relzreviewz.com The Gentleman and the Thief by Sarah M. Eden

The Gentleman and the Thief by Sarah M. Eden

Synopsis:~

A standalone novel in The Dread Penny Society set in 1865 London brimming with secrets, scandal, suspense, and romance.

From the moment Hollis Darby meets Ana Newport, he’s smitten. Even though he’s from a wealthy, established family and she isn’t, he wishes he could have a life with her by his side. But Hollis has a secret: the deep coffers that have kept his family afloat for generations are bare, so he supports himself by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym. If not for the income from his novels, he would be broke.

Ana Newport also has a secret. Though she once had a place in society thanks to her father’s successful business, bankruptcy and scandal reduced his fortune to nothing more than a crumbling town house. So Ana teaches music during the day, and at night she assumes the identity of the “Phantom Fox.” She breaks into the homes of the wealthy to reclaim trinkets and treasures she feels were unjustly stolen from her family when they were struggling.

When Hollis’s brother needs to hire a music tutor for his daughter, Hollis recommends Ana, giving him a chance to spend time with her. Ana needs the income and is eager for the opportunity to get to know the enigmatic gentleman. What neither of them expects is how difficult it will be to keep their respective secrets from each other.

When a spree of robberies rocks the city, Ana and Hollis join forces to solve the crimes, discovering that working together deepens the affection between them. After all, who better to save the day than a gentleman and a thief?

My take:~

A fun and charming addition to any Victorian romance lover’s bookshelves, The Gentleman and the Thief is engaging on many levels. The hero is dashing and respectable while hiding his genteel family’s diminished financials and his income generating penny dreadful stories, while the heroine is a talented music teacher, pursuing cat-burgling on the side to recover family heirlooms.

Not having read the first Dread Penny Society novel, The Lady and the Highwayman, it wasn’t difficult to catch on to the determined and honourable pursuits of the Dread Penny Society members, funded by their writing prowess. That said, I think I would have valued the insertion of the penny dreadful chapters more having started at the beginning.

Hollis’ attraction to the unassuming Ana is endearing and once she catches on and feels the same pull, the romantic tension rises as they attempt to keep hidden their secret lives from the other.

Unique characters and the penny dreadful backdrop make for an intriguing read, however, the romantic elements are less prominent than I’ve come to expect from Sarah M. Eden. All up a smart and engaging read that tempts me to both backtrack to the first book and look forward to the third, The Merchant and the Rogue (Aug. 2021).

Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of witty and charming historical romances, including 2019’s Foreword Reviews INDIE Awards Gold Winner for Romance, The Lady and the Highwayman, and 2020 Holt Medallion finalist, Healing Hearts. She is a two-time “Best of State” Gold Medal winner for fiction and a three-time Whitney Award winner. Combining her obsession with history and her affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting deep characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library.

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Follow the blog tour!

Join the virtual online blog tour of THE GENTLEMAN AND THE THIEF, Sarah M. Eden’s highly acclaimed second novel in The Dread Penny Society Series, November 2 through November 29, 2020. Forty popular blogs specializing in historical mystery/suspense, historical romance, and inspirational fiction will join in the celebration of its release with exclusive excerpts, spotlights, or reviews of this new Victorian-era novel set in London, England.

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:

Nov 02 Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog (Review)

Nov 02 The Lit Bitch (Excerpt)

Nov 03 Getting Your Read On (Review)

Nov 03 Literary Time Out (Review)

Nov 03 Storybook Reviews (Review)

Nov 04 Heidi Reads (Review)

Nov 04 Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen (Spotlight)

Nov 05 Library of Clean Reads (Review)

Nov 06 Relz Reviewz (Review)

Nov 07 Probably at the Library (Spotlight)

Nov 08 The Christian Fiction Girl (Review)