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The Lady Emily Capers #1-3
The Lady Emily Capers, Set One
Lady Emily Southwell and her three friends are determined the world will speak in reverent tones of their London debuts. But first they must survive a dangerous dalliance between their beloved art teacher and an unconventional earl and determine whether Emily’s betrothed is hiding something. Along the way, Emily might form a perilous passion for an unlikely suitor.
Includes two novels: Secrets and Sensibilities and Art and Artifice, plus the short story “Master Thief,” first time in e-book format. Here’s a little taste:
“Who are you?” Emily demanded, striding into the room. “What are you doing here?”
He offered her a bow, cap squashed in one hand. “Good evening, Lady Emily.”
He knew her name? She was certain she’d never met him before. She’d have remembered those broad shoulders, that confident air. His hair was the color of the sunset on a stormy day -- red and gold and brown blending in wild disarray, and his eyes were the gray of the storm. But his smile, well, his smile was positively wicked.
“Answer the question, if you please,” Emily said, forcing her mind to the moment. “What are you doing in my home? Who let you in?”
He shrugged, a ripple of muscle under his brown coat. “Your footmen are far too busy to attend to me.”
Emily gasped. “You sneaked in! Thief!” Small wonder she hadn’t recognized him. She did not make a habit of associating with thieves. Nor did she fear them. One shout, one cry, and a small army would attend her.
“Oh, there are thieves in London, all right,” he agreed, as if singularly unconcerned about capture. He waved a hand to encompass the room. “You’d better watch out, or you’ll lose one of these fine paintings.”
What fine paintings? His Grace had any number of wonderful pieces from ages past, as well as some truly horrid portraits of their ancestors. She wasn’t sure which he had ordered brought to London to decorate the townhouse.
But as she looked around the room, she recognized each painting as hers. The Battle of Salamanca hung over the fire, The Battle of Hastings was against the far wall, and The Battle of the Nile was to her right. It had been one of her first, when she hadn’t quite mastered perspective. The British and French ships were all jumbled. He could not be much of a thief if he thought it fine art.
So, who exactly was he?
493 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2019
268 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Regina Scott
134 books1,012 followersRegina Scott started writing novels in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know it, she didn’t actually sell her first novel until she had learned a bit more about writing. Since her first Regency romance was published in 1998, her stories have traveled the globe, with translations in many languages including Dutch, German, Italian, and Portuguese. She is now the author of more than 50 works of warm, witty historical romance.
She and her husband of 30 years reside in Washington State on the way to Mt. Rainier. Regina Scott has driven four in hand, learned to fence, sailed on a tall ship, and dressed as a Regency dandy, all in the name of research, of course. Sign up for her free alert service to hear when the next book will be out or on sale at https://subscribe.reginascott.com/. You can find her online blogging at www.nineteenteen.com. Learn more about her at www.reginascott.com and connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorreginascott .
She and her husband of 30 years reside in Washington State on the way to Mt. Rainier. Regina Scott has driven four in hand, learned to fence, sailed on a tall ship, and dressed as a Regency dandy, all in the name of research, of course. Sign up for her free alert service to hear when the next book will be out or on sale at https://subscribe.reginascott.com/. You can find her online blogging at www.nineteenteen.com. Learn more about her at www.reginascott.com and connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorreginascott .
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September 14, 2022Kindle freebie at time of download. Secrets and Sensibilities has been reviewed under the original title of A Dangerous Dalliance
Lady Emily Southwell, daughter of the Duke of Emerson, has just finished at the Barnsley School for Young Ladies and is looking forward to her comeout in London with her three best friends. As she is responsible for her best friend Priscilla's family's downfall, Emily will be sharing her ball with Priscilla, which is fine with Emily because she would prefer NOT to ever marry. Emily's dream is to be a painter and exhibit at the Royal Society for the Beaux Arts. Alas, her father has other ideas and plans to marry her off to Lord Robert Townsend. Emily is determined not to marry Lord Robert and is eager to find some reason to discredit him. When she meets the Bow Street Runner, James Cropper, he seems to know more about Lord Robert than Emily and her friends but refuses to help her. All right then. Emily can do this herself. With the help of her friends, she sets out to find out what Lord Robert is up to. Jamie Cropper from Rathill has worked his way up to a good position. He's used to dealing with stuffy nobility but he's never met the likes of Lady Emily before. He has the intense desire to protect her but they always end up sparring. He knows she's not for him but he can't stop thinking about her. Can he save her from a terrible marriage or settle for being her friend once she's wed?
I originally read this story when it was published as La Petite Four. It's since been reworked and woven into a series about four friends, their teacher and worked into the same Regency world as Regina Scott's other Regency set books. I really liked the little "Easter Eggs" that appear throughout the Regency novels. If you've read them all, you'll see Lady Emily mentioned again and find out what happens to her. I especially like that because this one is very young adult and doesn't end with the usual marriage proposal or wedding. There's a slight mystery here that may or may not keep the reader on their toes. It's not a traditional "whodunit" murder but a mystery of a possible jewel thief. It's pretty obvious but as no passages are from the villain's point-of-view, a reader may end up being surprised. As I had read the original book, I wasn't surprised.
Emily and her friends are the best part of this book. Too often in this genre, the heroine is alone or maybe has a close sister to confide in. The young women are usually pitted against one another as they are all vying for the same few eligible gentlemen. While this story does have a few nasty women, it's more about the close friendship. Three girls truly bonded in school with one extra being sort of a frenemy at times. Circumstances brought them together and they've become very close, like sisters. They would do anything for each other and always have each others' backs.
Emily is the most relatable character. She's what my niece would call "emo" (LOL). In Regency terms, it means she enjoys painting battle scenes of death and destruction. Emily wants nothing more than to be a real artist and for that, she feels she must exhibit at the Royal Society. Everyone has always told her she's a very good painter and she's never been told no before but now she's uncertain. IS she truly great? Several people criticize her paintings and make her doubt herself. She struggles to come to terms with her fate but isn't going down without a fight. Her spunk and determination are sure to please any modern older tween or young teen. Priscilla Tate, beautiful, fashionable, broke, seems like she should be a mean girl. She comes across as shallow at times and obsessed with throwing the wildest extravangaza that everyone will be talking about. She lives in hope the Prince Regent will show up at her ball and make her Season. When you read on, the story digs deeper into Priscilla's reasoning. After a scandal, her family is on the very edge of losing everything. If she doesn't succeed in finding a husband, her family will end up in debtors' prison. With only a few dresses and a grand plan, she will be the savior of her family. Not so fast! Her plan hinges on Lady Emily reamining unwed and co-hosting the ball. Her motives for helping Emily may be partly selfish but I do believe she's a good person and a good friend.
I love the Courderbras sisters, Daphne and Ariadne. Daphne is a little over concerned with what etiquette columnist Lord Snedley has to say about matters. Their mother is a bundle of anxiety and always fussing and giving out advice. Ariadne has had it. Like Emily, she wants to be free to live her life the way she wants to! She wants to wear bold colors and write stories, plays and poetry. She still dreams of a lovely gentleman falling in love with her but is too shy to actually speak to any of them. Ariadne is very much me at 17!
Emily's Aunt Minerva plays a large role in the story. She's supposed to be Emily's chaperone and keeping a strict eye on Emily and friends. She was a real surprise and I get the impression she's more like Emily inside but goes along with the status quo because she's an aging spinster without money of her own. Emily's father means well but he's clueless. He's busy with government business and worried about his daughter's future. Warburton the butler is also a surprise. He may work for Lord Emerson but he seems fond of Emily and secretly enjoys her antics. I think he's privately rooting for her to succeed in achieving her dreams, whatever they are.
The Duke of Emerson can't see beyond the superficial and doesn't take the time to try. He doesn't bother to ASK Emily what she wants or listento what she's telling him. Lord Robert is much the same way only he attempts to flatter and cajole Emily. His "love making" makes Emily roll her eyes and I did too. He's too slick and too obvious. Typical of men at that time, their word is law and they expect Emily to obey.
Even Jamie Cropper, a Bow Street Runner, expects Emily to obey him but for different reasons. He is investigating a potentially dangerous situation. He's been hired by select clients and needs to be discreet. He can't just share information with a civillian and a GIRL at that. He shows he's much more kind and caring than the other men, however. He may spar with Emily but it is for good reason and he troubles himself to look out for her and keep her safe. The instalove plot is a bit much for me though.
I enjoyed my reread but this one is a little too young adultish for my current preference.
Bonus Short Story: Master Thief
This is a cute short story but it could have been worked in as a chapter or an epilogue. It made me smile. This collection is nice bedtime reading. The two novels are predictable and NICE and the short story is one more chapter of the same. I'm happy Regina Scott is making her old books available again. I've read them all and read the stories about Emily's friends as well.
Lady Emily Southwell, daughter of the Duke of Emerson, has just finished at the Barnsley School for Young Ladies and is looking forward to her comeout in London with her three best friends. As she is responsible for her best friend Priscilla's family's downfall, Emily will be sharing her ball with Priscilla, which is fine with Emily because she would prefer NOT to ever marry. Emily's dream is to be a painter and exhibit at the Royal Society for the Beaux Arts. Alas, her father has other ideas and plans to marry her off to Lord Robert Townsend. Emily is determined not to marry Lord Robert and is eager to find some reason to discredit him. When she meets the Bow Street Runner, James Cropper, he seems to know more about Lord Robert than Emily and her friends but refuses to help her. All right then. Emily can do this herself. With the help of her friends, she sets out to find out what Lord Robert is up to. Jamie Cropper from Rathill has worked his way up to a good position. He's used to dealing with stuffy nobility but he's never met the likes of Lady Emily before. He has the intense desire to protect her but they always end up sparring. He knows she's not for him but he can't stop thinking about her. Can he save her from a terrible marriage or settle for being her friend once she's wed?
I originally read this story when it was published as La Petite Four. It's since been reworked and woven into a series about four friends, their teacher and worked into the same Regency world as Regina Scott's other Regency set books. I really liked the little "Easter Eggs" that appear throughout the Regency novels. If you've read them all, you'll see Lady Emily mentioned again and find out what happens to her. I especially like that because this one is very young adult and doesn't end with the usual marriage proposal or wedding. There's a slight mystery here that may or may not keep the reader on their toes. It's not a traditional "whodunit" murder but a mystery of a possible jewel thief. It's pretty obvious but as no passages are from the villain's point-of-view, a reader may end up being surprised. As I had read the original book, I wasn't surprised.
Emily and her friends are the best part of this book. Too often in this genre, the heroine is alone or maybe has a close sister to confide in. The young women are usually pitted against one another as they are all vying for the same few eligible gentlemen. While this story does have a few nasty women, it's more about the close friendship. Three girls truly bonded in school with one extra being sort of a frenemy at times. Circumstances brought them together and they've become very close, like sisters. They would do anything for each other and always have each others' backs.
Emily is the most relatable character. She's what my niece would call "emo" (LOL). In Regency terms, it means she enjoys painting battle scenes of death and destruction. Emily wants nothing more than to be a real artist and for that, she feels she must exhibit at the Royal Society. Everyone has always told her she's a very good painter and she's never been told no before but now she's uncertain. IS she truly great? Several people criticize her paintings and make her doubt herself. She struggles to come to terms with her fate but isn't going down without a fight. Her spunk and determination are sure to please any modern older tween or young teen. Priscilla Tate, beautiful, fashionable, broke, seems like she should be a mean girl. She comes across as shallow at times and obsessed with throwing the wildest extravangaza that everyone will be talking about. She lives in hope the Prince Regent will show up at her ball and make her Season. When you read on, the story digs deeper into Priscilla's reasoning. After a scandal, her family is on the very edge of losing everything. If she doesn't succeed in finding a husband, her family will end up in debtors' prison. With only a few dresses and a grand plan, she will be the savior of her family. Not so fast! Her plan hinges on Lady Emily reamining unwed and co-hosting the ball. Her motives for helping Emily may be partly selfish but I do believe she's a good person and a good friend.
I love the Courderbras sisters, Daphne and Ariadne. Daphne is a little over concerned with what etiquette columnist Lord Snedley has to say about matters. Their mother is a bundle of anxiety and always fussing and giving out advice. Ariadne has had it. Like Emily, she wants to be free to live her life the way she wants to! She wants to wear bold colors and write stories, plays and poetry. She still dreams of a lovely gentleman falling in love with her but is too shy to actually speak to any of them. Ariadne is very much me at 17!
Emily's Aunt Minerva plays a large role in the story. She's supposed to be Emily's chaperone and keeping a strict eye on Emily and friends. She was a real surprise and I get the impression she's more like Emily inside but goes along with the status quo because she's an aging spinster without money of her own. Emily's father means well but he's clueless. He's busy with government business and worried about his daughter's future. Warburton the butler is also a surprise. He may work for Lord Emerson but he seems fond of Emily and secretly enjoys her antics. I think he's privately rooting for her to succeed in achieving her dreams, whatever they are.
The Duke of Emerson can't see beyond the superficial and doesn't take the time to try. He doesn't bother to ASK Emily what she wants or listento what she's telling him. Lord Robert is much the same way only he attempts to flatter and cajole Emily. His "love making" makes Emily roll her eyes and I did too. He's too slick and too obvious. Typical of men at that time, their word is law and they expect Emily to obey.
Even Jamie Cropper, a Bow Street Runner, expects Emily to obey him but for different reasons. He is investigating a potentially dangerous situation. He's been hired by select clients and needs to be discreet. He can't just share information with a civillian and a GIRL at that. He shows he's much more kind and caring than the other men, however. He may spar with Emily but it is for good reason and he troubles himself to look out for her and keep her safe. The instalove plot is a bit much for me though.
I enjoyed my reread but this one is a little too young adultish for my current preference.
Bonus Short Story: Master Thief
This is a cute short story but it could have been worked in as a chapter or an epilogue. It made me smile. This collection is nice bedtime reading. The two novels are predictable and NICE and the short story is one more chapter of the same. I'm happy Regina Scott is making her old books available again. I've read them all and read the stories about Emily's friends as well.
September 14, 2022
Sense and sensibilities( a dangerous dalliance)
I was looking around for a book to read, in the mood for some suspense, and saw this boxset in my list. I’ve read more contemporary than regency lately so I decided on these over my other options. This is a new to me author.
I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. I loved getting to know all of the characters and guess at the mysteries. I’m excited that the next book follows this one with the characters.
Art and artifacts
I very much enjoyed this mystery. I couldn’t put it down. I was very invested in the outcome and do believe I guessed at things before all of the pieces were revealed. lol.
Master Thief
A nice chapter short story going with the Lady Emily series.
I was looking around for a book to read, in the mood for some suspense, and saw this boxset in my list. I’ve read more contemporary than regency lately so I decided on these over my other options. This is a new to me author.
I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. I loved getting to know all of the characters and guess at the mysteries. I’m excited that the next book follows this one with the characters.
Art and artifacts
I very much enjoyed this mystery. I couldn’t put it down. I was very invested in the outcome and do believe I guessed at things before all of the pieces were revealed. lol.
Master Thief
A nice chapter short story going with the Lady Emily series.
September 20, 2022
Regency novel?
Not quite! Light, whimsical? Yes. Although the novels were stated to be about Lady Emily as the main character, it was definitely not so in the first book. That one was about Hannah, half way through I was wondering if I was reading the wrong book. Even after reading the second book, I had difficulty creating an image of Lady Emily in my mind, Priscilla, yes, even though the change in character towards the end of the second novel was a bit eye rolling.
If you just want something to pass the time and not engage the mind, then go ahead and read.
Not quite! Light, whimsical? Yes. Although the novels were stated to be about Lady Emily as the main character, it was definitely not so in the first book. That one was about Hannah, half way through I was wondering if I was reading the wrong book. Even after reading the second book, I had difficulty creating an image of Lady Emily in my mind, Priscilla, yes, even though the change in character towards the end of the second novel was a bit eye rolling.
If you just want something to pass the time and not engage the mind, then go ahead and read.
September 30, 2022
I liked it well enough that I shall download the next set.
3 Stars 🌟🌟🌟
⭐=Bad/Did NOT like it
⭐⭐ = Meh/Didn't care for it
⭐⭐⭐=Good/ I liked it
⭐⭐⭐⭐=Very Good/I really liked it
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐=Excellent/I loved it
3 Stars 🌟🌟🌟
⭐=Bad/Did NOT like it
⭐⭐ = Meh/Didn't care for it
⭐⭐⭐=Good/ I liked it
⭐⭐⭐⭐=Very Good/I really liked it
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐=Excellent/I loved it
June 17, 2025
Usually I can finish a two stars review book, but this irritated me from the start. Hannah's habit of imagining everyone as a portrait started to grate very quickly.
I got to 12% and I lost interest.
It gets a two star as I didn't feel like it was badly written, it just didn't grab me.
I got to 12% and I lost interest.
It gets a two star as I didn't feel like it was badly written, it just didn't grab me.
September 11, 2025
Fun collection!
The Lady Emily Capers is an entertaining collection of stories that draw the reader in to want to help her as she uses her sleuthing skills and creativity to solve a mystery.
The Lady Emily Capers is an entertaining collection of stories that draw the reader in to want to help her as she uses her sleuthing skills and creativity to solve a mystery.
September 3, 2022
Please see individual stories for review.
October 10, 2022
Exceptional story te!ling
These novels were so much fun to read. I loved the clean romance and the plots that unfolded with each character.
These novels were so much fun to read. I loved the clean romance and the plots that unfolded with each character.
June 15, 2025
Fun read. Very enjoyable. Good characters. Nice plot
Highly recommend it.
Highly recommend it.
July 7, 2025
unexpected pleasure
I hadn’t expected much but found these books to be witty and interesting. I do like mystery mixed with romance. So it wasn’t long before I was hooked.
I hadn’t expected much but found these books to be witty and interesting. I do like mystery mixed with romance. So it wasn’t long before I was hooked.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews