A Lady's Revenge

When the Blood Is Up #1

by Edie Cay

Lady Lydia Somerset is an earl’s daughter. At the ripe age of twenty-five, she still wears the lavish gowns and dances the dainty steps of the haute ton as if she were pursuing a husband; but her goals are far more personal. Instead, she pursues her tormenters: the men who bet that taking a girl’s virginity—her virginity—really can cure a brothel’s plague. She has her cousins and sister to aid her, but no one can understand what it feels like to be helpless. Pugilism, England’s manliest pastime, is her only relief. Training in secret with a female boxer keeps her sane, but when her instructor is hired away by one of the men she is seeking to destroy, she is in a bind. Her new teacher, a former prizefighter with a ready joke and a quick wit might do more than just correct her technique.

John Arthur is made of money. A street kid who dazzled with his fists, he now impresses as a miracle worker on the London Stock Exchange. But a man can’t forget a boyhood spent in the gutter. Easy-going and affable, John Arthur knows he shouldn’t tangle with bluebloods. He should be happy with a full belly and coin-filled pockets. But when he meets a woman who finds boxing as vital as he does, his life suddenly gets complicated.

Caught between revenge and finding love with a man who might truly understand her, Lady Lydia must commit to opening her heart or closing it forever.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2020

About the author

Edie Cay writes Feminist Regency Romance. Her debut, A LADY’S REVENGE won the Golden Leaf Best First Book, and the Next Generation Indie Book Award for Romance. The next in her series, THE BOXER AND THE BLACKSMITH won the Hearts Through History Legends Award as an unpublished manuscript in 2019 and was the Discovering Diamonds Book of the Month in May 2021, and won the Best Indie Book Award. Her third book, A LADY'S FINDER, is a finalist for a Lambda Award.
Her fourth book, A VISCOUNT'S VENGEANCE published in March 2023.
She obtained dual BAs in Creative Writing and in Music, and her MFA in Creative Writing from University of Alaska Anchorage. She is a member of The Regency Fiction Writers, the Historical Novel Society, and a founding member of Paper Lantern Writers. Follow her on social media for pictures of the latest baking project with her toddler @authorEdieCay.

Reviews

[Sig! · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical Regency romance novel contains boxing, scandal, strong characters, and the right balance between plot and sex. This isn't your typical potboiler -- it's a deep look at gender, class, sexuality, social convention, and the challenges of stepping outside the role society expects us to play. Highly recommend!

[Jamie Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Confusing Muddle at First

This book had a prologue that took place a while before the first chapter. This is not uncommon in historical romantic fiction or even in contemporary Fiction. And of course, sometimes a prologue isn't very clear about why its events are happening or who everybody is, etc. But this confusion, instead of being resolved rather quickly, which is how I prefer it to go, seemed only to get deeper rather than let up in the first couple of chapters. It's like the author was too afraid of giving away too much, so she gave away too little. Frankly, I couldn't really get past this confusion; as such, I never really could quite enjoy the book. It does have an unusual concept for Regency, although I have seen it once before in the last couple of months, of a female secret pugilist needing to be brutal with her body because others had been with her. But again, I could not really get past what I considered to be the bizarreness and randomness of the prologue and the first couple of chapters. I actually went back to the book description and reread it to see if that would help me get a better sense of what this book was supposed to be about, just so I could have some sort of a framework. That actually did help, but I don't think you should have to read the book description to figure out what the book is about!

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Tissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite its historical accuracy, the fact that back then women used to fight isn’t so widespread yet. I wasn’t aware of that myself, and that’s a shame. ALR is not only a refreshing take on historical fiction, it also taught me something new.

[Keep reading @ Bookshelves & Teacups]

[Anne in VA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uh...I finished and I'm still so confused. What a muddy mess this was. I was intrigued by the beginning, there was potential for this being really good, but everything started falling apart the more I read. I'm actually shocked by all the five-star reviews. The author was so vague about EVERYTHING. Nothing made sense and it seems like we (the reader) pick up at the tail-end of the lady's revenge with very vague explanations of who, what, when, where and why.

Other things were just very odd, as if the author couldn't think of a way to push the story in the direction she wanted that made sense, so didn't even bother to try. For example: at one point John seems to just appear in a room where Lydia is half-dressed and training with no explanation given to her on how he got in the house. We later find out it was her father that escorted him to where she was. Huh? What kind of father in that time period would do that. Another was when men just appear out of the blue for a duel. ZERO explanations given on what the hell that was all about. And why exactly could none of the kids marry??? Ugh...so bizarre. There were a few bits here and there that had potential. Getting a viewpoint of the working class was what hooked me in and John was sweet.

[Lail · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lady's Revenge (When The Blood Is Up Book 1) by Edie Cay
Happiness is the ties that binds the hands of pugilist. A love story♥️ 4.5 Stars!
This historical romance follows strong characters born on opposite sides of society.
Lady Lydia is a very strong woman with a dark secret she can’t bury until she’s had her revenge on the five vile men involved. She was young and helpless when her innocence was taken from her as the prize to the winner of a faro game played by five brothel plagued men of the ton who, wanted to test the claim that to have a virgin would rid them of their disease... She swore she’d never be helpless again and found empowerment in private pugilist lessons that also helped her as an outlet for her anger and ultimately gave her sanity.
John is a prize fighter never missing an opportunity to make money with his fist although, he now has more money than he can spend thanks to his intelligence and hard work rising from the gutter to a prize fighter and into a gifted stock trader. He knows his money alone won’t change his poor upbringing to guarantee his sister an advantageous marriage but, he’s hoping his new student might make a deal that will help them both. Their shared interest and love of the pugilism sport is the tie that binds them on equal and solid ground.
Their romance is a slow-build although they have a strong attraction towards each other they also suffer extreme insecurities and a dark tragic past that would turn the best of men away if he knew about her. The storyline is well written and digs deep into the concept and beliefs that you can only be respectable if your a member of the ton. Yet, this story also brings out the ugly fact that not all of the ton are respectable and do commit heinous crimes that they virtually get away with it due to their status in society. The story is filled with complex characters, an emotional rollercoaster of angst, anger, sweet revenge, personal and social insecurities and bias, and the healing, compassion, understanding, and acceptance found in this unconventional love story.
I really enjoyed and got into the world and history of pugilism! Well done! There was only one thing I wanted to see more of and that was more interaction and relationship building between Lydia and John’s sister. But, I’m sure that relationship will probably be more understood in the next book!
The author is new and this appears to be the authors first published novel! Well done! She’s definitely one to follow and I look forward to the next book! I enjoyed reading this historical tragic to hea love story and recommend it to others who also enjoy some dark and emotional content.
Happy Reading ♥️

Content: Adult, dark content talk of a rape as a child by a pox diseased man (no explicit description).

[Gail C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with characters you want to spend time with, root for, discover more; this is so much more than a simple romance novel. The unconventional nature of some of the characters, their honesty and determination make this a not to be missed book.

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect couple

The fabulously, dreamy heroic hero and the fierce lady have perfect chemistry. The research in this book is meticulous. Highly recommended to readers who love steamy historical romance.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but...

Good but lost a half star for the lack of trigger warnings.


TWs: SA of a child (off page) blood, fighting, attempted SA

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! The cover and the idea of a Regency era lady boxer pulled me in. How the classes mixed with "new money" vs the aristocracy is always interesting to me in historical romance. Content warning: past sexual assault of a child (the backstory of the pact the entire book is based on), physical violence, though it is not gory.

[Elizabeth Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing concept but needed better editing IMO. Felt like the elements had been tossed into a blender and the author transcribed them as they flew out. Starts in medias res with no establishing scene about the pact. I also just don't care for boxing I'm afraid. To be honest, I read this because I'm interested in the blacksmith hero of the second book in the series, and I knew the heroine of that was first introduced here.

[Chloe Liese]

CW: rape of a minor, discussion of STDs, descriptions of blood & fist-fighting.

This came recommended to me because I wanted to read a HistRom that felt outside the box, and on that, this delivered. Mired in the intricacies of pugilism, this was intriguing from that standpoint. Add on that we have a lady boxer, and I was here for it! Where it was a bit more complicated for me was the romantic arc and the heroine's journey to understand that being raped did not make her "broken" as she repeatedly says up until very late in the story. It makes sense for the time in a way but her family is all aware of what happened, supports her boxing and doing what she needs to feel safe and heal, so it rang hollow that this "I'm broken" discussion wouldn't have happened sooner. John was such a likable hero and I was rooting for Lydia, yet I would have valued seeing their chemistry given a bit more air and page time to really spark and catch. There were romantic moments but it teetered on really truly being a romance to me and I wish I'd gotten more from these two (I think this speaks to how well the Ms. Cay wrote them and got me invested in their connection!). There were a lot of names to keep track of in this story and the secondary characters weren't very fleshed out, but I still wanted to know how it turned out and enjoyed the ending.

[M.Marie.S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at the cute bookstore in Columbia State Park earlier this summer in the local authors section. It just seemed so random, a Regency romance with a focus on boxing bringing together the two love interests. And it was a bit random, although it was cool to get that little piece of history. I had no idea there were female boxers back then. Huge trigger warning, though: a huge focus of the story was on the protagonist's revenge quest for being raped as a 10-year-old by a noble, plus there are a lot of lecherous old powerful men sexually harassing young women throughout the story. Perhaps that is just par for the course in Regency romances.

Fans of that genre will probably enjoy this. It is a bit niche.

[Linda Ulleseit · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a romance reader, you will find a superbly strong female lead in this book. You will also find the off-limits but handsome and deserving love interest. What makes A Lady's Revenge such a good read, however, is the little-known historical fact of lady's boxing. The main character, Lady Lydia Somerset is secretly a boxer, which of course is forbidden in her social circle. But she needs the outlet to escape her past even as she plots her revenge. Her new neighbor, John, has money but no pedigree. And he used to be a boxer. Wonderful plot twists, wonderful characters, wonderful resolution.

[Charity Shehtanian · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a breathe of fresh air to read a regency historical romance that doesn't focus on a beautiful woman seeking to escape an arranged marriage to a horrible man and a duke. This book is well researched and introduces elements of that time period that have not addressed in other regency romances I have read. I love the hero that was not born to the aristocracy. Very much looking forward to Edie's next book, The Blacksmith and the Boxer.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that it has been years since I've ready romance as I had grown tired of how formulaic they can be. This book is definitely an exception to that rule in that it breaks a lot of rules, and I love that it addresses so many issues that once were taboo. I really, really enjoyed it, and am looking forward to more in this series! I also highly recommend it.

[Cecilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise was interesting, I enjoyed the inherent criticism of the ton, and I'll probably read the next book, if even just to find out more about John and Lydia's new life. But the Prologue and the first few chapters were confusing to me, and I was very fidgety during reading and couldn't concentrate for longer than 10 minutes, which also hampered my reading enjoyment.

3.5

[The Thirst Amendment · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lady’s Revenge by @authorediecay was basically the gift I’ve always wanted to give myself in a book.

Lydia was raped when she was 10 by people after they bet her virginity in a faro game so that they could be treated for the pox.

Lydia processes her anxiety and trauma through boxing, or pugilism, England’s favorite sport. It’s not known that she practices the sport because she’s a proper lady.

Enter John Arthur, a champion fighter, and an expert at the stock market. He’s rich, he’s strong, he’s good looking — but he comes from the slums and nothing is going to change that. He desperately wants it to change so that his sister can make a good match. This isn’t a feel good rags to riches story - John bumbles through his opportunities to mingle with the aristocrats, with a lot of self loathing and confusion mixed in. John is a real gem of a character, a kindhearted thinker whose optimism really balances out Lydia’s darkness.

Lydia — How I loved her wounded heart and her search for strength, her passion for her sport, and plotting for revenge, her feelings and emotions locked up inside for fear of more pain. Her curiosity about what things would be like without her baggage.

John and Lydia meet by accident. They see each other by accident and find themselves in each other’s orbit. This book has a wistful quality, a palpable yearning pull from both of them toward each other, both knowing it’s really impossible to be together, but stubbornly doing it anyway. They stare at each other from across the room, and lustily daydream about each other. They touch hands and lose focus, and John even agrees to train Lydia to fight even though he’s going to internally combust breathing around her. It’s physical, it’s emotional, but it’s definitely not smutty.

I loved this book. There’s a revenge plot that I don’t want to spoil, and many side characters that help in this endeavor that I found charming.

[Anne M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lady’s Revenge, by Edie Cay

Well, who knew there was Women’s Boxing in Regency England? I sure didn’t. And I didn’t know much about men’s boxing either. The fights were called mills.

A Lady’ Revenge is my first Regency Romance, and what a ride. I could not put this book down, and I did pull a late night read to finish it.
The characters are deep and engaging.

Lady Lydia Somerset, at 25 is still dazzling in her gowns, turning heads at the fine parties she attends. Though pushing the age limit for securing a husband, she has no interest in marriage. Vengeance is her driving force, and she and her sisters and cousin are reaching the pinnacle of their plot to destroy the men who hurt her. Feeling helpless, she found boxing gave her strength and purpose.

John Arthur grew up on the streets, earned a living for he and his beloved sister fighting-Prize fighting. He also applied his wit and intellect to the stock exchange becoming a very wealthy man.
Of course sparks fly as these two spar. John is drawn to her, and she, though tempted, is steadfast in her plot for revenge.

The book is rich in historical details with building tension, sub plots, and the love lives and futures of others.

I imagine Lady Lydia and Mr. Arthur dining and socializing with Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, to great amusement. Pearl Arthur would be cute mingling with the Bennett sisters. Of course, the Lady Catharine De Bourgh would always be glowering in the background.

I enjoyed this book VERY much and look forward to reading The Boxer and the Blacksmith and A Lady Finder. Our lucky day, the author’s other two books in The Blood is Up series.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Curses, I so wanted to like this book, but it was really hard to get through. It spent all its time on excessively long interior monologues about, I dunno, pec muscles, but then stinted where I really needed it: in the explanations of what was actually happening in the real world. Having finished it, I'm still baffled by the mechanics of certain scenes (right in the beginning there's a near-miss with a bolting horse, but even after rereading it multiple times, I can't figure out who was where and how it happened). Also, much of the revenge scheming (ostensibly the underlying plot of the book) was really confusingly laid out. I'm still utterly baffled about the Leighton-Dorchester-James love triangle, if that's what it even was.

The romance plot itself was more stressful than sexy. Whether passion or tempers were flaring, it never felt organic-- it was always basically whatever was the dumbest possible choice for a character to make in that moment.
That said, there was a nice attention to historical detail, and I genuinely liked a few of the characters, so I did manage to hang on til the end (though for the last few chapters I was honestly just speedreading to get through it because I had no more emotional energy left to spare on the idiots in lust).
All in all, I'm going to probably check out the next book in the series just because I appreciate the author's intentions, and hopefully there'll be a little more editorial support for later installments.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONE UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY!!!
Staggering! Edie is kicking ass and taking names, marking off contenders and setting up the next round, blazing this baby together piece by piece seamlessly. Sparks fly as drama, distress, intrigue, turmoil, retribution and soaring suspense, keeps you riveted on a razors edge. Exhibiting impressive, well rounded scenario's, that punch dead center, ramping up the exuberance and adrenaline with such intensity, blasting this baby into a tailspin with such an unbelievable culmination. Bumbling through the trials and tribulations, along with a boatload of shocking twists and stunning turns, testing our characters in ways they could have never anticipated. The attraction and chemistry builds as each layer is peeled back exposing an undeniable connection and amplifying affections, binding them to one another perfectly. The characters are authentic and realistic with depth and qualities that transform into outstanding personalities. The scenes are so abundantly detailed to give you a full understanding and realism that balance out fluidly. Remarkable job Edie, thanks for sharing this little fella with us.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that draws you in from the very beginning. It's not your typical Regency romance and I think that's what makes it such an inspiring and unique read.
Both of the main characters are full of depth and complexity. The story features a strong heroine, Lydia, set on exacting her revenge for being violated at a young age. John is a prize fighter turned stock trader who has risen to the top from a mere street boy, and has more money than he knows what to do with. Their attraction is strong, but the romance itself builds slowly. There is so much turmoil, drama, and intrigue, it kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages until I was finished. I really could not put it down! It's such an exciting and uniquely written story, it really was a refreshing and captivating read. I haven't seen other books by this author, so I think she is new. At least to me, she is. I think she is off to a grand start and I hope to see more of her work soon!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lady’s Revenge is a very exciting regency romance which I loved! Lydia is bent on revenge against the men who assaulted her when she was a girl, along with help from her cousins and sister. In her spare time she hires a trainer for boxing which becomes the only thing keeping her sane. Through the boxing world she meets John Arthur - a man who grew up on the streets, became a prize fighter, and has now made his fortune on the stock exchange. They understand each other and share a love of boxing and start to fall in love. I found this book to be uniquely adventurous among regency romances because of the focus on pugilism. It’s a very well written book and it was a lot of fun to read! Of course it has all the romance, but also has excellent plot twists along the way that will keep you hooked. I highly recommend this book!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an unusually good book! I liked the strength of the main character. This is the story of Lydia, a well-borne young lady that was gang raped as a child but has vowed revenge. With the help of her family she systematically exacted her form of revenge. To do this she has to become stronger and she enlists the aid of Bess to teach her fighting. Her curiosity leads her to John McArthur, a prize-fighter turned businessman. Sparks instantly fly between the two. This book draws you in from the very first conversation. You know something is happening but you can't put it down until you find out what. The only negative aspect to this book was too many unnecessary characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[sherri jones-teachout · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s left after revenge? When she was assaulted at ten years of age in her own home by an uncle and his cronies, Lydia, her sister, and cousins made a pact to get revenge. Until then none of them can get married and find happiness. Now their efforts are almost done. Three down and two to go. But Lydia has met the man next door. John Arthur, a pugilist and stock broker. He likes her and she admires him, but she feels she is broken and when her revenge is complete, while her sister and cousins move on with their life, she will remain a bitter, unmarried woman. But John is not just a fighter in the ring. He will fight for her. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review

[melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A star off for some first book wrinkles (mostly prose related, which is my personal bugabear, but also some pacing) but oh my GOD. DELICIOUS. WELL-RESEARCHED. A prickly, righteously furious heroine who has well-rounded relationships outside of her romantic plot. The kind of hero who is a total dream (he’s strong... but sensitive) and doesn’t get between the heroine and her catharsis. It reminded me of Scarlett Peckham’s writing in all the good ways.

Is Bess a future book heroine??? Pearl????? JAMES?????? MISS FRANKLIN????? I have.... many feelings, and am looking forward to future books by this author. I really don’t understand how this hasn’t been making more of a splash across Romance twitter.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book one in the When The Blood Is Up series a well written story by an Author I have not read before and it looks like this is her first book. I will be looking for more in this series. This is Lady Lydia Somerset and John Arthur a Pugilism teacher that comes into Lydia's life to teach her boxing. I could not put this book down. There is suspense, drama, revenge, twists, turns, boxing, and romance. I did like this sentence “How very unsettling,” John said, whipping off his shirt. “My reputation will be in tatters.” John is saying this to Lydia. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebecca D’Harlingue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm pretty willing to bet that this Regency romance novel is different from the others you've read. While it has the necessary and desired elements of a fascinating and passionate couple, and the obstacles they overcome to finally get together, it has much more. Boxing, and women boxing at that, plays a prominent role in the novel, and not only adds an unexpected historical aspect, but also works to add depth to the two main characters, as their love of pugilism helps them to overcome their inner struggles. I would say that the audience for this novel goes beyond romance readers, and will also be a great read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

[Silvia (roomforbooks)]

DNF @ 26%

This a dark historical romance, the female lead is a victim of rape (off page but vaguely recounted) and up until 26% she kept repeating every other page how broken, sullied and undesirable she is because of that, this line of thought is never challenged and I don’t like it, moreover it clashes badly with the plot: her seeking revenge for those who hurt her, her actively making plans for ruining them. I also feared the author was gonna pull a “no worries, I, macho male lead, will fix you with my penis and make you love yourself again” and so I didn’t want to read something along these lines at all.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical has a bit of a dark side.
This historical has a bit of a dark side to it the issues it addresses show a depth not usually found in a historical romance. It was a refreshing and interesting read. Lydia has a bit of an unconventional side but after what she had to suffer through it was understanding. John is just awesome, great character. If you are looking for something different then this is the one to pick up. I am looking forward to reading more work by Edie Cay. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Lisa H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unusual and compelling.

This book is immediately fast paced and very unique. It tackles issues never touched upon in historicals abd that’s what sets it apart.

Lady Lydia had a terrible thing happen to her on a bet to cure a brothel’s plague (I had many questions about this). She becomes a lady boxer, it was a thing that I knew about through previous research).
I like strong women and I thought Lydia was incredibly well developed and understood.

She’s extracting her revenge (as she should) and meets John, no title, but wealthy and also a boxer.

Highly recommend.