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Roundheads and Cavaliers #4
Lords of Misrule
Still tied to his desk in the Intelligence Office, Colonel Eden Maxwell has become increasingly disenchanted with both Oliver Cromwell and his own daily existence; and with the advent of new Royalist conspiracies, he despairs of ever getting away.
Then a brick hurled through the window of a small workshop sets in motion a new and unexpected chain of events. After all, who would want to hurt Lydia Neville – a young widow, giving work and self-respect to maimed war veterans considered unemployable elsewhere? But when the assaults in Duck Lane escalate, threatening the life and remaining limbs of some of Eden’s former troopers, finding the culprit becomes a personal crusade.
At their first meeting, Lydia finds Colonel Maxwell annoying; by their second, having discovered that he had arrested and questioned her brother in connection with the Ship Tavern Plot, she mistrusts his motives. On the other hand, it swiftly becomes plain that she needs his help … and has difficulty resisting his smile.
Solving the increasingly hazardous mystery surrounding Lydia is not Eden’s only task. Between plots to assassinate the Lord Protector and a rising in Scotland, he must also mend the fences within his own family and get to know his son. Life suddenly goes from mind-numbing boredom to frenetic complexity.
With reckless Cavaliers lurking around every corner and a government still struggling to find its way, Lords of Misrule is set against a time of national discontent and general failure. But readers of the previous books in the series can look forward to catching up with old friends as well as meeting new ones … while, against all the odds, Eden and Lydia find danger and reward in equal measure.
Then a brick hurled through the window of a small workshop sets in motion a new and unexpected chain of events. After all, who would want to hurt Lydia Neville – a young widow, giving work and self-respect to maimed war veterans considered unemployable elsewhere? But when the assaults in Duck Lane escalate, threatening the life and remaining limbs of some of Eden’s former troopers, finding the culprit becomes a personal crusade.
At their first meeting, Lydia finds Colonel Maxwell annoying; by their second, having discovered that he had arrested and questioned her brother in connection with the Ship Tavern Plot, she mistrusts his motives. On the other hand, it swiftly becomes plain that she needs his help … and has difficulty resisting his smile.
Solving the increasingly hazardous mystery surrounding Lydia is not Eden’s only task. Between plots to assassinate the Lord Protector and a rising in Scotland, he must also mend the fences within his own family and get to know his son. Life suddenly goes from mind-numbing boredom to frenetic complexity.
With reckless Cavaliers lurking around every corner and a government still struggling to find its way, Lords of Misrule is set against a time of national discontent and general failure. But readers of the previous books in the series can look forward to catching up with old friends as well as meeting new ones … while, against all the odds, Eden and Lydia find danger and reward in equal measure.
701 pages, ebook
First published May 19, 2016
15 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Stella Riley
23 books454 followers Stella Riley lives in Kent, England. She enjoys theatre, travel and playing the harpsichord.
Her award-winning 7 book Rockliffe series (recommended in The Times!) is available in audio, narrated by Alex Wyndham.
She is also the author of 6 books set in the 17th century: The Marigold Chain, A Splendid Defiance, The Black Madonna, Garland of Straw, The King's Falcon and Lords of Misrule.
All titles are available from Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and Apple.
Rockliffe Book 6 - Cadenza - is the 2019 Readers' Favourite gold medallist for Historical Romance and also the 2021 Book Excellence Awards winner in the Romance category.
Her award-winning 7 book Rockliffe series (recommended in The Times!) is available in audio, narrated by Alex Wyndham.
She is also the author of 6 books set in the 17th century: The Marigold Chain, A Splendid Defiance, The Black Madonna, Garland of Straw, The King's Falcon and Lords of Misrule.
All titles are available from Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and Apple.
Rockliffe Book 6 - Cadenza - is the 2019 Readers' Favourite gold medallist for Historical Romance and also the 2021 Book Excellence Awards winner in the Romance category.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
September 18, 2016
Stella Riley’s
Roundheads and Cavaliers
series of books set during the English Civil Wars is an absolute treat for those who enjoy well-researched historical fiction AND historical romance. Each book in the series is grounded strongly in historical fact and the stories Ms Riley layers atop her chosen background are cleverly constructed and closely interlinked with the events of the day, often so skilfully that it’s difficult to see the join. As well as immersing the reader into the world of seventeenth century England, she puts a strongly written and sensual romance at the centre of her books, creating attractive, believable protagonists who really seem to act and think like men and women of their times.
Each book can be read as a standalone, although there are a number of recurring characters throughout and given that the historical events are followed chronologically, I’d advise reading them in order. The first book, The Black Madonna opens in 1639, which is when we first meet Eden Maxwell as a hopeful, optimistic young man of twenty or twenty-one. He is desperately in love with the daughter of a neighbouring family, Celia Langley, and determined to marry her in spite of the warnings of friends and family who say she is wrong for him. Sadly for Eden, they are right. Celia is beautiful, vain and selfish and only agreed to marry him because he was so thoroughly besotted with her that she believed he’d be easy to manage and because she liked being so adored.
Eden's troubles did not end there, however, for when civil war broke out, the Maxwells and the Langleys were on different sides of the conflict and even though Celia was now his wife, her sympathies were with the Royalists. She bore Eden a son, Jude, and some years later, a daughter Eden knows is not his. Celia eventually ran off with a Royalist officer, leaving her children at Eden’s family home of Thorne Ash, while disillusioned and embittered, Eden concentrated on his army career and rarely returns home.
Lords of Misrule opens in late 1653, around four years after the execution of King Charles I and more than a decade after the start of a series of bloody civil wars that divided England and its people. But regicide has not solved any of the problems that beset the country, and in fact things seem to be getting worse. While there were many factors that led to Charles’ trip to the executioner’s block – unpopular taxes, expensive wars and Charles’ insistence on his divine right to rule – England is still in political and social turmoil, so much so that many of Cromwell’s supporters have begun to ask themselves just what exactly they had been fighting for.
Colonel Eden Maxwell is one of those people. A highly trained and skilled officer, he has risen through the ranks and is now a trusted member of Cromwell’s inner circle. He is currently working for the Secretary of State, John Thurloe, as an intelligencer and cryptographer, but as the days pass, finds being chained to his desk increasingly frustrating. His repeated requests for a leave of absence have been denied and he is stuck in London buried under the mounds of paper generated by reports of unrest, possible insurrection, royalist plots and a myriad of other dull, fruitless tasks – until he receives information of a more plausible plot against Cromwell’s life (there were several at this point in time). One of the suspected conspirators, Sir Aubrey Durand, leads Eden to the citylorinery run by his widowed sister, and in the course of his investigations into the plot, Eden uncovers far more than he’d initially been looking for.
Lydia Neville was contented in her marriage a man several decades older than herself. On his death, she inherited all his property, including the lorinery, which she continues to run successfully and in spite of the constantly expressed disapproval of his relatives, all of whom invade her home on an almost daily basis to try to persuade her to give it up. But Lydia is no shrinking miss and makes it clear each time that she will do no such thing – although her assurances fall upon deaf ears and do not dissuade them from their latest scheme to marry her off to her late husband’s smarmy cousin.
When Eden visits the lorinery, he is pleasantly surprised to find some of his former comrades working there, for the business employs invalid ex-soldiers who would not otherwise be able to find work, regardless of which side they fought on. He is quite impressed by Lydia – or perhaps “impressed” is the wrong word, although she certainly makes an impression upon him by virtue of her strength of character, quick mind and sharp tongue. But what Eden has learned from the men concerns him. Someone has been making threats against Lydia, and those threats have started to get serious. Although she has tried to dismiss them as the prejudice any woman in business might expect to encounter, deep down she knows this is not the case and that she needs help if she is to be able to get to the bottom of them before anyone is seriously hurt – or worse.
Anyone who has read any of Stella Riley’s other books won’t need me to tell them that her plot is impeccably constructed, her characterisation is superb, her research is detailed and extensive and that she writes the most exquisitely ‘romantic’ romances in which the sexual tension between the hero and heroine is built gradually and subtly. There is no repetitive mental lusting and no insta-lust, just a wonderfully developed relationship between two people who are obviously attracted to each other but who have to function in the real world around them and can’t just drop everything while they moon over the object of their affections.
Ms. Riley’s greatest strength – and she has many – is probably characterisation. She has the knack of creating the most gorgeous heroes, men who are physically attractive, of course, but who are also intelligent, honourable, kind and quick-witted with a dry sense of humour and possessed of the kind of competence and confidence which is extremely sexy. Eden is no exception, and readers who have been waiting for his story for the last couple of decades certainly won’t be disappointed now that he’s the centre of attention. His unhappy marriage and the strain it put on his relationship with his family – especially Jude, who is now a teenager – play an important part in the novel, and I loved watching the gradual reconciliation between father and son. It’s not easy for either of them and Ms. Riley wisely shows that there is still a way to go; but what we are shown is touching and very believable. Lydia is a great heroine, a woman in a man’s world who refuses to bow to outside pressure but who has sense enough to recognise that she needs help and isn’t too proud to accept it. There is one time when she makes an unwise decision – even though she’s been warned against it – that leads to near disaster, but otherwise, she’s strong, independent and very likeable, a good match for Eden, in every way.
There is a very strongly-drawn set of secondary characters in the book, some of whom, like Eden’s younger brother, Toby, and his house-guest, Sir Nicholas Austin, we have met before. Toby is a real scene-stealer – handsome, charming, roguish and forever having to step over the pile of women who fall at his feet – can we have a book about him next, pretty please? Fans of Gabriel Brandon from Garland of Straw will be very pleased to encounter him again as he travels to London to take up a seat in Parliament, and at the continuance of the strong friendship between him and Eden. One of those other many strengths of Ms Riley’s I mentioned is her ability to write thoroughly convincing male friendships; and that talent is showcased here in both Eden’s relationship with Gabriel and in his interactions with Toby, which are often funny and, for want of a better word, very brotherly.
I’ve only scratched the surface of what readers can expect to find in Lords of Misrule. There’s a well-conceived and well-executed mystery, a tender, sensual romance, and a fascinating historical background which never feels like too much information or as though one is being given an history lesson. If you’re tempted to start here, I think you could probably do so with minimal effort, but ultimately, all the books in the series are such damn good reads that I’d suggest starting with The Black MadonnaBefore you’re half-way through, you’ll want to turn off your phone, ignore your kids/work/friends, lock yourself away and not come out until you’ve finished them all.
Each book can be read as a standalone, although there are a number of recurring characters throughout and given that the historical events are followed chronologically, I’d advise reading them in order. The first book, The Black Madonna opens in 1639, which is when we first meet Eden Maxwell as a hopeful, optimistic young man of twenty or twenty-one. He is desperately in love with the daughter of a neighbouring family, Celia Langley, and determined to marry her in spite of the warnings of friends and family who say she is wrong for him. Sadly for Eden, they are right. Celia is beautiful, vain and selfish and only agreed to marry him because he was so thoroughly besotted with her that she believed he’d be easy to manage and because she liked being so adored.
Eden's troubles did not end there, however, for when civil war broke out, the Maxwells and the Langleys were on different sides of the conflict and even though Celia was now his wife, her sympathies were with the Royalists. She bore Eden a son, Jude, and some years later, a daughter Eden knows is not his. Celia eventually ran off with a Royalist officer, leaving her children at Eden’s family home of Thorne Ash, while disillusioned and embittered, Eden concentrated on his army career and rarely returns home.
Lords of Misrule opens in late 1653, around four years after the execution of King Charles I and more than a decade after the start of a series of bloody civil wars that divided England and its people. But regicide has not solved any of the problems that beset the country, and in fact things seem to be getting worse. While there were many factors that led to Charles’ trip to the executioner’s block – unpopular taxes, expensive wars and Charles’ insistence on his divine right to rule – England is still in political and social turmoil, so much so that many of Cromwell’s supporters have begun to ask themselves just what exactly they had been fighting for.
Colonel Eden Maxwell is one of those people. A highly trained and skilled officer, he has risen through the ranks and is now a trusted member of Cromwell’s inner circle. He is currently working for the Secretary of State, John Thurloe, as an intelligencer and cryptographer, but as the days pass, finds being chained to his desk increasingly frustrating. His repeated requests for a leave of absence have been denied and he is stuck in London buried under the mounds of paper generated by reports of unrest, possible insurrection, royalist plots and a myriad of other dull, fruitless tasks – until he receives information of a more plausible plot against Cromwell’s life (there were several at this point in time). One of the suspected conspirators, Sir Aubrey Durand, leads Eden to the citylorinery run by his widowed sister, and in the course of his investigations into the plot, Eden uncovers far more than he’d initially been looking for.
Lydia Neville was contented in her marriage a man several decades older than herself. On his death, she inherited all his property, including the lorinery, which she continues to run successfully and in spite of the constantly expressed disapproval of his relatives, all of whom invade her home on an almost daily basis to try to persuade her to give it up. But Lydia is no shrinking miss and makes it clear each time that she will do no such thing – although her assurances fall upon deaf ears and do not dissuade them from their latest scheme to marry her off to her late husband’s smarmy cousin.
When Eden visits the lorinery, he is pleasantly surprised to find some of his former comrades working there, for the business employs invalid ex-soldiers who would not otherwise be able to find work, regardless of which side they fought on. He is quite impressed by Lydia – or perhaps “impressed” is the wrong word, although she certainly makes an impression upon him by virtue of her strength of character, quick mind and sharp tongue. But what Eden has learned from the men concerns him. Someone has been making threats against Lydia, and those threats have started to get serious. Although she has tried to dismiss them as the prejudice any woman in business might expect to encounter, deep down she knows this is not the case and that she needs help if she is to be able to get to the bottom of them before anyone is seriously hurt – or worse.
Anyone who has read any of Stella Riley’s other books won’t need me to tell them that her plot is impeccably constructed, her characterisation is superb, her research is detailed and extensive and that she writes the most exquisitely ‘romantic’ romances in which the sexual tension between the hero and heroine is built gradually and subtly. There is no repetitive mental lusting and no insta-lust, just a wonderfully developed relationship between two people who are obviously attracted to each other but who have to function in the real world around them and can’t just drop everything while they moon over the object of their affections.
Ms. Riley’s greatest strength – and she has many – is probably characterisation. She has the knack of creating the most gorgeous heroes, men who are physically attractive, of course, but who are also intelligent, honourable, kind and quick-witted with a dry sense of humour and possessed of the kind of competence and confidence which is extremely sexy. Eden is no exception, and readers who have been waiting for his story for the last couple of decades certainly won’t be disappointed now that he’s the centre of attention. His unhappy marriage and the strain it put on his relationship with his family – especially Jude, who is now a teenager – play an important part in the novel, and I loved watching the gradual reconciliation between father and son. It’s not easy for either of them and Ms. Riley wisely shows that there is still a way to go; but what we are shown is touching and very believable. Lydia is a great heroine, a woman in a man’s world who refuses to bow to outside pressure but who has sense enough to recognise that she needs help and isn’t too proud to accept it. There is one time when she makes an unwise decision – even though she’s been warned against it – that leads to near disaster, but otherwise, she’s strong, independent and very likeable, a good match for Eden, in every way.
There is a very strongly-drawn set of secondary characters in the book, some of whom, like Eden’s younger brother, Toby, and his house-guest, Sir Nicholas Austin, we have met before. Toby is a real scene-stealer – handsome, charming, roguish and forever having to step over the pile of women who fall at his feet – can we have a book about him next, pretty please? Fans of Gabriel Brandon from Garland of Straw will be very pleased to encounter him again as he travels to London to take up a seat in Parliament, and at the continuance of the strong friendship between him and Eden. One of those other many strengths of Ms Riley’s I mentioned is her ability to write thoroughly convincing male friendships; and that talent is showcased here in both Eden’s relationship with Gabriel and in his interactions with Toby, which are often funny and, for want of a better word, very brotherly.
I’ve only scratched the surface of what readers can expect to find in Lords of Misrule. There’s a well-conceived and well-executed mystery, a tender, sensual romance, and a fascinating historical background which never feels like too much information or as though one is being given an history lesson. If you’re tempted to start here, I think you could probably do so with minimal effort, but ultimately, all the books in the series are such damn good reads that I’d suggest starting with The Black MadonnaBefore you’re half-way through, you’ll want to turn off your phone, ignore your kids/work/friends, lock yourself away and not come out until you’ve finished them all.
November 15, 2019
Beautifully written and reaserched as usual! :)
And we finally get Eden's happy ending, after everything he got through! :)
I loved Eden since we met him in the first book, even if he was a ittle naive and strait-laced then. He is still overly honorable, but he matures during the years. Still he's too much burned by his experence with Celia and he stubborny refuses to acknowledge his feelings toward Lydia, but cannot resist teasing her.
Lydia is also attracted to Eden, but he also irritates her with his protectiveness - she's a capable woman: why Eden cannot see that?
So they dance around each other, while everybody else knows that they're madly in love with each other! It was so fun reading their thoughts and the thoughts of every other secondary character!
I also appreciate how SR manages to make interesting the political situation of that period and how well it is incorporated into the story!!
I'm sorry that the series edns with this book, since I would really like to read Toby's story too! Toby is one of my favorit secondary character and since he's a no-nonsense man I'm sure his story would have been very interesting indeed!
And we finally get Eden's happy ending, after everything he got through! :)
I loved Eden since we met him in the first book, even if he was a ittle naive and strait-laced then. He is still overly honorable, but he matures during the years. Still he's too much burned by his experence with Celia and he stubborny refuses to acknowledge his feelings toward Lydia, but cannot resist teasing her.
Lydia is also attracted to Eden, but he also irritates her with his protectiveness - she's a capable woman: why Eden cannot see that?
So they dance around each other, while everybody else knows that they're madly in love with each other! It was so fun reading their thoughts and the thoughts of every other secondary character!
I also appreciate how SR manages to make interesting the political situation of that period and how well it is incorporated into the story!!
I'm sorry that the series edns with this book, since I would really like to read Toby's story too! Toby is one of my favorit secondary character and since he's a no-nonsense man I'm sure his story would have been very interesting indeed!
April 10, 2022
2.5 disappointing stars rounded up
I want to preface my review by saying that for me this book didn't work at all as a historical romance and barely functioned as historical fiction.
'Lords of Misrule' is the long-awaited (at least by fans of this series) story of Eden Maxwell, a character first introduced in 'The Black Madonna', where his wife cheats on and later abandons him and their two children. As a consequence, he develops a sulky and misogynistic attitude and he himself abandons his children (raised by his mother, sister and brother-in-law) for long stretches of time while serving in the New Model Army.
Despite his many shortcomings, I quite liked him at the beginning of the series and looked forward to seeing him heal from his heartbreak, make up for lost time with his children and eventually find love again.
On a strictly superficial level, this is what happens in this book. However, and as other reviewers have already pointed out, Eden's HEA feels completely unearned since he never outgrows his churlishness nor does he try to remedy his past mistakes. Every other character seems happy to accommodate his less than pleasant personality and brush off his lamentable conduct.
The heroine, Lydia Neville, is a well-to-do widow and philanthropist. She's fiercely independent, smart, and nobody's fool. To be fair, I found her perfection annoying, not to mention wasted on a hero whose personality has gone completely rancid. Their relationship starts with the flimsiest of excuses and undergoes little to no development: they start off by annoying each other, then, inexplicably, Lydia starts fantasising about his smile while Eden ogles her decolletage and deems her, if not beautiful, at least pretty enough to bed.
The book makes sure to have every single supporting character comment on the 'attraction' between them and encourage Eden to remarry. Everyone, from the sister Eden hasn't spoken to in seven years to his second in command, suddenly wants him to settle down, and thinks that Lydia would be the perfect bride for him.
This is a trope that I find particularly grating because if a couple's chemistry is that palpable, then it should speak for itself: but in this case, the couple itself barely interacted at all, while their 'matchmaking friends' made quips and teased them about their relationship.
It made for an extremely tedious read, as there wasn't anything going on between Lydia and Eden to look forward to from chapter to chapter.
They eventually get together because the story said that they should. It was quite obvious that the author manipulated events to make sure these two characters kept interfering in each other's lives, which made it increasingly difficult for me to suspend my disbelief. In the end, it felt more like a marriage of convenience than a love story: Lydia finally finds someone at least half-interested in her, while Eden can rely on her to be a parent to his children and warm his bed.
This is made ten times worse by the fact that Eden shared a much more convincing relationship with his housekeeper/mistress, Deborah. Their relationship began in the previous book when he saves her from being tried for witchcraft. While Deborah uses her clairvoyant abilities to inform Eden that he will eventually remarry and he admits from the start that he can't offer her love, I really couldn't find any good reason why they shouldn't be endgame. Their chemistry was off the charts, she was in love with him but didn't take any of his BS, and he clearly harboured deeper feelings for her than he cared to acknowledge.
The narrative puts great emphasis on the fact that Deborah 'knew' their relationship wouldn't last and that she's seemingly happy with her lot in life, but I still thought the only reason she didn't end up getting the guy was that she wasn't a wealthy widow. Eden is consumed by jealousy when she marries the vintner but he can’t bring himself to stop her because he's too emotionally stunted to commit to anything.
After all, his motivation for marrying Lydia pretty much amounts to having deflowered her and being pushed in that direction by everyone in his family and group of friends. Then, in the second half of the book, it's made clear that he's still mooning over Deborah when they meet by accident. Not only that, but he says in no uncertain terms that she will always own part of his heart. Lydia is fully aware of this and just..sucks it up. I honestly felt terrible for both of them.
The plot itself wandered aimlessly from the underwhelming aftermath of the civil wars to an unconvincing mystery subplot in the second half. I was bored out of my mind and felt relief once I reached the last page, which has never happened to me with a book by SR before.
The fact that I couldn't find anything worth liking about the main pairing is to blame here, especially since, having adored the first three books, I really hoped this series would end on a high note. The story does leave a few loose threads though, so there is definitely room for another book focusing on the youngest Maxwell, Tobias. If that will be the case, I hope he’ll find a more interesting match.
I want to preface my review by saying that for me this book didn't work at all as a historical romance and barely functioned as historical fiction.
'Lords of Misrule' is the long-awaited (at least by fans of this series) story of Eden Maxwell, a character first introduced in 'The Black Madonna', where his wife cheats on and later abandons him and their two children. As a consequence, he develops a sulky and misogynistic attitude and he himself abandons his children (raised by his mother, sister and brother-in-law) for long stretches of time while serving in the New Model Army.
Despite his many shortcomings, I quite liked him at the beginning of the series and looked forward to seeing him heal from his heartbreak, make up for lost time with his children and eventually find love again.
On a strictly superficial level, this is what happens in this book. However, and as other reviewers have already pointed out, Eden's HEA feels completely unearned since he never outgrows his churlishness nor does he try to remedy his past mistakes. Every other character seems happy to accommodate his less than pleasant personality and brush off his lamentable conduct.
The heroine, Lydia Neville, is a well-to-do widow and philanthropist. She's fiercely independent, smart, and nobody's fool. To be fair, I found her perfection annoying, not to mention wasted on a hero whose personality has gone completely rancid. Their relationship starts with the flimsiest of excuses and undergoes little to no development: they start off by annoying each other, then, inexplicably, Lydia starts fantasising about his smile while Eden ogles her decolletage and deems her, if not beautiful, at least pretty enough to bed.
The book makes sure to have every single supporting character comment on the 'attraction' between them and encourage Eden to remarry. Everyone, from the sister Eden hasn't spoken to in seven years to his second in command, suddenly wants him to settle down, and thinks that Lydia would be the perfect bride for him.
This is a trope that I find particularly grating because if a couple's chemistry is that palpable, then it should speak for itself: but in this case, the couple itself barely interacted at all, while their 'matchmaking friends' made quips and teased them about their relationship.
It made for an extremely tedious read, as there wasn't anything going on between Lydia and Eden to look forward to from chapter to chapter.
They eventually get together because the story said that they should. It was quite obvious that the author manipulated events to make sure these two characters kept interfering in each other's lives, which made it increasingly difficult for me to suspend my disbelief. In the end, it felt more like a marriage of convenience than a love story: Lydia finally finds someone at least half-interested in her, while Eden can rely on her to be a parent to his children and warm his bed.
This is made ten times worse by the fact that Eden shared a much more convincing relationship with his housekeeper/mistress, Deborah. Their relationship began in the previous book when he saves her from being tried for witchcraft. While Deborah uses her clairvoyant abilities to inform Eden that he will eventually remarry and he admits from the start that he can't offer her love, I really couldn't find any good reason why they shouldn't be endgame. Their chemistry was off the charts, she was in love with him but didn't take any of his BS, and he clearly harboured deeper feelings for her than he cared to acknowledge.
The narrative puts great emphasis on the fact that Deborah 'knew' their relationship wouldn't last and that she's seemingly happy with her lot in life, but I still thought the only reason she didn't end up getting the guy was that she wasn't a wealthy widow. Eden is consumed by jealousy when she marries the vintner but he can’t bring himself to stop her because he's too emotionally stunted to commit to anything.
After all, his motivation for marrying Lydia pretty much amounts to having deflowered her and being pushed in that direction by everyone in his family and group of friends. Then, in the second half of the book, it's made clear that he's still mooning over Deborah when they meet by accident. Not only that, but he says in no uncertain terms that she will always own part of his heart. Lydia is fully aware of this and just..sucks it up. I honestly felt terrible for both of them.
The plot itself wandered aimlessly from the underwhelming aftermath of the civil wars to an unconvincing mystery subplot in the second half. I was bored out of my mind and felt relief once I reached the last page, which has never happened to me with a book by SR before.
The fact that I couldn't find anything worth liking about the main pairing is to blame here, especially since, having adored the first three books, I really hoped this series would end on a high note. The story does leave a few loose threads though, so there is definitely room for another book focusing on the youngest Maxwell, Tobias. If that will be the case, I hope he’ll find a more interesting match.
January 5, 2017
While this last installment is a fine conclusion to the saga of the Royalist and Parliamentarian families that give this its name, as an individual book it's the weakest in my opinion.
For a start, the bloat makes the plot move slowly as well as make the book too long for so little that happens. Boredom seeps in quite easily. With better editing and a firmer grasp on what to tell and why instead of just adding it all in, this book would've been much more compelling. Yes, weeding makes for a shorter book, and I suspect this might've been a tad short for some tastes, but I'd take that over lengthy and bloated.
Then there's the characters. None of them are particularly interesting, always in my opinion, and if not for some secondaries and reappearances by characters from previous installments where they shone, this would've been a less enjoyable story. Eden Maxwell was never a favourite, and I think his Happily Ever After is both undeserved and unearned. He never really pays the consequences of being an utter ass to his children from his first marriage and his neglect of them, and to "reward" him with a romance with a pretty widow feels decidedly unfair no matter the Rules of Romance. Why exactly does everyone in this series have to end up blissfully happy regardless of their messes? If realism were a concern and someone had to have a bittersweet ending, Eden sure earned that spot.
I understand this is the wrap-up book, so there's a need to not leave threads loose, but I also think there was a better way to reintroduce the main characters from previous books for a last act before the curtain fell rather than the unsubtle Where Are They Now? device used. A case like Luciano I can understand, but a case like Peverell didn't feel natural, to give a couple of examples.
A good closing volume taken within the larger series, but not one I see myself rereading when I revisit this favourite series.
For a start, the bloat makes the plot move slowly as well as make the book too long for so little that happens. Boredom seeps in quite easily. With better editing and a firmer grasp on what to tell and why instead of just adding it all in, this book would've been much more compelling. Yes, weeding makes for a shorter book, and I suspect this might've been a tad short for some tastes, but I'd take that over lengthy and bloated.
Then there's the characters. None of them are particularly interesting, always in my opinion, and if not for some secondaries and reappearances by characters from previous installments where they shone, this would've been a less enjoyable story. Eden Maxwell was never a favourite, and I think his Happily Ever After is both undeserved and unearned. He never really pays the consequences of being an utter ass to his children from his first marriage and his neglect of them, and to "reward" him with a romance with a pretty widow feels decidedly unfair no matter the Rules of Romance. Why exactly does everyone in this series have to end up blissfully happy regardless of their messes? If realism were a concern and someone had to have a bittersweet ending, Eden sure earned that spot.
I understand this is the wrap-up book, so there's a need to not leave threads loose, but I also think there was a better way to reintroduce the main characters from previous books for a last act before the curtain fell rather than the unsubtle Where Are They Now? device used. A case like Luciano I can understand, but a case like Peverell didn't feel natural, to give a couple of examples.
A good closing volume taken within the larger series, but not one I see myself rereading when I revisit this favourite series.
June 1, 2016
It’s always difficult to come to a series of books part-way through, so when I knew that I was going to review Lords of Misrule, I decided to quickly acquaint myself with some of the background information of the series and about the English Civil War, my knowledge of which was sketchy to say the least. I was advised to read The Black Madonna (first in the
Roundheads and Cavaliers
series) and was very glad I did, as it’s here that we first meet Eden Maxwell, who is the hero of Lords of Misrule. Married young to a woman who was completely wrong for him, his early experience of love and marriage has left Eden deeply mistrustful, embittered and unable to show love to his son and resentful of the little girl he realises he did not father. He rarely returns home even though his wife disappears with her lover soon after discovery and his continuing absence drives a wedge between himself and his family even while it is not what he wishes. A decade later, and older and wiser, he has vowed never to trust love and absolutely never to marry again. By now a confident and battle-scarred soldier, Eden is also a man who does not suffer fools or trust easily; and I adored the tetchy, vulnerable, overprotective, charismatic character that Eden has become - and then there's that devastating smile!
These are serious times. England has been in the grip of civil war for well over a decade; families are split, the Country is short of money and the anointed King has been executed. Oliver Cromwell has been named Lord Protector - king in all but name - and parliament is attempting to bring some order to a divided country. Eden Maxwell has become a discontented and disenchanted man, and, owing to his inborn integrity and sense of justice is finding himself frequently in sympathy with both sides. Employed as an Intelligence officer and code breaker at the Tower of London, Eden reports directly to Cromwell's Secretary of State, John Thurloe. He is first and foremost a soldier, and having fought in and survived three civil wars, is not happy with his current role as paper pusher and glorified errand boy.
When a brick is hurled through a window of recently widowed Lydia Neville's workshop in a seemingly random attack, she is thrown into the orbit of Colonel Eden Maxwell. He instantly becomes interested - Lydia, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, has continued on with the work she began with her now deceased husband. They had intuitively recognised a need, and then provided the opportunity for honest employment for wounded and disabled soldiers, casualties of both sides of the war; and then too, for the widows of soldiers left with families to care for. At first Lydia and Eden strike sparks off of each other, he overbearing, cynical and dismissive; she independent, feisty and not about to allow any man to control her or her actions. Worthy adversaries both, it isn't long before their antipathy turns to reluctant attraction, as they are drawn to each other firstly by their joint empathy for Lydia's workforce and then by the threats and intimidation levelled at Lydia herself.
The challenge presented by the ever increasing threats to Lydia and her workforce is something that Eden relishes and embraces with enthusiasm, as well as bringing out his inborn desire to protect. The romance, which develops slowly over the entire story, sends shivers down the spine, but in Stella Riley's inimitable style is never allowed to take-over, this being very much a historical romance with the emphasis on 'historical'. Ms. Riley's characters are superbly well drawn and they quickly become our friends; we love them; admire them; feel for them; worry for them. It's something the author does incredibly well, we meet actual people, who lived and contributed to the past, but so well developed are her fictitious personalities that it's easy to forget which are historical and which are figments of her very fertile imagination.
Stella Riley's story has encompassed everything; fantastically well researched and richly described historic detail, characters to love and swoon over and an incredibly well devised plot that had me guessing until the end. It’s intricate, plausible and intelligent, displaying her unique talent for ratcheting up the drama until we're left gasping from the sheer ingenuity and thrill of it all. As is always the case with any story written by this author, the relationships between her characters, especially the men, are sensitively and tenderly grown, their camaraderie beautiful, moving and at other times extremely funny. Ms. Riley has a very dry wit and some of the scenes between Eden and his brother, Tobias, are especially touching and amusing in turns.
What a fascinating period the seventeenth century was, and since embarking on my Stella Riley binge, I am continuously asking myself how I could have failed to be interested in this vital period in English history. Ms. Riley's scholarship is incredible; this is such a complicated period to get to grips with and her descriptions, knowledge and quite obvious love for it shines throughout. How can we, the reader, fail to be infected by this author’s hard work, enthusiasm, knowledge and outstanding writing skill? I can't recommend the Roundheads and Cavaliers series highly enough and fully intend to go back and read Garland of Straw and The King's Falcon because it is not to be missed.
These are serious times. England has been in the grip of civil war for well over a decade; families are split, the Country is short of money and the anointed King has been executed. Oliver Cromwell has been named Lord Protector - king in all but name - and parliament is attempting to bring some order to a divided country. Eden Maxwell has become a discontented and disenchanted man, and, owing to his inborn integrity and sense of justice is finding himself frequently in sympathy with both sides. Employed as an Intelligence officer and code breaker at the Tower of London, Eden reports directly to Cromwell's Secretary of State, John Thurloe. He is first and foremost a soldier, and having fought in and survived three civil wars, is not happy with his current role as paper pusher and glorified errand boy.
When a brick is hurled through a window of recently widowed Lydia Neville's workshop in a seemingly random attack, she is thrown into the orbit of Colonel Eden Maxwell. He instantly becomes interested - Lydia, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, has continued on with the work she began with her now deceased husband. They had intuitively recognised a need, and then provided the opportunity for honest employment for wounded and disabled soldiers, casualties of both sides of the war; and then too, for the widows of soldiers left with families to care for. At first Lydia and Eden strike sparks off of each other, he overbearing, cynical and dismissive; she independent, feisty and not about to allow any man to control her or her actions. Worthy adversaries both, it isn't long before their antipathy turns to reluctant attraction, as they are drawn to each other firstly by their joint empathy for Lydia's workforce and then by the threats and intimidation levelled at Lydia herself.
The challenge presented by the ever increasing threats to Lydia and her workforce is something that Eden relishes and embraces with enthusiasm, as well as bringing out his inborn desire to protect. The romance, which develops slowly over the entire story, sends shivers down the spine, but in Stella Riley's inimitable style is never allowed to take-over, this being very much a historical romance with the emphasis on 'historical'. Ms. Riley's characters are superbly well drawn and they quickly become our friends; we love them; admire them; feel for them; worry for them. It's something the author does incredibly well, we meet actual people, who lived and contributed to the past, but so well developed are her fictitious personalities that it's easy to forget which are historical and which are figments of her very fertile imagination.
Stella Riley's story has encompassed everything; fantastically well researched and richly described historic detail, characters to love and swoon over and an incredibly well devised plot that had me guessing until the end. It’s intricate, plausible and intelligent, displaying her unique talent for ratcheting up the drama until we're left gasping from the sheer ingenuity and thrill of it all. As is always the case with any story written by this author, the relationships between her characters, especially the men, are sensitively and tenderly grown, their camaraderie beautiful, moving and at other times extremely funny. Ms. Riley has a very dry wit and some of the scenes between Eden and his brother, Tobias, are especially touching and amusing in turns.
What a fascinating period the seventeenth century was, and since embarking on my Stella Riley binge, I am continuously asking myself how I could have failed to be interested in this vital period in English history. Ms. Riley's scholarship is incredible; this is such a complicated period to get to grips with and her descriptions, knowledge and quite obvious love for it shines throughout. How can we, the reader, fail to be infected by this author’s hard work, enthusiasm, knowledge and outstanding writing skill? I can't recommend the Roundheads and Cavaliers series highly enough and fully intend to go back and read Garland of Straw and The King's Falcon because it is not to be missed.
March 21, 2021
Set during the years 1653 to 1655, when Oliver Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector, Lords of Misrule is the fourth book in Stella Riley’s excellent
Roundheads and Cavaliers
series. As with the previous books, it is an absorbing and intelligently written story which effortlessly blends history, politics, mystery, danger and, of course, romance.
Eden Maxwell has been an important secondary character since he first appeared in The Black Madonna, when his wife’s betrayal had such a devastating affect on him. Garland 0f Straw saw Eden serving as a major in Cromwell’s New Model Army, but still unable to put the past behind him and frequently finding solace in a bottle. It took some straight talking from his commanding officer to make him realise that he risked throwing his military career down the drain. In The King’s Falcon Eden, now a colonel, had finally come to terms with what happened and events leave him free to find the happiness he truly deserves.
What I love about Eden is that he is such a flawed and complex character. Despite being a battle-hardened soldier, he is a man of honour and integrity, as his actions in The King’s Falcon, and his disenchantment with Cromwell and what he stands for, reveal. The pain and anger he felt discovering his wife’s infidelity was understandable, made all the more heart-breaking because it was the same day his beloved father was buried. The hurt and disillusionment ran so deep that he vowed never to marry again. It was sad to see him distancing himself from his family and especially his two children. He had become a virtual stranger to his son, Jude, and resented his daughter, Viola, because he knows she isn’t his child. It was heartwarming to watch Eden making a positive effort to break down the barriers he had built between himself and his children. Jude proves to be young man with a wise head on his shoulders and offers his father some sound advice when it comes to building bridges with Viola.
Lydia is independent, capable and stubborn, and I admire her refusal to be hounded into selling her charitable businesses by her late husband’s family. Her kindness and compassion is evident in her desire to provide gainful employment to war-widows and crippled ex-soldiers, regardless of which side they fought on. In doing so, she hopes to restore their self respect, and it’s clear that the men and women she helps adore her and would defend her without hesitation.
”If you ever need a rag-tag army to stand at your back, you can count on us. All of us.”
It was refreshing to see Lydia’s late husband shown in a positive light, rather than an odious old lecher as so often happens. He was kind and always had her best interests at heart. She obviously loves her brother, Aubrey, and worries about him, although, at times, he seems totally irresponsible in his actions.
The romance was deliciously slow-building and watching Eden and Lydia gradually see each other in a new light and begin to fall in love was very satisfying.
As always, with Ms. Riley, the relationships between her male characters are so brilliantly written, especially the brotherly exchanges between Eden and Toby, and the close bond of friendship between Eden and Gabriel.
Ms. Riley’s books are so meticulously researched and watching the historical events unfold through the eyes of her characters brought the history to life, and made me care about the fate of these characters.
The mystery of who is threatening Lydia, and why, is well-plotted with plenty of action and danger, and the villain’s identity certainly came as a surprise.
There are some delightful moments of humour throughout the story and one of my particular favourites is the scene where Lydia pretends to be absent-minded when soldiers arrive to question her about her brother’s whereabouts. It is so funny.
Among the secondary characters are a number of familiar favourites from the previous books including Gabriel and Venetia Brandon, Phoebe Clifford, Venetia’s youngest sister, Sir Nicholas Austin and a cameo appearance from Ashley Peverell. I felt a lot of sympathy for Deborah but she was pragmatic enough to accept that there was no future for her with Eden. Toby was definitely a scene stealer and I loved the banter between him and Eden. A real charmer and ladies man on the surface, but not someone to be underestimated, especially in a life-threatening situation. Like so many other readers, I do hope that Toby gets his own book in the not too distant future.
I strongly recommend that you read the previous books in this series to get a full appreciation of Eden’s character, and his connection to the other recurring characters who appear in this book.
MY VERDICT: Another superbly written story from Stella Riley. Highly Recommended.
Eden Maxwell has been an important secondary character since he first appeared in The Black Madonna, when his wife’s betrayal had such a devastating affect on him. Garland 0f Straw saw Eden serving as a major in Cromwell’s New Model Army, but still unable to put the past behind him and frequently finding solace in a bottle. It took some straight talking from his commanding officer to make him realise that he risked throwing his military career down the drain. In The King’s Falcon Eden, now a colonel, had finally come to terms with what happened and events leave him free to find the happiness he truly deserves.
What I love about Eden is that he is such a flawed and complex character. Despite being a battle-hardened soldier, he is a man of honour and integrity, as his actions in The King’s Falcon, and his disenchantment with Cromwell and what he stands for, reveal. The pain and anger he felt discovering his wife’s infidelity was understandable, made all the more heart-breaking because it was the same day his beloved father was buried. The hurt and disillusionment ran so deep that he vowed never to marry again. It was sad to see him distancing himself from his family and especially his two children. He had become a virtual stranger to his son, Jude, and resented his daughter, Viola, because he knows she isn’t his child. It was heartwarming to watch Eden making a positive effort to break down the barriers he had built between himself and his children. Jude proves to be young man with a wise head on his shoulders and offers his father some sound advice when it comes to building bridges with Viola.
Lydia is independent, capable and stubborn, and I admire her refusal to be hounded into selling her charitable businesses by her late husband’s family. Her kindness and compassion is evident in her desire to provide gainful employment to war-widows and crippled ex-soldiers, regardless of which side they fought on. In doing so, she hopes to restore their self respect, and it’s clear that the men and women she helps adore her and would defend her without hesitation.
”If you ever need a rag-tag army to stand at your back, you can count on us. All of us.”
It was refreshing to see Lydia’s late husband shown in a positive light, rather than an odious old lecher as so often happens. He was kind and always had her best interests at heart. She obviously loves her brother, Aubrey, and worries about him, although, at times, he seems totally irresponsible in his actions.
The romance was deliciously slow-building and watching Eden and Lydia gradually see each other in a new light and begin to fall in love was very satisfying.
As always, with Ms. Riley, the relationships between her male characters are so brilliantly written, especially the brotherly exchanges between Eden and Toby, and the close bond of friendship between Eden and Gabriel.
Ms. Riley’s books are so meticulously researched and watching the historical events unfold through the eyes of her characters brought the history to life, and made me care about the fate of these characters.
The mystery of who is threatening Lydia, and why, is well-plotted with plenty of action and danger, and the villain’s identity certainly came as a surprise.
There are some delightful moments of humour throughout the story and one of my particular favourites is the scene where Lydia pretends to be absent-minded when soldiers arrive to question her about her brother’s whereabouts. It is so funny.
Among the secondary characters are a number of familiar favourites from the previous books including Gabriel and Venetia Brandon, Phoebe Clifford, Venetia’s youngest sister, Sir Nicholas Austin and a cameo appearance from Ashley Peverell. I felt a lot of sympathy for Deborah but she was pragmatic enough to accept that there was no future for her with Eden. Toby was definitely a scene stealer and I loved the banter between him and Eden. A real charmer and ladies man on the surface, but not someone to be underestimated, especially in a life-threatening situation. Like so many other readers, I do hope that Toby gets his own book in the not too distant future.
I strongly recommend that you read the previous books in this series to get a full appreciation of Eden’s character, and his connection to the other recurring characters who appear in this book.
MY VERDICT: Another superbly written story from Stella Riley. Highly Recommended.
May 4, 2019
The hero (Eden Maxwell) is an old acquaintance from the previous books of the series and comes from a terrible marriage which left him cold and with serious commitment issues.
The heroine (Lydia Neville) is a young widow by an almost 40 years older husband that helps veterans of war and their widows.
As always the historical background and the fictional development is rich and complex.
Eden was never a favorite of mine and not my kind of man at all (meaning I would never marry someone like him), but he is a wonderful character. Full of flaws and qualities and so intricate. The heroine could have been a tad stronger and I have to confess that, deep down, she never measured up to Deborah (his previous relationship). But Eden was never a good judge of women, so it was understandable that he would let Deborah go and fall for Lydia.
This is the last book in the series and It is recommend to read all the books in order as they are very interconnected and the only way to really grasp Eden’s character (and sometimes lack thereof).
This series was really a delight to read and I have learned so much about the English Civil Wars and their many political repercussions.
The heroine (Lydia Neville) is a young widow by an almost 40 years older husband that helps veterans of war and their widows.
As always the historical background and the fictional development is rich and complex.
Eden was never a favorite of mine and not my kind of man at all (meaning I would never marry someone like him), but he is a wonderful character. Full of flaws and qualities and so intricate. The heroine could have been a tad stronger and I have to confess that, deep down, she never measured up to Deborah (his previous relationship). But Eden was never a good judge of women, so it was understandable that he would let Deborah go and fall for Lydia.
This is the last book in the series and It is recommend to read all the books in order as they are very interconnected and the only way to really grasp Eden’s character (and sometimes lack thereof).
This series was really a delight to read and I have learned so much about the English Civil Wars and their many political repercussions.
March 13, 2018
It's always a treat to have a Riley book to read. And, as always, Stella Riley does a stellar job of immersing her readers in the real history of the time period (Cromwell and the civil wars) without making her readers suffer too much history overload. The reason is that her characters are living this history and that makes it all come to life instead of being dry facts about things that happened centuries ago.
If you're familiar with Riley through her lighter Georgian series, please keep in mind that this is the latest in her historically-more-dense Roundheads and Cavaliers series, set in the mid 1600s and having as its setting the civil unrest between monarchy and Parliament known as the civil wars, that time when Oliver Cromwell and his backers decided England didn't need a king and then, funny thing, Cromwell went on to act as if he would like to be one.
This series is packed with real historical events and people and Riley's fictional characters interact with these real people and live these real historical events. This Book 4 takes place from 1653-1655. The third civil war (1650-51) is over but the country is still in a state of turmoil and disrepair. Cromwell has just made himself "Lord Protector of England" and has called his first Protectorate Parliament. Meanwhile, those loyal to Charles II are ineffectually trying to assassinate Cromwell and instigate uprisings against the government, especially in Scotland. And there's England at war with Holland and Spain. In other words, a big old mess of a time of "misrule".
And within this time of political turmoil, we also have the personal turmoil of hero Eden Maxwell, colonel in Cromwell's army but rather disenchanted with politics. Eden, the widower of a faithless wife who died in Book Three leaving him with two children, the youngest possibly not his, is not interested in a) being a father, (He leaves his children in the care of relatives and hardly ever sees them or has any contact with them) and b) ever marrying again.
This story takes place some years after his wife's death and that's a long time to neglect your children and to live as a bitter man. Obviously he'll be needing an emotional makeover. That's where heroine Lydia comes in. She's the widow of a much older man who leaves her his two pet businesses, a lorinery employing only soldiers, both Roundhead and Cavalier, who were injured and maimed in the civil wars, and a lace-making business to employ the widows of soldiers killed in the wars.
Lydia and Eden come into contact when Lydia's brother is taken into custody on suspicion of being involved in plots to overthrow Cromwell's government. And so it goes. It's an interesting story which even contains a mystery about who is trying to sabotage Lydia's businesses. New characters are introduced to the series but there's a good deal of welcome reappearance of old familiar ones, such as Kate (Eden's sister) and Luciano from THE BLACK MADONNA and Venetia and Gabriel from GARLAND OF STRAW and more, more, more. Eden's brother Toby plays an important role in this book and it's to be hoped that he'll have his own story taking place either on the way to putting Charles II on the throne or during the Restoration itself. One can only hope.
I enjoyed this book but it's not among my favorites of the series. I felt it needed editing to shorten it somewhat and the love story between Lydia and Eden wasn't very compelling. Still, a somewhat weak Riley book is much better than a strong HR by your average-bear HR author.
If you're familiar with Riley through her lighter Georgian series, please keep in mind that this is the latest in her historically-more-dense Roundheads and Cavaliers series, set in the mid 1600s and having as its setting the civil unrest between monarchy and Parliament known as the civil wars, that time when Oliver Cromwell and his backers decided England didn't need a king and then, funny thing, Cromwell went on to act as if he would like to be one.
This series is packed with real historical events and people and Riley's fictional characters interact with these real people and live these real historical events. This Book 4 takes place from 1653-1655. The third civil war (1650-51) is over but the country is still in a state of turmoil and disrepair. Cromwell has just made himself "Lord Protector of England" and has called his first Protectorate Parliament. Meanwhile, those loyal to Charles II are ineffectually trying to assassinate Cromwell and instigate uprisings against the government, especially in Scotland. And there's England at war with Holland and Spain. In other words, a big old mess of a time of "misrule".
And within this time of political turmoil, we also have the personal turmoil of hero Eden Maxwell, colonel in Cromwell's army but rather disenchanted with politics. Eden, the widower of a faithless wife who died in Book Three leaving him with two children, the youngest possibly not his, is not interested in a) being a father, (He leaves his children in the care of relatives and hardly ever sees them or has any contact with them) and b) ever marrying again.
This story takes place some years after his wife's death and that's a long time to neglect your children and to live as a bitter man. Obviously he'll be needing an emotional makeover. That's where heroine Lydia comes in. She's the widow of a much older man who leaves her his two pet businesses, a lorinery employing only soldiers, both Roundhead and Cavalier, who were injured and maimed in the civil wars, and a lace-making business to employ the widows of soldiers killed in the wars.
Lydia and Eden come into contact when Lydia's brother is taken into custody on suspicion of being involved in plots to overthrow Cromwell's government. And so it goes. It's an interesting story which even contains a mystery about who is trying to sabotage Lydia's businesses. New characters are introduced to the series but there's a good deal of welcome reappearance of old familiar ones, such as Kate (Eden's sister) and Luciano from THE BLACK MADONNA and Venetia and Gabriel from GARLAND OF STRAW and more, more, more. Eden's brother Toby plays an important role in this book and it's to be hoped that he'll have his own story taking place either on the way to putting Charles II on the throne or during the Restoration itself. One can only hope.
I enjoyed this book but it's not among my favorites of the series. I felt it needed editing to shorten it somewhat and the love story between Lydia and Eden wasn't very compelling. Still, a somewhat weak Riley book is much better than a strong HR by your average-bear HR author.
March 2, 2017
2.5 stars.
I have to admit that I was scared to start this book. This was due, in large part, to the fact that the H of this story began a relationship with his mistress in the previous book and I just knew it wasn't going to end well. If you don't want anything spoiled, stop reading now.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
So, at the end of the last book The King's Falcon, the H in this story, Eden, began an affair with Deborah, his housekeeper. She fell in love with him and he fell in comfort with her. She said that it didn't matter that he never wanted to remarry; she just wanted him for as long as she could have him. He was very honest with her. He never said that he loved her. And he knew in his heart that he should end things before they got even messier, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He needed her and the comfort that she brought him.
Honestly, I've read enough romance where I know that this is just not the angst for me. I mean, does the h hate herself and could the H be any more unfeeling? So before I started this book, I was hoping that this relationship would have resolved itself off book, before the plot of this one began, since, you know, the h in this one is called Lydia. And that's not Deborah's middle name. Fast forward two years to the beginning of this story and the H still hasn't let his mistress/housekeeper go. Not firing her, but releasing her from their relationship. That's two years he's known that Deborah's been in love with him, but he's not in love with her. And he still can't bring himself to do the honourable thing. At least the readers are spared the two of them having intimate relations in this book. By the point this story begins, the H is already starting to feel a little bad about the whole situation. It took him long enough and he still had to have a talking to with his friend and brother before finally releasing her to being courted by someone else. And even then the author makes it seem like he's reluctant to do so. I just don't understand. How does this make the romance between the MCs believable? Deborah has to be the one to go and marry someone else for it to be finally over between her and the H. I'm sorry, but this subplot sort of ruined the whole book for me.
And even worse is that the H brings the h, to live in the same house that he lived in with his mistress for two years. They sleep in the same bed that he shared with his mistress all that time. It might not bother some readers, but it was a major turnoff for me.
Other than the H, I really enjoyed the book a lot. The h was wonderful. She was strong and had an amazing social conscience. I appreciated that she did have another serious suitor, one who wasn't interested in her just for her money. I was sort of rooting for him to be honest. I also enjoyed the historical aspects of this story a lot. It was so nice to see the whole gang again. And the writing of Ms. Riley's keeps getting better and better. I found this book more well written than the first book of this series. It was engaging, witty, and so easy to read. And it was pretty clean, with no ow/om drama other than the whole mistress thing. One star for the fabulous writing, one for an endearing and wonderful h, and half a star for seeing what all the other MCs in the previous stories are up to now.
I have to admit that I was scared to start this book. This was due, in large part, to the fact that the H of this story began a relationship with his mistress in the previous book and I just knew it wasn't going to end well. If you don't want anything spoiled, stop reading now.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
So, at the end of the last book The King's Falcon, the H in this story, Eden, began an affair with Deborah, his housekeeper. She fell in love with him and he fell in comfort with her. She said that it didn't matter that he never wanted to remarry; she just wanted him for as long as she could have him. He was very honest with her. He never said that he loved her. And he knew in his heart that he should end things before they got even messier, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He needed her and the comfort that she brought him.
Honestly, I've read enough romance where I know that this is just not the angst for me. I mean, does the h hate herself and could the H be any more unfeeling? So before I started this book, I was hoping that this relationship would have resolved itself off book, before the plot of this one began, since, you know, the h in this one is called Lydia. And that's not Deborah's middle name. Fast forward two years to the beginning of this story and the H still hasn't let his mistress/housekeeper go. Not firing her, but releasing her from their relationship. That's two years he's known that Deborah's been in love with him, but he's not in love with her. And he still can't bring himself to do the honourable thing. At least the readers are spared the two of them having intimate relations in this book. By the point this story begins, the H is already starting to feel a little bad about the whole situation. It took him long enough and he still had to have a talking to with his friend and brother before finally releasing her to being courted by someone else. And even then the author makes it seem like he's reluctant to do so. I just don't understand. How does this make the romance between the MCs believable? Deborah has to be the one to go and marry someone else for it to be finally over between her and the H. I'm sorry, but this subplot sort of ruined the whole book for me.
And even worse is that the H brings the h, to live in the same house that he lived in with his mistress for two years. They sleep in the same bed that he shared with his mistress all that time. It might not bother some readers, but it was a major turnoff for me.
Other than the H, I really enjoyed the book a lot. The h was wonderful. She was strong and had an amazing social conscience. I appreciated that she did have another serious suitor, one who wasn't interested in her just for her money. I was sort of rooting for him to be honest. I also enjoyed the historical aspects of this story a lot. It was so nice to see the whole gang again. And the writing of Ms. Riley's keeps getting better and better. I found this book more well written than the first book of this series. It was engaging, witty, and so easy to read. And it was pretty clean, with no ow/om drama other than the whole mistress thing. One star for the fabulous writing, one for an endearing and wonderful h, and half a star for seeing what all the other MCs in the previous stories are up to now.
September 23, 2021
Finally, Eden’s book.
Before anything else, I must stress the fact that I read other revews that advised one to read this series in order. AND they were right! Though it can be read as a standalone as her other books, the full character arc of her main Hero Eden cannot fully be appreciated, if not read in sequence. Even if he is the secondary character in those books. The full details of his backstory do not come out unless you have read those.
In the previous books, Eden Maxwell, the Hero saves Sir Nicholas a Royalist soldier who he houses and who becomes his friend. Sir Nicholas plays a secondary role in this book although SPOILERS….He does not end up with Verity. (See… as I said you have to read the series in order)
Eden also saves (in the previous books) Deborah who is accused of witchcraft and who becomes his housekeeper/mistress. Although from the start she tells him that he is destined to marry someone else, despite his protestations that he will never marry again. She eventually breaks with him, with his consent so she can marry a man who does love her. Eden cares for Deborah but knows he does not love her. Its…. maybe an aspect of her witchcraft….that she knows she is not the one for him. Its implied in the story that she KNOWS it is Lydia who is destined for Eden.
I liked this one a lot. Many other reviewers were annoyed with Lydia, the heroine, but I liked her. She had to have developed a spine of steel to deal with her circumstances in life and her horrid in laws. Married to a much older man, who was a friend of her father for security for herself and her younger brother. It takes guts not to give in to bullying especially since her in-laws lived with her.
Eden and Lydia have a slow burn push and pull kind of romance and for much of he book nothing happens, so i can imagine why some readers were frustrated. For most part he helps her out with her problems, and though he is attracted to her, he never really wants to reveal his feelings since he IS convinced he will never marry again. Everyone else can see how they feel about each other so, well, I guess yes, it is more frustrating since neither one does anything about their feelings…🤷🏻♀️😊
As is common in Stella Riley books, there is a mystery brewing and villains, of course. The action in this one picks up at the last 20% of the book, but its fast and furious. I was not disappointed. I had some suspicions of who the villain was but she had a good twist in the end, and I did like how the mystery and the story played out.
In the end its still a romance and Eden and Lydia get their HEA… still I want more Eden and Lydia stories!! 🙏🏻 She did that in Cadenza, where the main characters were the descendants of Gabriel and Venetia in garland of Straw.. i hope we see some Eden Maxwell descendants…..pleeeese ……🙏🏻
Before anything else, I must stress the fact that I read other revews that advised one to read this series in order. AND they were right! Though it can be read as a standalone as her other books, the full character arc of her main Hero Eden cannot fully be appreciated, if not read in sequence. Even if he is the secondary character in those books. The full details of his backstory do not come out unless you have read those.
In the previous books, Eden Maxwell, the Hero saves Sir Nicholas a Royalist soldier who he houses and who becomes his friend. Sir Nicholas plays a secondary role in this book although SPOILERS….He does not end up with Verity. (See… as I said you have to read the series in order)
Eden also saves (in the previous books) Deborah who is accused of witchcraft and who becomes his housekeeper/mistress. Although from the start she tells him that he is destined to marry someone else, despite his protestations that he will never marry again. She eventually breaks with him, with his consent so she can marry a man who does love her. Eden cares for Deborah but knows he does not love her. Its…. maybe an aspect of her witchcraft….that she knows she is not the one for him. Its implied in the story that she KNOWS it is Lydia who is destined for Eden.
I liked this one a lot. Many other reviewers were annoyed with Lydia, the heroine, but I liked her. She had to have developed a spine of steel to deal with her circumstances in life and her horrid in laws. Married to a much older man, who was a friend of her father for security for herself and her younger brother. It takes guts not to give in to bullying especially since her in-laws lived with her.
Eden and Lydia have a slow burn push and pull kind of romance and for much of he book nothing happens, so i can imagine why some readers were frustrated. For most part he helps her out with her problems, and though he is attracted to her, he never really wants to reveal his feelings since he IS convinced he will never marry again. Everyone else can see how they feel about each other so, well, I guess yes, it is more frustrating since neither one does anything about their feelings…🤷🏻♀️😊
As is common in Stella Riley books, there is a mystery brewing and villains, of course. The action in this one picks up at the last 20% of the book, but its fast and furious. I was not disappointed. I had some suspicions of who the villain was but she had a good twist in the end, and I did like how the mystery and the story played out.
In the end its still a romance and Eden and Lydia get their HEA… still I want more Eden and Lydia stories!! 🙏🏻 She did that in Cadenza, where the main characters were the descendants of Gabriel and Venetia in garland of Straw.. i hope we see some Eden Maxwell descendants…..pleeeese ……🙏🏻
May 31, 2016
I have been waiting for this book for a long time and I wasn't disappointed. The plot has well researched historical background, intrigue and memorable characters. As always Stella's secondary players are as good as her main ones. I also thought that Eden and Lydia were an excellent match. I loved seeing Gabriel and Venetia again. I loved this book from cover to cover.
May 23, 2024
Audiobook
May 31, 2016
Wonderful. Simply Wonderful
Simply wonderful is how I start this review of Stella Riley’s fourth book in her Roundheads & Cavalier series, Lords of Misrule.
It is truly an excellent novel full of twists and turns that kept me guessing right to the end. Not only does it have a super plot line but also deals with the history of England in the mid-1650’s that is so often misunderstood, in a clear, concise and informative manner.
As with her other books in this series, she concentrates on one of her brilliant characters who we’ve met in previous books. In this case it’s Eden Maxwell, who isn’t the easiest of men primarily because of the raw deal life has given him. For example his marriage to Celia in Black Madonna after Eden had thought that she was the “loveliest creature that he had ever seen”. What a mistake!
We meet him in Garland of Straw and Kings Falcon where his relationships are somewhat muddled – Pheobe and Deborah . We also see him as an outstanding soldier before moving into intelligence under Thurloe where he begins to question his role and what is happening to an England ruled by Parliament under Oliver Cromwell.
So now he gets his own book and what a first class story Ms Riley has created for this sometimes awkward man.
Her heroine this time is Lydia who is typical of the strong, feisty and determined women Ms Riley writes. She is the perfect partner for Eden and Ms Riley makes this clear very early in the book – no rabbits out of hats from this writer.
The concept of Lydia opening and managing the Lorinery for injured soldiers from both sides of the conflict is brilliant – I didn’t know what a Lorinery was until I read this book – and works so well.
The plotting I thought was excellent throughout and as I have said earlier, the twists and turns make this book a real page turner. But it’s not only the plotting that is brilliant, it’s once again Riley’s ability to write characters who you care for, have empathy with and an understanding of their emotions. Her conversation pieces, particularly with her men are outstanding and truly believable.
Her ability to seamlessly bring back characters from previous books is wonderful and in this we get to once again meet her previous heroes Luciano (Black Madonna) Gabriel (Garland of Straw) and even Ashley Peverell (Kings Falcon) amongst many others along with Eden’s children with whom he has a difficult relationship that Ms Riley handles just right.
I will not spoil the plot which I think is well constructed and believable. However, what I will do is join the multitude of pleas to Stella Riley for Toby’s book because there she has someone who has a light and dark side plus is drop, dead gorgeous and someone I’d love to meet, but not in the backstreets of Genoa!
I cannot recommend this writers work highly enough. She really is an outstanding writer both with this series and her Georgian Rockliffe series.
Please, please write more.
Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Thank you.
Simply wonderful is how I start this review of Stella Riley’s fourth book in her Roundheads & Cavalier series, Lords of Misrule.
It is truly an excellent novel full of twists and turns that kept me guessing right to the end. Not only does it have a super plot line but also deals with the history of England in the mid-1650’s that is so often misunderstood, in a clear, concise and informative manner.
As with her other books in this series, she concentrates on one of her brilliant characters who we’ve met in previous books. In this case it’s Eden Maxwell, who isn’t the easiest of men primarily because of the raw deal life has given him. For example his marriage to Celia in Black Madonna after Eden had thought that she was the “loveliest creature that he had ever seen”. What a mistake!
We meet him in Garland of Straw and Kings Falcon where his relationships are somewhat muddled – Pheobe and Deborah . We also see him as an outstanding soldier before moving into intelligence under Thurloe where he begins to question his role and what is happening to an England ruled by Parliament under Oliver Cromwell.
So now he gets his own book and what a first class story Ms Riley has created for this sometimes awkward man.
Her heroine this time is Lydia who is typical of the strong, feisty and determined women Ms Riley writes. She is the perfect partner for Eden and Ms Riley makes this clear very early in the book – no rabbits out of hats from this writer.
The concept of Lydia opening and managing the Lorinery for injured soldiers from both sides of the conflict is brilliant – I didn’t know what a Lorinery was until I read this book – and works so well.
The plotting I thought was excellent throughout and as I have said earlier, the twists and turns make this book a real page turner. But it’s not only the plotting that is brilliant, it’s once again Riley’s ability to write characters who you care for, have empathy with and an understanding of their emotions. Her conversation pieces, particularly with her men are outstanding and truly believable.
Her ability to seamlessly bring back characters from previous books is wonderful and in this we get to once again meet her previous heroes Luciano (Black Madonna) Gabriel (Garland of Straw) and even Ashley Peverell (Kings Falcon) amongst many others along with Eden’s children with whom he has a difficult relationship that Ms Riley handles just right.
I will not spoil the plot which I think is well constructed and believable. However, what I will do is join the multitude of pleas to Stella Riley for Toby’s book because there she has someone who has a light and dark side plus is drop, dead gorgeous and someone I’d love to meet, but not in the backstreets of Genoa!
I cannot recommend this writers work highly enough. She really is an outstanding writer both with this series and her Georgian Rockliffe series.
Please, please write more.
Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Thank you.
November 3, 2022
It was a nice end of the series. We got back the charming, caring, likable Eden (from the first part). I was thrilled to meet almost all characters from previous books, and their children ;-) So, at the end, I felt warm around my heart.
Nonetheless, I have also the feeling it could have been even better. There was a gap between Eden from Garland of Straw, The King's Falcon and this novel. Yes, some kind of transformation started in "The King's Falcon", but something didn't fit. I agree with Marquise that most of all, it lacked a convincing bridge between him and his children. It was such a great potential for wonderful scenes. I would have easily had them in place of some parts of a mystery plot. And then, there was Deborah (I agree about it with Jennifer) - couldn't Mrs Riley manage their relationship in a better way?
There was less of politic and history events in this part. Instead, there was more mystery and action. I don't say it was bad, only, I was accustomed to a different proportion. However, I saw inhere the beginning of the end of Cromwell's rule (the story ended in the middle of 1955).
And it simply begs for another part, e.g. with Tobias as a main hero, around 1658-60. Then, I would read with pleasure stories about children of all the pairs that got HEA (of course, it would have to get place a bit later, somewhere around the end of Charles II rule, but it was so eventful time that I am thrilled just thinking about the possibilities).
Summarizing, as usual, the background was well-researched, a romance - (apart from reservations about Eden) believable, action scenes - thrilling, a few moments - funny, reading this story was gripping. But, it was a bit worse than previous books.
PS By the way, I advise against reading the novels not chronologically. Like I wrote, some characters evolved, some reminiscences could be hard to understand without reading previous parts. Of course, for the main plot, it wasn't important, but you will lose something if you don't read the whole series chronologically.
Nonetheless, I have also the feeling it could have been even better. There was a gap between Eden from Garland of Straw, The King's Falcon and this novel. Yes, some kind of transformation started in "The King's Falcon", but something didn't fit. I agree with Marquise that most of all, it lacked a convincing bridge between him and his children. It was such a great potential for wonderful scenes. I would have easily had them in place of some parts of a mystery plot. And then, there was Deborah (I agree about it with Jennifer) - couldn't Mrs Riley manage their relationship in a better way?
Nobody rises so high as he who doesn’t know where he’s going.
There was less of politic and history events in this part. Instead, there was more mystery and action. I don't say it was bad, only, I was accustomed to a different proportion. However, I saw inhere the beginning of the end of Cromwell's rule (the story ended in the middle of 1955).
everyone wants liberty but no one will give it
And it simply begs for another part, e.g. with Tobias as a main hero, around 1658-60. Then, I would read with pleasure stories about children of all the pairs that got HEA (of course, it would have to get place a bit later, somewhere around the end of Charles II rule, but it was so eventful time that I am thrilled just thinking about the possibilities).
Summarizing, as usual, the background was well-researched, a romance - (apart from reservations about Eden) believable, action scenes - thrilling, a few moments - funny, reading this story was gripping. But, it was a bit worse than previous books.
PS By the way, I advise against reading the novels not chronologically. Like I wrote, some characters evolved, some reminiscences could be hard to understand without reading previous parts. Of course, for the main plot, it wasn't important, but you will lose something if you don't read the whole series chronologically.
May 21, 2016
It's been a long wait for Eden's story.
I have been reading Ms Riley's Civil War and Restoration novels since I first read the Marigold Chain and Splendid Defiance in the early '80s and was disappointed after reading Garland of Straw sometime in the '90s that there would be no more novels in the Civil War sequence.
This writer has a knack of creating characters you want to read more of and Eden fell particularly into that category. But often when you wait a great many years for a follow-on story, they eventually disappoint. This one does not. Although, in my opinion, it doesn't quite match Garland, it comes a fairly good second (Madonna is pretty good too).
This writer is particularly skilled at coming up with her own story and characters and weaving them well into the actual historical events. In this book those events are less spectacular than those in Garland, but that's history for you. However, the ambiguities of the Cromwellian Protectorate are well portrayed even if I don't quite share the level of disillusionment with the Interregnum years (there are as many opinions about this as there are days in the year), the background is treated with this writer's usual even-handedness.
Well-loved characters reappear and, hopefully, will continue in another novel? It would be great to hear Toby's story and perhaps get right back to the Restoration.
I have been reading Ms Riley's Civil War and Restoration novels since I first read the Marigold Chain and Splendid Defiance in the early '80s and was disappointed after reading Garland of Straw sometime in the '90s that there would be no more novels in the Civil War sequence.
This writer has a knack of creating characters you want to read more of and Eden fell particularly into that category. But often when you wait a great many years for a follow-on story, they eventually disappoint. This one does not. Although, in my opinion, it doesn't quite match Garland, it comes a fairly good second (Madonna is pretty good too).
This writer is particularly skilled at coming up with her own story and characters and weaving them well into the actual historical events. In this book those events are less spectacular than those in Garland, but that's history for you. However, the ambiguities of the Cromwellian Protectorate are well portrayed even if I don't quite share the level of disillusionment with the Interregnum years (there are as many opinions about this as there are days in the year), the background is treated with this writer's usual even-handedness.
Well-loved characters reappear and, hopefully, will continue in another novel? It would be great to hear Toby's story and perhaps get right back to the Restoration.
December 19, 2023
Synopsis: This book takes place between 1653 and 1655. Eden, who has been chained to his desk serving as a cryptographer in the parliamentary Intelligence Office. He has become increasingly disillusioned with the extremist government headed by Oliver Cromwell and dreams of getting away from it all. In the course of his duties at the Intelligence Office, he comes into contact with Lydia Neville - a young widow who runs two businesses that employ veterans (from both sides) of the wars. As his feelings for Lydia develop, he becomes entangled in a mysterious plot against her; someone is blackmailing Lydia and the questions of who, why, and for what reason are unknown.
My thoughts: this story, like book 3, is a little lighter on the worldbuilding / political conflict aspects as compared to earlier entries in the series. But the mystery surrounding Lydia is well told and comes to a satisfying conclusion, and Eden's arc from jaded, angry, emotionless man into something more like his younger self is a great read. if the series ends here, I'll be satisfied - though this book made me really want to read a book from Toby Maxwell's perspective because he's absolutely hilarious here.
If I had to rank the books in the R&C series, plus A Splendid Defiance:
1. Black Madonna
1.5 A Splendid Defiance
2. Garland of Straw
3. Lords of Misrule
4. The King's Falcon
My thoughts: this story, like book 3, is a little lighter on the worldbuilding / political conflict aspects as compared to earlier entries in the series. But the mystery surrounding Lydia is well told and comes to a satisfying conclusion, and Eden's arc from jaded, angry, emotionless man into something more like his younger self is a great read. if the series ends here, I'll be satisfied - though this book made me really want to read a book from Toby Maxwell's perspective because he's absolutely hilarious here.
If I had to rank the books in the R&C series, plus A Splendid Defiance:
1. Black Madonna
1.5 A Splendid Defiance
2. Garland of Straw
3. Lords of Misrule
4. The King's Falcon
September 26, 2016
I love this series! I hope Stella Riley decides to write Toby's story...I'm not ready to say good-bye to these characters that she brought to life.
July 4, 2022
Brilliant
I enjoyed everything about the book, the depth of her knowledge on the subject, giving it and the love innit
I enjoyed everything about the book, the depth of her knowledge on the subject, giving it and the love innit
December 29, 2018
In "The Black Madonna," young idealistic and full of promise Eden Maxwell fell in love with beautiful, vain and selfish Celia Langley and married her despite his mother's and his sister Kate's misgivings (plus other warnings from his friends and even from Luciano Del Santi who had a brief affair with Celia's mother with the most likely probability of like~mother~like daughter scenario) which eventually turned true following closely on the heels of his father's murder by one of Lady Wroxton's lovers and this almost destroyed him. More than a decade later his faith in women warped and almost non~existent, his career as a Parliamentarian raised him to the well~deserved rank of Colonel and Oliver Cromwell is the uncrowned king of England; Eden is now working in Whitehall gathering and decrypting information about the King's and his followers' movements plus investigating cases and living at the former Falcieri goldsmith shop in Cheapside (now owned by Toby) with his mistress/housekeeper, his rakish goldsmith brother and his one~armed Royalist friend, Nicolas. At this point, England is apparently "at Peace" with constant grumblings by discontents, riots, food shortages, the very real spectre and looming threat of a Stuart return, skirmishes in Scotland and widows and orphans plus maimed soldiers most of whom have no sources of income. Amid all this turmoil is the benevolent and caring hand of the young rich widow, Lydia Neville. Her domestic travails and beleaguered businesses (manned with deserving and skilled widows and maimed soldiers) are the reasons for their foreseen (by Deborah) introduction, friendship and later on marriage. For courageous admirable yet vulnerable Lydia has a faceless and ruthless enemy. This book is another superbly written story of espionage, crimes, skirmishes, old secrets with long shadows, moments of humor (with particular attention to 'The Courtship of Lydia Neville'), blackmail, abductions, rescues... etc. and the Salvation and/or Transformation of Eden Maxwell as a man, a father, and finally as a husband.
October 17, 2024
I love Stella Riley Historical Romances, and started awhile ago with The Rockliffe Series. Regency. That’s my genre.
However, I baulked at trying pre-Regency, it’s just not my thing. Until Stella Riley and Alex Wyndham… (I listened to the audiobook version of this title, AW is a fabulous narrator)!
This series was my second foray into her non Regency world and, because I liked the blurb of this one, I just downloaded it, with no further investigation.
I was thoroughly drawn into this story! It is so engaging and interesting. All of the characters work, even the ones that you don’t like! It’s not light and fluffy, it’s very “behind the scenes” historical and unputdownable!
It’s absorbing, Colonel Maxwell is just as complicated as Lydia Nichols. Both, quite “happy” to not wed, for different reasons, and neither being impressed with each other at first sight. Their lives become intertwined because of the activities of their ‘dependents’ and a supposed incidental attack, which becomes more and more complicated.
It is only now that I have finished it, that I discover that this is book 4 in the series and that I have not read the preceding 3 books and have missed out on a rich history of familial information! I didn’t suffer from that (I don’t think) but, oh boy!
Read The Black Madonna first. This one, last. I’m going to go back to the beginning, however this journey is worth taking at anytime.
However, I baulked at trying pre-Regency, it’s just not my thing. Until Stella Riley and Alex Wyndham… (I listened to the audiobook version of this title, AW is a fabulous narrator)!
This series was my second foray into her non Regency world and, because I liked the blurb of this one, I just downloaded it, with no further investigation.
I was thoroughly drawn into this story! It is so engaging and interesting. All of the characters work, even the ones that you don’t like! It’s not light and fluffy, it’s very “behind the scenes” historical and unputdownable!
It’s absorbing, Colonel Maxwell is just as complicated as Lydia Nichols. Both, quite “happy” to not wed, for different reasons, and neither being impressed with each other at first sight. Their lives become intertwined because of the activities of their ‘dependents’ and a supposed incidental attack, which becomes more and more complicated.
It is only now that I have finished it, that I discover that this is book 4 in the series and that I have not read the preceding 3 books and have missed out on a rich history of familial information! I didn’t suffer from that (I don’t think) but, oh boy!
Read The Black Madonna first. This one, last. I’m going to go back to the beginning, however this journey is worth taking at anytime.
March 29, 2021
Any Stella Riley book is better than anything else, but
I didn’t enjoy this one much. The plot is as hard to unravel as one of Eden’s ciphers, and the machinations of getting so many couples together, or apart, in the right place and time was confusing. The real problem I have with it is Eden just isn’t likable, nor did I find Lydia Neville attractive. She is not quite as hard headed and stupid as Venetia Brandon was, but very nearly so. I’m very happy that Eden finally comes to his senses where his family is concerned, and he certainly proves himself the dashing hero, but his story just doesn’t hold up to Garland of Straw or The King’s Falcon. We do get to spend some time with Venetia and Gabriel at Brandon Lacey, which is a bright spot in the story. I seriously disliked Venetia through 90% of her story, but she suffered for her behavior very deeply, much worse than she deserved, and redeemed herself beautifully. It was lovely to spend time with her again. The other couple that would have been interesting was Nicholas and Phoebe, but that relationship takes place completely off stage. As I said, the plot is very complicated, though with a very satisfactory resolution. And the epilogue is lovely, so read it just for that.
I didn’t enjoy this one much. The plot is as hard to unravel as one of Eden’s ciphers, and the machinations of getting so many couples together, or apart, in the right place and time was confusing. The real problem I have with it is Eden just isn’t likable, nor did I find Lydia Neville attractive. She is not quite as hard headed and stupid as Venetia Brandon was, but very nearly so. I’m very happy that Eden finally comes to his senses where his family is concerned, and he certainly proves himself the dashing hero, but his story just doesn’t hold up to Garland of Straw or The King’s Falcon. We do get to spend some time with Venetia and Gabriel at Brandon Lacey, which is a bright spot in the story. I seriously disliked Venetia through 90% of her story, but she suffered for her behavior very deeply, much worse than she deserved, and redeemed herself beautifully. It was lovely to spend time with her again. The other couple that would have been interesting was Nicholas and Phoebe, but that relationship takes place completely off stage. As I said, the plot is very complicated, though with a very satisfactory resolution. And the epilogue is lovely, so read it just for that.
July 11, 2019
I'm so sad this series is over!
I have now read all four books of this series and am going through withdrawal since they are finished. I started The Black Madonna 20 days ago and was so drawn into the lives of these remarkable characters, that I have not been able to put these books down. The characters have been so real, and their stories so compelling, with the day to day struggle to survive and fight for their beliefs.
Lords of Misrule centers around a mystery, but there is a sweet romance where Eden finally finds the love of his life after years of loneliness and anger. SR treats her secondary characters with such care that in spite of being happy for Eden and Lydia, my heart also went out to Deborah. I am so happy she found happiness also. I really wish there was one more book about Tobias, Nicholas, and Aubrey.
I absolutely loved this book and the entire series. The writing is superb, the characters are realistic, the dialogue is always funny, and the story highly entertaining. SR has a gift for storytelling. I am just sad that I have read all of her books now, and I always look forward to anything she writes.
I have now read all four books of this series and am going through withdrawal since they are finished. I started The Black Madonna 20 days ago and was so drawn into the lives of these remarkable characters, that I have not been able to put these books down. The characters have been so real, and their stories so compelling, with the day to day struggle to survive and fight for their beliefs.
Lords of Misrule centers around a mystery, but there is a sweet romance where Eden finally finds the love of his life after years of loneliness and anger. SR treats her secondary characters with such care that in spite of being happy for Eden and Lydia, my heart also went out to Deborah. I am so happy she found happiness also. I really wish there was one more book about Tobias, Nicholas, and Aubrey.
I absolutely loved this book and the entire series. The writing is superb, the characters are realistic, the dialogue is always funny, and the story highly entertaining. SR has a gift for storytelling. I am just sad that I have read all of her books now, and I always look forward to anything she writes.
October 30, 2024
other than explicit sex scenes it was great
In my opinion, explicit sex scenes add nothing to a book other than degrade it. Hence the 4 stars. I skip as is possible those scenes, but it's always tough to figure out when they end and important details can get lost. So I always wish those scenes were left more vague and only necessary details included. These were also pre-marriage which also was annoying.
Otherwise the book was exceptionally well written. The war/intrigue details were not as tedious as in the two previous books in the series.
The plot was interesting and believable. It kept me intrigued. Ms Riley is great at entwining the plot and real events.
In my opinion, explicit sex scenes add nothing to a book other than degrade it. Hence the 4 stars. I skip as is possible those scenes, but it's always tough to figure out when they end and important details can get lost. So I always wish those scenes were left more vague and only necessary details included. These were also pre-marriage which also was annoying.
Otherwise the book was exceptionally well written. The war/intrigue details were not as tedious as in the two previous books in the series.
The plot was interesting and believable. It kept me intrigued. Ms Riley is great at entwining the plot and real events.
Read
December 13, 2023Delightful!
Not the usual. Rarely do you find the Round- heads and Cavaliers in novels. This Author puts them out in sets of three. Amazing! 👍 this was a tricky approach to the English Civil War. As Americans said, there was nothing civil about that war. But the author did a great job. The sword fight at the end was even unusual, but reasonable considering. The reader must understand only gentlemen fight. Oops, did I say that! Sweet reading
Not the usual. Rarely do you find the Round- heads and Cavaliers in novels. This Author puts them out in sets of three. Amazing! 👍 this was a tricky approach to the English Civil War. As Americans said, there was nothing civil about that war. But the author did a great job. The sword fight at the end was even unusual, but reasonable considering. The reader must understand only gentlemen fight. Oops, did I say that! Sweet reading
July 24, 2025
Utterly brilliant series. I can’t believe I’ve come to the end nor can I accept it is the end!!! Please carry these characters forward. They are all wonderful.
Brilliant story, good ‘mystery’, brilliant baddie.
Loved the development of Eden Maxwell from his desperately unhappy first marriage .
I actually want to know what happened to Deborah.
All the characters were excellent.
Brilliant story, good ‘mystery’, brilliant baddie.
Loved the development of Eden Maxwell from his desperately unhappy first marriage .
I actually want to know what happened to Deborah.
All the characters were excellent.
January 18, 2019
I enjoyed this series.I am assuming there will be another book at some point, as there are another 3 years until Cromwell's death and 5 until the Restoration. Lots of plots and intrigue remaining. Also there are some fictional loose ends that could be tied up.
August 29, 2023
We are proud to announce that LORDS OF MISTULE (Roundheads and Cavaliers #4) by Stella Riley has been honored with the B.R.A.G.Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.
December 4, 2023
A welcome return to form with this book. Eden finally gets to grow past his emotional damage, and Lydia was a capable, sassy delight. It was interesting to see the characters move into disillusionment with Cromwell as the Protectorate wore on. As always, Alex Wyndham's narration was outstanding.
April 16, 2019
Eden gets his story, wonderful series
I repeat this author can write, enjoyed her two series. The characters and stories are so above anything out there.
I repeat this author can write, enjoyed her two series. The characters and stories are so above anything out there.
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