Series: The Thief-takers, Book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN: 9781492620501
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
The Lady is a Thief
Years ago, Owen Renderwell earned acclaim-and a title-for the dashing rescue of a kidnapped duchess. But only a select few knew that Scotland Yard’s most famous detective was working alongside London’s most infamous thief…and his criminally brilliant daughter, Charlotte Walker.
Lottie was like no other woman in Victorian England. She challenged him. She dazzled him. She questioned everything he believed and everything he was, and he has never wanted anyone more. And then he lost her.
Now a private detective on the trail of a murderer, Owen has stormed back into Lottie’s life. She knows that no matter what they may pretend, he will always be a man of the law and she a criminal. Yet whenever he’s near, Owen has a way of making things complicated...and long for a future that can never be theirs.
Sparks fly when a titled London investigator is forced to ask the (former) criminal he once loved for help in A Talent for Trickery . Author Alissa Johnson charmed the heck out of me with this first Thief-takers novel. Lottie and Owen’s story is bright, engaging, and filled with memorable characters who will keep you turning the pages late into the night.
Owen is an incredibly appealing hero, one who is everything that is honorable. He’s also smart enough to admit when he needs help, and he risks his own pride and heart by asking Lottie for her assistance on his current case. Though it’s been eight years, it’s clear that Owen’s feelings for Lottie are as strong as ever, and the way he sees the true her and loves Lottie for all that she is made me smile. As for Lottie, she is an endearing mix of strength and vulnerability. When she was younger, she was forced to act as her father’s accomplice; a fact which still causes her shame. In the wake of his death, she put everything she had into forging a new life for the sake of her sister and brother. Lottie is incredibly intelligent and fiercely protective of her siblings. She also still carries a torch for Owen, though she doesn’t want to admit it. Lottie wasn’t given the whole story about her father’s death and what happened immediately after, so she is wrong in hating Owen, but her logic is understandable. Their mutual attraction is palpable from the start, even though there’s distrust and wariness between them. Once the air is cleared between them, Owen and Lottie make a truly dynamic couple.
Though it’s clear Owen and Lottie fit one another like lock and key, that doesn’t mean their road to happily ever after is an easy one. Issues regarding social class and opinions on morality aren’t things that can be ignored, especially given Lottie and Owen’s respective positions. There’s also the not-so-small matter of someone who seems to be targeting the Walker family. Not all of Lottie’s father’s secrets died with him, and said secrets may or may not be tied to Owen’s current case. The mystery plotline fleshes out A Talent for Trickery, adding exciting twists and turns to the story and making it all the more compelling.
A Talent for Trickery is the first book in the Thief-takers series, and I absolutely cannot wait to see what Ms. Johnson has in store for readers with future books. If my suspicions are correct, Lottie’s intriguing sister, Esther, will get a book of her own one day and I’m truly excited – I’m not at all ready to leave the Walker family behind. If you enjoy historical romances with unusual heroines and a heartwarming love story, then you won’t want to miss A Talent for Trickery!
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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