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Rogues to Riches #3
Lord of Night
A scandal in the making...
Unlike proper debutantes, Miss Dahlia Grenville is secretly Robin Hood in a bonnet. Her home for wayward girls has too many dependents and not enough donations. But just as she's about to pull off the heist of the Season, she tumbles straight into the arms of the handsome detective who has sworn to deliver Mayfair's mysterious thief straight to the gallows.
Highly principled Bow Street runner Simon Spaulding's world is black and white. There's no mastermind too clever, no criminal alive who can escape the hangman. Until he realizes the delightful young lady he's been courting is a liar and a thief. Suddenly, his career—and his heart—are in peril. How can he bring her to justice when it means losing her forever?
In the Rogues to Riches historical romance series, sigh-worthy Regency rogues sweep strong-willed young ladies into whirlwind romance with rollicking adventure.
Lord of Chance Lord of Pleasure Lord of Night Lord of Temptation Lord of Secrets Lord of Vice
Unlike proper debutantes, Miss Dahlia Grenville is secretly Robin Hood in a bonnet. Her home for wayward girls has too many dependents and not enough donations. But just as she's about to pull off the heist of the Season, she tumbles straight into the arms of the handsome detective who has sworn to deliver Mayfair's mysterious thief straight to the gallows.
Highly principled Bow Street runner Simon Spaulding's world is black and white. There's no mastermind too clever, no criminal alive who can escape the hangman. Until he realizes the delightful young lady he's been courting is a liar and a thief. Suddenly, his career—and his heart—are in peril. How can he bring her to justice when it means losing her forever?
In the Rogues to Riches historical romance series, sigh-worthy Regency rogues sweep strong-willed young ladies into whirlwind romance with rollicking adventure.
Lord of Chance Lord of Pleasure Lord of Night Lord of Temptation Lord of Secrets Lord of Vice
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2017
406 people are currently reading
527 people want to read
About the author
Erica Ridley
130 books2,196 followersGet freebies and 99¢ deals at: https://ridley.vip
Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, featuring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?
In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!
Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England.
When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.
Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, featuring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?
In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!
Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England.
When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
August 21, 2017
*3.5 stars*
Erica Ridley is one of my go-to historical romance authors, and she did a nice job again with Lord of Night, even if the book stretched my imagination to the very edge.
I'm willing to make a lot of allowances in historical romance, mainly because what is historical accurate during the time of these books really isn't my area of expertise. However, even I was practically scratching my head in disbelief at some of these coincidences and situations. You have to imagine a baron's daughter running a school for indigent girls, doing the sweeping and cooking herself, and begging for money at her upper-class parties all while stealing from the rich like a ninja. And she was still accepted in society! Yeah, hard to imagine, right? And that is just Dahlia Grenville's odd backstory (the male MC's is just as far-fetched).
Okay, all that aside, this really was a lovely story. The romance was playful with some fun bantering and flirting up to wazoo. It was an easy story to read with a nice pace that kept me engaged the whole time. I enjoyed it, just like I enjoy most of Erica Ridley's stories, and I think you can jump into the series at this point and read this one as a stand-alone.
Simon was an unusual character in romance, which I really, really liked. He was a man of morals, very opposite from the typical rake character, and he was even a virgin (I love a male virgin in a romance book!). He had great chemistry with Dahlia, and I liked what they brought out in each other.
If you can overlook the historical inaccuracies and are okay with a story that stretching the imagination, this one was a lovely read.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
Erica Ridley is one of my go-to historical romance authors, and she did a nice job again with Lord of Night, even if the book stretched my imagination to the very edge.
I'm willing to make a lot of allowances in historical romance, mainly because what is historical accurate during the time of these books really isn't my area of expertise. However, even I was practically scratching my head in disbelief at some of these coincidences and situations. You have to imagine a baron's daughter running a school for indigent girls, doing the sweeping and cooking herself, and begging for money at her upper-class parties all while stealing from the rich like a ninja. And she was still accepted in society! Yeah, hard to imagine, right? And that is just Dahlia Grenville's odd backstory (the male MC's is just as far-fetched).
Okay, all that aside, this really was a lovely story. The romance was playful with some fun bantering and flirting up to wazoo. It was an easy story to read with a nice pace that kept me engaged the whole time. I enjoyed it, just like I enjoy most of Erica Ridley's stories, and I think you can jump into the series at this point and read this one as a stand-alone.
Simon was an unusual character in romance, which I really, really liked. He was a man of morals, very opposite from the typical rake character, and he was even a virgin (I love a male virgin in a romance book!). He had great chemistry with Dahlia, and I liked what they brought out in each other.
If you can overlook the historical inaccuracies and are okay with a story that stretching the imagination, this one was a lovely read.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
May 14, 2023
⭐💫
1½ stars.
➕ What I liked :
Somewhat interesting secondary characters.
The heroine is not oblivious about sex.
(The heroine was not a too innocent/willfully ignorant character.)
The hero was not a philanderer.
The hero was not a aristocrat/nobleman.
➖ What I disliked:
Believability/plausibility issues.
(The plot/storyline is way too improbable/implausible for a barons daughter of that time period, a unmarried noble woman living alone and running/managing a
school for wayward girls. Etc.)
The heroine did not seem to have any foresight or any long-term planning when it came to the school for wayward girls and just seemed to wing it from month to month.
Too anachronistic.
Thin and bland plot.
The heroes treatment of the heroine in the end of the story.
The heroine had a rather contradictory personality.
The hero was too rigid/strict/strait-laced and boring.
Cringey.
Repetitive.
The romantic build up and chemistry between the main characters is very unconvincing and lacking.
(No real spark between the couple.)
The ending felt unfinished/incomplete.
Some parts felt rushed.
The complications/issues were too easily resolved.
1½ stars.
➕ What I liked :
Somewhat interesting secondary characters.
The heroine is not oblivious about sex.
(The heroine was not a too innocent/willfully ignorant character.)
The hero was not a philanderer.
The hero was not a aristocrat/nobleman.
➖ What I disliked:
Believability/plausibility issues.
(The plot/storyline is way too improbable/implausible for a barons daughter of that time period, a unmarried noble woman living alone and running/managing a
school for wayward girls. Etc.)
The heroine did not seem to have any foresight or any long-term planning when it came to the school for wayward girls and just seemed to wing it from month to month.
Too anachronistic.
Thin and bland plot.
The heroes treatment of the heroine in the end of the story.
The heroine had a rather contradictory personality.
The hero was too rigid/strict/strait-laced and boring.
Cringey.
Repetitive.
The romantic build up and chemistry between the main characters is very unconvincing and lacking.
(No real spark between the couple.)
The ending felt unfinished/incomplete.
Some parts felt rushed.
The complications/issues were too easily resolved.
July 27, 2017
*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This was a cute, comfortable romance. IF you can look past the fact that the daughter of a baron runs a school for girls she picked up on the streets (mostly orphans and runaways) without any noticeable loss in station. Some people laugh at her for her projects, sure, but her mother still expects her to make a respectable marriage, and still takes her to all the fashionable parties. She doesn't care her daughter lives on her own, without servants, in an abandoned abbey, alone with a group of girls from the lower classes; she doesn't care that her daughter begs all her society friends for money for her school (at parties no less); she doesn't care that her daughter spends her days in the worse parts of the city. That's a pretty big if, but if you can ignore this, it really was rather sweet.
Inspector Simon Spaulding has dedicated his entire life to keeping his city safe. Closing himself off from everyone around him, he has quickly become the most successful of Bow Street Runners by his unyielding determination to keep everyone safe, no matter their station. He enjoyed his solitary life of service, until one day, he comes across a young woman determined to fight off the attacker of a young girl with nothing but a broom. But the more he learns about her, the harder it becomes for him to stay focused on his work, tracking down the "Thief of Mayfair" who steals inconsequential but valuable items in order to pawn them and then returns the receipt to the owner so they can reclaim it.
I liked Simon. He was stuffy, grumbling, and extremely adorably reluctant to have his life turned upside down by a little whirlwind. Also, for those of you who are into this sort of thing, he's a
Dahlia Greenville, the aforementioned school-running noblewoman, will do anything to keep her school up and running. She is impulsive and throws herself into any situation with everything she has, consequences be damned.
I never really warmed up to her. Yes, her heart is in the right place, and I applaud her for her determination to save those girls. But honestly, it was a bit hard to believe. Plus, she felt much too sexually aware for me considering the time this is supposed to take place: . And please don't get me started on the "Thief of Mayfair" thing. But then, to enjoy this book, you have to be able to completely ignore this is set in Regency times, so what the hell, just go with it :)
This is the third book in the series, but you can totally read it as a stand-alone IMO.
This was a cute, comfortable romance. IF you can look past the fact that the daughter of a baron runs a school for girls she picked up on the streets (mostly orphans and runaways) without any noticeable loss in station. Some people laugh at her for her projects, sure, but her mother still expects her to make a respectable marriage, and still takes her to all the fashionable parties. She doesn't care her daughter lives on her own, without servants, in an abandoned abbey, alone with a group of girls from the lower classes; she doesn't care that her daughter begs all her society friends for money for her school (at parties no less); she doesn't care that her daughter spends her days in the worse parts of the city. That's a pretty big if, but if you can ignore this, it really was rather sweet.
Inspector Simon Spaulding has dedicated his entire life to keeping his city safe. Closing himself off from everyone around him, he has quickly become the most successful of Bow Street Runners by his unyielding determination to keep everyone safe, no matter their station. He enjoyed his solitary life of service, until one day, he comes across a young woman determined to fight off the attacker of a young girl with nothing but a broom. But the more he learns about her, the harder it becomes for him to stay focused on his work, tracking down the "Thief of Mayfair" who steals inconsequential but valuable items in order to pawn them and then returns the receipt to the owner so they can reclaim it.
I liked Simon. He was stuffy, grumbling, and extremely adorably reluctant to have his life turned upside down by a little whirlwind. Also, for those of you who are into this sort of thing, he's a
Dahlia Greenville, the aforementioned school-running noblewoman, will do anything to keep her school up and running. She is impulsive and throws herself into any situation with everything she has, consequences be damned.
I never really warmed up to her. Yes, her heart is in the right place, and I applaud her for her determination to save those girls. But honestly, it was a bit hard to believe. Plus, she felt much too sexually aware for me considering the time this is supposed to take place: . And please don't get me started on the "Thief of Mayfair" thing. But then, to enjoy this book, you have to be able to completely ignore this is set in Regency times, so what the hell, just go with it :)
This is the third book in the series, but you can totally read it as a stand-alone IMO.
July 25, 2017
With a heart as big as the moon and a purse as small as a grain of sand, Miss Dahlia Grenville is far from your normal proper member of the Ton. Running a home for poor orphan or runaway girls to save them from the streets, she must use less than conventional means to gain the coin necessary to feed, clothe and educate her charges.
Bow Street runner, Simon Spaulding sees the world in black and white, right or wrong, no gray areas, if you break the law, he will ensure you pay. The bastard son of a wealthy noble, he has a chip on his shoulder and needs to prove to himself that he has worth. When he meets the feisty Dahlia, he has no idea who she truly is and instead sees the woman of his dreams, a woman with heart, a caring soul and the backbone to take on causes that others turn a blind eye to.
He doesn’t know that the robbery case he is currently working on, chasing a wily thief from crime to crime will hit closer to home and his heart than he ever could have imagined or that the daring Miss Grenville has more than one secret she isn’t sharing.
How can two people be so attracted when they stand on either side of the law? Guess there is more to life than black and white and Dahlia Grenville is like a kaleidoscope of colors that mesmerizes the staid Simon!
Erica Ridley’s LORD OF NIGHT is one more shiny ribbon on her regency parasol as once again, we get all of the atmosphere of London, the attitudes of the era, but none of the stilted dialogue! Wonderful characters, a little damaged, a little hard-headed, but delightfully entertaining as she weaves another tale to relax into!
I received an ARC edition from Webmotion in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
Series: Rogues to Riches - Book 3
Publisher: WebMotion (July 22, 2017)
Publication Date: July 22, 2017
Genre: Historical Romance
Print Length: 312 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Bow Street runner, Simon Spaulding sees the world in black and white, right or wrong, no gray areas, if you break the law, he will ensure you pay. The bastard son of a wealthy noble, he has a chip on his shoulder and needs to prove to himself that he has worth. When he meets the feisty Dahlia, he has no idea who she truly is and instead sees the woman of his dreams, a woman with heart, a caring soul and the backbone to take on causes that others turn a blind eye to.
He doesn’t know that the robbery case he is currently working on, chasing a wily thief from crime to crime will hit closer to home and his heart than he ever could have imagined or that the daring Miss Grenville has more than one secret she isn’t sharing.
How can two people be so attracted when they stand on either side of the law? Guess there is more to life than black and white and Dahlia Grenville is like a kaleidoscope of colors that mesmerizes the staid Simon!
Erica Ridley’s LORD OF NIGHT is one more shiny ribbon on her regency parasol as once again, we get all of the atmosphere of London, the attitudes of the era, but none of the stilted dialogue! Wonderful characters, a little damaged, a little hard-headed, but delightfully entertaining as she weaves another tale to relax into!
I received an ARC edition from Webmotion in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
Series: Rogues to Riches - Book 3
Publisher: WebMotion (July 22, 2017)
Publication Date: July 22, 2017
Genre: Historical Romance
Print Length: 312 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
July 23, 2017
I'm giving the book 4 stars, because it was well written and entertaining, but if you are a stickler for "by the book" true Regency protocol, this book is not for you.
This is the story of Dahlia Grenville (sister of Camilla from Lord of Pleasure) and Simon Spaudling.
Dahlia has runs a boarding school for girls in St. Giles, she has a huge heart and can't bring herself to turn away any girl in need. Problem is, she has used all her own funds and she can't afford to keep the school running without more donations, which are basically non-existent since Lord Wainwright inadvertently scorned her school. Unwilling to close the school, Dahlia does what she thinks she must to keep the school going. She becomes a thief, does she know that it is wrong? Yes! But to her mind, closing the school and returning the girls to the streets is far worse.
Simon is an inspector for Bow Street, he is dedicated to his job and is a stickler for the law - there is no gray in Simon's world. He is the bastard son of a marquess and has strong feelings about the "upper class". He is still angry and bitter about the relationship that he had (or more aptly, didn't have) with his father and is incredibly jealous of his half-brother, Lord Hawkridge. He has put all his passion for injustice into his career and has been very successful. So successful that the Justice of the Peace has been tasked him with finding the "Thief of Mayfair" and Simon will stop at nothing to find this criminal and bring them to justice.
He meets Dahlia by chance, he was on his way home when he came upon two women running from an attacker, he chases the thug and takes him into custody. He returns to St. Giles to let Dahlia know that the attacker was caught and thinks that will be the end of their association. But Simon is intrigued with Dahlia and returns to the school a few days later.
Dahlia is also taken with the handsome young inspector, but she has no room in her life for a romantic relationship nor can she risk what little social standing she still has by engaging in an affair. She vows to keep Simon at arms length. But she can't seem to stop herself from drawing Simon into her life and for his part, Simon can't seem to stay away.
As these two spend more time together and fall in love, it seems like they will have an easy path to a HEA. But what fun would that be??
When the truth is revealed about Dahlia's "fund raising" efforts, will his love for her be enough for him to change his black and white view? I honestly wasn't sure and didn't see how this book could possibly have a positive ending! Of course it does, but it is touch and go until the very end :)
The book is well written, flows nicely, has a couple of warm love scenes and very likable characters (I will be honest, I didn't like Dahlia in the previous book and didn't expect to like her in this one, but she won me over). On the downside, their is little to no adherence to Regency proprieties and the idea that a young unmarried woman from a good family could do the things that Dahlia did and not be a complete outcast is unbelievable. However, if you can bear in mind that this is a work of fiction and can overlook this, you will not be disappointed with the story!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
This is the story of Dahlia Grenville (sister of Camilla from Lord of Pleasure) and Simon Spaudling.
Dahlia has runs a boarding school for girls in St. Giles, she has a huge heart and can't bring herself to turn away any girl in need. Problem is, she has used all her own funds and she can't afford to keep the school running without more donations, which are basically non-existent since Lord Wainwright inadvertently scorned her school. Unwilling to close the school, Dahlia does what she thinks she must to keep the school going. She becomes a thief, does she know that it is wrong? Yes! But to her mind, closing the school and returning the girls to the streets is far worse.
Simon is an inspector for Bow Street, he is dedicated to his job and is a stickler for the law - there is no gray in Simon's world. He is the bastard son of a marquess and has strong feelings about the "upper class". He is still angry and bitter about the relationship that he had (or more aptly, didn't have) with his father and is incredibly jealous of his half-brother, Lord Hawkridge. He has put all his passion for injustice into his career and has been very successful. So successful that the Justice of the Peace has been tasked him with finding the "Thief of Mayfair" and Simon will stop at nothing to find this criminal and bring them to justice.
He meets Dahlia by chance, he was on his way home when he came upon two women running from an attacker, he chases the thug and takes him into custody. He returns to St. Giles to let Dahlia know that the attacker was caught and thinks that will be the end of their association. But Simon is intrigued with Dahlia and returns to the school a few days later.
Dahlia is also taken with the handsome young inspector, but she has no room in her life for a romantic relationship nor can she risk what little social standing she still has by engaging in an affair. She vows to keep Simon at arms length. But she can't seem to stop herself from drawing Simon into her life and for his part, Simon can't seem to stay away.
As these two spend more time together and fall in love, it seems like they will have an easy path to a HEA. But what fun would that be??
When the truth is revealed about Dahlia's "fund raising" efforts, will his love for her be enough for him to change his black and white view? I honestly wasn't sure and didn't see how this book could possibly have a positive ending! Of course it does, but it is touch and go until the very end :)
The book is well written, flows nicely, has a couple of warm love scenes and very likable characters (I will be honest, I didn't like Dahlia in the previous book and didn't expect to like her in this one, but she won me over). On the downside, their is little to no adherence to Regency proprieties and the idea that a young unmarried woman from a good family could do the things that Dahlia did and not be a complete outcast is unbelievable. However, if you can bear in mind that this is a work of fiction and can overlook this, you will not be disappointed with the story!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
July 26, 2017
I received this book from net galley for an honest review. Thank you!!
I enjoyed this novel and it was a quick read. The two main characters came from different backgrounds, each struggling in their own ways.
Miss Dahlia Grenville runs a school for wayward girls to help them become successful in earning jobs in society. Many of the girls have nothing and this is their salvation. Dahlia needs money and the donations are not enough, so she resorts to stealing items from the wealthy and pawning them to put food on the table for her girls and pay the bills.
Simon Spaulding is one of the best Bow Street Runners and catches many criminals. He is bastard son of the deceased Lord Hawkridge. He believes his half-brother does not know of his existence. He is jealous of the time his father spent with his legitimate son and worked very hard to earn his position. However, every coin has two sides. He needs to find the Thief of Mayfair so he can received a promotion.
Dahlia and Simon cross paths and he saves her and a girl from a man with bad intentions. Simon lives for his job and Dahlia lives for her girls. Dahlia leads a double life, since she is also the daughter of a baron and her mother keeps pushing her to make a match. Simon opens up to Dahlia and becomes a more sociable person due to her influence. Dahlia and Simon fall in love with each other. Simon wants to marry her but Dahlia cannot give up on the girls. When their paths cross as inspector and thief, how will it impact their blooming relationship with each other?
I enjoyed this novel and it was a quick read. The two main characters came from different backgrounds, each struggling in their own ways.
Miss Dahlia Grenville runs a school for wayward girls to help them become successful in earning jobs in society. Many of the girls have nothing and this is their salvation. Dahlia needs money and the donations are not enough, so she resorts to stealing items from the wealthy and pawning them to put food on the table for her girls and pay the bills.
Simon Spaulding is one of the best Bow Street Runners and catches many criminals. He is bastard son of the deceased Lord Hawkridge. He believes his half-brother does not know of his existence. He is jealous of the time his father spent with his legitimate son and worked very hard to earn his position. However, every coin has two sides. He needs to find the Thief of Mayfair so he can received a promotion.
Dahlia and Simon cross paths and he saves her and a girl from a man with bad intentions. Simon lives for his job and Dahlia lives for her girls. Dahlia leads a double life, since she is also the daughter of a baron and her mother keeps pushing her to make a match. Simon opens up to Dahlia and becomes a more sociable person due to her influence. Dahlia and Simon fall in love with each other. Simon wants to marry her but Dahlia cannot give up on the girls. When their paths cross as inspector and thief, how will it impact their blooming relationship with each other?
April 23, 2018
I've had this book on my TBR pile for months and months but finally finished it. I even finished the next book in the series before I got around to this one!!
This is an unusual historical in that although our heroine Miss Dahlia Grenville is the daughter of a Duke, that life very much plays second fiddle to her vocation as the headmistress of a school/ home for orphan and wayward girls which she funds from her pin money and charitable donations. However, when money gets really tight she's not above 'borrowing' a small trinket from one of the ton when she attends a party and selling it to a pawn shop.
Bow Street runner Simon Spaulding is the illegitimate son of the late Lord Hawkridge. He has resented his legitimate brother almost from birth and has a highly developed sense of right and wrong as a result of what he feels was poor treatment of him and his mother. He is due for a significant promotion IF he can catch the notorious Thief of Mayfair. Simon has no time for a wife, for socialising with his colleagues or for time off at all!
Patrolling the mean streets of The Rookery late one night as is his wont, Simon comes across a young woman fighting off a ruffian who were up to no good with a young girl. The next day he visits the school to provide an update on the ruffian and is entranced by Dahlia and her motley crew of waifs and strays.
Soon Dahlia and Simon are falling in love, but can a match between an illegitimate policeman and the daughter of a Duke (who is also a thief) ever occur?
I have to admit that I am pretty shallow and I've come to realise that I prefer my historical novels to centre on the higher echelons, the ton, rather than ordinary working people (even if they are related to the nobility), which probably explains why it took me so long to finish this book. I like the dresses and the balls and the house parties, riding in Rotten Row, Almacks et al.
My other criticism of the novel is that there is a lot of telling and not much showing. Although we do see Dahlia 'borrow' some items, it isn't really sufficient to warrant a Bow Street Runner, and we don't see Simon really doing any detecting, while it's nice to see the relationship between them develop it would have been nice if it took place against a backdrop of heists while the reader watched Simon get ever closer to discovering the thief's identity.
I received a free copy of this book from the author, via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This is an unusual historical in that although our heroine Miss Dahlia Grenville is the daughter of a Duke, that life very much plays second fiddle to her vocation as the headmistress of a school/ home for orphan and wayward girls which she funds from her pin money and charitable donations. However, when money gets really tight she's not above 'borrowing' a small trinket from one of the ton when she attends a party and selling it to a pawn shop.
Bow Street runner Simon Spaulding is the illegitimate son of the late Lord Hawkridge. He has resented his legitimate brother almost from birth and has a highly developed sense of right and wrong as a result of what he feels was poor treatment of him and his mother. He is due for a significant promotion IF he can catch the notorious Thief of Mayfair. Simon has no time for a wife, for socialising with his colleagues or for time off at all!
Patrolling the mean streets of The Rookery late one night as is his wont, Simon comes across a young woman fighting off a ruffian who were up to no good with a young girl. The next day he visits the school to provide an update on the ruffian and is entranced by Dahlia and her motley crew of waifs and strays.
Soon Dahlia and Simon are falling in love, but can a match between an illegitimate policeman and the daughter of a Duke (who is also a thief) ever occur?
I have to admit that I am pretty shallow and I've come to realise that I prefer my historical novels to centre on the higher echelons, the ton, rather than ordinary working people (even if they are related to the nobility), which probably explains why it took me so long to finish this book. I like the dresses and the balls and the house parties, riding in Rotten Row, Almacks et al.
My other criticism of the novel is that there is a lot of telling and not much showing. Although we do see Dahlia 'borrow' some items, it isn't really sufficient to warrant a Bow Street Runner, and we don't see Simon really doing any detecting, while it's nice to see the relationship between them develop it would have been nice if it took place against a backdrop of heists while the reader watched Simon get ever closer to discovering the thief's identity.
I received a free copy of this book from the author, via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
July 29, 2017
ARC REVIEW
Lord of Night is book three if Erica Ridley's Rogues to Riches series. Lord of Night follows Bow Street Runner Inspector Simon Spaulding and Miss Dahlia Grenville. For being 350 pages it was a quick and easy read. The pacing was smooth it seemed like a much shorter read than it actually is, but it was a really good read.
Dahlia and Simon have a slow but sweet courtship but Dahlia feels guilty because she has been hiding the fact that she is a well bred daughter of a Baron. Simon just thinks she is the headmistress of a school for orphaned and abandoned girls in St. Giles. Dahlia feels even worse after she finds out that Simon is hunting the Thief of Mayfair. Dahlia is that thief, between the lectures from her mother on finding a husband and quitting this silly hobby and her father's indifference on his daughters Dahlia more than once has stolen a little trinket from some of the wealthy snobs whose collection is purely for the idea of having something that other don't and sold it to a pawn shop and then sends a letter to the owner where they can find their missing item. All of it for the care to her students.
A chance meeting on the streets of St. Giles Dahlia is saving a young girl from a man with nefarious purposes and Simon comes to their aid, from that night on Simon life is different. He stops by the school and visits with the girls even helps them learn how to dance and his attraction to Dahlia grows into love. Dahlia loves Simon with all her heart but she has to many secrets from him and as much as it hurts she can not risk her girls or his job for their love. After meeting Dahlia Simon realizes there are more things to life than just being a runner even coming to terms with his half brother and becoming friends with him. Dahlia has changed his outlook on life, but will all that change after he finds out who she really is?
Overall, this was a good read, I enjoyed the characters and the plot and how it played out. I can't wait for the next one.
Lord of Night is book three if Erica Ridley's Rogues to Riches series. Lord of Night follows Bow Street Runner Inspector Simon Spaulding and Miss Dahlia Grenville. For being 350 pages it was a quick and easy read. The pacing was smooth it seemed like a much shorter read than it actually is, but it was a really good read.
Dahlia and Simon have a slow but sweet courtship but Dahlia feels guilty because she has been hiding the fact that she is a well bred daughter of a Baron. Simon just thinks she is the headmistress of a school for orphaned and abandoned girls in St. Giles. Dahlia feels even worse after she finds out that Simon is hunting the Thief of Mayfair. Dahlia is that thief, between the lectures from her mother on finding a husband and quitting this silly hobby and her father's indifference on his daughters Dahlia more than once has stolen a little trinket from some of the wealthy snobs whose collection is purely for the idea of having something that other don't and sold it to a pawn shop and then sends a letter to the owner where they can find their missing item. All of it for the care to her students.
A chance meeting on the streets of St. Giles Dahlia is saving a young girl from a man with nefarious purposes and Simon comes to their aid, from that night on Simon life is different. He stops by the school and visits with the girls even helps them learn how to dance and his attraction to Dahlia grows into love. Dahlia loves Simon with all her heart but she has to many secrets from him and as much as it hurts she can not risk her girls or his job for their love. After meeting Dahlia Simon realizes there are more things to life than just being a runner even coming to terms with his half brother and becoming friends with him. Dahlia has changed his outlook on life, but will all that change after he finds out who she really is?
Overall, this was a good read, I enjoyed the characters and the plot and how it played out. I can't wait for the next one.
July 21, 2017
Lord of Night is the third book in the Rogues to Riches series by Erica Ridley. Although part of a series it can be read as a stand alone, but you will be missing out on a lot of reading pleasure if you don't at least go back and read the books you have missed because they are all wonderful.
Miss Dahlia Grenville has a wealthy family, but what little money she has to call her own she spends on running a home for wayward girls. Girls that would otherwise be living on the streets, forced into prostitution, or being abused at home. Sadly the money that Dahlia has barely covers the costs of the upkeep of the home and feeding and clothing the girls and she has to resort to theft in order to keep the creditors from her door. She only steels from the rich, pawns the small items, then sends an anonymous note to the owner to let them know where they can buy their stolen goods back from. Half the time the owners don't even know that an item is missing, that is how little they need it.
Simon Spalding is the illegitimate son of nobility, one that resents the fact that his half brother has all the affection of their father. Simon doesn't want riches, he always just wanted to be acknowledged. He has carried on with his life and is now a respected Inspector for the Bow Street Runners. He spends more time than needed on his investigations and patrols, but the job is his life. His latest case, one that will earn him a promotion if he solves it, is to discover who the person is who is robbing from the rich, pawning the item and then allowing the victim to recover their item by telling them where it is. Which of course unknown to him is Dahlia.
He first meets her when she is calling for help when a young girl is being dragged into an alley by a man intent on assaulting her. He is on patrol and happily is in the right place at the right time to help them. From the moment they meet there is an instant rapport and attraction. Simon doesn't need the distraction from a woman, but he can't help but be intrigued by her and how wonderful she is to be doing what she is for the destitute girls. He doesn't know about her family, or their wealth, he just knows the school teacher/carer. The more he spends time with her the more he wants to spend time with her and visa versa.
Will there be any chance of a future for them? Dahlia knows she is playing with fire, spending time with the man who wants to catch the Mayfair Thief (her) but she can't push him away. Simon should be devoting his time to his job, not getting involved with Dahlia and the girls, but he can't seem to keep away. What will happen if/when he discovers the truth about Dahlia, not just about her family, but about her Robin Hood escapades??
I absolutely loved this book, and was hooked from the very first page. Dahlia's love for the girls she looks after was so beautiful, it was awful to see how she suffered every time the creditors came to call. It also made me wonder just how the author would deal with Simon finding out about her being a thief. He is a proud, honourable man who makes sure justice is done, there is only black and white. You are a criminal or you aren't one. If he arrests Dahlia it will be the end of her home for girls and they will all end up on the streets and in bad situations again. Of course it means Dahlia will end up in prison and eventually at the gallows too. If he doesn't arrest her then he is going against his very oath to uphold justice. If he lets her go their relationship is over anyway because he'll never be able to cope with not doing his job. It's that whole scenario that had me reading as quickly as I could to get to the end to find out. I won't tell you how it ended, suffice to say, this reader was very impressed with the author's decision. Very well done Miss Ridley, very well done.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers' copy of this book.
Miss Dahlia Grenville has a wealthy family, but what little money she has to call her own she spends on running a home for wayward girls. Girls that would otherwise be living on the streets, forced into prostitution, or being abused at home. Sadly the money that Dahlia has barely covers the costs of the upkeep of the home and feeding and clothing the girls and she has to resort to theft in order to keep the creditors from her door. She only steels from the rich, pawns the small items, then sends an anonymous note to the owner to let them know where they can buy their stolen goods back from. Half the time the owners don't even know that an item is missing, that is how little they need it.
Simon Spalding is the illegitimate son of nobility, one that resents the fact that his half brother has all the affection of their father. Simon doesn't want riches, he always just wanted to be acknowledged. He has carried on with his life and is now a respected Inspector for the Bow Street Runners. He spends more time than needed on his investigations and patrols, but the job is his life. His latest case, one that will earn him a promotion if he solves it, is to discover who the person is who is robbing from the rich, pawning the item and then allowing the victim to recover their item by telling them where it is. Which of course unknown to him is Dahlia.
He first meets her when she is calling for help when a young girl is being dragged into an alley by a man intent on assaulting her. He is on patrol and happily is in the right place at the right time to help them. From the moment they meet there is an instant rapport and attraction. Simon doesn't need the distraction from a woman, but he can't help but be intrigued by her and how wonderful she is to be doing what she is for the destitute girls. He doesn't know about her family, or their wealth, he just knows the school teacher/carer. The more he spends time with her the more he wants to spend time with her and visa versa.
Will there be any chance of a future for them? Dahlia knows she is playing with fire, spending time with the man who wants to catch the Mayfair Thief (her) but she can't push him away. Simon should be devoting his time to his job, not getting involved with Dahlia and the girls, but he can't seem to keep away. What will happen if/when he discovers the truth about Dahlia, not just about her family, but about her Robin Hood escapades??
I absolutely loved this book, and was hooked from the very first page. Dahlia's love for the girls she looks after was so beautiful, it was awful to see how she suffered every time the creditors came to call. It also made me wonder just how the author would deal with Simon finding out about her being a thief. He is a proud, honourable man who makes sure justice is done, there is only black and white. You are a criminal or you aren't one. If he arrests Dahlia it will be the end of her home for girls and they will all end up on the streets and in bad situations again. Of course it means Dahlia will end up in prison and eventually at the gallows too. If he doesn't arrest her then he is going against his very oath to uphold justice. If he lets her go their relationship is over anyway because he'll never be able to cope with not doing his job. It's that whole scenario that had me reading as quickly as I could to get to the end to find out. I won't tell you how it ended, suffice to say, this reader was very impressed with the author's decision. Very well done Miss Ridley, very well done.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers' copy of this book.
August 19, 2017
Decidedly quirky!
Miss Dahlia Grenville, an unusual debutant will do anything to keep her home for destitute girls afloat. Her passion for her girls, her cause and the lengths she's willing to go to are extraordinary. Those lengths include stealing small items from the ton and turning them into cash via a rather circuitous route.
However Simon Spaulding, a Bow Street runner of impeccable standards is on the trail of the thief. The thief, on command of Prinny, is to be caught and hanged. Of course Simon doesn't realize that's Dahlia, a young woman he's become attracted to. In fact he thinks Dahlia is a respectable headmistress, not the daughter of a Baron.
So we have the hero unknowingly pursing a thief who is the woman he is coming to appreciate.
Dahlia's sense of fair play does go into realms I would never have considered. I must admit to loud laughter when Dahlia bemoans the fact that she's become a rake, a despoiler of virgin men. Riley has hilariously turned the tables on the norm for Regency romances!
This had some desperately funny parts and some equally desperately sad moments. Simon's relationship with his half brother comes under the latter.
The humanizing of Simon is delightful. I was charmed. A definite winner with characters you can easily relate to.
A NetGalley ARC
Miss Dahlia Grenville, an unusual debutant will do anything to keep her home for destitute girls afloat. Her passion for her girls, her cause and the lengths she's willing to go to are extraordinary. Those lengths include stealing small items from the ton and turning them into cash via a rather circuitous route.
However Simon Spaulding, a Bow Street runner of impeccable standards is on the trail of the thief. The thief, on command of Prinny, is to be caught and hanged. Of course Simon doesn't realize that's Dahlia, a young woman he's become attracted to. In fact he thinks Dahlia is a respectable headmistress, not the daughter of a Baron.
So we have the hero unknowingly pursing a thief who is the woman he is coming to appreciate.
Dahlia's sense of fair play does go into realms I would never have considered. I must admit to loud laughter when Dahlia bemoans the fact that she's become a rake, a despoiler of virgin men. Riley has hilariously turned the tables on the norm for Regency romances!
This had some desperately funny parts and some equally desperately sad moments. Simon's relationship with his half brother comes under the latter.
The humanizing of Simon is delightful. I was charmed. A definite winner with characters you can easily relate to.
A NetGalley ARC
July 26, 2019
1.5 stars. It was ok but there was no spark.
I just found the story rather implausible. Characterisation was a bit flat and I didn't really care for the MCs- they didn't seem real.
And what's with everyone having mad sex so early in the piece in this series? I suppose it is easier with a heroine in breeches- no need to worry about that pesky corset and 15 layers of petticoats.
And she certainly wasn't shy here. It's a fine line, having a sexually confident and well-informed virgin (an oxymoron, I would have thought, for Regency times) yet maintaining sexual tension and believability. When writing HR, you have to stick to some kind of reality. If we want to read about sexually confident, even aggressive women, we will do that with CR, NA or even Erotica. And I do. It's just weird in an HR context.
I just found the story rather implausible. Characterisation was a bit flat and I didn't really care for the MCs- they didn't seem real.
And what's with everyone having mad sex so early in the piece in this series? I suppose it is easier with a heroine in breeches- no need to worry about that pesky corset and 15 layers of petticoats.
And she certainly wasn't shy here. It's a fine line, having a sexually confident and well-informed virgin (an oxymoron, I would have thought, for Regency times) yet maintaining sexual tension and believability. When writing HR, you have to stick to some kind of reality. If we want to read about sexually confident, even aggressive women, we will do that with CR, NA or even Erotica. And I do. It's just weird in an HR context.
May 10, 2019
3.5 - Voto
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“Tornò alla scrivania e si costrinse a riordinare le sue carte. Doveva concentrarsi sulla cattura del Ladro di Mayfair, non perdersi nei suoi ricordi d’infanzia. Sua madre non era stata una comune passeggiatrice. Era stata un’elegante cortigiana. Bella e affascinante al punto da conquistare l’attenzione – e il cuore – di un marchese. Il marchese non aveva distrutto la vita della madre di Simon rovinandola, ingravidandola o rifiutandosi di sposarla. Aveva distrutto la sua vita amandola. Se l’avesse semplicemente lasciata in pace, in un qualunque momento della loro relazione clandestina e tumultuosa, la madre di Simon sarebbe stata ancora viva. Simon non lo avrebbe mai perdonato per quello. Sua madre era sempre stata facile da blandire. Accettava sempre il marchese nel suo letto. Accettava il denaro del marchese nel suo conto corrente e incoraggiava Simon a fare lo stesso. Non voleva un bel giocattolo? Delle scarpe nuove? Quello che Simon aveva desiderato era un padre. Un padre vero. Non del denaro in banca con cui comprarsi dei giocattoli mentre suo padre era a casa, con la famiglia di cui gli importava davvero. Simon era felice di lasciare che quel denaro marcisse nella cassaforte della banca. Si era fatto da solo. Ed era orgoglioso della reputazione che si era creato.”
Oggi Fenici vi parlo del terzo capitolo della serie storica di Erica Ridley, Dalle stelle alle stalle, dal titolo Il signore della notte.
Sono ancora le sorelle Grenville le protagoniste, queste dame che si discostano alquanto dalle loro coetanee che desiderano solo un titolo e un patrimonio. Se Carmellia ha finalmente intrapreso la carriera che ha sempre desiderato di cantante lirica, non più costretta a cantare solo in insulse feste del ton ed ha trovato la felicità, per sua sorella le cose sono più complicate. Dahlia sta perseguendo quello che è il suo sogno da sempre: portare in pareggio i conti del suo collegio per ragazze sfortunate. Da tempo ha investito ogni suo avere in quell’istituto dove giovani donne e bambine prese dalla strada, o incapaci di trovare un lavoro adeguato, vengono nutrite e ricevono un’istruzione che le preparerà ad un’occupazione onesta e ben pagata. Ma i fondi di cui dispone scarseggiano, e già da tempo Dahlia ha trovato un modo originale, seppur molto pericoloso, per poter continuare a pagare i conti. Nella sua veste di figlia di un Barone viene invitata a feste in case lussuose, da cui a volte preleva cimeli di non grande valore per il padrone di casa, che tempo dopo riceve una lettera in cui trova l’indicazione del negozio di pegni in cui riscattare l’oggetto “prelevato”. Finora l’audacia e la fortuna l’hanno premiata, ma le cose stanno per cambiare.
Simon Spaulding, un Runner integerrimo, è intenzionato a prendere il ladro ad ogni costo. E così Dahlia dovrà destreggiarsi fra il Simon che la corteggia discretamente, convinto che sia solo la direttrice di un istituto, e il Runner che non fa mistero con lei, di desiderare ardentemente di mettere in prigione il ladro di Mayfair. E quando la resa dei conti sarà inevitabile, Simon dovrà prendere una decisione in grado di cambiare completamente la sua vita. Per Simon la giustizia deve prevalere su ogni cosa, non importa quale sia la classe sociale del ladro; è cosciente che probabilmente si tratta di qualcuno che può impunemente entrare in luoghi preclusi alle classi meno abbienti e che lui stesso non può frequentare. Figlio di un Marchese è nato dalla parte sbagliata, sua madre è stata una delle tante amanti del padre e lui un figlio illegittimo mai riconosciuto. Per questo è così soddisfatto della sua carriera fulminea nei Runner, da solo si è elevato dalla povertà e pur potendosi permettere una vita abbastanza agiata, vive in modo frugale e senza lusso. Prova un rancore profondo per il fratello legittimo e durante la storia scopriremo che è ampiamente ricambiato, anche se ad un certo punto, entrambi i giovani si renderanno conto di essere stati manipolati da un uomo incapace di amare che metteva davanti ad ognuno di loro i successi dell’altro. Ma avremo modo di conoscere meglio ogni retroscena nel prossimo libro della serie che vedrà proprio Lord Hawkrigde essere il protagonista. L’incontro di Simon con Dahlia è quantomeno originale, la trova infatti alle prese con un uomo che sta tentando di usare violenza ad una giovinetta, mentre armata di scopa sta tentando di impedire il misfatto. Per lui che non ha mai pensato più di tanto alle donne, sicuro che la sua carriera sarebbe stata sempre in primo piano, Dahlia diventa un pensiero difficile da allontanare. Il suo desiderio di servire la giustizia, che ha sempre precluso il tempo per crearsi una famiglia viene messo da parte dall’ammirazione, che quella giovane donna gli ispira. La sua devozione alle sue giovani allieve, lo rende cosciente che ha di fronte una donna come lui, che mette tutta se stessa nei suoi obiettivi. Ma l’amore che sembra stia nascendo verrà messo alla prova, sin troppo presto.
Non vi nascondo che questo non è il capitolo migliore della serie, la storia d’amore pur se carina rimane abbastanza tiepida. Non vi sono grandi attimi di passione fra i due e forse ho apprezzato di più il rapporto che si sta tenuamente instaurando con il fratello, il nobile che si scopre essere stato legato qualche tempo alla migliore amica di Dahlia, costretto a lasciarla dopo aver ereditato un titolo antico ed essersi ritrovato in miseria. Una storia tutto sommato piacevole ma non indimenticabile, che vanta però, due protagonisti sicuramente interessanti.
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Lucia63 - per RFS
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“Tornò alla scrivania e si costrinse a riordinare le sue carte. Doveva concentrarsi sulla cattura del Ladro di Mayfair, non perdersi nei suoi ricordi d’infanzia. Sua madre non era stata una comune passeggiatrice. Era stata un’elegante cortigiana. Bella e affascinante al punto da conquistare l’attenzione – e il cuore – di un marchese. Il marchese non aveva distrutto la vita della madre di Simon rovinandola, ingravidandola o rifiutandosi di sposarla. Aveva distrutto la sua vita amandola. Se l’avesse semplicemente lasciata in pace, in un qualunque momento della loro relazione clandestina e tumultuosa, la madre di Simon sarebbe stata ancora viva. Simon non lo avrebbe mai perdonato per quello. Sua madre era sempre stata facile da blandire. Accettava sempre il marchese nel suo letto. Accettava il denaro del marchese nel suo conto corrente e incoraggiava Simon a fare lo stesso. Non voleva un bel giocattolo? Delle scarpe nuove? Quello che Simon aveva desiderato era un padre. Un padre vero. Non del denaro in banca con cui comprarsi dei giocattoli mentre suo padre era a casa, con la famiglia di cui gli importava davvero. Simon era felice di lasciare che quel denaro marcisse nella cassaforte della banca. Si era fatto da solo. Ed era orgoglioso della reputazione che si era creato.”
Oggi Fenici vi parlo del terzo capitolo della serie storica di Erica Ridley, Dalle stelle alle stalle, dal titolo Il signore della notte.
Sono ancora le sorelle Grenville le protagoniste, queste dame che si discostano alquanto dalle loro coetanee che desiderano solo un titolo e un patrimonio. Se Carmellia ha finalmente intrapreso la carriera che ha sempre desiderato di cantante lirica, non più costretta a cantare solo in insulse feste del ton ed ha trovato la felicità, per sua sorella le cose sono più complicate. Dahlia sta perseguendo quello che è il suo sogno da sempre: portare in pareggio i conti del suo collegio per ragazze sfortunate. Da tempo ha investito ogni suo avere in quell’istituto dove giovani donne e bambine prese dalla strada, o incapaci di trovare un lavoro adeguato, vengono nutrite e ricevono un’istruzione che le preparerà ad un’occupazione onesta e ben pagata. Ma i fondi di cui dispone scarseggiano, e già da tempo Dahlia ha trovato un modo originale, seppur molto pericoloso, per poter continuare a pagare i conti. Nella sua veste di figlia di un Barone viene invitata a feste in case lussuose, da cui a volte preleva cimeli di non grande valore per il padrone di casa, che tempo dopo riceve una lettera in cui trova l’indicazione del negozio di pegni in cui riscattare l’oggetto “prelevato”. Finora l’audacia e la fortuna l’hanno premiata, ma le cose stanno per cambiare.
Simon Spaulding, un Runner integerrimo, è intenzionato a prendere il ladro ad ogni costo. E così Dahlia dovrà destreggiarsi fra il Simon che la corteggia discretamente, convinto che sia solo la direttrice di un istituto, e il Runner che non fa mistero con lei, di desiderare ardentemente di mettere in prigione il ladro di Mayfair. E quando la resa dei conti sarà inevitabile, Simon dovrà prendere una decisione in grado di cambiare completamente la sua vita. Per Simon la giustizia deve prevalere su ogni cosa, non importa quale sia la classe sociale del ladro; è cosciente che probabilmente si tratta di qualcuno che può impunemente entrare in luoghi preclusi alle classi meno abbienti e che lui stesso non può frequentare. Figlio di un Marchese è nato dalla parte sbagliata, sua madre è stata una delle tante amanti del padre e lui un figlio illegittimo mai riconosciuto. Per questo è così soddisfatto della sua carriera fulminea nei Runner, da solo si è elevato dalla povertà e pur potendosi permettere una vita abbastanza agiata, vive in modo frugale e senza lusso. Prova un rancore profondo per il fratello legittimo e durante la storia scopriremo che è ampiamente ricambiato, anche se ad un certo punto, entrambi i giovani si renderanno conto di essere stati manipolati da un uomo incapace di amare che metteva davanti ad ognuno di loro i successi dell’altro. Ma avremo modo di conoscere meglio ogni retroscena nel prossimo libro della serie che vedrà proprio Lord Hawkrigde essere il protagonista. L’incontro di Simon con Dahlia è quantomeno originale, la trova infatti alle prese con un uomo che sta tentando di usare violenza ad una giovinetta, mentre armata di scopa sta tentando di impedire il misfatto. Per lui che non ha mai pensato più di tanto alle donne, sicuro che la sua carriera sarebbe stata sempre in primo piano, Dahlia diventa un pensiero difficile da allontanare. Il suo desiderio di servire la giustizia, che ha sempre precluso il tempo per crearsi una famiglia viene messo da parte dall’ammirazione, che quella giovane donna gli ispira. La sua devozione alle sue giovani allieve, lo rende cosciente che ha di fronte una donna come lui, che mette tutta se stessa nei suoi obiettivi. Ma l’amore che sembra stia nascendo verrà messo alla prova, sin troppo presto.
Non vi nascondo che questo non è il capitolo migliore della serie, la storia d’amore pur se carina rimane abbastanza tiepida. Non vi sono grandi attimi di passione fra i due e forse ho apprezzato di più il rapporto che si sta tenuamente instaurando con il fratello, il nobile che si scopre essere stato legato qualche tempo alla migliore amica di Dahlia, costretto a lasciarla dopo aver ereditato un titolo antico ed essersi ritrovato in miseria. Una storia tutto sommato piacevole ma non indimenticabile, che vanta però, due protagonisti sicuramente interessanti.
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Lucia63 - per RFS
June 18, 2018
One lazy watchman, one corrupt magistrate, one irresponsible investigator was all it took to put others' lives and property at risk. Simon had sworn never to be one of them. --the thoughts of Inspector Simon Spaulding
LORD OF NIGHT
The absolute stars of this novel were the two MCs, Simon and Dahlia, but most especially Simon. I loved Dahlia because she was the exact opposite of a wilting wallflower, and she carried herself with so much life and confidence for a woman of the ton. Inspector Simon Spaulding was an absolute sweetheart!! He was so considerate and uptight and so very easily ruffled by Dahlia's oddities, and I loved seeing him blush or battle his life-long views of right and wrong in the face of her unconventional actions. My one complaint with this novel is that I wish there had been more action in the middle of the novel. Other than Simon battling his desire to get to know Dahlia better against his need to be a dedicated Inspector and Dahlia thinking about how she would do anything for her wards, there wasn't much going on. I wish we could have seen the Thief of Mayfair in action more, instead of just reading about it. The battle between morality--doing what is right vs. doing what you can in order to protect those you love--was very eloquent and Erica did a great job challenging both Simon and Dahlia. The ending was just so great though and left me squealing in fangirl pleasure. Simon is probably one of my favorite HR heroes ever, so definitely give this series a read, if only to meet him!! Overall, 4.5 stars.
Criminals might believe they owned the darkness, but Simon Spaulding was the Lord of Night.
My Simon Spaulding, the sweetest virgin Inspector you will ever meet :)
July 31, 2017
Lady of good intentions...
I think I enjoyed this book in the series the most, so far. I felt a true kinship with Dahlia and her heart for helping the wayward girls. Though, her means of supporting her efforts were not quite so valiant. I also identified with Simon who faces the age old dilemma of choosing between his head and his heart. I thought this story was truly heart-warming and easily held my interest from beginning to end. I can't wait for the fourth installment in this series. Ridley has achieved success with all three thus far, and I am expecting no less from the fourth.
*I received a complimentary ARC of this story in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
I think I enjoyed this book in the series the most, so far. I felt a true kinship with Dahlia and her heart for helping the wayward girls. Though, her means of supporting her efforts were not quite so valiant. I also identified with Simon who faces the age old dilemma of choosing between his head and his heart. I thought this story was truly heart-warming and easily held my interest from beginning to end. I can't wait for the fourth installment in this series. Ridley has achieved success with all three thus far, and I am expecting no less from the fourth.
*I received a complimentary ARC of this story in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
August 31, 2018
I'm a huge fan of orphanage-owning heroes and heroines! However, this was more of a novel I would read to pass time. Very low key, low angst, and a little forgettable. I would recommend if you can also overlook the discrepancies in some of the characters' behaviors. Such as the heroine, who acted like a contemporary heroine. She was a lady but she literally went around without a chaperone, EVER. It was pretty ridiculous. Otherwise I really liked the hero, he was very gallant and sweet and hardworking.
July 29, 2017
I liked the story of Dahlia and Simon. It was much too short for me. There was wonderful banter between the two protagonists and the fire between them was palpable.
This review is based on an ARC provided by the author.
This review is based on an ARC provided by the author.
did-not-finish
October 5, 2022Not one of Ridley's best - you can see how far she's come in the past five years. We spend too much time re-re-re-ruminating over people's internal conflict and the romance itself is too easy. All the conflict (a secret, one of my least favorite tropes) is below the surface and has yet to show itself at 55%.
Normally I would push through, maybe give it 2-2.5 stars, but it's a rainy day and I want to get lost in a book, darn it.
Putting this down at 178 pages.
Normally I would push through, maybe give it 2-2.5 stars, but it's a rainy day and I want to get lost in a book, darn it.
Putting this down at 178 pages.
July 20, 2017
The Lord of Night is Simon Spaulding, a Bow Street Runner. He only sees situations in black or white. For him, there are no shades of grey so when he discovers who is steeling from the rich will he be able to close his eyes and look the other way?
In the meantime, he and Dahlia Grenville, a young debutante, have fallen for each other. She runs a home for young ladies who have nowhere else to live.
This is their story and it is written by Erica Ridley as only she can write it, with love and compassion, a little bit of mystery and a whole load of entertainment and for this reason I highly recommend it as a great read.
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and honest review.
In the meantime, he and Dahlia Grenville, a young debutante, have fallen for each other. She runs a home for young ladies who have nowhere else to live.
This is their story and it is written by Erica Ridley as only she can write it, with love and compassion, a little bit of mystery and a whole load of entertainment and for this reason I highly recommend it as a great read.
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and honest review.
February 13, 2018
He sees the world in black and white. She knows there is a lot of grey. Together with 2 dozen schoolgirls they bring in all the other colors.
Another great story in a wonderful series! About dukes, barons and the likes, yet slightly different, slightly more 'normal'.
I received a copy and chose to review it.
Another great story in a wonderful series! About dukes, barons and the likes, yet slightly different, slightly more 'normal'.
I received a copy and chose to review it.
May 10, 2018
Well, I finished the story, that's always a good sign! It was cute enough to keep me reading until the end to see how it all wrapped up. This is my second book by Erica Ridley, and so far I can see in both books that she likes to add a lot of inner dialogue that tends to repeat the same info over and over. It seemed on every other page, we are reminded exactly why the hero is bitter against nobility and his father and half-brother... and as for the heroine, we are reminded numerous times as to why she is running the school for orphan girls. I felt much of that repetition could have been cut out, and it would have made for a nice novella. I would have loved a bit more conversation, interactions and feelings and steam involved. But it was cute to read once.
July 31, 2017
I received a copy of this e-book and am voluntarily leaving an honest opinion.
Dahlia comes from money, although not the top of the ton. While her parents expect what ll parents expected at that time, for her to marry well, Dahlia wants her life to have more meaning.
Simon is an Investigator, one of the Bow Street Runners, and about the best there is. He is all about his job, protecting people who cannot protect themselves. He was "born on the wrong side of the blanket" and decided he wouldn't let that ruin his life, which is why he is so loyal to his profession.
Dahlia has opened a "school for girls" in not so affluent neighborhood. She wants these young girls to have some sort of chance at life besides a workhouse, brothel or an early death. She survives on donations, oh... and a bit of thievery when desperate.
One night she hears screams and stops a man from attacking a young girl. Simon comes upon them and goes after the man when he runs. This is how they meet.
Dahlia and Simon like one another as people. Each thinks the other is smart, handsome/beautiful and caring as a person. They do begin to spend more time together and become involved in each others life.
Dahlia knows they cannot be together though, because Simon's newest assignment is to find the "Thief of Mayfair" and he could get a very nice promotion from it. The problem is, Dahlia is the "Thief of Mayfair"....plus Simon doesn't really know where she really comes from...
I did enjoy this story although it felt it was a bit boring at a few points. This was in the first third of the book. What I loved about it was the support system that developed between Dahlia and Simon. Even though there was an attraction, they really did have a nice relationship as friends.
Simon was stuck with anger issues over his childhood and Dahlia really helped him to explore and deal with those issues. It would only turn Simon into a better man. This was hard for Simon as he really saw "in black and white".
What he learns about Dahlia will be the real test.....will they survive?
I feel like a bit of the story was not resolved, like her parents and their need for her to marry well and be in Society. The next book is about Dahlia's good friend and it may be addressed there but it would have been nice to see it in this book.
All in all, I did like the book...
Dahlia comes from money, although not the top of the ton. While her parents expect what ll parents expected at that time, for her to marry well, Dahlia wants her life to have more meaning.
Simon is an Investigator, one of the Bow Street Runners, and about the best there is. He is all about his job, protecting people who cannot protect themselves. He was "born on the wrong side of the blanket" and decided he wouldn't let that ruin his life, which is why he is so loyal to his profession.
Dahlia has opened a "school for girls" in not so affluent neighborhood. She wants these young girls to have some sort of chance at life besides a workhouse, brothel or an early death. She survives on donations, oh... and a bit of thievery when desperate.
One night she hears screams and stops a man from attacking a young girl. Simon comes upon them and goes after the man when he runs. This is how they meet.
Dahlia and Simon like one another as people. Each thinks the other is smart, handsome/beautiful and caring as a person. They do begin to spend more time together and become involved in each others life.
Dahlia knows they cannot be together though, because Simon's newest assignment is to find the "Thief of Mayfair" and he could get a very nice promotion from it. The problem is, Dahlia is the "Thief of Mayfair"....plus Simon doesn't really know where she really comes from...
I did enjoy this story although it felt it was a bit boring at a few points. This was in the first third of the book. What I loved about it was the support system that developed between Dahlia and Simon. Even though there was an attraction, they really did have a nice relationship as friends.
Simon was stuck with anger issues over his childhood and Dahlia really helped him to explore and deal with those issues. It would only turn Simon into a better man. This was hard for Simon as he really saw "in black and white".
What he learns about Dahlia will be the real test.....will they survive?
I feel like a bit of the story was not resolved, like her parents and their need for her to marry well and be in Society. The next book is about Dahlia's good friend and it may be addressed there but it would have been nice to see it in this book.
All in all, I did like the book...
August 6, 2017
Dahlia Grenville lives on the edge of the Beau monde; the daughter of a baron but determined to save the poor girls of St.Giles she all her pin money no nyting she can sell to the pawn brokers to run a school for these girls . Her mission , her passion is keeping her boarding school open at all cost for the sake of these girls who would otherwise be relegated to the streets , prostitution or the workhouses; at her school they will learn skills , skills to help rise them in station no give them a chance at something better , she may only be teaching the skills of a maid to them and reading and writing but those skills will earn them a salary and out a roof over their heads. However for Dahlia being a headmistress for a school that is not a fine finishing school has almost pushed her from the Beau monde if not for her mother's constant diligence it would have.
Me does not go out at night into the streets of St Giles,mbut for Dahlia a scream is not to be ignored and in running to the rescue of a young women armed with nothing but a broom, she finds herself being rescued by Simon Spaulding who takes off after the attacker, sure he will not return she gathers the young girl and brings her into the safety of the boarding school , but finds herself more made hours later when Simon shows up at the door to inform her the tracker was captured no imprisoned , turns out Simon is an Inspector for Bow street.
Simon the illegitimate son of a Duke and his mistress sees everything n the back and white of the law , however this headmistress begins to open his eyes to things and possibilities , she draws him out of his singleminded shell, involves him in the school activities. As the two become closer however the subtle lies become a bigger issue, Simon does not know the Dahlia Grenvile , the barons daughter, he knows the headmistress that will do anything for these girls. He sees the Dahlia that he can not imagine living without; but in his effort to capture the Theif of Mayfair , and secure a promotion Simon will get his fragile new heart broken , then get a glimpse at the Dahlia he has not seen before.
The question is will his world remain black and white , will he remain the upstanding honest inspector when all of Dahlias secrets are revealed or will love change all that for him?
This arc copy was provided by Ms Ridley, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Me does not go out at night into the streets of St Giles,mbut for Dahlia a scream is not to be ignored and in running to the rescue of a young women armed with nothing but a broom, she finds herself being rescued by Simon Spaulding who takes off after the attacker, sure he will not return she gathers the young girl and brings her into the safety of the boarding school , but finds herself more made hours later when Simon shows up at the door to inform her the tracker was captured no imprisoned , turns out Simon is an Inspector for Bow street.
Simon the illegitimate son of a Duke and his mistress sees everything n the back and white of the law , however this headmistress begins to open his eyes to things and possibilities , she draws him out of his singleminded shell, involves him in the school activities. As the two become closer however the subtle lies become a bigger issue, Simon does not know the Dahlia Grenvile , the barons daughter, he knows the headmistress that will do anything for these girls. He sees the Dahlia that he can not imagine living without; but in his effort to capture the Theif of Mayfair , and secure a promotion Simon will get his fragile new heart broken , then get a glimpse at the Dahlia he has not seen before.
The question is will his world remain black and white , will he remain the upstanding honest inspector when all of Dahlias secrets are revealed or will love change all that for him?
This arc copy was provided by Ms Ridley, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2017
Lord of Night by Erica Ridley is book 3 in her exciting "Rogues to Riches" series, while book 3 it can be read as a stand alone.
This is the story of Dahlia Grenville and Simon Spaulding. Dahlia is the mysterious Mayfair thief, she is forced into thievery to keep her School of Wayward Girls afloat. Her patrons support has fallen off, and she knows no other way. Simon is a no nonsense, straight laced bow street runner, his fellow runners calls him the "Lone Wolf", but Simon is determined to bring the mysterious Mayfair thief to justice and straight to the gallows.
Will Simon be able to bring Dahlia to justice, after all, they do have a budding, relationship? Or will Dahlia's lies, secrets, and deceit end their budding relationship , possibly bringing their HEA to an end, after the truth is revealed? Will Simon forfeit his career for his heart and a HEA? You simply must pick up this satisfying Regency Romance to find out for yourselves.
"Lord of Night" is a remarkable story of love, secrets, trust, mystery and the possibility of a HEA. The cast of characters are interesting, engaging and charming, each in their own way, of course. I did wish to shake Dahlia a few times, but life has been hard for her, not that thievery is right, or anything. Simon is a no nonsense, by the book, bow street runner, and a protector. Together, they make a charming couple. I wondered how Ms. Ridley was going to bring their story to an end she did a remarkable job if bring their story to a satisfying end. A page turner and a keeper!
Erica Ridley has done it again, with this delightful Regency Romance! "Rogues to Riches" story, just keeps getting better and better. The story flows seamlessly and flawlessly. For a great story with amazing characters, pick up a copy of "Lord of Night".
Erica Ridley writes stories that holds her readers captive, as they read her stories. A brilliant and talented storyteller, in my humble opinion.
Another must read and a keeper by Erica Ridley. Pick up your copy today!.
Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilR
For your convenience here's the ROGUES TO RICHES titles, thus far"
1. Lord of Chance
2. Lord of Pleasure
3. Lord of Night
This is the story of Dahlia Grenville and Simon Spaulding. Dahlia is the mysterious Mayfair thief, she is forced into thievery to keep her School of Wayward Girls afloat. Her patrons support has fallen off, and she knows no other way. Simon is a no nonsense, straight laced bow street runner, his fellow runners calls him the "Lone Wolf", but Simon is determined to bring the mysterious Mayfair thief to justice and straight to the gallows.
Will Simon be able to bring Dahlia to justice, after all, they do have a budding, relationship? Or will Dahlia's lies, secrets, and deceit end their budding relationship , possibly bringing their HEA to an end, after the truth is revealed? Will Simon forfeit his career for his heart and a HEA? You simply must pick up this satisfying Regency Romance to find out for yourselves.
"Lord of Night" is a remarkable story of love, secrets, trust, mystery and the possibility of a HEA. The cast of characters are interesting, engaging and charming, each in their own way, of course. I did wish to shake Dahlia a few times, but life has been hard for her, not that thievery is right, or anything. Simon is a no nonsense, by the book, bow street runner, and a protector. Together, they make a charming couple. I wondered how Ms. Ridley was going to bring their story to an end she did a remarkable job if bring their story to a satisfying end. A page turner and a keeper!
Erica Ridley has done it again, with this delightful Regency Romance! "Rogues to Riches" story, just keeps getting better and better. The story flows seamlessly and flawlessly. For a great story with amazing characters, pick up a copy of "Lord of Night".
Erica Ridley writes stories that holds her readers captive, as they read her stories. A brilliant and talented storyteller, in my humble opinion.
Another must read and a keeper by Erica Ridley. Pick up your copy today!.
Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilR
For your convenience here's the ROGUES TO RICHES titles, thus far"
1. Lord of Chance
2. Lord of Pleasure
3. Lord of Night
August 19, 2017
Historical Romance is usually not on my TBR pile, but there are some recommended authors that I have now started reading, enjoying and of course adding to the ever growing TBR. I swear it seems to have a life of its own!
So when I came across this ARC of Erica Ridley, I jumped the chance to read an author that had been cropping up on my Kindle recommendations and who I had not as yet read. And of course, review my very first ARC :).
The plot was an interesting one, as one rarely reads Regency love stories about Bow Street Runners. Or at least I have come across very few of them. What I loved about Simon Spaulding was how uncomplicated and simple he was. As said earlier, his world was black and white, his actions, emotions and everything else too was as simple as that. He would get flustered, most ‘charmingly’ whenever our heroine flirted or shocked him with her speech and antics. He was a man who was easy to love and who was the perfect character for a Runner, as I would have envisioned them.
Dahlia on the other hand, intrigued me from the word go. Obviously she had been introduced in earlier books, hence some things were left unsaid, but overall, she was naughty and nice and a perfect match for Simon. Of course, I have to now go read the entire ‘Rogues to Riches Series’ to know more about the characters that are linked to this one.
I especially enjoyed the scenes of their interactions with each other; Simon’s with the girls of the boarding house; SImon with his half brother which had me a little teary; the intriguing relationship between Faith and Hawkridge and the final proposal of marriage with turned out quite funny if it were not so sad.
Overall, I loved the simplicity of this book. How easily they met, fell in love, had a misunderstanding and finally got together. I wish the end had been a little more long drawn out though. I would have loved to see some more grovelling from Simon considering the way he behaved while arresting her.
Needless to say, I have already started Book 1 of this series, and am just on chapter one, but enjoying it as much. Erica Ridley definitely goes on my ‘HR authors to watch out for’ list.
So when I came across this ARC of Erica Ridley, I jumped the chance to read an author that had been cropping up on my Kindle recommendations and who I had not as yet read. And of course, review my very first ARC :).
The plot was an interesting one, as one rarely reads Regency love stories about Bow Street Runners. Or at least I have come across very few of them. What I loved about Simon Spaulding was how uncomplicated and simple he was. As said earlier, his world was black and white, his actions, emotions and everything else too was as simple as that. He would get flustered, most ‘charmingly’ whenever our heroine flirted or shocked him with her speech and antics. He was a man who was easy to love and who was the perfect character for a Runner, as I would have envisioned them.
Dahlia on the other hand, intrigued me from the word go. Obviously she had been introduced in earlier books, hence some things were left unsaid, but overall, she was naughty and nice and a perfect match for Simon. Of course, I have to now go read the entire ‘Rogues to Riches Series’ to know more about the characters that are linked to this one.
I especially enjoyed the scenes of their interactions with each other; Simon’s with the girls of the boarding house; SImon with his half brother which had me a little teary; the intriguing relationship between Faith and Hawkridge and the final proposal of marriage with turned out quite funny if it were not so sad.
Overall, I loved the simplicity of this book. How easily they met, fell in love, had a misunderstanding and finally got together. I wish the end had been a little more long drawn out though. I would have loved to see some more grovelling from Simon considering the way he behaved while arresting her.
Needless to say, I have already started Book 1 of this series, and am just on chapter one, but enjoying it as much. Erica Ridley definitely goes on my ‘HR authors to watch out for’ list.
July 24, 2017
Miss Dahlia Grenvile was running a school for less fortunate girls in St Giles. Unfortunately the resources to keep the school running were not high. The donations were not enough to keep food on the girls' table, as well as to buy clothes for them.
With that, Dahlia had a different way of keeping things going: she was a kind of Robin Hood.
Everything could have continued to work well, had she not met Bow Street Runner, Simon Spaulding.
Simon was the typical good guy. He worked hard at his job, and was known as Lone Wolf.
On a night when there was an attack on St Giles, Simon ended up helping Dahlia and the girl she would protect. Simon arrested the ruffian, and was deeply impressed by that lady who laid a broom as if it were a deadly weapon.
However, they came from different worlds even though both had life purpose to help people.
Simon acted by the law; Dahlia would do anything to protect the girls.
He was not a nobleman, he did not have vast wealth.
Dahlia was not dazzlingly beautiful and her dowry was not loud enough for her to attract a husband rich enough to help her maintain school.
Interest between both grows, but being on opposite sides of the law, how could this relationship have a future?
The interesting thing about this story is that they are absolutely ordinary people. No nobiliary title or very large inheritance.
Simon was a worker and Dahlia had a normal beauty.
But both were fearless in their tasks.
Despite this change in plot, I did not feel connected to the characters.
3 stars
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange of an honest review
With that, Dahlia had a different way of keeping things going: she was a kind of Robin Hood.
Everything could have continued to work well, had she not met Bow Street Runner, Simon Spaulding.
Simon was the typical good guy. He worked hard at his job, and was known as Lone Wolf.
On a night when there was an attack on St Giles, Simon ended up helping Dahlia and the girl she would protect. Simon arrested the ruffian, and was deeply impressed by that lady who laid a broom as if it were a deadly weapon.
However, they came from different worlds even though both had life purpose to help people.
Simon acted by the law; Dahlia would do anything to protect the girls.
He was not a nobleman, he did not have vast wealth.
Dahlia was not dazzlingly beautiful and her dowry was not loud enough for her to attract a husband rich enough to help her maintain school.
Interest between both grows, but being on opposite sides of the law, how could this relationship have a future?
The interesting thing about this story is that they are absolutely ordinary people. No nobiliary title or very large inheritance.
Simon was a worker and Dahlia had a normal beauty.
But both were fearless in their tasks.
Despite this change in plot, I did not feel connected to the characters.
3 stars
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange of an honest review
August 1, 2017
Miss Dahlia Grenville wants to do something worthwhile with her life so she started St. Giles School for Girls. She provided food and shelter to girls living on the streets. It's a struggle but she won't give up. I liked her fierce determination and her caring attitude. I was amazed at the lengths she went through to keep her school open. What a feisty female! Her meeting with Inspector Simon Spaulding, a Bow Street runner, sets the stage for a tender romance. I loved the story. It's filled with love, laughter, joy and heartbreak. Lord of Night is well-written and enjoyable. I liked the characters and their sharp and sassy dialogue. The chemistry between Dahlia and Simon is powerful. Seeing them form a bond pulled me in. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Rogues to Riches series. I enjoy Erica Ridley's writing. She makes her characters come alive.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
November 26, 2017
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Two unlikely matches or so it seems. Appearances are not everything and the author does a delightful job is showing how Dahlia and Simon have more in common than not.
Surrounded by children Dahlia is delightful in her outlook on life and her love for these orphans. Her sense of humor adds a lot to this storyline as she practices it most often on the bewildered Simon making this reader laugh often at Simon. In a good way of course.
Poor Simon. He is so noble and wants so much to make a difference and help those less fortunate. His stiffness adds to this story as it plays into Dahlia's funness. His sense of honor is one of the key components in this storyline and it will intrigue as well as frustrate the reader.
I give this 4 STARS for portraying moral fiber in both characters.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Two unlikely matches or so it seems. Appearances are not everything and the author does a delightful job is showing how Dahlia and Simon have more in common than not.
Surrounded by children Dahlia is delightful in her outlook on life and her love for these orphans. Her sense of humor adds a lot to this storyline as she practices it most often on the bewildered Simon making this reader laugh often at Simon. In a good way of course.
Poor Simon. He is so noble and wants so much to make a difference and help those less fortunate. His stiffness adds to this story as it plays into Dahlia's funness. His sense of honor is one of the key components in this storyline and it will intrigue as well as frustrate the reader.
I give this 4 STARS for portraying moral fiber in both characters.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
January 3, 2018
Lord of Night felt like stepping into a Jane Austen novel. From the charming characters to the addictive dialogue and the heartwarming lessons delivered along the way. Ms. Ridley knows how to capture heart and grab attention all in one sitting. Dahlia is the kind of character I like to see. She listens to her heart and never lets fear factor into her choices. Humanity as a whole could learn a lesson from this woman. Simon is the perfect antagonist to Dahlia. He lives by the rules. When he meets Dahlia, Simon begins to question everything he is. They have much to teach each other about love, risk and optimism. The fearless Dahlia and the by the book Simon may just have met their match in each other. I have had the pleasure of experiencing this brave tale of hope and courage as an ebook and a audio book. The ebook inspires, but the audio version brings the story to life. Ms. Hussey gives personality to an already memorable set of characters.
November 6, 2024
3.5 Stars
This was truly a pleasure. This book is what it is because of the fantastic characters. Both Dahlia and Simon had so much depth to them, it was ever so charming. Simon was particularly interesting just because he’s so different from the usual Regency heroes. I found his moral dilemma compelling (albeit the tiniest bit dumb) and his angst towards the ton fascinating. It’s always fun when characters have depth.
Now I must admit, I’m a tad underwhelmed by the ending. This is when the main climax happens but everything is kinda sorted straight away? Like, it’s very obvious that Dahlia is in the right, it kinda feels silly that it’s even a debate (even though I understand it from Simon’s perspective). It was all pretty much sorted straight way, happily ever after.
Still, kudos to this book, it was unexpected.
This was truly a pleasure. This book is what it is because of the fantastic characters. Both Dahlia and Simon had so much depth to them, it was ever so charming. Simon was particularly interesting just because he’s so different from the usual Regency heroes. I found his moral dilemma compelling (albeit the tiniest bit dumb) and his angst towards the ton fascinating. It’s always fun when characters have depth.
Now I must admit, I’m a tad underwhelmed by the ending. This is when the main climax happens but everything is kinda sorted straight away? Like, it’s very obvious that Dahlia is in the right, it kinda feels silly that it’s even a debate (even though I understand it from Simon’s perspective). It was all pretty much sorted straight way, happily ever after.
Still, kudos to this book, it was unexpected.
July 26, 2017
Miss Dahlia Grenville is the daughter of a baron and headmistress of a school for poor girls. Mr. Simon Spaudling is a respected inspector for Bow Street and they have fallen in love.
This has a little bit of a surprise and it does have a twist or two to it. Not only was it an excellent book but the author handled it so well. It was vivid, concise, even paced and moved well. It was a real pleasure to be able to read Erica Ridley's newest story. The characters were amazing and seemed very true to life. I found the banter between her siblings, Simon and also with the students of her school, funny. It did get a little racy in one spot, even though kisses were welcome.
I received this book from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it.
This has a little bit of a surprise and it does have a twist or two to it. Not only was it an excellent book but the author handled it so well. It was vivid, concise, even paced and moved well. It was a real pleasure to be able to read Erica Ridley's newest story. The characters were amazing and seemed very true to life. I found the banter between her siblings, Simon and also with the students of her school, funny. It did get a little racy in one spot, even though kisses were welcome.
I received this book from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it.
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