The Raven's Lady

by Kate Moore

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Inventor and engineer Adrian Cole, “Raven” had a rough childhood on London streets. Once one of the Duke of Wenlock’s ‘lost boys,’ he’s now heir to his industrialist grandfather’s fortune. Newly knighted after his fire-fighting invention and daring saved lives when the Houses of Parliament burned, Raven now seeks a wife. Falling for a high-born beauty, he leases and renovates a country estate so he can court her, confident he can rise above his past. But his quick-witted, reclusive landlord has him second-guessing himself and his choices. After a disastrous London Season and a crippling accident, Lady Cassandra Lavenham secludes herself at her grandmother’s neglected estate, Verwood Hall. She struggles to keep the once stately home from ruin. When a wealthy man wants to lease and renovate the property, her prayers seem answered. Then, friendship and an inconvenient attraction bloom as Raven’s heart is set on another Cassie knows to be cruel and faithless. Cassie helps Raven prepare for the midsummer ball where he plans to propose. Dare she hope Raven will see the love standing in front of him?

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Book Details

Genre

Historical Romance

Subgenre

Regency Historical Romance

Series

The Duke's Men • Book 2

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑

Profanity

1 None

Violence

1 None

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

1 None

Publication Date

October 21, 2024

Language Versions

English

Fiction Form

Novel

About the Author

Kate taught English Literature to generations of high school students, who are now her Facebook friends, while she not-so-secretly penned Romances. In Kate’s stories an undeniable mutual attraction brings honorable, edgy loners and warm, practical women into a circle of love in Regency England or contemporary California. A Golden Heart, Golden Crown, and Book Buyers Best award winner and three-time RITA finalist, Kate lives north of San Francisco with her surfer husband, their yellow Lab, toys for visiting grandkids, and miles of crowded bookshelves.

Entertaining historical romance

Kate Moore continues her gripping historical romance series The Duke's Men with the second witty, dramatic and captivating installment, The Raven's Lady.Inventor and engineer Adrian Cole "Raven" has come a long way from the streets of London. Newly knighted after his invention had saved the lives of Parliamentarians and heir to his grandfather's industrialist fortune, Raven is now a respectable member of society in need of a wife. Raven wants to make a suitable match and has settled on a high-born lady who will help him walk effortlessly through the doors that had previously been closed to him. Fate, however, might have other ideas...Lady Cassandra Lavenham had suffered an embarrassing season and a crippling accident that had left her with no other choice but to seclude herself at her grandmother's remote estate. Sadly, Verwood Hall has fallen to rack and ruin and when Raven comes to lease and renovate the family seat, Cassandra is delighted - especially as she finds herself drawn to the handsome engineer, even if he has his heart set on marrying another...With a midsummer ball to plan and an unrequited attraction to Raven to cope with, Cassandra vows to keep her feelings under lock and key. However, that might prove far easier said than done...Kate Moore's historical romances never fail to delight. The Raven's Lady is a charming, enchanting and poignant romantic tale that delivers on all counts and will make readers fall head over heels in love with Cassandra and Raven's swoon-worthy love story.A terrific historical romance readers will thoroughly enjoy, The Raven's Lady is another must-read by Kate Moore.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A well crafted romance in the regency era

The Raven’s Lady is an enjoyable and clean regency romance. This is the first book of Kate Moore’s that I’ve read, and I quite enjoyed being immersed in the world. Kate is clearly a talented writer with a deep, technical knowledge of the workings of the regency era and London, providing both enjoyment and an opportunity to learn. Additionally, the characters are well written and believable, the story is intriguing, and the world is expertly constructed.The star of the show is the romance. I quite enjoyed seeing the unlikely connection between the protagonists, and how they both found something they didn’t realize they needed. The romance is clean, enjoyable, and endearing. I would have liked a little more of the characters' thoughts illustrating their developing feelings for the other, but there was still plenty to keep the story going. I was a little worried about the male protagonist's interest in a third party, but he is always honorable in his actions, and there was no betrayal from my perspective.Overall, this was a delightful first read. Kate Moore is a talented and knowledgeable writer, and The Raven’s Lady is a standalone in a series with a clean romance which is sure to capture readers. I’m looking forward to reading more of Kate’s work and the rest of this series.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Excellent and enjoyable

Lady Cassandra Lavenham and her family, her grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Verwood, and her aunt, Miss Honoria Thornhill, are just scraping by living in Verwood Hall. The Dowager Duchess insists on keeping her stable of fine horses in prime condition. Aunt Honoria writes romance novels. While Lady Cassandra, with a lame foot, does her best to cut corners and scrimp pennies, Verwood is beginning to decline and times are getting tighter and tighter. They have no choice but to lease the place and move to the dower cottage.Sir Adrian Cole is looking to purchase an estate. Unfortunately, there are few of the proper sort available in the neighborhood of Wormly. Once one of the Duke of Wenlocke lost boys, Sir Adrian has recently been knighted for his service in helping to extinguish the fire at the Houses of Parliament. He has his eye on a young woman from a nearby estate, and he intends to impress and woo her with his own luxurious home.Will Sir Adrian be able to convince Lady Cassandra that he’s the appropriate person to take over Verwood? Will he be willing to submit to the concessions demanded by the Dowager Duchess? Will Lady Cassandra be able to convince her grandmother?This was a delightful tale of a former street boy turned knight, a Duke’s daughter fallen on hard times, and how they worked together to improve life for everyone. I loved the characters and how they fought, worked together, and eventually figured out how to reach a happy ending.This is book two in The Duke’s Men series. While it might help a little to have read the firest book, I think this book works well as a standalone. The writing was excellent, and the story flowed smoothly. There were a few surprises, some twists and turns, but in all this was an interesting page turner. I highly recommend it.I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher, Tule. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.