What do you think?
Rate this book
Regency Black Hearts #3
A Lady Like No Other
“Would my lady care to dance?”
“My lady would rather eat a live chicken.”
Beautiful, titled, and wealthy to boot, Lady Lydia Beaufort was expected to have a spectacular London Season. There was just one problem; the eccentric daughter of the Earl of Galway had no intention of becoming the ton’s darling. Especially if it involved humouring the awful herds of fortune hunters and greedy second sons, intent on making her their bride.
All Lydia wanted was to be left alone in peace, to read her beloved Lord Byron. That is until an incorrigible rogue of a Marquess burst into her life, and turned all her ideas about love upside down.
Charming, congenial, and ever so handsome, Gabriel Livingstone, Marquess of Sutherland could have his pick of any of the season’s debutantes, but the only rose he longed to pluck, was the very thorny Lady Beaufort. Just when he thinks he might finally have won her heart, fate, in the form of an Italian Count, a mischievous Gypsy and a political assassination plot, gets in his way.
Can the mismatched pair find their way through all the obstacles life, and London have to offer, to find love?
Read this final instalment of the Regency Black Heart Series to find out…
*This is the third book in the Regency Black Hearts Series but can be read as a standalone novel. It is a clean, friends to lovers themed romance, that will bring a smile to your face – and perhaps a tear or two.*
“My lady would rather eat a live chicken.”
Beautiful, titled, and wealthy to boot, Lady Lydia Beaufort was expected to have a spectacular London Season. There was just one problem; the eccentric daughter of the Earl of Galway had no intention of becoming the ton’s darling. Especially if it involved humouring the awful herds of fortune hunters and greedy second sons, intent on making her their bride.
All Lydia wanted was to be left alone in peace, to read her beloved Lord Byron. That is until an incorrigible rogue of a Marquess burst into her life, and turned all her ideas about love upside down.
Charming, congenial, and ever so handsome, Gabriel Livingstone, Marquess of Sutherland could have his pick of any of the season’s debutantes, but the only rose he longed to pluck, was the very thorny Lady Beaufort. Just when he thinks he might finally have won her heart, fate, in the form of an Italian Count, a mischievous Gypsy and a political assassination plot, gets in his way.
Can the mismatched pair find their way through all the obstacles life, and London have to offer, to find love?
Read this final instalment of the Regency Black Heart Series to find out…
*This is the third book in the Regency Black Hearts Series but can be read as a standalone novel. It is a clean, friends to lovers themed romance, that will bring a smile to your face – and perhaps a tear or two.*
151 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2017
332 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Claudia Stone
34 books143 followersClaudia Stone was born in South Africa but moved to Plymouth as a young girl. Having trained as an actress at RADA, she moved to New York to pursue her dream of acting on Broadway in 1988. She never did see her name in lights, but she did meet a wonderful Irishman called Conal who whisked her away to the wilds of Kerry, where she has lived ever since.
Claudia and Conal have three children, a dairy farm and a boisterous, black lab called Buddy. When she has any time left over, Claudia enjoys reading Regency as well as writing it.
You can also connect with Claudia on Facebook:
fb.me/ClaudiaStoneAuthor
Claudia and Conal have three children, a dairy farm and a boisterous, black lab called Buddy. When she has any time left over, Claudia enjoys reading Regency as well as writing it.
You can also connect with Claudia on Facebook:
fb.me/ClaudiaStoneAuthor
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 7, 2021
2.25 stars.
I'm sorry, but this wasn't that great. I wished that there weren't so many references to the H's experience and past. At least it was clean, which I appreciated.
I'm sorry, but this wasn't that great. I wished that there weren't so many references to the H's experience and past. At least it was clean, which I appreciated.
January 11, 2024
Gabriel, the Marquis of Sutherland, had long fallen in love with the eccentric cousin of his friend, Sebastian Black. But Lady Lydia was determined not to marry and Gabe had no desire to lose her as a friend. Lydia had had a heartbreaking childhood. As a toddler she had taken a fever. The same illness killed her pregnant mother and her two older sisters. She carried a miniature of them with her everywhere and told would be suitors that it was a miniature of Lord Byron, the poet. The only men interested in her were fortune hunters and between Lord Byron and her rudeness, most of them considered her crazy.
She also visited a gypsy fortune teller, hoping to speak to her mother. When the gypsy says that her mother said that her future husband was an Italian Count, and then she meets one at a ball, she’s confused.
I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to everyone.
She also visited a gypsy fortune teller, hoping to speak to her mother. When the gypsy says that her mother said that her future husband was an Italian Count, and then she meets one at a ball, she’s confused.
I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to everyone.
May 29, 2021
Fun, touching & immensely entertaining!
Dynamite chemistry from their first cameo in book 1 made Lydia and Gabriel's tale a must read for me as it was nothing short of delightful.
Misunderstandings, sharp wit, smouldering chemistry, scheming, a spot of covert intrigue, greedy unhinged villiany and kidnap all have a part to play in making this one highly enjoyable, well written end to the series.
Original Lydia is a captivating mix of strength and fragility, intelligence and naivety but above all I loved the fact she had the aptitude to rescue herself. It's therefore no wonder charismatic Gabriel became smitten with her from first sight. However, as flourishing friendship buds into increasing allure and desire finds him resorting to hinting at the intensity of his feelings - through their delicious sparring, teasing banter and the occasional disheartening bickering - can he finally penetrate her steel shield, enforced by her quick wit and brash quips, to rescue the lost, hurting and floundering girl that hides beneath the sass and fire? It was so fun finding out!
Their flaws, vulnerabilities and hesitancy is relatable and the plot really held my attention as the characters, including the subcharacters, are so well defined they sprung from the page and sparked into life. Making me smile, laugh and cry right alongside them.
A tale and series that really entwined me in heartfelt highjinxs and touching revelations to the point I truly enjoyed every minute of my time spent reading each!
Overall, a fab 'friendship to lovers' tale that can be read as a standalone but I recommend you read them in order to get a better taste and understanding for the characters, how they met and simply to enjoy all the sparks that fly hot, between the pair, as you won't want to miss any of their verbal duelling in each of the cameo appearances they make in the two previous books!! Well worth a read !!!
[Ooh and on an aside, please say this won't be the last we hear from Theo and Kitty - I really hope they get a chance at a happily ever after too]
Dynamite chemistry from their first cameo in book 1 made Lydia and Gabriel's tale a must read for me as it was nothing short of delightful.
Misunderstandings, sharp wit, smouldering chemistry, scheming, a spot of covert intrigue, greedy unhinged villiany and kidnap all have a part to play in making this one highly enjoyable, well written end to the series.
Original Lydia is a captivating mix of strength and fragility, intelligence and naivety but above all I loved the fact she had the aptitude to rescue herself. It's therefore no wonder charismatic Gabriel became smitten with her from first sight. However, as flourishing friendship buds into increasing allure and desire finds him resorting to hinting at the intensity of his feelings - through their delicious sparring, teasing banter and the occasional disheartening bickering - can he finally penetrate her steel shield, enforced by her quick wit and brash quips, to rescue the lost, hurting and floundering girl that hides beneath the sass and fire? It was so fun finding out!
Their flaws, vulnerabilities and hesitancy is relatable and the plot really held my attention as the characters, including the subcharacters, are so well defined they sprung from the page and sparked into life. Making me smile, laugh and cry right alongside them.
A tale and series that really entwined me in heartfelt highjinxs and touching revelations to the point I truly enjoyed every minute of my time spent reading each!
Overall, a fab 'friendship to lovers' tale that can be read as a standalone but I recommend you read them in order to get a better taste and understanding for the characters, how they met and simply to enjoy all the sparks that fly hot, between the pair, as you won't want to miss any of their verbal duelling in each of the cameo appearances they make in the two previous books!! Well worth a read !!!
[Ooh and on an aside, please say this won't be the last we hear from Theo and Kitty - I really hope they get a chance at a happily ever after too]
March 27, 2020
This is my review of the audio version as posted on Audible:
That's the third in The Regency Black Hearts romance series, and I liked it as well as the first two.
It's time for Lydia's story, which makes me happy cause I really liked her character in book two (and we share more than just the first name:)). Lydia is not your typical aristicratic maid waiting to catch a rich husband; to tell the truth, what she thinks of most of the men she meets at all the ballrooms she frequents shouldn't be mentioned in a genteel society...:) There are only a few men she regards worth knowing and one of them is her friend Gabriel Livingstone, Marquess of Sutherland. But is it only friendship between them? Or does Gabriel want more? And is she ready to give him more...?
Again, it's a nicely-paced romance, with some twists in the plotline that threaten the subtle thread of growing love; also, the background characters are very-well portrayed with just a few words, without lengthy descriptions. I really liked Lydia's French maid, and Carmen, the "Gypsy" was quite colourful:) Generally, there's humour, there's warmth, there's also adventure, and of course there is the HEA - do you need more in a romance?
As with the previous books, I really liked Ms Ferguson's interpretation; she does bring the characters to life with her voice, she does make them shine and she does make the story intriguing and unputdownable. The only thing that I would change is the pace of her reading - I did speed it up a bit (but I do it with other narrators, too, co maybe it's just me...).
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
That's the third in The Regency Black Hearts romance series, and I liked it as well as the first two.
It's time for Lydia's story, which makes me happy cause I really liked her character in book two (and we share more than just the first name:)). Lydia is not your typical aristicratic maid waiting to catch a rich husband; to tell the truth, what she thinks of most of the men she meets at all the ballrooms she frequents shouldn't be mentioned in a genteel society...:) There are only a few men she regards worth knowing and one of them is her friend Gabriel Livingstone, Marquess of Sutherland. But is it only friendship between them? Or does Gabriel want more? And is she ready to give him more...?
Again, it's a nicely-paced romance, with some twists in the plotline that threaten the subtle thread of growing love; also, the background characters are very-well portrayed with just a few words, without lengthy descriptions. I really liked Lydia's French maid, and Carmen, the "Gypsy" was quite colourful:) Generally, there's humour, there's warmth, there's also adventure, and of course there is the HEA - do you need more in a romance?
As with the previous books, I really liked Ms Ferguson's interpretation; she does bring the characters to life with her voice, she does make them shine and she does make the story intriguing and unputdownable. The only thing that I would change is the pace of her reading - I did speed it up a bit (but I do it with other narrators, too, co maybe it's just me...).
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
December 16, 2018
An Incomparable
The fragility of life when a fever or rash can take away an entire family is not so far behind us, as is pointed out toward the beginning of our story. Reared independently in the absence of mother or sisters, our heroine refuses to be the pattern card of propriety idealized by a rigid society whose idea is to self-perpetuate and maintain control of land, wealth and government. But despite some of the darker issues touched on within the plot, author Claudia Stone follows Georgette Heyer's use of gentle humor and comparative absurdity to provide an amusing and captivating tale. Narrator Virginia Ferguson beautifully captures a variety of accents and speech patterns as she distinguishes each character in the tableau.
The fragility of life when a fever or rash can take away an entire family is not so far behind us, as is pointed out toward the beginning of our story. Reared independently in the absence of mother or sisters, our heroine refuses to be the pattern card of propriety idealized by a rigid society whose idea is to self-perpetuate and maintain control of land, wealth and government. But despite some of the darker issues touched on within the plot, author Claudia Stone follows Georgette Heyer's use of gentle humor and comparative absurdity to provide an amusing and captivating tale. Narrator Virginia Ferguson beautifully captures a variety of accents and speech patterns as she distinguishes each character in the tableau.
December 27, 2025
I liked this one the best I think, it has that warm friends to lovers vibe but the love was really nice
This time we follow Lydia, the cousin and Michael and Sebastian, she refuses to marry out of fear of losing the people she loves specially after she lost her mother and sisters when she was a child, everyone is trying to convince her that marriage is good for her, specially Gabriel ( we met his in the second book as Sebastian's friend ) they are friends but he wishes if they were more, can he convince her of his intentions ?
I'm surprised that this series came before Bridgeton's show, otherwise I would've said the show heavily influenced the books, it really reminded me of that world, so If you miss the Bridgeton's but want a less spicy version this one is nice to read
This time we follow Lydia, the cousin and Michael and Sebastian, she refuses to marry out of fear of losing the people she loves specially after she lost her mother and sisters when she was a child, everyone is trying to convince her that marriage is good for her, specially Gabriel ( we met his in the second book as Sebastian's friend ) they are friends but he wishes if they were more, can he convince her of his intentions ?
I'm surprised that this series came before Bridgeton's show, otherwise I would've said the show heavily influenced the books, it really reminded me of that world, so If you miss the Bridgeton's but want a less spicy version this one is nice to read
June 24, 2023
The story of Lady Lydia and the Marquess of Sutherland has weaved through all three of these stories, culminating in their romance in this last book. Lady Lydia is a difficult member of the ton. Readers may have wondered about her backstory and her disinterest in marriage. It all becomes clear here.
The author is growing in expertise, and this novel is delightful. There's humor and pathos aplenty. I'm so sorry this series has ended. However, Claudia Stone has other series' to enjoy.
Regency Black Hearts
1. Proposing to a Duke (2017)
2. The Duke's Brother (2017)
** 3. A Lady Like No Other (2017)
The author is growing in expertise, and this novel is delightful. There's humor and pathos aplenty. I'm so sorry this series has ended. However, Claudia Stone has other series' to enjoy.
Regency Black Hearts
1. Proposing to a Duke (2017)
2. The Duke's Brother (2017)
** 3. A Lady Like No Other (2017)
August 17, 2017
Charming, fun, sweet and really really good!
I've enjoyed this novel so much! Simply put, a well written story that is hard to put down. Characters who are interesting, fun and somewhat crazy at times. Superbly written tale of sweet love and sweeter restoration of a family. I definitely recommend!!!!
I've enjoyed this novel so much! Simply put, a well written story that is hard to put down. Characters who are interesting, fun and somewhat crazy at times. Superbly written tale of sweet love and sweeter restoration of a family. I definitely recommend!!!!
October 26, 2017
Excellent wrap-up to this series. The characters are charming, flawed, and endearing. Gabriel and Lydia, probably my favorite couple of the series too. They have such a good friendship and they both can't seem to see what's right in front of them. The love they both have for one another.
CONTENT Romance: Mild innuendos - PG (fade to black). Language, none. Violence, none.
CONTENT Romance: Mild innuendos - PG (fade to black). Language, none. Violence, none.
September 12, 2021
Totally wonderful
Loved loved loved this book. It made me sad, it made me happy, it made me laugh out loud, and it made me sigh with relief. The dialogue was wonderful, the characters were well defined and lovable. Although the storyline wasn’t completely original, it nevertheless had lots of original moments. Thank you for a wonderful read.
Loved loved loved this book. It made me sad, it made me happy, it made me laugh out loud, and it made me sigh with relief. The dialogue was wonderful, the characters were well defined and lovable. Although the storyline wasn’t completely original, it nevertheless had lots of original moments. Thank you for a wonderful read.
April 16, 2018
Great romantic story
Claudia Stone has quite the gift for crafting interesting regency romances with plot twists and humor sure to delight the reader. Wish there were more to this series.
Claudia Stone has quite the gift for crafting interesting regency romances with plot twists and humor sure to delight the reader. Wish there were more to this series.
April 30, 2018
I like recency romances. Are they really a true representation of the time. I have no idea but they are fun. The lady like no other is saucy, sassy and definitely speaks her mind. In doing so she catches the interest and the eye of the young man who has no interest in being caught.
December 15, 2019
Romance
Twenty words is a lot for a review. Reader should have the option of leaving just the stars rating and/ or the number of words they wish. None of this is the authors doing so the complaint is for Amazon and the author get as the five stars for an enjoyable story
Twenty words is a lot for a review. Reader should have the option of leaving just the stars rating and/ or the number of words they wish. None of this is the authors doing so the complaint is for Amazon and the author get as the five stars for an enjoyable story
April 16, 2020
Lady like no other.
This book while your attention through out the book. Clean story with a little mystery. I enjoyed reading 📚 by Claudia Stone. I have read some of her other ones and I am never disappointed.
This book while your attention through out the book. Clean story with a little mystery. I enjoyed reading 📚 by Claudia Stone. I have read some of her other ones and I am never disappointed.
October 15, 2017
Very good
I enjoyed all three books in this series. The stories were entertaining, the characters were all very interesting and the books were easy to read in a short time.
I enjoyed all three books in this series. The stories were entertaining, the characters were all very interesting and the books were easy to read in a short time.
December 14, 2017
Thank you
Love reading romance novels series books. Would love to read more series books. Thank you very much for these books.
Love reading romance novels series books. Would love to read more series books. Thank you very much for these books.
October 11, 2018
Very Good
You .just read all 3 of this series. Claudia Stone writes good recency romance books.I do so love a happy ending.
You .just read all 3 of this series. Claudia Stone writes good recency romance books.I do so love a happy ending.
February 8, 2020
The best, I loved that they were friends.
April 5, 2020
Did not like the heroin.
May 20, 2020
(3.5)
The fact that I enjoyed this book even when friends to lovers is my most hated trope should speak volumes for how well Claudia Stone writes.
The fact that I enjoyed this book even when friends to lovers is my most hated trope should speak volumes for how well Claudia Stone writes.
September 16, 2022
sweet and funny
Lydia is super cool character….so head strong and full of life. Loved the funny banter and the lovely romance. Fun read.
Lydia is super cool character….so head strong and full of life. Loved the funny banter and the lovely romance. Fun read.
September 11, 2019
I think this was better than the first and second book in this series. This was about Lydia and Gabriel who were best friends but were also in love with one another but didn’t want to admit it. And it was about a fortune teller that Lydia kept going to because they kept telling Lydia she could communicate with the dead and Lydia was hoping to talk to her mother and two sisters who all 3 died on the same night of a fever. Finally, Lydia realized that that wasn’t going to happen, and all kinds of things went wrong, then turned out right.
As to the narration: This was free with KU and the audible was free with the Romance Package, so it didn’t cost me anything if the narrator was bad. However, Virginia Ferguson wasn’t half bad. Her men sounded almost manly so it wasn’t enough to make it unbearable. Occasionally she would forget if it were a man or woman talking but there really wasn’t a cringe-worthy moment for me. I would recommend this novella.
As to the narration: This was free with KU and the audible was free with the Romance Package, so it didn’t cost me anything if the narrator was bad. However, Virginia Ferguson wasn’t half bad. Her men sounded almost manly so it wasn’t enough to make it unbearable. Occasionally she would forget if it were a man or woman talking but there really wasn’t a cringe-worthy moment for me. I would recommend this novella.
August 22, 2017
Love it!
Such a great series! This was an awesome series and this book is wonderful! I love the characters and how they grow through the series. Gabe and Lydia were such great characters and was so excited to read this book and see their love grow.
Such a great series! This was an awesome series and this book is wonderful! I love the characters and how they grow through the series. Gabe and Lydia were such great characters and was so excited to read this book and see their love grow.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews