I think Bryony Grenville might just be my favourite Regency heroine ever, and that’s seriously saying something. She’s amazing, though, a violin prodigy who plays only to please those she loves, a mathematical and business genius who has no choice but to operate under a pseudonym. She sneaks into the hero’s office and when he catches her, she totally disarms him with her unique manner and when he is (rightfully) outraged and called her a couple of unflattering names, she is quite unaccountably delighted because nobody has ever looked at her in that way before. ‘That way’ being as something other than a debutante who is way too unconventional for most men.
Finding a debutante in his office dressed in men’s clothing is the last thing Maxwell Gideon expects. Discovering she knows almost more about his business than he does is a shock, but he’s not above using her brains to help him improve his profit margins. Somehow, she worms herself into his life, and before he knows it, he can’t do without her. Or doesn’t want to, anyway.
I absolutely loved this couple together. The way Max respected Bryony’s unique skills and treated her as an equal was so refreshing, as was Bryony’s attitude. She loved even her demanding mother, but was still determined to live her own life, and on her terms, and Max not only accepted that, he actively aided and abetted her to finding her way forward. The romance between them was just a juicy sidebar to the greater story of character development.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series by Erica Ridley, and this one was the best of the lot, with only minor appearances from characters from earlier books and no need to have read them to understand everything which happened in this one. If you’re not already reading this excellent author, make sure you put this one on your list to read!
Lord of Vice is available now.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.
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