Beautiful story! This author has done a wonderful job writing these characters, the storyline was amazing, and I couldn't put it down.

I love Erica Ridley's Rogues to Riches books and this one is no different.
Miss Dahlia Grenville is breaking all the rules of society. She is living in the poorest part of town and running a home for homeless girls, which she calls a school. These girls are not wanted by society and Dahlia is convinced that she can make a difference if she teaches them to clean and do chores and what would be expected in a proper society house. Unfortunately she lacks the funds. She has to figure some way to make enough money to keep the school open so the girls don't have to live on the streets. One night, she hears a scream of a girl and she runs towards the scream with a broom. She wacks the person trying to drag the girl away and they run back to the girls home. All of a sudden a man on a horse comes riding into view and Dahlia directs him toward the villain. Simon is the man's name and he is a Bow Street runner.
Dahlia and Simon soon start to have feelings for each other, but they know that it can never happen because of their stations in life.
This book is a great addition to the Rogues to Riches series and I look forward to reading more by Erica Ridley.

What I liked about this book was the heart of gold Dahlia, the heroine had. She was trying to run an orphanage for waywood girls. At the same time, that's what I found fault with. A girl like Delilah wouldn't have been allowed the independence to do all the work she did there as well as sleep there without being ruined. Yet she still moves about in society freely. She becomes a female Robin Hood, so to speak, robbing from the rich to feed the poor, her orphans.
Simon, the hero who is a Bow Street Runner, meets Delilah when she is being attacked trying to save one of her girls. Here is an instant attraction between them. Of course he is investigating the recent thefts among the ton.
It makes for an interesting story line. I thought it did end abruptly though. But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I do look forward to seeing Faith's story.

*3.5 stars*

Erica Ridley is one of my go-to historical romance authors, and she did a nice job again with Lord of Night, even if the book stretched my imagination to the very edge. 

I'm willing to make a lot of allowances in historical romance, mainly because what is historical accurate during the time of these books really isn't my area of expertise. However, even I was practically scratching my head in disbelief at some of these coincidences and situations. You have to imagine a baron's daughter running a school for indigent girls, doing the sweeping and cooking herself, and begging for money at her upper-class parties all while stealing from the rich like a ninja. And she was still accepted in society! Yeah, hard to imagine, right? And that is just Dahlia Grenville's odd backstory (the male MC's is just as far-fetched). 

Okay, all that aside, this really was a lovely story. The romance was playful with some fun bantering and flirting up to wazoo. It was an easy story to read with a nice pace that kept me engaged the whole time. I enjoyed it, just like I enjoy most of Erica Ridley's stories, and I think you can jump into the series at this point and read this one as a stand-alone. 

Simon was an unusual character in romance, which I really, really liked. He was a man of morals, very opposite from the typical rake character, and he was even a virgin (I love a male virgin in a romance book!). He had great chemistry with Dahlia, and I liked what they brought out in each other. 

If you can overlook the historical inaccuracies and are okay with a story that stretching the imagination, this one was a lovely read. 

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

The third book in delightful series "Rogues to Riches," author Erica Ridley introduces readers to the "Lord of the Night" Simon Spaulding, a highly principled Bow Street runner who sees the world in black and white, i.e., either you are good or bad and no gray in between.

Enter the beautiful debutante Miss Dahlia Grenville whose heart is so big that she is willing to live in poverty so that her home for wayward girls will continue to provide food and shelter to her charges. And out of need, Dahlia has to become Robin Hood in more than one occasion.

That Simon and Dahlia met while trying to save a young girl seemed to be destined. That they will fall in love was also a given. But what happens when black and white meets a world of less than fifty shades of gray? Can their love survive?

A sweet and easy read, "Lord of Night" is Rated T for Teens due to some violence and some sexual content which are not graphic.

Decidedly quirky!

Miss Dahlia Grenville, an unusual debutant will do anything to keep her home for destitute girls afloat.  Her passion for her girls, her cause and the lengths she's willing to go to are extraordinary. Those lengths include stealing small items from the ton and turning them into cash via a rather circuitous route.
However Simon Spaulding, a Bow Street runner of impeccable standards is on the trail of the thief. The thief, on command of Prinny, is to be caught and hanged. Of course Simon doesn't realize that's Dahlia, a young woman he's become attracted to. In fact he thinks Dahlia is a respectable headmistress, not the daughter of a Baron.
So we have the hero unknowingly pursing a thief who is the woman he is coming to appreciate.
Dahlia's sense of fair play does go into realms I would never have considered. I must admit to loud laughter when Dahlia bemoans the fact that she's become a rake, a despoiler of virgin men. Riley has hilariously turned the tables on the norm for Regency romances!
This had some desperately funny parts and some equally desperately sad moments. Simon's relationship with his half brother comes under the latter.  
The humanizing of Simon is delightful. I was charmed. A definite winner with characters you can easily relate to.

A NetGalley ARC
(August 2017)

Can a Jewel thief and a Bow Street Runner ever find romance?  This is an intriguing story about two people, Dahlia Grenville and Simon Spaulding , who are on different ends of the law.  Dahlia runs a a home for Orphans and is in desperate need of funds to continue her calling.  She resorts to desperate measures to ensure that the home stays open and she can provide for the children.  Simon Spaulding is a Bow Street runner hot on the trail of a jewel thief and is determined to find the culprit  This story has a little of it all.  Intrigue, mystery, humor and romance.  This book is part of a series but is fine to read own it's own.  Erica Ridley delivers again as always with a story that will keep you turning the pages until the end!

While I loved a unique hero/heroine -- not at Duke! -- and their romance, unfortuantely, the ending seemed to come quickly and out of nowhere.  Another draft or an edit for pacing to build this tension and pay things off a bit different would improve the story.  I have enjoyed this trilogy, but I think the book could be made even better with another look at the third act.

Simon and Dalhia's story was another success for Ms. Ridley! I loved how these two just "fit". I cannot wait for the next book.

Can a young woman with a heart of gold win over the man pursuing her for "crimes of goodness?" 

This romance has good pace and good characters. Miss Dalia Grenvile is not only being courted by one of the sharpest detectives, but she plans the biggest heist of her charitable crime career. Simon Spaulding's heart may become collateral damage in this war of wills- he is sworn to arrest this criminal thief, but when he realizes who it is...well, he experiences the worst internal conflict. 


I'll leave that there bc I do t want to spoil it. 

The only thing I was not as thrilled with was the Robin Hood storyline. However, Erica made it interesting and lots of fun. I enjoyed the contrast in their points of view- one very regimented with little give, and one whose moral code requires spontaneity and adaption to change.  And I liked Simon and Dalia's story. 

Another good Erica read.

I really enjoyed this historical romance. Most focus on the ton and this one was one foot in the common world. I really liked this new (to me) perspective. The main characters were both strong and yet flawed in ways they couldn't see until fate brought them together. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt which is why I was happy it included an Epilogue. Which of course left me wanting to read the next in the series!

Lord of the Night is like a beautiful quilt.  There is mystery, romance, humour and pathos.  Dahlia Grenville has an unusual approach to solving the problem of keeping her school for impoverished girls in the seedier side of London operational.  When Lord of Night, the taciturn Bow Street runner Simon Spaulding comes to her rescue, the attraction between them is immediate.  Unfortunately when it comes to the law, Dahlia and Simon are at opposite ends of the spectrum.  At times the story is light hearted and full of humour, but there is also an underlying sadness as the underbelly of life in Regency times is exposed.  I loved Simon's character and although Dahlia's choices are not acceptable, she is nevertheless a delightful character, full of love and passion for what she does.  This book forms part of a series and is a standalone, although characters from previous books also appear.  The story is well written with a good flow of language, making it an enjoyable read.  I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Interesting well-written story 

This is the first book I've read by Erica Ridley but it definitely won't be the last,   She truly came up with a unique story.  I loved Dahlia's relationship with her family and friend Faith but it was her growing relationship with Simon that kept me turning the pages.  It was so refreshing to find a Regency romance that was so much more than ball gowns and soirées.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book which I received from NetGalley.

Lord of the Night  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by Erica Ridley
(Rogues to Riches)

Miss Dahlia Grenville proper headmistress by day, debutante Robin Hood by night. Miss Grenville is the all proper headmistress of the St. Giles school for indigent girls.  Dahlia has rescued 24 young girls from the streets of London. Her goal is to give them a safe haven and at the same time educate them and help them find a trade. This endeavor has proven to be quite costly and although she seeks donations her funds are usually short by the end of the month.  

It is at this precipice she has found it necessary to pilfer small valuable tokens from houses she is invited into by the ton.  Thus she has been, unbeknownst to her identified as the Mayfair thief. In her struggle to protect her girls she runs into an Inspector for the Bow Street runners Simon Spaulding. He is a strongly principled individual but he also becomes my heartthrob. Simon opens his heart to the indigent young ladies and to Dahlia.  He finds himself mellowing and finding his life must more pleasant with Dahlia a part of his world.  

Dahlia knows he hunts the Mayfair thief and when she finds herself falling for Simon she see it futility. I have read all three the the books in this series and each one seems better than the other. Ms Ridley play havoc with the readers emotions but always draws them to a satisfying conclusion.  Loved this book.

Two passionate people intertwine in this wonderful tale. Dahlia despairs her school is on the verge of failure, resulting in her darling students being released back to London's seedy underbelly. Simon walks the line between two very different worlds as a Bow Street inspector. They are drawn to each other's strengths but can either be completely honest with the other? Or themselves?

This is the latest in the Rogues to Riches series and by far my favorite. The author has found her story-telling stride with this heartfelt story. 

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Erica Ridley once again took me to 1800s England. She writes with such wonderful descriptions that you can close your eyes and see everything and the romance gets your heart pounding while leaving you breathless. I just love everything she writes.

Historical Romance is usually not on my TBR pile, but there are some recommended authors that I have now started reading, enjoying and of course adding to the ever growing TBR. I swear it seems to have a life of its own!

So when I came across this ARC of Erica Ridley, I jumped the chance to read an author that had been cropping up on my Kindle recommendations and who I had not as yet read. And of course, review my very first ARC :).

The plot was an interesting one, as one rarely reads Regency love stories about Bow Street Runners. Or at least I have come across very few of them. What I loved about Simon Spaulding was how uncomplicated and simple he was. As said earlier, his world was black and white, his actions, emotions and everything else too was as simple as that. He would get flustered, most ‘charmingly’ whenever our heroine flirted or shocked him with her speech and antics. He was a man who was easy to love and who was the perfect character for a Runner, as I would have envisioned them.

Dahlia on the other hand, intrigued me from the word go. Obviously she had been introduced in earlier books, hence some things were left unsaid, but overall, she was naughty and nice and a perfect match for Simon. Of course, I have to now go read the entire ‘Rogues to Riches Series’ to know more about the characters that are linked to this one.

I especially enjoyed the scenes of their interactions with each other; Simon’s with the girls of the boarding house; Simon with his half brother which had me a little teary; the intriguing relationship between Faith and Hawkridge and the final proposal of marriage with turned out quite funny if it were not so sad.

Overall, I loved the simplicity of this book. How easily they met, fell in love, had a misunderstanding and finally got together. I wish the end had been a little more long drawn out though. I would have loved to see some more grovelling from Simon considering the way he behaved while arresting her.

Needless to say, I have already started Book 1 of this series, and am just on chapter one, but enjoying it as much. Erica Ridley definitely  goes on my ‘HR authors to watch out for’ list.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was a light read that can be completed at a relaxing pace within a day. The story centers around the daughter of a Baron, Miss Dahlia Grenville, and a Bow Street runner, Simon Spaulding, Miss Grenville is trying to keep her charity/boarding school alive by some less than honest means while Simon is actually the Runner who is on her case. While the writing felt a little lacking in the beginning, it did pick up and improve greatly. I found the storyline to the be the strength of the book. It kept me on my toes, wondering how it things could resolve to a HEA. Characters were nicely developed with multiple things going on in their lives that felt more real than when authors just focus on the romance. I especially liked Simon who struggles with a couple things, from his background and upbringing to trying to be honorable and uphold the law. Both characters were likable and I couldn't help but root for them. It also gave little glimpses of characters in the next story that drew me in to wanted to read the next one. I am hoping that the last book will answer some unanswered questions from this book.

Another winner from Erica Ridley.!  Dahlia Grenville is a character previously met in Lord of Pleasure, the sister of that story's heroine.  She has opened a school for poor girls in London and struggling to provide for them.  Kindhearted and stubborn, she has difficulty raising funds, and has resorted to some nefarious ways to earn the money.  Our H is an upright, by the book, black and white, Bow Street inspector... They meet and , of course there is fire,  Neither has plans to marry, and both have secrets, but love has other plans.  This was a very good story, though, it does, of course, not follow the proprieties of the times. It was still great fun with some wonderful characters and lots of passion.

Dahlia is must more than she appears.  She has devoted her life and money to help orphans and street girls have a home.  She depends on donations which are slow to come in and don't always keep the creditors at bay.  Meeting the handsome detective is a blessing and a problem.  He doesn't know she is a debutante or a thief.  What will happen when he finds out?