George, Lord Northwood, suspects foul play when bettors in a decades-old wager called a tontine start dying suspiciously. So he enlists twins and Bow Street Runners Cass and Charles Benton to investigate and prevent his father and godfather from becoming the next victims. When Charles breaks a leg while trying to climb a trellis, Cass assumes the role of the illegitimate daughter of George’s grandfather in order to infiltrate the haute ton with Northwood’s help. Will the murderer be caught before another is killed and will Northwood and Cass be able to keep it professional with their burgeoning attraction?

Set in Regency England, this latest title by bestselling author Romain doesn’t follow the typical Regency romance formula of the dark, handsome, alpha aristocrat and the innocent heroine who falls for his charms. Although Northwood is handsome, he’s also an inventor who appreciates and admires Cass’s intelligence and work ethic. The relationship between them is respectful, full of humor, and equal in a time when this was essentially unheard of. Although the nod to feminism should be applauded, it’s highly unlikely that an heir to a dukedom would be encouraged by his father to pursue a romantic relationship with a working woman who is no innocent, and therein lies a big problem with the book. Added to this are underdeveloped main characters and a mystery that lacks edge-of-your-seat suspense. Deeper and better written than most in this genre, but forgettable.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Zebra through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lady Notorious is the fourth book in the Royal Rewards series. I have not read the previous three in the series so I don't know if that is why I feel I missed something. I felt like I had started in the middle of the story. Cass and George know each other and she is hired by him to investigate a series of events affecting the tontine. They had previously met in another book, it is mentioned that she helped someone he knew.
Both Cass and George where great characters on their own, but together I felt that something was missing. I didn't see much of chemistry, romance or a connection with each other. Their romance felt very bland, therefore I lost interest in the story.
The mystery of who were the culprits of who was hurting those involved in the tontine did not come as a surprise.

Enjoyable.
Need to suspend disbelief due to the H and h’s difference in social status but once you have done that, this is an enjoyable romance with plenty of action and a mystery to be solved. I was hooked and now plan to go backwards in the series and read Lady Rogue.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars - Lots of action and intrigue. I love it when I can’t easily figure out the villain’s identity! Sometimes authors morale it so obvious. Not so here, I didn’t know who was to blame until Cass revealed it to the characters. There was a sure thread of romances, as well, of course. There is a sex scene or two but nothing explicit in my mind.

I enjoyed this read and will look for more titles by this author.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I loved Cass and George's story!! I loved watching these two come together. The bantering between the two had me laughing out loud! I liked the contrast of their stations and that it allowed them a little more freedom in their courtship. This was a great addition to the Royal Reward series and I'm excited to see what Romain has in store for us next!

As sometimes happens, I did myself a disservice with this book, as I started reading it one month, got distracted by other things, and then came back to it a month later with no proper memory of what I’d already read.

When I think of Theresa Romain, I think of an author who is unique in the historical romance genre. Yes, some of her plotlines are a bit anachronistic, but she always seems to come up with original characters and premises. A lot of HR can come across as “samey”, but you’d never mistake Romain’s books for anybody else’s. She is very creative.

I’m not familiar with all of the books in this series, and I think it might be useful to read them in order.

Early reviews for Lady Notorious are mixed, but I don’t think I’m in a position to judge properly, seeing as I came back to it with no idea what was going on! I think this might be one for the diehard fans.

I liked a lot about this book, but the character development seems to have taken a backseat to the plot for so long that it was difficult to care about the main characters for much of the story. However, Romain has such a gift for deep and compelling explorations of characters feelings and motivations, and this book is no exception in that regard; it is just a little late in the coming. And her writing remains stylistically brilliant; Romain can describe a character's stunning personal epiphany or insert a subtle, silly joke into characters' dialogue with equal deftness. Lady Notorious is an enjoyable and recommended read.

Interesting read, with some good old fashioned mystery. Cassandra Benton is not your typical ton lady...maybe because she is not from the ton, and she would never call herself a lady. She has work for Bow Street, with her twin brother for years, and is very good at her job. She does not have time for men or romance, especially when her newest client is George, Lord Northbrook, a very attractive Dukes son. George has always thought of himself as being a lazy Lord, he has never really had to do anything, only if he wanted to do it. Now he believes that someone is trying to kill his father and it will take all Cassandra and George both working together to solve this case. Love can take shape in the most interesting places!
Great read, Yes I would recommend it.

I don’t always enjoy when a historical romance tries to add other strings to its bow, such as a murder mystery. Here, though, the mystery worked well, and was nicely balanced with the unfolding of the plot. Cass, our leading lady, is a private investigator and unofficial Bow Street Runner, who is hired by Lord Oliver Northbrook to try to solve a case that involves murder, old ties, and a whole lot of money. Of course, the two of them find each other fairly irresistible, and what I liked about this story was that they weren’t forced to keep investigating while their relationship made things awkward; rather, they were refreshingly honest with one another, and the mystery didn’t suffer for the sake of drama.

I loved how confident and capable Cass was – I’ve mentioned in other reviews that I like a heroine with a bit of gumption, and Cass has that in spades. Oliver falls for her almost instantly (in fact, I’m fairly certain he liked her before he hired her), and the main drama in their relationship comes from her worries about her loss of independence, rather than any particular problems between them. They have excellent chemistry together, and I appreciated that their conversations had natural-feeling teasing in, rather than the overly-arch banter that can often pass for flirting in romance novels. These two, quite simply, like each other.

Part of the mystery plot involves Cass masquerading as Oliver’s scandalous cousin – the Lady Notorious of the title – and this was really good fun. I would have liked to have seen a little more of Cass being scandalous among the ton – this was so funny in the one scene she did get, and I could definitely have tolerated more of her sarcastic remarks about the people who had previously cut her! Cass’s background is far from this aristocratic life, and her new pretend life is well-contrasted to the simple, often dangerous life she has previously had. I liked how her twin brother acted as a foil to her new life, and I would expect he was being set up to be the hero of his own book if certain events hadn’t transpired!

Overall, Lady Notorious is a lot of fun, with likeable, believable characters and a plot that’s just the right end of silly. It’s very much a romp! Four out of five stars.

I enjoyed the first two books in this series...and then I felt like Ms. Romain simply lost her way. Book three started with a strong premise and two compelling leads and then faltered, and this book? Well, I can't lie. It's a mess and a miss. The author assumes we know more about these two principal characters from the get-go, and spends little time investing us - or them - in their backstory and lives or the suspense premise that initially brings them into each others orbit and the novel tediously meanders until eventually reaching an unsatisfying conclusion.

Okay. Where to start?

I was disoriented by the opening sequence - trying and failing to recollect whose PoV we were following - and then once I finally sorted that out, I was confused all over again as multiple story lines abruptly begin. A stabbing, a runaway lover/Bow Street runner, a cheating wife, a marquess materializing out of thin air...I could go on but won't. Suffice it to say, the opening is complicated and initially relies too much on familiarity with the series and the heroine whose PoV we are trying to follow. Friends: I was lost from the start, and things never improved.

While I eventually decided I liked both principal characters - Cass is a beleaguered quasi/unofficial Bow Street Runner (look - I'm not an expert on the time period but this character strikes all sorts of alarm bells with me) who essentially lives her life in service to her lazy/spoiled/slightly slutty twin brother, and George is a lonely camera obscura enthusiast (right. okay) whom everyone loves but for some unknown reason, no one wants - they have very little chemistry and even less in common. I had a hard time buying into their reason for spending time together (Cass impersonates a notorious relation of his in order to pursue an investigation) and essentially everyone just leaves these 2 single/ready to mingle adults on their own to do...well, whatever they want to! The investigation that unites them is related to a 'tontine'/bet George's father and godfather participated in decades ago. George suspects a murderer is eliminating the surviving tontine participants and that his father and godfather are in danger. The men in question aren't nearly as concerned - but since it's the premise of the story, their opinions don't matter. George and Cass forge ahead with their investigation (although very little of their investigation makes it into this story).

George and Cass work together to find the killer and enlist their friends (super villain/heart of gold) Angelus, (lovebirds) Callum Jenks & his wife Isabel, a pick-pocket/whore/detective-in-training/mannequin, and Charlie (the twin) to help. Nothing really happens except they fall deep in love with each other. Oh - you missed that part? Me too. There is no relationship development in this story - just your garden variety pining and some sexual longing and oversharing about Cass's sex life.

In case you missed that last bit:

They pine. They get a peek at each other's secret lives before all THE LONGING AND THE PINING AND THE LUSTING and then Cass tells George she's ready for them to have sex. AND THEN THERE ARE FEELINGS - CONFUSED FEELINGS - AND LONGING AND PINING AND LUSTING AND DOUBTS. And threats.

Onwards.

<spoiler>George (me) is fed up with Cass's dithering over wanting to be with him but not deserving him (she can't solve this dumb case) and tells her to beat it. She pours her heart out to her useless brother & when they finally have a conversation about the case, she puts it all together after her brother realizes he's been a selfish dick and provides her with a very important piece of information that solves the case. </spoiler>

If you don't want to read the spoiler - and really it's very general and won't ruin the book for you - suffice it to say, not much happens in the second half. Lot's of longing, pining, frustration and little investigating. The big reveal is anti-climatic (ridiculous) and I just couldn't wait for it to be over.

I hate to say it, but I can't recommend this novel & I hope Ms. Romain's next effort is an improvement on these last two books - or I'm out.

Cass Benton works with her brother as private investigators. Well, her brother is the one on the books but his boss definitely knows that Cass is involved. When the book opens, Cass is posing as a maid in a ton house while her brother is a footman. While he is shtupping the lady of the house, Cass is busy saving the husband from murder. Which is pretty much their relationship. Cass is super serious while her brother takes life a lot more lightly.
They're in the house in the first place because of George, Lord Northbrook. He's the son of a duke who joined a tontine when he was a young man. Now members are dying off mysteriously and George wants to prevent both his father, and the lord of the house Cass and Charles were in, from meeting the same fate.
Romain can hit books out of the park for me but this was not one of them. I didn't see that George and Cass had the type of chemistry that would weather their class differences in this time. It was an okay read but not one of my faves.

Three stars
This book comes out February 26th
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

This is the first book I have read from this author. I had not realised it was one in a series but this really did not detract from the plot and it was easy to follow the characters.

Cass works for Bow Street alongside her twin brother but when an injury takes him out of commission, Cass is forced to undertake the investigations herself. One of these cases involves George, Lord Northbrook who hires Cass to watch his father. He believes that the duke was one of ten who formed a wager that would grant a fortune to the last survivor and now one of the groups is looking to gain the monies through murder.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but I felt the story was little contrived and I cant help feel that it could have been so much more. There are some great themes but they needed a little more development. I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cass and George’s love story is a bit fantastical in that it features an heir to a Duke falling in love with a common working woman. I did enjoy the story. I would have liked to have seen a bit more interaction and background on the suspects of the murders.

Who knew love would be her secret weapon?

Cassandra Benton has always survived by her wits and wiles, even working for Bow Street alongside her twin brother. When injury takes him out of commission, Cass must support the family by taking on an intriguing new case: George, Lord Northbrook, believes someone is plotting to kill his father.

Cass relishes the chance to spy on the ton, shrewdly disguised as handsome Lord Northbrook’s notorious “cousin.” What she doesn’t expect is her irresistible attraction to her dashing employer, and days of investigation soon turn to passionate nights.

Is there a killer closing in? Is there enough attraction between our intrepid pair to lead to love in this dangerous and mysterious historical romantic suspense?
This isn't the first book I have read by this author but it just may be the best.
I gave this title 4.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development. The heat level is just right in this 4th book in the series.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

This book was difficult to review for me because I think that the author is a talented writer. I would absolutely read another title by this author. But for some reason Lady Notorious didn't suck me in the way I expected it to. I think it was a case of 'just not being for me' verses any negative quality in the writing. The characters were very well written but I just struggled to connect with them. Again, I am eager to try another title by Theresa Romain because I enjoyed her writing style.

Having never read this author previously I didn't have any expectations set as to how "good" this book would be. I was pleasantly surprised. Ms. Romain does a wonderful job with George and Cassandra's story. These two need each other and they really don't see just how much at first. I will definitely be adding Ms. Romain to my must read list.

I usually love Theresa Romain, and there were lots of things to like about her latest in the Royal Rewards series, but Lady Notorious didn’t hold my attention as much as usual.

I think the romance didn’t hold my attention as much as I would have wished it to. Cass, or Cassandra, one of a pair of twin investigators who takes a case to discover who is killing the members of a group wager, which involves a huge amount of money, is a competent but not passionate investigator. She is motivated by helping people, but she keeps her heart guarded. Her brother Charles is a bit lackadaisical, and spends all he earns, swives the women he encounters in the course of his work, and has managed to break his leg during one of these encounter.

Cass takes on the investigation alone, and promises to also keep doing his work at Bow Street, with the runners. Leaving aside the strange lack of conflict of a women doing this type of work, Cassandra is a pleasant character with an admirable sense of duty, a sense of humour, and very competent. I could understand why Lord Northwood was attracted to her. Unfortunately I couldn’t understand what she saw in him.

Lord Northwood is worried about the group wager started by his father, Duke of Ardmore and his cronies, which operates as a type of accumulator, as the men in the wager die. Three men have died, and his godfather, Lord Deverell is now targeted. He employs Charles and Cass to investigate and protect his father.

George, Lord Northwood just comes over as a bit dull. He is a reformed rake, he now has a relatively comfortable life, living with his father who is a compulsive gambler, and rather distant and uninterested, and his mother who spends her life drugged with laudanum. He is worried about them both, but doesn’t seem to act in any way to help them, until right at the end. He spends his time experimenting with developing a method to take photographs.

I really couldn’t see why Cass was interested in him, and also why she overlooked him calling he plain when they first met so quickly. There didn’t seem to be any wooing at all.

I was much more intrigued by the secondary love story between Charles and Janey, and would have liked to know more about them.

I received an ARC of this book, which I voluntarily reviewed.

Also posted on Goodreads

Theresa Romain's stories often include characters who are not nobility and I find that to be a refreshing change. Lady Notorious centers on Cass Benton, a de facto Bow Street Runner. Readers met Cass & several other characters here, in Lady Rogue. Cass is not officially a runner, because she's a woman, but she and her twin brother work cases together, with Cass often doing the bulk of the work. She is hired by George, Lord Northbrook, to investigate a possible plot to kill his father, the Duke of Ardmore. This plot involves several other nobles, and allows for some repeat appearances of other Lady Rogue characters. In helping George, Cass poses as a member of the nobility, but this isn't a Pygmalion trope, and there is little in the narrative to support the portrayal of Cass as Lady Notorious. I still enjoyed Cass; she is a bundle of smarts and I loved her vitality. She is doing all the work, "finding a way" while still struggling against the constraints on women. She knows this and it bothers her. George, Lord Northbrook, is not the usual dilettante noble or a rake. He's charming and basically kind, as well as interested in learning about the Duchy he's to inherit. He wants to help his troubled parents but doesn't know how to yet. And he's passionate about his camera obscura. There is chemistry between the two and the heat level is just right. The scheme and plot against members of the nobility, really feels like just a set up tool and is frankly not really dealt with much. When the scheme is included, the pacing slows and the story suffers a bit. The connection between Cass and George is really the warmth and heart of the story. They don't simple solve a murder plot, George and Cass help each other see that perhaps making your way in the world, is about what you yourself do and not just the rules others put in place for you. And it helps to have someone by your side along the way. A good addition to the Royal Rewards series, with the mystery playing a smaller role than in the other books. Fans of Theresa Romain should enjoy this one. Readers new to Romain, should start with the first in the series, to get a better feel for Romain's style.

I read the first book in this series, and I loved it! Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately depending on your point of view), I missed books two and three. So of course, I jumped on the chance to read the fourth book! Between remembering how much I enjoyed this author the first time, coupled with the synopsis of this book, I couldn't wait to dive in.

And that is when the disappointment sank in.

While I enjoyed these characters, the story-line itself seemed to drag on. I didn't find Cass' "alter ego" to be all that "Notorious" either. Sure, she did some things (both intentionally and unintentionally) that were a little note-worthy, but nothing that would really make her stand out.

The chemistry between George and Cassandra felt real enough, and I think their budding romance was a large part of why the main clue, the one thing that brought the would be killer to light, was originally overlooked. When all was revealed, it seemed so obvious that I feel Cass with all her insight and intelligence would have figured it out much sooner if her feelings for George hadn't been distracting her.

All in all, this is a well written novel, and while I wouldn't consider it completely "historical" romance due to the nature of the material being a little more "modern" (both in ways of thinking and in how Cass was allowed to pursue things with Bow Street), I do think those who enjoy slow-burn romances will enjoy this story.

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.

A love story that crosses societal boundaries isn’t a new concept, but Theresa Romain made that concept fresh with her crisp, sharp characters. Set during the Regency, our heroes come from a ducal family and outer edge Bow Street, but they learn so much from each other and find much common ground. I especially like how they come to the realization that they can’t force other people to change - this is especially true for George and his ducal parents.

This is a fun, easy romp with a very decent mystery and just enough sexiness to make it spicy.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.