Thursday, August 30, 2018

BOOK REVIEW- Lord of Vice -Rogues to Riches (#6) by Erica Ridley

Lord of Vice: Regency Romance Novel (Rogues to Riches Book 6) by [Ridley, Erica]
Vice merchant Maxwell Gideon is wickedly handsome, sinfully arrogant, and devilishly ruthless. Rumor has it, his gaming hell has the power to steal souls and grant miracles. Truth is, Max only owns half of The Cloven Hoof. He’d buy out his silent partner if he knew the man’s identity. But it’s hard to focus on business matters when a fallen angel tumbles right into one’s lap…

Miss Bryony Grenville has a well-earned reputation as an unrepentant hoyden. But even the gossipiest of the pinch-faced matrons ruling High Society could never imagine the daughter of a baron secretly financing the ton’s most infamous gambling parlor. Its maddening, sexy proprietor doesn’t suspect a thing… and two can play at temptation!   AMAZON   4.5 STARS

Man, I really liked this story.  A lot of that rests squarely on the shoulders of Bryony Grenville.  What a great, smart but impish character.  In a time when women held no power over their own lives when they couldn't even own property, she got around some of those rules pretty darn cleverly. Of course she had the help of a family member, who loved her and wanted to see her put her skills together.  Her mind would have been a senseless thing to waste.  She didn't see things the way others did and that also applied to business opportunities.  She was smart mathematically and could trace patterns and trends by intelligent study.   
Maxwell Gideon or "Max" as he was often called in the story, he also saw opportunities but only had himself to rely on in the beginning.  He pulled himself from poverty and built something strong and lasting.  His whole life people looked down on him because he wasn't titled, or part of the elite "ton".  He came from parents who were good people who worked hard but struggled to make a living.  His non "ton" title of Lord of Vice was such a lightweight title because there was so much more to him. And he's  made uncomfortable when he realized Bryony seems to see beyond the surface.  
Bryony has a lovely, unorthodox, loving family and it was fun to see how her siblings interacted.  They were a real family with all pretension set aside.  Well, except for the social climbing mother and the sometimes absent father.   Her mother did want what was best for her children including Bryony.  She just felt like she knew best and didn't think what her daughter wanted mattered.  Oh you know that is going to hit the fan sooner or later.  Even though Bryony loves her family, her mother included.  She does recognize that she can't ever seem to please her though.  That I didn't like. 
Max has one sister, Frances that he loves and so wants to help, if only she would let him.  But pride and making one's own way is strong in that family and not just in the men.  But then again, there were also some funny moments with his sister too. 
There is emotion in this story as well as humor.  Some of the humor comes in when Max doesn't know how to handle the unusual Bryony.  She is irrepressible.  That was the word that came to mind when thinking about her in this story.  In Max's words though, she brought color into his life.   That was for sure and along with that came some adventures that is not something that Society would favor but made for a good story.
The ending?  It was a good one with a Epilogue to round things out.  

I received a Advanced Readers Copy of this book via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion of it.





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