To Steal a Melody

by Kate Serzenta

Only one thing is forbidden for the king and queen of London high each other.

Lady Cassiopeia’s life has been impeccably planned since childhood, when her father, the all-powerful Earl of Wescott, engaged her to a man she’s never met in order to secure himself an heir. As a loyal and undefiant daughter, Cass is forced to trudge through the London social season as the ton’s most desired bride—and forced to turn down all offers of marriage until her secret betrothal comes to light. Far more enamored with her music-composing pursuits than vapid balls and soirées, she should not find it too hard to fend off the herd of dowry-hungry bachelors.

But it might be much harder to deny one very persistent, alluring marquis.

Daniel Ascombe, Lord Farenham, is the ton’s greatest catch—on the bachelor side of matchmaking—thanks to his quick-witted charm, athletic excellence, and an inheritable dukedom. But he’s also a loyal friend, and as a favor to one of those friends, he promises to measure up Cass and make certain she’s not toying with her suitors. Even if doing so risks opening old wounds about a near-engagement gone awry.

The last thing Daniel expects to find is a funny and fascinatingly passionate woman hiding behind the mask of the ice princess. And the last thing Cass expects behind Daniel’s carefree air and disarming smiles is sincerity and vulnerability. But while the ton might place wagers on which of them will fall first, a much more dangerous game is being played in the background. Not only will Daniel and Cass have to defy the expectations laid upon them to get a chance at love—they’ll also have to compete against a tale of revenge that had unknowingly shaped their pasts and makes their fathers mortal enemies, hell-bent on separating the star-crossed lovers …

To Steal a Melody is a closed-door Regency Romance and a companion novel to The Girl Out of Time, although it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone with no knowledge of the main novel needed.

Genres: Romance

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2026

Reviews

[Stacey ˗ ღ ˎˊ˗ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
Lady Cass Lennox and Daniel, Lord Farenham first run into one another during the London season when Daniel is attempting to help his friend Felix woo Cass. Cass is known as the heartbreaker of the Season, receiving lots of attention for her unusual beauty and her large dowry as the only child of an Earl. Cass is far more focused on composing her piano music than husband-hunting, however. She holds a secret the ton must not discover! Will Daniel’s attentions bring her out of the music room and into the ballroom? What about Felix? What’s her secret?

Fans of closed-door, low/no spice Regency romance will find a lot to love here. While a standalone, this is the third book in a series of interconnected novels featuring the same characters. I am definitely interested in reading the rest of them! The author writes the period authentically, giving an unusually sharp view on the restricted roles of women at the time, even in aristocratic families. She writes her female characters as strong, spirited, but still centered in the expectations of the time. I found it to be much more accurate to the historical roles than the typical period romance, which was enjoyable for me.

Thank you to Book Sirens and the author for the advance copy for review. To Steal a Melody publishes on 5.7.26.

[Brita Mackay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only one thing is forbidden for the King and Queen of London, to love each other.

Lady Cassiopeia’s life has been impeccably planned since childhood, when her father, the all-powerful Earl of Wescott, engaged her to a man she’s never met in order to secure himself an heir. As a loyal and undefiant daughter, Cass is forced to trudge through the London social season as the ton’s most desired bride—and forced to turn down all offers of marriage until her secret betrothal comes to light. Far more enamored with her music-composing pursuits than vapid balls and soirées, she should not find it too hard to fend off the herd of dowry-hungry bachelors.

But it might be much harder to deny one very persistent, alluring marquis.

Daniel Ascombe, Lord Farenham, is the ton’s greatest catch—on the bachelor side of matchmaking—thanks to his quick-witted charm, athletic excellence, and an inheritable dukedom. But he’s also a loyal friend, and as a favor to one of those friends, he promises to measure up Cass and make certain she’s not toying with her suitors. Even if doing so risks opening old wounds about a near-engagement gone awry.

The last thing Daniel expects to find is a funny and fascinatingly passionate woman hiding behind the mask of the ice princess. And the last thing Cass expects behind Daniel’s carefree air and disarming smiles is sincerity and vulnerability. But while the ton might place wagers on which of them will fall first, a much more dangerous game is being played in the background. Not only will Daniel and Cass have to defy the expectations laid upon them to get a chance at love—they’ll also have to compete against a tale of revenge that had unknowingly shaped their pasts and makes their fathers mortal enemies, hell-bent on separating the star-crossed lovers …

Tropes: Secret Engagement, Wanted Heir, Social Season, Most Desired Bride, Reject Proposals, Music-Composing Pursuits, Vapid Balls, Soirées, Dowry-Hungry Bachelors, Alluring Marquis, Matchmaking, Quick-Witted Charm, Athletic Excellence, Inheritable Dukedom, MMC is a Loyal Friend, Near-Engagement Gone Awry, Funny/Fascinatingly/Passionate FMC, Sincere/Vulnerable MMC, Defy Expectations, Compete Against a Tale of Revenge, Fathers are Mortal Enemies, Closed Door Romance, Companion Novel, Standalone, Fantasy, Paranormal, Time Travel, Historical, Regency, Star-Crossed Lovers, revelations, Secrets.

To Steal a Melody is book 3.1 in the Mine Through Time Series by Kate Serzenta. This book is a closed-door Regency Romance and a companion novel to The Girl Out of Time, this book can be read and enjoyed as a standalone with no knowledge of the main novel needed.

I still have to go back and read “Time Watcher” The 1st book of this series and “A Flicker in Time” the 2nd in this series. I fell in love with this series when I stumbled across the 3rd book “The Girl Out of Time” completely by accident. So when I got the chance to read “To Steal a Melody” I knew that I had no choice but to pick it up and read it and I have to say that it didn’t let me down. Even though it was packed full of drama and melodrama.

I really enjoyed this book, even when I started getting into all the drama and the melodrama. And then suddenly a secret is revealed and even though I personally thought that secret could have been revealed earlier in the story, it was just the first secret of many to be revealed and revelations just kept coming up one after another and I just loved each and every one of them.

I personally really like all the revelations and I felt like they really added to the story and to the romance between Lady Cassiopeia and Daniel Ascombe, Lord Farenham. I found Cassiopeia’s father to be this barbaric and trauma inducing man; I couldn’t believe that he actually kept a pair of manacles ready for Cassiopeia in another room for her down the hall, and that gave the whole “lock her in a room” moment a sinister tone.

Cassiopeia and Daniel initially fell in love fairly quickly, but then all the drama got between them. Now, I am not going to spoil anything for you. I want you to read this book and enjoy it all for yourself. Drama and all.

I really enjoyed this story. As a music lover and an instrumentalist, I could appreciate Cassiopeia being this female composer in an era where most composers were men. And I really enjoyed Kate’s descriptions of Cassiopeia’s creative process, the way she laid out her thoughts, what she was feelings, all while she was in the process of composing something – it helped to make it all feel more real and genuine. And Daniel, I found him to be charming, likable and I loved how understanding he was of Cassiopeia’s passion for composing music.

I love Kate’s writing style and her word choice. Her character development is phenomenal and I found that she has a fantastic attention to small details.

As I was reading this book, I could hear the melody of both Cassiopeia and Daniel’s hearts calling out in this book and I knew that neither of them could ignore their soul song. You have to read this book in order to find out how hard their HEA was fought for and in the end won.

If you enjoy a great romance, the regency period, plot twists and turns that are shocking and bad but in such a good way then you’ll want to read “To Steal a Melody”. I can’t wait to read more of this series and find out where our main characters from the main series end up going to next. I highly recommend this book and this entire series.

[Lori S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Cassiopeia has known from a young age she is betrothed. When she comes of age, her father sends her out to have a season, but the betrothal must be kept secret. Being an heiress, she has numerous suitors and she is constantly having to decline each proposal, thus giving her a reputation in society. Enter Lord Farenham, Daniel Ascombe, who is sent on a mission to take Cass' measure and make sure she is not just toying with men. Daniel and Cass hit it off immediately and soon they are in love. But the road ahead is not a smooth one and they must endure some difficulty before they can be together.

I realized at the end of this book that it is part of a series and there are stories for several other characters in this world. I'm not clear where this one falls as the timelines merge from all the stories and one might feel they've missed out on the story. In any case, I enjoyed this book and there did seem a genuine feeling between this couple. What I wasn't very keen on was the misunderstandings that kept them apart for a significant period of time. I see this done often but I find characters completely forget all they know of each other and accept other information as true. Music is a strong theme of the early part of the book and encompasses the beginnings of the relationship. I did find the music part receded somewhat when there was conflict. This might have been intentional to match the mood of the story. But it was interesting this major part of Cass' life almost disappeared.

The other thing is we see almost nothing of Cass' mother during this story. At times I forget her mother is still alive so that mention of her takes me by surprise. Cass is closer to her father, but it feels like she has no relationship with her mother. I would have liked to have had this fleshed out a bit more, especially considering events that occur later in the book. In fact, later events do leave out a lot of detail and that may be part of the fact this is a series of stories that go together. Perhaps reading previous books would make this work a bit better.

Overall, I did enjoy this, and I would like to read more from this world. I rate this 3.5 stars and thank the writer and BookSirens for giving me a free copy. My opinions and feedback are completely voluntary.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was enjoying this book until all the drama and melodrama ensued...until a secret was revealed that should have been shared long before it was, until… so...many...revelations kept cropping up, one after the other which turned the story into a farce for me. Each revelation could have been a romance novel! The hero and heroine’s romance takes a back seat to all of this. The heroine’s father was beyond cruel; the fact he had a pair of manacles readily available just down the hall seemed random which made the whole “lock her in her room” moment overblown/overwritten. The hero & heroine’s falling in love happened fairly quickly, but then all that extra drama got in the way; I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say I skipped a bunch of pages to get past it. The story is original, I appreciated Lady Cassiopeia being a female composer (I liked how the author described her creative process, what her thoughts and feelings were as she composed—it all felt very genuine). Daniel, the hero, was charming and likable. I liked the author’s writing style, but there were a few anachronisms that kicked me right out of the story (which is disappointing because word origins and historical details can be readily researched these days). Otherwise this was a good, albeit a little over-the-top and silly, read. I do recommend giving it a try.

I received an ARC in eBook format from BookSirens for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5...This is a polished, emotionally satisfying Regency romance that leans into familiar tropes—secret betrothals, social expectations, star-crossed lovers—and elevates them with strong character work and genuine chemistry. Cassiopeia is a standout heroine with an inner conflict gives her decisions real weight, especially as the pressure from her father and society closes in. Daniel complements her well, avoiding the trap of being just another charming aristocrat. His wit and ease in society are balanced by moments of vulnerability that make his growing feelings feel earned rather than inevitable. Their banter is sharp without feeling forced, and the slow shift from suspicion to understanding between them is one of the book’s strongest elements. The romance itself is handled with restraint in a way that suits the closed-door approach—there’s plenty of tension and emotional intimacy without needing explicit scenes. The pacing is mostly smooth, though a few sections in the middle linger longer than necessary on social events that don’t significantly advance the plot. Still, the payoff is satisfying, and the emotional resolution feels well-earned rather than rushed. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a closed door romance that still delivers plenty of emotional tension and underlying passion, while delivering quite a complicated plot with numerous twists and turns. Daniel and Cass are well drawn, likeable and engaging main characters, backed up by some equally attractive secondary characters. The first half of the book is a fairly gentle and amusing read, but then the pace picks up, turning into high and rather dark drama. One of the themes is the restricted role of women and the authority of fathers: Cass is a dutiful and loving daughter, but it is clear from early on that her father is manipulative and controlling and he does finally show his true character, which motivates her to break free. Another theme is how long standing bad feeling between the fathers can blight their children's lives. The storyline did verge onto silliness at times, which is why I didn't give it 5 stars, but the book has a lot to recommend it. Loved the role music plays - not being a musician, I learnt quite a lot. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and I do hope we get one centred on Georgiana!

Many thanks to Book Sirens for an advance reader copy and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Bridget Love to read Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story did not go at all as I thought it would and definitely a surprise or two. Lady Cassiopeia or Cass has turned down several suitors and proposals due to a secret that her father says she must keep! Her father seems doting and loving at first all intents and purposes is Cass and her happiness but is it!? Daniel Ascombe, Lord Farenham, is the ton’s greatest catch Of the season as the eldest son of the Duke of Redbridge’s son. Daniel meets Cass the ice queen as a favor to his friend who needs a heiress. She is nothing like what he was told and he is entranced by her. Several meetings later and Daniel is lost but she says yes to elopement since her father is almost violently opposed but it is so much more! When Daniel sends for a betrothal necklace that has been in the family for generations his engagement is announced to a woman he has never met and published for all to see! The tangled web of events afterwards make it seem these two will never ever meet again certainly not marry! Melody of the heart calls to them and neither can ignore the music! See how their HEA was fought for and won! Bravo! I received an ARC copy from BookSirens for my unbiased review!

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melodramatic 3.5*
Lady Cassiopeia falls in love with the son of her father’s enemy, a problem which is only made worse by the fact that a marriage was arranged for her in her youth but has yet to be made public. When she tries to follow her heart, her father interferes. I found it strange when Cass’ father suddenly becomes a ‘dyed-in-the-wool’ villain. Up until that point he had been an extremely doting parent, with the exception of arranging her marriage to a personable young man whom he wished to be his heir. He certainly put more thought into the match being suitable for his daughter and her interests than Daniel’s father did, when he arranged for his son’s marriage. The about-face seemed totally inconsistent with his treatment of her up to that point and affected how I felt about the story. There were also a number of loose ends which presumably would be resolved if you read other books in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from BookSirens. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Winnifred D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tropes: star-crossed lovers
Steam level: low

3.25 stars. This is one of those books I thought I would like more based on the synopsis and the first half or so, but I skimmed through much of the second half. Loved the musical references, the writing style was solid overall, and the MC's were fine, but angst on top of angst combined with frenetic humor wore me out. This might appeal to a younger reader who likes less focus on the central romance and more on a serpentine plot.

Bottom line: not my cup of tea, might be yours.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my honest, voluntary review. Thanks to the author and Book Sirens for this opportunity.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book of two halves, in the first half you get a delightful light romance, with touches of humour where two people come to know and become very attracted to each other. Then there is a plot twist where everything is turned on its head and the second half is melodrama that is totally out of keeping with the start of the book.

Characters act out of character, there are multiple dramatic events which become daft before matters are resolved for the happy ending. I would give the 1st half 5* and the 2nd 1*, so overall that explains the rating I have picked.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Charmaine Fernando · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story of Lady Cassiopeia, the daughter of the Earl of Wescott who has betrothed his daughter from infancy. Although Cass is in society and enjoying herself, she is unable to seriously consider any offer of marriage.

Added to this, her fiancé has recruited his friend to make sure that Cass is not flirting with "potential" suitors while engaged to him. During this mission, Daniel Ascombe, Lord Farenham falls in love with his best friend's intended!

Lovely story that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend. I received an ARC from the publishers and Book Sirens and submit my honest review voluntarily.

[Anna Boliker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story hovers somewhere between a YA and a cute Regency romance. The book can be read as a standalone, although we get some glimpses on the “main” novel in the second half. That is also where the action starts. The plot is very Romeo and Juliet but with more twists and turns that are more or less believable. With each turn the believability shrinks though.

Makes a cute summer read, if you don’t take it too seriously.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[OneMadReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! The romance was amazing, and the plot twists at the end were so shocking and good (well, bad, but hopefully you know what I mean). I definitely can't wait to read more by this author! 🫶

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️
Language: One instance of "damn," "whore," and "bastard"
Drug/Alcohol Content: 🍺

*I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed Cass and Daniel in the beginning of the book. Their humorous and witty dialogue was so enjoyable to read. In the middle there was way too much drama for me. It is an original plot, but it got too wild to keep up with. I'm unsure if that's because this is the first book I'm reading in the series. I like how Cass finds her courage, and she is able to admit when she makes mistakes. An enjoyable read!

[B.J. Sikes · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many dramatic goings on, secrets, revelations, old grudges, mismatched couples, and lots and lots of pining in this book.
The falling in love happens fairly quickly but is stymied by all the aforementioned drama.
It was fun, maybe a little silly but still an enjoyable read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kim Mears · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a regency style romance.

The FMC has been betrothed since birth, but it is kept secret, so she has to navigate the season without being able to accept any marriage proposals. The MMC is asked by a friend to size her up, but ends up falling for instead.

I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend reading it.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. I love the development of the main characters' romantic relationship. It was also well-written and the secondary characters stood as much as the main characters. I'm happy I gave this author a second chance.


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Holly Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy drama filled book! Lots of twists and turns! Overbearing fathers!!! It does have a happy ending finally! I enjoyed the musical references as I am also a musician. I received an advance free copy to review and am leaving this review voluntarily. All I can say is Hang on!!!

[Night Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Reader Review.

This was such a cute story. I loved how it had elements of Romeo and Juliet minus the death. It was so cute for Daniel to try and make sure that Cass was good for his friend, but with getting to know her he falls for her first. I hated what her father did to them, it almost cost Cass and Daniel to be with people who were not right for them. I love how Cass finally fought for what she wanted and not what her parents wanted. I would have loved to see how her next meeting with her parents would have gone.