Julie Anne Long

Lovely and fun. When Madeleine is left without a source of income after her husband's death she begins earning her keep by quietly effectuating dangerous and sometimes scandalous plans. We meet her here after she has been hired to steal away Colin Eversea mere moments before he is hanged for a murder he did not commit. Mads and Colin are fun and charming and they have a very entertaining adventure where they come to love and trust one another. The problem is Colin is rushing to find a way to stop the wedding of the woman he has loved since he was 13.

I really enjoyed this, big fan of the characters. The beginning was a little bit of a mess, but it hit its stride not too far in and kept me quite entertained.… (mer)

This is such a great series. Ms. Long has long been a favorite romance writer of mine, and the idea of this inn near the London docks becoming a home and refuge for romance is lovely. Lady Daphne has taken a job as a governess to help her impoverished family, but Lorcan St Leger finds her escaping out a window from the master of the house in the middle of a storm. The two take refuge at the nearby inn where they pretend to be married to secure a room.
Lorcan was raised in St. Giles and has become a buccaneer and merchant, but still has doubts about himself due to his roots, especially around Lady Daphne. Daphne is being taken advantage of by her needy family, and Lorcan helps her realize what her responsibilities toward them really are. Meanwhile, there are the various members of the Palace of Rogues inhabitants who always liven things up as they all try to make it through the storm. It's always lovely when they gather in the common room for an evening of discussion and games.
Again, this is a wonderful book in a great series.… (mer)