Series:
Lyon's Den (Book 39)
The Widow of Whitehall will get them in the game, but
what are they willing to put on the line for a match?
Ada must marry soon or else she'll lose access to the
trust money her father left her. Can she gamble as Mrs. Dove-Lyon's puffer and
support herself? When she's swept up in the arms of a charming young doctor,
will she find a way to make her luck last?
Alfred dreams of having his own practice on Harley Street
but he doesn't have the money to get started. Before he finds a way to make a
down payment, he loses his heart to a spirited lady gambler. Will he also lose
his head, or can he reconcile love and his career?
Good book with a different twist to it. Mrs. Dove-Lyons has
two young people who are in need of her services, but with the added challenge
of adhering to their Jewish traditions. I liked how the author deftly wove
those traditions into the story without making it feel like it was a religious
text.
Ada is an honorary niece to Mrs. Dove-Lyons, who was
friends with her father. When Ada's father dies, leaving her at the mercy of her
unscrupulous guardian, she knows she needs help accessing her trust. She must
marry, which she isn't ready to do, or wait until she is twenty-five, and she
can't stand to be stuck as an unpaid servant in the Silvers' household that
long. She asks Mrs. Dove-Lyons if she can be a "puffer" (someone who encourages
others to gamble) at the Lyon's Den. That way she can earn enough money to live
on her own until she gets her trust. Mrs. Dove-Lyons agrees, with the caveat
that she pays her a percentage of her winnings. Ada grew up gambling with the
men on her father's ships, and hasn't lost a game since she was fourteen.
Alfred is a pediatric doctor who dreams of having his own
office on Harley Street. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the money needed for
the down payment on the building that just became available. He is good at
gambling, so he goes to the Lyon's Den to win the money he needs. After several
days of winning against the house, he is called into the presence of Mrs.
Dove-Lyons. His plans run counter to what her establishment is known for -
making matches. He has no desire for a wife - yet. But she can't have him wreck
her reputation. So she strikes a bargain - he has two weeks to win what he
needs. If he doesn't, she will find him a suitable match. He lays down a
condition of his own - his match must be Jewish, like himself, among other
things.
That same night, Alfred and Ada encounter each other at
the gambling table. Ada is stunned when she cannot win against him, and he does
not win against her. There is something about him that unnerves her, and after
a disturbing conversation she hopes to avoid him in the future. But fate has
other plans. I loved the incident that brought them together outside the Lyon's
Den, and the immediate connection they had. I loved seeing them get to know
each other, and as they do, fall in love. I was intrigued by their
conversations about their lives and dreams.
There is trouble ahead, because Alfred's future is
pledged to Mrs. Dove-Lyons's plans for him. It was interesting to see Alfred
and Ada work together to find a way to beat the odds, so that Alfred would get
his money and they could be together. They should know that the Black Widow
sees and knows all, and she isn't happy when she discovers the deception. The
confrontation among them was intense but had a surprising outcome given the
circumstances.
Matters become more complicated when Ada gets some
disturbing news about her trust. The people she works for are even more
terrible than she suspected, and what she finds out is devastating to her
plans. I wasn't sure how things would work out in Ada's favor, but the events
at the Den's masquerade ball proved that miracles can happen, even in a
gambling den.
The ending was great, with Mrs. Dove-Lyons keeping her
tradition and reputation undamaged, Alfred and Ada getting what they wanted,
and a new player in town when it comes to making Jewish matches.
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