November 27, 2023
Lloyd sparkles in this unconventional Regency romance, the second in the Rake Chronicles (after When the Duke Loved Me). Henrietta Breminster is determined to pursue her passions, despite the stuffy rules of etiquette guiding London’s polite society. She dreams of starting a lady’s magazine with her best friend, Cassandra, and marrying on her terms, for love. She also decides to sleep with Lord Hartley, jeopardizing her reputation and leading to immense pressure to marry Hartley, a man she does not love and never intended to commit to. Indeed, only one man has her heart: her brother’s best friend, devilishly handsome rake Lord Hugh “Trem” Aldershot, Viscount of Trembley. Trem has known Henrietta since childhood, but seeing her cause a splash in her debut season has made him look at her with new eyes, realizing how beautiful and tempting she’s become. When he overhears Hartley boasting about his night with Henrietta, Trem goes to Henrietta and offers to do whatever he can to save her reputation and beat back Hartley’s continued advances. Readers will love these tenacious, norm-challenging protagonists and root for them to act on their considerable chemistry. Lloyd keeps this series going strong. Agent: Kathy Green, Green Literary.