Lord of Night

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lord of Night, the third book in the Rogues to Riches series. It’s a well-written and entertaining historical fiction romance. I was captivated from the first page until the last. Miss Dahlia Grenville was a Baron’s daughter, but she didn’t act like one. Her passions didn’t lie in pretty gowns, fancy balls, or even titled gentlemen, but in the St. Giles School for Girls. Although Dahlia knew that she should care that being headmistress of a boarding school, lowered her social standing with the Ton, but she didn’t; except for the fact that she needed their money. Her mother wanted her to marry a titled gentleman. But, the acceptable men whom she’d met were either a dandy or a rake, and she had no use for them. Her heart yearned, for Inspector Simon Spaulding, a man Dahlia knew; she could never have. And the more time she spent with Simon, the harder, it was to keep her heart from falling for him. Her focus needed to stay on the girls. It took a lot of time; dedication, and money to keep a boarding school open. So, when Dahlia ran out of funds, she did what no Lady would ever do; she became a thief. Inspector Simon Spaulding was a respected Bow Street runner, but he should have been a marquess. His half brother, the Marquess’s legitimate son, however, was the one to receive his father’s title. Simon did his best to make a name for himself. He was dedicated to clearing the London streets of crime; and was a stickler for following the law. Simon never dreamt that catching a thief would be a bittersweet event, but it was. He also learned that life was not black and white as he once thought. It was gray. Lord of Night is a historical fiction romance, that’s filled with compassion, forgiveness, and intrigue. If you enjoy a well-written romantic tale, you are going to love Lord of Night. Thank you, WebMotion and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy. I loved it!

From the moment Dahlia swings her broom to fight off Molly’s attacker until the acrobatic performance at the end, this story has you turning pages to find out what’s next. Inspector Simon Spaulding believes that laws were not meant to be broken, not even bent. Those who break the laws need to be caught and punished. His current mission is to catch the Thief of Mayfair, a thief with a specific clientele and a strange twist to the crimes. Dahlia Grenville is the second daughter to a Baron and the headmistress of the St. Giles School for girls. She desperately wants to keep the school open to give the girls skills for a chance at a better life. She has on occasion resorted to drastic measures to secure funds for the school. Simon and Dahlia meet the night that she rescues Molly. Simon comes upon the scene just in time to help both young women escape their attacker. He begins to spend time at the school. He comes to care for the girls and to love their headmistress. Simon’s time with Dahlia and the girls causes him to take a good look at the life he has led. He discovers that he doesn’t want to be alone any more. He finds friends among his colleagues, makes an effort to get to know his half-brother (Lord Hawkridge), and asks Dahlia to marry him. Dahlia loves Simon, too, but has secrets that she believes will destroy their love, and perhaps her life. What will happen if Simon learns her secrets? This is a great story. You will laugh, need a tissue, and roll your eyes. It flows along smoothly until one hold-your-breath moment near the end, and then…I can’t tell, it would spoil it. The characters are likeable from the beginning, and we get to see them grow all through the story. Simon, Dahlia, the girls and those around them get lessons in how to trust, forgive, and love each other.