Lord of Vice: A Regency Romance

Erica Ridley

Aug 2018 · WebMotion

About this ebook

 Appearances can be deceiving…

Vice merchant Maxwell Gideon is wickedly handsome, sinfully arrogant, and devilishly ruthless. Rumor has it, his gaming hell has the power to steal souls and grant miracles. Truth is, Max only owns half of The Cloven Hoof. He’d buy out his silent partner if he knew the man’s identity. But it’s hard to focus on business matters when a fallen angel tumbles right into one’s lap…

Miss Bryony Grenville has a well-earned reputation as an unrepentant hoyden. But even the gossipiest of the pinch-faced matrons ruling High Society could never imagine the daughter of a baron secretly financing the ton’s most infamous gambling parlor. Its maddening, sexy proprietor doesn’t suspect a thing… and two can play at temptation!

In the Rogues to Riches historical romance series by USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Erica Ridley, Cinderella stories aren’t just for princesses… Sigh-worthy Regency rogues sweep strong-willed young ladies into whirlwind romance with rollicking adventure.

Ratings and reviews

5 Stars True Love is a gamble! “Lord of Vice” is the final book in Erica Rigley’s Rogues to Riches series. Ms. Rigley saved the BEST for last. “Lord of Vice” is my new favorite read and pure regency romance. The plot is romantic, witty and a fun and entertaining story. Byrony and Max as characters are the perfect hero and heroine and make a great team. Byrony is a different kind of heroine. She is unconventional, smart and independent. She does not conform to society and goes after what she wants. Max is a commoner who has made something of himself thru investments and his gambling establishment. He is strong, caring and protective of his sister and Bryony. As the owner of a gambling establishment and a commoner he feels he is not good enough for Bryony. Their dialogue and banter is witty and their interactions very entertaining. They have undeniable and great chemistry. I have read almost all of Ms. Ridley’s books. She is an accomplished and exceptional writer who knows how to weave entertaining and well written regency romances. I loved the epilogue and the fact that this final book allowed her readers to catch up with other members of the Grenville family from past books in the series. I never give storyline specifics in my reviews because writing is an author’s livelihood. The book was a wonderful read and this entire series was exceptional. I will miss this series. I highly recommend you read her entire Rogues to Riches series it is something I will be doing over and over again! I received an ARC of this book from the author. It was a pleasure to give my honest opinion about the book.

Lord of Vice is a well-written and captivating historical fiction romance. Maxwell Gideon was the founder of a successful gaming club, The Cloven Hoof. He was also known as the Lord of Vice. And, although, Max was not of noble birth, titled and non-titled gentleman, alike, sought entrance to his establishment. Max enjoyed turning away many of the esteemed nobility who had denied him access to their clubs. Max wanted to expand the establishment, but to do so, he needed to own the deed to the Cloven Hoof. Unfortunately, his secret and silent partner was the one who held that precious document. Max has given several, more-than-fair offers to buy the business, through their liaison, Heath Grenville. But Max’s silent partner did not agree to any of them. Max wasn’t seeking the deed, to boost his ego; he had specific plans, that he wanted to implement. And to do that, he needed to own the business. He also wanted to prove to Polite Society, that they’d been wrong, about him and his family. Max didn’t know that the woman who intrigued him to the point of distraction was the secret partner who had been refusing his proposals. Bryony Grenville, the holder of the deed to The Cloven Hoof, was falling in love with Max Gideon. She was afraid, however, that once he found out who she was, their growing friendship, would die, and her heart would break. I loved the characters, Bryony and Max. They were both intelligent, opinionated, and kind. I found their witty banter humorous, and their relationship touching. If you enjoy regency romance, you’ll love, Lord of Vice. Thank you, WebMotion Publishing and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy.

Loved it! Over the past few books we have seen the wicked Lord of Vice Maxwell Gideon preside over his exclusive gambling den The Cloven Hoof. Created to provide a club for men who were ostracised from the elite gambling hells, the Cloven Hoof has now become one of the most popular clubs where membership is purely at Maxwell's discretion. He's built a thriving business and has a hand in many pies but his sole aim is to buy out his silent partner so that he can truly be beholden to no man, if he only he knew his identity. Similarly we have seen Miss Bryony Grenville as a brilliant financial wizard, investing wisely and using the profits to donate anonymously to her sister's school. She is ready to cash out her investment in the Cloven Hoof, brokered by her brother, until Maxwell's offer is so much higher than he should be able to afford that she becomes suspicious, has he been holding out on her all these years? In disguise she enters The Cloven Hoof only to be discovered by Maxwell. Maxwell is blissfully unaware of the identity of his mysterious visitor, by turns vexing and intriguing she has a keen mind and a brilliant grasp of business. But as Bryony's mother becomes more strident in her demands for Bryony to get married to a suitable member of the aristocracy can there ever been anything more between the son of a dock worker and a member of the ton? I'm a sucker for a clever woman romance, especially if her hero is a clever man and these two were just great together and apart. Even their disagreements were clever because they showed how others can misconstrue our intentions. Erica Ridley writes lovable heroines, glorious heroes, wonderful families and she has surpassed herself with this one. I received a free copy of this book from the author via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

About the author

Erica Ridley is a USA Today and New York Times best-selling author of historical romance novels. Her most popular three series, The Dukes of War, Rogues to Riches, and The 12 Dukes of Christmas, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes amid the splendor and madness of Regency England. When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found riding camels in Africa, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.