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Lady Derring Takes a Lover

(The Palace of Rogues #1)

Julie Anne Long (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 1,215 ratings · 271 reviews

A mistress. A mountain of debt. A mysterious wreck of a building.

Delilah Swanpool, 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 ...more

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Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Published February 26th 2019 by Avon

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Jan 27, 2019 WhiskeyintheJar/Kyraryker rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical, series, regency

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

No one, particularly not her late husband, had ever valued her for wits. Oh, but she possessed them.

Starting off the Palace of the Rogues series, Lady Derring Takes a Lover, is a magnificent return to historicals for Long. The first thirty percent of the book was perfection with our heroine Delilah being told by her solicitor that her late husband was in massive debt an ...more

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Feb 28, 2019 Caz rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, romance-1800-1850, romance-regency, 4-and-5-star-books

4.5 stars/B+.

Confession time: I still haven’t managed to read all of Julie Anne Long’s Pennyroyal Green series. I’ve read four or five of the books, and the rest are on my TBR Pile of Doom; I think the series started before I got into romance reading in a big way, and I just haven’t found the time to catch up yet (and this isn’t the only author/series/book that applies to!)

Fortunately for me, though, I get to be in on the ground floor of the author’s latest series, The Palace of Rogues , wh ...more

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Aug 21, 2018 Sher❤ The Fabulous BookLover rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-read, fbiss

Solid 3.5 Stars

I love JAL’s books, the humor, her writing and dialogue is what usually makes it a hit read for me, but I just wasn’t as engaged with this story the way I wanted to be. It definitely has that first book in the series syndrome.

But with that said, I’m very excited for book 2!🙌🏽

________________________________________

OMG she's writing historicals again!!!!🙌🏽

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Oct 18, 2018 Christie«SHBBblogger» rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical, set-in-england, top-shelf-quality, part-of-a-series, sweet-and-light, advanced-copy, feb-2019

Title: Lady Derring Takes a Lover
Series: The Palace of Rogues #1
Author: Julie Anne Long
Release date: February 26, 2019
Cliffhanger: No
Genre: historical romance

This is my first Julie Anne Long book! I know, I know. Where have I been? Thanks to my girl Astrid (once again) I've found another author to faithfully follow in the genre. I think this is going to be the year I fully get back into historical romance because I have been enjoying an amazing run in the past couple of months with them! Julie Anne Long has such a distinct style to her writing that sets her apart frNo
2019
Long
Release#1
Lover
...more

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Mar 08, 2019 Starr (AKA Bam Bam) Rivers rated it liked it

Shelves: favorite-authors, historical-romance

Unfortunately, despite the gorgeous writing (see all the highlights I have!) I will have to give this book 3.5 starts rounded down to 3. Good writing doesn’t always win the day after all.

Now, Julie Anne Long is one of my very favorite if not THE favorite HR author’s, and I’ve been breathless with anticipation for her latest HR release. (I enjoyed her contemporary roms but not nearly as much. None of them would be 5 stars for me). So a 3.5 might also be related to the fact that I have higher standards fo ...more

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May 05, 2019 Jacob Proffitt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, steamy

This was an interesting story that mostly worked. I loved Delilah pretty much from the start. She finds herself penniless after her husband dies and I loved how determined she is and resourceful and courageous. I particularly liked her efforts to create a family from those willing to stick with her—including her husband's equally-destitute mistress. Seriously, the friendship between her and Angelique was outstanding and the secondary cast of mismatched characters was delightful.

The m ...more

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Mar 12, 2019 Mei rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical

Very nice!

I liked the idea of wife and her late husband's lover joining forces to survive in the men's world! Well done!

I liked also how little things were introduced to make lighter the otherwise difficult moment in both women's lives! Like the maid, Dot! Or like the rules they have for the guests of the boardinghouse!

The romance between Delilah and Tristan was credible and their banter was great! I just could see them!

What I didn't find particula ...more

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Oct 30, 2019 Ursula rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adorable-heroine, historical-romance, slow-burn, adorable-hero, alpha-and-beta-hero-in-one, emotional-rollercoaster, sweet-and-sexy, 5-stars, independent-woman, angsty-goodness

This was everything an HR should be: subtle, charming, moving, sensual and witty.

When Lady Delilah Derring is widowed, she discovers that she is not the only one who has been left penniless and alone, as she discovers her husband’s estate was ruined. His mistress is also in a similar position, and the two women have the misfortune (or so she believes it to be, initially) to meet at the solicitor’s office where he has unctuously just informed her of her impecunious state. Her shock at there even ...more

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Mar 01, 2019 OLT rated it really liked it

Yay, she's back! Julie Anne Long took a break from historical romances after finishing up her Pennyroyal Green series in 2015 and ventured into contemporary romance, relatively successfully. But I prefer HRs and have always been fond of the way JAL writes romance. You can feel the chemistry between H and h and the attraction and relationship build rather slowly, the way I like it.

This is the start to a new HR series and began as a 5-star book for me. How can you not love a story that Yay, she's back! Julie Anne Long took a break from historical romances after finishing up her Pennyroyal Green series in 2015 and ventured into contemporary romance, relatively successfully. But I prefer HRs and have always been fond of the way JAL writes romance. You can feel the chemistry between H and h and the attraction and relationship build rather slowly, the way I like it.

This is the start to a new HR series and began as a 5-star book for me. How can you not love a story that begins with the development of friendship between a young widow and her late husband's mistress? Especially when written cleverly by Long.

Delilah Swanpoole, Countess of Derring, hadn't exactly loved her husband, but she had been living what she thought was a safe, comfortable life. Then he up and dies, leaving her penniless and with nothing but a derelict old building by the docks. As she goes to check on that "inheritance", she accidentally meets up with Angelique Breedlove, who she learns was her husband's mistress and whom he has also left in financial straits. What to do, when they discover themselves simpatico, but go into business together and convert that old building into a boardinghouse to be named The Grand Palace on the Thames.

The budding friendship is great. I may have been even fonder of the female bonding in this book than of the romance between H and h. At first acquaintance, at the pub next door to Delilah's inheritance, they drink glasses of sherry, toasting the memory of "dear, dull, dead Derring." Long's clever descriptive turns of phrase show up often. For example, when Delilah and Angelique are just beginning to get to know each other, "Mrs. Breedlove tipped her head and studied Delilah as if she were a cunning little jewel box and she'd just noticed she had a hidden compartment."

I thoroughly enjoyed the relationships of Delilah, Angelique and Delilah's amusingly incompetent maid Dot as they prepare the building to serve as a boardinghouse. Delilah is somewhat naive and innocent, having lived a more sheltered life, first with her family, and then married to an earl, and Angelique more worldly-wise and sophisticated. But Delilah notes that Angelique "might be sophisticated and clever and jaded but...acquired her polish the way gems in a tumbler do." Yes, she's been knocked around a bit by life.

Both women have reached the conclusion that they would be much better off on their own, with nary a man in their lives. The late Earl of Derring is revealed to be a sorry sort and a real dud as a husband and as a lover. And Angelique has had even more disappointments from the various men in her life. So they create a cozy, comfortable place for themselves and for the many (they hope) guests who will pay to stay at The Grand Palace on the Thames. It will be a boardinghouse with rules, among them (1) four meals a week with all guests together to make sure everyone meets everyone else, (2) no "entertaining" anyone of the opposite sex alone in one's rented room, and (3) no swearing, with a swear jar to enforce this rule. Almost like a family.

The guests only trickle in, unfortunately. But among the few who sign on are two strange, shy sisters, a traveling salesman, and our hero, Captain Tristan Hardy. Captain Hardy is there to investigate a smuggling ring which he suspects has a connection to this boardinghouse, especially considering that the late Earl of Derring had been under suspicion. Is Delilah continuing Derring's possible illegal activities? But whether or not Tristan suspects Delilah of wrongdoing, he can't help but be attracted to her.

And so it goes. The romance is lovely but not the best JAL has ever done. The mystery about the smuggling is not particularly compelling, a few of the characters who come to stay at the Palace left me wondering why they had been included, but the various personal relationships (Delilah-Angelique, Delilah-Dot, Delilah-Tristan, and Tristan and his cohort Massey) and Long's writing skills were enough to convince me to round my 3.5 stars to 4. ...more

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Mar 01, 2019 Jan rated it liked it

Shelves: historical

3 to 3.5 stars. I was excited to read a new Julie Anne Long HR, and first in a new series too. But I was a little disappointed once I actually read it. Some magical something seemed to be missing from the book. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't wonderful for me, either.

The setup is decent. I felt for both Lady Derring and her offsider Mrs Breedlove at the start of the book. The Palace of Rogues is a good concept to build a book and a series on. I liked Captain Hardy, and I didn't mind that he's not ...more

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Mar 22, 2019 Blackjack rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: published-2019, books-i-own, 2019-favorite-books

4.5 - A-

I did not realize how much I missed Julie Anne Long's historical romances until I read this first book in her new The Palace of Rogue series. While it's not my absolute favorite book from her, it is really good, just flat out fun to read, and offers a peek into what promises to be a fabulous series.

Delilah Derring has spent her young life raised to be a trophy wife to a rich man. Shuffled from her father's home to her new husband's home, she has absorbed the lesso 4.5 - A-

I did not realize how much I missed Julie Anne Long's historical romances until I read this first book in her new The Palace of Rogue series. While it's not my absolute favorite book from her, it is really good, just flat out fun to read, and offers a peek into what promises to be a fabulous series.

Delilah Derring has spent her young life raised to be a trophy wife to a rich man. Shuffled from her father's home to her new husband's home, she has absorbed the lessons young women are taught, which is that their looks and meek manner are all that's needed to succeed in the world. The sudden death of her cad of a husband and the immediate discovery that he has left her indebted, except for an abandoned building on the waterfront, moves her toward a sharp evaluation of who she is and what future she might have. The entrance of Angelique, her husband's mistress, allows her for the first time in her life to forge a genuine friendship with a woman, and their relationship changes Delilah's outlook on life dramatically. She may not need a man to survive or even to be happy, and by making use of the abandoned building as her only resource, she discovers that even "family" can be manufactured. The motley crew of people coming and going from the boardinghouse makes up a good part of the fun of this book, and Delilah and Angelique are able to use their skills to create a home in the unfriendliest of places.

Tristan Hardy, the hero of the story, enters a bit later than most traditional romances, but given the emphasis on women succeeding in life without male oversight, it seems fitting that Tristan is initially de-centered. Once he makes his entrance at the boardinghouse though, he is just as fascinating as Delilah and Angelique. Tristan's story represents the mystery of the abandoned building since he works on behalf of the British crown to investigate gang activities. Initially wary of the paradox of women creating a warm and hospital boardinghouse on the docks, he is won over by Delilah's goodness and trust in humanity. And though he is amused by Delilah's earnest proclamation at least once per each chapter that the home is entitled The Grand Palace on the Thames, it's not long before Tristan soon finds himself correcting others on the building's name as a sign of his downfall and growing love and respect for Delilah.

The book is filled with yearning and flirting between Delilah and Tristan as only JAL can do it, and though the conflict around Tristan's secret purpose represents the central conflict to a romance between the two, the resolution is very satisfying. I did wish for a few more scenes earlier between the two as their transition from flirtation to lovers came a bit quickly. I think an additional couple of chapters would have helped in this respect. Still, this is a lovely first book in a series that I hope will be around for a long time. And, oh my gosh, does it end with a cliffhanger for Angelique's upcoming book. ...more

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Mar 12, 2019 Beanbag Love rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Actually 3.5 but I'll round up for love of JAL.

This one had a similar feel to Long's "It Started with a Scandal" where the love interests low key dance around each other as the sexual/romantic tension builds. That book was incredibly successful in that effort and it's one of my favorites of the Pennyroyal Green series. The tension between those two leads crackles (what a 'historical romance' way to say it, but it's true) while the tension in this one felt repetitive and needlessly frustrating.< Actually 3.5 but I'll round up for love of JAL.

This one had a similar feel to Long's "It Started with a Scandal" where the love interests low key dance around each other as the sexual/romantic tension builds. That book was incredibly successful in that effort and it's one of my favorites of the Pennyroyal Green series. The tension between those two leads crackles (what a 'historical romance' way to say it, but it's true) while the tension in this one felt repetitive and needlessly frustrating.

Delilah, Lady Derring, is recently widowed, her husband leaving her financially destitute. The only thing he actually owned that can be passed on to her is a building by the docks. She decides to create a boarding house with it and she manages to make that a very positive effort. She is a lovely character and I really liked her kindness.

Capt. Tristan Hardy was born in St. Giles, joined the crew of a ship at 10 years old and worked his way into being one of the top criminal investigators to the king himself. He's an interesting and appealing character, but I wish he had more action. He's been tasked with finding and bringing to justice a gang of cigar smugglers.

Why would the king care about cigar smuggling? Because in the course of their misdeeds, the gang managed to murder a husband, wife and their two children by setting fire to their home while they were in it. This would make for a good, stressful backdrop for the romance and the story arc, you'd think. But it doesn't and I'm trying to figure out why it doesn't feel more urgent. The only thing I can come up with is that all Tristan seems to be thinking about is cigars. It's easy to forget that there is a family that has been murdered. This is not some goofball, cigar smuggling operation, this is a vicious gang of murderous thugs. That, I think, should have been at the forefront of this thoughts. The idea that Delilah and her guests could be in imminent danger.

I'm not sure why the slow flame of "It Started with a Scandal" worked so well for me while this one fell a bit flat until the last 20%. But this last 20% is where the story really comes together and cemented me as a reader of this series. It was poignant and funny and romantic. Classic JAL. It just took a while to get there for me. YMMV. ...more

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Mar 07, 2019 Jultri rated it liked it

JAL's long awaited return to HR with book one of a brand new series. Did it thrill me? No, not quite but neither was I too disappointed. She spends time setting up the stage for her series and hence it was expected that the main characters and plotline in this book would be compromised somewhat.

The introductory chapters of this book were enjoyable as we meet two strong female characters in the heroine, the newly widowed Lady Delilah Derring, and her husband's mistress, Angelique Breedlove(!). F JAL's long awaited return to HR with book one of a brand new series. Did it thrill me? No, not quite but neither was I too disappointed. She spends time setting up the stage for her series and hence it was expected that the main characters and plotline in this book would be compromised somewhat.

The introductory chapters of this book were enjoyable as we meet two strong female characters in the heroine, the newly widowed Lady Delilah Derring, and her husband's mistress, Angelique Breedlove(!). From their first encounter at the late Lord Derring's solicitor's office, these two intelligent women manage to maintain their dignity and keep their heads held high in the face of the indignity of learning the same worthless man had cheated them of their material possessions, after both devoting years catering for his needs. And so they decide to join forces and modest purses in order to forge a future without dependency on another man. Yeah, sisters are doin' it for themselves! Love that! They fix up the run down building near the docks, the only property left to Delilah by her spendthrift husband, converting it to a boarding house with their meagre money and the aid of a lovable but clumsy maid, Dot. Much to their dismay, their Grand Palace by the Thames only manages to attract a few guests, mismatched oddities from different parts of society. Much to Delilah's dismay, one of the guests includes the arrogant and way too handsome Captain Tristan Hardy who sees too much with his sharp eyes and whose teasing taunts seem to bring out the worst in her.

Tristan is the Captain for the King's Blockade, assigned to hunt down smugglers of contraband. He has tracked the trail of the last cigar smugglers to the building owned by Delilah and so decides to infiltrate it in order to sniff out the criminals. His instant attraction to Delilah is an inconvenient complication, but he has never let distractions sideline his duties to his King. Only Delilah proves to be more than a distraction, especially when she reciprocates his feelings of lust.

I was really not too keen on Delilah commencing an affair with one of her guests within days of meeting, especially when she so clearly and proudly emphasised her written rules about guests maintaining propriety while staying there. Not only was it dreadfully hypocritical but also a great risk to her and the reputation of her fledgling business. Why jeopardise what she had set up in order to gain freedom from men and then throws herself heedlessly into the path of the first handsome one she sees? In addition, I thought the banter between Delilah and Tristan lacked that sparkly wit that JAL is famous for. Delilah was a bit too gullible. She wore her heart on her sleeve, confiding in Tristan details about her marriage when he was still a veritable stranger - albeit one who had already kissed her within a matter of a few days after they first met. I did like Tristan more and I adored Dot, the very excitable loyal maid. I'm a bit nervous about Angelique as the heroine in the next book. She seems too harsh and cynical and I've never been too fond of the courtesan turned heroine trope.

She was beginning to like the truth, though, like sherry and cursing, she suspected it was probably best to be judicious in the partaking and delivery of it.

And it wasn’t as though a part of her didn’t feel a bit of a tug toward everything she’d been taught. But it was the sort of tug a rose must feel when trained up a trellis. The trellis had crumbled. She could grow how she pleased. ...more

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Feb 22, 2019 Stacee rated it really liked it

Shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2019

4.5 stars

I’m always eager to find the start of a new series from a new to me author and this one didn’t disappoint.

I loved Delilah and Tristan. She’s so open and optimistic and he’s so gruff and realistic. Together they have excellent conversation and flirty banter and the best chemistry. I truly enjoyed reading them get to know each other. I’m also loving Angelique and hoping hoping hoping the next book is hers.

Plot wise it was a bit slow moving. There’s a good amount of things to ...more

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Feb 27, 2019 Lover of Romance rated it really liked it

This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Avon in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Lady Derring Take ...more

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Apr 28, 2019 kris rated it liked it · review of another edition

I received this book via a Goodreads Giveaway.

Delilah Swanpoole, Countess of Derring, inherits a building upon her husband's demise. Teaming up with his equally destitute mistress, Angelique Breedlove, they decide to open a boarding house and forgo men entirely. Then Captain Tristan Hardy shows up to let a room because SMUGGLERS or something and his thighs make Delilah feel tingles in her thingles!!!

1. This was: (a) an interesting setup novel; (b) a poorly done mystery; (c) a GREAT f I received this book via a Goodreads Giveaway.

Delilah Swanpoole, Countess of Derring, inherits a building upon her husband's demise. Teaming up with his equally destitute mistress, Angelique Breedlove, they decide to open a boarding house and forgo men entirely. Then Captain Tristan Hardy shows up to let a room because SMUGGLERS or something and his thighs make Delilah feel tingles in her thingles!!!

1. This was: (a) an interesting setup novel; (b) a poorly done mystery; (c) a GREAT friendship story; and (d) a rather disappointing romance.

1.a. The Grand Palace on the Thames seems like an interesting premise, although I am not that intrigued by the ~mystery of its history. Rather, I like it as a housing agent for discordant characters who would otherwise not necessarily interact or engage with one another in such an immediate fashion. I also like that it allows for a greater strata of society to be present in the story rather than just those who might be present at the other trope-y settings used in period romances.

1.b. The smuggling nonsense was nonsense.

1.c. I honestly did not see the amazing development and handling of Angelique and Delilah's burgeoning friendship coming and it was a delight. It did seem to fall away slightly once Tristan's dick entered the story, but what was on page was honest and engaging and so much better done than so many other attempts.

1.d. I mean, there's lust and then ~~~feelings and also a blow job that changes hearts or something...I don't know: standard romance fair, short-sheeted by the multitude of other plots happening in the story and so therefore, just...fine. Standard, generic and rather dull.

2. All that said: I did like Delilah for the most part. A heroine doing her best to be honest is something I resonated with so I found myself really enjoying her presence on the page.

3. I hope that Dot gets her own happy ever after! She's a DELIGHT.

4. Honestly, I'm already forgetting everything that wasn't Delilah's joy in building a found family and her growing respect/relationship with Angelique because it was GREAT.

5. Side note: I hope there is more to Fran, the reading barkeep, then we get here because that premise sounds neat. ...more

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Feb 08, 2019 Barbara Rogers rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019-read, iblog

Series: The Palace of Rogues #1
Publication Date: 2/26/19
Number of Pages: 384

***3.5 Stars ***
It has been a long time since I’ve read a book by this author and it is nice to see her in the historical romance category again. I really, really, really wanted to absolutely love this book and from the blurb, I was sure that I would. I liked it pretty well but didn’t absolutely love it. I absolutely adore a great romance with a great mystery, but these seemed to both fall a ...more

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Mar 17, 2019 Addie H rated it really liked it

Shelves: zq-unstarched, 6-kindle, h-rom-regency, zk-forbidden-love, zm-opposites-attract

(Tropes: Widow, Riches to Rags, Opposites Attract, Class Difference, Unstarched (heroine)

description

Julie Ann Long is always a bit hit or miss for me – or rather super-hit or super-miss – so I started this a little sceptic. But it’s without a doubt in historicals JAL shines.

**
- “What brings you back to The Grand Palace on the Thames, Captain Hardy?”
His small, intimate smile removed the bones from her knees.
“Soshines.
...more

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Feb 20, 2019 Jen Davis rated it really liked it

I haven’t read a historical romance from Julie Anne Long since the conclusion of her Pennyroyal Green series. And I’d almost forgotten just how much I enjoy her books. Though this story didn’t have the laugh out loud moments I associated with the other series, the romance was just as good and the black moment/reconciliation hit me right in the feels.

The book follows the title character, Lady Derring (Delilah), in the immediate aftermath of her husband’s death. The man left her pennil I haven’t read a historical romance from Julie Anne Long since the conclusion of her Pennyroyal Green series. And I’d almost forgotten just how much I enjoy her books. Though this story didn’t have the laugh out loud moments I associated with the other series, the romance was just as good and the black moment/reconciliation hit me right in the feels.

The book follows the title character, Lady Derring (Delilah), in the immediate aftermath of her husband’s death. The man left her penniless—and with nothing, save for an abandoned building on the docks. She discovers this at the same time she learns he kept a mistress, and left her in the same dire straits. Delilah finds she likes Angelique, despite herself. After all, neither of them really loved her husband, and neither needs to be ruined by him. They band together, sell all their jewelry, and turn the old building into a boardinghouse to support themselves.

It turns out that the late Derring was even more of a scoundrel than the women in his life knew. He was somehow tied up in a smuggling operation. One that Captain Tristan Hardy has been tasked to ferret out. He goes into the boardinghouse undercover, to figure out who was involved with the plot and bring them to justice.

I loved Tristan. He is hard and stoic and he keeps everything to himself. Born in St. Giles, he is no nobleman, but understands how to live among them—how to get the information he needs. Delilah is a breath of fresh air in his life. She is genuinely kind and lovely and he can’t help the way he is drawn to her. She brings light to his life. And she does it without being saccharine. There is stern stuff beneath her soft exterior and that makes her such an interesting combination. Remember, this is a woman who has never known love, one who has been insulated by her life as a lady. But she is willing to do hard work to be independent and in control of her own future.

The smuggling mystery was kind of meh. And the reveal on that was a bit lackluster. But the fallout—at least in the romance—was magnificent. Long did a fantastic job making my heart break along with Delilah’s, and Tristan’s redemption/grovel was totally top notch. She nailed it.

Big props for the lovely friendship between Delilah and Angelique. And a slow burn romance with a great payoff at the end.

Glad to have JAL writing historicals again. I look forward to reading more from her.

Rating: B+

*ARC provided by publisher ...more

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Mar 07, 2019 Teresa (Reads_Romance) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I am trying to find the right words to express why this book delighted me so much. LADY DERRING TAKES A LOVER took me by surprise because, honestly, I was dazzled, and that doesn’t happen to me very often anymore, especially with the start of a new series. This was my first book by Julie Anne Long and I can’t believe I slept on her stories for so long!

From page one I was wholly invested in Delilah (Lady Derring) and her personal journey. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot ...more

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Feb 25, 2019 Angie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, historical, belovedbookshelf, something-special, girls-who-do-things

Originally reviewed here @ Angieville

I found my way to Julie Anne Long's writing in a bit of a piecemeal fashion. Her long-running Pennyroyal Green series is widely beloved and records the various and sundry escapades of the always-scheming, never repentant Eversea and Redmond families. Really, the series is worth the price of admission for the hilarious (and ever-evolving) "Ballad of Colin Eversea" alone (though Colin's is not actually my favorite book). But I've come to believe that this sw Originally reviewed here @ Angieville

I found my way to Julie Anne Long's writing in a bit of a piecemeal fashion. Her long-running Pennyroyal Green series is widely beloved and records the various and sundry escapades of the always-scheming, never repentant Eversea and Redmond families. Really, the series is worth the price of admission for the hilarious (and ever-evolving) "Ballad of Colin Eversea" alone (though Colin's is not actually my favorite book). But I've come to believe that this sweeping eleven-book series has something for every reader. You just have to dip your toes in enough times to find your favorites. And once you do, they will become instant and confirmed comfort reads. Spoiler alert: mine are It Happened One Midnight and What I Did for a Duke. I'm sorry, Colin, but the Duke of Falconbridge, you are not. You'll be just fine, though. Madeleine has enough moxie to take care of you both.

Delilah, Countess of Derring, is having a bad day. The absolute worst sort of day, really. The kind of day in which one finds oneself sitting in the office of one's late, unlamented husband's solicitor being told that one is destitute and then forced to make the acquaintance of said unlamented husband's mistress. But it turns out that, though no one ever thought to ask how Delilah would handle utter ruin and humiliation, they are all about to find out that she handles it very well indeed. Or she will, just as soon as she has one more unorthodox chat with her husband's former mistress (one Angelique Breedlove) and the two of them properly investigate the sole item the despicable Derring owned outright―a derelict building on the banks of the Thames. And thus a plan of salvation (and permanent independence) is born out of the all-but-dead hopes and driving desperation of two women who should never have met, let alone become business partners. If only the building, its dubious history, and Derring's ownership of it weren't being investigated by naval hero turned agent of the crown Captain Tristan Hardy. But Delilah and Angelique aren't about to give up on their dreams, no matter how sneaky and determined Captain Hardy finagles to be.

It takes zero pages, my friends, just no pages at all to fall in love with this beautifully written novel. With Delilah, with Angelique, with Tristan, with each and every last ridiculous and hysterical denizen of the Grand Palace on the Thames. In fact, though I knew how charming the tale was likely to be (and it so was), I don't think I was quite prepared for how sensitive and artful the storytelling would be (it so was). And the very first tell is the friendship between these two women. These two women who have been so badly hurt by the same man. So much of their lives were forged of solitude, they could so easily have fallen back on that very real shame and pain and focused their individual hatred on one another. But Delilah and Angelique are more than the sum of their hurts and the foibles of that man. Watching them first warily and then certainly hold on to each other as they build the foundation of something fine and good and safe is one of the great joys of this novel. A favorite moment taken from early on, just after the plan is hatched:

Angelique gave a little snort. But her posture suggested that some sort of internal knot had finally loosened.

"Can you picture it?" Delilah demanded on nearly a whisper.

"I can picture it," Angelique conceded. "And it's not only not mad, we might never have to be at the mercy of another man again."

"Precisely my thought."

Delilah took a breath. "Shall we shake hands on it?" Her voice was shaking.

Angelique drew in a long, long breath.

And then with a certain ironic flair, extended the hand Delilah had lately stopped from taking that last sip of sherry.

They shook briskly.

"To The Grand Palace on the Thames!"

"To The Grand Palace on the Thames!" Dot and Angelique echoed.

And they all raised their lanterns and toasted each other with light.

This image is fixed in my mind―these women choosing not to give in, not to die, but rather toasting their hope and their newfound strength and their future with light. In fact, I don't think the way that scene made me feel will ever leave. Light and its attendant imagery and symbolism pervades the tale. Enter one sea captain who, among other things, is tall enough to reach the sconces. For the record, Tristan Hardy is many excellent things, but that may be my favorite of his qualities. And it is referenced just perfectly throughout the book. Tall enough to reach the sconces. But, of course, he is also in disguise and ruthlessly determined to break up the smuggling ring with which he has been tasked, never mind Lady Derring's fine eyes and the way she has of making him want to stay in the drawing room, threats of nightly musicales notwithstanding. Their evening conversations are light-footed things of beauty, and laughter bubbled up out of me on more than one occasion. For example:

"Would you mind telling me a bit more about the rules?"

She looked relieved. "They're very simple, really. We expect our male guests to behave like gentlemen in the presence of ladies. Rough language, drinking, spitting, or smoking will not be tolerated in the drawing room when ladies are present, and will be fined one pence per word. We've a jar, you see."

"A jar." He said this with every evidence of fascination.

"But we also have a withdrawing room for gentlemen, in which they can unleash their baser impulses in case the effort of restraint becomes too much to bear."

Lady Derring was very dry.

"What a relief to hear. Tethering instincts wears a devil out."

He was rewarded with a smile, one of delightful, slow, crooked affairs, as if she just couldn't help herself, and he, for a moment, could not have formed words for admiring it.

Ah, Tristan. Your instincts are so very good. There is nothing not to admire about Delilah. But the truly wonderful thing is that both Delilah and Tristan are equally admirable. It is so often the case that one or the other partner in a relationship has been decidedly less than admirable. And part of the narrative inherently involves a coming to see the error of their ways, if you will. It's not that I don't thoroughly enjoy that trope, but I was just so gratified to find that these two were worthy of my admiration and regard (and each other's) from the word go. It was such a pleasure watching them quietly learn each other. I enjoyed the balance of intrigue surrounding the ~~Palace of Rogues~~ Grand Palace on the Thames with the wonderful humor infused in Delilah's tireless efforts to fashion a home for the weary and the lost. She was the light, and every other character in the novel is understandably drawn to what she represents. It was so beautiful―almost as beautiful as the ending that Tristan starts and Delilah finishes, carefully placing all the right words in all the right places. Finest kind.

They regarded each other somberly, making internal adjustments to accommodate the mere glorious fact of each other.

...more

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Mar 11, 2019 Keri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-read, romance-historical

As much as I love JAL's contemporaries, she really shines in this genre....so welcome back and I can't wait for the next in the series, I haz a sad that it isn't already out. I do want to say that I am glad that you and yours survived the Cali wildfires, even though you lost everything I can tell that you aren't letting it slow you down. Completely awesome read!

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Mar 26, 2019 Ali rated it really liked it

Oh man, have I missed JAL. So much HR lately has read a little juvenile, and here strolls Delilah and Angelique, a fantastic, complex and grown-up friendship, and then as a bonus, we get a hero like Captain Hardy: flawed but a good man, aware of but not crippled by his background, which is so often the case with this general character premise. And sharp-witted. And also dreamy. Did anyone else get Daniel Craig-era Bond vibes from Tristan? I pretty much read all of his lines in my head in Craig’s ...more

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Jun 30, 2019 Desi rated it really liked it

Fanciful and supremely unrealistic in All aspects. But fun for all that. A charmingly dutiful lead male of few words and a bordering on naive female breaking out of her shell.

Class and status were glossed over, behavior and business ventures were completely period inappropriate, but the emotions and tension of the book were on point and made these easy to overlook.

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Mar 02, 2019 Susan (susayq ~) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019books, 1st-in-series, own, ebooks, historical-romance, military-badge

I had forgotten how much I enjoy Julie Anne Long's writing. She crafts a story that enthrall and entertains and makes you laugh, as well as shed a tear.

I loved Tristan, Delilah, and Angelique. I even loved Dot. Watching Tristan and Delilah fall in love made me swoon. It was fantastic.

I can not wait to see what happens in the next book for Angelique. She deserves some happiness :)

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Mar 05, 2019 herdys rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Rounded the rating to four stars cause I missed Julie Anne Long and I really enjoyed watching the OTP fall for each other. I liked both characters individually and together. Plus the side characters which where hilarious. I found myself grinning like an idiot while reading it on my way to work on the train :)

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Mar 03, 2019 Aoi rated it really liked it

Shelves: hf-england

What I loved :

-a realistic female friendship between two women from opposite sides of society and yet remarkably similar life circumstances - wary, uncertain, and working hard to winning each other's trust. This budding friendship wasn't marred with excessive emotion, both Delilah and Angelique were immensely practical and 'thinking like a man' about their business partnership.

-Tristan! We spent lesser time with him than I would have liked - but this is a man with torn lo ...more

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Mar 18, 2019 Aly rated it liked it · review of another edition

A few days after her husband died, Lady Derring learn that he had many debts and the only thing she can keep is a building by the docks. At the solicitor's office, Delilah also makes an unusual friend. Determined to make her own decisions and not depend on a man anymore, she decide to transform her new property into a boarding house and establish a list of amusing but sensible rules to create a friendly environment.

Orphan at 8 and getting a position as a naval captain's assistant when he was 10 ...more

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Nov 10, 2019 HR-ML rated it really liked it

Regency.

Tristan was orphaned at age 8 in seedy St. Giles & worked
his way up to become a Royal Navy Captain. He now served
as blockade commander, charged with catching smugglers.
He had no room for sentiment or tender feelings. Delilah's
late spouse, an earl, left her in debt. Del & the earl's mistress
Angelique, pooled their funds to open a building (near the
docks) left to Del, which they transformed into a boarding
house.

This story had wit, heart and love. And 2 othe ...more

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Feb 25, 2019 Sheila Melo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"I have perhaps seen more beautiful women, but the difference between them and you is like the difference between the grimy window and one rubbed clean, one though which the sun shines. It is about a certain quality of light."

FINAL DECISION: A book about love and friendship and building a family, I loved this book. Long writes such beautiful prose about love and relationship that I just fell into this book and didn't want to find my way out. A great start to Long's return to historical romance ...more

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About Julie Anne Long

Julie Anne Long

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Well, where should I start? I've lived in San Francisco for more than a decade, usually with at least one cat. I won the school spelling bee when I was in 7th grade; the word that clinched it was 'ukulele.' I originally set out to be a rock star when I grew up (I had a Bono fixation, but who didn't?), and I have the guitars and the questionable wardrobe stuffed in the back of my closet to prove it Well, where should I start? I've lived in San Francisco for more than a decade, usually with at least one cat. I won the school spelling bee when I was in 7th grade; the word that clinched it was 'ukulele.' I originally set out to be a rock star when I grew up (I had a Bono fixation, but who didn't?), and I have the guitars and the questionable wardrobe stuffed in the back of my closet to prove it.

But writing was always my first love.

I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).

Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.

But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?

But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.

So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.

Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)

And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.

But I'm a history FREAK, in general. I read more history, to be perfectly honest, than fiction (when I have time to read!) these days. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Littl ...more

Other books in the series

The Palace of Rogues (2 books)

Books by Julie Anne Long

What I Did For a Duke (Pennyroyal Green, #5)

How the Marquess Was Won (Pennyroyal Green, #6)

The Perils of Pleasure (Pennyroyal Green, #1)

Like No Other Lover (Pennyroyal Green, #2)

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Quotes from Lady Derring Take...

“Rough language, drinking, spitting, or smoking will not be tolerated in the drawing room when ladies are present, and will be fined one pence per word. We've a jar, you see."

"A jar." He said this with every evidence of fascination.

"But we also have a withdrawing room for gentlemen, in which they can unleash their baser impulses in case the effort of restraint becomes too much to bear."

Lady Derring was very dry.

"What a relief to hear. Tethering instincts wears a devil out."

He was rewarded with a smile, one of delightful, slow, crooked affairs, as if she just couldn't help herself, and he, for a moment, could not have formed words for admiring it.” — 1 likes

“They regarded each other somberly, making internal adjustments to accommodate the mere glorious fact of each other.” — 0 likes

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