relzreviewz.com The Merchant and the Rogue by Sarah M. Eden

The Merchant and the Rogue by Sarah M. Eden

Synopsis:~

London, 1865

Vera Sorokina loves reading the Penny Dreadfuls and immersing herself in tales of adventure, mystery, and romance. Her own days are filled with the often-mundane work of running the book and print shop she owns with her father. The shop offers her the freedom and income to employ and protect the poverty-stricken Londoners she’s come to care about, and it gives her father something to do other than long for their hometown of St. Petersburg. She is grateful for the stability in their lives, but she often feels lonely.

Brogan Donnelly was born and raised in Ireland, but has lived in London for several years, where he’s built a career as a Penny Dreadful writer. He has dedicated himself to the plight of the poor with the help of his sister. His membership in the secretive Dread Penny Society allows him to feel he isn’t entirely wasting his life, yet he feels dissatisfied. With no one to share his life with but his sister, he fears London will never truly feel like home.

Brogan and Vera’s paths cross, and the attraction is both immediate and ill-advised. Vera knows from experience that writers are never to be trusted, and Brogan has reason to suspect not everything at her print shop is aboveboard. When the growing criminal enterprise run by the elusive and violent Mastiff begins targeting their area of London, Brogan and Vera must work together to protect the community they’ve both grown to love. But that means they’ll need to learn to trust each other with dangerous secrets that have followed both of them from their home countries.

My take:~

The third novel in Sarah M. Eden’s Dread Penny Society series adds another romantic mystery intertwined with two Penny Dreadful stories, offering a unique twist that readers have come to love.

Brogan and Vera are terrific characters, warm and generous, yet with complex pasts that impact they way they view the world and each other. This leads to heartache for the young pair as their attraction is soon upended by secrets and lies, and a hidden threat to their survival.

The two Penny Dreadful stories, The Dead Zoo and The Merchant and the Rogue, are particularly well done, both creepy and compelling adding a gothic flair to the historical mystery elements, but be prepared for them to interrupt the flow of the main story.

Fans will enjoy cameos from members of the Dread Penny Society from the previous books, but this story can easily be read as a standalone. If you are looking for an historical romance that is out of the ordinary, then The Merchant and the Rogue will be a pleasing addition to collection!

With thanks to the publisher and Austenprose Book Tours for my review copy. My opinions remain my own.

Sarah M. Eden is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning Proper Romance series novels including The Lady and the Highwayman and Ashes on the Moor. Combining her passion for history and an affinity for love stories, Sarah crafts smart, witty characters and heartfelt romances. She happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library and dreams of one day traveling to all the places she reads about.

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Join the virtual book tour of THE MERCHANT AND THE ROGUE, Sarah M. Eden’s highly acclaimed historical romance, August 16-29, 2021. Thirty-five popular on-line influencers specializing in historical romance, mystery/suspense, and inspirational fiction will join in the celebration of its release with a spotlights, exclusive excerpts, and reviews of this new Victorian-era novel set in London, England.

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

Aug 16 Among the Reads (Review)

Aug 16 Austenprose (Review)

Aug 16 Reading is My Superpower (Review)

Aug 17 Literary Time Out (Review)

Aug 17 Getting Your Read On (Review)

Aug 17 Heidi Reads (Excerpt)

Aug 17 Laura’s Reviews (Review)

Aug 18 Our Book Confessions (Review)

Aug 18 Bookworm Lisa (Review)

Aug 19 Fire & Ice (Review)

Aug 19 From Pemberley to Milton (Excerpt)