Author: Julie Anne LongSeries: The Palace of Rogues #1
Audience: Over 18
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: February 26th 2019
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: Harper Collins
Blurb (from Goodreads):
A mistress. A mountain of debt. A mysterious wreck of a building.*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.
Delilah Swanpoole, Countess of Derring, learns the hard way that her husband, “Dear Dull Derring,” is a lot more interesting—and perfidious—dead than alive. It’s a devil of an inheritance, but in the grand ruins of the one building Derring left her, are the seeds of her liberation. And she vows never again to place herself at the mercy of a man.
But battle-hardened Captain Tristan Hardy is nothing if not merciless. When the charismatic naval hero tracks a notorious smuggler to a London boarding house known as the Rogue’s Palace, seducing the beautiful, blue-blooded proprietress to get his man seems like a small sacrifice.
They both believe love is a myth. But a desire beyond reason threatens to destroy the armor around their hearts. Now a shattering decision looms: Will Tristan betray his own code of honor…or choose a love that might be the truest thing he’s ever known?
My journey in the land of Historical Romance continues this time with one of Julie Anne Long's books. She's been another author I've seen everywhere in this genre, and many have loved her books, and I can understand why. This was my first book by JAL, but I can tell you that I'll try delving into her backlist soon.
Lady Derring Takes A Lover is the story of Delilah and Tristan. Delilah is a young widow trying to
survive the poverty she finds herself in now that her husband died, and Tristan is a man on a mission to uncover Derring's secrets, and if Delilah was in on his smuggling business.
I really loved Delilah. At first I thought she was a bit uptight, but as I kept reading I realized she was just a lost young woman being alone for the first time in her life, with nothing to call her own, with a dire future ahead of her. She tried to make the best of what she had, and she did an amazing job. She was actually inspiring in a way, her willingness to not judge other people, her desire to own something, to make something of herself even in a society dominated by men. I loved what she did for Angelique and Dot, keeping them under her wing. She was also very sarcastic and I loved that about her.
Tristan was an odd guy. He was very scary at first, but being close to Delilah made him open up. I liked him, I liked his quick wit and his banter with Delilah, his chemistry with her. and I liked how funny he could be. He's a man of few words, and a man of many secrets. He was a mystery from the start, and trying to discover what he was hiding underneath his closed-off exterior was an interesting experience.
The pacing wasn't as fast as I initially hoped, but I was still able to read this book very fast. I loved the wit and the humor, just as I enjoyed the more serious scenes. I can honestly say I understand now why people kept recommending Julie Anne Long's books in the past, and I'll definitely keep reading her books in the future.
All in all, I truly enjoyed reading this book. I'm looking forward to Angelique's book, because I truly loved her. If you like historical romances, you should definitely give this book a try.
EXCERPT
She’d taken two steps when he said, his voice raised only a little, “Lady Derring . . . somethingpuzzles me.”
She halted.
Closed her eyes.
Took a shuddering breath for courage.
Turned back to him. From the relatively safe distance of three feet, she said, “Surely not. We’ve established you know everything.”
His smile was small and patient. “You seem to excel at so very much here at The Grand Palace on the Thames. Yet you can’t seem to disguise how much you want me.”
AUTHOR BIO
USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long originally set out to be a rock star when she grew up (and she has the guitars and fringed clothing stuffed in the back of her closet to prove it), but writing was always her first love. Since hanging up her guitar for the computer keyboard, her books frequently top reader and critic polls and have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Rita, Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice, and The Quills, and reviewers have been known to use words like “dazzling,” “brilliant,” and “impossible to put down” when describing them. Julie lives in Northern California.
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