get better. And I even skimmed ahead to confirm that, yes, the whole antagonist thing really was as contrived and stupid as I'd thought. Such a very sad waste of time.
I struggled through for nearly three quarters of the book making excuses for continuing as I went along. The thing is, the main plot is driven by an idiocy that's as transparent as finely-wrought glass and Kit not only has to buy into the stupidity, he does so in a manner that is as unflattering to him as he could make it. I hate the whole "clever madman" plot device anyway and this one just doesn't work on any level. . And Kit does the stupid thing where he blames himself for failing to prevent a madman from harming people (which is particularly galling when said madman only succeeded because the author declared that he did because, well, spoiler).
It's a real shame that this plot attached to characters I might have otherwise liked. I mean Kit and Lilah are okay but that plot distorts everything around it because it forms the basis of all the motivations and actions. So we have people who should be smart and capable being stupid and incompetent and doing things that make zero sense while they're at it. I mean, half the book has Lilah and her employer in some country estate (with Kit, of course) for reasons that are contrived where things happen that are random, sometimes menacing, and everybody reacts like they're starring in a new gothic soap opera aimed at teenagers (when they aren't acting like there's nothing at all suspicious about lying about the place). So while the romance may be kind of working it's set among a great, whopping swirly-thing of stupid that the whole time I'm reading I have a low-grade friction going on in the back of my mind telling me this is all bollocks and why am I still reading it.
Sigh. If the stupid had been less huge or less pervasive or expressed less in the reactions of the lead characters, I might have liked this story. I gave it way longer than I should have to get better. And I even skimmed ahead to confirm that, yes, the whole antagonist thing really was as contrived and stupid as I'd thought. Such a very sad waste of time.
September 6, 2019
I started Meredith Duran's Rules for the Reckless series many years ago, but I somehow never got the chance to continue reading it after Fool Me Twice. The last couple of years have been lacking in good historical romances. Big publishers have been releasing some pretty disappointing historicals lately, so I decided it was time to 1) discover new indie historical romance authors and 2) go back to authors that I know won't disappoint me. Hence, my return to this series.
Lady Be Good is superbly written. Duran's prose hits the perfect balance for me: it's poetic and vivid, but not overburdened by verbosity and endless metaphors. Duran takes an old and tired plotline — that of the hero's enemy coming for his loved ones — and twists it around with the addition of a heroine who comes from a family of criminals. The romance, despite starting off with a banging meet cute, is more or less steady because of the setting. Majority of this book takes place in the countryside, so the setting is quite static and a bit slow moving. But this quiet setting and pace provide the perfect backdrop for Christian and Lilah's romance to take the spotlight. What I love the most is that the steadiness of the relationship development does not undermine the sexual tension at all. It in fact increases the simmering sexual tension between the hero and heroine.
I really enjoyed reading this book and now I am even more excited to read the next one!!! I'm so curious to find out how Nick and Catherine will navigate a marriage of convenience.
Lady Be Good is superbly written. Duran's prose hits the perfect balance for me: it's poetic and vivid, but not overburdened by verbosity and endless metaphors. Duran takes an old and tired plotline — that of the hero's enemy coming for his loved ones — and twists it around with the addition of a heroine who comes from a family of criminals. The romance, despite starting off with a banging meet cute, is more or less steady because of the setting. Majority of this book takes place in the countryside, so the setting is quite static and a bit slow moving. But this quiet setting and pace provide the perfect backdrop for Christian and Lilah's romance to take the spotlight. What I love the most is that the steadiness of the relationship development does not undermine the sexual tension at all. It in fact increases the simmering sexual tension between the hero and heroine.
I really enjoyed reading this book and now I am even more excited to read the next one!!! I'm so curious to find out how Nick and Catherine will navigate a marriage of convenience.
January 8, 2020
I enjoyed this book generally, but the premise of a criminal who's trying to make something of her life by working as a "hostess" in an auction company marrying a viscount who's just dispatched a crazed enemy ... I don't know. I just can't quite suspend my disbelief. I do still want to read the next book, though.
November 26, 2017
3.5 to 4 stars for this enjoyable read. I liked both H and h. Christian is a brave, honourable war hero, although like any person who has experienced war, he is deeply affected by the experience. He doesn't see himself as a hero, just someone who did what he had to do. But now a man from his past, a bitter old Russian who has a grudge against Christian from the war, has followed him to England. He is out to destroy Christian and everyone he loves.
Lilah, or Lily, is from a different world than Christian. Growing up in London's East End, niece of a local crime lord, brought up as a petty thief. She has a brain, and has been fighting for the past few years to better herself, to educate herself and to find a better life away from the tendrils of her uncle, away from a life of crime. But it's not so easy to break away.
In one sense they are an unlikely couple. But they are drawn to each other, and then circumstances force them together even more. The plot is quite dramatic, with the evil, obsessed Bolkhov's behaviour being quite extreme.
Overall I liked the book. It's fast-moving, although not very long. The sections about the art and antiques world (Lilah works at an auction house) are quite interesting. On one level I felt a bit uncomfortable/unconvinced about the match of Lilah and Christian due to their different classes and the different worlds they inhabited. But Duran does her usual convincing job with her characters, and you feel the real connection between H and h. Both of them are beautifully drawn characters with believable motivations. I look forward to the next book in this series - Nick and Catherine's story. Kind of turning this one on its head, because in this next book the H is the Eastender and the h is the upper class one. Should be interesting.
Lilah, or Lily, is from a different world than Christian. Growing up in London's East End, niece of a local crime lord, brought up as a petty thief. She has a brain, and has been fighting for the past few years to better herself, to educate herself and to find a better life away from the tendrils of her uncle, away from a life of crime. But it's not so easy to break away.
In one sense they are an unlikely couple. But they are drawn to each other, and then circumstances force them together even more. The plot is quite dramatic, with the evil, obsessed Bolkhov's behaviour being quite extreme.
Overall I liked the book. It's fast-moving, although not very long. The sections about the art and antiques world (Lilah works at an auction house) are quite interesting. On one level I felt a bit uncomfortable/unconvinced about the match of Lilah and Christian due to their different classes and the different worlds they inhabited. But Duran does her usual convincing job with her characters, and you feel the real connection between H and h. Both of them are beautifully drawn characters with believable motivations. I look forward to the next book in this series - Nick and Catherine's story. Kind of turning this one on its head, because in this next book the H is the Eastender and the h is the upper class one. Should be interesting.
August 4, 2015
This is a hard book for me to rate. I love Ms. Duran's writing and the complexity of her characters. And yet, I kept putting down this book and not feeling an urge to snatch it up again. The leads remained at a remove for me. I liked them but didn't feel them--unlike many of Ms. Duran's other heroes and heroines. I sense I may come back and raise this rating to four stars but now, when the book is in my very recent past, I'm underwhelmed.
August 7, 2015
Hmmm. Definitely not my favorite by the author. The romance between a dashing war hero and a former thief turned action house hostess was not that interesting for me. I found myself intrigued more by the secondary characters-the main characters of the next book in the series and it's never a good sign!
August 11, 2015
3.75 stars rounded upto 4
November 28, 2022
Not as good as the last one in the series, but I enjoyed it. What stuck out to me is that I’m really looking forward to the obvious next story about the crime boss uncle of the heroine and the business boss employer!
August 29, 2015
Lady Be Good by Meredith Duran is a 2015 Pocket Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book as an XOXpert- The official street team of XOXO After Dark.
How is it that I have not read anything by this author previously? Well, now that she is on my radar, I will be adding more of her books to my TBR list.
Lilah comes from a family of thieves, but it is her greatest wish to live a decent, honest life. That goal means ever so much more to her now, since she wishes to honor her sister's memory. But, her uncle is still holding onto her, trying to keep her down. So, after finally breaking free of him, she finds she must perform one last job to keep anyone from finding out who she really is.
Enter Viscount Palmer, Christian Stratton, who catches Lilah in a compromising position and uses it to his advantage. In order to get what she needs, Lilah must spy on the woman Christian wishes to marry, in hopes of winning her over.
As many who follow my reviews can attest to, I have been struggling with historical romance novels as of late, and actually stopped reading them so often as a result. So, it was very refreshing to have been introduced to this series.
This story is a fun read, but it's not filled with fluffy silliness about poor rakish rogues and Dukes and arranged marriages. This story has well defined and developed characters with some meaty issues to attend to.
The chemistry between Lilah and Christian sparkled from their very first interactions with each other. The author teases us with their flirtation building the tension between them with sharp witty dialogue and by putting them an unusual situation, with Lilah trapped by Christian's blackmail.
Christian is a conflicted man trying to avenge the death of his brother and protect his family. He's riddled with guilt and often feels unworthy of this reputation as a war hero. He can be gruff and unyielding at times, but is was so fun watching Lilah wrap him around her little finger.
The secondary characters were also a well defined and I found Catherine to be quite an interesting character. I hope to see a book dedicated to her because I think there is still a lot to know about her and it would be fun to see someone try to win her over romantically. I would also like to see an update regarding Christian's sister someday.
Naturally, I must complain about a few modern terms and phrases slipping through the cracks, but it only happened a couple of times. The first part of the story was a little sluggish at times, but once the characters and the various threads began to take shape, the story became quite absorbing, filled with action, intrigue and of course some steamy romance.
Overall, this is a charming and delightful historical romance, quite refreshing and original. 4 stars
How is it that I have not read anything by this author previously? Well, now that she is on my radar, I will be adding more of her books to my TBR list.
Lilah comes from a family of thieves, but it is her greatest wish to live a decent, honest life. That goal means ever so much more to her now, since she wishes to honor her sister's memory. But, her uncle is still holding onto her, trying to keep her down. So, after finally breaking free of him, she finds she must perform one last job to keep anyone from finding out who she really is.
Enter Viscount Palmer, Christian Stratton, who catches Lilah in a compromising position and uses it to his advantage. In order to get what she needs, Lilah must spy on the woman Christian wishes to marry, in hopes of winning her over.
As many who follow my reviews can attest to, I have been struggling with historical romance novels as of late, and actually stopped reading them so often as a result. So, it was very refreshing to have been introduced to this series.
This story is a fun read, but it's not filled with fluffy silliness about poor rakish rogues and Dukes and arranged marriages. This story has well defined and developed characters with some meaty issues to attend to.
The chemistry between Lilah and Christian sparkled from their very first interactions with each other. The author teases us with their flirtation building the tension between them with sharp witty dialogue and by putting them an unusual situation, with Lilah trapped by Christian's blackmail.
Christian is a conflicted man trying to avenge the death of his brother and protect his family. He's riddled with guilt and often feels unworthy of this reputation as a war hero. He can be gruff and unyielding at times, but is was so fun watching Lilah wrap him around her little finger.
The secondary characters were also a well defined and I found Catherine to be quite an interesting character. I hope to see a book dedicated to her because I think there is still a lot to know about her and it would be fun to see someone try to win her over romantically. I would also like to see an update regarding Christian's sister someday.
Naturally, I must complain about a few modern terms and phrases slipping through the cracks, but it only happened a couple of times. The first part of the story was a little sluggish at times, but once the characters and the various threads began to take shape, the story became quite absorbing, filled with action, intrigue and of course some steamy romance.
Overall, this is a charming and delightful historical romance, quite refreshing and original. 4 stars
September 15, 2015
A heroine who was a pro thief who wants to lead a normal life as a career girl. A war hero hell-bent in getting his revenge. We are talking about two bad-asses who came together and eventually fall for each other - Victorian style.
I love me a smart and sassy heroine - not the type who is annoyingly sarcastic and abrasive but the kind who knows what she wants, knows how to get it and has mad skills. Lilah Marshall used to be a pro thief thanks to the training she got from her uncle (who happens to be the "king" of the East Side, rich, young and good-looking.....expect a story here). She lost her sister to an ailment and has been trying to achieve they joint dreams of getting a new life with a good job, free from Uncle Nick and his not so legal ways. So she works as an Everleigh hostess at the famous Everleigh Auction house. Things were good until Uncle Nick forces her to steal some letters from the owner of the auction house. This is when she was caught by Lord Christian Palmer, and he in turn stole the letters, blackmails her into becoming his spy. He suspects that the auction house has ties to the man he's been hunting so he needs to get close to the very unfriendly and cold Catherine Everleigh, sister to the owner and the actual curator of the place.
Ok....you know where the story is going to lead. Palmer gets Lilah to do his biddings, at the same time he is very attracted to her and makes it known. And you know that Lilah will fall for his charms and dangerous personality. Dangerous, sexy and smart - He's the bad-boy that looks like an angel. She's the wily ex-thief who knows her way with weapons and locks. So although the love story is predictable you will be hooked on the whole plot because the dialogue is interesting enough to move you through the pages, the sexy banter between the two is hot (well, as hot as a victorian era love story could get) and like many MD books, the charm of the story is in the details and the smooth writing style. No choppy and weird out of time words used (i cringe when you read pre-1900 love stories that uses words like Ok, or terminologies that did not exist yet back then).
Catherine Everleigh makes a great side character and i believe the next story will be about her. Lord Granville (from the book Written on you Skin) makes his appearance here as Palmer's friend helping him nab the villain. A bit of a let down is that the villain seems to be disposed off quite easily toward the end. The ending of the story also seem a bit too clean cut though. Nonetheless, if you have been following the Reckless series, this book is a must read.
I love me a smart and sassy heroine - not the type who is annoyingly sarcastic and abrasive but the kind who knows what she wants, knows how to get it and has mad skills. Lilah Marshall used to be a pro thief thanks to the training she got from her uncle (who happens to be the "king" of the East Side, rich, young and good-looking.....expect a story here). She lost her sister to an ailment and has been trying to achieve they joint dreams of getting a new life with a good job, free from Uncle Nick and his not so legal ways. So she works as an Everleigh hostess at the famous Everleigh Auction house. Things were good until Uncle Nick forces her to steal some letters from the owner of the auction house. This is when she was caught by Lord Christian Palmer, and he in turn stole the letters, blackmails her into becoming his spy. He suspects that the auction house has ties to the man he's been hunting so he needs to get close to the very unfriendly and cold Catherine Everleigh, sister to the owner and the actual curator of the place.
Ok....you know where the story is going to lead. Palmer gets Lilah to do his biddings, at the same time he is very attracted to her and makes it known. And you know that Lilah will fall for his charms and dangerous personality. Dangerous, sexy and smart - He's the bad-boy that looks like an angel. She's the wily ex-thief who knows her way with weapons and locks. So although the love story is predictable you will be hooked on the whole plot because the dialogue is interesting enough to move you through the pages, the sexy banter between the two is hot (well, as hot as a victorian era love story could get) and like many MD books, the charm of the story is in the details and the smooth writing style. No choppy and weird out of time words used (i cringe when you read pre-1900 love stories that uses words like Ok, or terminologies that did not exist yet back then).
Catherine Everleigh makes a great side character and i believe the next story will be about her. Lord Granville (from the book Written on you Skin) makes his appearance here as Palmer's friend helping him nab the villain. A bit of a let down is that the villain seems to be disposed off quite easily toward the end. The ending of the story also seem a bit too clean cut though. Nonetheless, if you have been following the Reckless series, this book is a must read.
July 24, 2015
Lady Be Good: Rules for the Reckless 3
by Meredith Duran
Coming in the middle of a series one would think that either you missed part of the story, or that you would not have fresh eyes of the author, in this book you would be wrong. Lady Be Good is a standalone book, and it draws the reader into the high society and political intrigue of the English aristocracy. Lilah Marshall is the WhiteCastle London equivalent of the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Her father’s criminal enterprises cost him his life and that of his wife. This leaves his orphaned daughters in the clutches of their lawbreaker maternal uncle. You would think that the assumption that this would lead to no good. Liliah reinvents herself after the tragic death of her sister. She becomes a hostess at the Everliegh’s London’s Premier Auction house. Changing her name along with her nature she surrounds herself in the aristocracy. But nothing would prepare her for what she would be willing to sacrifice for the Hero of Buckhoe.
Christian “Kit” Stratton has found himself in shoes he never thought he would have to fit. With his military carrier, and heroic acclaim, it is hard for him to accept that the events of his life caused him to lose his older brother he finds himself to be a Viscount. He is strapped between the aristocracy expectations he feels ill-equipped to handle, and his plots of revenge against the man who killed his brother in an attempt to punish Kit for his military endeavor. In the mist of his battle with this unknown and deadly opponent, Kit finds he has something more valuable than his remaining family. If he loses her in this war, he has lost all meaning in his life.
This is a story of being lost and found, of love and sacrifice. It is an inspiration to love stories, and a poignant reminder of how we view others outside our immediate circle.
by Meredith Duran
Coming in the middle of a series one would think that either you missed part of the story, or that you would not have fresh eyes of the author, in this book you would be wrong. Lady Be Good is a standalone book, and it draws the reader into the high society and political intrigue of the English aristocracy. Lilah Marshall is the WhiteCastle London equivalent of the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Her father’s criminal enterprises cost him his life and that of his wife. This leaves his orphaned daughters in the clutches of their lawbreaker maternal uncle. You would think that the assumption that this would lead to no good. Liliah reinvents herself after the tragic death of her sister. She becomes a hostess at the Everliegh’s London’s Premier Auction house. Changing her name along with her nature she surrounds herself in the aristocracy. But nothing would prepare her for what she would be willing to sacrifice for the Hero of Buckhoe.
Christian “Kit” Stratton has found himself in shoes he never thought he would have to fit. With his military carrier, and heroic acclaim, it is hard for him to accept that the events of his life caused him to lose his older brother he finds himself to be a Viscount. He is strapped between the aristocracy expectations he feels ill-equipped to handle, and his plots of revenge against the man who killed his brother in an attempt to punish Kit for his military endeavor. In the mist of his battle with this unknown and deadly opponent, Kit finds he has something more valuable than his remaining family. If he loses her in this war, he has lost all meaning in his life.
This is a story of being lost and found, of love and sacrifice. It is an inspiration to love stories, and a poignant reminder of how we view others outside our immediate circle.
February 23, 2024
Another excellent book by Meredith Duran and I enjoyed it immensely, but I had to knock off a star for three reasons: (1) I was confused for quite awhile about whether Palmer was only using Catherine The Ice Queen as bait or whether he really intended to marry her, (2)
August 14, 2023
Enjoyable book and lots of good action and characters. Came to like them all. Wish the live between the MCs would have blossomed a bit more but it was good. I think there needed to be an epilogue with Catherine and Nick. Would have liked that.
June 20, 2025
wild and dark and intense from start to finish
June 12, 2021
The heroine is a wonderful person, determined to become more than her birthright. I thought her very pragmatic and able to adapt as needed to get what she wanted. The H was less pleasing to me. He's a hero to England but his family ignored his warnings about the peril he's brought back from war. I thought his arrogance real but the threat he's trying to overcome didn't allow his full character to be revealed. I liked this couple, as well as the secondary couple. It's a good adventure.
August 1, 2015
Why did it have to end so cornily, Meredith Duran?? In my head the publisher made her slap on the cheesetastic final lines in this book.
Look, this isn't even close to being one of Meredith Duran’s best novels. In fact, it’s one of her worst, but even her so-so novels like this are better than most of what’s out there. I really love Duran’s prose and it elevated a rather tired plot to something I found worth reading. I’m thinking this book was sort of the perfunctory prequel to the next novel, Luck Be A Lady, which will feature Nick & Catherine, two secondary characters that outshone the hero and heroine of this novel. I’m thinking that’s going to be a really excellent book and I’m glad I only have to wait a month for it.
I’m giving this a solid three stars. I’d probably rate it higher if it were written by someone other than Duran, simply because the writing’s so good. But Duran has enough four and five star ratings from me for be to be a bit more discerning where her work is concerned. And to be honest, there aren’t many romance writers out there, if any, who could have taken such a blah plot and written it as well as Duran did.
Look, this isn't even close to being one of Meredith Duran’s best novels. In fact, it’s one of her worst, but even her so-so novels like this are better than most of what’s out there. I really love Duran’s prose and it elevated a rather tired plot to something I found worth reading. I’m thinking this book was sort of the perfunctory prequel to the next novel, Luck Be A Lady, which will feature Nick & Catherine, two secondary characters that outshone the hero and heroine of this novel. I’m thinking that’s going to be a really excellent book and I’m glad I only have to wait a month for it.
I’m giving this a solid three stars. I’d probably rate it higher if it were written by someone other than Duran, simply because the writing’s so good. But Duran has enough four and five star ratings from me for be to be a bit more discerning where her work is concerned. And to be honest, there aren’t many romance writers out there, if any, who could have taken such a blah plot and written it as well as Duran did.
August 26, 2017
4,5 - E accidenti, sì e sì!
Dopo un primo libro della saga Rules for the Reckless (per me) deludente, un secondo volume davvero sfavillante, è arrivato questo terzo episodio spettacoloso.
Una trama complicata, non scontata, tanto che non capivo dove voleva arrivare il suo sviluppo. Personaggi che mutano di continuo, ora positivi, ora pieni d’ombre, e poi di nuovo al centro delle nostre simpatie.
Lilah-Lily, l’aspirante gentildonna autodidatta, è senza dubbio un’eroina nuova e diversa: niente smancerie ma tutta azione. Kit è il giusto pane per i suoi denti. Dimenticatevi damine languide e eroi senza macchia, qui ci sono ladre bugiarde brave col coltello e visconti senza troppi dilemmi morali.
Ma anche i comprimari non sono da meno, dando all’intera storia un tocco avvincente e a tratti misterioso.
E poi rilevo con apprezzamento scene di sesso impetuose e ruvide, come la Duran ci ha abituato a leggere.
Letto in una notte senza interruzioni.
La coppia del quarto volume, poi, è già da cardiopalmo (Nick la carogna e l'algida Miss Everleigh) e sono sicura che l’asticella della serie si alzerà ancora.
Dopo un primo libro della saga Rules for the Reckless (per me) deludente, un secondo volume davvero sfavillante, è arrivato questo terzo episodio spettacoloso.
Una trama complicata, non scontata, tanto che non capivo dove voleva arrivare il suo sviluppo. Personaggi che mutano di continuo, ora positivi, ora pieni d’ombre, e poi di nuovo al centro delle nostre simpatie.
Lilah-Lily, l’aspirante gentildonna autodidatta, è senza dubbio un’eroina nuova e diversa: niente smancerie ma tutta azione. Kit è il giusto pane per i suoi denti. Dimenticatevi damine languide e eroi senza macchia, qui ci sono ladre bugiarde brave col coltello e visconti senza troppi dilemmi morali.
Ma anche i comprimari non sono da meno, dando all’intera storia un tocco avvincente e a tratti misterioso.
E poi rilevo con apprezzamento scene di sesso impetuose e ruvide, come la Duran ci ha abituato a leggere.
Letto in una notte senza interruzioni.
La coppia del quarto volume, poi, è già da cardiopalmo (Nick la carogna e l'algida Miss Everleigh) e sono sicura che l’asticella della serie si alzerà ancora.
January 15, 2021
This book didn't work for me. I liked the heroine, who was plucky, tough, independent and not scared of pursuing her dreams of a better existence for herself. The hero, I had issues with. He used her in the beginning without remorse. Even when he saw that she was forced to steal the letters out of fear for her safety, he felt no qualm utilising her fear to achieve her submission to his blackmailing. He treated and spoke to her disrespectfully at times, like she was a common whore. Even when he affianced himself to Catherine, he still laid claim to Lily, and when he finally chose to be with her, he swept her off her feet and went on their way, never glancing back at Catherine nor apologising for breaking their arrangement. And this book made me hateNick O'Shea, the hero in the next book, whom I previously adored as my ultimate Irish fantasy. He was utterly cruel to Lily in the beginning, and he must have been abusive to instill such terror in her.
February 21, 2023
3.5 stars
It started so bad ass with Lily dislocating her shoulder and Christian being tortured. I thought this is going to be great couple to read about.
But as the story progressed I felt that our couple was constantly entangled in some serious dangerous drama and not enough time to fall in love and get really emotional and heal together. And the danger was always far away. They were just always spooked by something.
On the other hand it was a fun book with a lot of action and great bond growing between Lily and Catherine (her boss).
But I could not get beyond the idea that Christian can be seriously considering someone so below him. He even says some of the most hurtful demeaning words to Lily (in order to push her away) but they rang so strongly as true, I could get over it.
The MCs had chemistry together but I didn’t feel it progressed into love.
It started so bad ass with Lily dislocating her shoulder and Christian being tortured. I thought this is going to be great couple to read about.
But as the story progressed I felt that our couple was constantly entangled in some serious dangerous drama and not enough time to fall in love and get really emotional and heal together. And the danger was always far away. They were just always spooked by something.
On the other hand it was a fun book with a lot of action and great bond growing between Lily and Catherine (her boss).
But I could not get beyond the idea that Christian can be seriously considering someone so below him. He even says some of the most hurtful demeaning words to Lily (in order to push her away) but they rang so strongly as true, I could get over it.
The MCs had chemistry together but I didn’t feel it progressed into love.
October 16, 2015
The last book I read from this author was good but I should have remembered that was an anomaly. I give the story two stars and both of those belong to Lilith. She was a fantastic character. Clever, strong, bad ass with a knife. But she was plopped into a nonsensical plot with jerk of a love interest she had no chemistry with.
It says something when you spend much of the book hoping Lilith and Catherine would run into the sunset together.
It says something when you spend much of the book hoping Lilith and Catherine would run into the sunset together.
May 15, 2016
I put off reading this for a long time because I kept hearing how bad it was and how subpar compared to other books by Meredith Duran, but I liked it. I should've read it sooner! It's not my favorite of her novels, but it kept me entertained the whole time. Even the least of Meredith Duran's books is superior to most of what's out there these days. A solid 3.8, I'd say. ;)
February 20, 2022
This rating may not be entirely fair because I read over half of this today, and the latter third or so of the book did not fit my mood at all. But it is what it is.
I've mentally divided this book into thirds. The first was fine, but didn't really capture me. The second I mostly liked. The third was just messy and stressful and included several things I tend not to enjoy, and unfortunately because it was the last third, it's the one that affected my mood the most when I finished. I'm also not sure I like Nick enough to read a book where he's one of the leads, which is a problem because I really do want to read a book where Catherine is the lead and I don't love that those two books are the same book.
Anyway! Not a great read for me on a day that was not a great day. Alas.
I've mentally divided this book into thirds. The first was fine, but didn't really capture me. The second I mostly liked. The third was just messy and stressful and included several things I tend not to enjoy, and unfortunately because it was the last third, it's the one that affected my mood the most when I finished. I'm also not sure I like Nick enough to read a book where he's one of the leads, which is a problem because I really do want to read a book where Catherine is the lead and I don't love that those two books are the same book.
Anyway! Not a great read for me on a day that was not a great day. Alas.
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