The Earl and the Reluctant Lady (Lords of Vice, #3)

by Robyn DeHart

[Lindsey Gray]

Fletcher Banks, Earl of Wakefield, has no power with his title. His grandfather is the Duke while his father holds the Marquess title. Fletcher needs to earn a living until his elders die. He uses his charm and wit to seduce secrets for the Home Office, but when he meets Agnes Watkins, he realizes that he his tired of being the government’s Rake-for-Hire. The problem is her brother is his supervisor and he needs his approval to keep his job. For three years he keeps away from Agnes until circumstances throw the two together and all bets are off.

Agnes isn’t you average fading wallflower. She is a member of the Ladies of Virtue, a group of select woman who are trained to fight and work their bums off to prove their worth to the ranks of crime fighters. As part of LoV, she takes up the task of making covert weapons for ladies of the ton to protect themselves. A blade concealed in a fan is only one of the many items she’s constructed over the years. She never leaves home without a weapon or two, and she certainly knows just how to use them. Another part of her duties to the LoV is to reform a man from what they see as a deadly sin. Fletcher’s sin is lust and Agnes decides to take him on as her subject.

This is the third book in the series and what is really interesting is the novels take place at the same time. I remember a scene from the second book that came up again in this novel but told from Agnes’ point of view. For an author, this is a very bold choice. How DeHart keeps it all straight is a wonder, but she does and it has worked out beautifully so far.

DeHart weaves her carefully crafted threads and produces a witty, romantic escapade that will have historical romance lovers devouring as fast as they can. There are several more Ladies of Virtue and I’m excited to see what DeHart has in store for each and every one of them!

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