The Lyon Deception

by Sara Bennett

Sinclair falls in love at first sight, but can he reveal his real identity to Cat without her hating him?>/b>

Cat MacKenzie will do anything to save her family’s Scottish castle, even marry Sinclair Robertson, the grandson of the man who has laid claim to it. When she travels to London, she hatches a plan and meets with Mrs Dove-Lyon at the Lyon’s Den. Cat will marry Sinclair if he agrees to her terms. But as she’s on her way to confront him, her carriage breaks and a gentleman comes to her rescue, and Cat begins to wonder if true happiness lies in another direction.

Sinclair Robertson, the Master of Armytage, is not a happy man. His grandfather is living his life vicariously through Sinclair, turning him into the London gentleman he always dreamed of being. But Sinclair was brought up as a carpenter like his father, and he misses the simple life and the satisfaction of a nicely turned piece of wood.

When Sinclair and Cat meet it is love at first sight. But Sinclair knows he can’t tell her the truth, that he is the grandson of the man who wants to ruin her family, so he deceives her.

And then things get tricky.

Tropes you'll enjoy:

He falls first
Enemies to lovers
Found family
Love at first sight

152 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2026

About the author

Sara Bennett writes with passion. She has been published by Avon HarperCollins in the USA, and also publishes independently. She recently wrote a series of Regency novellas about Second Chances called Mockingbird Square. The four novellas are Unforgettable, Enraptured, Surrender and Reckless. They're available at all eBook stores.

Currently she is writing a second series of Mockingbird Square. The first three novellas, Fascination, Seduction and Temptation are available, and Obsession is under way.

Sara also writes paranormal romance as Sara Mackenzie, steamy historical romance as Evie North, and Australian Women's Fiction as Kaye Dobbie.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have gotten to know the MacKenzie family well, the three brothers Callum, Rory and Donal all went to London and found the love of their lives but now Bonnyrigg the family castle in Scotland is in danger of being lost and the only daughter Cat will do anything to save the family home even if that means marrying Sinclair Robertson who is the grandson of Lord Armytage the man who is determined to take the castle.

Cat arrives in London and is staying with her Aunt Jenni and Uncle James she is determined to find The Master as he is known here in London but when she is on her way to meet him there is a problem with the carriage she is in and a gentleman stops to help, Robert Sutherland and she is drawn to this very friendly, handsome man but she must not let anything get in the way of her goals and a meeting with the match-maker Mrs. Dove-Lyon is a must.

Sinclair Robertson is not happy his grandfather is a hard taskmaster he was much happier in his days with his parents and becoming a carpenter but these days he needs to be a gentleman to please his grandfather but when he meets a beautiful young woman and helps fix her carriage and she opens up to him about her problems Sinclair is smitten he has fallen in love but he has not been honest with her and this is going to be a problems.

Can Sinclair and Cat overcome the lies and look to the love that is growing between them and can they save Bonnyrigg for the MacKenzie family? I did very much enjoy this romance, fabulous characters and can love at first sight really happen? I do highly recommend this one, a beautiful story.

My thanks to Dragonblade Publishing Inc. and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat MacKenzie will do anything to save her family’s Scottish castle, even marry Sinclair Robertson, the grandson of the man who has laid claim to it. When she travels to London, she hatches a plan and meets with Mrs Dove-Lyon at the Lyon’s Den. Cat will marry Sinclair if he agrees to her terms. But as she’s on her way to confront him, her carriage breaks and a gentleman comes to her rescue, and Cat begins to wonder if true happiness lies in another direction. Sinclair Robertson, the Master of Armytage, is not a happy man. His grandfather is living his life vicariously through Sinclair, turning him into the London gentleman he always dreamed of being. Sinclair was brought up as a carpenter like his father. hen Sinclair and Cat meet it is love at first sight.
A quick read which I read straight through & thoroughly enjoyed it. It was different, a forgotten debt, hidden identity & love at first sight. I really liked both Sinclair & Cat & really liked their journey to HEA. I must admit I’m not a fan of hidden identity as for me I don’t think I could ever trust someone who had deceived me but Sinclair did redeem himself. A well written, entertaining romance
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

[paperbackotter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for providing a copy of The Lyon Deception in exchange for an honest review.

Having enjoyed a couple of Sara Bennett’s other novels, I was pleased to receive The Lyon Deception. Had I paid attention to the description and seen that it was a novella, I would have hesitated to request it. To me short stories seem underdeveloped and rushed, and this proved true of The Lyon Deception.

The plot held promise. The cold, unfeeling Lord Armytage is determined to call in a long ago held loan. A loan so old that the MacKenzie family was ignorant of its existence. In order to pay the loan, the Mackenzie’s will have to sell Bonnyrigg, the family castle in Scotland. The only daughter of four children, Cat travels to London to stay with her aunt; unbeknownst to her family, Cat is on a quest to meet with Sinclair Robinson, Lord Armytage’s nephew. If she can just explain the situation, perhaps he can advocate for her family. But how will she arrange a meeting with a man she does not know? Suffice it to say, their meeting is entirely accidental, yet Cat remains unaware of Robinson's true identity as he chooses to conceal it. There is an immediate attraction, but Robinson worries that Cat will reject him based on his relation to Armytage. Therein lies the complication in the plot.

The story does start strong with a well-developed premise, but quickly loses its meat, leaving behind a skeletal plot. I wanted more time with these characters and this plot. Also, the rushed ending feels incredibly abrupt and unsatisfying.

The two stars may be unfair as it is the novella format that gave me trouble. If you like shorter stories, this is probably the one for you.

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Sara Bennett is a pretty new author for me. This is my 9th book by her. It's weird that I hadn't read her until recently since she's been writing since 2002 and has 20 books or so out but I had never heard of her. The book cover for Dalliance with the Duchess series is what caught my eye. I researched her, as I do every new author to make sure they are my genre and they have sex in their books and she fit the bill. I really have been enjoying her writing although her books can be expensive. Glad to see she has a book in this series. I love this series.

This was a fun read! I really enjoyed Sinclair and Cat’s story and their dynamic.

Interestingly, I’ve noticed with the Lyon's Den stories I’ve been reading lately that Bessie isn't heavily involved in the plot. I am not reading this series in any specific order—instead, I follow the authors I already love. When I discover a new author through the series, I tend to dive back into their older catalog, even if the books are 5 or 6 years old from when the series first launched.

Overall, this was a very solid, engaging read!

[Petula · Rating 5 out of 5]

We return to the Lyon's Den world for this historical romance. Our heroine wants to save her family's home.
Our hero is the grandson of the man who has put that home at risk.
Good intentions don't necessarily mean good sense. Both our lead characters make decisions before thinking to much about them.
A sweet romance that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Good fun.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lyon Deception by Sara Bennett is a short and sweet novel in which Mrs. Dove-Lyon plays an important part, being correct, as usual. Through a series of midadventure in the past, a loan had been sold to Lord Armytage who was calling it in, along with many years of interest: a sum so vast that the Mackenzies were not able to pay it. They were about to lose their home. The only daughter of the house, Cat, determined to help and so she went off to London to her aunt Jennie. She would marry the man’s heir, if that’s what it took. The old man wanted a duke’s daughter for his grandson and Cat’s father was a duke.

Misunderstandings, and even lies, hampered this sweet romance at first. It was an entertaining, simple story of a couple that was meant to be. Good characters always make a novel and often it it periperhal charcters that have the most impact. So it was. A strong nuclear family. An outcome foretold by the genre. An entertaining read.

I was invited to read The Lyon Deception by Dragonblade. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #SaraBennett #TheLyonDeception

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A debt sold on and forgotten for decades is likely to lose the Mackenzie’s their family home. Lady Catriona is determined to find a solution even if it means marriage to a wastrel. Unfortunately Sinclair falls in love with Cat on sight and when he realises what his grandfather has done, lies about his identity because he cannot bear for Cat to hate him. Lies of course have a way of multiplying and Sinclair is stuck in a bind that he cannot see a way out of. What will Cat do when she finds out? Can Sinclair stand up to his grandfather and wrest the castle from him? Will there be a HEA? [Of course, this is a romance!]
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley. An Old loan was never paid by the relative on the current Duke of the MacKenzie family and now it has gone to a man who cannot be made terms with. Cat decides she will go to her aunt's in London and see if she can work something out with the man's grandson. She is out with her friends in London when they have a breakdown with the wheel. Along comes a nice young man to help them. Little do they know he is the grandson. He gives a false name without thinking and now he is afraid the two of them cannot get together. With the help of Mrs Dove-Lyon who is a friend of his they begin to understand. Now they have to get her father to understand what she did and his grandfather to agree.

[Cherie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deceit, Family, Sweet Romance
A delightful story that kept my interest throughout the entire short story
Cat a very determined lass trying to save her families castle that a grumpy old duke
is trying to call in an old bogus loan which will ruin Cat and her family.
Sinclair meets Cat after her conveyance was disabled and he offers his help. 
Mrs. Dove Lyon to the rescue where she deals wonderfully with both Cat and Sinclair.
This is a lighthearted adventurous story with charismatic characters that took me into an
emotional journey with a happy ending
I did enjoy that the black widow was very much involved in this story.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad our younger sister got her happy ending! I was sad when the last series ended and she didn't get a HEA. Here we have nice and kind young man who falls at first sight and it wasn't lustful. He enjoyed hearing her talk and tell him about herself and her family. They were so cute!!! I really liked the ending that it wasn't as contentious as it all could have been which I really liked.
I also thought it was so creative how our widow and owner of the den was interwoven into this story. We even got a bit from her POV which was different.

5/6 stars

[Tiffany P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good novella with an original plot. A woman determined to save her family even if it means marrying the grandson of her family’s enemy. A hero who falls in love at first sight with a woman who hates him because of his name and grandfather so he decides to hide his identity. This story has secrets, an instant connection, tense family introductions, confessions of love, death, family found, and a HEA.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat's family finds they are in debt. They may lose their castle. Cat decides to go to London to try and talk the creditor's grandson out of collecting. While there she meets a man, Sinclair, whom she is very attracted to. Sinclair realizes that he is the grandson she was looking for and withholds that information in hopes she could get to know him better. Can she ever trust him when his identity is revealed? I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat has to rescue her family home,so goes to London and asks Bessie Dove-Lyon to help her meet the heir to the nan who holds her family's debt and home to ransom. As it happens the heir wants a wife and when. He meets Cat gives her a different name this causes complications especially when they become closer.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dragonblade publishing for my review copy

[Brad Hellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deception

Another wild tale with little lies that need to be corrected. Little lies are no match for love. Always work for a carpenter