Series: Lost Lords of London #2
Published by Amazon Publishing on 2020-06
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Historical, General, Regency, Victorian
Pages: 368
Format: eBook
Source: ARC
A lady of reserve and a fierce street fighter find common ground in the second Lost Lords of London novel by USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell.
Eight years ago, Lady Lila March retreated to the safe shadows of her family's estate after a devastating tragedy. Weary of being a whisper of her former self, she is determined to brave the dangers of the outside world again. No man is better equipped to train her in the art of defense than the Savage Gentleman, East London's undefeated street fighter.
Hugh Savage reigns as king--of the underworld. Physically invulnerable, emotionally battered, he has his reasons for bare-knuckle brawling. Though Hugh longs to break free of the ring and leave behind the brutal world of violence, he's intrigued by the challenge Lady Lila poses. A mysterious lady of the peerage willfully descending into the dangerous rookeries? That bespeaks a woman with secrets of her own.
As their unconventional pact progresses, Hugh comes to admire the resolve in Lila's heart. And beneath his hard surface, she sees a tenderness that touches her to the quick. They'll soon discover how much they need each other--to face their pasts together, and to fight for a future they deserve.
In the Dark with the Duke is without a doubt the darkest book thus far in Caldwell’s Lost Lords of London series. Caldwell really puts her characters through a swamp of misfortune. Told in alternating views between Hugh and Lila, both have been scarred by traumatic pasts. Caldwell uses heavy topics such as the Peterloo Massacre, PTSD, and violence against children to weave an admittedly grim setting before bringing two profoundly damaged individuals together in a heartwarming romance.
I really love to delve into books with working-class heroes. I still count Hugh as he spent over half his life begging, fighting, and marching. The class difference makes for some intriguing internal strife for Hugh as he spends more time with Lila. If you are looking for a broody, scarred hero then look no further. In many of the historical romances I’ve read, usually, the broody and scarred characteristics are saved for the men, but Caldwell surprised me by pairing Hugh with a withdrawn, physically and emotionally scarred heroine. Lila starts as a whisper of herself, terrified of everything including sunlight. One of the most striking parts of this story is how both Hugh and Lila grow independently of the romance. While the interactions with Hugh are the incitement of Lila’s reflection, all that work is done in her own head and heart. Hugh has a similar journey of self-reflection.
I adore the chemistry between Hugh and Lila. The tension between the characters was palpable during the fight instruction scenes. Consequently, those scenes are all at the top of my list of favorites for this story.
So far this has been absolutely glowing, so why the 3.5 stars? I have no doubts about the romance, but I did find the pacing lagged for me a bit around the middle and my reading progress slowed significantly. I loved the self-reflection but there were some repetitive moments that could have been skipped over.
Even with the issues in the middle, the final third of the book was immensely satisfying. Hugh and Lila grew not only as individuals but as a duo with enough loyalty, respect, and adoration for their partner to spare. Hugh and Lila’s quiet but confident love gave me all the warm fuzzies and definitely recommend for HR readers, especially those that like medium-slow burn romances. While this is the second book in the series, it is easily read as a standalone. Of course, I recommend starting with |In Bed with the Earl| as that has been one of my top historical romance reads in 2020!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About Christi Caldwell
USA TODAY Bestselling author CHRISTI CALDWELL blames Judith McNaught's "Whitney, My Love!" for luring her into the world of historical romance. While sitting in her graduate school apartment at the University of Connecticut, Christi decided to set aside her notes and pick up her laptop to try her hand at romance. She believes the most perfect heroes and heroines have imperfections, and she rather enjoys torturing them before crafting them a well deserved happily ever after!
Christi makes her home in southern Connecticut where she spends her time writing her own enchanting historical romances, chasing around her feisty seven-year-old son and caring for her twin princesses in training!
