59 books
—
11 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Once a Fallen Lady” as Want to Read:
Once a Fallen Lady
(Fallen #2)
by
He woos her with books, flowers, and chocolates. She can't say no to him, but can't say yes to love.
Lydia Taylor's roof is leaking, her chickens are out of control, and she can't afford the rent. When her daughter falls ill, the last person she wants knocking at her door is Alfred Lowe. The school teacher's stern scowl makes her feel like he can see through her façade of a ...more
Lydia Taylor's roof is leaking, her chickens are out of control, and she can't afford the rent. When her daughter falls ill, the last person she wants knocking at her door is Alfred Lowe. The school teacher's stern scowl makes her feel like he can see through her façade of a ...more
Kindle Edition, 180 pages
Published
January 29th 2020
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Once a Fallen Lady,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about Once a Fallen Lady
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Once a Fallen Lady

Sigh, I found this to be a satisfying read. I picked this up late last night and finished this morning. That is usually an indication that I really enjoyed the story telling. While this is a novella, it is a long novella at 16 chapters and 180 pages. This was a lovely story of a school teacher and single mom.
This story started with the mom Lydia, trying to get her daughter, Annie, to school on time but is running late. It’s been a rough morning and when she tries to rush, she trips and falls in ...more
This story started with the mom Lydia, trying to get her daughter, Annie, to school on time but is running late. It’s been a rough morning and when she tries to rush, she trips and falls in ...more

Another new to me author, who reminds me very much of Mimi Matthews in terms of her writing style and the characters she had chosen to write about - less glamorous, imperfect people .
3.75/5. This is a gentle love story between a village school teacher, Alfred Lowe, and the widowed mother of one his students, Lydia Taylor. Lydia is struggling to provide for herself and her young daughter financially. Their circumstances only worsen when Annie falls seriously ill. Alfred, the diligent teacher tha ...more
3.75/5. This is a gentle love story between a village school teacher, Alfred Lowe, and the widowed mother of one his students, Lydia Taylor. Lydia is struggling to provide for herself and her young daughter financially. Their circumstances only worsen when Annie falls seriously ill. Alfred, the diligent teacher tha ...more

Now I'm not a fan of trigger/content warnings but I do understand why some people need them. That being said, if you're going to add these things, do it like this book!
Click here to see what I mean.
It gives just the right amount of info without spoiling anything and leaves away for any reader who wants more info to check and see if they book is a good fit for them. It's perfect!
I did receive a copy of this for free in exchange for an honest review. Actual rating 4.5 Stars
Now onto the actual r ...more
Click here to see what I mean.
It gives just the right amount of info without spoiling anything and leaves away for any reader who wants more info to check and see if they book is a good fit for them. It's perfect!
I did receive a copy of this for free in exchange for an honest review. Actual rating 4.5 Stars
Now onto the actual r ...more

How I loved this story! Alfred Lowe was the ultimate hero, he was handsome, caring and kindhearted. Importantly, he appreciated Annie for herself and accepted all she told him with understanding. Annie had been let down by the men in her life and she wondered whether she could trust Alfred. Annie was a loving mother and did her best, even though money was tight. Alfred was very gentle in his manner towards Annie, allowing her to gain her trust in a man again. However, they were from very differe
...more

On my blog.
Galley provided by publisher
You know when you find a new favourite author and you immediately have to devour everything they’ve ever written? That was me last year, discovering Eve Pendle. As such, I’ve been waiting impatiently for this book ever since.
Once a Fallen Lady is about Lydia Taylor, a “widow”, who lives in a small village with her daughter Annie. When Annie falls ill, her teacher, Alfred Lowe, comes to help out, drawn to Lydia for reasons he doesn’t quite know. Alfred s ...more
Galley provided by publisher
You know when you find a new favourite author and you immediately have to devour everything they’ve ever written? That was me last year, discovering Eve Pendle. As such, I’ve been waiting impatiently for this book ever since.
Once a Fallen Lady is about Lydia Taylor, a “widow”, who lives in a small village with her daughter Annie. When Annie falls ill, her teacher, Alfred Lowe, comes to help out, drawn to Lydia for reasons he doesn’t quite know. Alfred s ...more

Once a Fallen Lady is a surprisingly well-developed and well-paced historical romance novella. I really enjoyed this and would seek out more by this author. If you are looking for something short and satisfying, this is a great pick.
Lydia Taylor is raising a 10-year-old daughter and living on the brink of poverty. Her secret is that she is a ruined woman and her daughter is a bastard child. But when the child falls seriously ill, she develops a sweet relationship with the local school teacher. ...more
Lydia Taylor is raising a 10-year-old daughter and living on the brink of poverty. Her secret is that she is a ruined woman and her daughter is a bastard child. But when the child falls seriously ill, she develops a sweet relationship with the local school teacher. ...more

@ romance authors please use literally any other word than 'his member' and 'her sex' i beg of you
...more

Falling and having to pull herself out of the mud made Lydia Taylor’s first introduction to Alfred Lowe humiliating, but it doesn’t matter, Lydia’s experience with men has not been the best and handsome men such as Alfred are bound to give her nothing but heartache. Bad choices and reckless behavior in her youth, left Lydia ruined and forced to live a lie. But enduring all the pain and heartbreak was worth it because it gave her daughter Annie. She will ignore the handsome teacher and just conce
...more

Once a Fallen Lady tells the story of a Lydia who's struggling to make ends meet while taking care of her daughter, Annie. She'll do anything for her little girl. Things got worse when Annie got sick with symptoms of polio. Mr. Alfred Lowe, Annie's teacher wants to know why she's absent. After knowing their situation, he helps them in any possible way. Not denying from Lydia that he's attracted to her. Will Lydia reciprocate Alfred's feelings towards her?
Eve Pendle creates her characters and une ...more

Once a Fallen Lady
Eve Pendle
https://www.facebook.com/EvePendleAut...
Release date 01/29/2020
Blurb :
He woos her with chocolate, flowers, and novels. She can’t say no to him, but can’t say yes to love.
Lydia Taylor's roof is leaking, her chickens are out of control, and she can’t afford the rent. When her daughter falls ill, the last person she wants knocking at her door is gorgeous school teacher Alfred Lowe. His scowl makes her feel like he can see through her façade of a respectable widow and j ...more
Eve Pendle
https://www.facebook.com/EvePendleAut...
Release date 01/29/2020
Blurb :
He woos her with chocolate, flowers, and novels. She can’t say no to him, but can’t say yes to love.
Lydia Taylor's roof is leaking, her chickens are out of control, and she can’t afford the rent. When her daughter falls ill, the last person she wants knocking at her door is gorgeous school teacher Alfred Lowe. His scowl makes her feel like he can see through her façade of a respectable widow and j ...more

Historical romances centered on working or middle class characters are rare, and it's rarer still to find a story that is attentive to the responsibilities and realities of daily life: cooking, cleaning, looking after animals and caring for family. In this respect Once a Fallen Lady stands out from the crowd.
Lydia Taylor is living as a respectable widow with her young daughter Annie in an out-of-the-way village, scrimping and saving her small income to keep a roof over their heads. We first mee ...more
Lydia Taylor is living as a respectable widow with her young daughter Annie in an out-of-the-way village, scrimping and saving her small income to keep a roof over their heads. We first mee ...more

*I got this book as a kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *
This book is a charming and nice gem.
Here we have Lydia, Annie and Alfred. Lydia who don`t want any fuss, pity or charity even though it leaks through the roof and they barely have any money. Her pride stands in the way of that. This little gem is around 180 pages and have a very nice pacing of the story. Annie is a happy child who loves the school in the village, even though they often are late and the teacher`s ...more
This book is a charming and nice gem.
Here we have Lydia, Annie and Alfred. Lydia who don`t want any fuss, pity or charity even though it leaks through the roof and they barely have any money. Her pride stands in the way of that. This little gem is around 180 pages and have a very nice pacing of the story. Annie is a happy child who loves the school in the village, even though they often are late and the teacher`s ...more

Loved this book! Delightfully different, wickedly funny in places, and reminded me a bit of Thomas Hardy. A great re-creation of the hypocrisy of Victorian society. There’s more than one villain in the piece, which gives the story edge. And chickens. Several chickens. And, of course, a HEA. Kudos to the author.

Dark, twisty & swoon-worthy. Heroine has a secret she dares not reveal and hero has a heart he's willing to lay at her feet. Of course, it's not as simple as that. Unpredictable plot and well-written characters make this a truly enjoyable book.
...more

Full RTC
Excuse me while I squeal in utter delight but this book was so good.
I was instantly bewitched by Lydia and Alfred. Especially Alfred is a true cinnamon roll hero & sweet it's almost unbearable.
I loved the balance between the "tragic" parts and the moments where Lydia and Alfred simply enjoyed their company.
Both share lots of similar thoughts and I love how easily they are getting along - despite Lydia's hesitancy regarding Alfred's courting - which is more than understandable based on he ...more
Excuse me while I squeal in utter delight but this book was so good.
I was instantly bewitched by Lydia and Alfred. Especially Alfred is a true cinnamon roll hero & sweet it's almost unbearable.
I loved the balance between the "tragic" parts and the moments where Lydia and Alfred simply enjoyed their company.
Both share lots of similar thoughts and I love how easily they are getting along - despite Lydia's hesitancy regarding Alfred's courting - which is more than understandable based on he ...more

3.5 stars
Jayne and I have a joint review of this short book / long novella which can be found here:
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/o... ...more
Jayne and I have a joint review of this short book / long novella which can be found here:
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/o... ...more

Once upon a time, Lydia Taylor was a respectable young woman who aspired to marry an earl. That was a long time ago, though, and the balls, parties and pretty gowns belonged to another life… one where she wasn’t a single mother desperate to conceal the fact that she’s not really a widow, for her daughter’s sake. Living in poverty and gouged by an unscrupulous rent collector, when Annie falls ill she’s at her wits’ end until Annie’s schoolteacher appears on her doorstep with an entirely unlooked-
...more

Lots of stuff to like in the latest from Eve Pendle: great consent, recognition that there weren't only white people in Victorian England, and a tightly written story with relatively low angst for the relationship (though high in other respects). What I would have like to have seen more of was Lydia's progression from deep shame to accepting her sexuality again--for someone who had clearly internalized her shame, the walk back needed to be a bit more gradual. Pendle has a fabulous histrom voice,
...more

This was a historical romance about a women who felt she didn’t deserve anyone of status because of her past. Then along comes Prince Charming who looked like an unlikely suitor.
There was lots of lust and some romance. It was a quick read, a novella that I felt should have been longer. But of course I always say that.
This was a Netgalley book and I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
There was lots of lust and some romance. It was a quick read, a novella that I felt should have been longer. But of course I always say that.
This was a Netgalley book and I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

An Uncommonly Common Love
This is an unusual Victorian romance because the hero and heroine are such common people. He is a country schoolteacher, and she is the fallen lady of the title, having once been a member of high society but having to flee from all she knew after her ruination and subsequent birth of a daughter. His salary grants him genteel poverty, but her situation is far more dire, made even more so by an unscrupulous land agent who raises the rents on unprotected females. When her d ...more
This is an unusual Victorian romance because the hero and heroine are such common people. He is a country schoolteacher, and she is the fallen lady of the title, having once been a member of high society but having to flee from all she knew after her ruination and subsequent birth of a daughter. His salary grants him genteel poverty, but her situation is far more dire, made even more so by an unscrupulous land agent who raises the rents on unprotected females. When her d ...more

Once a Fallen Lady is the second book in author Eve Pendle’s Fallen Series. This story features two characters that we caught a glimpse of in the previous book in this series, Falling for a Rake. I really enjoyed the previous story and have been waiting for Lydia and Alfred’s story!
Lydia Taylor has secrets that weigh heavily on her. Everyone thinks she is a respectable widow, when in fact she’s a fallen woman raising her illegitimate child. Alfred Lowe is a school teacher at the school Lydia’s d ...more
Lydia Taylor has secrets that weigh heavily on her. Everyone thinks she is a respectable widow, when in fact she’s a fallen woman raising her illegitimate child. Alfred Lowe is a school teacher at the school Lydia’s d ...more

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Eve Pendle is a new-to-me author, but we have talked a bit on Twitter, and I was struck by the blurb of this book when I saw it, and how it stood out from a lot of what is being published in historical romance right now. While there are some familiar elements, they happen to be some of my favorite things: the cinnamon roll hero and the heroine “ruined” due to the double standards set by society, as well as ...more
Eve Pendle is a new-to-me author, but we have talked a bit on Twitter, and I was struck by the blurb of this book when I saw it, and how it stood out from a lot of what is being published in historical romance right now. While there are some familiar elements, they happen to be some of my favorite things: the cinnamon roll hero and the heroine “ruined” due to the double standards set by society, as well as ...more

4.25 Stars
Lydia Taylor's roof is leaking and she can’t afford the rent. When her daughter falls ill, the last person she wants knocking at her door is gorgeous school teacher Alfred Lowe. His scowl makes her feel like he can see through her façade of a respectable widow and judge all her secrets.
To achieve his dream of his own school, Alfred needs to marry a wealthy lady. But from the moment Lydia Taylor literally fell at his feet, he's been awkwardly attracted to her. What begins as duty to sup ...more
Lydia Taylor's roof is leaking and she can’t afford the rent. When her daughter falls ill, the last person she wants knocking at her door is gorgeous school teacher Alfred Lowe. His scowl makes her feel like he can see through her façade of a respectable widow and judge all her secrets.
To achieve his dream of his own school, Alfred needs to marry a wealthy lady. But from the moment Lydia Taylor literally fell at his feet, he's been awkwardly attracted to her. What begins as duty to sup ...more

As the crisis of Annie Taylor's illness deepens, Alfred woos Lydia, her mother with chocolate, savory pies, flowers, and novels. But the past creeps into the present, casting a long shadow. They must choose whether they can love, despite the risk to everything they've ever wanted.
I have read two other books by this author and although I found both to be OK reads I was unsure if I would want to read another.
If this had been the first book I read by this author I would have jumped at the chance t ...more
I have read two other books by this author and although I found both to be OK reads I was unsure if I would want to read another.
If this had been the first book I read by this author I would have jumped at the chance t ...more

Lydia would do anything for her daughter, so when the new school teacher offers to help, she doesn't turn him down. But with each visit, the end up spending more and more time with one another. She knows that she could never been good enough for him, but can't seem to stop spending time with the man. But what will he say when he learns that secret she has been hiding from him?
Alfred is taken with Lydia the first time they meet. He uses the excuse of her sick daughter, his pupil, to be able to sp ...more
Alfred is taken with Lydia the first time they meet. He uses the excuse of her sick daughter, his pupil, to be able to sp ...more

A well written story with a very good storyline, by an Author I have not read before. Lydia Taylor has been keeping her daughter Annie's parentage a secret, Lydia says she is a widow. Lydia's family disowned her ten years ago. School teacher Alfred Lowe comes to the cottage Lydia lives in when Annie gets sick, and they get along well. The past is not through with Lydia though. I enjoyed reading this story. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
...more

Prince Charming can come in unexpected forms.
Lydia is a fallen woman in 1875. She has a child to prove it.
Alfred is a truly good man with honest intentions. He’s a school teacher.
Lydia always believed she would marry an earl.
What I liked?
A good man like Alfred. He was sweet and decent and a total dream. Will Lydia allow herself to see his many wonderful qualities?
voluntarily reviewed
Lydia is a fallen woman in 1875. She has a child to prove it.
Alfred is a truly good man with honest intentions. He’s a school teacher.
Lydia always believed she would marry an earl.
What I liked?
A good man like Alfred. He was sweet and decent and a total dream. Will Lydia allow herself to see his many wonderful qualities?
voluntarily reviewed
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Eve lives in England and writes angsty, snarky and passionate Victorian era romance. She has National Trust membership, a prince-charming husband, and a crazy dog. She loves wearing dresses and eating chocolate.
You can get a free sexy historical romance story from Eve when you sign up for her new-releases email list at evependle.com ...more
You can get a free sexy historical romance story from Eve when you sign up for her new-releases email list at evependle.com ...more
Other books in the series
Fallen
(2 books)
Related Articles
Mateo Askaripour is a Brooklyn-based writer whose debut novel, Black Buck—which Colson Whitehead calls a “mesmerizing novel, executing a high...
68 likes · 7 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »