I always love reading Erika's stories they take you back to a time gone by, full of pomp and ceremony and gorgeous rakish hero's and strong heroines. 

This is Dahlia and Simon's story, he's a Bow Street runner investigating thefts, what he doesn't realise is that he is pursuing Dahlia, the headmistress of a school for young ladies in a needy part of town, who needs the funds for her school.
This story has you gripped from the start.

I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley and I voluntarily leave my own honest opinion

This was a cute, comfortable romance. IF you can look past the fact that the daughter of a baron runs a school for girls she picked up on the streets (mostly orphans and runaways) without any noticeable loss in station. Some people laugh at her for her projects, sure, but her mother still expects her to make a reputable marriage, and still takes her to all the fashionable parties. She doesn't care her daughter lives on her own, without servants, in an abandoned abbey, alone with a group of girls from the lower classes; she doesn't care that her daughter begs all her society friends for money for her school; she doesn't care that her daughter spends her days in the worse parts of the city. That's a pretty big if, but if you can ignore this, it really was rather sweet. 

Inspector Simon Spaulding has dedicated his entire life to keeping his city safe. Closing himself off from everyone around him, he has quickly become the most successful of Bow Street Runners by his unyielding determination to keep everyone safe, no matter their station. He enjoyed his solitary life of service, until one day, he comes across a young woman determined to fight off the attacker of a young girl with nothing but a broom. But the more he learns about her, the harder it becomes for him to stay focused on his work, tracking down the "Thief of Mayfair" who steals inconsequential but valuable items in order to pawn them and then returns the receipt to the owner so they can reclaim it.
I liked Simon. He was stuffy, grumbling, and extremely adorably reluctant to have his life turned upside down by a little whirlwind. Also, for those of you who are into this sort of thing, he's a virgin; determined to never father a bastard or condemn any woman to the sort of life his mother lived, he has vowed to only sleep with the one woman he will spend the rest of his life with.

Dahlia Greenville, the aforementioned school-running noblewoman, will do anything to keep her school up and running. She is impulsive and throws herself into any situation with everything she has, consequences be damned. 
I never really warmed up to her. Yes, her heart is in the right place, and I applaud her for her determination to save those girls. But honestly, it was a bit hard to believe. 

This is the third book in the series, but you can totally read it as a stand-alone IMO.

Erica Ridley writes delightfully engaging romance.  I recommend her to all my patrons looking for historical romance.

I enjoyed this novel and it was a quick read. The two main characters came from different backgrounds, each struggling in their own ways.
Miss Dahlia Grenville runs a school for wayward girls to help them become successful in earning jobs in society. Many of the girls have nothing and this is their salvation. Dahlia needs money and the donations are not enough, so she resorts to stealing items from the wealthy and pawning them to put food on the table for her girls and pay the bills.
Simon Spaulding is one of the best Bow Street Runners and catches many criminals. He is bastard son of the deceased Lord Hawkridge. He believes his half-brother does not know of his existence. He is jealous of the time his father spent with his legitimate son and worked very hard to earn his position. However, every coin has two sides. He needs to find the Thief of Mayfair so he can received a promotion.
Dahlia and Simon cross paths and he saves her and a girl from a man with bad intentions. Simon lives for his job and Dahlia lives for her girls. Dahlia leads a double life, since she is also the daughter of a baron and her mother keeps pushing her to make a match. Simon opens up to Dahlia and becomes a more sociable person due to her influence. Dahlia and Simon fall in love with each other. Simon wants to marry her but Dahlia cannot give up on the girls. When their paths cross as inspector and thief, how will it impact their blooming relationship with each other?

"Lord of the Night" is my favorite of the Rogues to Riches series so far. Simon possesses that little something that makes him a little swoon worthy as a hero. A Bowstreet inspector ,who only sees things as black and white, falling in love with the Robin Hood "thief of Mayfair, makes the story seem predictable yet very lovable. I love the interaction between characters and the underlying storyline too much not to reread for that feel good emotion the HEA delivers on. Dahlia delights as a smart, unconventional, and personable heroine with her heart on her sleeve. The children entertain and add a nice element to the overall story. This book is a great historical romance from a really good series. My voluntary review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this story. I thought Dahlia was a fabulous character and she kept me entertained throughout. I have to say she is high on my list of favorite characters this year. I also really loved Simon. What I would do for a man like that in real life! There were a fantastic pair.! There was also a surprise in this story that I did not see coming. You have to read the book to find out what it is. I cannot wait for the next installment in this series!!

With a heart as big as the moon and a purse as small as a grain of sand, Miss Dahlia Grenville is far from your normal proper member of the Ton. Running a home for poor orphan or runaway girls to save them from the streets, she must use less than conventional means to gain the coin necessary to feed, clothe and educate her charges.

Bow Street runner, Simon Spaulding sees the world in black and white, right or wrong, no gray areas, if you break the law, he will ensure you pay. The bastard son of a wealthy noble, he has a chip on his shoulder and needs to prove to himself that he has worth. When he meets the feisty Dahlia, he has no idea who she truly is and instead sees the woman of his dreams, a woman with heart, a caring soul and the backbone to take on causes that others turn a blind eye to.

He doesn’t know that the robbery case he is currently working on, chasing a wily thief from crime to crime will hit closer to home and his heart than he ever could have imagined or that the daring Miss Grenville has more than one secret she isn’t sharing.

How can two people be so attracted when they stand on either side of the law? Guess there is more to life than black and white and Dahlia Grenville is like a kaleidoscope of colors that mesmerizes the staid Simon!

Erica Ridley’s LORD OF NIGHT is one more shiny ribbon on her regency parasol as once again, we get all of the atmosphere of London, the attitudes of the era, but none of the stilted dialogue! Wonderful characters, a little damaged, a little hard-headed, but delightfully entertaining as she weaves another tale to relax into!

I received an ARC edition from Webmotion in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Series: Rogues to Riches - Book 3
Publisher: WebMotion (July 22, 2017)
Publication Date: July 22, 2017
Genre: Historical Romance
Print Length: 312 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

Loved the story line, the characters were great together. This one is a bit different than the rest of the books in the series so far and Dahlia's commitment to the students is amazing. Loved the back and forth between Simon and Dahlia.

At first, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this novel. Even though I enjoyed the two previous stories in this series (all of which can be read as stand alone novels - including this one). Delilah was never one of my favorite characters.

 However, once I got to "walk in her shoes" as it were, the way she acted (and reacted) to certain things made much more sense. And I found myself enjoying her more and more - not only as the fearless, would risk it all, independent woman that she was, but also as the woman who fell hopelessly in love with a man who was, by all accounts, completely wrong for her. After all, how could a Bow Street runner, the bastard son of a titled man turn a blind eye to the fact that she was a thief, and above him in status? 

I thought knowing she was a thief would be a hard pill to swallow as a reader, even if she did have the best of intentions behind it. But once you saw the good she was doing, and how desperate she was to keep these girls in her "school" and off the streets, I found myself more easily (and readily) able to forgive her. After all, most of "the ton" cared little for anyone other than themselves, even when they had the money and position in society to make a difference. 

The one thing I feel I have to point out is that you do need to suspend what you know about the regency era a bit in order to fully enjoy this novel. There is absolutely no way that Delilah could still move within "good society" being an unwed woman (of marriageable age), who spent all of her time with girls that were by large considered "undesirable". If you are able to do this, then you will certainly enjoy this well written and witty novel.

Overall, I do think this novel will still appeal to those who enjoy a "friends to lovers" historical romance. 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.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lord of Night, the third book in the Rogues to Riches series. It’s a well-written and entertaining historical fiction romance. I was captivated from the first page until the last.  

Miss Dahlia Grenville was a Baron’s daughter, but she didn’t act like one. Her passions didn’t lie in pretty gowns, fancy balls, or even titled gentlemen, but in the St. Giles School for Girls. Although Dahlia knew that she should care that being headmistress of a boarding school, lowered her social standing with the Ton, but she didn’t; except for the fact that she needed their money. Her mother wanted her to marry a titled gentleman. But, the acceptable men whom she’d met were either a dandy or a rake, and she had no use for them. Her heart yearned, for Inspector Simon Spaulding, a man Dahlia knew; she could never have. And the more time she spent with Simon, the harder, it was to keep her heart from falling for him. Her focus needed to stay on the girls. It took a lot of time; dedication, and money to keep a boarding school open. So, when Dahlia ran out of funds, she did what no Lady would ever do; she became a thief.

Inspector Simon Spaulding was a respected Bow Street runner, but he should have been a marquess. His half brother, the Marquess’s legitimate son, however, was the one to receive his father’s title. Simon did his best to make a name for himself. He was dedicated to clearing the London streets of crime; and was a stickler for following the law. Simon never dreamt that catching a thief would be a bittersweet event, but it was. He also learned that life was not black and white as he once thought. It was gray. 

Lord of Night is a historical fiction romance, that’s filled with compassion, forgiveness, and intrigue. If you enjoy a well-written romantic tale, you are going to love Lord of Night.  

Thank you, WebMotion and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy. I loved it!

This is the third book in the Rogues to Riches series and it is another enjoyable read. Dahlia Grenville has opened and runs a school for wayward girls who have no where else to go. Dahlia teaches real-life skills, but financing for the school is a month to month problem. To help supplement the income, she has resorted to thieving from her peers. Enter Simon Spaulding, a high ranking Inspector, who believes the world is black and white and has vowed to catch the "Thief of Mayfair."

I loved the slow build-up of attraction between Simon and Dahlia. He's married to his job and she feels the same way about her school. Neither have time for romance, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Ms. Ridley has written another winner, although some of the rules for women in the Regency period, are overlooked. As long as you're not a stickler for what a young woman from a aristocratic family could actually do, the story will win you over. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series to find out what exactly happened between Faith Digby and Lord Hawkridge in "Lord of Temptation."

Miss Dahlia Grenvile was running a school for less fortunate girls in St Giles. Unfortunately the resources to keep the school running were not high. The donations were not enough to keep food on the girls' table, as well as to buy clothes for them.
With that, Dahlia had a different way of keeping things going: she was a kind of Robin Hood.

Everything could have continued to work well, had she not met Bow Street Runner, Simon Spaulding.
Simon was the typical good guy. He worked hard at his job, and was known as Lone Wolf.
On a night when there was an attack on St Giles, Simon ended up helping Dahlia and the girl she would protect. Simon arrested the ruffian, and was deeply impressed by that lady who laid a broom as if it were a deadly weapon.

However, they came from different worlds even though both had life purpose to help people.
Simon acted by the law; Dahlia would do anything to protect the girls.

He was not a nobleman, he did not have vast wealth.
Dahlia was not dazzlingly beautiful and her dowry was not loud enough for her to attract a husband rich enough to help her maintain school.

Interest between both grows, but being on opposite sides of the law, how could this relationship have a future?
The interesting thing about this story is that they are absolutely ordinary people. No nobiliary title or very large inheritance.
Simon was a worker and Dahlia had a normal beauty.
But both were fearless in their tasks.
Despite this change in plot, I did not feel connected to the characters.

3 stars

Lord of Night is the third book in the Rogues to Riches series by Erica Ridley. Although part of a series it can be read as a stand alone, but you will be missing out on a lot of reading pleasure if you don't at least go back and read the books you have missed because they are all wonderful.

Miss Dahlia Grenville has a wealthy family, but what little money she has to call her own she spends on running a home for wayward girls. Girls that would otherwise be living on the streets, forced into prostitution, or being abused at home. Sadly the money that Dahlia has barely covers the costs of the upkeep of the home and feeding and clothing the girls and she has to resort to theft in order to keep the creditors from her door. She only steels from the rich, pawns the small items, then sends an anonymous note to the owner to let them know where they can buy their stolen goods back from. Half the time the owners don't even know that an item is missing, that is how little they need it. 

Simon Spalding is the illegitimate son of nobility, one that resents the fact that his half brother has all the affection of their father. Simon doesn't want riches, he always just wanted to be acknowledged. He has carried on with his life and is now a respected Inspector for the Bow Street Runners. He spends more time than needed on his investigations and patrols, but the job is his life. His latest case, one that will earn him a promotion if he solves it, is to discover who the person is who is robbing from the rich, pawning the item and then allowing the victim to recover their item by telling them where it is. Which of course unknown to him is Dahlia. 

He first meets her when she is calling for help when a young girl is being dragged into an alley by a man intent on assaulting her. He is on patrol and happily is in the right place at the right time to help  them.  From the moment they meet there is an instant rapport and attraction. Simon doesn't need the distraction from a woman, but he can't help but be intrigued by her and how wonderful she is to be doing what she is for the destitute girls. He doesn't know about her family, or their wealth, he just knows the school teacher/carer. The more he spends time with her the more he wants to spend time with her and visa versa.

Will there be any chance of a future for them? Dahlia knows she is playing with fire, spending time with the man who wants to catch the Mayfair Thief (her) but she can't push him away. Simon should be devoting his time to his job, not getting involved with Dahlia and the girls, but he can't seem to keep away. What will happen if/when he discovers the truth about Dahlia, not just about her family, but about her Robin Hood escapades??

I absolutely loved this book, and was hooked from the very first page. Dahlia's love for the girls she looks after was so beautiful, it was awful to see how she suffered every time the creditors came to call. It also made me wonder just how the author would deal with Simon finding out about her being a thief. He is a proud, honourable man who makes sure justice is done, there is only black and white. You are a criminal or you aren't one. If he arrests Dahlia it will be the end of her home for girls and they will all end up on the streets and in bad situations again. Of course it means Dahlia will end up in prison and eventually at the gallows too. If he doesn't arrest her then he is going against his very oath to uphold justice. If he lets her go their relationship is over anyway because he'll never be able to cope with not doing his job.  It's that whole scenario that had me reading as quickly as I could to get to the end to find out. I won't tell you how it ended, suffice to say, this reader was very impressed with the author's decision. Very well done Miss Ridley, very well done.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers' copy of this book.

arguably a four... but..... I am going five!
A buy buy buy book and a fantastic addition to the series. Now, while not completely correct in historical times, I found this book to be one with some unique layers. I really enjoyed the story. I would of liked a little more interaction between the brothers, but I think that will be coming soon! 
This was a unique read for me in some ways. I was prepared to not really enjoy it but found to my surprise it had a wonderful plot that just totally pulled me in! I stayed with the story and found myself enjoying it beyond all my expectations. I will say it had a small lag here and there but overall , a super great read for this series. I expect even better from this very talented author on the next one! I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna

From the moment Dahlia swings her broom to fight off Molly’s attacker until the acrobatic performance at the end, this story has you turning pages to find out what’s next.  

Inspector Simon Spaulding believes that laws were not meant to be broken, not even bent.  Those who break the laws need to be caught and punished.  His current mission is to catch the Thief of Mayfair, a thief with a specific clientele and a strange twist to the crimes.  

Dahlia Grenville is the second daughter to a Baron and the headmistress of the St. Giles School for girls.  She desperately wants to keep the school open to give the girls skills for a chance at a better life.  She has on occasion resorted to drastic measures to secure funds for the school.

Simon and Dahlia meet the night that she rescues Molly.  Simon comes upon the scene just in time to help both young women escape their attacker.   He begins to spend time at the school.  He comes to care for the girls and to love their headmistress.  Simon’s time with Dahlia and the girls causes him to take a good look at the life he has led.  He discovers that he doesn’t want to be alone any more.  He finds friends among his colleagues, makes an effort to get to know his half-brother (Lord Hawkridge), and asks Dahlia to marry him.  Dahlia loves Simon, too, but has secrets that she believes will destroy their love, and perhaps her life.  What will happen if Simon learns her secrets?  

This is a great story.  You will laugh, need a tissue, and roll your eyes.  It flows along smoothly until one hold-your-breath moment near the end, and then…I can’t tell, it would spoil it.  The characters are likeable from the beginning, and we get to see them grow all through the story.  Simon, Dahlia, the girls and those around them get lessons in how to trust, forgive, and love each other.  

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the author.  The review is my own.

This is fun, entertaining and engaging. Simon is a serious hard working, honest, caring and determined police inspector who needs to catch a certain thief to get a promotion. Dahlia is a sweet, funny, giving and stubborn self appointed owner and headmistress. Supporting indigent girls and giving them a better life is all Dahlia wants, and sometimes she has to resort to thievery. Simon and Dahlia meet when he helps her run off a man intent on kidnapping a girl. They slowly become interested in each other, but Dahlia knows it can't work, because she is the thief he needs to catch. It's a captivating storyline with a heartwarming ending.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my voluntary and honest opinion of it.

Publisher's Description:

Unlike proper debutantes, Miss Dahlia Grenville is secretly Robin Hood in a bonnet. Her home for wayward girls has too many dependents and not enough donations. But just as she’s about to pull off the heist of the Season, she tumbles straight into the arms of the handsome detective who has sworn to deliver Mayfair’s mysterious thief straight to the gallows.

Highly principled Bow Street runner Simon Spaulding’s world is black and white. There’s no mastermind too clever, no criminal alive who can escape the hangman. Until he realizes the delightful young lady he’s been courting is a liar and a thief. Suddenly, his career—and his heart—are in peril. How can he bring her to justice when it means losing her forever?

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this tale of a girl born a lady who sees the injustice of young women who are orphaned or otherwise out on the streets not getting an education and so she intends to help them. Starting a school for young girls in this position is the way she intends to help. However where is she to acquire the funds to keep her school from no longer existing? So she becomes a female Robin Hood of sorts.
Simon is the investigator set to find the person responsible for recent thefts. He is drawn to Dahlia and becomes a helpmate of sorts in teaching the girls she has taken in. 
Will his investigation lead him to catch and prosecute the person responsible or will it be the ruin of his heart?
I gave this book 4.25 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 3 of 5 flames.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

What an enjoyable book. I received this book as ARC, although it is book 3 of the Rogues to Riches series, it can be read as a stand alone book. This was my favourite so far. I found the characters well written.  Both strong in their beliefs and commitment to their choosen life paths but in the end willing to compromise for the sake of others.  The story has humour, warmth and suspense.  I also enjoyed the fact that the next book in the series has been set up and am looking forward to reading The Lord of Temptation.   An easy read but one you will find hard to put down.

I'm giving the book 4 stars, because it was well written and entertaining, but if you are a stickler for "by the book" true Regency protocol, this book is not for you.

This is the story of Dahlia Grenville (sister of Camilla from Lord of Pleasure) and Simon Spaudling.

Dahlia has runs a boarding school for girls in St. Giles, she has a huge heart and can't bring herself to turn away any girl in need. Problem is, she has used all her own funds and she can't afford to keep the school running without more donations, which are basically non-existent since Lord Wainwright inadvertently scorned her school. Unwilling to close the school, Dahlia does what she thinks she must to keep the school going. She becomes a thief, does she know that it is wrong? Yes! But to her mind, closing the school and returning the girls to the streets is far worse.

Simon is an inspector for Bow Street, he is dedicated to his job and is a stickler for the law - there is no gray in Simon's world. He is the bastard son of a marquess and has strong feelings about the "upper class". He is still angry and bitter about the relationship that he had (or more aptly, didn't have) with his father and is incredibly jealous of his half-brother, Lord Hawkridge. He has put all his passion for injustice into his career and has been very successful. So successful that the Justice of the Peace has been tasked him with finding the "Thief of Mayfair" and Simon will stop at nothing to find this criminal and bring them to justice. 

He meets Dahlia by chance, he was on his way home when he came upon two women running from an attacker, he chases the thug and takes him into custody. He returns to St. Giles to let Dahlia know that the attacker was caught and thinks that will be the end of their association. But Simon is intrigued with Dahlia and returns to the school a few days later.

Dahlia is also taken with the handsome young inspector, but she has no room in her life for a romantic relationship nor can she risk what little social standing she still has by engaging in an affair. She vows to keep Simon at arms length. But she can't seem to stop herself from drawing Simon into her life and for his part, Simon can't seem to stay away.

As these two spend more time together and fall in love, it seems like they will have an easy path to a HEA. But what fun would that be??

When the truth is revealed about Dahlia's "fund raising" efforts, will his love for her be enough for him to change his black and white view? I honestly wasn't sure and didn't see how this book could possibly have a positive ending! Of course it does, but it is touch and go until the very end :)

The book is well written, flows nicely, has a couple of warm love scenes and very likable characters (I will be honest, I didn't like Dahlia in the previous book and didn't expect to like her in this one, but she won me over). On the downside, their is little to no adherence to Regency proprieties and the idea that a young unmarried woman from a good family could do the things that Dahlia did and not be a complete outcast is unbelievable. However, if you can bear in mind that this is a work of fiction and can overlook this, you will not be disappointed with the story!