From the moment Hollis Darby meets Ana Newport, he’s smitten. Even though he’s from a wealthy, established family and she isn’t, he wishes he could have a life with her by his side. But Hollis has a secret: the deep coffers that have kept his family afloat for generations are bare, so he supports himself by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym. If not for the income from his novels, he would … would be broke.
Ana Newport also has a secret. Though she once had a place in society thanks to her father’s business, bankruptcy and scandal reduced the family fortune to nothing more than a crumbling town house. So Ana teaches music during the day, and at night she assumes the identity of the “Phantom Fox.” She breaks into the homes of the wealthy to reclaim treasures she feels were unjustly stolen from her family when they were struggling.
When Hollis’s brother needs to hire a music tutor for his daughter, Hollis recommends Ana, giving him a chance to spend time with her. Ana needs the income and is eager for the opportunity to get to know the enigmatic gentleman. What neither of them expects is how difficult it will be to keep their respective secrets from each other.
When a spree of robberies rocks the city, Ana and Hollis join forces to solve the crimes, but working together deepens the affection between them. After all, who better to save the day than a gentleman and a thief?
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Sarah M. Eden takes us further into the life and times of the people in Victorian London and the Dread Penny Society.
Hollis Darby feels like the token high society member of the Dread Penny Society. Sure, he writes Penny Dreadful stories but feels like he gets light weight assignments in the Society.
Ana Newport works at Thurloe Girls School as the music instructor. She has secrets she doesn’t want known.
Hollis has been interested in Ana since he met her during the last doings of the society that introduced Fletcher and Elizabeth.
There is a little thief whose name is Very Merry, who makes their lives interesting. There are two Penny Dreadful stories told during the course of the book. The society continues to battle the evil men and networks they were fighting in The Lady and the Highwayman.
Hollis uses his skill in society and with cards to find a full place in the society. Hollis and Ana grow closer as befits a proper romance and knowing each other’s secrets cements their bond rather than tearing them apart.
I raced through this story. I didn’t want the pauses for the Penny Dreadful stories but I did want to know what would happen in them. A contradiction that just shows how well each portion was done.
3.5 Stars
I’m a romance girl through and through, so I wanted that swoon factor and I missed that in this book. To me, there wasn’t enough of a build in that relationship. I cared more about Hollis and Ana achieving their individual goals than I cared about them being together.
Throughout the book, readers are given snippets of penny dreadful novels. At first, this kind of threw me, but I found myself caring just as much about the novels as I did the storyline. It’s like getting three stories for the price of one and I ended up enjoying it.
Overall, I became attached to the Dread Penny Society and will likely read the rest of the series. If you’re a fan of historical romances with a touch more intrigue, this one is for you!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. All expressed opinions belong to me.
What a fun way to weave together the romance, adventure, and mystery! It was lovely for Hollis and Ana to develop a relationship and have that foundation as they become more involved in the investigation together, and the complications that arise with their own secrets. I enjoyed their banter and flirting, and the gentlemanly manners of Hollis. The author brought the Victorian era to life, and there is no mistaking it for another! The little details and historical tidbits are fascinating and really establish the setting. I love the idea of a secret society whose mission is to help the helpless and rescue those in need. It makes them seem like superheroes in a way, but all too human. While the entertaining excerpts from the penny dreadful stories are interspersed throughout the book, I found myself anxious to return to the main plot and read quickly to see what would happen next. An exciting addition to the series and a wonderful cast of characters!
Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.
Such fun!
I knew I was in for a treat when I saw that Sarah M. Eden had written another story about the Dread Penny Society, and I was right. The Gentleman and the Thief has an old-timey, Victorian feel and is filled with delightful surprises, mystery, and adventure. The two Penny Dreadful stories included added to the pleasure.
Hollis had the appearance and manners of the perfect gentleman. Yet the company he keeps and the secret activities he engages in might belie that image. All he wants is for the Dreadfuls to allow him to be more than just a pretty face in the Society, allowing him the opportunity to do something truly useful. And little did he expect the opportunity would present itself in the manner in which it did!!
I loved the characters! Very Merry, the seven-year-old urchin, was quite possibly my favorite. Which, I suppose, just makes sense because she stole the hearts of everyone she came in contact with.
As the DPS continues its work to rescue the afflicted, they are again confronted with the evils in the city of London. It was such an adventure!
The Gentleman and the Thief is a continuation of the saga that started in The Lady and the Highwayman. Each story has a clear ending and yet leaves the mysterious man who is responsible for the crime and mayhem at large in the shadowy streets of London. You will want to read the entire Proper Romance Victorian series, in order.
Read my review of The Gentleman and the Thief by Sarah M. Eden at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
I am loving this series! I can’t see what the next installment brings! A fun clean read with a dash of mystery!
The Gentleman and the Thief is the second book in Sarah M. Eden’s absolutely charming The Dread Penny Society series. The first one had an interesting setup – penny dreadful stories interwoven with the main story. It really worked there, but was it a fluke? It’s an unusual premise… But no, not a fluke! This second volume was just as captivating as the first.
Hollis Darby comes from a good, wealthy family…except the family is no longer wealthy. To support himself, he writes penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym. He is also a member of the Dread Penny Society, a secret organization that helps children of the streets and other unfortunates. When he meets music teacher Ana Newport, he is immediately taken with her. But Hollis isn’t the only one with secrets – by night Ana is the “Phantom Fox”, a thief who breaks into the homes of the wealthy to regain sentimental trinkets which were stolen from her family unjustly. Can a romance be built upon secrets? And when they join forces to find evidence of wrongdoing in a gambling den, will they even make it out alive?
This story was utterly delightful! I just adored Hollis and Ana individually, but they were even more captivating together. Hollis wanted a more important role in the Dread Penny Society. While others were out fighting injustice, Hollis? He went to parties. It was an essential job, but parties? I could understand his frustration. Ana was a music teacher when she wasn’t being the Phantom Fox. She wanted to recapture treasured items stolen when her father lost his business and hoped to help the broken man rejoin the land of the living. Hollis is totally drawn to Ana, and she to him. Together they were amusing and oh, so sweet. Don’t mistake sweet for boring, however; you could feel their attraction. I couldn’t help but smile at their banter. It was fun revisiting characters from the first book. What really made this book fun, though, are the penny dreadful stories woven together with Hollis and Ana’s story. One story was written under Hollis’s pseudonym about a school for ghosts, while the other penny dreadful shadows our hero and heroine’s romance. I hope we will be honored with many more adventures of the Dread Penny Society!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Interesting installment in this series. I liked the characters and the intrigue. Part of it had my heart pounding as I worried for Hollis and Ana. I enjoyed how the two of them figured out the involvement of the other in their secret lives. But the intrigue continues so there must be more to the series. The additional stories from the Penny Dreadfuls that Hollis secretly writes was fun. Much lighter and fun than many Penny Dreadfuls which have that name for a reason. These were more just delightful than dreadful.
This series is different than most of Ms. Eden’s books with double elements in the writing of intrigue along with the romance. So it is a change of pace. I do enjoy her books.
Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: a little
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.
Wow! This book is so good! It is romantic, adventurous, action-packed, quick-moving, witty, unique, and much more! Whenever I picked up “The Gentleman and the Thief”, I was whisked back in time to the Victorian Era, and went on quite the journey with this story.
This is the second book in Sarah M. Eden’s “Proper Romance Victorian” series, but the first I have read. While I definitely think the book can work as a stand-alone, I was a little bit confused in the beginning in regard to how everyone is connected, and what exactly the Dread Penny Society is. However, within a few chapters (and after reading a short synopsis of “The Lady and the Highwayman”), I completely understood and found myself totally immersed. I now can’t wait to go back and read the first book, and hope there will be many more in this amazing series!
Something very unique from what I have seen that Ms. Eden does is including two different Penny Dreadful’s inserted throughout various parts of the book. They beautifully mirror what is going on in the story, and I found myself so excited to read each and every one, as I was drawn into the Penny Dreadful’s stories too!
(Possibly Spoilers!)
Oh, how I love Hollis and Ana! Their relationship is witty, flirtatious, romantic, and beautiful. Both are such kind, caring, warm, and intelligent people, and they truly bring out the best in one another. Neither is willing to overlook what is going on around them: children being threatened and forced to steal, gambling, cheating, and other absolutely horrific things… and they, along with others, want to help those around them, even if it means putting themselves in harms way.
If you enjoy historical romance and / or historical fiction, I highly recommend this book! I could not put it down, and found myself reading into the early hours of the morning to see what happened next! I hope we see many of these characters in future books in the series!
Thank you so much to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC of this novel, I so enjoyed it! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Sarah Eden does it again with the second book in The Dread Penny Society (or DPS) as the members refer to it. Hollis Darby is from a wealthy family, but what no one in society knows is that the coffers are bare. To keep himself in cash he secretly writes penny dreadfuls. Ana Newport is from a family that used to be a part of society, but since her father’s business failed and they lost a lot of possessions to creditors, the only thing left is a town house in need of repair. Ana teaches music at a girl’s school but in the evening she takes back items of sentimental value that were unjustly taken from her family.
I loved Hollis and Ana. Each of their families had suffered financial losses, so they knew what it was like to do without. They each had a secret to protect and I couldn’t wait to see how the other reacted when it was discovered. I loved Hollis’ flirty comments and how he fell more in love with Ana with every new discovery about her. His reactions to these discoveries made me smile. I also liked how Hollis interacted with his niece and the little street girl they rescued, Very Merry. It made me think that he would make a great father.
I loved the suspenseful moments especially when Ana worked with the DPS to catch the bad guys. I was afraid one of them would get caught or hurt, and was not happy that the bad guys got away again. (Darn it!) I found how Hollis and O’Donnell treated Ana’s father very sweet. I really enjoyed getting glimpses of Fletcher and Elizabeth and the other members of the DPS, and look forward to getting their stories.
Inside the story of Hollis and Ana are two penny dreadfuls which I thoroughly enjoyed. One takes place at a school for ghosts which was such fun. I don’t know how Sarah Eden manages to write three stories at once–two within the main story–it can’t be easy but she does it seamlessly. This is the second in the Dread Penny Society. I would recommend reading The Lady and the Highwayman
I received a complimentary copy from Shadow Mountain. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I have really enjoyed this series. Book two in the Penny Dreadful Society picks up with Hollis and Ana. I loved being able to reading of their adventure that ends with a great HEA. The penny dreadful stories mixed throughout is so clever and incredibly talented! Another winner from Sarah Eden!
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
This series is a lot of fun and to get the full effect, I would recommend reading them in order. I love the little “penny dreadful” stories wrapped up in the middle of this book, and along with the main story, the reader is treated to two penny dreadfuls. A “penny dreadful” is a story that costs a penny and was full of adventure, danger, crime, and romance. These clever little diversions are an amusing part of the book.
A secret society is created to help those who need help and to rid society of evil and I’m enjoying the adventure of getting to know different characters in more depth. There are all kinds of personalities, backgrounds, and professions in this group, but that’s what makes it work so well. Eden always does a great job of creating likable characters in entertaining situations.
Ana and Hollis are great characters and I loved the mysteries and mild suspense surrounding their interactions. It’s especially fun to watch what happens when they join forces. It’s apparent a lot of research has gone into this series and it’s refreshing to read a bit of history written in such unique way.
Content: mild romance; mild adventure/violence/danger
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
This is a sweet story about Hollis and Ana. Both have been part of high society with each of their families having gone through significant financial loses. Hollis still remains within certain areas of society and maintains an income through writing Penny Dreadfuls. Ana has been shunned by society and has had to move out of her family home and into a local school to teach music. She has also begun stealing back things that she feels were taken from her family.
There’s a mystery to the book that leads to some sense of adventure and has the two working together at times. The characters are sweet but I just didn’t feel the chemistry or excitement with much of the story. There were several sub-stories within the book that led to more distraction than anything. While the book is well-written it ran more along the lines of a children’s book to me and so just wasn’t my personal preference of book. That being said, I could definitely see many people enjoying this if you like a sweet, clean, adventurous story with mystery and a bit of fun. 3.5 stars for me rounded up to 4.
Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
The Dread Penny Society is such a fun basis for this series and these books. I am loving the whole premise of a group of people who secretly meet and spread help to those who need it most as they try to rid the city of the most vile. They are quite a mash up of personalities but it takes all kinds of people with all kinds of knowledge and talents to make an organization like this work. While I think this book can easily stand on it’s own, I would recommend reading them in order because all the characters interconnect and you get to see them in each book.
Hollis is such a gentleman. He is perceptive and kind. Because of his upbringing, he is able to bridge the gap to polite society where some of the others cannot which definitely provides useful in this book! I loved how sweetly Hollis viewed Ana and how gentle he was with her all throughout the book.
There is a bit of mystery in this story and a bit of suspense although it is light. The gentle build in the story felt good and really allowed me to love the characters along the way. Sarah Eden is fantastic at crafting characters that are wonderfully relatable and easy to love.
Content: mild peril, kissing
– I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Gentleman and the Thief showcases Sarah Eden’s masterful writing skills. With unique dialects, an immersive world, and well-written characters, this story is a great sequel to The Lady and the Highwayman. From the beginning, Hollis Darby and Ana Newport have romantic inclinations but their differences in situations create barriers that they have to circumvent as suspense, adventure, and danger threaten the world they hold dear.
Sarah Eden’s books are always a favorite of mine and this one is no different. I loved how it went from the pure romance genre to adding adventure and mystery. These additions made this book page-turning (in a digital way). The skillful writing of dialogue and character perspectives added to the genre to make this one of Eden’s best works. I loved reading this advanced reader’s copy and can’t wait for it to come out in November to share with friends and family.
I love Sarah Eden’s books and this series is no exception. This has been such a fun series. I love the play on the penny dreadful and that we get 3 books in one. The dreadful stories are so interesting and kind of different from what I usually read, so they are a fun addition. I loved that the players from the first book were still very much involved in this one. I loved getting to read Hollis and Ana’s story. They are both very interesting and wonderful characters. I love the way they champion others, especially each other. This book is full of mystery and suspense. I don’t know how big this series is going to be, but I’m looking forward to more of the Dread Penny Society. My hope is Brogan or Stone’s story will be next.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest review.
I truly love these unique stories. The Dread Penny Society-on the surface… Writing Penny Dreadfuls, books for the lower class…. But underneath and in secret…. Helping the lower class citizens.
In this book, there are a lot of thefts going on about Town. Most are little street urchins, doing the bidding of an unknown Master. There is also the elusive Phantom Fox.
Hollis and Ana try to navigate a budding relationship – each with their own secrets that they have to try to keep hidden.
Hollis could quite possibly beat Fletch (from the previous book) as my favorite DPS gentleman! He is so sweet and really helps the secret society he’s involved with navigate London society.
Ana is a master at anything she puts her mind to! She’s also very sweet and kind hearted. She is doing what she feels right after her father loses the family’s standing in society. Her father is this gentle and kind man.
I think my favorite Penny Dreadful story (which you get in between the big story) is the ghost school one. That one is so fun!
I have enjoyed this new series by Sarah Eden. I love the historical aspect but what I think I really like are the stories within the story – the penny dreadfuls. They are witty and I can see where these would take a person’s mind off the bad things going on around them. Like they say, get lost in a book!
This is also supposed to be a proper romance. To me, that just means a very clean romance story set in the past when people were more proper and had manners. This book definitely fills that bill but the romance is very light. We know that Hollis and Ana are attracted to each other and have their flirtations and interactions, but I think the book was more focused on other things such as the DPS – Dreadful Penny Society – and their works trying to get urchins and orphans off of the street and away from those that abuse them. There is also the mystery of who is the Phantom Fox. Granted the answer is discovered early on, but I enjoyed watching how that story unfolded as well.
I found all of the characters engaging and they all added something to the story whether it was good or bad. I think that if you like clean, historical novels that you will like this series.
We give this 4 paws ups.
‘LONDON 1865
From the moment Hollis Darby meets Ana Newport, he’s smitten. Even though he’s from a wealthy, established family and she isn’t, he wishes he could have a life with her by his side. But Hollis has a secret: the deep coffers that have kept his family afloat for generations are bare, so he supports himself by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym. If not for the income from his novels, he would be broke.
Ana Newport also has a secret. Though she once had a place in society thanks to her father’s successful business, bankruptcy and scandal reduced his fortune to nothing more than a crumbling town house. So Ana teaches music during the day, and at night she assumes the identity of the “Phantom Fox.” She breaks into the homes of the wealthy to reclaim trinkets and treasures she feels were unjustly stolen from her family when they were struggling.
When Hollis’s brother needs to hire a music tutor for his daughter, Hollis recommends Ana, giving him a chance to spend time with her. Ana needs the income and is eager for the opportunity to get to know the enigmatic gentleman. What neither of them expects is how difficult it will be to keep their respective secrets from each other.
When a spree of robberies rocks the city, Ana and Hollis join forces to solve the crimes, discovering that working together deepens the affection between them. After all, who better to save the day than a gentleman and a thief?’
______________________________________
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.
The Gentleman and the Thief is the second book in Sarah M. Eden’s The Dread Penny Society series.
As with the previous book in the series, this book follows the unique format of short stories alternating throughout the course of the book. Both serving to tell their own stories, but also working together with the main story to aid the progression of the book as a whole. Both of the short stories are paranormal in nature, one of which being quiet whimsical, geared toward children, and sserved to brighten some of the more intense portions of the book.
Hollis is underestimated by the other members of the Dread Penny society. He is initially seen as nearly their ticket into Society events, but he is not trusted with any real dangerous or important tasks, due to his more elevated place in society he is seen as to soft and inexperienced. But as the book progresses he gradually proves his worth as a member of the group and really steps into a position of power and expertise during this case.
I enjoyed that Ana is not the meek female lead that she initially seems that she may be. Instead she is a daring and strong, moonlighting as a moral theif in order to right the wrongs committed against her family.
I enjoyed The Gentleman and the Thief and enjoyed Ana and Hollis’s characters more than Elizabeth and Fletcher from The Lady and the Highwayman, but overall I did not find it to be as compelling as the first book in the series. I will however continue on with any following books in the series.
By the state things were left at the conclusion of the book, I am assuming there will be another book in the series. My guess is that the next book will serve to bring us closer to untangling the tangeld web of the crime ring the Dread Penny Society has been working to dismantle and I do hope that we will learn about Serena and see her situation improve.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for sharing an eARC of The Gentleman and the Thief by Sarah M. Eden with me. This is my honest review.
Ah, good old Fletcher. I know he’s not the main character of this story, but he’s still one of my favorite characters, and he stole the scene just about every time he was in one. That being said, I really enjoyed getting to know Hollis and Ana’s story this time around. It was fun to see them figure out each other’s deep, dark secrets.
Just like with the first book in this series, I really enjoyed the Penny Dreadful stories. I’m looking forward to getting to know more of the Dread Penny Society – and I really want to know who the Dread Master is!! I highly recommend this series.
The Gentleman and the Thief
Proper Romance Series #2
Sarah M. Eden
https://m.facebook.com/SarahMEden/
Release date 11/03/2020
Publisher Shadow Mountain
From the moment Hollis Darby meets Ana Newport, he’s smitten. Even though he’s from a wealthy, established family and she isn’t, he wishes he could have a life with her by his side. But Hollis has a secret: the deep coffers that have kept his family afloat for generations are bare, so he supports himself by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym. If not for the income from his novels, he would be broke.
Ana Newport also has a secret. Though she once had a place in society thanks to her father’s business, bankruptcy and scandal reduced the family fortune to nothing more than a crumbling town house. So Ana teaches music during the day, and at night she assumes the identity of the “Phantom Fox.” She breaks into the homes of the wealthy to reclaim treasures she feels were unjustly stolen from her family when they were struggling.
When Hollis’s brother needs to hire a music tutor for his daughter, Hollis recommends Ana, giving him a chance to spend time with her. Ana needs the income and is eager for the opportunity to get to know the enigmatic gentleman. What neither of them expects is how difficult it will be to keep their respective secrets from each other.
When a spree of robberies rocks the city, Ana and Hollis join forces to solve the crimes, but working together deepens the affection between them. After all, who better to save the day than a gentleman and a thief?
When they will cross path at the most unexpected place, will it be the end or beginning of them …
I did not know well I would read this book when I requested it, for sure just a few days prior its release date.
And today being Halloween, in fact hazard could not have chosen a better schedule.
Having not read the previous book, I feared at a time, I would be lost, but the heroes in this one were side characters in the first story.
And what was my surprise when I read extract of the hero’s work, tales about a ghost boy full of mischiefs. But it does not stop there as the book is interspersed with pieces of the other Penny Dreadful authors as their respond to the mainline plot.
It added so much fun to the plot.
Hollis is from the upperclass, alas only in appearance as only his family’s name is what is left to be seen.
What an unconventional read, I wanted to learn the outcome of every different parts in this book, the two penny dreadful tales and the major plot.
Hollis is such a charming gentleman, living in between two worlds, a writer under a pen name, a member of a secret society helping the poorer and weaker but also the bearer of a name known as respectable when everything is in fact shabby in the background.
Ana has known the reverse of fortune like Hollis, but her family’s shame was made public, so she can’t hide like him. But while regaining her good name is an impossibility, she can still retrieve what was wrongly stolen from her home.
Her robbery exploits are not about retribution but mending past wounds.
Their romance is a slow burn one, none has doubt about their feelings but their own unsure position in society is what kept them holding back, until circumstances put them more than one time on the same path. Once trust is won, matter will settle very much easier.
I loved too the group of friends they navigate with, thick as thieves, their bickering is as fun as Hollis and Ana’s banter. And Very Merry is a marvel of mischiefs and lost innocence.
A much enjoyable romance with a dash of mystery.
5 stars
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Shadow Mountain, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
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