Series:
Lyon's Den
A man searching for the truth, and a woman afraid to
reveal it, cross paths in the middle of the notorious Lyon’s Den!
A year after his brother Adam, the former Viscount
Moreland’s untimely death, Edmund Broadbank is still searching for clues to
unravel the identity of the mysterious woman who arrived at Templeton House the
day after his brother died.
Adelaide Fernside assumes the role of mother to her
younger sister when their parents die in a tragic accident. Her sister craves
being the center of attention and succumbs to the lure of the stage, only to
return home when she becomes pregnant.
Unable to resist the glitter of her former life, Lily
leaves her babe behind. Addy had not planned on assuming the care of her infant
nephew but becomes mother to her sister’s child. When word reaches her that
someone has been asking questions about Adam in the village, she realizes she
needs the protection of a husband.
In a bold move, she dons the guise of a widow and travels
to London with Adam, to seek the aid of Mrs. Dove-Lyon in finding a husband.
Her nephew deserves to have a father, even if Addy never planned to marry.
Elated to receive word the woman rumored to have had a
liaison with his brother Adam has been seen entering the Lyon’s Den, Edmund
Broadbank pays a visit to Mrs. Dove-Lyon.
Neither Addy, nor Edmund realize that Mrs. Dove-Lyon has
hatched a plan of her own—to match the two of them!
This was my first foray into the world of
The Lyon's Den,
and it definitely won't be the last. The premise of the mysterious matchmaking
widow and her methods of matching couples was intriguing.
The story opens when Adelaide arrives at the home of Earl
Templeton looking for his son Viscount Moreland, the father of her sister
Lily's child. Unfortunately, the viscount is dead, and his father is crazed with
grief. The encounter does not go well, and Adelaide returns home determined to
support her sister.
A year later, Edmund and his brother Colin continue their
search for the woman who may have borne their brother's heir. With the help of
private investigators and Bow Street Runners, they believe they are getting
closer. Edmund rushes to make contact when they receive word that their quarry
was seen entering the notorious Lyon's Den. He plans to use his quest for a
wife to gain entry, then attempt to meet with the woman.
Addy raised her sister Lily after the death of their
parents but lost her to the lure of the stage. After young Adam's birth, Lily
returned to London, leaving Adam in Addy's care. Between their lack of funds
and the men asking questions about Adam, Addy realizes she needs a husband to
support and protect them. She goes to Mrs. Dove-Lyon for help in finding that
husband.
Mrs. Dove-Lyon is quite the manipulator and schemer and
has an uncanny knack for successful matches. I enjoyed watching her put Addy
and Edmund through their paces in setting up their match. I was impressed by
Edmund's determination to win his contests, arrange his meeting with Addy, and gain
a wife. Despite the warnings he received beforehand, the early part of his
meeting could have gone better, thanks to his lack of trust. I loved that Addy
didn't sit back and take it and stood up to his antagonism with her own temper.
Luckily, much of what she said struck him as the truth, and he finally believed
her. Neither expected the shock of finding out that Mrs. Dove-Lyon intended to
match them to each other.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between
Edmund and Addy. Their attraction was undeniable, and Edmund was even more
entranced with Addy when he saw her with little Adam. Addy is equally taken
with Edmund when she sees how good he is with Adam. I loved that both agreed
that honesty was vital to a successful marriage and that they promised no
secrets between them. It was sweet to see Edmund's care and protectiveness for
Addy as their lives become complicated by forces outside their control.
Edmund's brother Colin, the current Viscount Moreland,
finds himself the target of a blackmailer. Edmund insists on dealing with the
threat, resulting in an intense and sometimes amusing encounter on the Dark
Walk in Vauxhall. Interrogation reveals a threat to Addy and Adam that Edmund
takes very seriously. That threat follows them to Addy's home and sets up a
nail-biting confrontation with tragic results.
I loved the ending and seeing Edmund and Addy settle into
life with little Adam. There's a nice bit with Earl Templeton and his
introduction to Addy and Adam. It starts a bit rough, but Addy now has
experience dealing with Broadbank men and handles them quite well. There's a pleasant
little surprise for Edmund at the end also.
I loved the secondary characters in this book. Mrs.
Dove-Lyon also brought together Edmund's brother Colin and his wife, Gemma. I
must go back and read their story, as it sounds like it was a wild one. Colin,
a former naval officer, is very amusing with his inability to remember that
he's no longer on a ship's deck when he talks. His habit of bellowing gets him
in trouble with almost everyone. I loved his wife, Gemma, who is very sweet and
has a strong spirit. I loved how she and Addy immediately became friends. I
also enjoyed seeing Captain Coventry and Mr. King, who I recognize from the
author's
Lords of Vice and
Duke's Guards series.
My only complaint is that there is no way that Adam could ever be his father's heir. He is illegitimate and ineligible to inherit the title.
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