He’s a minister to whores… She’s a fallen woman… London’s most notorious whipping governess, Alice Hull is on the cusp of abandoning her quiet, rural roots for the city’s swirl of provocative ideas and pleasures—until a family tragedy upends her dreams and leaves her desperate to get home. When the handsome, pious Lord Lieutenant offers her a ride despite the coming blizzard, she knows he is her best chance to reach her ailing mother—even if she doesn’t trust him.
He has the power to destroy her… She has the power to undo him…
As they struggle to travel the snow-swept countryside, they find their suspicion of each other thawing into a longing that leaves them both shaken. Alice stirs Henry’s deepest fantasies, and he awakens parts of her she thought she’d foresworn years ago. But Henry is considering new regulations that threaten the people Alice holds dear, and association with a woman like Alice would threaten Henry’s reputation if he allowed himself to get too close.
Is falling for the wrong person a test of faith …or a chance at unimagined grace?
Content Warning:
Fair readers, a note on content, for those who like to know. (If you prefer to be surprised, skip this part!)
This book contains explicit sex; kink and hierophilia (look it up!); feelings of guilt and shame concerning sex; prostitution (both practitioners of and debates about the legality of); parental mortality; toxic families of origin; religious faith, including questioning of and alienation from; allusions to body image issues; and quite a lot of truly despicable cursing.
“The Lord I Left was a nice, trope-tastic surprise. Granted, I’d sign up for pretty much any story featuring a snowy road trip, but I got a lot more than that by the end of this book.” — SmartBitchesTrashyBooks
“An emotional powerhouse…This was a difficult and ambitious topic to take on and I think the author did a fantastic job with it.” — MustReadAlltheRomance.blogspot.com
“The Lord I Left is a glorious slow burn romance that will make you believe that it has stolen your heart, but you will in fact give it up freely.” — Goodreads reviewer
“For fans of Fleabag & the Hot Priest” –GoodReads Reviewer
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This book left no heart-string untouched, weaving through a number of difficult themes, from family estrangement to spirituality with grace and intelligence. These vividly drawn characters are so incredibly human in their wants and hopes and flaws. Truly a moving, and thought provoking, story. Could not ask for more from a historical romance novel.
Henry Evesham’s fiery evangelical writings have seen him made a Lord Lieutenant by the House of Lords and tasked with producing a report detailing his investigations of London’s flesh trade, along with his recommendations for curbing vice. He truly wants to help those who’ve lost their innocence and been corrupted by or forced into a world of vice, even as he is tempted by that world and struggles to keep his moral compass in place and not slip up, again.
Alice Hull is hoping to leave behind her country roots and make a go of it in London as an apprentice to a notorious whipping house mistress. Her plans are derailed when mother suddenly falls ill and Alice must rush home with all possible haste. Given the difficulty of winter travel, Alice finds she cannot refuse the handsome but judgmental Lord Lieutenant when he offers to allow her to travel with him. She knows she can’t trust him, but she must take her best chance at arriving in time to see her mother again.
Their travels through the wintry countryside are fraught with mishaps which only serve to bring these two closer and make their mutual longing more apparent. Alice challenges Henry to examine his own heart more closely and he winds up inadvertently causing the same soul searching in Alice. But as a minister, Henry’s reputation means everything and his association with Alice would ruin him thoroughly if he allowed himself to pursue his true desires.
Wow. Y’all this book gave me all the feels. While it’s not considered an inspirational, it explores tenets of faith that, as a Christian myself, I found to be very moving and well done. This was a difficult and ambitious topic to take on and I think the author did a fantastic job with it. Henry was so hard on himself and it was nice to see him realize he could still maintain his faith and enjoy some of life’s pleasures as well. This book made me examine my own faith a bit as well and I really felt for the characters as they both grew and developed and managed to choose each other without compromising their principles but rather, by establishing what those principles truly were as they both developed in their faith. This book was an emotional powerhouse and as such won’t be for everyone, but I enjoyed it and found the author to be very talented. I will continue to read her work and look forward to the next installment in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Scarlett Peckham crafted two characters who jumped off the page. Three-dimensional, complicated, curious, and with a real journey to go on (figuratively and literally) before they can accept the love that is right in front of them. A total page turner, could not put this one down.
There are some characters in this novel that you would literally like to knock upside the head. These are the ones who believe they know best for the protagonists, and it gets, to be nice, REALLY ANNOYING! The story is unusual in that both hero and heroine actually communicate to each other better than expected. I really appreciate that; it’s something I miss in other romance novels — which is probably something that existed in the 19th century; But this is late 18th century; could that be the reason? Naw! It just has more honesty in it. Good show!
Religious simply meets complicated decadence. This story is enlightening and defies the mans limit of self awareness. She is unconventional and inspiring. Biblically, the story is well researched. Vividly atmospheric. The characters at times are witty, sensual, complex and stimulating. A story to read and re-read.
Alllll the damn stars for Scarlett Peckham’s lusty, beautiful, irreverently sinful The Lord I Left!
“She would not ask Henry Evesham to choose her. She would choose herself.”
This book is beyond beautiful! Scarlett’s words mixed with Alice’s bawdy nature, and Henry’s piousness is absolutely gorgeous, and simply fascinating.
Henry is the Lord Lieutenant given a directive to investigate the brothels and whipping houses in London, and give his educated opinion on how they might best be dealt with. In other words, should they be punished further than they already were, or should steps be taken to provide a safer environment both for patrons and sex workers? In the midst Henry finds himself in a reckoning with himself, over his own feelings when faced with a certain young woman.
Alice is a young woman employed as a mistress at a whipping house, giving tours, but holds no actual working position in the house. When she receives a letter from her sister that her mother is dying, Henry offers Alice a ride to her home, even though he knows the temptation he’ll be surrounded by.
What follows is the edification of two adults who make a lot of wrong-headed assumptions about each other, and eventually find their way to complete understanding, and maybe the most pure form of love they’ve ever known. Can they find their way to the answers they each need, or will they both stay completely closed off and willfully ignorant of what the other is feeling?
Absolutely a 5 treat, Scarlett Peckham has held me in thrall since publishing her first novel, The Duke I tempted, and I cannot wait for the next in the series!
This one didn’t do it for me.
Interesting characters, well developed
I enjoyed this third Charlotte Street novel about wicked ladies and the men who love them, but there was an authorial “tic” of including character’s thoughts in parentheses that would yank me out of the narrative. I much prefer writing that shows me how they feel without telling me how they feel.
However, I was entertained by this story of a man of faith torn between duty and love, and a woman who yearns to be true to herself without being condemned for it. It’s a “road book” and the forced proximity of the characters helped their relationship grow in a manner that didn’t seem overly forced.
Love the worlds in Scarlett’s books. These books aren’t necessarily romances so much as beautifully written historical fiction with a naughty twist, and I mean that as the highest praise. I love how lush and sumptuous her writing is. What I also love is that Peckham takes old historical romance tropes (whipping house, prostitutes, hot men of the cloth) and turns them on their heads so they are sex positive and fun. Her books are a blast that I read slowly to enjoy. Also, as a history geek, I appreciate how well researched and historically accurate they are. Each of her books is a perfectly-detailed little gem. Please write faster, Miss Scarlett.
Oh what is there not to love about this book! Scarlett Peckham has quickly become one of my favorite historical authors! I love this series and this book didn’t let me down. Henry and Alice…the push and pull between them was perfect! The struggles they each faced was written so well and your heart bled for them both.
I cannot wait for the next book!
The Lord I Left is a sensual and sexy read that deals with faith and vice. Both of the main characters, Henry and Alice come from different spectrums in so many ways especially their professions, so much so that you wouldn’t think a romance between them could work, that it could be believable but it is. They complement each other on pretty much every level. I loved that and I enjoyed their journey and I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series as well as the previous books.
Copy won in a contest hosted by author
What’s to not to like?
It’s simply devine. Lord Henry is tasked with a report on, um vice. His recommendations will carry weight with how vice is governed in 1758.
Alice is an apprentice to a famous madam with certain proclivities.
What I liked? The push and pull of temptation set in a blizzard. Smart and I learned a new word. I had to look it up. Didn’t know that was a thing but it makes sense especially in this book.
Highly recommend.
The Lord I Left is the 3rd book in the Secrets of Charlotte Street series by Scarlett Peckham, featuring Lord Lieutenant Henry Evesham we’ve met in The Earl I Ruined and Alice Hull, the housekeeper/apprentice at the secret club (whipping house). I’ve enjoyed Ms Peckham’s beautiful writing so much from her first two books and been waiting for this one to come out. And once again, she’s swept me away with her lyrical prose and captivating story plot with forced proximity trope. She’s made me feel all the psychological tension and internal struggles within both characters!
Alice Hull was a petite woman with a big, bold personality and a musical talent. She always spoke her mind, with special fluency in expletives. It made me laugh every time she made the too-proper Henry wince with her colorful foul language. She was a brave woman, stood up for what she believed in and stayed firmly to her convictions. She expressed her sexual desires, enjoyed the physical aspects without being ashamed.
Henry Evesham was an honorable minister/evangelist. His faith in God basically defined who he was. I loved the constant debates in his mind between who he truly was and who he was disciplined to become. He’d tried to live his life in self-denial without much indulgence, no meat, no alcohol, and of course no sex! You’ve got it, we have a virgin hero, who blushed easily! As Henry was in charge of investigating the reality of prostitution and the flesh trade in London, he came to Charlotte Street as part of his inquiring process. Having Alice show him a tour of the whipping house had caused a stir in him, something he was in a constant battle within himself and trying hard to suppress.
One may argue that he was a boring character with all his prayers and preaching, but I’ve found the contrast in their life experiences and beliefs necessary to make their effort to resolve the differences more worthy. And to make their relationship work, one needed to change for the other, and who would be willing to take the sacrifice?
One of my favorite scenes is the forced proximity when they were stuck in the snow storm. It was so sweet and hilarious as he was trying to maintain the physical distance and she was pushing his boundaries . After all, she was experienced and he was a novice, which made it all the more refreshing and fun. There was no BDSM element in this book, as in the first two, but we’ll get a glimpse of another activity in this house. Overall, I have enjoyed this book so much, it’s toothachingly sweet, funny, steamy, swoony, the character development is beautifully done, and it’ll keep you glued to the page until the end! The reappearance of the previous characters also adds to the excitement here. It’s a 5- read for me and I can’t wait to read Mistress Elena Brearley’s story next!
*Special thanks to the author for sending me the ARC even though I couldn’t guess the name of her next book correctly.*
Release date: January 27, 2020.