Lady Sophia's Lover

Bow Street Runners #2

by Lisa Kleypas

Why is Lady Sophia looking for a lover?
And could she seduce the most marriageable man in London?

Lady Sophia Sydney would do anything to ensnare the unattainable Sir Ross Cannon. Her goal—to ruin his reputation and cause a scandal that would be the talk of all London. So she insinuates herself into his life by gaining his trust and living in his house.

Every morning, her lush presence tempts him beyond all reason...the way she bends over the table to serve him the meals she has prepared...the way her hands oh, so gently—yet sensuously—brush against him. Every night, she promises with her eyes—and her body— that the hours before dawn could be spent in unbridled passion instead of restless sleep—if only he'd let her share his bed.

She knows he is falling more in love with her each day. But she never counted on falling in love with him. And she never dreamed he might very respectably ask for her hand in marriage...

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

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2002

About the author

LISA KLEYPAS is the RITA award-winning author of 21 novels. Her books are published in fourteen languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our group read for historical romance readathon - SO GOOD!!! And it’s steeaammyyy. Ross is the most protective and adoring hero ever. And I loved Sophia!

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m trying to reread this but I don’t remember Sir Ross being so horny. His entire inner monologue is his horniness for Sophia. This almost forty year old man spends most of this book hiding his erection… I’m going to stop rereading and let this be a five star in my memory lmao!

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was my first lisa kleypas book and i really enjoyed it!!

[J. Chen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh how I hate this book. I gave 1 star for the first 2/3 of the book and 1 star for the fantastic hero. LK has always been so amazing with her male leads and she does not disappoint. We first see a glimpse of Sir Ross in the first Bow Street Runners, Someone to Watch Over Me. Even then I couldn't wait for Ross's story. He is masculine, strong, kind, merciful, quick witted and great in any situation.

Then you have "Lady" Sophia. *bleh*

The first 2/3 of the book she's hell bent on revenge. It's fantastic. She slowly falls in love with this honorable man and realizes she can't hurt him. LK does an amazing job fleshing out her character in a way that Sophia isn't a simple 1 tone vindictive woman.

Then Nick Gentry aka John Sydney (SO TOTALLY OBVIOUS BTW) walks in. And Sophia turns into a blithering idiot. She is everything that Ross is not: weak, stupid, slow and cumbersome. And she solves everything with sex. Yes, I know this is a romance book but seriously, porn much? Rather than communicating her with husband she simply jumps him and forgets everything else.

She allows herself to be blackmailed by her long lost brother. She follows through on his request. She then, WHILE IN THE MIDST OF BETRAYING HER "LOVE", accepts Ross's marriage proposal. Mid sex. Cause she can't keep it in her pants.

She meets her former lover at the wedding and he practically molests her. She cowers in the corner and acts like nothing is wrong. I guess she forgot her husband is a freaking magistrate. He fixes it.

She gets pregnant... and expects Ross to be exhilarated. In fact, she's disappointed that he's not as enthusiastic as she thought he would be. *smacks head* I guess she forgot how his previous wife died. She talks a little to make him feel better.... and yep more sex.

Finally her brother is caught red handed. Seems like he'll be hanged. What does this fantastic Lady Sophia do? Finally tell her husband that Gentry is her brother. Oh and while she's at it, she basically asks him to forget all his morals, all his ideals, everything he stood for and everything he worked towards for the past ten years and please get her brother of of this mess.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HER?! I hate unreasonably stupid characters. I hate it even more when they start out so amazing and all of a sudden, out of the blue, they end up acting like they just got a home made lobotomy.

In fact, I think I'll go get one myself. Maybe then I'll end up liking...or maybe understanding the abomination that is Lady Sophia.

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll make this short and sweet: This book was a pleasure from the first page to the last. As always, Lisa Kleypas gives us amazing characters, exciting yet believable situations and lots and lots of sexual tension, written only the way she can write it – sizzling hot! Who knew antique exercising furniture could be so much… fun?!?

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ross Cannon is yet another of Lisa Kleypas wonderful heroes. He is so honorable and dignified. He has this intelligence and way about him that inspires respect in others. He reminds me of how I think King Arthur must have been. He was mostly celibate for eight years after his wife dies. That's why the way he falls for Sophia is so wonderful. She becomes his obsession and sets his heart on fire. And he does everything to keep her happy and to show his love for her. Sigh. I liked Sophia, and I thought she was a good heroine, but this book is mainly a favorite because of Ross. What a man! I also liked Nick Gentry, who is sort of the villain of this book, but turns out to be a very interesting character that we will see much more of (wink). If you like an older, mature, but intense hero who will steal your heart along with his heroine, you have to read this book.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars – Historical Romance

This is another beautiful, lush, evocative, and passionate romance from amazingly talented author, Lisa Kleypas. I've absolutely loved every single book of hers that I've read and Lady Sophia's Lover is another 5 star LK favorite for my keeper shelf!

Sophia is an endearing heroine, and Bow Street Runner Sir Ross Cannon is such a sexy, gruff alpha hero. He can chase after me anytime! Watching the stoic, disciplined, cynical Bow Street Magistrate being brought back to life (and to his knees!) by Sophia's nurturing, care, and affection was sweet, charming, and utterly romantic. Their relationship was believable and touching, and the love scenes were tender, intense, and very hot!

I just loved it! Big 5 stars!

[Nσҽɱí · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sin duda cinco estrellas!!!!
Este libro es el primero de la lista del #Retointimo de este año, y ya que empecé esta serie me ha venido de lujo que este sea el segundo! Así mato dos pájaros de un tiro! ;)
Sin duda leeré el tercero lo antes posible. Si el primer libro me encantó, este no se queda atrás, me ha encantado la historia de Sir Ross y Sophia.
Como en la historia anterior a medida que iba leyendo ya veía por donde iba los tiros y en este libro me ha pasado igual, pero aún así me ha gustado mucho ese final.
Espero poder cuanto antes leer el siguiente libro y creo que último de esta serie y más sabiendo de quien se trata.
Me ha encantado, no puedo decir nada malo!!!!!!

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Hot Hot Hot Stars

I did the audio version and it was Fantastic! The audio narrator is one of my top favorites for British narrators. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her voice. I love love love her voice transitions. She made the book SUPER enjoyable and I’ll probably stalk which books she narrators. If you are a fan of accents, as I am, then I highly recommend you getting the audio.

I love Lisa Kleypas as do a lot of others and I was kind of concerned reading an old book and although her writing style isn’t the same, I still enjoyed this one a lot. This book was SUPER steamy. I don’t think Lisa Kleypas is known for her steamy reads, sure it has steam, but I would put this one more in the erotica category. It didn’t bother me, but something I noticed.

I really liked the flow of this one, it had some angst, but it had things I liked in a read. The Hero chases after the Heroine. The Heroine has a past with issues, there are other issues that are thrown at the couple and some twists and turns along the way.

Sophia wants revenge and she wants it towards Ross because he’s the guy that put her brother in a horrible prison. Sophia goes to Ross to become one of his assistance. Ross is very hesitant to allow a woman near him. He doesn’t uses ladies and he’s known as a monk.

I like the working relationship between Sophia and Ross. I loved the tension and I loved how Ross was curious about her. What I enjoyed most about the book is that it shifts throughout the book and you never know what you were going to get.

What else could you ask for?

I will now continue with the series.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ross Cannon, the Monk of Bow Street. A Magistrate, a widower, celibate for years. He lives for his work and cannot ever see himself in a relationship, let alone married in the future. But then Sophia Sydney enters his life and turns it upside down.


Once again, I sort of guessed one of the "reveals" but not all of it.

Ross, bless him, was well able to keep up with Sophia ... "up" being the operative word. Lord above, he was no longer done "doing the deed" when he was off again. Jaysus, he could do it four or five times a night. Maybe I should put Himself on a celibacy diet for 4 years and see what happens at the end of it!! LOL.

Ross could not help wondering if she found him attractive. He would soon be forty, and he looked his age.

Off to read the last in the series.

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 2 out of 5]

honest rating: 2.5

i skimmed this one for the historical romance readathon and it was good but it didn't grip me enough to really dive into it and give it a try. I didn't like the almost nonconsensual scene, the big revealing, and the overall story development. it was okay.

[shaira ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favourite lisa kleypas story to date and this is the hill i will choose to die on 😌

considering my exceptionally poor luck with lisa kleypas books in the past, for me to have a favourite by this author?! now i’d have to say that definitely construes as quite the magnanimous feat 🥰

y’all, let’s talk about the way my man ross absolutely (sir)passed the vibe check 😮‍💨

he walked so likes of rhys winterborne and sebastian lord st vincent could runnnnnn 🖐🏽

am i pushing it a little to far on the compliment train? perhaps, just a smidge but it’s all well warranted i can assure you. my man ross cannon deserves all the love and praise and so much more 😌

in retrospect i think if i’d gone back in time and started my lisa kleypas reading journey with this story, perhaps things could have gone waaaayy differently for me. i read five other LK books, and up until this point not a single one (exc. marrying winterborne) has impressed me. i was this close 👌🏽 to giving up. alas with this story, it felt like a whole new kind of lively energy has been breathed into me and along with that, it has awoken (…awaken? 🤷🏽‍♀️) within me, a steadfast determination to push the rest of LK’s backlist back up on my to-read priority list 🥺

also am i just imagining things or does this story somewhat follow a similar formula to the way LK constructed marrying winterborne (re: in the way both heroes from each story are determined to claim their women no matter what it takes and the sort of plot twist/family connection arc)?! of course not in a bad way. in fact, i very much liked it. ross cannon and rhys winterborne are very much alike in the way they unconditionally love and protect and translate all the dominant possessive energy into the more steamier parts of their personal lives 🔥

also look, i love a grumpy broody hero as much as the next person. the way the love interest goes on about wanting to “break through the steely exterior” and not to mention the grumpy hero’s internal monologue featuring thoughts about how crazy they are about the aforementioned love interest when this whole time we (the audience) all thought otherwise. that type of energy in the grumpy hero archetypes is truly unparalleled. and my man ross cannon? he was all of that and so much more 💅

he was grumpy, yet so very tender and understanding at the same time. even after learning sophia’s deep dark secrets, he still remained very rational about everything? am i just setting myself an incredibly low bar in my expectations of men, or this guy just the total package? he’s hot, he’s over six feet tall, he’s financially stable, he’s established a powerful personal and professional branding for himself, he’s responsible, he would absolutely take a bullet for the ones he loves, he treats his mama right, he has excellent bedroom sportsmanship 🥵 and just like the superfruit song 🎵 he’s the picture perfect guy i wish i could synthesise 🎵

in short, sir ross cannon is ✨chefs kiss✨

seriously if anyone gave me reins to a microphone right now i’d totally create my own podcast dedicated to singing endless songs of praise about this man 😮‍💨

and not to mention the sizzling chemistry between ross and sophia right from the very first page. a tension so palpable and potent and good god, i’m pretty sure it made my blood pressure spike through the roof 🔥🔥

i’ll share some lines here to demonstrate exactly what i mean:

1. “What would your response be if your wife betrayed you with someone else?”

It was apparent that the question surprised the magistrate. In one abrupt moment Sophia had turned the conversation into something personal. Sir Ross stared at her steadily, sudden tension causing his shoulder muscles to strain tightly against his coat. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “My wife was not the kind of woman who would have succumbed to that particular temptation. The issue was never a concern for me.”

“What if you married again?” Sophia asked, held prisoner by his vivid silver gaze. “Wouldn’t you worry about your wife’s fidelity?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I would keep her so busy in my bed that she would have neither the time nor the inclination to seek another man’s company.”

The words caused an odd quiver to shoot through Sophia’s belly. It was an admission of nothing less than an all-consuming sexual appetite.

the way that LK used foreshadowing in this scene to show exactly what kind of relationship dynamic existed between these two 🥵

2. His brows lowered in a forbidding scowl. “Go to bed, Miss Sydney.”

Sophia did not flinch. “Not until you do.”

“My bedtime has nothing to do with yours,” he said curtly, “unless you are suggesting that we go to bed together.”

Clearly, the remark was meant to intimidate her into silence.

A reckless reply came to mind, one so bold that she bit her tongue to keep from speaking. And then she thought, Why not? It was time to declare her sexual interest in him… time to advance her plan of seduction one more step.

“All right” she said quickly. “If that is what it takes to make you get the rest you require—so be it.”

His dark face went blank. The lengthy silence that ensued was evidence of how greatly she had surprised him. My God, she thought in a flutter of panic. Now I’ve done it. She could not predict how Sir Ross would respond. Being a gentleman—a notoriously celibate one—he might refuse her proposition. However, there was something in his expression—a flicker in his gray eyes—that made her wonder if he might not accept the impulsive invitation. And if he did, she would have to carry it out and sleep with him. The thought jarred her very soul. This was what she had planned, what she had wanted to achieve, but she was suddenly terrified.

Terrified by the realization of how much she wanted him.

Slowly Sir Ross approached, following as she backed away one step, then another, until her spine was flattened against the door. His alert gaze did not move from her flushed face as he braced his hands on the door, placing them on either side of her head.

“My bedroom or yours?” he asked softly.

Perhaps he expected her to back down, stammer, run away.
Her hands curled into balls of tension. “Which would you prefer?” she parried.

His head tilted as he studied her, his eyes oddly caressing. “My bed is bigger.”

“Oh,” was all she could manage to whisper. Her heart crashed repeatedly against the wall of her chest, pounding the breath from her lungs.

He looked at her as if he could read her every thought and emotion. “However,” he murmured, relenting, “if we retire together, I doubt that either of us would get much rest.”
“P-probably not,” she agreed unsteadily.

“Therefore, I suppose it would be for the best if we adhered to our usual arrangement.”
“Our usual…”

“You go to your bed, and I’ll go to mine.”

to that my dear sweet ross, i say: 🎵 babe, don’t threaten me with a good time 🎵

3. Sir Ross responded with a deep chuckle. “You didn’t interrupt anything. I was ready for Lyttleton to leave a half hour ago, thus your appearance was quite timely. Now, tell me why you are here. I suspect it has something to do with that parcel in your lap.”

“First let me apologize for bothering you. I—”

“Sophia.” He stared at her steadily. “I am always available to you. Always.”

okkk this one was just too cute not to share bc oh how ross loved sophia’s presence. it was his way of saying “i love you” without actually saying the words “i love you”, i just can’t 😭 the way he valued her thoughts and opinions. again referencing what i alluded to earlier about ross being the total package. he really is just the perfect gentlemen 🥺

anyway, enough (for now) about ross *swoon* and now i’ll just get into some parts that sort of bothered me. in the second half of the story, sophia indulged in one too many sob stories to get out of trouble. esp with how she hid the truth about nick gentry being her long lost brother who switched identities with his dead fellow cabin boy and turned to a life of playing robin hood to make ends meet and teetering with a game of cat and mouse featuring his mortal enemy aka ross cannon aka his brother-in-law. this game of miscommunication gave me major anxiety. i just kept thinking, considering ross’ calm and collected response to the revelation of her earlier secret (ie her revenge driven motives behind wanting to work for ross in the first place), couldn’t she have placed a little bit of faith in him with this secret? i get wanting to do everything in one’s power to protect the ones they love and the unspoken loyalty that sort of goes along with it, but to that i ask: what did nick gentry do to earn that unspoken trust? like girl, this person blackmailed you the first chance they got! idk she most definitely could have gone about this whole situation in a different way. but then again, everything still worked out in the end so i’m happy about that?

other that this one small problem, the vibes in this book were ✨immaculate✨ and if you haven’t read anything by lisa kleypas before plz don’t do what i did and go head first into the third book of the wallflower series with no context whatsoever. instead start with this one and you won’t regret it i promise 🥺

[Marta Luján · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una historia muy bonita y sentida.

Me encanta la ambientación de esta serie, Bow Street, por esa mezcla de dos mundos tan antagónicos como son el elegante Londres aristocrático y el sórdido mundillo de los bajos fondos. Ambos tan distintos y, a la vez, tan iguales. Porque hay hombres de honor y sinvergüenzas tanto en un lado como en el otro. Por otro lado, la documentación en cuanto a las fuerzas policiales y todo lo que supuso su creación y mantenimiento para el gobierno inglés, está muy bien llevada.

La historia de amor fluye sin reservas, sin esos tirones que a veces hacen lento el progreso de los personajes. Aquí los protagonistas son maduros y aceptan sus propios sentimientos con naturalidad, a pesar de las circunstancias y por encima de ellas.

El personaje de Ross Cannon me ha fascinado. No pertenece a la nobleza, aunque su familia es adinerada y tiene un apellido que se hace respetar, pero, sobre todo, se ha labrado un nombre en la sociedad, tanto de clase alta como de clase baja. Poco a poco, a través de las páginas, vamos descubriendo el verdadero yo que hay debajo de la fachada de frialdad que lo acompaña, para encontrarnos con un hombre de honor, un auténtico caballero, que no teme manifestar sus sentimientos ni llorar ante el recuerdo de su mujer muerta. Tampoco teme reconocer sus defectos, por lo que es capaz de perdonar los de los demás. En fin, es un hombre que te hace suspirar.

Sophia es una joven con un propósito claro, nacido de su difícil pasado, pero con una capacidad de amor inmensa que se nota en su carácter dulce y en su preocupación por los demás. Las escenas en las que se deja llevar por su preocupación por Ross son, simplemente, encantadoras. No es una persona falsa, y es un pelín atrevida, aunque sin salirse de los cánones de una dama de la época.

Con la maravillosa pluma de Lisa Kleypas, esta pareja llega a conmover y a hacer suspirar por lo bonito que es el amor entre ellos, por la ternura y la intensidad de su pasión. En fin, esta serie me ha conquistado.

[Hannah B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why was revenge seduction so BORING

[Fangirl Musings · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ummmm...is it wrong to literally flip off a novel for sucking so terribly? I mean, insanity is relative, right? No, of course it is; when a novel sucks to the level of All Suckdom, all bets, questions, and straight jackets are entirely out of the question! Put simply, Lisa Kleypas is an awesome writer, but holy damn, one could not tell that fact from the atrocity that is Lady Sophie's Lover. (Fact: The novel's so terrible, I just typed "Sohpie's," rather than "Sophia's" and I can't even care.)



Ironically, the above GIF applies both to the aforementioned title error, and to the novel itself. Aside from the fact that the story was forgettable to warrant a mistaken title, the novel additionally contained so many "I'm-Just-Gonna-Bash-My-Skull-In-Until-Sanity-Returns" elements that I'm almost positive Kleypas utilized a Ghost Writer for this project! Never would there have been a day that I thought Lisa would fail so miserably at writing dynamic, interesting, engaging characters, but oh Me From The Past, how wrong you were, truly! Like genitalia piercings wrong!



Pictured above? THESE CHARACTERS! I don't know what kind of crack Ms. Kleypas was smoking while writing this book, but it was NOT the good kind. Aside from the nails-on-a-chalkboard irritating reality of the underdevelopment of Ross (had to fact-check if that was indeed our hero's name, AND I JUST FINISHED THIS BOOK TEN MINUTES AGO!), the heroine Emma?...No, no...Julie?...No, Sophia! (That guessing-game wasn't a joke, sadly.) This heroine was the very example of a literary blank slate. Justin Bieber's V-jay-jay has more personality and identity than this Sophie-Sophia whatever chick.



(We've only just started, Sansa!) ... Oh, oh, and that's not even touching upon the terribly thin set-up or back-story given to Sophie-what's-her-name! This chick rushes on scene like Rocky Horror, starts off with some laughably thin revenge what-the-serious-hell-is-your-plan-again plot that dissolves instantly, all while our Hero Dude runs around trying to hide his boner over Heroine Chick. Seriously! That is the extent to which I can place any description on our lead! For Hitler's balls' sake, the novel begins with Ross' arousal for said chick! No initial buildup, no character introduction, no exposition! Nothing!



Wow. I really deviated just there. Okay, okay; back on track. Heroine's got zero identity, hero's got zero identity, so what about plot? Hahaha, you're funny, internet, with your hypothetical assumptions. Wrong there too, buddy! This book struggles in every feasible manner to have some form of a story. And, oh, how it fails! This book bombs miserably as a legitimate novel because, one, the plotting time-jumps more than Dr. Who in a Delorean with a flux capacitor, and two, because it contains zero plot! If the romantic elements were well written, with solid build up, believable tension, and fully explored character interactions, I wouldn't bitch so loud. In that case, the emotional elements would have a good exploration, and pay off. But...



Nope! Didn't happen. What so-called plot did exist (haha, you funny!) meandered the frack out of itself! Oh, and if that weren't enough to call this one a major shot in the face, how about the randomly rushed character realizations for NO apparent or logical reasons? Or the exceedingly insulting manner in which the secondary cast of characters felt like set pieces rather than people? Still no? Okay, fine, how about the over utilization of the "tell them, don't show them?" Or, maybe, just maybe, if all that's not enough to make this book an Epic Face Palm, what about the fact that our "hero" not only apparently has a dead wife in the past (the he shows NO genuine emotional realities over!), but who is a hero that turns into Mr. Rapey Guy in a very random-ass scene midway in the novel? You still thinking this book is good? Really? Well!



Yep. That about covers it. I'm honestly amazed that this book survived my reading it, truly. And, yes, okay, it managed to -not- attain DNF status, which is a mark in its favor. The novel felt entirely forced, and had epic-epic issues, but admittedly it did hold my attention like a cat with a laser pointer; I knew it was going to end in disappointment, but I HAD to see where the train wreck was headed. So, if for no other reason, those two facts allow for a two star rating for this novel. And, much like said cat and said laser pointer, there were a few smile-worthy moments throughout, but I'm just thankful that crap is done and over with, like whoa-damn happy. |



Lisa Kleypas, hon, I don't know what happened to you while writing this book, but please endeavor not to let it happen again. Do less of this...



And more of this...

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.70 STARS

Perfunctory and ultimately boring romance whose only distinction is featuring more steam than it’s usual in a LK romance. The whole story reads like a modern workplace romance between a ‘good’ cop and his assistant, and the sheer number of historical inaccuracies in the characters’ behaviours made me roll my eyes several times.
This is a case of 21st century people in period clothing, and I think LK should’ve just written the contemporary romance she obviously had in mind.

Scattered throughout the novel there’s also some very blatant police propaganda/fascination that in our time and age just feels vile. ‘The people of London were still wary of an independent police force like the Bow Street Runners, who amassed a great deal of power and were a law unto themselves‘ well the people of London were right!!!

The heroine literally walks into the hero’s office one day and applies for a job she isn’t qualified for, and in the same instance admits to being an unmarried woman who’s only ever worked as a servant, without any living family, and who’s recently been abandoned by her lover.
The hero doesn’t bat an eyelid at her sob story and, because he has the hots for her, decides to take her on as his assistant/housekeeper. Considering that the novel is set in the 1830s, this premise was so unrealistic as to ruin my suspension of disbelief for the rest of the book.

What ensues is a game of cat and mouse between the skittish, harebrained heroine and the self-righteous, cantankerous hero who behaves like a boar in heat for the entirety of the novel and who, despite his reputed moral superiority, has zero charm and very little empathy.
Tons of sex scenes, very little character depth.
Their relationship is based on mutual lust and convenience, but lacks nuance and any emotional depth whatsoever.
And last but not least, the hero gets rough with and threatens to hit the heroine, by then his wife, in the very last chapter because she disobeyed him. Charming.

Both MCs have these supposedly tragic backstories, but, especially in the heroine’s case, they were so haphazardly drawn that they failed to elicit any emotional response from me. The whole story struck me as artificial and convoluted, with the heroine’s long-lost brother causing mayhem in the second half of the novel cementing this book as soap opera material.

This is an earlier Kleypas from 2002, but considering that some of her books from the 90s are my favorites and feature far more believable characters, I think the main issue lies in the fact that this was essentially a cool idea for a romance that didn’t translate all that well to a historical context.

[Iliada · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I'll be honest with you. Here's the thing. There are two kinds of writers. The ones to whom writing and inspiration come easily and those to whom they don't and they are jealous of the people that belong in the first category. Clearly, Lisa Kleypas falls under the first category, but this isn't the issue here. The issue is that as a reviewer I'm the equivalent of an uninspired writer, those green with envy people that belong in the second category.

Long story short, I don't know what to write about this book right now. The only reason I'm even going to try this is that I loved it too much and I know that a simple rating, even a 5-star one, won't make anyone want to read it.

As I've said before, this is, in my opinion, one of Lisa Kleypas' best moments. I haven't loved all the books she's ever written, but I have loved most of them and when I think about why I keep going back to her books and why they always turn out to be the perfect comfort reads it all comes down to two things.

-Great characterization.

-No two heroes or heroines are ever the same (or even remotely similar).

I believe Lisa Kleypas is a master in that last thing. There are writers like Julie Garwood that write lovely, lovely books, but you've read one and you've read them all. No reading experience is ever the same with Lisa Kleypas. Even her writing style seems to have changed a little through the years.

Anyway, let's go back to this book.

Sophia
There is nothing that particularly stands out about her, but this is not a bad thing. She's an all-around likable and relatable character. Just an ordinary sweet woman, that is strong and hard-working nevertheless. She's been dealt a bad hand in life, but she's not annoying or miserable and she doesn't complain all the time.

Ross
What a man? No, really. What. a. man? We all enjoy our alpha heroes, but, let's face it, there are too many of them. I hereby present you the perfection a beta hero can be. Sir Ross Cannon. You see, he's the guy you want to have in real life. The man you dream about, but you're afraid you'll never find (you're right, you won't). Awwwww, he's so sweet; he's forgiving, understanding and he wears his heart on his sleeve. There's not an indecent bone in his body. And because he's been celibate for three years (he's too decent to sleep with a woman for money and he didn't want to marry again), he's also the most sex crazed hero LK has ever written (which only made me think he's even cuter). Really, he's adorable.

The plot
For a book whose plot is driven by revenge initially, this is surprisingly angst-free. I feel almost like LK is afraid to insert a conflict, small as it may be, in her books. I don't know how I feel about that here. On the one hand, it made me love and appreciate Ross even more, but, on the other hand, I am a reader who appreciates a little angst in her books (a small amount of it mind you!). I don't like BIG misunderstandings that last for too long or that happen one after another and won't let me even catch my breath. But this almost seemed like a wasted opportunity. Why would you even have a plot like this when there is no groveling, no angst, nada? Poor Sophia tried to grovel, she cried and worried about what would happen, but the moment she told Ross he was like "of course I forgive you dear Sophia".

However, Sophia and Ross are so good. They made butterflies appear in my stomach every time they were together. I could feel their attraction growing and turning, first into affection, and then into love.

In any case, this is a great book. Read it for the hero alone if not for anything else.

[Pepa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
Una novela publicada en el 2002 que no ha perdido su frescura. Quizás no estemos ante una de las novelas más trabajadas de esta autora, pero en su momento la recuerdo como toda una revelación.
El monje de Bow Street es un personaje de los míos: frío por fuera y caliente por dentro. Ross es genial y ver la evolución que tiene el personaje a medida que Sophia se va metiendo en su piel es todo un placer.
He disfrutado mucho de la lectura, mucho. Pese a que la autora tiene la tendencia de solucionar todos los conflictos entre ellos con escenas de cama. Es una de las novelas de Kleypas más eróticas. La escena de la silla es memorable… quizás ahora no destaca, pero en su momento, éramos muchas las lectoras que la comentamos.
Sin tener una trama compleja, no faltan aventuras y una pequeña sorpresa. Hay escenas, sobre todo al principio, que me resultan algo forzadas. Pero en su conjunto, es una novela muy recomendable.
Lisa Kleypas ya muestra su conocimiento con pequeños detalles de esos que tanto me gusta encontrar.
Como anécdota, si algún día vais a Bath, en una de las casas que están abiertas al turismo, hay una silla de las que comenta Kleypas 😉

[Chloe Liese · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the first in Kleypas’ Bow Street Runner series and not enjoying it too much I hadn’t planned on reading the next book but I am SO glad I did. This was hot, fast-paced, and an original, engaging plot. I loved it. Highly recommend—just bypass the first in the series and jump right in with the tenacious Lady Sophia and her grumpy, passionate silver fox, Sir Ross Cannon.

[Antonella · Rating 3 out of 5]

there is something about hero of this book
I loved him...

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

July 2025: my first audiobook! I’m glad I chose one I was familiar with, since I spent a fair amount of time mentally arguing with the narrator on how a line of dialogue should be delivered, which didn’t seem to make a bit of difference to her, and by the time I conceded defeat I’d missed part of the narration. In addition, hearing a spicy scene read aloud drops the sexiness of it about 75% and sometimes made me laugh out loud. However, this is a great way to “read” while walking for exercise or doing housework or gardening, so I’ll continue with audiobooks, perhaps either clean romances or crime thrillers. Lady Sophia’s Lover is still 5 stars worth of enjoyment, though, whether in print or audible.

Original Review May 30, 2022:

The first half of this book was a bit slow, but once Sophia abandoned her idiotic and inept plot to exact revenge on Ross, the book hit its stride and the characters started to feel real, they began to communicate, the romance started to click, and the pace picked up. I truly enjoyed when the characters just talked to each other, and the reader got to feel their connection build from interest to attraction to love. While this earlier work of Lisa Kleypas doesn’t have the mastery of the wallflower, Hathaway, or Ravenel series, it’s a good read.

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute MCs, sort of boring plot

I don't know why
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[Océano de libros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophia Sydney tiene un objetivo claro y es vengar la muerte de su hermano John es por ello que se infiltrará en la vida del causante de su desgracia que no es otro que el magistrado y jefe de la policía Ross Cannon. Su objetivo será seducirlo y romper su corazón y acabar con su carrera. Pero su meta no será fácil de alcanzar ya que el frío hombre esconde secretos que la harán cambiar de actitud y empezar a sentir algo por él. Un hombre que se mantiene en celibato desde que su mujer falleció; esa figura fría y autoritaria esconde una pasión desbordante.
Tenía ganas de continuar esta serie sobretodo por saber un poquito más de el monje de Bow Street, Ross Cannon y de nuevo su autora me ha conquistado con esta novela que rezuma pasión e intriga. Pasión porque tanto Sophia como Cannon (sobretodo éste último) son muy pasionales y la química es notable. Su romance se va gestando en un ambiente, en un Londres algo convulso sobretodo con un personaje que nos trae con la mosca detrás de la oreja que no es otro que Nick Gentry un cazarrecompensas bastante arrogante y con mucho desparpajo.
En esta ocasión Lisa Kleypas nos deleita con una novela de lo más completa con su inconfundible estilo narrativo, su ambientación y presentación de la sociedad londinense, sus costumbres…luego una parte para la intriga, ese thriller policial y otra para el romance más pasional que a las devoradoras de este tipo de libros nos encanta.
Sin duda Ross Cannon es uno de mis personajes favoritos porque tiene su parte dura pero también otra de lo más dulce y también ardiente (no os perdáis el capítulo de la silla de montar bastante divertido) y por otra parte Nick Gentry es de esos personajes que te llaman la atención y sin duda ya tendré que leer su historia en la tercera novela de esta serie.
En resumen, creo que esta novela se merece las cinco estrellas porque está completísima no le falta detalle, es entretenida y emocionante.
PD: Y por lo menos su portada (no es que sea fea, me gusta) me sacó una sonrisa, porque ese hombre me recuerda a una mezcla entre Eduardo Noriega y Conde Drácula a punto de morder a la pobre chica, jajaja.

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW

Rating: 4.5/5
POV: 3rd; Dual
Tropes: HR - sometime probably between 1800-1829; Boss/Employee; Age Gap (11 years); Grumpy/Sunshine
Heat Level: 5+/5
Kinks: N/A

Likes:
* I found both MC's to have solid personalities and the banter between them was enjoyable.
* I liked that there was a main focus on their relationship and the bow street/mystery part was a bit on the back burner for this one
* I like that the cover is the dress she gets married in :) (huge pet peeve is when the cover model looks nothing like the character)

Dislikes:
* This was a tad on the instalovey side because of how horny the MMC is so I was hoping for a bit more angst.

Conclusion:
Whew now this one is what I remember of Mrs. K and why I enjoy(ed) her books so much! There's a heavy focus on the romance but we till get some tidbits of other mystery/drama. There's good banter between the MC's, no 3rd act breakup, and they get married within the story not at the very end or even in the prologue.
What I did not remember and was a bit unexpected was just how horny Sir Ross was. I mean it makes sense because he was celibate but my goodness, I was blushing lol (jk). Y'all there's 69ing, edging, and the use of an exercise chair for horny purposes!

Some quotes I enjoyed in the book:

From page 15 (mans obsession was immediate)
"Releasing an explosive breath, Ross went to the chair where Sophia had sat, his fingers coasting over its back and arms. Driven by primal urges, he hunted for any trace of warmth her hands might have left on the wood. He breathed deeply, seeking to absorb a lingering hint of her fragrance."

They're both just utterly horny for one another
"Sophia's gaze locked with his in a moment of searing wonder. The stillness was broken only by their panting breaths. No man had ever looked at Sophia that way, as if he could eat her with his gaze, as if he wanted to possess every inch of her body and every flicker of her soul. She was frightened by the power of her response to him, the unmentionable desires that shocked her."

He loves her <3
"He loved her more than honor, even more than his pride. For a man who had always been so completely self-possessed, the realization was a unpleasant shock."


I would definitely reread this one and only reason it's not 5 ⭐ is I was hoping for slightly more angst.

4.5/5

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I´m not a fan of revenge-driven plots, but I loved this book. LK made me understand Sophia´s motivation and I could feel her struggle when she started falling for Sir Ross.

What made the book for me was the hero, Sir Ross. What can I say about him that hasn´t been said before? I´m in love with him! He was just perfect but not annoyingly perfect, if I´m making any sense. I had some problems with Sophia at first, but she won me over when she gave her revenge plan up for love. In the end, she was exactly what Sir Ross needed - and that was something!

As for the "big surprise" concerning Nick Gentry, I already knew about it before reading the book, so I don´t know if it would´ve come as a big of a shock as it should´ve been. Anyway, it didn´t take away my enjoyment while reading LSL.

[Heidi (can’t retire soon enough)]

DNF... sadly it was boring and I hate when that happens!

[romancelibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread for the 2nd time in 2020:
Rating increased from 4 to 5 stars upon re-reading because what the hell was past me thinking?? This is one of the best Kleypas books EVER!!!!!! It's officially one of my top 3 Kleypas books ever.

Note: Content warning in the spoiler tag at the very end of review.

"There were so many seductive qualities about him: his intelligence, his compassion for vulnerable creatures, the raw need beneath his self-controlled facade."

Lady Sophia's Lover was always one of my favourite Lisa Kleypas books. It was the book I enjoyed and loved the most in the Bow Street Runners trilogy when I read it years ago. Even though I'm not done my re-read of Worth Any Price, I'm 100% sure that Lady Sophia's Lover will remain my favourite in the trilogy. I am fated to love Kleypas's least popular books the most 😂 It baffles the mind that this treasure of a book has the least number of ratings in the trilogy. Everyone who skipped this book is missing out on the delicious sexiness that is Sir Ross 🔥🔥🔥

Oh my goodness where do I even start?? Miss Sophia Sydney is the daughter of a viscount, but circumstances have forced her to work for a living. Sophia blames the head of Bow Street, Sir Ross Cannon, for her brother's untimely death and she wants revenge. Her plan? To infiltrate Bow Street as Sir Ross's new assistant and housekeeper and to uncover information that will undermine her enemy. But that's not enough...she also wants to make Sir Ross, who's famously known as the Monk of Bow Street, fall in love with her and then break his heart. But Sophia's resolve for revenge starts crumbling once she's in close proximity with the celibate widower and she begins to doubt whether someone as honourable and fair-minded as Sir Ross was in fact responsible for her brother's death.

This is a formal plea to Ms. Kleypas: PLEASE WRITE MORE CELIBATE HEROES!!! HOLY MOLY 🔥🔥🔥 SIR ROSS 🔥🔥🔥 Sir Ross used to be in my top 7 Kleypas heroes, but after this re-read, he is now officially my 2nd favourite Kleypas hero!! Gird thy loins because they will be on FIRE when the stoic, stuffy, and seemingly-cold Sir Ross gets undone by Sophia. His insatiability even takes Sophia by surprise! When he flirts with Sophia 🔥🔥🔥 I felt breathless and had some serious heart palpitations 😂 Ross and Sophia's stolen kisses made my heart skip a few beats. I thought the first kiss was 🔥🔥 🔥 but the secret stolen kisses are 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 I got a serious case of BUTTERFLIES. The chemistry is POTENT and the sexual tension is DANGEROUS for my heart!! I probably need to go see a cardiologist now 😂 I love honourable, dependable, and romantic heroes like Sir Ross. And the fact that he's an older man and a celibate widower 🔥🔥🔥 A one-woman kind of man 🔥🔥🔥 Sir Ross is proof that good guys don't finish last!! He waits for his girl to finish a few times first 😏

Did I mention age gap? Sir Ross is a sexy older man, soon approaching 40 while Sophia is 28. The CHEMISTRY. The SEXUAL TENSION. The ROMANCE. The LOVE. The INTRIGUE. It is ROMANCE PERFECTION à la Kleypas. My second reading of this book made me realize that I am officially over reformed rakes. I think I've been over them for a while now, but I just didn't realize it until now.

Content warning: Heroine gets caught in an angry mob and almost gets sexually assaulted. Not graphically described.

P.S. Whatever happened to Ross's cat, Chopper, who is the real head of Bow Street? 😭

P.P.S. The EXERCISE CHAIR gets an honourable mention 🔥🔥🔥

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to love this! The first book was horrible but this one, blew my expectation away!

So, in this one we have a heroine wanting to exact revenge on the hero, by being closer to him and later stabbing him in the back. To be honest, I get why she was hell-bent on this, where she was kept being disappointed by the life she was given and to finally take revenge on someone who took something important away from her, hell yes I was all in for this revenge plot! Somehow along the way, she discovered the hero was not the person she thought to be... and she let go.

My god, how I love Sophia despite her flaws and I love Ross and his endless forgiveness. He was practically a saint in this one. I expected him to blow everything out but no. He grabbed on and grabbed on tight on what he had. He didn't let go. And I appreciate the hell out of this character. He's officially being inducted to my hall of book boyfriend for this!

I also have found that the more I read historical romance, the more attracted I was to the story where the main couple didn't come from a nobility background (you know, she's the daughter of a lord, he was the Duke of something). In fact, a few favourite books I love from LK has this plot (i.e. Dreaming of You, Hello Stranger, Marrying Winterborne). I love it when the characters came from a common working background rather than being handed the title,land and the lordship and so on. If you guys have any recs for me, with the similar background, do recommend!

[Nabilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read on 16/5/22

Bumping this one to 5 stars. Ross is such a dreamboat. I loved the way he loves and trusts Sophia. A possessive hero is usually an a*****e, but Ross is definitely not one of them! The way he trusts Sophia would be in tandem with his role as a Chief Magistrate of Bow Street. He didn't jump to conclusions; he'll get all the facts first. Sophia's no doormat, either. They're a great couple. I anticipate reading this many times in the foreseeable future.

[Marisa Sauco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encantan las historias de esta autora. ❤️
Me gusta cómo maneja la tensión y la relación entre los protagonistas, y cómo consigue sorprenderme con los giros que plantea en cada historia.