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 … 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.
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Series: Lost Lords of London #2
Publication Date: 6/9/20
Number of Pages: 365
Lady Lila March and Hugh Savage have more in common than either of them realizes and it was fun to watch them figure that out. The book is well-written and I liked the story, but it did leave me scratching my head about a few things. I liked both Lila and Hugh, but some of the other characters just seemed to be space fillers. I also think this is one of those books that just begged for an epilogue. I would have dearly loved to see how Lila’s family reacted and maybe learn a bit about the wedding, etc. – but definitely, I would like to see things maybe a year out into their future.
For the last nine years, Lady Lila March has lived the life of a recluse. She goes nowhere and she sees no one. A couple of years ago, she realized she needed to get some of her life back, so she sought out someone to help her return to her love of music. That helped, but with all of the news in the scandal rags about children of the ton being kidnapped, she is terrified for her small nephew. Nine years ago, she was helpless and couldn’t protect herself – and now she is determined that won’t happen again. She’s going to learn to fight – to defend herself and those she loves – and she’s going to find the very best person to teach her. He’s undefeated, he’s even killed in the ring – she just has to convince him to show her how it is done.
Hugh Savage was forced to fight from the time he was a young boy. Luckily, he was very good at it and that is the only reason he survived his childhood. Each bare-knuckle match became bloodier and bloodier until it was the expectation that one opponent would die. All of that terror, degradation, blood, and slaughter just for the jeering entertainment of the toffs. When Hugh escaped his prison, he joined the army – only to find himself begging on the streets after returning from the horrors of the Napoleonic wars. He abhors violence and wants no part of it, but when two former fight-mates rescue him from the street, he returns to the fight clubs. Though he rarely has to enter the ring, he still wants out of it altogether.
When Hugh is approached by a slip of a girl who wanted him to teach her to fight, his reaction was to send her away. No way would he teach anyone – especially someone like her – how to fight. Then, he saw the fear and despair in her eyes. Hugh and Lila were attracted to each other from the moment they saw each other. The aristocracy sickens Hugh and he refuses to have any dealings with them – but something about Lila tells him there is more to her than meets the eye.
I loved how Lila just kept mowing down all of Hugh’s defenses and I loved that Hugh was really a gentle giant who hated the life he’d had to live in order to survive.
I was puzzled throughout the entire book though. Hugh was stolen and sold to a crime lord when he was very, very young. He had no memories of his parents at all – yet he spoke perfect aristocratic English. Also, he had all kinds of knowledge about things he just ‘knew’, but didn’t know how he knew it. Thus my conundrum – if he were old enough to have learned about battle strategies and to speak perfect English – why wouldn’t he have some memories of his parents. But, if he were stolen very young (as the story implies), how would he speak perfect English and where would his knowledge have come from? Also, he was basically locked in a cage until he was at least 15 years old. Then he went into the army – so where did he learn how to plan and run a business?
The puzzles didn’t keep me from enjoying the story, but they did keep me scratching my head trying to figure out what happened. I hope you’ll enjoy the story – I did.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
In the Dark with the Duke
Lost Lords of London Series #2
Christi Caldwell https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristiCaldwell/
Release date 06/09/2020
Publisher Montlake
Blurb :
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.
My review :
Will learning to fight be enough to face her fear and free her to love finally, when he only wants to let all kind of violence behind …
She did it again, Mrs Christi Caldwell once more unsettled me, when I thought she had explored most of the darkest places in her characters life, she finds a secret passageway to add more evil layers to her already ugly dark world.
How a sad and painful life Hugh has lived, his whole life he has only been used for the coins he would yield or the death he would cause. He is victim living in the heinous ness of his deeds. Actions commandeered by others. Using his guilt, anger or fears to bring him to heel, he survived the sins of others, but it left him bereft of hope, lost to any other thought than living one day after another, an empty shell, wary of other’s demands.
My heart bled for him and the horror he overcame, and each time it looked like he had finally found his place, he was robbed of it, online to begin back at the beginning again, begging for some scraps of food. He had been trampled by life, over and over, and still he stands up, but the more harshness he gets over, the more he bends his head, all hope lost of a better future. He is no king in his kingdom, only a hurt boy doing what he had to to live one more day.
Until a flittermouse stumbles in his life, and shows him he can ask for more and deserves it.
Lila is a survivor too, of a different nature, she was left scarred and scared after one day of I dulled liberty. Since she lives in the shadow of her own self. But now she wants be able to protect those close to her, thus her need to retrieve the part of herself she has lost so many years ago.
When she lived estranged from her own world, she became in the eyes of those around a fragile thing, afraid of her shadow, too hurt to face strangers gaze.
While with Hugh, he does not see a wounded creature but a strong woman who wants to be able to take her destiny in hand.
Their tale is one of missed rendezvous, she hides who she is, he conceals what he did too. Both very private about why they stand as they are now. Yet, through their griefs, they are also able to recognize a kindred spirit. Then, before names are exchanged, they feel a connection, something much deeper than classic insta-lust, she sees the man with profond scars and wounds still not healed, he gives her the strength to face her nightmares.
So when identities are revealed, past anger time, will this soul-connection be enough for them to stand for the other.
Mrs Caldwell one more time has shaken my certitudes, Hugh despite his strength and talent is so destroyed in the inside and lost, he will do anything for those who threw him some scraps, refusing to see what lies really behind their “kindness”, when Lila after years of being just the shadow of herself, can’t stand it anymore, decided to regroup herself to become a new version of her past self, more aware of the outside world and its dangers. While Lila lacks in physical force, it is her inner strength that will save Hugh and her own will to change the course of her life.
5 stars for this poignant tale of two survivors finding their way to one another.
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Montlake, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
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Most of Caldwell’s works have been feel good romances, where a beautiful English miss, reforms a handsome scoundrel with her love for him. The result is a happily ever after. Caldwell also has a following that love her happily ever afters, of privileged and sheltered English misses. Her romances do bring smiles to my face as I read, as she does write wonderful ‘love’ story. Her characters have always connected and as a reader, I feel the visceral pull between them.
With her stepping out into the darker climes of London, in In the Dark with the Duke, she has pushed herself as a writer, in this gritty tale. In her latest book, Caldwell has stepped upon the stage and shed her peliase of light and airy writer, and pulled in her cloak of gritty and darker writer and I am enthralled. She has written dark and gritty prior, but never to this degree. She has stepped up both her character complexity and her plot in this new release. Both hero or heroine have pasts that have forever altered them.
The hero Hugh, haunted by guilt and that guilt is played upon by his comrades. At the beginning of the book he truly has no self worth as he is being eaten alive by his prior deeds.
The heroine is Lila she is was a minor character in a Caldwell series entitled the Wallflowers. She has a very tragic past, and because of that past has become a recluse. Only venturing out when London’s hustle and bustle is at it’s lull.
When Lila and Hugh meet sparks fly, and passion follows. But, this isn’t a smooth romance for either of them as their pasts aren’t easy to over come.
I throughly enjoyed this tale and I received an unedited proof of the book via Netgalley.
I enjoyed it.
Can’t put my finger on precisely why this book fizzled flat for me—the premise was great and should’ve been filled with passion and heart-wrenching intensity. Instead it was just tedious and plodding and boring AF. The hero was beta as a guppy and the heroine, who was supposedly this meek and timid woman, a recluse who could barely look at a man, is striding around town, arguing with bare knuckle fighters, and basically behaving completely uncharacteristic to what the author was “telling.” It was discordant and unappealing.
I also didn’t like how they slept together and then acted as if it didn’t mean anything. This isn’t set in the modern world, where women treat their bodies like a subway station for dudes to get on and off in, this was set in regency England where having sex and giving ones body to a man MEANT SOMETHING and they just brush it off as if it’s no big deal and they’re in the modern age, as if it were just another meaningless exchange of bodily fluids.
Then there was the fact that the hero, who has been tormented for his entire life, for the acts of violence he has committed to survive, isn’t given a chance to use those skills to protect the woman he loves, to find redemption and to realize they can be used for good. Instead the heroine isn’t strong enough to let her man feel useful and needed and HEROIC, something a man NEEDs for his own self-respect and self-worth, but of course she has to be the one to save the day while he stands by like a castrated soy boy. Ughhhh. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the heroine proposes to the hero! And I was done. Just no. There was no swoon. No sense of exhilaration or connection or claiming or emotional intensity.
This may be my new favorite historical romance! Christi Caldwell pushes the boundaries and gives us two fabulous characters who are broken but stronger for their healing. Like the Japanese art of mending cracks with gold, these characters are even more beautiful and wonderful because of their imperfections. If you love strong characters who are outside society’s norm, you will want to read this series but especially this book. In the Dark with the Duke will be one of those books I reread whenever I need a little romance or a little courage!
Lady Lila March is 27 unwed and a recluse. 9 years ago she was at the riot that exploded called Peterloo, where many died and were injured. Her physical injuries healed, but Lila’s is a ghost of her former self, avoiding all people and events. She is living with her widowed sister while her brother and wife are in country expecting their first child. Now she is determined to learn to protect herself and those she loves and seeks Hugh Savage, an undefeated boxer, part owner of a fight club in slums of London. After the death of his loving parents, Duke and Duchess of Wingate, Hugh was sold as a child by the next in line. Remembering nothing of his former life, Hugh was exploited, along with other children, to fight to the death for the perverse enjoyment of society. At 15 he escapes and joins the King’s Army to fight Napoleon. Surviving and back in England, the Army sends Hugh to the tragedy at Peterloo. With his abhorrence of violence and death, he leaves with nothing and is taken in by 2 former fighters – and Savage’s Fight Society is born. Their goal is revenge – to find all those responsible for forcing children to fight and deal their justice. Lila sneaks out at night and approaches Hugh with her request. At first he refuses until he sees the sadness and pain in her eyes – eyes that reflect the same conflict in his own. From different worlds, yet joined together in their physical and emotional scars, Hugh agrees to help Lila. Attracted to each other, these wounded souls overcome their fear of the past and fall in love. During her lessons, Lila realizes her dream is not to fight, but to open a society to teach self-defense – a completely new concept. A detective comes across information proving that Hugh is the rightful Duke of Wingate. But Hugh’s partners still seek revenge and remind him of his obligation to their cause. They want Hugh to use his title to find the name of the peer responsible for the brutal suffering and death of innocent children. Torn between his debt to them, his hatred of violence and his love for Lila, Hugh agrees. This story is a tangled web that brings together all the threads – exploitation of children, their brutal treatment for the enjoyment of a perverse society, murder, astonishing revelations, mystery and a heartwarming, poignant love proving it is the greatest of all gifts! Wonderful story not to be missed!!
4.5 stars
I loved it for so many reasons and it reminds me of my favourite historical romance of all times
It’s not your usual historical romance story and maybe because the hero is not a pompous high ranked society peer was even better for me.
The characters and interaction are perfectly designed and you can feel the chemistry and that flicker of hope and love coming their way soon enough.
If you’re in a mood for a great historical romance pick up this book and you won’t regret it.
We are back with the second book of The Lost Lords of London series by Christi Caldwell and this book in my humble opinion is even better than the first! As it takes on a whole other suspenseful edge and you are not quite sure just what’s going to happen next!
Huge Savage is the man, the myth and the legend of the underground fighting ring in London, and while a lot of his reputation is the myth, he is a man who as a child was made to fight in an illegal boxing ring, and after escaping, he ended up in a place filled with such horror! But now he is back in London and this pesky woman is demanding that he teach her how to fight, and despite his feelings, he knows it’s all going to end in disaster.
Lady Lila March has lived in the shadows, as that is the only place she doesn’t feel scared, but after 8 years of living like an almost hermit in the heart of society. But now it was time to take power into her own hands, quite literally in fact! And never again will she feel scared, at least that’s what she tells herself when she bangs on the door of The Savage Gentleman’s boxing establishment, to demand lessons from the man himself, to teach her the art of defense.
Oh, Christi Caldwell! You honestly blew me away with this story, you reduced me to a sobbing mess of a woman, but I loved every second of it! This series has brought a new world to historical romance, going places that many authors fear to adventure and for that I applaud you.
(3.5 rounded up)
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.
It is very rare that I’m disappointed in a Christi Caldwell book. This one just didn’t live up to her talents. The first third seemed to drag on forever, and I didn’t bond with any of the characters.
A woman who hides away in her house decides she needs to learn to fight. She goes the bowels of London to a fighting house to enlist the Savage. Once she talks him into teaching her to fight, she teaches him compassion. She is the light to his dark. But is it enough to accept his being a duke or are they too far apart in society to be together. I received a complimentary copy and I am voluntarily reviewing.
In the Dark with the Duke – (Lost Lords of London #2)
I am so enjoying Christi’s Lost Lords of London series.
Our hero in this book is Hugh Savage, taken from his home when he was a young lad, first pickpocketing in St. Giles then sold to bare knuckle box in boxing matches between children. He has a chance to escape and when he does he immediately joins the Kings Army, only to find himself on the streets again after he comes home to England and ends up going back to boxing.
Our heroine is Lady Lila March, daughter of an Earl who has lived the life of recluse, fears and memories of what happened to her on August 16, 1819 when a large crowd of working class people from villages and towns around Manchester marched to St. Peter’s Field in Manchester, demanding that they had political representation. The eventuality of having the military at St. Peter’s would become what is referred to as the Peterloo Massacre. Lila was there and experienced injuries that left her with not only physical scars but also mental scars (these days she would have been diagnosed with PTSD). Lila wishes to engage Hugh to teach her how to defend herself and her sister and nephew. Her ultimate goal is to take back her life and not fear being outside in crowds by having the knowledge of what to look for and how to react.
The fact that Hugh and Lila are immediately drawn to each other both having deep fears and dark secrets starts what will become a huge part of this story. Not just the fact they were both at Peterloo on August 16, but that eventually Hugh has asked Lila for a favor in return to teaching how to defend herself, a favor that could again put both of them in danger.
Christi Caldwell has a way of bringing the reader into the story, she is able to make you feel the whoosh of the air and a punch is moves towards a face, the heat of the day, the crowds in the field and the sound of horses hooves hitting the ground as the horse guards move onto the field. You sit in Hugh’s new office once he became the Duke, while he talks to his old fighting comrades and your there when Lila tells him about how she was injured you feel him hurting because he was there, one of the horse guards and he was so ashamed of what happened.
Readers live a Christi Caldwell book while they read it.
4.5 Stars
IN THE DARK WITH THE DUKE by Christi Caldwell. What a tale! Ms. Caldwell brings two characters together, from different walks of like, and blends them effortlessly and delightfully. I truly enjoyed reading the story of Hugh and Lila. Hugh, despite being larger than life, figuratively, he does not value his own worth. That broke my heart. And Lila, despite being a Lady of the Ton, cannot see past her own hurts and limitations. However, Lila certainly had my respect and admiration for she is brave and kind and will do whatever needs to be done to help those she loves. Hugh, not believing he is worthy, fights his feelings and personal growth a bit throughout. The character development, for me, was wonderful. Both grew and became enlightened by what they discovered about themselves. There is some dark in this tale. Both Hugh and Lila have lived through some very traumatic times that certainly made my heart hurt for both. This is a bit of a slow burn romance but worth it. If you enjoy historical romance, that has some danger, some heartache and then true love, I recommend IN THE DARK WITH THE DUKE. (received NetGalley ARC for honest review)
Hugh and Lila have a lot of pasts to get past. The novel centers around how they hopefully manage to survive and move forward.
Ms. Caldwell draws wonderfuuly complex characters that made me want to find out how and if they succeed.
I loved this tale! It drew so much out of me that I never expected. Caldwell is a master of the written word. It’s almost as if you are there. I love these characters and the plot even though the plot was tragic in the many ways that history depicted it. I can’t wait to read the next story she publishes.
In the Dark with the Duke is the second book in the Lost Lords of London. The storyline of the series, recovery of heirs that are lost as children, is unique and the author was able to totally pull it off and make it story believable. The book was beautifully written, full of emotions, and so hard to put down once I started reading. The characters were so easy to fall in love with and were perfect for each other. They were able to help each other overcome their past and create a better life together.
Lady Lila March was traumatized eight years earlier when her naïve idea to attend a rally in Manchester turned into a disaster, leaving her scarred, scared of crowds, and a recluse. Lila has become tired of hiding in the shadows decides she wants to learn how to fight so she can keep herself and her family safe. She was brave and determined enough to go to East London and find Hugh Savage, a ruthless fighter for help.
As a child, Hugh Savage had no choice but to fight as a child and he hated the ruthless noble lords who were responsible for locking up the children and making them fight until death. When he escaped, he thought he was done fighting but with no other options for surviving, he joined the Army. When he returned from the war, two of his previous childhood fighters helped him. They were determined to have revenge against the noble lords and Hugh understood but he was so tired of violence.
Lila and Hugh were two troubled souls with dark pasts. Together they manage to overcome their pasts and become stronger individuals. Even though Hugh hates violence and doesn’t want to be part of teaching it he understands Lila’s dream and is willing to help her. Lila recognizes she doesn’t understand what it is like to have no options, so she could not judge Hugh for the decisions he made in the past. She understands his abhorrence of violence and is overwhelmed that he was willing to help her obtain her dreams. This was another terrific book for the series, and I can’t wait for the next book.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book is unlike any I have ever read. Lila, a young lady of eighteen, traumatized to the point of becoming a recluse for the next several years finally decides to take some action to fight her demons. It leads her to Hugh, The Savage Gentleman, the undefeated fighter in the rookeries of St Giles. This story deftly weaves together a tale of the stealing of heirs as children and selling them to fight clubs; also, of stealing poor children off the streets and enslaving them into these fight clubs where they fight to survive. The children who survive and grow into adults who vow to avenge the violent treatment of themselves and others by going after the nobility who ran this circus. Lila is trying to claw her way to have some control in her life while Huge is trying just to survive day to day, live with his remorse and regrets and work towards finding those in charge of the fight club and make them pay. Lila convinces Hugh to give her instruction on self-defense against his better judgement. Two broken people come together and get to know each other, surprisingly have much in common and more importantly learn life lessons from each other. This story surprisingly has some startling unpredictable twists and turns. I definitely did not see them coming. Also, as Lila and Hugh bear their souls to each other it brings about unexpected results. This is not a book for the faint of heart. This is a hard-hitting drama filled soul searching, pain filled recollection of the past, shocking surprises in the present with a slow burn of romance. This is a must read. One of Christi Caldwell’s best work. I highly recommend it.
This book, like book one, was terrific. I think I may have liked it better than book one
Hugh was the ultimate hero and Lila made a unique and courageous heroine.
Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy for the purpose of reading and reviewing In the Dark with the Earl by Christi Caldwell prior to publication. A delightful Regence romance. My opinions are my own and no one has influenced them.
In the Dark with the Duke is book 2 in Ms. Caldwell’s Lost Lords of London series. It’s another well-written novel with engaging characters and a unique plot. The writing is emotional and tugged at my heart. This novel had a slow beginning, but once I reached beyond the halfway point, the pacing picked up and engaged me, keeping enmeshed for the rest of the book.
Lady Lila March’s character is feisty and determined to protect herself, so she asks the hero to teach her fighting moves. I understood her desire to learn the skills needed to protect herself and her loved ones. I identified with her insecurities regarding her injuries received years before. My heart ached for all she’d suffered.
Hugh Savage is an intriguing hero. He’s lived in the underbelly of London from his earliest memories until his time in the Army. His memories of the horrifying battles plague him. He hates what he does and craves a way to leave his wretched career as a fighter, but he owes the two men who gave him succor after his time in the military. I experienced his pain and his bewilderment when he learns he’s inherited his title. I also understood his fears regarding allowing Lila into his life.
The romance between Lila and Hugh is sweet and more of a slow burn than blazing passion. Although there is plenty of desire on both sides. The emotions behind their love story is much more about their emotions than the physical attraction, which is something I enjoy in romance.
If you enjoy Regency romance with characters who will touch your heart and an emotionally charged plot, then you will love In the Dark with the Duke as much as I. This novel is a great addition to Ms. Caldwell’s newest series. Happy reading!
Author Bio: