Julie Anne Long’s HOW TO TAME A WILD ROGUE, the newest addition to her Palace of Rogues series, will be here July 25th (Yay!!), and we’re kicking of our countdown with the book that launched it all, LADY DERRING TAKES A LOVER.
When Delilah Swanpoole’s perfidious husband, the Earl of Derring, dies unexpectedly and leaves her—and his mistress—penniless, they form an unlikely alliance to turn her only inheritance, a tumbledown building by the London docks, into a boardinghouse called The Grand Palace on the Thames.
The Palace of Rogues series is a celebration of strong female friendships, rising from the ashes, found family, incendiary passions, and love winning the day. It’s also a story of the smoking room, the crystal chandelier, the Epithet Jar, and the house rules. You never know who might show up at the door looking for a room—dukes, spymasters, scandalous opera singers, runaway French princesses have all checked in for a stay. There’s a reason opening the door is Dot’s favorite thing to do—she thinks it’s like Christmas, every time.
Delilah and Angelique would love for you to come and stay with them. And Mr. Delacorte would LOVE to meet you (and maybe even talk you into going with him to a donkey race). He loves everybody. 🙂
I absolutely loved this book! I posted a review here–back in March 2019–but if you don’t feel like clicking through, here it is again 🙂
I absolutely adored Lady Derring Takes a Lover. This one has it all! There’s an impoverished widow who teams up with her husband’s mistress (also left destitute by that less-than stellar gentleman), as one does, to open a boarding house down by the docks (it’s not a particularly genteel location, in case you were wondering). There’s a naval captain on the trail of smugglers–he always gets his man (“Oh, you’re that Captain Hardy,” is said more than once), though this time he’s afraid it might be a woman he’s after, or maybe not…? There’s a delicious mystery–seemingly throw-away clues dance in and out of the pages, taunting the reader with what they think they know and making them wonder how and when the hero will finally figure it out. Of course our hero and heroine aren’t at all interested in love, yet they can’t help but be drawn to each other–except one of them isn’t being quite honest, and it could ruin everything…
Goodness, I laughed so much in this book. And sighed, both in frustration and with happiness. And that grand gesture? “That Captain Hardy” just might have spoiled me for all other romance heroes, because OMG he could teach a master class on the subject. It was freaking brilliant. I’m still getting chills, just remembering.
My only complaint? The mysterious employer of Mr. X doesn’t bother to show up until the very last page, and then the book is over! Please write fast, Ms. Long, because I need to know what is going on! 🙂
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.