What do you think?
Rate this book
Knight Miscellany #4
Lady of Desire
Impetuous Lady Jacinda Knight is the daughter of a scandalous woman. Though society predicts she'll follow in her mother's footsteps, the spirited beauty stands unashamed of her passionate nature. Then one night, in flight from an arranged and loeless marriage, Jacinda finds herself alone on a dangerous street face-to-face with Billy Blade, the notorious leader of a band of thieves. His stolen kisses awaken in her a longing for a man she can never possess.
A handsome scoundrel running from a secret past, Billy Blade has never met a woman like Jacinda—her fiery innocence and blossoming sensuality set his rebel's heart ablaze. Having turned his back on the privilege of his tyrannical father's house years before, he vows to return to reclaim his title, Earl of Rackford—to win the love of the ravishing beauty who has stolen his heart.
A handsome scoundrel running from a secret past, Billy Blade has never met a woman like Jacinda—her fiery innocence and blossoming sensuality set his rebel's heart ablaze. Having turned his back on the privilege of his tyrannical father's house years before, he vows to return to reclaim his title, Earl of Rackford—to win the love of the ravishing beauty who has stolen his heart.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
127 people are currently reading
2164 people want to read
About the author
Gaelen Foley
44 books1,894 followersGaelen Foley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of twenty historical romances set in the glittering world of Regency England. Her books are available in sixteen languages and have won numerous genre awards, such as the Bookseller's Best, the NJRW Golden Leaf (three times), the CRW Award of Excellence, the National Reader's Choice Award, the Beacon, and the Holt Medallion.
A Pennsylvania native, Gaelen holds a B.A. in English literature with a minor in Philosophy from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia, a quaint lakeside village where Mark Twain once owned a home. It was here, while studying the Romantic poets, such as Wordsworth, Byron, and Keats that she first fell in love with the Regency period in which her novels are set. Gaelen lives in western Pennsylvania with her college-sweetheart husband, Eric, a schoolteacher, with whom she co-writes middle grade fantasy adventure novels under the pen-name, E.G. Foley. (See www.EGFoley.com.) She is hard at work on her next book.
A Pennsylvania native, Gaelen holds a B.A. in English literature with a minor in Philosophy from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia, a quaint lakeside village where Mark Twain once owned a home. It was here, while studying the Romantic poets, such as Wordsworth, Byron, and Keats that she first fell in love with the Regency period in which her novels are set. Gaelen lives in western Pennsylvania with her college-sweetheart husband, Eric, a schoolteacher, with whom she co-writes middle grade fantasy adventure novels under the pen-name, E.G. Foley. (See www.EGFoley.com.) She is hard at work on her next book.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
January 8, 2015
5+ stars – Historical/Regency Romance
WOW! I loved, loved, loved this!
I was deeply saddened over the ending of Lisa Kleypas’s Hathaways series, but luckily Gaelen Foley’s wonderful Knight Miscellany have been the perfect antidote to my state of mourning. I’ve loved every book in this captivating series so far: sentimental favorite and heartrending fairytale of Robert “Hawk” Knight, Duke of Hawkscliffe and beauty Bel in The Duke, enigmatic and seductive spy Lucien and innocent Alice in the intense, thrilling, sensual Lord of Fire, and the achingly passionate romance between proud, aloof, paragon war hero Damien, who’s haunted by violent memories and suffering from PTSD, and young, brave, free spirited Miranda in Lord of Ice. And this fourth installment, Lady of Desire, is another enchanting, lusciously beautiful love story that nearly surpasses with The Duke for my favorite of the series so far. Although honestly, they’re all amazing, big 5-star reads, for me!
Lady Jacinda Knight, the youngest and only female of the six Knight siblings, is tired of having her life controlled and plotted by her well-meaning, yet domineering older brothers and society’s rules and expectations. The ton anticipates that she’ll eventually succumb to the same nefarious, lusty ways and scandalous reputation as her late, infamous mother, the “Hawkscliffe Harlot”, but spirited Jacinda is proud of her mother’s feminist legacy and yearns for the freedom she indulged in, vowing never to let any many control her again. While running away from an arranged marriage, a series of mishaps finds her alone in an alley, smack in the middle of the most violent area of the rookery, at the mercy of a dangerous, yet beguiling gang leader, the notorious thief and scoundrel, Billy Blade.
For Billy Blade, king of a band of thieves who’s hiding from a secret, painful past and trying in his own rebel’s way to bring justice to people living in the rookeries, pretty, angelic, feisty spitfire Jacinda represents everything he’s lost and longed for in his cold, lonely, vicious world: innocence, beauty, and hope.
Billy may very well be a depraved criminal, but Jacinda can’t help feeling attracted to his rebellious, devilishly charming nature or resist his sinfully sexy appeal and wickedly hot tattoos. Good heavens, maybe her brothers had cause to worry after all and the ton reason to speculate and gossip because piratish-rogue Billy sure rouses Jacinda’s inner wanton! And her strong will and naïve, burgeoning sensuality steals his battered thief’s heart.
When the reality of their vastly opposing social stations in life tears them apart, will rebel Billy Blade face his past and claim his rightful title, Earl of Rackford, from his abusive father to fight for love and a future with the beautiful girl who’s enchanted his mind, warmed and claimed his heart, and awakened his soul?
Billy Blade is one of the sexiest, most charming, and lovable romantic heroes...ever! I absolutely adored him! Seriously, there just aren’t enough words to convey how delicious and amazing he is, but he’s definitely made my list of all-time favorite, swoon-inducing, and husband-worthy heroes. I loved his flirtatious, sweet, gentle, caring, loyal, chivalrous, giving, tender, yet slightly wicked ways, and his past suffering and wounded, boyish vulnerability made me want to throw my arms around him, squeeze tight in fierce protectiveness, and just never let go. And of course, his sexy tattoos and generosity and skills as a lover sure don’t hurt his appeal, either!
Although I got frustrated at times with Jacinda’s hesitancy and taking Billy/Lord Rackford for granted, once she finally came to her senses, she gave herself completely, and I admired her caring devotion and lioness-like protectiveness of him.
Lady of Desire is a delightful, engaging, affecting romance with a charismatic scoundrel, rebel, thief hero who’s utterly, irrevocably stolen my heart, but alas, I’ve conceded to let Lady Jacinda be with my Billy-boy, as long as she continues to take good care of him! Big 5 stars!
Here are a couple of my favorite passages:
She likes me. The shock of it sent a jolt of wild joy through him that stole his breath and robbed him momentarily of his common sense. He, Blade, who stared down cutthroat thugs in the meanest streets of the city, who laughed at death and snapped his fingers in the hangman’s face, found himself nervous and jumpy in the presence of a pretty girl. How utterly stupid. He felt like an ass. He didn’t care
“Papa wants you to marry some decrepit old wigsby?” She gave him a charmingly rueful smile, all tousled golden curls like some angel who had rolled off a cloud in her sleep, he thought, and had fallen to earth with a thud. “Something like that,” she said in vague amusement. “I see. Well, surely we can find a solution.” He snapped his fingers and gave her a grin. “Shall I ruin you? That should solve your problem. The old wigsby won’t want you if you’re used goods, and I assure you, I’d be happy to oblige.”
Here’s my order of favorites in the series, so far:
Books:
1. The Duke & 2. Lady of Desire (tie)
3. Lord of Ice
4. Lord of Fire
Heroes:
1. William Albright, Earl of Rackford; aka “Billy Blade”
2. Robert “Hawk” Knight, Duke of Hawkscliffe
3. Lucien Knight & Damien Knight (tie)
Heroines:
1. Belinda “Bel” Hamilton
2. Lady Jacinda Knight
3. Miranda FitzHubert
4. Alice Montague
WOW! I loved, loved, loved this!
I was deeply saddened over the ending of Lisa Kleypas’s Hathaways series, but luckily Gaelen Foley’s wonderful Knight Miscellany have been the perfect antidote to my state of mourning. I’ve loved every book in this captivating series so far: sentimental favorite and heartrending fairytale of Robert “Hawk” Knight, Duke of Hawkscliffe and beauty Bel in The Duke, enigmatic and seductive spy Lucien and innocent Alice in the intense, thrilling, sensual Lord of Fire, and the achingly passionate romance between proud, aloof, paragon war hero Damien, who’s haunted by violent memories and suffering from PTSD, and young, brave, free spirited Miranda in Lord of Ice. And this fourth installment, Lady of Desire, is another enchanting, lusciously beautiful love story that nearly surpasses with The Duke for my favorite of the series so far. Although honestly, they’re all amazing, big 5-star reads, for me!
Lady Jacinda Knight, the youngest and only female of the six Knight siblings, is tired of having her life controlled and plotted by her well-meaning, yet domineering older brothers and society’s rules and expectations. The ton anticipates that she’ll eventually succumb to the same nefarious, lusty ways and scandalous reputation as her late, infamous mother, the “Hawkscliffe Harlot”, but spirited Jacinda is proud of her mother’s feminist legacy and yearns for the freedom she indulged in, vowing never to let any many control her again. While running away from an arranged marriage, a series of mishaps finds her alone in an alley, smack in the middle of the most violent area of the rookery, at the mercy of a dangerous, yet beguiling gang leader, the notorious thief and scoundrel, Billy Blade.
For Billy Blade, king of a band of thieves who’s hiding from a secret, painful past and trying in his own rebel’s way to bring justice to people living in the rookeries, pretty, angelic, feisty spitfire Jacinda represents everything he’s lost and longed for in his cold, lonely, vicious world: innocence, beauty, and hope.
Billy may very well be a depraved criminal, but Jacinda can’t help feeling attracted to his rebellious, devilishly charming nature or resist his sinfully sexy appeal and wickedly hot tattoos. Good heavens, maybe her brothers had cause to worry after all and the ton reason to speculate and gossip because piratish-rogue Billy sure rouses Jacinda’s inner wanton! And her strong will and naïve, burgeoning sensuality steals his battered thief’s heart.
When the reality of their vastly opposing social stations in life tears them apart, will rebel Billy Blade face his past and claim his rightful title, Earl of Rackford, from his abusive father to fight for love and a future with the beautiful girl who’s enchanted his mind, warmed and claimed his heart, and awakened his soul?
Billy Blade is one of the sexiest, most charming, and lovable romantic heroes...ever! I absolutely adored him! Seriously, there just aren’t enough words to convey how delicious and amazing he is, but he’s definitely made my list of all-time favorite, swoon-inducing, and husband-worthy heroes. I loved his flirtatious, sweet, gentle, caring, loyal, chivalrous, giving, tender, yet slightly wicked ways, and his past suffering and wounded, boyish vulnerability made me want to throw my arms around him, squeeze tight in fierce protectiveness, and just never let go. And of course, his sexy tattoos and generosity and skills as a lover sure don’t hurt his appeal, either!
Although I got frustrated at times with Jacinda’s hesitancy and taking Billy/Lord Rackford for granted, once she finally came to her senses, she gave herself completely, and I admired her caring devotion and lioness-like protectiveness of him.
Lady of Desire is a delightful, engaging, affecting romance with a charismatic scoundrel, rebel, thief hero who’s utterly, irrevocably stolen my heart, but alas, I’ve conceded to let Lady Jacinda be with my Billy-boy, as long as she continues to take good care of him! Big 5 stars!
Here are a couple of my favorite passages:
She likes me. The shock of it sent a jolt of wild joy through him that stole his breath and robbed him momentarily of his common sense. He, Blade, who stared down cutthroat thugs in the meanest streets of the city, who laughed at death and snapped his fingers in the hangman’s face, found himself nervous and jumpy in the presence of a pretty girl. How utterly stupid. He felt like an ass. He didn’t care
“Papa wants you to marry some decrepit old wigsby?” She gave him a charmingly rueful smile, all tousled golden curls like some angel who had rolled off a cloud in her sleep, he thought, and had fallen to earth with a thud. “Something like that,” she said in vague amusement. “I see. Well, surely we can find a solution.” He snapped his fingers and gave her a grin. “Shall I ruin you? That should solve your problem. The old wigsby won’t want you if you’re used goods, and I assure you, I’d be happy to oblige.”
Here’s my order of favorites in the series, so far:
Books:
1. The Duke & 2. Lady of Desire (tie)
3. Lord of Ice
4. Lord of Fire
Heroes:
1. William Albright, Earl of Rackford; aka “Billy Blade”
2. Robert “Hawk” Knight, Duke of Hawkscliffe
3. Lucien Knight & Damien Knight (tie)
Heroines:
1. Belinda “Bel” Hamilton
2. Lady Jacinda Knight
3. Miranda FitzHubert
4. Alice Montague
March 20, 2018
De lo que va la serie este es mi segundo favorito Billy me encantó, tal vez porque le di un descanso de algunas semanas no sé pero me luego me enganchó. Todavía el de Robert sigue siendo mi favorito.
Jacinda a pesar de todas sus locuras y su resistencia a Billy al final terminó gustándome y entendió que lo que su mamá hizo no estuvo bien porque nunca fue feliz y terminó pagando caro.
Billy y ella sacaban chispas, pero sobre todo me gustó que en su cortejo fue dándose una amistad y se convirtieron en mejores amigos la verdad es que fue muy bonito. Billy me daba ternura y sobre todo me daba tanta penita por lo que le pasó de niño y a causa de eso tuvo que sobrevivir en la calle y en los suburbios llegándose a convertir en el líder de un grupo delictivo pero a pesar de todo siempre con sus buenos ideales y su sentido de la justicia.
Bueno pues ya le seguiré con el de Lizzie que es una lástima que su pareja no vaya a ser Alec.
Jacinda a pesar de todas sus locuras y su resistencia a Billy al final terminó gustándome y entendió que lo que su mamá hizo no estuvo bien porque nunca fue feliz y terminó pagando caro.
Billy y ella sacaban chispas, pero sobre todo me gustó que en su cortejo fue dándose una amistad y se convirtieron en mejores amigos la verdad es que fue muy bonito. Billy me daba ternura y sobre todo me daba tanta penita por lo que le pasó de niño y a causa de eso tuvo que sobrevivir en la calle y en los suburbios llegándose a convertir en el líder de un grupo delictivo pero a pesar de todo siempre con sus buenos ideales y su sentido de la justicia.
Bueno pues ya le seguiré con el de Lizzie que es una lástima que su pareja no vaya a ser Alec.
May 3, 2021
Reviewed for THC Reviews
With Lady of Desire, Gaelen Foley has racked up another solid story in the Knight Miscellany series. From what I can tell so far, Ms. Foley seems to be an author who is consistently good. Her attention to history and details really help to bring her stories vividly to life. I really enjoy her exploration of topics outside the social aspects of the ton, which deftly bring to life the more realistic side of life in that era. Her descriptions of life in the rookery and some of the social and political issues of the time give voice to a different segment of the population, as well as a stark reminder that unfortunately some things never really change. However, in spite of my appreciation for the author's strong writing style, I found the storytelling in Lady of Desire was not quite as much to my liking as its predecessors in the series. The story got off to an explosive start, but then seemed to loose some steam especially through the middle, and while the ending satisfactorily wrapped everything up, I felt that it was a little too simplistic. I realize that when a person believes that death is imminent, they can do some rather unusual and extraordinary things, but ultimately, Billy's ready forgiveness of his father for a lifetime of hurt and abuse, just didn't quite ring true to me. Billy had felt thoroughly unloved and unlovable all his life, and to have just a few words be able to erase all that, was a bit too easy in my opinion. I did like Billy's realization that even the bad things in life can bring about good if we let them, but again, I felt like his revelation came about a bit too quickly with no real introspection to show how he came to that conclusion. I was also a little disappointed that Lady of Desire, like it's predecessor, Lord of Ice, was somewhat light on the actual romance. There were just so many things going on in the story that I thought the plot itself in many ways overshadowed the relationship development. At times it felt like a historical novel with romance in it rather than just a romance, but readers who have a preference for that sort of thing should really enjoy this book.
I had been extremely intrigued by Billy when he made his first appearance in Lord of Ice. For a thief lord, he was very charming with an air of danger about him that was very appealing. I was immediately certain that he would play a significant role in a future book(s) and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that he would be the hero of this story. I loved Billy's early scenes with Jacinda in the rookery. I was instantly mesmerized by his scrumptious bad boy looks and persona as well as his Robin Hood style of robbing the rich to give to the poor, but when he took up his rightful title as Lord Rackford, I felt like he changed a little too much, loosing that aura of mystery and danger. At one point, Jacinda muses about how she has truly made a gentleman out of Billy, but it was a pity because she “rather liked him as a heathen,” which is exactly how I felt. I did enjoy the scenes where he sneaks back to the rookery though. His sly, cunning scheme to exact revenge on his former gang rivals had me grinning from ear to ear. Typically I would feel a great deal of sympathy for a hero with a past as tortured as Billy's, and although I did to some degree, it wasn't as strong as with some other characters of this type that I've read. I think this was because Billy was an extremely intense alpha who rarely allowed himself to be vulnerable. Even in those infrequent moments when he let his guard down a little, I couldn't help but feel that he was still holding something back. I suppose this was understandable given his past abuse and harsh life in the rookery, but in the end, not wholly satisfying to me. All in all, Billy was a very interesting hero, just not my favorite kind, but again readers who enjoy this type of character should really like Billy.
Jacinda was a strong heroine who was a cross between a sweetheart and a spitfire, but many times I felt like her character was rather uneven. I really liked the gentleness and intuitiveness that she exhibited with Billy in various ways throughout the book, and I was also impressed that, unlike her brothers, she never seemed to be overly bothered by her mother's scandalous exploits in life. In fact, although Jacinda was determined not to cheat on her future husband, she otherwise embraced her mother's legacy, but often her own desire for love and passion made her afraid of becoming like her mother. Being the youngest and only daughter in the Knight clan, with all of society including her brothers watching her every move and expecting her to make the same mistakes that her mother did, I could understand Jacinda feeling trapped and wanting her freedom. What bothered me though, was the way she tried to go about getting it. She had blown off a potential marriage to Ian Prescott, a very nice family friend, because she knew there would be no real affection between them besides brotherly love. Yet she was eager to gain a marriage proposal from another man she didn't love and who was more than three times her age. This was all in the hopes that he would die quickly, giving her the freedom she craved, which all seemed a little callous and a bit contradictory to other parts of her personality, especially when she continued this reckless pursuit even after her feelings for Billy had become readily apparent. Luckily she came to her senses before it was too late, but all the pulling away that was going on from both character's perspectives made it a little difficult for me to get a good grasp on their relationship and feelings for one another.
One thing that I have really enjoyed about Gaelen Foley's writing so far is that she pulls together a full complement of secondary characters with heroes and heroines from both previous and future books in the series appearing in nearly every one, and oftentimes their role is more significant than a simple cameo. Robert and Bel, Lucien and Alice, and Damien and Miranda from the first three books all played a part in Lady of Desire, with Lucien in particular being fairly important since Billy had been one of his underworld contacts. Also Lizzie and Alec had pretty substantial roles, and although I was a bit saddened to see their affections for one another dashed, I already knew they were not going to be a couple since each has their own future story. In fact, the bookish Lizzie becomes the heroine of the next book in the series, Devil Takes a Bride. The only Knight sibling who doesn't show up is Jack, who is still “missing in action.” Lady of Desire is preceded in the Knight Miscellany series by The Duke, Lord of Fire, and Lord of Ice and is followed by Devil Takes a Bride, One Night of Sin and His Wicked Kiss. Even though I had a few issues with Lady of Desire, it will not stop me from continuing the series. Gaelen Foley just seems to be one of those authors that even when her work isn't quite spot-on for me, it is still infinitely readable and better than some other authors on their very best days.
Update: While working on a re-read of the Knight Miscellany series, I considered skipping Lady of Desire since it hadn't been one of my favorites the first time around. Boy, am I glad I didn't, because this is one of those rare occasions when I completed a re-read and ended up with a completely different opinion of the story and characters. I totally fell for Billy this time around, because I saw all the vulnerabilites in him, not to mention just how loving and giving he is toward Jacinda. For some reason, he didn't come off seeming nearly as intensely alpha as he did the first time. While Jacinda does hatch her scheme to catch the elderly Lord Drummond, I found myself understanding her reasons better and it was abundantly clear that she was still very much invested in Billy and simply afraid of becoming her mother. I also liked how sweet, kind, and supportive she was toward him. I loved these two together and didn't notice any slow parts this time. I maybe would have liked to see Billy's father pay for abusing him, but realistically an aristocrat of that era would likely have never been taken to task for what he did. Having Billy make peace with his father on his death bed was an equally valid way to have the story play out, because it gave Billy some much-needed closure on the past. I honestly don't know why I viewed this story so differently the first time I read it (maybe I was having a bad week:-)), but I very much enjoyed re-reading it and saw so much more in it this time around. With that being the case, I'm raising the rating to five stars, because I now genuinely feel that it is indeed on par with the first three books of the series.
With Lady of Desire, Gaelen Foley has racked up another solid story in the Knight Miscellany series. From what I can tell so far, Ms. Foley seems to be an author who is consistently good. Her attention to history and details really help to bring her stories vividly to life. I really enjoy her exploration of topics outside the social aspects of the ton, which deftly bring to life the more realistic side of life in that era. Her descriptions of life in the rookery and some of the social and political issues of the time give voice to a different segment of the population, as well as a stark reminder that unfortunately some things never really change. However, in spite of my appreciation for the author's strong writing style, I found the storytelling in Lady of Desire was not quite as much to my liking as its predecessors in the series. The story got off to an explosive start, but then seemed to loose some steam especially through the middle, and while the ending satisfactorily wrapped everything up, I felt that it was a little too simplistic. I realize that when a person believes that death is imminent, they can do some rather unusual and extraordinary things, but ultimately, Billy's ready forgiveness of his father for a lifetime of hurt and abuse, just didn't quite ring true to me. Billy had felt thoroughly unloved and unlovable all his life, and to have just a few words be able to erase all that, was a bit too easy in my opinion. I did like Billy's realization that even the bad things in life can bring about good if we let them, but again, I felt like his revelation came about a bit too quickly with no real introspection to show how he came to that conclusion. I was also a little disappointed that Lady of Desire, like it's predecessor, Lord of Ice, was somewhat light on the actual romance. There were just so many things going on in the story that I thought the plot itself in many ways overshadowed the relationship development. At times it felt like a historical novel with romance in it rather than just a romance, but readers who have a preference for that sort of thing should really enjoy this book.
I had been extremely intrigued by Billy when he made his first appearance in Lord of Ice. For a thief lord, he was very charming with an air of danger about him that was very appealing. I was immediately certain that he would play a significant role in a future book(s) and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that he would be the hero of this story. I loved Billy's early scenes with Jacinda in the rookery. I was instantly mesmerized by his scrumptious bad boy looks and persona as well as his Robin Hood style of robbing the rich to give to the poor, but when he took up his rightful title as Lord Rackford, I felt like he changed a little too much, loosing that aura of mystery and danger. At one point, Jacinda muses about how she has truly made a gentleman out of Billy, but it was a pity because she “rather liked him as a heathen,” which is exactly how I felt. I did enjoy the scenes where he sneaks back to the rookery though. His sly, cunning scheme to exact revenge on his former gang rivals had me grinning from ear to ear. Typically I would feel a great deal of sympathy for a hero with a past as tortured as Billy's, and although I did to some degree, it wasn't as strong as with some other characters of this type that I've read. I think this was because Billy was an extremely intense alpha who rarely allowed himself to be vulnerable. Even in those infrequent moments when he let his guard down a little, I couldn't help but feel that he was still holding something back. I suppose this was understandable given his past abuse and harsh life in the rookery, but in the end, not wholly satisfying to me. All in all, Billy was a very interesting hero, just not my favorite kind, but again readers who enjoy this type of character should really like Billy.
Jacinda was a strong heroine who was a cross between a sweetheart and a spitfire, but many times I felt like her character was rather uneven. I really liked the gentleness and intuitiveness that she exhibited with Billy in various ways throughout the book, and I was also impressed that, unlike her brothers, she never seemed to be overly bothered by her mother's scandalous exploits in life. In fact, although Jacinda was determined not to cheat on her future husband, she otherwise embraced her mother's legacy, but often her own desire for love and passion made her afraid of becoming like her mother. Being the youngest and only daughter in the Knight clan, with all of society including her brothers watching her every move and expecting her to make the same mistakes that her mother did, I could understand Jacinda feeling trapped and wanting her freedom. What bothered me though, was the way she tried to go about getting it. She had blown off a potential marriage to Ian Prescott, a very nice family friend, because she knew there would be no real affection between them besides brotherly love. Yet she was eager to gain a marriage proposal from another man she didn't love and who was more than three times her age. This was all in the hopes that he would die quickly, giving her the freedom she craved, which all seemed a little callous and a bit contradictory to other parts of her personality, especially when she continued this reckless pursuit even after her feelings for Billy had become readily apparent. Luckily she came to her senses before it was too late, but all the pulling away that was going on from both character's perspectives made it a little difficult for me to get a good grasp on their relationship and feelings for one another.
One thing that I have really enjoyed about Gaelen Foley's writing so far is that she pulls together a full complement of secondary characters with heroes and heroines from both previous and future books in the series appearing in nearly every one, and oftentimes their role is more significant than a simple cameo. Robert and Bel, Lucien and Alice, and Damien and Miranda from the first three books all played a part in Lady of Desire, with Lucien in particular being fairly important since Billy had been one of his underworld contacts. Also Lizzie and Alec had pretty substantial roles, and although I was a bit saddened to see their affections for one another dashed, I already knew they were not going to be a couple since each has their own future story. In fact, the bookish Lizzie becomes the heroine of the next book in the series, Devil Takes a Bride. The only Knight sibling who doesn't show up is Jack, who is still “missing in action.” Lady of Desire is preceded in the Knight Miscellany series by The Duke, Lord of Fire, and Lord of Ice and is followed by Devil Takes a Bride, One Night of Sin and His Wicked Kiss. Even though I had a few issues with Lady of Desire, it will not stop me from continuing the series. Gaelen Foley just seems to be one of those authors that even when her work isn't quite spot-on for me, it is still infinitely readable and better than some other authors on their very best days.
Update: While working on a re-read of the Knight Miscellany series, I considered skipping Lady of Desire since it hadn't been one of my favorites the first time around. Boy, am I glad I didn't, because this is one of those rare occasions when I completed a re-read and ended up with a completely different opinion of the story and characters. I totally fell for Billy this time around, because I saw all the vulnerabilites in him, not to mention just how loving and giving he is toward Jacinda. For some reason, he didn't come off seeming nearly as intensely alpha as he did the first time. While Jacinda does hatch her scheme to catch the elderly Lord Drummond, I found myself understanding her reasons better and it was abundantly clear that she was still very much invested in Billy and simply afraid of becoming her mother. I also liked how sweet, kind, and supportive she was toward him. I loved these two together and didn't notice any slow parts this time. I maybe would have liked to see Billy's father pay for abusing him, but realistically an aristocrat of that era would likely have never been taken to task for what he did. Having Billy make peace with his father on his death bed was an equally valid way to have the story play out, because it gave Billy some much-needed closure on the past. I honestly don't know why I viewed this story so differently the first time I read it (maybe I was having a bad week:-)), but I very much enjoyed re-reading it and saw so much more in it this time around. With that being the case, I'm raising the rating to five stars, because I now genuinely feel that it is indeed on par with the first three books of the series.
February 7, 2017
Nuestra reseña en A la cama con... un libro
Pues resulta que me ha encantado y ni me lo esperaba!
Pues resulta que me ha encantado y ni me lo esperaba!
December 10, 2025
Read: 12/10/25
Setting: Regency England
Trope: class difference
plot: Lady Jacinda is running away and ends up in the middle of a turf war. She is saved by Billy the Blade. These two have a strong connection right away, but that's soon destroyed when Billy discovers who her brothers are. He promptly returns an angry Jacinda home.
Billy is not what he seems. He was born the 2nd son of a Marquess. His father was abusive and one night after a horrific beating, Billy ran away from home at the age of 13. He rose up to be the leader of a gang. Later, when Billy is busted, he is forced to reveal his identity to save his friends. Now, he has to return to his abusive, drunken father and the world he escaped from. One positive is that he can now court Jacinda. She is all that matters to him. Can she learn to love him? Can anyone?
Jacinda is determined to live a free life and she trust no man. She has decided that her 70 year old neighbor will be perfect. A good companion that will leave her alone 🙄. Still, she is going to help Billy, now William (Thank God!), navigate through the ton. What she doesn't know is that Billy is determined to marry her and has already gotten the approval of her brothers. Slowly, a friendship develops with their attraction. So, will Jacinda realize what's in front of her before it's too late?
liked:
1. Billy was the perfect, tragic hero, who just needs to be loved! 🥰 I admired his strength and perserverance. He didn't let his circumstances change his charming personality and heart. He's a great example of a character having outward bravado, but quietly suffering from a dangerous lack of self-esteem.
2. This book is well written and had well developed characters.
disliked:
1. Jacinda was immature, entitled, and spoiled. It's hard to like her. She doesn't do anything bad. That's my problem! she doesn't really do anything. Billy does all the work in the relationship and she does nothing to prove her love or devotion. It's was all about her spoiled a** and there is not much character growth on her part.
2. The romance was just okay. I thought Billy was too good for her. This couple was a mismatch.
Conclusion: I went into this book dreading it and unfortunately it lived up to my expectations. The book wasn't bad per se, but it's definitely the weakest in the series, next to Alex's story. Most of the blame goes to Jacinda. She's not a strong h.
Setting: Regency England
Trope: class difference
plot: Lady Jacinda is running away and ends up in the middle of a turf war. She is saved by Billy the Blade. These two have a strong connection right away, but that's soon destroyed when Billy discovers who her brothers are. He promptly returns an angry Jacinda home.
Billy is not what he seems. He was born the 2nd son of a Marquess. His father was abusive and one night after a horrific beating, Billy ran away from home at the age of 13. He rose up to be the leader of a gang. Later, when Billy is busted, he is forced to reveal his identity to save his friends. Now, he has to return to his abusive, drunken father and the world he escaped from. One positive is that he can now court Jacinda. She is all that matters to him. Can she learn to love him? Can anyone?
Jacinda is determined to live a free life and she trust no man. She has decided that her 70 year old neighbor will be perfect. A good companion that will leave her alone 🙄. Still, she is going to help Billy, now William (Thank God!), navigate through the ton. What she doesn't know is that Billy is determined to marry her and has already gotten the approval of her brothers. Slowly, a friendship develops with their attraction. So, will Jacinda realize what's in front of her before it's too late?
liked:
1. Billy was the perfect, tragic hero, who just needs to be loved! 🥰 I admired his strength and perserverance. He didn't let his circumstances change his charming personality and heart. He's a great example of a character having outward bravado, but quietly suffering from a dangerous lack of self-esteem.
2. This book is well written and had well developed characters.
disliked:
1. Jacinda was immature, entitled, and spoiled. It's hard to like her. She doesn't do anything bad. That's my problem! she doesn't really do anything. Billy does all the work in the relationship and she does nothing to prove her love or devotion. It's was all about her spoiled a** and there is not much character growth on her part.
2. The romance was just okay. I thought Billy was too good for her. This couple was a mismatch.
Conclusion: I went into this book dreading it and unfortunately it lived up to my expectations. The book wasn't bad per se, but it's definitely the weakest in the series, next to Alex's story. Most of the blame goes to Jacinda. She's not a strong h.
June 23, 2012
Lady Jacinda Knight is a brilliant heroine. She pushes the boundaries of what is considered to be acceptable, and has a mind of her own unlike a few heroines/women written in this era. I am sure that if she had been born a good hundred years later she would have been part of the womens Suffragette movement of the early 1900's ;) Her eldest brother The Duke of Hawscliffe, who was responsible for her, was reaching the end of his limits and wanted her married off to a strong man who was capable of controlling her. The chosen man was his friend who was a widower with a young son. Just as the final arrangements/agreements and a date was to be set Jacinda ran away from home as she was determined that she was only going to marry a man if they loved each other and the man her brother has chosen was not the right man for her.
From the outset it would seem that Billy Blade is a low born ruffian who stopped Jacinda from escaping away to France. Once he realised who she was, he returned her to her brothers but not before he had kissed her! After getting caught by the police during a robbery he was persuaded to escape hanging by contacting his father and asking for help. His father was the Marquis of Truro which meant that Billy was of course a titled nobleman. For a price, his father helped him but it meant that Billy had to tow the line and get ready to take his title, marry and continue the family line. Billy knew who he wanted as his bride and set out to woo Jacinda so that he could marry the only woman he has ever loved. I loved Billy and would have happily swapped places with Jacinda at a click of the finger, he is a very sexy alpha male who deep down has emotional issues and believes that no one could possibly love him.
I have only recently discovered HR and Gaelen Foley and now I am hooked! Ms Foley’s writing is smooth, her stories easy to read, they flow really well and have interesting and gripping content , she definitely knows how to tell a fabulous story! Some of her books have more steam than others but as they all have lots of fabulous sexual tension that can be easily forgiven.
Ms Foley has become an auto-buy for me and I am looking forward to obtaining more of her back catalogue and her future publications.
From the outset it would seem that Billy Blade is a low born ruffian who stopped Jacinda from escaping away to France. Once he realised who she was, he returned her to her brothers but not before he had kissed her! After getting caught by the police during a robbery he was persuaded to escape hanging by contacting his father and asking for help. His father was the Marquis of Truro which meant that Billy was of course a titled nobleman. For a price, his father helped him but it meant that Billy had to tow the line and get ready to take his title, marry and continue the family line. Billy knew who he wanted as his bride and set out to woo Jacinda so that he could marry the only woman he has ever loved. I loved Billy and would have happily swapped places with Jacinda at a click of the finger, he is a very sexy alpha male who deep down has emotional issues and believes that no one could possibly love him.
I have only recently discovered HR and Gaelen Foley and now I am hooked! Ms Foley’s writing is smooth, her stories easy to read, they flow really well and have interesting and gripping content , she definitely knows how to tell a fabulous story! Some of her books have more steam than others but as they all have lots of fabulous sexual tension that can be easily forgiven.
Ms Foley has become an auto-buy for me and I am looking forward to obtaining more of her back catalogue and her future publications.
August 7, 2017
This was a pleasant read, although I did find it somewhat superficial (hey, just because it is HR doesn't mean it can't be a bit more complex).
Jacinda the heroine was rather silly and immature. Her obsession with being "free" was never really thought through and her way to go about achieving whatever "free" meant was also silly. She was just plain shallow.
I thought the hero, Billy, was sweet, yet he had killed and assaulted many people during his time on the mean streets of St Giles. He would have been brutalised and de-sensitized, but apparently this did not happen. We get no explanation for why his father was so awful to him or why his mother never protected him. His personal crusade for social justice seemed pointless, as he only really paid lip-service to it after acknowledging his true identity. Some throw away lines about using Parliament or joining the radical party does not a Crusader make. For these reasons, I felt the characters were rather two-dimensional and I was not emotionally engaged in the story.
I did think it was sweet when Jacinda helped Billy to navigate the shark-infested waters of the Ton and I liked Billy, but give me Crispin in A Lady's Code of Misconduct any day!
Jacinda the heroine was rather silly and immature. Her obsession with being "free" was never really thought through and her way to go about achieving whatever "free" meant was also silly. She was just plain shallow.
I thought the hero, Billy, was sweet, yet he had killed and assaulted many people during his time on the mean streets of St Giles. He would have been brutalised and de-sensitized, but apparently this did not happen. We get no explanation for why his father was so awful to him or why his mother never protected him. His personal crusade for social justice seemed pointless, as he only really paid lip-service to it after acknowledging his true identity. Some throw away lines about using Parliament or joining the radical party does not a Crusader make. For these reasons, I felt the characters were rather two-dimensional and I was not emotionally engaged in the story.
I did think it was sweet when Jacinda helped Billy to navigate the shark-infested waters of the Ton and I liked Billy, but give me Crispin in A Lady's Code of Misconduct any day!
July 16, 2021
2.75 stars
I originally had skipped this one because I was eager to get to Lizzie's story and Alec's book. And out of all the Knight siblings Jacinda rubbed me the wrong way, initially. But I'm glad I came across a copy of this by happy accident and decided give it a go anyways.
This started off superbly strong. Reminded me once again what a strong writer Gaelen Foley is. Her recent offerings don’t show it but this series is prime example of what she’s capable of. For anyone who hasn't tried this author or not sure about her, I would most definitely recommend this Knight Miscellany series. Cause it's fucking outstanding. Anyways, what didn't really work for me here were 2 things. The heroine's contradicting and somewhat confusing characterization through a good chunk of the book. And the incredibly slow pacing.
For a heroine Jacinda Knight ran very hot and cold. There were parts I ended up loving her (much to my surprise) and other parts she exasperated me and other parts she flat out left me feeling cold. The first 30% I loved this girl so much; her fire, her spirit, her POV made me root for her even when she was acting reckless and incredibly naive. I found her mix of brave nerve and sheltered innocence charming. But that all seemed to disappear after she was forced to return to her family. Her haughty disdain of the hero’s past and making flippant condescending ‘silly boy’ remarks to him on and off in between showering him with doting affection and kisses just made me confused. You say you respect him and his past but keep giving him random snotty annoyed looks and saying you need to "civilize" him? Which is it, Jacinda? And you can't keep telling the poor man you are "just friends" but flirt with him and kiss him whenever you feel like it. It just didn't blend well for me. I understand wanting to protect him from the ton's viciousness but at times I'm not convinced that was her intent. I get what Foley was trying to do here but it didn't translate well. There is a distinct difference between being conflicted/confused and just straight up flip floppery. And don't get me started on this girl's stubborn "I want to be free" campaign by trying to bag a stuffy 70-year old ailing cranky Earl through a good damn majority of the story.
Ew. Not cute. And I also personally could have done without that grouse hunting scene, thank you very much. You can just say your heroine is a skilled markswoman who loves to hunt and leave it at that. Jesus. She had her moments of privileged spoiled darling who can be a little too mercenary and sniffy for my liking.
As for the pacing, this is a big part of why my rating lowered. The pacing of this was straight up awful.
The story came to a complete standstill not even half way in for reasons I didn't understand. I honestly was not expecting this to take the quick turn it did 30% into the book. I think Foley made a poor choice in how she went about "fixing" the obstacle of having an anti-hero who is a thief. And much too quickly at that for my liking. I would have liked it more had Billy Blade stayed in the rookery longer instead of being foisted into the Ton and high society and trying to change his ways. It just didn't seem genuine for me and made the story deflate in on itself. All the excitement, adventure and thrill that happened in the first few chapters completely disappeared because of this. I know realistically having a petty thief who stole and killed for a living winning the hand of a highborn lady of substance who's a Duke's sister would be really hard to swallow and sell but Billy already had the heart and integrity. He already had the tear jerking backstory. Trying to "civilize" him for the sake of winning his lady just seemed cheap, gimmicky and a missed opportunity. This is HR after all, I mean I appreciated his heartbreaking backstory, that flashback was brutal and my heart broke for what the hero endured as a child. And then to drag everything out after Billy's identity was revealed through a good majority of the book was just really frustrating. The fact that the hero and heroine don't even get *together* (intimately) until the 70% mark just seemed like a waste of effort. You pretty much have your hero sitting on his hands doing nothing for a good majority of the story until the woman he loves slowly comes around. At a snail's pace.
Jacinda digging her heels in over not choosing Billy because of her idea of freedom and fearing she would hurt him made no sense (also contradictory AF cause see "just friends" excuse above ☝️). I'm sorry but having your heroine and her entire family and the fucking ton believe just because her scandalous mother was a light skirt who liked to play matress tango with every man automatically means somehow that flaw will be genetically passed down to the only girl out of the brood is beyond ridiculous and straight up silly. I know in those days superstitious stuff like this was the norm especially in upper crust circles of the ton but having the poor heroine herself believe it and actually use it as a “legitimate” excuse for why she can’t be in a loving marriage?
I call foul. I honestly thought Jacinda was passing out this line to get out of the arranged marriage she didn’t want in the beginning of the book and nothing else, but no this poor girl was buying this bag of tripe shit and feeding it to the hero. I would swallow it more if she was an actual hellion who had *actual* experience with men. But a virgin heroine who has never been in a serious relationship of any kind? Pfft. Come on. How can you know you will cheat and be “tempted by other men” if you’ve never been in that situation before and never had the experience? The naivete was stunning.
So yeah, like I said very strong start and strong potential but fizzled quickly after the first few fast paced thrilling chapters.
Seriously though wish this series never ended or I had more than 1 book left from this to read. *sigh*
I originally had skipped this one because I was eager to get to Lizzie's story and Alec's book. And out of all the Knight siblings Jacinda rubbed me the wrong way, initially. But I'm glad I came across a copy of this by happy accident and decided give it a go anyways.
This started off superbly strong. Reminded me once again what a strong writer Gaelen Foley is. Her recent offerings don’t show it but this series is prime example of what she’s capable of. For anyone who hasn't tried this author or not sure about her, I would most definitely recommend this Knight Miscellany series. Cause it's fucking outstanding. Anyways, what didn't really work for me here were 2 things. The heroine's contradicting and somewhat confusing characterization through a good chunk of the book. And the incredibly slow pacing.
For a heroine Jacinda Knight ran very hot and cold. There were parts I ended up loving her (much to my surprise) and other parts she exasperated me and other parts she flat out left me feeling cold. The first 30% I loved this girl so much; her fire, her spirit, her POV made me root for her even when she was acting reckless and incredibly naive. I found her mix of brave nerve and sheltered innocence charming. But that all seemed to disappear after she was forced to return to her family. Her haughty disdain of the hero’s past and making flippant condescending ‘silly boy’ remarks to him on and off in between showering him with doting affection and kisses just made me confused. You say you respect him and his past but keep giving him random snotty annoyed looks and saying you need to "civilize" him? Which is it, Jacinda? And you can't keep telling the poor man you are "just friends" but flirt with him and kiss him whenever you feel like it. It just didn't blend well for me. I understand wanting to protect him from the ton's viciousness but at times I'm not convinced that was her intent. I get what Foley was trying to do here but it didn't translate well. There is a distinct difference between being conflicted/confused and just straight up flip floppery. And don't get me started on this girl's stubborn "I want to be free" campaign by trying to bag a stuffy 70-year old ailing cranky Earl through a good damn majority of the story.
Ew. Not cute. And I also personally could have done without that grouse hunting scene, thank you very much. You can just say your heroine is a skilled markswoman who loves to hunt and leave it at that. Jesus. She had her moments of privileged spoiled darling who can be a little too mercenary and sniffy for my liking.
As for the pacing, this is a big part of why my rating lowered. The pacing of this was straight up awful.
The story came to a complete standstill not even half way in for reasons I didn't understand. I honestly was not expecting this to take the quick turn it did 30% into the book. I think Foley made a poor choice in how she went about "fixing" the obstacle of having an anti-hero who is a thief. And much too quickly at that for my liking. I would have liked it more had Billy Blade stayed in the rookery longer instead of being foisted into the Ton and high society and trying to change his ways. It just didn't seem genuine for me and made the story deflate in on itself. All the excitement, adventure and thrill that happened in the first few chapters completely disappeared because of this. I know realistically having a petty thief who stole and killed for a living winning the hand of a highborn lady of substance who's a Duke's sister would be really hard to swallow and sell but Billy already had the heart and integrity. He already had the tear jerking backstory. Trying to "civilize" him for the sake of winning his lady just seemed cheap, gimmicky and a missed opportunity. This is HR after all, I mean I appreciated his heartbreaking backstory, that flashback was brutal and my heart broke for what the hero endured as a child. And then to drag everything out after Billy's identity was revealed through a good majority of the book was just really frustrating. The fact that the hero and heroine don't even get *together* (intimately) until the 70% mark just seemed like a waste of effort. You pretty much have your hero sitting on his hands doing nothing for a good majority of the story until the woman he loves slowly comes around. At a snail's pace.
Jacinda digging her heels in over not choosing Billy because of her idea of freedom and fearing she would hurt him made no sense (also contradictory AF cause see "just friends" excuse above ☝️). I'm sorry but having your heroine and her entire family and the fucking ton believe just because her scandalous mother was a light skirt who liked to play matress tango with every man automatically means somehow that flaw will be genetically passed down to the only girl out of the brood is beyond ridiculous and straight up silly. I know in those days superstitious stuff like this was the norm especially in upper crust circles of the ton but having the poor heroine herself believe it and actually use it as a “legitimate” excuse for why she can’t be in a loving marriage?
I call foul. I honestly thought Jacinda was passing out this line to get out of the arranged marriage she didn’t want in the beginning of the book and nothing else, but no this poor girl was buying this bag of tripe shit and feeding it to the hero. I would swallow it more if she was an actual hellion who had *actual* experience with men. But a virgin heroine who has never been in a serious relationship of any kind? Pfft. Come on. How can you know you will cheat and be “tempted by other men” if you’ve never been in that situation before and never had the experience? The naivete was stunning.
So yeah, like I said very strong start and strong potential but fizzled quickly after the first few fast paced thrilling chapters.
Seriously though wish this series never ended or I had more than 1 book left from this to read. *sigh*
September 25, 2018
Another solid addition to the Knight Miscellany series! Even though this one had quite a bit of the unlikely in the storyline, I still bought the cow, like the sappy romantic that I am. She was the bad-girl of the ton, and he was the good-guy of London's crime world. Not a likely match, but then again...
I really liked the character development in this one. While I was always leaning more towards the hero, the heroine grew up quite a bit towards the end, earning back some of the respect I so wanted to give her. The story was fairly predictable, which wasn't all together bad, as long as you like a happy ending. I'm looking forward to rest in the series! By the way, this series is best read in order.
March 30, 2019
Una buena continuación de la serie con una rebelde Jacinda y un canallita/osito al que abrazar de Billy Blade. XD
Eso sí no todo van a ser flores y me pasa lo que el anterior libro leído, digo yo que para qué me hago ilusiones con las parejitas del resto de libros. A ver si dejo de montarme películas con mis futuras parejas de novela romántica porque me van a matar a disgustos, jajaja.
Lee la reseña en: https://oceanodelibros.blogspot.com/2...
Eso sí no todo van a ser flores y me pasa lo que el anterior libro leído, digo yo que para qué me hago ilusiones con las parejitas del resto de libros. A ver si dejo de montarme películas con mis futuras parejas de novela romántica porque me van a matar a disgustos, jajaja.
Lee la reseña en: https://oceanodelibros.blogspot.com/2...
February 26, 2018
Tiene un maravilloso prota del que he caido enamorada, macizo, noble y con sentido del humor, se merecia, a mi modo de entender, una mujer menos cabezota que cayera en sus brazos como habria caido yo.
Want to read
May 23, 20195/23/19 $1.99 in the US kindle store.
December 3, 2009
London 1816. Feisty eighteen year old Lady Jacinda Knight is one her way to Paris. She’s running from her five over-protective brothers who plan to marry her off to their respectable but boring friend because she can’t stay away from trouble. Before she reaches her destination, she is accosted by a young urchin who steals her purse. Acting on impulse, she chases him into a dangerous part of town where she witnesses a gang brawl, a death and is taken captive by gang leader Billy Blade. Hmm, looks to me like Jacinda’s brothers may have had a point. . .
Anyway, Billy Blade then takes Jacinda to his home. He’s overwhelmed by her angelic beauty and wants to keep her safe. One thing leads to another and soon their lips are connected and before you know it Jacinda’s nearly lost her virginal status. Billy, fearing the wraith of Jacinda’s brother, stops in the nick of time and returns her safely to her brothers. Jacinda is furious. This is the beginning of their passionate on again off again relationship.
Billy Blade is much more a complex character than a first glance would assume. His father, a Marquis, was a cruel, sadistic man whose abuse lead Billy to leave his heritage behind and lead a difficult life on the streets. Out of necessity Billy has become an accomplished thief and lives life on his terms. His renegade lifestyle catches up with him when he is captured and faces death by hanging. Billy, left with no options, must face his worst fears and confront his father and the horrific past he left behind if wants to survive.
Billy’s story (which takes up a large bulk of the book) is riveting and emotion filled. I’ve read a few complaints here and there about the fact that Billy’s history takes up too much space and I have to respectfully disagree. Billy’s story is the only thing that kept me turning the pages. The romance with Jacinda just didn’t thrill me. But let me back up a bit and explain why. Jacinda is my least favorite type of heroine. She’s young, impulsive, impossibly gorgeous, pampered and spoiled. She’s someone who has a lot of growing up left to do and, unfortunately, she doesn’t do all that much of it during the course of the book. Though their love story is very passionate there wasn’t much else holding it together. Jacinda simply was not a good match for Billy’s well rounded, thoroughly developed character and he deserved better.
I recommend this story for those looking for a historical romance with a deeper than usual hero or for those who don’t mind a young heroine who is a bit pea-brained at times.
Anyway, Billy Blade then takes Jacinda to his home. He’s overwhelmed by her angelic beauty and wants to keep her safe. One thing leads to another and soon their lips are connected and before you know it Jacinda’s nearly lost her virginal status. Billy, fearing the wraith of Jacinda’s brother, stops in the nick of time and returns her safely to her brothers. Jacinda is furious. This is the beginning of their passionate on again off again relationship.
Billy Blade is much more a complex character than a first glance would assume. His father, a Marquis, was a cruel, sadistic man whose abuse lead Billy to leave his heritage behind and lead a difficult life on the streets. Out of necessity Billy has become an accomplished thief and lives life on his terms. His renegade lifestyle catches up with him when he is captured and faces death by hanging. Billy, left with no options, must face his worst fears and confront his father and the horrific past he left behind if wants to survive.
Billy’s story (which takes up a large bulk of the book) is riveting and emotion filled. I’ve read a few complaints here and there about the fact that Billy’s history takes up too much space and I have to respectfully disagree. Billy’s story is the only thing that kept me turning the pages. The romance with Jacinda just didn’t thrill me. But let me back up a bit and explain why. Jacinda is my least favorite type of heroine. She’s young, impulsive, impossibly gorgeous, pampered and spoiled. She’s someone who has a lot of growing up left to do and, unfortunately, she doesn’t do all that much of it during the course of the book. Though their love story is very passionate there wasn’t much else holding it together. Jacinda simply was not a good match for Billy’s well rounded, thoroughly developed character and he deserved better.
I recommend this story for those looking for a historical romance with a deeper than usual hero or for those who don’t mind a young heroine who is a bit pea-brained at times.
January 22, 2020
#35 of 2020
4 "Billy Blade is awesome!" Stars
Jacinda Knight, the only sister of the 5 Knight brothers, irritated me in the first book, The Duke. She didn't feature as much in the following two, so it was better.
To be fair, she was a spoiled child. But in this installment she already had her first season, she came out that is, and is quite the little grownup.
William, Earl of Rackford aka Billy Blade, was quite the treat.
Next up is the story of Lizzy Carlisle, Jacinda's companion.
Although the one I truly can't wait for is Jack Knight, the 2nd oldest brother. He has been absent from the whole saga.
4 "Billy Blade is awesome!" Stars
Jacinda Knight, the only sister of the 5 Knight brothers, irritated me in the first book, The Duke. She didn't feature as much in the following two, so it was better.
To be fair, she was a spoiled child. But in this installment she already had her first season, she came out that is, and is quite the little grownup.
William, Earl of Rackford aka Billy Blade, was quite the treat.
Next up is the story of Lizzy Carlisle, Jacinda's companion.
Although the one I truly can't wait for is Jack Knight, the 2nd oldest brother. He has been absent from the whole saga.
January 23, 2016
Really loved this one!
May 15, 2017
Me ha gustado más que el anterior. Le doy 4 ya que ha sido todo un descubrimiento Jacinda, que me ha sorprendido muchísimo, muy muy gratamente.
En cuanto a Blade, ha sido más bien si pero no. Tal vez las expectativas famosas, que ya se sabe.
En cuanto a Blade, ha sido más bien si pero no. Tal vez las expectativas famosas, que ya se sabe.
January 23, 2016
I liked this better than the next book, which is about her best friend, Lizzie. I read Lizzie's book, Devil Takes a Bride first and this one due to liking Jacinda & Billy.
The story goes Jacinda runs away from an impending engagement she's against, the guy is 20+ years older, which would seem like a grandpa to an 18 year old. Her purse is stolen by a pickpocket and while chasing him down, she runs afoul of two gangs waging war. She's found by the good gang leader, Billy Blade. Insta-lust. Jacinda hangs out with Billy for a few hours, makes out with him, and he sends her home, much to her dismay.
Jacinda is back to her high society life and Billy to his thieving ring and gang wars. Unfortunately, Billy and his gang is pinched and end up in gaol. To save them all from a hanging, he has to return to the aristocracy he ran away from. He's a marquis.
Now Billy is in Jacinda's world and he sucks at it. He doesn't know any of the etiquette, what silverware to use, how to politely insult, etc. Jacinda helps him adapt, schooling him. This was a favorite part, the development of their friendship. They still want to jump each other's bones, but can't due to their societal duties. What I didn't like was Jacinda's insistence on marrying an old geezer, waiting for him to die, and then running wild. She envied this widowed lady who had kept men, and everyone hated her, but because no one could control the lady, i.e. A husband or relative, Jacinda thought that was awesome. The widow was revolting.
All in all, the book was better than the proceeding one due to Billy being a dashing outlaw type and Jacinda a wily woman. And no manly crying bouts.
The story goes Jacinda runs away from an impending engagement she's against, the guy is 20+ years older, which would seem like a grandpa to an 18 year old. Her purse is stolen by a pickpocket and while chasing him down, she runs afoul of two gangs waging war. She's found by the good gang leader, Billy Blade. Insta-lust. Jacinda hangs out with Billy for a few hours, makes out with him, and he sends her home, much to her dismay.
Jacinda is back to her high society life and Billy to his thieving ring and gang wars. Unfortunately, Billy and his gang is pinched and end up in gaol. To save them all from a hanging, he has to return to the aristocracy he ran away from. He's a marquis.
Now Billy is in Jacinda's world and he sucks at it. He doesn't know any of the etiquette, what silverware to use, how to politely insult, etc. Jacinda helps him adapt, schooling him. This was a favorite part, the development of their friendship. They still want to jump each other's bones, but can't due to their societal duties. What I didn't like was Jacinda's insistence on marrying an old geezer, waiting for him to die, and then running wild. She envied this widowed lady who had kept men, and everyone hated her, but because no one could control the lady, i.e. A husband or relative, Jacinda thought that was awesome. The widow was revolting.
All in all, the book was better than the proceeding one due to Billy being a dashing outlaw type and Jacinda a wily woman. And no manly crying bouts.
February 3, 2017
Me encuentro inmersa en esta saga familiar de los Knight, y a cada cual con sus cosicas. Hay libros que me han gustado más, otros menos, pero en general, son entretenidos y tienen personajes interesantes, aunque hay ciertos patrones que se repiten. Solo decir que la pirueta central no me convenció, la parte final me emocionó, y eso solo puede hacerlo un buen escritor que te haga seguir las andanzas de los protagonistas con el alma en vilo.
Recomendable, aunque me siguen gustando más el primer tomo y el tercero. Y estoy leyendo el 5 y tieneee tela...Lizzie es mucha Lizzzie.
Recomendable, aunque me siguen gustando más el primer tomo y el tercero. Y estoy leyendo el 5 y tieneee tela...Lizzie es mucha Lizzzie.
May 22, 2025
This book starts out action-filled then it just gets boring. The hero returns to his old life as a peer and the heroine teaches him proper etiquette, becoming friends in the process and eventually they fall in love. The villain from the rookery is dealt with. They marry and then instead of ending the story there, the author drags the ending by having the hero face his dying, abusive father right after his wedding. Why couldn’t they had resolved their issues sooner? Why couldn’t the wedding had been the HEA? This pattern also occurred in the previous book. It started out with a bang, then it got uninteresting, and then in the last chapter, the main couple returns to the war front to fight Napoleon.
I’m probably not going to finish this series. I’m not invested in any of the remaining Knight siblings as well as this formula the author seems to have for writing this series.
I’m probably not going to finish this series. I’m not invested in any of the remaining Knight siblings as well as this formula the author seems to have for writing this series.
November 4, 2018
So I loved this tbh, but the hero transitioning so fast back to his old life confused me... like bro what??? and as usual the insta love but idc at least it was better than the 2nd book which was so terrible. Really liked the hero otherwise. He was a sweetheart
April 8, 2018
Billy Blade favoloso! Libro emozione pura dall'inizio alla fine!
Pure le tre pagine finali sono intense...
Rinascita. Perdono. Ricominciare.
Pure le tre pagine finali sono intense...
Rinascita. Perdono. Ricominciare.
April 11, 2013
My favorite romance trope is not the usual Cinderella one (you know - insanely rich/high status guy falls for a milkmaid/beggar/hooker/whatever) but the reverse - a rich/upperclass woman has a romance with a man who is poorer/much worse in status etc.
But, sadly, this is not nearly as popular because romantic stories (whether in dramas or romance novels) are usually directed at female audience and that is not a big female audience fantasy, compared to the Cinderella one.
I've come across a number of dramas which have this, but almost never a romance novel. So, basically, I get excited and check one out whenever I come across one. This led me to Gaelen Foley's Lady of Desire despite my author trepidation (so far I've read 3 Foley romances - one of which I loved to bits, one of which I was meh on, and one which I loathed with a passion. So very uneven).
Heroine of LoD is Jacinda - a well-off aristocrat who decides to run away when her family arranges for a marriage for her with a very suitable family friend. Suitable and nice he may be, but Jacinda has no interest in him at all - he is horridly old (almost 40, OMG), she has no romantic feelings towards him, and she craves adventure and excitement - she would looooove to meet a man like Byron's Corsair (because she's a very sheltered 18 and sort of a fanciful idiot, even if I love her anyway, remembering being this age myself). Not being prepared for the real world, she gets thwarted before she gets very far by a young pickpocket taking all her money. So she does what any sensible young woman would do - she runs after him into the nastiest, meanest part of London wearing her fancy dress and diamond jewelry and ends up right in the middle of a local gang war.
If this was real world, this would be a very short and unpleasant story - the various thieves, murderers and gang members inhabiting the area would rob her, rape her and murder her (or, in the best case scenario, hold her for ransom from her loving if overprotective family). But this is a romance novel, and the gang leader she stumbles across is a macho, sexy, tattooed 20-something Adonis named Billy Blade who takes her back to his hideout while he figures out how to make sure she does not report on him to the police and at the same time how to best return her where she came from before his men slit her throat either for her jewelry or for her sexy self.
I ended up enjoying this hugely, without the least bit of guilt. She is all "OMG he is so sexy and rough and speaks with Cockney accent and mmmmm...tattoos. I wanna slum, this would be fun, as I never interacted with anyone like this before." And he thinks she is so pretty but also would be an awesome elevating influence and could bring him to the light of righteousness and other similar Victorian terms on the inspiration of virtuous yet sexy womanhood (though this novel is set a bit earlier).
I also enjoyed all the sex scenes - I couldn't wait for them to hop in the sack (though if I were her, I'd check for STDs carefully - man who's probably done it with cheap 19th century hookers is probably not super safe) and get to the whole angst of "OMG I am not good enough for her" and "OMG, my family would never let me marry a brigand".
But, sadly, this is not nearly as popular because romantic stories (whether in dramas or romance novels) are usually directed at female audience and that is not a big female audience fantasy, compared to the Cinderella one.
I've come across a number of dramas which have this, but almost never a romance novel. So, basically, I get excited and check one out whenever I come across one. This led me to Gaelen Foley's Lady of Desire despite my author trepidation (so far I've read 3 Foley romances - one of which I loved to bits, one of which I was meh on, and one which I loathed with a passion. So very uneven).
Heroine of LoD is Jacinda - a well-off aristocrat who decides to run away when her family arranges for a marriage for her with a very suitable family friend. Suitable and nice he may be, but Jacinda has no interest in him at all - he is horridly old (almost 40, OMG), she has no romantic feelings towards him, and she craves adventure and excitement - she would looooove to meet a man like Byron's Corsair (because she's a very sheltered 18 and sort of a fanciful idiot, even if I love her anyway, remembering being this age myself). Not being prepared for the real world, she gets thwarted before she gets very far by a young pickpocket taking all her money. So she does what any sensible young woman would do - she runs after him into the nastiest, meanest part of London wearing her fancy dress and diamond jewelry and ends up right in the middle of a local gang war.
If this was real world, this would be a very short and unpleasant story - the various thieves, murderers and gang members inhabiting the area would rob her, rape her and murder her (or, in the best case scenario, hold her for ransom from her loving if overprotective family). But this is a romance novel, and the gang leader she stumbles across is a macho, sexy, tattooed 20-something Adonis named Billy Blade who takes her back to his hideout while he figures out how to make sure she does not report on him to the police and at the same time how to best return her where she came from before his men slit her throat either for her jewelry or for her sexy self.
I ended up enjoying this hugely, without the least bit of guilt. She is all "OMG he is so sexy and rough and speaks with Cockney accent and mmmmm...tattoos. I wanna slum, this would be fun, as I never interacted with anyone like this before." And he thinks she is so pretty but also would be an awesome elevating influence and could bring him to the light of righteousness and other similar Victorian terms on the inspiration of virtuous yet sexy womanhood (though this novel is set a bit earlier).
I also enjoyed all the sex scenes - I couldn't wait for them to hop in the sack (though if I were her, I'd check for STDs carefully - man who's probably done it with cheap 19th century hookers is probably not super safe) and get to the whole angst of "OMG I am not good enough for her" and "OMG, my family would never let me marry a brigand".
August 1, 2018
3.5 stars
Mixed feelings about this one. I don't know how I feel about the heroine. She was a spoilt impetuous brat just skating on the edge of ruin. She glamorised her stupid mother who chose men over her children. She runs away from the house and into the hero who runs a criminal gang. But in reality he is a runaway abused boy, who is an Earl. As is the case the heroine is all fine getting all hot & heavy with H. He learns her identity & drops her in her family's lap. The spoilt brat then decides she will marry a 70 year old so that she can have her freedom when he drops dead and make merry.
H is forced by circumstances to get back to the life he left at 13. He now knows he can get the h & woos her. She starts teaching him how to fit into society. This was again a super vulnerable hero, loved by no-one. I liked how he walked away from the h throwing her vanity & stupidity in her face. Of course she chases him, rescues him & they get their HEA. h does end up finally growing up in the book.
Mixed feelings about this one. I don't know how I feel about the heroine. She was a spoilt impetuous brat just skating on the edge of ruin. She glamorised her stupid mother who chose men over her children. She runs away from the house and into the hero who runs a criminal gang. But in reality he is a runaway abused boy, who is an Earl. As is the case the heroine is all fine getting all hot & heavy with H. He learns her identity & drops her in her family's lap. The spoilt brat then decides she will marry a 70 year old so that she can have her freedom when he drops dead and make merry.
H is forced by circumstances to get back to the life he left at 13. He now knows he can get the h & woos her. She starts teaching him how to fit into society. This was again a super vulnerable hero, loved by no-one. I liked how he walked away from the h throwing her vanity & stupidity in her face. Of course she chases him, rescues him & they get their HEA. h does end up finally growing up in the book.
November 26, 2017
2.5. I really was very excited for this one, but disappointed. Did not care for the heroine - very immature and silly. I hate when young heroines are portrayed this way. Although the hero was a bit immature as well, although much more likable. I think the author gave us bad boy-lite, and I much prefer bad boys a little more bad. Of course we assume he's done really terrible things, but he's so nice and sweet to everyone, it just makes him seem like a bad boy imposter. I liked the rookery storyline, and would have liked more time in that (which might have given me more of the bad boy I expected). I'm most interested in Lord Griffith the neighbor now! But I don't see that he got a book.
November 9, 2018
Swashbuckling fun... without pirates. London’s Rookery substitutes for the high seas.
I freely admit I love a bad boy with a good heart. This entry in The Knight series is one of the most fun. Maybe because it’s really more him (Bad Boy) than her (Bold and Beautiful).
This made a perfect escape from a bad week at work— at least for a few hours!!
I freely admit I love a bad boy with a good heart. This entry in The Knight series is one of the most fun. Maybe because it’s really more him (Bad Boy) than her (Bold and Beautiful).
This made a perfect escape from a bad week at work— at least for a few hours!!
January 20, 2014
OH MY GODDD!! I simply loved it! Makes me wonder why are they not coming up with more of this good stuff. Strong characters, well played out, one of those books that hold your interest all the way :)
November 13, 2014
The fourth book of the Knight Miscellaney series “focuses” on the story of the youngest sibling, Lady Jacinda Knight. I must admit, out of all the books I’ve read so far in this series (only read 5 out of the 7), this is the one I least like.
My main problem is the lead heroine. It’s kind of hard to like a character who acts like a spoiled rich brat/poor little rich girl for most of the story. At one level, you do feel for her because she is being forced to marry a family friend, because her brothers think this would make a “proper lady” out of her and that she won’t end up being like their mother, shunned by the ton for her very “unlady like” reputation and the number of affairs she had. Jacinda, meanwhile, wants to marry for love.
However, this scenario is one I didn’t really buy. For starters, all the other brothers (at least the ones whose stories were told in the previous books} didn’t give you the impression that they were brutes, the type that would really force her to marry someone she doesn’t want. Robert, Lucien and Damien all married their wives because of love; Alec wouldn’t care less, while Jack is nowhere to be seen. Their family was also very wealthy, so there was no economic rush to marry off their sister. The fact that Jacinda was able to reason her way out of the marriage through a very honest, moving speech, also showed that her brothers, overall, could be reasoned with. So this problem wasn’t really much of a problem.
At some level, you can feel sorry for her because as a woman in the times and society she lived in, she didn’t have much of a choice of how to live her life. Nevertheless, compared to others, like her friend, Liz, she still had a lot of resources and “more freedom” so some of her behaviour was just irritating. What frustrates me the most is that sometimes, you do see some really great redeeming qualities in her that I feel like was wasted. Compared to her male siblings, it was quite admirable that she remembered her mother for her more heroic acts and not just the scandals she created. This to me was one thing I didn’t like about the other brothers I’ve read so far – all of them acknowledged that their father was a cruel man, but no one seemed to connect the mother’s behaviour to have affairs as connected to this. Neither could they at least give her credit for the more admirable things she did, including sacrificing her life to save friends of hers from the French Revolution. Jacinda was the only one who acknowledged this side of her mother. So it was frustrating to see that instead of emulating her mother by pursuing more charitable pursuits (like perhaps being pro-poor like her sister-in-law Belle), she continues on acting like a spoiled brat and even planning to marry a very much older noble man so that when he dies, she would be free to do what she likes.
I don’t know, perhaps Ms Foley had no choice but to write her this way given her youth (she was only around 19) and to remain faithful to how women were during the Regency period. After all, this is one of the great strengths of her books, how well she infuses it with historical facts and how well she makes her characters more faithful to how men or women act during those times even though the books may end up being unappealing for readers in the present time. In some ways, I would have preferred if Jacinda’s story was made the last book in this series (she is after all, the youngest), just so she could be a bit older and possibly more mature.
The character I liked more in the book is the hero, Billy. In some ways, the book is really more of his story than Jacinda’s, and it’s just as well because his story is more interesting. I really love Billy. I love how much he is aware of the plight of the lower classes, and how much he continued caring about them even though he went back to his noble roots. His father was quite a brute and I personally feel he was forgiven too easily in the end. (Couldn’t care less if he was dying as he was a really awful person.) I had a problem with the hero’s name though. I know it’s superficial, but every time I read his name, he sounded more like a character who should be in the American west rather than rubbing shoulders with the other nobility in London.
Overall, this book was great, but compared to the others in the series, it didn’t grab me as much, hence, the 3 stars.
My main problem is the lead heroine. It’s kind of hard to like a character who acts like a spoiled rich brat/poor little rich girl for most of the story. At one level, you do feel for her because she is being forced to marry a family friend, because her brothers think this would make a “proper lady” out of her and that she won’t end up being like their mother, shunned by the ton for her very “unlady like” reputation and the number of affairs she had. Jacinda, meanwhile, wants to marry for love.
However, this scenario is one I didn’t really buy. For starters, all the other brothers (at least the ones whose stories were told in the previous books} didn’t give you the impression that they were brutes, the type that would really force her to marry someone she doesn’t want. Robert, Lucien and Damien all married their wives because of love; Alec wouldn’t care less, while Jack is nowhere to be seen. Their family was also very wealthy, so there was no economic rush to marry off their sister. The fact that Jacinda was able to reason her way out of the marriage through a very honest, moving speech, also showed that her brothers, overall, could be reasoned with. So this problem wasn’t really much of a problem.
At some level, you can feel sorry for her because as a woman in the times and society she lived in, she didn’t have much of a choice of how to live her life. Nevertheless, compared to others, like her friend, Liz, she still had a lot of resources and “more freedom” so some of her behaviour was just irritating. What frustrates me the most is that sometimes, you do see some really great redeeming qualities in her that I feel like was wasted. Compared to her male siblings, it was quite admirable that she remembered her mother for her more heroic acts and not just the scandals she created. This to me was one thing I didn’t like about the other brothers I’ve read so far – all of them acknowledged that their father was a cruel man, but no one seemed to connect the mother’s behaviour to have affairs as connected to this. Neither could they at least give her credit for the more admirable things she did, including sacrificing her life to save friends of hers from the French Revolution. Jacinda was the only one who acknowledged this side of her mother. So it was frustrating to see that instead of emulating her mother by pursuing more charitable pursuits (like perhaps being pro-poor like her sister-in-law Belle), she continues on acting like a spoiled brat and even planning to marry a very much older noble man so that when he dies, she would be free to do what she likes.
I don’t know, perhaps Ms Foley had no choice but to write her this way given her youth (she was only around 19) and to remain faithful to how women were during the Regency period. After all, this is one of the great strengths of her books, how well she infuses it with historical facts and how well she makes her characters more faithful to how men or women act during those times even though the books may end up being unappealing for readers in the present time. In some ways, I would have preferred if Jacinda’s story was made the last book in this series (she is after all, the youngest), just so she could be a bit older and possibly more mature.
The character I liked more in the book is the hero, Billy. In some ways, the book is really more of his story than Jacinda’s, and it’s just as well because his story is more interesting. I really love Billy. I love how much he is aware of the plight of the lower classes, and how much he continued caring about them even though he went back to his noble roots. His father was quite a brute and I personally feel he was forgiven too easily in the end. (Couldn’t care less if he was dying as he was a really awful person.) I had a problem with the hero’s name though. I know it’s superficial, but every time I read his name, he sounded more like a character who should be in the American west rather than rubbing shoulders with the other nobility in London.
Overall, this book was great, but compared to the others in the series, it didn’t grab me as much, hence, the 3 stars.
June 19, 2011
I seem to be reading THE KNIGHT BROS series out of order, but it really did not matter as this series in my opinion can be read out of order.I enjoyed the sister's story quite a bit.The h meets the H as he has just had a fight with his arch enemy in a back alley, she is crouching in a pile of garbage,but has the mannerism of a queen.For the H it is instant love and the h is in slight awe of this "pirate-like man god" The H had run away from an abusive father as a young child at 13 and became the leader of a gang in THE ROOKERY.His father is a Marquis,and his mother lives in the land of escape.After the H gets caught and thrown in jail and scheduled to be hanged, the H makes a deal with his father the Marquis [who finds out his son is alive] and he rejoins society as his father's heir.The H is reintroduced to the h at a party and the fun begins.A great read and rec to any one who enjoys a good Regency novel.The love scenes were Hot and beautifully written.I love how they called each other "Darling".My ony pet peeve with this book is when one of the bros called the h a "Diva" as I don't think that term was used back then.
April 26, 2011
Lady Jacinda and Billy Blade!
Dear I say this hero is verra much like Derek from LK Dreaming of You but I never took to Derek and Billy well let me say Please Billy wow me with that cockney tongue of yours!!! This hero has the perfect mix of bad boy and gentleman! Strong and haunted this one is!
Jacinda is young but no silly chit although duped from the start and lured into a pickle she knows how to handle Billy!
On to book 5..... I am really looking forward to What dear Alex is up to for he is a naughty one!
Dear I say this hero is verra much like Derek from LK Dreaming of You but I never took to Derek and Billy well let me say Please Billy wow me with that cockney tongue of yours!!! This hero has the perfect mix of bad boy and gentleman! Strong and haunted this one is!
Jacinda is young but no silly chit although duped from the start and lured into a pickle she knows how to handle Billy!
On to book 5..... I am really looking forward to What dear Alex is up to for he is a naughty one!
November 22, 2009
This is my first Gaelen Foley historical and was very pleased to discover another wonderful author. Although this is Book #4 in the "Knight" series, I didn't find myself lost because of reading out-of-order. My next one is "One Night of Sin" which is #6. I'm definitely going to read each and every one of the books in this series. Loved the interaction between all characters and found the dialogue very well done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews