Series:
Lyon's Den
Lance Versey owes Mrs. Dove Lyon a promise. Fulfilling it
will cost him the life he enjoys and win him the life he wants.
The death of Lady Frogmore’s neglectful and disloyal
husband should have been a relief. But then her nasty brother-in-law seizes her
three children and turns her out, telling the whole of Society that she is a
crude, vulgar, and loose woman. Without allies or friends, Serafina, Lady
Frogmore, turns to Mrs. Dove Lyon, also known as the Black Widow of Whitehall
for help, paying her by promising to perform an unspecified favor at a time of Mrs.
Dove Lyon’s choice.
Lord Lancelot Versey has always tried to be a perfect
gentleman, and a gentleman honors his debts, even when an unwise wager obliges
him to escort a notorious widow into Society. But Lady Frogmore is not what he
expects, and helping her becomes a quest worthy of the knight for whom he was
named.
Except, Mrs. Dove Lyon calls in Seraphina’s promise. The
favor she asks might destroy all they have found together.
Terrific book with a sympathetic heroine and a fantastic
hero who thinks he's anything but. The story opens with our introduction to
Lord Lancelot, who has made a name for himself as "the perfect
gentleman." He doesn't do anything to excess (other than occasionally drinking
too much), makes nice with the ladies, dances with wallflowers, keeps his word,
etc. His one fall from grace led to him losing a bet to Mrs. Dove-Lyon, resulting
in him owing her a favor she could call in at any time.
Next, we meet Seraphina Frogmore. Her much-older husband
had died a few months earlier, freeing her from his neglect and unfaithfulness.
Unfortunately, her horrible brother-in-law swooped in, took custody of her
three children, and threw her out of her home. He then told all of Society that
she was a crude, vulgar shopkeeper's daughter with loose morals. She is reduced
to living n a cheap boarding house, mending clothes to make enough money for
food, and watching her children walk in the park from a spot hidden in the
bushes. Desperate to find a way to restore her reputation and regain custody of
her children, she goes to Mrs. Dove-Lyon for help. She, too, will owe the lady
a future favor.
After speaking with Seraphina, Mrs. Dove-Lyon calls in
her favor from Lance. She wants him to introduce Seraphina into Society,
escorting her to events and showing that she isn't the monster her BIL has
portrayed her to be. Lance isn't too happy, but a promise is a promise, and he
arranges to meet Seraphina in the park. He witnesses her heartbreak there as she
watches her children and suspects the rumors are wrong. I loved how he
apologized for his initial judgment, showed a willingness to listen to her
story, and realized he would need help.
Lance immediately took her to see his sister Elaine,
Viscountess Barker. After some awkwardness, Elaine was entirely on board with
helping and bolstered by her husband when he arrived. I loved how Barker already
knew the truth about Seraphina and added several good ideas to the process. I
loved seeing the entire Versey family take Seraphina into their hearts,
determined to help her achieve her goal.
The redemption process got off to a fantastic start with
the gang's attendance at the opera. Seraphina's nerves were relatable and
fortunately calmed by Lance's presence. Having such a well-respected family at
her back made Seraphina's entry into Society almost trouble-free. The only
downside was the appearance of her BIL Marcus. I laughed out loud at seeing him
so thoroughly vanquished. The campaign continued with a visit to the trustees
of her husband's estate, accompanied by the duke, the viscount, Lance, and Seraphina's
chaperone. I cheered to see the duke eviscerate the trustees. I loved watching
the progress of restoring Seraphina's good name, finishing with an outstanding
depiction of the custody hearing.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Lance and Seraphina
develop. Neither has any interest in marriage, but there is no denying the
sparks of attraction that flare between them - though it took Seraphina a
little while to figure out that's what she felt. Lance was amusing with his
frequent reminders that he was NOT developing feelings for her, though he fell
for her quickly. Seraphina thought about Lance all the time but believed he was
way out of her league. He won my heart with his attention and support,
especially when he acted regarding the children. I felt terrible for him when
he muffed his declaration - twice! - and cheered when he finally got it right. He
had to fight past Seraphina's insecurities, but the ending was worth it.
I adored Seraphina's children. We only get glimpses of
them at the beginning of the book, but they get a more significant role later. I
loved the interactions between the children and Lance, who is completely
charmed by them. I loved getting their take on events.
Lance's family was wonderful. Their complete support of Seraphina
was heartwarming, and I loved how she blossomed under their care. I enjoyed
seeing how their opinions of Lance changed throughout the book as they saw the
hero in him emerge.
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