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An Honorable Thief
When Miss Kit Singleton's arrival in London coincided with a spate of robberies from members of the ton, Hugo Devenish couldn't explain why he suspected the innocent-looking beauty. But when the clues added up, Hugo knew his instincts had been right all along. Kit had to cease this dangerous game immediately!
Only for Kit, it wasn't a game; she'd made a sacred promise to avenge her papa's honour. Surely Hugo could understand that she mustn't break her word - even to please the man she was falling in love with.
Only for Kit, it wasn't a game; she'd made a sacred promise to avenge her papa's honour. Surely Hugo could understand that she mustn't break her word - even to please the man she was falling in love with.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Anne Gracie
98 books1,546 followersI've always loved stories. Family legend has it that I used to spend hours playing in the sand pit, with a dog on either side of me and Rocka the horse leaning over me, his head just touching my shoulder, while I told them stories. I have to say, dogs and horses are great audiences, apart from their tendency to drool occasionally. But people are even nicer.
In case you imagine we were a filthy rich horse-owning family, let me assure you we weren't. The horse period was a time when my parents entered a "let's-be-self-sufficient" phase, so we had a horse, but no electricity and all our water came from the rain tank.
As well as the horse and dogs, we had 2 cows (Buttercup and Daisy and one of them always had a calf), a sheep (Woolly,) goats (Billy and Nanny) dozens of ducks, chooks, and a couple of geese, a pet bluetongue lizard and a huge vegie patch. I don't know how my mother managed, really, because both she and Dad taught full time, but she came home and cooked on a wood stove and did all the laundry by hand, boiling the clothes and sheets in a big copper kettle. Somehow, we were always warm, clean, well fed and happy. She's pretty amazing, my mum.
Once I learned to read, I spent my days outside playing with the animals (I include my brother and 2 sisters here) and when inside I read. For most of my childhood we didn't have TV, so books have always been a big part of my life. Luckily our house was always full of them. Travel was also a big part of my childhood. My parents had itchy feet. We spent a lot of time driving from one part of Australia to another, visiting relatives or friends or simply to see what was there. I've lived in Scotland, Malaysia and Greece. We travelled through Europe in a caravan and I'd swum most of the famous rivers in Europe by the time I was eight.
This is me and my classmates in Scotland. I am in the second front row, in the middle, to the right of the girl in the dark tunic.
Sounds like I was raised by gypsies, doesn't it? I was even almost born in a tent --Mum, Dad and 3 children were camping and one day mum left the tent and went to hospital to have me. But in fact we are a family of chalkies (Australian slang for teachers)- and Dad was a school principal during most of my life. And I am an expert in being "the new girl" having been to 6 different schools in 12 years.The last 4 years, however, were in the same high school and I still have my 2 best friends from that time.
No matter where I lived, I read. I devoured whatever I could get my hands on -- old Enid Blyton and Mary Grant Bruce books, old schoolboys annuals. I learned history by reading Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece and Georgette Heyer. I loved animal books -- Elyne Mitchell's Silver Brumby books and Mary Patchett and Finn the Wolf Hound. And then I read Jane Austen and Dickens and Mary Stewart and Richard Llewellyn and Virginia Woolf and EF Benson and Dick Francis and David Malouf and Patrick White and Doris Lessing and PD James and...the list is never ending.
This is me posing shamelessly on a glacier in New Zealand.
This is me in Greece with my good friend Fay in our village outfits. The film went a funny colour, but you get the idea. I'm the one in the pink apron.
I escaped from my parents, settled down and went to university.To my amazement I became a chalkie myself and found a lot of pleasure in working with teenagers and later, adults. I taught English and worked as a counsellor and helped put on plays and concerts and supervised camps and encouraged other people to write but never did much myself. It took a year of backpacking around the world to find that my early desire to write hadn't left me, it had just got buried under a busy and demanding job.
I wrote my first novel on notebooks bought in Quebec, Spain, Greece and Indonesia. That story never made it out of the notebooks, but I'd been bitten by the writing bug.
My friends and I formed a band called Platform Souls a
In case you imagine we were a filthy rich horse-owning family, let me assure you we weren't. The horse period was a time when my parents entered a "let's-be-self-sufficient" phase, so we had a horse, but no electricity and all our water came from the rain tank.
As well as the horse and dogs, we had 2 cows (Buttercup and Daisy and one of them always had a calf), a sheep (Woolly,) goats (Billy and Nanny) dozens of ducks, chooks, and a couple of geese, a pet bluetongue lizard and a huge vegie patch. I don't know how my mother managed, really, because both she and Dad taught full time, but she came home and cooked on a wood stove and did all the laundry by hand, boiling the clothes and sheets in a big copper kettle. Somehow, we were always warm, clean, well fed and happy. She's pretty amazing, my mum.
Once I learned to read, I spent my days outside playing with the animals (I include my brother and 2 sisters here) and when inside I read. For most of my childhood we didn't have TV, so books have always been a big part of my life. Luckily our house was always full of them. Travel was also a big part of my childhood. My parents had itchy feet. We spent a lot of time driving from one part of Australia to another, visiting relatives or friends or simply to see what was there. I've lived in Scotland, Malaysia and Greece. We travelled through Europe in a caravan and I'd swum most of the famous rivers in Europe by the time I was eight.
This is me and my classmates in Scotland. I am in the second front row, in the middle, to the right of the girl in the dark tunic.
Sounds like I was raised by gypsies, doesn't it? I was even almost born in a tent --Mum, Dad and 3 children were camping and one day mum left the tent and went to hospital to have me. But in fact we are a family of chalkies (Australian slang for teachers)- and Dad was a school principal during most of my life. And I am an expert in being "the new girl" having been to 6 different schools in 12 years.The last 4 years, however, were in the same high school and I still have my 2 best friends from that time.
No matter where I lived, I read. I devoured whatever I could get my hands on -- old Enid Blyton and Mary Grant Bruce books, old schoolboys annuals. I learned history by reading Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece and Georgette Heyer. I loved animal books -- Elyne Mitchell's Silver Brumby books and Mary Patchett and Finn the Wolf Hound. And then I read Jane Austen and Dickens and Mary Stewart and Richard Llewellyn and Virginia Woolf and EF Benson and Dick Francis and David Malouf and Patrick White and Doris Lessing and PD James and...the list is never ending.
This is me posing shamelessly on a glacier in New Zealand.
This is me in Greece with my good friend Fay in our village outfits. The film went a funny colour, but you get the idea. I'm the one in the pink apron.
I escaped from my parents, settled down and went to university.To my amazement I became a chalkie myself and found a lot of pleasure in working with teenagers and later, adults. I taught English and worked as a counsellor and helped put on plays and concerts and supervised camps and encouraged other people to write but never did much myself. It took a year of backpacking around the world to find that my early desire to write hadn't left me, it had just got buried under a busy and demanding job.
I wrote my first novel on notebooks bought in Quebec, Spain, Greece and Indonesia. That story never made it out of the notebooks, but I'd been bitten by the writing bug.
My friends and I formed a band called Platform Souls a
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 15, 2015
Kit grew up everywhere that wasn't England with her card-shark asshole father. Hugo grew up first in England and then in trade omg. Now he's investigating her to keep his nephew from marrying a fake heiress and Kit's trying not to let him get to close because of her Super Secret Mission of Revenge. Will feelings get in the way of these two idiots???
1. I thought Hugo's developing awareness of Kit's intelligence and sneakery was very well done: he never had a complete moment of "OH YES, I HAVE DEDUCED ALL THE THINGS" but instead pieced together bits and pieces into a whole over the course of the book. WHICH THANK YOU. I appreciated that SO MUCH that this was basically a 4 star read for that alone.
2. Although the enjoyment I got out of Hugo's thought-processes was punctured somewhat by Kit's inability to believe that her father, the grandmaster of lies and assholery, would LIE TO HER about EVERYTHING?? Especially after repeatedly telling her how useless she was as a woman??? I just. Can't.
3. Overall, it was enjoyable but never became delightful. I wanted a bit more from the story? I wanted Kit to question her situation a bit more; I wanted Hugo to examine his feelings a bit more. Frothy and fun but not necessarily memorable.
EXCEPT THAT I'M READING AGAIN SO THAT IS GREAT!!
1. I thought Hugo's developing awareness of Kit's intelligence and sneakery was very well done: he never had a complete moment of "OH YES, I HAVE DEDUCED ALL THE THINGS" but instead pieced together bits and pieces into a whole over the course of the book. WHICH THANK YOU. I appreciated that SO MUCH that this was basically a 4 star read for that alone.
2. Although the enjoyment I got out of Hugo's thought-processes was punctured somewhat by Kit's inability to believe that her father, the grandmaster of lies and assholery, would LIE TO HER about EVERYTHING?? Especially after repeatedly telling her how useless she was as a woman??? I just. Can't.
3. Overall, it was enjoyable but never became delightful. I wanted a bit more from the story? I wanted Kit to question her situation a bit more; I wanted Hugo to examine his feelings a bit more. Frothy and fun but not necessarily memorable.
EXCEPT THAT I'M READING AGAIN SO THAT IS GREAT!!
July 25, 2021
I forget why I downloaded this book from the library. Probably because she was an author I have wanted to try because of good reviews. By the end of the prologue I knew this was going to be a dumb book. Our heroine’s evil father who is a liar and cheater besides being unfeeling and abusive to her, extracts a deathbed promise that she will go to England to retrieve his honor. Kit, our heroine, is fully aware of his lying and cheating and the fact that he has no honor, but she is going ahead to carry out his scheme to retrieve his honor. Which she knows he doesn’t have. I put it down, but in rereading the reviews they were all good, so I decided to overlook the senseless plot. Something about this book must be great. Surely. Nope.
It’s the type of book that you can skip through at lightning speed and not miss a thing. I finished it in two hours and regret the fact that those 2 hours are lost forever. When she finally learns the truth that her father did not have his honor stolen from him, but that he never had any to begin with, she is quite quite shocked. Because, you see, retrieving his honor has meant her becoming a Chinese cat-burglar and stealing valuables from her father’s decent friends. Yeah, that will do the trick. So now she feels guilty. Too guilty to accept the marriage proposal of the hero, who knows all. Oh yes, there is a love story. She runs away because she is not worthy. Plus she thinks that she is going to be hanged. He finds her; they have sex; but she still is not worthy. Skip skip skip. Happy ending. This book actually made me angry. Thank God it was a library book.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
It’s the type of book that you can skip through at lightning speed and not miss a thing. I finished it in two hours and regret the fact that those 2 hours are lost forever. When she finally learns the truth that her father did not have his honor stolen from him, but that he never had any to begin with, she is quite quite shocked. Because, you see, retrieving his honor has meant her becoming a Chinese cat-burglar and stealing valuables from her father’s decent friends. Yeah, that will do the trick. So now she feels guilty. Too guilty to accept the marriage proposal of the hero, who knows all. Oh yes, there is a love story. She runs away because she is not worthy. Plus she thinks that she is going to be hanged. He finds her; they have sex; but she still is not worthy. Skip skip skip. Happy ending. This book actually made me angry. Thank God it was a library book.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2015
Upon my re-read, I've given it one more star, because I truly enjoyed this book. It is one of the gems of its niche genre, and a further affirmation of Anne Gracie's fine talents. The ending brought tears of happiness to my eyes - and lo and behold, we have a hero who is not afraid to love deeply! ^_^
May 27, 2019
Anne gracie’s Writing is so properly what it should be like, if not in terms of historical accuracy, then in writing, editing, character development and so on, but in my experience all of her books are forgettable and pale imitations of some of the historical fictions most beloved books and authors whom I shall not name here. This one had all the makings of an exciting, riveting work of fiction, instead it fell flat for me.
June 4, 2016
This is a story that is just fabulous in my opinion fast paced with so many emotions that will pull at your heart strings as we journey to a HEA that will bring you to tears with the joy.
Young Kit Singleton has arrived in London with a promise made to her father on his deathbed, Kit has never been to England she has lived a life no young English lady should through many countries and although she has learnt a lot about being a lady she has learnt a lot about other ways to survive in life but has Kit met her match when she arrives to live as the long lost Singleton niece with her Aunt Rose and starts her dangerous mission that meant honour to her father.
Hugo Devenish is a man of trade with family in the Ton and he has do what ever he can to stop his nephew from marrying an unsuitable heiress the young Kit Singleton who seems to be a mystery to The Ton, but Hugo is nothing if not determined to find out the truth about this woman. With burglaries going on things are getting a bit worrisome and there is a lot of talk and Hugo is on the job with his suspicions and he will uncover the truth.
This is a beautifully written story I really liked Kit she is so strong and caring and honourable and she made me laugh and smile and of course Hugo is just the man for her the spark between them is really strong and gets stronger at every meeting. MS Gracie has never disappointed me with one of her stories and again this is one for the keeper shelf I highly recommend this one you will definitely be smiling and crying happily at the end of this one.
Young Kit Singleton has arrived in London with a promise made to her father on his deathbed, Kit has never been to England she has lived a life no young English lady should through many countries and although she has learnt a lot about being a lady she has learnt a lot about other ways to survive in life but has Kit met her match when she arrives to live as the long lost Singleton niece with her Aunt Rose and starts her dangerous mission that meant honour to her father.
Hugo Devenish is a man of trade with family in the Ton and he has do what ever he can to stop his nephew from marrying an unsuitable heiress the young Kit Singleton who seems to be a mystery to The Ton, but Hugo is nothing if not determined to find out the truth about this woman. With burglaries going on things are getting a bit worrisome and there is a lot of talk and Hugo is on the job with his suspicions and he will uncover the truth.
This is a beautifully written story I really liked Kit she is so strong and caring and honourable and she made me laugh and smile and of course Hugo is just the man for her the spark between them is really strong and gets stronger at every meeting. MS Gracie has never disappointed me with one of her stories and again this is one for the keeper shelf I highly recommend this one you will definitely be smiling and crying happily at the end of this one.
May 7, 2018
The story is unique, if a little predictable. I had a hard time getting into these characters. The attraction seemed forced, especially from the hero.
October 24, 2025
great story
This was different than a lot of romance stories I read. Different in a great way. I like Anne Gracie’s writing. The story does not feel formulaic, and the characters are well written. I really enjoyed this book:)
This was different than a lot of romance stories I read. Different in a great way. I like Anne Gracie’s writing. The story does not feel formulaic, and the characters are well written. I really enjoyed this book:)
February 24, 2016
Kit Singleton is playing a dangerous game with the London society, but she promised her dying father to retrieve their family honor, and that’s what she’ll do, no matter what. The only thing that imperils her quest and sets her heart aflutter is the close attention of Hugo Devenish. Unfortunately, Kit likes to waltz with him too much for her peace of mind.
Hugo Devenish knows that the purported heiress his nephew courts hides a score of secrets, and he is determined to unearth them all and save his inexperienced nephew from the unscrupulous woman’s clutches. He doesn’t plan to risk his heart in the process. Unfortunately, not everything goes according to his plans.
There is also a mysterious Chinese Burglar complicating Hugo’s task and a slew of balls and other entertainments of the regency ton.
The hero and heroine are both interesting but rather standard for the genre of regency romance, and the plot is not very engrossing. I could guess half of its points from the beginning, although the resolution was well done and unexpected.
All in all, an enjoyable book, delivering exactly what it promised.
Hugo Devenish knows that the purported heiress his nephew courts hides a score of secrets, and he is determined to unearth them all and save his inexperienced nephew from the unscrupulous woman’s clutches. He doesn’t plan to risk his heart in the process. Unfortunately, not everything goes according to his plans.
There is also a mysterious Chinese Burglar complicating Hugo’s task and a slew of balls and other entertainments of the regency ton.
The hero and heroine are both interesting but rather standard for the genre of regency romance, and the plot is not very engrossing. I could guess half of its points from the beginning, although the resolution was well done and unexpected.
All in all, an enjoyable book, delivering exactly what it promised.
December 9, 2015
Started out well and kept me very interested most of the way through, but it bogs down at the end with Anne Gracie's typical overflow of cuteness and sentimentality (did she really need to put in not just one or two, but THREE happily-ever-afters?). The one love scene in the book was completely dorky and unnecessary to the story.
April 13, 2025
A perfect example of a Regency Romance. A mysterious heroine with a promise to fulfill and an equally mysterious hero who is determined to discover the true identity of the heroine. This was beautifully done.
October 14, 2017
3.5 stars utk buku ini.
Kit, yg dibesarkan oleh ayahnya di berbagai daerah antah berantah di dunia Timur, berusaha memenuhi wasiat terakhir ayahnya, memberi kehormatan. Dan utk itu Kit pergi ke negeri leluhur ayahnya, Inggris.
Di Inggris, Kit lgs diterima dgn terbuka oleh ton yg mendpt rumor bhw dirinya pewaris tambang berlian di New South Wales. Yg jd masalah adalah kecurigaan Hugo Devenish, seorg pria yg tidak berniat mencari istri, tetapi berusaha keras mengorek-ngorek latar belakang Kit, terlalu pintar dan mudah curiga dgn segala tindak-tanduk debutan baru ini.
Di masyarakat ton sendiri beredar rumor Pencuri Cina yg berhasil mencuri barang2 paling mahal di rumah2 org2 kaya dan tidak pernah tertangkap. Hugo sempat berkelahi dgn Pencuri Cina dan berhasil dikecohkan oleh si Pencuri andal dan licin tsb.
Berhasilkah Hugo membuka kedok siapakah Pencuri Cina tsb?
Karakter Kit sbg heroine di buku ini unik sekali. Dibesarkan oleh seorg ayah buangan yg hobi utamanya berjudi, membuat Kit menjadi gadis tomboy yg lihai dan cerdik bukan main. Ketika Kit mengecoh Hugo pertama kali, memainkan peran gadis manis super pemalu yg berlafal cadel, membuat saya senyum2 sendiri membayangkan. Kit digambarkan pula penuh kontradiksi dan penuh misteri yg selalu mengguncang rasa penasaran Hugo, dgn perpaduan keluguan dan keberanian yg luar biasa (akan tetapi ditutupi dgn baik oleh Kit), kreativitas dan kecerdikannya yg selalu membuatnya satu langkah di depan Hugo.
Tetapi saya merasa ada kekurangan dlm chemistry Kit - Hugo ini karena author terlalu konsentrasi menciptakan karakter Kit yg kerap menipu dan berusaha mengecoh Hugo. Dan Hugo sendiri yg awal2nya menyangkal perasaannya pd Kit, tidak kuasa jg menolak pesona Kit yg kontradiktif ini. Hugo memang jd lbh mirip anjing penjaga Kit yg mengawasi terus menerus tindak tanduk Kit yg kerap berubah dr pemalu mjd liar. Kepekaan dan naluri Hugo sbg pedagang sukses boleh diacungi jempol. Seandainya Hugo digambarkan bisa "meredam sifat nakal" Kit, buku ini akan lbh baik drpd terkesan pemaksaan Happily ever after, semua pihak bisa menerima keadaan ini dan berbahagia.
Kit, yg dibesarkan oleh ayahnya di berbagai daerah antah berantah di dunia Timur, berusaha memenuhi wasiat terakhir ayahnya, memberi kehormatan. Dan utk itu Kit pergi ke negeri leluhur ayahnya, Inggris.
Di Inggris, Kit lgs diterima dgn terbuka oleh ton yg mendpt rumor bhw dirinya pewaris tambang berlian di New South Wales. Yg jd masalah adalah kecurigaan Hugo Devenish, seorg pria yg tidak berniat mencari istri, tetapi berusaha keras mengorek-ngorek latar belakang Kit, terlalu pintar dan mudah curiga dgn segala tindak-tanduk debutan baru ini.
Di masyarakat ton sendiri beredar rumor Pencuri Cina yg berhasil mencuri barang2 paling mahal di rumah2 org2 kaya dan tidak pernah tertangkap. Hugo sempat berkelahi dgn Pencuri Cina dan berhasil dikecohkan oleh si Pencuri andal dan licin tsb.
Berhasilkah Hugo membuka kedok siapakah Pencuri Cina tsb?
Karakter Kit sbg heroine di buku ini unik sekali. Dibesarkan oleh seorg ayah buangan yg hobi utamanya berjudi, membuat Kit menjadi gadis tomboy yg lihai dan cerdik bukan main. Ketika Kit mengecoh Hugo pertama kali, memainkan peran gadis manis super pemalu yg berlafal cadel, membuat saya senyum2 sendiri membayangkan. Kit digambarkan pula penuh kontradiksi dan penuh misteri yg selalu mengguncang rasa penasaran Hugo, dgn perpaduan keluguan dan keberanian yg luar biasa (akan tetapi ditutupi dgn baik oleh Kit), kreativitas dan kecerdikannya yg selalu membuatnya satu langkah di depan Hugo.
Tetapi saya merasa ada kekurangan dlm chemistry Kit - Hugo ini karena author terlalu konsentrasi menciptakan karakter Kit yg kerap menipu dan berusaha mengecoh Hugo. Dan Hugo sendiri yg awal2nya menyangkal perasaannya pd Kit, tidak kuasa jg menolak pesona Kit yg kontradiktif ini. Hugo memang jd lbh mirip anjing penjaga Kit yg mengawasi terus menerus tindak tanduk Kit yg kerap berubah dr pemalu mjd liar. Kepekaan dan naluri Hugo sbg pedagang sukses boleh diacungi jempol. Seandainya Hugo digambarkan bisa "meredam sifat nakal" Kit, buku ini akan lbh baik drpd terkesan pemaksaan Happily ever after, semua pihak bisa menerima keadaan ini dan berbahagia.
December 29, 2010
From the back cover:
To catch a thief...
The dashing Mr. Hugo Devenish had come to London on an important mission: to prevent his innocent nephew from marrying an unsuitable young heiress. He'd never expected to be trounced upon by the most infamous thief in town!
All society was agog at the rash of burglaries being committed by the mysterious Chinaman, but Hugo's attention was diverted once he was introduced to his nephew's heiress, the intriguing Miss Kit Singleton. Hugo found himself utterly enchanted. But her dubious background gave rise to the suspicion that Miss Singleton was somehow connected to the notorious thief. And Hugo could only hope to uncover Kit's many secrets, before the winsome beauty managed to steal his heart!
And my review:
Anne Gracie is one of Harlequin's best authors. She's so good, in fact, that she's now moved into full-length historical romance, and AN HONORABLE THIEF is an excellent example of why she belongs there.
Her characters are delightful, and always well-rounded, until they are real people that you feel you know. And not just the hero and heroine, either. The secondary characters (like Maggie, Kit's maid, or Kit's aunt Rose) will also steal your heart. I especially loved Kit, the heroine. She was wonderfully spirited without being shrewish. I loved how she put a stop to a lecherous old man's advances by "accidentally" kicking him in the shin and trodding on his toes during a dance. All done with a smile and apologies, of course. I was laughing out loud at that scene.
Even in the confined page count of catagory romance, Gracie has managed to create a complete story that never feels rushed. Often, Harlequin books will be well developed until the last 50 pages, where the author will try to squash the rest of her story in. That wasn't the case here. The pacing of the story was well done and enjoyable throughought the story.
To catch a thief...
The dashing Mr. Hugo Devenish had come to London on an important mission: to prevent his innocent nephew from marrying an unsuitable young heiress. He'd never expected to be trounced upon by the most infamous thief in town!
All society was agog at the rash of burglaries being committed by the mysterious Chinaman, but Hugo's attention was diverted once he was introduced to his nephew's heiress, the intriguing Miss Kit Singleton. Hugo found himself utterly enchanted. But her dubious background gave rise to the suspicion that Miss Singleton was somehow connected to the notorious thief. And Hugo could only hope to uncover Kit's many secrets, before the winsome beauty managed to steal his heart!
And my review:
Anne Gracie is one of Harlequin's best authors. She's so good, in fact, that she's now moved into full-length historical romance, and AN HONORABLE THIEF is an excellent example of why she belongs there.
Her characters are delightful, and always well-rounded, until they are real people that you feel you know. And not just the hero and heroine, either. The secondary characters (like Maggie, Kit's maid, or Kit's aunt Rose) will also steal your heart. I especially loved Kit, the heroine. She was wonderfully spirited without being shrewish. I loved how she put a stop to a lecherous old man's advances by "accidentally" kicking him in the shin and trodding on his toes during a dance. All done with a smile and apologies, of course. I was laughing out loud at that scene.
Even in the confined page count of catagory romance, Gracie has managed to create a complete story that never feels rushed. Often, Harlequin books will be well developed until the last 50 pages, where the author will try to squash the rest of her story in. That wasn't the case here. The pacing of the story was well done and enjoyable throughought the story.
June 25, 2025
Leuk origineel verhaal met wat lichte humor erin maar helaas ook wat traag .
June 21, 2013
3,5
I read the manga ediction of this book.
Kızımız babasına verdiği bir sözden ötürü Londra'ya gidiyor.Orada babasının metresi ya da tek aşkı mı desek her ne haltsa onun himayesinde yeğeni vasfıyla sosyeteye karşıyor ve bazı soylu ailelerden hırsızlık yaparak bir şeyler çalıyor.Ve bir geece yaptığı bu hırsızlıklardan birinde yakışıklı denizcimiz Hugo'ya denk geliyor. Hugo yeğeninin bu sezonda evleneceği zengin kızı görmeye geldiğinde ise karşısında bulduğu leydi Catherine ile mavi gözlü hırsız arasındaki ikilemi çözmeye çalışıyor. Bla. Bla. Bla..
Kötü değil ama daha iyilerini okumuştum ya. Gece gece boşa zaman harcadım. :p
I read the manga ediction of this book.
Kızımız babasına verdiği bir sözden ötürü Londra'ya gidiyor.Orada babasının metresi ya da tek aşkı mı desek her ne haltsa onun himayesinde yeğeni vasfıyla sosyeteye karşıyor ve bazı soylu ailelerden hırsızlık yaparak bir şeyler çalıyor.Ve bir geece yaptığı bu hırsızlıklardan birinde yakışıklı denizcimiz Hugo'ya denk geliyor. Hugo yeğeninin bu sezonda evleneceği zengin kızı görmeye geldiğinde ise karşısında bulduğu leydi Catherine ile mavi gözlü hırsız arasındaki ikilemi çözmeye çalışıyor. Bla. Bla. Bla..
Kötü değil ama daha iyilerini okumuştum ya. Gece gece boşa zaman harcadım. :p
June 9, 2016
I liked Kit and Hugo as characters, but the beginning of this book felt slow and the end rushed. Basically, the pacing was uneven. Concealing the fact that Kit was the thief until near the end was a strange decision, given the title. The author needed another round of editing to smooth out some of the sharp edges in this story. Still the writing and characters were charming, so it was an enjoyable enough read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2015
This was an Anne Gracie book I hadn't heard of, until I saw it on our digital library. Because it was Anne Gracie, I put it on hold without knowing anything about it. An Honorable Thief was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I loved the main characters and their interactions. I needed a lot of tissues by the end of it. 4 plus stars for me.
Did Not Finish
August 17, 2011Gracie is generally a fine writer, but I felt she hadn’t really found her voice yet in this book. There are many plot/character echoes of Georgette Heyer's work. It wasn't terrible, but didn't interest me enough to continue.
September 7, 2017
Middle-of-the-road Regency.
February 14, 2016
3.5 out of 5 stars
October 15, 2018
Revenge is a plot device I usually don't care for. And I'm not sure why I would pick up a book titled "An Honorable Thief". Other than desperation to feed oneself, I don't have much sympathy for a thief. But this was the last title I had available at the moment by AG, and I've come to enjoy her works.
The first part of the story is enjoyable due to the wit and humor. Kit is quite the "minx" as Hugo keeps saying. She leads Hugo on a merry chase. There are a number of secrets that AG teases us with. Actually I thought the partially hidden plan for Jimmy's revenge was treated with a little bit of a heavy hand. Then towards the end, but not quite, we learn a number of interesting things which were mostly surprises for me. And with the revelations were a number of touching moments. But I thought the last couple of chapters were a little on the anti-climatic side. Do we really need what amounted to a token sex scene after all the conflicts are resolved?
I had trouble understanding why one family was so generous to Kit after a relatively short acquaintance.
AG reminds the reader several times of the severe punishment a thief would receive in that day in England. Kit is frequently aware that she could be hanged and probably would if caught. We are reminded that in Asian countries, a thief would have a hand cut off. (It sure makes sense to make it even harder for a destitute person to make a living if they have already resorted to theft to survive. Which culture was more civilized?)
Mature themes: there were a few scuffles mostly involving Kit trying to escape. And the token sex scene was barely described and even that involved mostly poetic language.
The first part of the story is enjoyable due to the wit and humor. Kit is quite the "minx" as Hugo keeps saying. She leads Hugo on a merry chase. There are a number of secrets that AG teases us with. Actually I thought the partially hidden plan for Jimmy's revenge was treated with a little bit of a heavy hand. Then towards the end, but not quite, we learn a number of interesting things which were mostly surprises for me. And with the revelations were a number of touching moments. But I thought the last couple of chapters were a little on the anti-climatic side. Do we really need what amounted to a token sex scene after all the conflicts are resolved?
I had trouble understanding why one family was so generous to Kit after a relatively short acquaintance.
AG reminds the reader several times of the severe punishment a thief would receive in that day in England. Kit is frequently aware that she could be hanged and probably would if caught. We are reminded that in Asian countries, a thief would have a hand cut off. (It sure makes sense to make it even harder for a destitute person to make a living if they have already resorted to theft to survive. Which culture was more civilized?)
Mature themes: there were a few scuffles mostly involving Kit trying to escape. And the token sex scene was barely described and even that involved mostly poetic language.
January 21, 2023
I was hoping to love this book as I did her two other books I read (especially Gallant Waif), but unfortunately that was not the case.
The romance was so utterly slow and basically nothing happened until like 70% in? Seems like most of the story was just dancing in balls! This book felt way longer than 250 pages just cause of how little progression in the story there was. And yes this isn’t a sole romance because of the thief aspect I suppose, but even then there was not really any action to keep it interesting in regards to that.
I also just didn’t like Hugo, he was very boring to say the least and kind of annoying. I didn’t feel any chemistry whatsoever between him and Kit, so I wasn’t interested in the very little romance peppered in. The opera scene was just plain awkward. I also skimmed the last 2 chapters cause I was so disinterested.
Kit’s need to fulfill her awful father’s honor just didn’t make any sense really, she seems like a clever person so her keeping that promise was just strange.
I picked this up in hopes it would fill my need of an angsty yearning romance like Gallant Waif did, but alas. Wasn’t even a sweet cute romance I could get behind.
The romance was so utterly slow and basically nothing happened until like 70% in? Seems like most of the story was just dancing in balls! This book felt way longer than 250 pages just cause of how little progression in the story there was. And yes this isn’t a sole romance because of the thief aspect I suppose, but even then there was not really any action to keep it interesting in regards to that.
I also just didn’t like Hugo, he was very boring to say the least and kind of annoying. I didn’t feel any chemistry whatsoever between him and Kit, so I wasn’t interested in the very little romance peppered in. The opera scene was just plain awkward. I also skimmed the last 2 chapters cause I was so disinterested.
Kit’s need to fulfill her awful father’s honor just didn’t make any sense really, she seems like a clever person so her keeping that promise was just strange.
I picked this up in hopes it would fill my need of an angsty yearning romance like Gallant Waif did, but alas. Wasn’t even a sweet cute romance I could get behind.
February 25, 2019
Fine, frothy, tripped along.
I wondered why the heroine ever trusted her father's deathbed confession/extortion. But then again, she desperately wanted him to want /something/ of her, and a to find a shred of reason why their lives were shambles and him bitter and terrible.
Her skills were formidable. They were honestly wasted and wasted in the mostly off-page action scenes.
I enjoyed the hero being an outcast allowed in. And his misfit of build and mien along with that. And how each of those traits are what she liked best. Also he really just darn fell in love with her and wanted her! in all ways, there on. Which was nice to get from a H pov.
Got close enough to touching some wince-inducing racial characterizations. But ~of the time~ in the characters' voices and never belittling.
I think I like that in the end of all the complexity of various would-be plots, it came down to that no, one person really was just horrid and manipulative and irredeemable, and it messed a lot of things up for a lot of people (but now can be redressed as they choose).
I wondered why the heroine ever trusted her father's deathbed confession/extortion. But then again, she desperately wanted him to want /something/ of her, and a to find a shred of reason why their lives were shambles and him bitter and terrible.
Her skills were formidable. They were honestly wasted and wasted in the mostly off-page action scenes.
I enjoyed the hero being an outcast allowed in. And his misfit of build and mien along with that. And how each of those traits are what she liked best. Also he really just darn fell in love with her and wanted her! in all ways, there on. Which was nice to get from a H pov.
Got close enough to touching some wince-inducing racial characterizations. But ~of the time~ in the characters' voices and never belittling.
I think I like that in the end of all the complexity of various would-be plots, it came down to that no, one person really was just horrid and manipulative and irredeemable, and it messed a lot of things up for a lot of people (but now can be redressed as they choose).
June 21, 2017
I liked seeing the beginnings of the Anne Gracie style that I fell in love with in her later books. You can tell this is an earlier work but it still feels comfortable in a way.
I liked the chemistry between Kit and Dev almost from their very first second meeting. I love that eavesdropping leads to a fun game she plays on him and rather than be repelled he is intrigued. I love how the mystery unfolds, even if it is a bit predictable. As usual, I loved the supporting characters. They added a nice, fluffy feeling to the whole story.
This story just added to why I like Anne Gracie in general and why I seek out her books.
I liked the chemistry between Kit and Dev almost from their very first second meeting. I love that eavesdropping leads to a fun game she plays on him and rather than be repelled he is intrigued. I love how the mystery unfolds, even if it is a bit predictable. As usual, I loved the supporting characters. They added a nice, fluffy feeling to the whole story.
This story just added to why I like Anne Gracie in general and why I seek out her books.
August 12, 2019
My first book by Anne Gracie. I’d say I almost gave up on it because the pace was too slow for me. I started getting impatient and I’d put the book down, but I found myself picking the book up a few minutes later and the cycle went on.
When I got to the good parts, it felt a bit rushed though, as if the story had gone longer than intended and suddenly, they all lived happily ever after. I guess I was also hoping for a glimpse of Hugo and Kit’s future and was rather disappointed when there was none.
When I got to the good parts, it felt a bit rushed though, as if the story had gone longer than intended and suddenly, they all lived happily ever after. I guess I was also hoping for a glimpse of Hugo and Kit’s future and was rather disappointed when there was none.
January 3, 2022
Really enjoyed it!
I thought the whole catwoman meets regency sounded cool. Loved all the scenes where she kicks ass (and balls lol poor Hugo).
The beginning was great with lots of action and lots of intrigue. But then it sort of plateaued about halfway and became a little predictable. But I still enjoyed it.
The ending was really sweet.
I thought the whole catwoman meets regency sounded cool. Loved all the scenes where she kicks ass (and balls lol poor Hugo).
The beginning was great with lots of action and lots of intrigue. But then it sort of plateaued about halfway and became a little predictable. But I still enjoyed it.
The ending was really sweet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2022
Wonderful!
I have thoroughly enjoyed Anne Gracie's books! My only complaint is that only one has been in large type. Each story has been great and hard to put down - glad I'm retired - reading til 3 am is hard on the eyes. I've read all her books so far and enjoyed them all. Will keep a watch out for more.
I have thoroughly enjoyed Anne Gracie's books! My only complaint is that only one has been in large type. Each story has been great and hard to put down - glad I'm retired - reading til 3 am is hard on the eyes. I've read all her books so far and enjoyed them all. Will keep a watch out for more.
April 29, 2021
Delightful Book
Loved this book - it had all the ingredients of a book to stay up reading very late for: Interesting, well-rounded characters, a good plot, an unexpected twist and a good ending.
Loved this book - it had all the ingredients of a book to stay up reading very late for: Interesting, well-rounded characters, a good plot, an unexpected twist and a good ending.
June 21, 2024
I loved this book! I’ve read almost all of Anne Gracie’s books. This book had a unique plot and an intrepid heroine. Kit gets a “leg up” - literally- in a fight with the MMC in one of their early encounters.
June 9, 2025
Wonderful Book
To be honest in the last few months my interest in reading as waned, but this book has revived it.
This is a wonderful book, full of love, laughter and humor. My thanks to the author.
To be honest in the last few months my interest in reading as waned, but this book has revived it.
This is a wonderful book, full of love, laughter and humor. My thanks to the author.
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