The Smithfield Market teemed with livestock and people during the 1800s. It was a rough neighborhood, but people have to live somewhere! The four stories in this boxset take place in the Smithfield Market neighborhood. These stories are rags to riches stories of orphans and their journey to a better life, filled with love and happiness. They require the suspension of disbelief, as the class … suspension of disbelief, as the class divisions were rarely violated in those times. They are fun stories that tell the tale of orphans and daydreams come to life!
A Rogue’s Flower
Elsbeth Blakely, was just another young orphan at the Smithfield House for Girls, cooped up inside the great house with no freedom of her own.
Life suddenly takes a turn for the worse when Elsbeth meets Viscount Andrew Radford. A notorious carousing rogue, Lord Radford sets his sights on Elsbeth to be his latest object of affection, expecting that she will simply fall into his arms as every other lady has.
Despite being forced into working at the Radford estate, Elsbeth stands up to the young viscount, finding him determined to get what he wants from her.
But, underneath it all, is Lord Radford really the scoundrel that he seems?
Saved by a Scoundrel
Although she never thought of herself as one of the lucky ones, Caroline Devonshire’s life could have been in a much dire state than it was at the age of 18.
Orphaned when young, her older brother managed to secure her a home under the watchful eye of the widowed tavern owner, Mrs. Beeson, before setting off for war in France.
When her brother, Peter, returns from war with a companion, a certain Lord Timothy Brandeis, she sees that the two of them have become scoundrels and rogues.
Things become even more complex when Lord Bradeis’ duties as the second son of a Marquis force him to make an appearance at his family home and Caroline is shocked to find that this roguish Lord has a rather adventurous request to make of her.
Soon she’ll need to collect all her wits to manage in a realm her active imagination had never dared to take her: the world of le bon ton in Regency Era England.
Mending the Duke
Although he was one of the richest men in the country, even all the money in the world couldn’t save his wife and first child from passing.
Even a year later, the effects of tragedy linger through the halls and empty rooms of his estate.
Out of desperation, Lord Royston’s sister arranges for a special guest from an orphanage to hopefully bring light and laughter into the Duke’s life once again for a short time.
Now Laura Smith finds herself chaperoning Eloise, a delightful young orphan from the house she herself was raised, for a temporary visit to the opulent but mirthless estate of Lord Royston.
As it turns out, maybe Eloise is not the only person the Duke might need to heal.
The Baron’s Malady
Lord Gideon Ward loved adventure and found and all he could handle as a British Navy captain stationed in India. But he was forced to return to England to deal with the Scarlet Fever epidemic took his father.
Coming back home to accept the title that is his birthright, Gideon, now the Baron Dunstable, must once again face the world he left.
London is still ravaged by the disease that claimed his very father, and it looks as though it is not yet finished with his family.
A frantic search for a doctor brings him into contact with Josephine Noe, whose own life has been fully changed in the wake of tragedy left behind by the disease.
Together, they do what comes naturally to two independent spirits who find themselves faced with hardships…everything they can.
Other books by Rose Pearson
The Duke’s Daughters Series – Now Available as a Boxset!
A Rogue for a Lady
My Restless Earl
Rescued by an Earl
In the Arms of an Earl
The Reluctant Marquess
Love and Christmas Wishes: Three Regency Romance Novellas
more
Rose Pearson
The Smithfield Market Romances: A Sweet Regency Romance Boxset.
4 awesome Regency Romances!
Each of these awesome Regency Romances are standalone books, all taking place during the same time period and the same place- The Smithfield Market. Each one featuring an impoverished young woman and a man of the ton who meet, fall in love, and marry (after some bumps in the road) for their HEA.
A Rogue’s Flower:
I love Elsbeth’s strength of character and how that thread weaves it’s way throughout the book. I like the reformation of a rogue and the adventures that they face together.
Saved by the Scoundrel:
I enjoyed this regency fake relationship drama. It had high ups and downs and I was rapt in my attention. I loved this book and can’t wait to start the next in the series. It is all from a single perspective, which I find unusual in a Pearson novel, but at the end I think it added to everything.
Mending the Duke:
This was a wonderful read. I loved the orphanage theme. Parts of it felt a little like an Annie retelling. I thoroughly enjoyed getting the sister’s perspective too. It was a fun and unique read.
The Baron’s Malady:
Such a difficult topic that pervades this book as Scarlett fever rages and the lines between classes are broken. I thoroughly enjoyed how this love story played out.
Wonderful Regency Collection!!! I highly recommend!
I have read several of the books in this collection separately. They are all excellent, each one better than the next. These are heartfelt, clean Regency Romance novels that feature ladies in dire straits who are rescued and loved by fine gentlemen. These are heartwarming tales guaranteed to leave the reader turning the pages and feeling good. I highly recommend!
A set of four different stories all with their own merits one of them I have read before it is A Rogue’s Flower, which I enjoyed reading. When I saw this and realized I could spend the day reading I thought why not and am I ever glad I did I enjoyed each of these stories in their own right. For this price you can not afford not to buy this set if you do I hope you like them as much as I did.
A ROGUE’S FLOWER: What an exciting and fast paced book. I could not put it down. I had to read page after page to find out what was going on and what was going to happen next. The characters were so well written that it was easy to identify with the feelings of the hero and heroine.
SAVED BY A SCOUNDREL: This story evoked a range of emotions from me. It was easy to relate to, identify with and feel empathy and indignation for the characters in this book. The situations the characters found themselves in were so realistic. It really felt like I knew these characters.
MENDING THE DUKE: An emotional story of tragedy, sadness, grief and hope. We have John, the Duke of Royston, eighteen months after the death of his wife and unborn child still grieving. He lives in a world of darkness unwilling to let it go. His sister, Alice, finds him worse than he was before she left. She does not know how to help him. Alice finally comes up with an unorthodox plan of action. She decides to go to the orphanage for girls and have one of the girls come to visit with her and John. Alice is hoping that having the laughter of a child in the home will spark a light in John’s heart.
THE BARON’S MALADY: I was truly emotionally moved by this story. An amazing story of people’s tireless dedication to the sick and infirmed. A time in London when Scarlet Fever ravaged the whole country. A poor country girl lost and alone. Her parents succumbed to the fever and the village she lived in exiled her. Then they burned her home down. She came to London to find work as a maid, but could find none. She finds herself living on the streets. She had no family or friends to help her. Baron Gideon Dunstable was lost walking around the Smithfield Market looking for his fiancee, Miss Georgina Well’s townhouse and he asks Josephine to take him there. For her trouble he gave her five sovereign coins for the kindness she rendered to him. She was overwhelmed with his generosity for with the coin he gave her, she would be able to find food and shelter. After they parted ways, a sick man stumbled into her begging to be taken to the church. In the basement a Doctor Thomas was taking in the sick stricken with the fever. After seeing all the sick people there she volunteered to assist the doctor. Josephine and the Baron’s life will never be the same.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I read all of these books separately and really enjoyed them. If you enjoy Regency books, you enjoy these.
I enjoy Ms. Pearson’s Smithfield Market books because they are very different than most Regency romances. The things that the reader expects from Regency are still present: fancy balls, the nobility, the décor and the search for a suitable match. However, there is also a deeper story with the hope that a young woman not of the nobility has a chance to win the heart of a Lord or Duke or Baron.
Well-written, wonderful characters, some humor and some tears all make this a great book if you enjoy the genre. Of course, there is the usual misunderstanding between our potential lovers and also the expected happily ever after ending that we have come to expect. I hope that Ms. Pearson continues to write more in this series.
I have read 3 out of these 4 stories.. and thoroughly enjoyed them all… I have posted individual reviews for those stories. My plan is to read the one that I missed in the next few days… so that I might post a review for that one also. The stories I have read are great stories to sit back, relax, and enjoy the time spent with Rose’s characters.
A fantastic book set for spent some time during this holiday or other time in the year…
Very enjayable stories that will bring smiles and surprises.
I love this series and I recommend to all that love Regency and sweet stories.
The Baron’s Malady
Josephine Noe is destitute, her parents died of scarlet fever luckily she was ill but recovered then she lost her job & was turned out of her home, now alone she wanders the streets of Smithfield Market. She’s saved from becoming a thief when a well dressed gentleman asks her directions to his fiancée Georgina Wells’ home & rewards Josephine with five gold coins. She’s searching for an inn to stay when she encounters a sick youth who she helps to a nearby church which happens to have a makeshift hospital in the crypt, The Devil’s basement. Josephine offers to help Dr Thomas & becomes an invaluable help.
Gideon, Baron Dudley had spent years away from home but returned home from India on hearing his father was ill. However he arrived home too late to help his father. Then scarlet fever strikes his estate & his mother becomes ill. Gideon rushes to London in search for a doctor, which brings him into contact with Dr Thomas & Josephine. Josephine offers to return with him & nurse his mother.
A well written novel that is well paced & I read it in a sitting. The characters are well portrayed. Josephine has managed to begin to rebuild her life, she’s strong & likeable. Gideon is likeable but seemed quite immature, I found his handling of a carriage & team very funny, he was very honourable. Georgina is a selfish, spoilt young woman who I disliked & felt sorry for her future husband.
A Rogue’s Flower – I have bought this book but have not read it yet, but the other three books I have read and their reviews follow:
5Saved By A Scoundrel –
The story revolves around Caroline who lives and works at a tavern in the Smithfield Market area of London and Lord Brandeis, the second son of the Marques of Fareshire. Brandeis persuades her to attend a required family function, poising as the widow of a baron, to help as a buffer with his family. There is a lot of conflict and no love lost with his family which is evident from the first meeting and all thru the story. Caroline is the only person who has ever stood up to his family and admonished them for their treatment of their son in front of other members of the ton. As with all romance stories there is a HEA but it takes awhile for this to come about and even then, there is a major misunderstanding. This is a good read and I would recommend it for a fairly quick read.
5Mending The Duke –
This is a sweet, clean romance appropriate for any age. The story revolves around the Duke of Royston and his lingering depression after the death of his wife and unborn child. Alice, his sister, bring an orphan Elouise and her chaperone to his estate to see if the child can be of any help. Eventually he comes out of his depression and falls in love with Laura, the chaperone and the child, Elouise. There is s HEA but it is unique in the events that led up to this. You need to read the book because the ending is unique. The book is well written and a good read. I would highly recommend it.
5The Baron’s Malady –
The story revolves around Josephine, whose parents died from scarlet fever and she is alone on the streets of London after being banished from her village by people who fear the disease, even though she has fully recovered from the illness. Freezing and starving on the streets, she meets Lord Dunstable who asks for directions, she acts as a guide and then he thanks her and gives her all of the coins he has on his person. While trying to find shelter she comes upon a man who is ill and trying to get to the church for the doctor. She assists him, then ends up staying to assist the doctor with all the people who are sick as the fever is running thru the streets at a rapid pace. There is a HEA but a lot happens before this comes about. This is a well written story, holds your attention and is appropriate for any age group because it is a clean romance. I would highly recommend this as a good read.
The Smithfield Market teemed with livestock and people during the 1800s. These are rags-to-riches stories of orphans and their journey to a better life of love and happiness. Below is a review of two of them to give you an idea of the wonderful books in this set which includes A Rogue’s Flower, Saved by a Scoundrel, Mending the Duke, and The Baron’s Malady.
*** Reviewing “MENDING THE DUKE – BOOK 3” ***
Lady Alice Parsons greeted her brother John, the Duke of Royston, glad that her carriage journey was finally over. The staff seemed relieved to see her there, confirming that her brother was still as distraught as he had been for some time. He smiled at her, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Now that a year had passed, he was expected to begin attending social events and was not enthusiastic at that prospect, nor was he accepting any of the invitations. Questioning the maid later, Alice was told that her brother mourned the loss of his child – no mention was made of mourning his wife, however, who had died in childbirth. John’s eyes showed only the agony of losing his child and he swore he would never know joy again.
Laura Smith worked at an orphanage where 8-year-old Elouise Drover had been sent and still mourned the loss of both of her parents. Laura herself was an orphan and knew of Elouise’s pain, her heart breaking for the little girl. Laura left for the market to buy food to cook for dinner. Coming back, a carriage blocked the entrance and the footman was rude to her. The driver, however, informed her Lady Alice was inside. Laura was glad that perhaps the Lady would hire some of the girls as maids. Instead, she learned that Lady Alice was looking for a young girl to bring happiness into her brother’s household because she herself would be returning to London soon. She wanted her brother to come out of his painful shell. Laura expressed concern for Elouise, whom Miss Sanders recommended since she had the best manners. Lady Alice then asked that Laura come too so that Elouise would have someone familiar to turn to. It would only be for a few months, she said.
John was not happy to see the guests his sister brought home. When Laura and Elouise played hide-and-seek, the Duke snapped at Laura for making noise with their laughter. But Laura stood up to him and would not cower. He was irritated with her – but somehow intrigued. No other woman had ever stood up to him. And he knew he was wrong, he felt the guilt in his heart. Their laughter had caused a spark of happiness to rise in him – and he did not want to be happy. But he kept thinking of her and felt the need to apologize. When he found her in the library, while his sister read a book to Elouise, he apologized and agreed to do so to Elouise as well. He noticed she was reading a chess book and jokingly agreed to a game. To his utter astonishment, she won! And he admitted to himself that she was a surprise and may even bring him some little bit of happiness, if he let her. Would he allow himself to heal? Could he defy convention and create a new family who had already begun to love him?
*** Reviewing “THE BARON’S MALADY – BOOK 4” ***
Miss Josephine Noe was cold and hungry, her bare feet practically frozen. She had come to London hoping to find work after the Scarlet Fever disease took her parents. She had also had the disease but somehow managed to survive and now appeared immune. But her village was fearful and demanded that she leave. She became a street urchin, starving and cold with winter approaching.
A man called to Josephine and introduced himself as Baron Dunstable. He needed someone to guide him to where he needed to go and gave her a coin. He noticed she was not like the other urchins, and she explained that she had been a maid in a great house in Hampstead before the disease struck and the housekeeper had spent a great deal of time working with her and training her. Then she led him through the streets of Smithfield Market. He gave her five sovereigns, more money than her parents had made in a year and his kindness would make it possible for her to survive!
Miss Georgina Wells, daughter to Viscount Armitage, continued to fuss with her dress in preparation for meeting Gideon’s mother and sister, much to his dismay. She had to be sure all the wrinkles were out of it. She was very self-centered, and he was becoming irritated with her fussing. All around her people were dying and a wrinkled gown just didn’t seem all that important. When they arrived at his estate, no one greeted them for quite a few minutes; then only the butler and two footmen arrived instead of the six he had previously. When Gideon asked Jones where everyone was, he told him his mother was asking for him and would explain everything. Inside the floor and windows were dirty. Something was definitely wrong. Only a few servants insisted on staying; if they got sick too, the family would not be able to care for themselves and equally faced the risk of the disease. What could he do? Georgina was already running back to her father to escape risk.
When his mother and sister both came down with the sickness, Gideon went to London to find a doctor. The only one there was already caring for as many sick as could fit in the church basement. But he agreed to let Josephine accompany Gideon since she knew Dr. Thomas’ treatments as well as he did now. She faithfully treated Lady Dunstable, Gideon’s sister Francine, and two footmen until each one of them had passed through the dangerous period and were on the mend. Gideon and Jones assisted her, and Gideon knew he would never take his staff for granted again! Through it all, Josephine tended the sick, cleaned, cooked, and put everyone else first with true caring in her heart. How could Gideon give her up now? She meant so much to all of them. And how would he deal with the self-centered Georgina who hadn’t even inquired about his mother or sister’s health?
I really enjoy this series! The characters are people who become dear friends to the reader because their hearts are revealed throughout the story line. These books draw the reader in, touch the heart, and make it all matter. The stories are believable, and the reader will genuinely care about what happens to these people. Having all of the stories in one set is a wonderful opportunity not to miss a single one!
A lovely box set