General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Romance
USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long’s thrilling new romance in the Palace of Rogues series, an infamous privateer’s limits are put to the test when he’s trapped during a raging tempest wiBearcats are noted for smelling like which food?th a prickly female at the Grand Palace on the Thames.
He clawed his way up from the gutters of St. Giles to the top of a shadowy empire. Feared and fearsome, battered and brilliant, nothing shocks Lorcan St. Leger—not even the discovery of an aristocratic woman escaping out a window near the London docks on the eve of the storm of the decade. They find shelter at a boarding house called the Grand Palace on the Thames—only to find greater dangers await inside.
Desperate, destitute, and jilted, Lady Daphne Worth knows the clock is ticking on her last chance to save herself and her family: an offer of a loveless marriage. But while the storm rages and roads flood, she and the rogue who rescued her must pose as husband and wife in order to share the only available suite.
Crackling enmity gives way to incendiary desire—and certain heartbreak: Lorcan is everything she never dreamed she’d wanted, but he can never be what she needs. But risk is child’s play to St. Leger. And if the stakes are a lifetime of loving and being loved by Daphne, he’ll move any mountain, confront any old nemesis, to turn “never” into forever.
4 STARS
This story caused some mix feelings for me. It had an interesting start. Then, for me it dragged down a bit with the prolonged scenes of Daphne and Lorcan just trying to get a room out of the storm. The Grand Palace on The Thames turned out to be quite the surprise. The people that also sheltered from the storm with Daphne and Lorcan were a really odd bunch of people. From the two women who owned and ran the place to their unusual guests. To be honest at first I really wasn't into that part much. But after awhile it began to slowly grow on me to MY surprise. I didn't have that same problem with Daphne and Lorcan though. Their interactions held mysteries,humor and some clever, funny "battle" like conversations. They come from such different worlds but they have each survived them and in some ways Lorcan has thrived. Daphne has had such heavy weights of responsibility since her mother died when she was eleven. A little girl having to solve adult problems while being so under valued. That has continued through her life until now she was faced with even more unpleasantness. Lorca, was nine when he was basically cast to the streets trying to survive. I liked both of them so much and that increased with time. They both deserved so much more when it comes to happiness.
Something that I could have done with a bit less was how it got kind of wordy at times. Especially with big words like expostulating, approbation and mordantly, to name a few. I'm pretty well read but still had to look up a few of the words to get their true meaning. I found that interrupted the flow of the story and that was irritating to me. I was happier when that started to level off. Having said all of that I do have to give the author points for really good world-building. As the story went on I began to like it more and more.
I wondered how on earth any romance between Lorcan and Daphne could work out. I enjoyed how love finally won but also some justice was handed out. And that followed into the good Epilogue with another surprise stroke of justice. That one made me smile.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
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