In the third installment of USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell’s Sinful Brides series, a kingpin of London’s underbelly risks his heart on the woman he’s hired to protect. London, 1822At the notorious Hell and Sin Club nestled in London’s dark streets, Niall Marksman relishes taking the fortunes of the very same society that once disregarded his existence. Oh yes, Niall has sold his … existence. Oh yes, Niall has sold his soul to the devil and paid dearly. It’s only when Lady Diana Verney appears at the gaming club looking for help that Niall knows that the devil has finally come to collect…by forcing him to protect the duke’s pampered daughter.
Disdained by the peerage and ignored by her father, Diana knows that someone wants to harm her. Her only protection is Niall, a scarred, intense man who lives and dies by the knife. Now her life and safety are in the hands of the most dangerous man in London. But a man raised on the city’s mercenary streets is adept at stealing anything he wishes—including a lady’s reputation and her heart.
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The third book in this series is my favorite. Two people who couldn’t be more superficially opposite, yet emotionally needy. Lady Diana Verney is Ryker’s and Helena’s half- sister. Her mother, the Duchess of Wilkinson, now resides at Bedlam for her role in the attempted murder of Helena, not to mention the death of Ryker and Helena’s mother (The Duke’s true love) and their awful childhood. Now Diana contacts her brother Ryker at his gaming hell because she feels her life is threatened. Not willing to take any chances, Ryker assigns his “brother” Niall Marksman as her guard. Initially fighting this assignment tooth and nail, Niall soon realizes the depth and strength of Diana – she is no ton miss, but a brave and lonely young woman. Diana sees past Niall’s scars – each one telling of his honor, suffering and determination to be a true noble man. But letting down his protective barriers is something that even his adopted and only family have never accomplished. Niall slowly begins to question his own fears and his unwillingness to venture past his safe zones. Diana on the other hand sees a man who truly sees beyond her title and understands her as no one ever has. Niall showed her that the madness of her mother was not passed on to her, but was the evil in her mother’s heart that made her wicked and hurtful choices. Slowly they each begin to peal aside the past experiences that stopped them from finding happiness. Adventures, especially with a Judas in their midst, bring about realization that love does truly conquer all and is worth all. Very romantic ending with truly admirable and wonderful characters! Thank you Ms Caldwell for a joyful escape!
The Lady’s Guard is book 3 in The Sinful Brides series by Christi Caldwell. I enjoyed this book. It is a fanciful romance but isn’t that part of what we love about historical romance? The unlikely pair making a match and breathing hope into our weary hearts? Niall Markham is perhaps the most unlikely hero of any of Caldwell’s books. Born a bastard and fighting on the streets, he stands in stark contrast to Lady Diana Verney a Duke’s daughter. There are layers in this story that only make sense if you have read the series in order – a traitor, a mad woman – and somehow the puzzle pieces fit together by the end of this book. “At one time, she’d have followed those directives issued by the menacing guard, who, with his tousled, too-long, midnight hair, had the look of a dark angel, cast out of the gates of paradise. Her heart pounded hard. A man more ruggedly beautiful than any gentleman of London Society.”
I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and as always Tim Campbell’s voice was perfect. I keep saying this as I go through this series, but this is my favorite now. I hadn’t really connected much with Niall’s character in the previous two books, but he blew me away as a tortured hero with depth in this one. Diana also showed more sense and backbone than I had really expected from her. With a threat hanging over Diana’s life, a resentful Niall is forced to leave the Hell & Sin to go act as her guard. Of course they wind up falling in love, but the tension between the characters, as well as their growth and vulnerability was just fabulous. I listened to this with Kindle Unlimited, but I’ll buy it next time it goes on sale just so I can have it in my collection. Loved it!
Third book in the series, The Lady’s Guard did not fail and pulled at your heartstrings.
Since it is the third in the series, you find that the characters are fully developed and likeable because each do not share the same sort of demeanor or personality. The main characters are Diana and Niall..one the half-sister of Ryker Black and the other an adopted brother in the Hell and Sin gaming den. It is clear that both come from totally opposite backgrounds.
Diana has lived her life as a Duke’s daughter that comes with the privilege of living among the Ton. She came from a father who never loved her, only the mistress that bore his bastard children. Her mother was no different, the mistress of one of the most hated man in St. Giles who was killed by Ryker in the first novel of this series. The only benefit for both her parents was that she could increase the family’s wealth and standing by marrying well. She wasn’t loved and never knew what love was…the only thing she believed was that she was just like her mother, a crazed woman who would one day be put in Bedlam as she existed now.
Then there is Niall Marksman, head of Security at the Hell and Sin. He grew up in the Dials and was rescued by Ryker when he was almost put to death by an archenemy. He believes that life offers nothing but pain and death. You either kill or be killed and only the strong survives. He is fueled by anger and it is this anger that allows him to be the forceful person that he has become. He despises anyone with a title, women included because they only think of themselves and do nothing to protect those that are less fortunate.
When Diana runs into Niall in her search for the half-brother Ryker, anger sparks between the two. Diana tells Ryker that someone is out to kill her and she needs his assistance with protection. Niall is no exception as Ryker believes he needs protection from himself but just can’t see what is clearly in front of him. He is assigned to guard Diana until she makes a reasonable match, then he can return back to him home, the Hell and Sin. During his time under the Duke’s roof, he finds himself being drawn to Diana and seeing that she is unlike the ladies of the Ton that he is accustomed to seeing. All having doubts of Diana’s confession of being in danger, they go along to appease her until one horrible night when she is accosted in her own home.
It only takes one life threatening act to bring together two emotionally torn individuals. Niall hiding behind fearlessness to mask the scars born upon him by the wretched streets of St. Giles and Diana, wanting to be viewed not as one of privilege but as a woman who wants and needs to be loved by a plain man and no gent. They try to overcome their pasts by peeling back the memories that have haunt them all their lives. Those close to them see that they are right for one another, but they find that out much too late that it almost cost them being together for the rest of their lives. The learn that they are deserving of love and being loved regardless of their stations in society.
In this novel, Christi Caldwell does very good job of making you see through a darkly lit glass of the deep-seated scars and emotions of the H/H. It is well written and at times parts of the story tugged at my heart for these two lonely tortured souls. Very enjoyable read and narration by Tim Campbell was excellent.
I give this a high 5 Stars! This book kept me reading long into the wee hours of the early morning, I could not put it down! We first meet Lady Diana visiting her “mad” mother at a dirty and grungy jail. She’d attempted to murder someone and has gone bloody mad, Diana just had to know and see it for herself. Her heart aches in some ways for her mother, but also deep down inside she fears that she too will become “mad”. Later we see her running in the dark alley of St. Giles; one of the dirtiest, poorest and scariest of London’s slums. She’s trying to get to her brother-in-law and when she appeals for his help, her fears that someone is after her, he puts her in the care of his best guard, Niall Marksman. Niall and Diana have a very rough past and Niall doesn’t trust her at all and does not want to take on this mission; however, the honorable and dutiful man that he is, he takes on this mission.
In a quest to protect Diana, yet deal with his feelings towards the woman and hers to him, sparks begin to fly between the two and try as they might, they can’t resist the feelings and attraction that begins to boil over within. Niall can’t help but feel himself more than just Diana’s protector, he not only wants to protect her being, he wants to protect her heart as well.
Caldwell’s writing is amazing, such a creative genius. This story’s plot is so thick and riveting. Niall and Diana’s story takes the reader on a ride of their lives with twists and turns, and ups and downs. Also, one can’t help but be brought front and center into the characters’ lives and feel their pain, agony, love and yes, passion. Such a beautifully written story and one that would make a great addition to any historical romance lover’s library. The Lady’s Guard is one of the most sensual and epic reads of 2017.