Love the Rogues to Riches series even more after reading the second book. As an ARC reader offered by Net Galley, I did not like either of the covers, but once I read the books, the cover pictures made sense and truly fit the heroes of each book. I need to reserve judgment on future covers.

Shy, quiet, timid, obedient Camillia becomes our herself when at a masquerade ball upon meeting handsome, charming, arrogant Lord Wainwright. Both wore masks to the ball and the rules did not allow you to ask the name of any attendee. From the description, I was expecting the ‘bedding’ to happen quickly, especially considering the description of Michael, Lord Wainwright. Their romance and his ‘wooing’ of Camillia could not have been sweeter. He truly came to care for her as she did him. Their ‘masked’ meetings became the highlight of their weeks. They both looked forward to the masked balls when they could be together and enjoy each others company. This was the only time each felt like they could truly be themselves.

Lord Wainwright had been a disreputable rake, but also, had a good heart. His ‘wickedness’ had ethics. No virgins and no married women. His reputation was actually a lot worse than he actually was, considering he really was not that person. Michael wanted to become a better person and for his life to count for something. He willingly accepted the challenge from his friends to not be in the scandal sheets or in another caricature for the forty days because he wanted to prove to himself and others that he could do it. Michael lost his parents when fairly young and still protected his respect and love for his mother in preserving her collection of harps.

Interestingly, Michael and Camilla kept running into each other in public and felt a connection although they did not want to. Camillia’s sister runs a home for girls and was in the middle of ‘fund-raising’ when Lord Wainwright ruined her funding by a simple sentence. Crazy thing was he did not even know he had done it. That did not stop Camillia and her sisters from ‘hating’ him for hurting the girl’s home. Michael’s observation of Camilla and her sisters helped him to see another side of the female gender.

You will love this story as I did once you start reading it. I am looking forward to the next book as it is about the ‘secret’ life of Camillia’s sister Dahlia. I am sure it will be just as good as Erica’s previous books. Erica includes some brief appearances of Fairfax from the first books, but this is a standalone book, too. Enjoy!

This was a very sweet, emotional, Cinderella-inspired story. 3.5 stars!

"I want to be bolder. It's the one thing about my life I would alter." "I can grant you that wish ... Be fearless here. Tonight. With me."

My first full-length book by Erica Ridley. I've read a few of her novellas and liked them, so when I saw this I jumped at the opportunity to read a longer story by her.

Michael Rutland, the Earl of Wainwright, always seems to be misjudged. With his angelic good looks, a smile that makes women everywhere melt, no one bothers to get to know the real him. The caricaturists love to blow his actions out of proportions until he is known everywhere simply as "The Lord of Pleasure". After that particular picture is published, Michael decides he has had enough: he bets his friends he can go 40 days without appearing in the scandal sheets and prove to people that he is more than his reputation. But can he really convince the ton that he is more than just a pretty face?

Camellia Grenville is the eldest sister to two scandalous sisters. She's the good one, the sensible one, the shy one. The one who accepts a proposal her father received from a "mature, respectable gentleman" (translation: an old, boring man who plans to have her live out the rest of her life secluded in the country) just so her sisters, with her finally settled, will have a chance to get married themselves. But underneath the quiet, unassuming facade is a woman who longs to be on stage to share her gift for music with the world, a woman who wants more than what society dictates she should have. But will she have the courage to pursue her dreams and finally let her true self show?

Luckily for Camellia, one of her scandalous sisters received an invitation to a secret masked party and let's her go in her place so she can have a last chance at doing as she pleases before she marries. Dressed in a scandalous gown and hidden behind a mask, Camellia revels in the chance to be her true self. And when she meets Michael, known to her only as the mysterious "Lord X", sparks fly instantly. Both open up to each other in a way neither imagined possible in real life. But of course real life intrudes on the fantasy. With their identities revealed, both have to make a choice: is what they shared in those fleeting moments worth risking everything?

I LOVED those magical encounters at the masked parties. They were bittersweet, and gut-wrenching, and I loved Michael's desperate attempts to prove to everyone that he was more. The letters he wrote to his mystery lady were incredibly sweet. Camellia also made for a likeable heroine. I liked her change from a mousy, quiet girl to someone who would fight for her dreams.

But there are a few little things that didn't work for me. The masks, for one. They spend four nights in each others company, share their deepest secrets with each other, and ultimately fall in love. I just can't suspend my belief enough to accept that they didn't recognize each other in real life. Surely if you fall that hard for someone you're able to pick out little things about them even with half their face covered by a mask?
I also had some issues with the pacing. While the scenes where both were masked were beautiful, in real life they were both a little annoying to me. Michael had a habit of saying careless things that resulted in the Grenville sisters hating his guts. Up until the 60% mark, Camellia was convinced he was the devil, an all-around bad guy, etc. because something he said caused a gaggle of females to withdraw their funding for the school one of her sisters runs. Instead of being mad at the women for being so easily distracted, she chose to focus her hatred (and she really hated him...) on him. All the while complaining to her mysterious "Lord X" how awful it is when people misjudge you. It took too long for me until they realized who their mystery dates were and that they both had misjudged them. But then, the last few pages where Michael starts fighting for her were truly wonderful, so that made up for that in my opinion.

Overall, this was a nice read. I liked spending time with these characters, the story was interesting, and I will definitely check out the sequel!

I really loved this story. It is funny and the bantering between the sisters will enchant you. The family is not scandalous but very proper. So there are so surprises in store. The plot is not the usual, far from it. I was so entranced, I read this in one sitting. I am so glad I got the chance to read it. It may be my favorite of Erica Ridley's stories but I still have a few to read. I should mention there is a racy scene. I know you will enjoy this as much as I have. I was given this book for an honest review.

I loved Lord Wainwright and "Good Girl" Camilla. Their story had me excited to turn the page to see what happened next. This was an easy story to get lost in and what a pleasant journey of self discovery I felt like I was taking with these two. I would definately recommend and cannot wait for the next one.

a good read

1817, and 'Lord of Pleasure' Michael decides it's time to change society's perception of him. Which becomes easier when he meets Lady X at a masquerade.
Meanwhile Camellia Grenville, with an arranged loveless marriage to look forward to, no longer wants to be thought of as a mouse.
Can either of these two have what they really want.
This well written story is an enjoyable addition to the series. With some interesting characters and a good plot.

Good girl meets bad boy and sparks fly!

By night, as Lord and Lady X they banter and flirt and come to like, respect and appreciate each other. And, a friendship forms. By day, as Camellia and Michael, they go toe to toe and take potshots at each other. And, a rivalry forms. I really enjoyed being the proverbial fly on the wall and having a laugh at their expense, as I am aware of what they are not... their true identities.

This book was entertaining, very smartly written and a nice continuation of the Rogues to Riches series. Although it could be read as a stand alone, I think I enjoyed it that much more for having read the first book in the series, Lord of Chance. I am anxiously awaiting the next story in this series.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Season Publishing/WebMotion in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

I was highly anticipating Lord Wainwright's story and I wasn't disappointed! I absolutely loved Michael and Camellia. I thought the premise was hysterical and at the same time extremely romantic. These two people couldn't be more opposite in the eyes of high society and their interactions make them the least likely people to fall in love with each other. But then they meet as Lady X and Lord X at the masquerades, becoming their true selves and it's clear from their first encounter that they're meant to be together. It was so interesting having their double lives unfold parallel to each other as you read the story. It's so fulfilling when these double lives come crashing together and you're left wondering if these two people that belong together will truly get their chance to be together. Equal parts funny and romantic--the chemistry is there between Michael and Camellia but it's different from other books because of their double lives. This book is sexy and sensual without being explicit.

I'm truly enjoying the Rogues to Riches series. Erica Ridley is so good at crafting well developed, lovable characters and intriguing plots. I got so lost in this story and couldn't put it down from the moment I started reading. Once again, I cannot wait for the next book in this delightful series!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

The power of fame... Are you really what they talk about out there?

Camillia Grenville has the voice of an angel; she is a great daughter and prefers to be surrounded by books and her family than to live with other people.
Her two younger sisters, Dahlia and Bryony, seem to have a more adventurous life.
But Camellia will always be the good daughter.
Exactly so, now, she knows from her mother that she will marry Mr. Irving Bost.
Camellia would have nothing against Mr Bost except that he is mature, respectable and will take her to live in Northumberland, Scotland, six days away from her family.

She does not want to marry him.
Although already considered a spinster, she always believed that she could choose her future husband. No longer.

As she looks at her siblings, Camellia sees the possibilities she has deprived herself of having.
His brother Heath is one who seems to always do what is not expected of him; Dahlia was already caught stealing (even though it was because of a noble cause) and was almost disinherited by her parents; Bryony, the youngest, had a solicitor for whom she nursed fodder and would not stand at home waiting for him to come to her. So tonight she would go to Lord Lambley's infamous masquerade ball. But just before leaving, a missive from her solicitor arrives. Not wanting to miss the invitation, Bryony tells one of her sisters to go to the ball and then tell them how it went.

Camellia is the one who ends up going to the ball.
There the rules were severe. It couldn't insist that any guest reveal their identity. The guests were called Lord and Lady X.

At the ball, Camellia is almost dragged by a more insistent Lord X, but she is saved by another, who takes her to breathe the garden air. Other than what she thought, he did not try to kiss her, but they began a conversation that made her feel safe.

Lord X was impressed with her and wanted her to return to the next ball for a week.

Lord Michael, Earl of Wainwright was handsome, with very light blond hair. Even his friends admitted it, which made him a target of women. His fame came before him, like the rake he was. He was rich and had a title.
But this sometimes became a burden, and it was worse because there's a caricature of him, surrounded by women who admired him as a god.
He had so much more to offer! He was a connoisseur of Nature, Music and Astronomy. Why were people only talking about his romantic achievements?

Going to masquarade balls gave him a sense of freedom because he could be himself without having to live up to his friends' expectations.
Michael did not imagine that he would be fascinated by a Lady X, with a beautiful sapphire dress and a princess posture. And he wanted to see her again, and again...

In real life, they could not be more enemies, since thanks to a comment from Michael, Dahlia's charitable work was doomed to failure. Camellia would never forgive him for that.
But when fate makes them stay in the same environment, where the gossip rushes faster than a gazelle, even though she has a commitment to Mr Bost, Camellia found herself trapped.

Could the famous rake be Camellia's intended husband, giving her the freedom she so badly needed?
I loved the characters, their strength, their fears and their frustrations.
Not everything is what it seems ... people can surprise.
5 stars

Really, truly enjoyed this book. The h is clever and interesting , the H is more than the rake society sees, a couple destined for love. She is 26, close to spinsterhood, and eleven closer to an unwanted betrothal and marriage, to a stranger. He is a rake, with a wicked reputation, , most but not all of it , deserved. They meet at a masquerade ball, and are soon smitten, though still unknown to one another. As they meet in society, neither recognizes the other, though they do learn more about each other. Eventually,passion ensues, as well as the revelation of their identities. A great story,highly recommended.

Oh this story! I absolutely adored these characters! It was funny watching Lord and Lady X as they were called while attending the masquerades open up to one another and foster a deeper connection, while then seeing their "real life" selves go at each other verbally. I kept wondering how long it would take them to figure out who they really were, but even I could not have guessed how the story would play out.Each and every time these two were on the pages together, it was nothing short of magical and entertaining.


There may be some elements of this story that fans of a more true to the time type stories may have issue with. Not only are the masquerades themselves quite scandalous, but there are a few other announcements along the way that some may feel wouldn't have happened in the time period in which this story is set.


Overall, I do think this story will appeal to those who enjoy a well written historical romance novel (and those who can suspend a bit of the social protocols). I would read more from this author!


DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Ms. Ridley had done it again. Another well-rounded historical with a good plot. Enjoyed!

This is the second book of the Rogues to Riches. It is standalone. I loved Lord Wainwright as a hero and the character change he undergoes in this story. I also like Camellia and how she goes from always following expectations to going after what she wants.

I liked these two characters as a couple. This story is a light-hearted enjoyable read.

This is the 2nd book I have read by Erica Ridley and I really enjoyed it. It took me about a day to finish because I was up really late at night reading it. One of my favorite things about this book was the masquerade ball. It's been a really long time since I have read a historical romance that took place where the main characters didn't have to hide behind manners and societal expectations. It was a lot of fun. The Lord of Pleasure is Lord Wainwright, or Michael and Lady X is Miss Cameillia Grenville, who is firmly on the shelf. No one has offered for her hand, so her parents are desperate and match her with someone twice her age. She decides to live it up while she can and heads to the masquerade that her sister was supposed to go to. There she meets Lord X. She is not looking for an affair, she just wants to be to person she has always thought she was and not the wallflower everyone else thinks she is. Michael is intrigued by her and enjoys the conversation. Women usually only want him for sex or for money. Then he ends up in the gossip column. He wants to change his image and takes a bet with his friends that he is determined to win.
I love that they got to know each other sort of anonymously because of their masks. They didn't know each others real names. But one thing was clear, they liked each other for who they really were. Michael was then determined to find out Lady X's real name and court her in real life. He was looking for a countess and a wife who viewed him as smart and hard working. Not as the Lord of Pleasure. Overall, it was a great read. Michael was romantic and determined to win Camellia over. Their chemistry was hot. The sex scene was panty melting. Worth reading over several times ;) I would definitely recommend buying this book.

What do you get when you cross a rogue who is fed up with being a rogue and always in the gossip columns and a daughter who never goes against her parents, that is until her betrothal to a man old enough to be her father is announced. She decides to have one fling before being tied down and goes to a masquerade where she meets the rogue and an instant attraction on both parts. Meanwhile the rogue meets a nice girl though dull and her sisters at a museum, as he gets to know her he realises she's not dull at all and realising who she is, does he tell her who he is?

This is Michael Rutland, Earl of Wainwright, and
Camillia Grenville's story and the second book in the Rogues to Riches Series.

I love Erica's stories and couldn't put down 

I voluntarily received an advanced copy and chose to leave my opinion

Erica had written another enjoyable and relaxing read. The characters are well developed. The story flows smoothly without any unnecessary fluff and concludes in a short span of time. Erica has cleverly included characters of the prior book and the next book in the series; even though this book can be read without having read Lord of Chance. This series is proving to be fun, light reads.

What an amazing storyline! It was based on a Cinderella story, but was so different, so more. The allure of the masquerade and anonymity of the balls made me want to be a part of it and made it so I couldn't put down the book. I felt a part of the story and the people. A fantastic addition to the series! Book provided by NetGalley.

Charming and sweet. A classic romance novel from start to finish.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Lord X and Lady X, two people unaware of each other's identities but aware that the attraction could not be mistaken for anything else but love.. Gorgeous read.