A beautiful tale of working your way up and using what you can to then be threatened that all you have could be jeopardized so quickly. If you love historical fiction then this is one for you!

I love sweeping sagas set in England. I love that Ms. Bradford always makes her heroines strong and smart; sometimes too smart for their own good. The families in this series are all well to do by manners even if not by station. I’m hoping for another book in the series but if not this was a excellent sequel.

"From New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford comes the highly anticipated second book in the House of Falconer saga.

James Lionel Falconer has risen quickly from a mere shop worker to being the right-hand man of Henry Malvern, head of the most prestigious shipping company in London. With Malvern's daughter Alexis running away to the country after a terrible tragedy and refusing to return, James' ascent to head of the company seems inevitable. But even a charmed life like James' is not without its setbacks.

A terrible fire threatens to end his merchant career before it's had a chance to truly begin. Mrs. Ward, James' former paramour, has a secret that could change his life forever. And his distaste for Alexis Malvern is slowly growing into feelings of quite a different sort. Can James continue to be the master of his own fate, or will all of his charm, intelligence, and wit finally fail him when he has to enter the lion's den?

Spanning the years from 1889 to 1892, In the Lion's Den is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her historical storytelling best."

I might be more than a little obsessed with anything during Victoria and Bertie's reign of late and I've been feeling a withdrawal setting in, thankfully Barbara Taylor Bradford has come to the rescue.

I haven't read a Barbara Taylor Bradford book for many years but I'm so glad that I went back to them. This is a classic family, business empire building saga that leaves you knowing that there is more to come. As always, Taylor Bradford build characters with depth and keeps the relationships very must relevant to the period that the story is set in. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series. and I will not be leaving it anywhere near as long to read another of Barbara Taylor Bradford's novels.

I didn't finish this book. I couldn't get into it so I put it aside for a bit and then  I just didn't even want to bother with this book.  It just not for me.

I didn’t enjoy this second book in the House of Falconer series as much as the first one but it was still a good read. After all it’s written by Barbara Taylor Bradford. A lot of excellent scene description and of course romance.

4.5 ⭐️!

In the second installment of the House of Falconer series, James is continuing his work with Henry Malvern and dreams of building his own retail empire. Alexis has secluded herself in Kent after Sebastian's untimely death while her father and friends hope to bring her back to work and London society. 

I enjoyed catching up with James and Alexis and hope their story continues!

This book is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Barbara Taylor Bradford. I missed the first in the series and I’m immediately going to read that one as well. James Falconer has risen from a shop worker to the right-hand man of the company’s owner, Henry Malvern. Originally this position was expected to go to Malvern’s daughter Alexis. However, Alexis has suffered a recent tragedy in her personal life and has no interest in the company. James aspires of beginning his own company soon. Unfortunately, his pet project which he is hoping to launch his career suffers a terrible fire and is quite a setback. Besides his business life, his romantic life is also in a bit of a quandary. I was so interested in this book that I read it straight through. I’m looking forward to the next book in this fascinating series.

Also reviewed on B&N and Kobo

In the Lion's Den
Barbara Taylor Bradford

James Lionel Falconer a young man, ambitious, handsome, and very nice. His mind for business is like a steel trap. He is very good at watching the trends. He has a large family and feels blessed to have them. He did not come from a noble home, his mom was a housekeeper, and his dad head butler. He had a lot of friends but he still got lonely.
Alexis Malvern the daughter of his boss, in the retail business. She had lost her fiance to pneumonia about a year ago but was still morning him. The way she treated James was awful and she had not been to the office in two years. She was his heir and needed to know how to run the business if anything should happen to him. 
An amazing read and so much happened. The story read smoothly, even, and cute. His and her emotions ran the full gambit. The characters were emotional and trying to be good people. I do highly recommend this book. There are some questions that need to be answered.
I received this ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.

I am in love with this series.   Barbara Taylor Bradford has brought James Falconer to life in the House of Falconer series and I cannot wait to learn more about this motivated, honest, and hard-working man.   The first book gave us a look at his upbringing and how he has become the man he is.   This book continues that story but also shows his skills as a man who has dreams to achieve. 

In the Lion’s Den is the story of James starting to set the path of starting his own business while being faithful to the Malvern family.    He knows that without the Malvern family he would not be where he is today and shows the respect that they have earned from him.   He never loses sight of his dream of starting his own company but realizes that he can do both if he stays on path.  

The Victorian era setting, the wonderful characters, and the amazing story make this a must-read book.   I do recommend reading the first book as it sets up many of the character's stories.  Book three in this series cannot come soon enough.  I cannot wait for more about James and his path to success.

Solid Historical Fiction

I always enjoy reading Barbara Taylor Bradford's books.  I am also a big fan of historical fiction.  So, I have read both books in this series with great enjoyment.  Book 2 in a series is always a bit of a struggle; do you remember all the characters and plot from the first book, especially a problem when the publication date is pushed back, such as happened here.  But, In the Lion's Den is worth the wait.  Can't wait for the next book in the series!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me an e-arc via Netgalley with no obligation.  This review is optional and my own opinion.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the second book in Barbara Taylor Bradford's House of Falconer series and I loved it. There is just something so magical about her family sagas and I find myself completely swept up in their stories...and this one is no exception.

While I only read the previous book last week, I think I would have had no problem getting back into the swing of things had it been longer. That's because of the way BTB writes - she just pulls you into these characters' lives as if you are right there alongside them and I feel that way about every single book she writes. I love that as it's such a comforting feeling.

I really think it would be beneficial to read the first book in this series before picking this one up. While this one does stand on it's one, there are quite a bit of threads that are carried over that would make for a richer reading experience if you have already read the earlier book. But that's just my opinion.

In this latest installment, we continue to follow the lives of James Falconer and Alexis Malvern. James continues to prove himself at Malvern & Malvern Company and has risen the ranks to be working side by side with Henry Malvern. But his dreams of owning his own shop are still there. Alexis is still mourning Sebastian but she is also conflicted because during her trip to London with James (an event from book 1), something stirred in her and she's not quite sure how to deal with it.

This book is full of drama, secrets, scandal and of course romance. It is so easy to get wrapped up in this story and escape the world for a few hours - something I'm sure many of us could use right now! - and that is what I love about these books. I find myself so consumed in the characters and what is happening that I completely lose track of everything else. Each character has their set of challenges and there are some obstacles along the way, but that's what keeps things moving, and the twists and surprising developments really kept me glued to the pages. 

I loved this story and all the new developments and cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. I have always been a fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford and this new series just proves why. If you enjoy family sagas, this series is a must-read!!!

Another enjoyable story in the House of Falconer series that takes place in Victorian England. As we have come to expect, you know that it is a story of how people improve their social and economic status along with romance. It is a story easy to get immersed in and it’s a story in which the story line is as important as the characters.

In The Lion’s Den is a beautifully written story that features a cast of intriguing characters, mystery, and romance all amongst the glittering backdrop of Victorian London.

The story follows James Falconer who started off as a lowly shop now but has risen the ranks to right hand man to shipping magnate Henry Malvern. You don’t get to this position without making some rather interesting choices, which we definitely see.

James is tasked with bringing Henry’s daughter Alexis back to the family business, which is much more challenging than it seems. And what if the blossoming feelings between James and Alexis? 

If you’re looking for an immersive and atmospheric read that will make you feel like you’ve been transported back to Victorian London then pick this one up.

Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the tour invite. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

I was looking forward to reading my first of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s books, and was anticipating a lush family saga spanning time and space.  The book was a little bit disappointing, and strangely two-dimensional.  She introduces a cast of characters whom the reader can anticipate hearing more from over the course of future novels, but this apparently first in series was oddly flat.  The descriptions of interior decorations were more interesting than the (occasional) sex scenes.  The hero, James Falconer, falls in love repeatedly, and although he is young, he seems too fickle to be passionately in love with his bosses daughter whom he eventually marries.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fans of big historical family sagas will enjoy this second installment (readable as a standalone) in the story of James Falconer and Alexis Malvern.  He's risen from poverty (not the grinding poverty so endemic in the period but still) to working at the side of Henry Malvern.  Malvern's daughter Alexis has absented herself from the business and the city after the death of her fiance but her father is determined that she be trained to run things, especially as he's aging and dealing with health issues.  Readers of the genre know that this will have an enemies to lovers thing between James and Alexis but there is more than their general antipathy in their path- he's got a secret.  Once you buy into the idea that a Victorian era magnate would leave his business to his daughter, you will root for them all a bit more.  I wasn't a huge fan of the first book, which I thought had too many characters.  That's still the case here but this covers only 1889-1892 so I suspect some of them will pop up again later,  Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.  BTB is at root a storyteller and it's easy to fall under her spell.

I first discovered Barbara Taylor Bradford by being introduced via the movie debut of her books. After viewing all the movies, being an avid reader I had to purchase the books! The books were just as wonderful in descriptive detail of the countryside and the era that you could feel yourself stepping into the book pages! I went on then to read all of her books after that. I was not aware of the Falconers series until now. 

I went ahead and read the first one just to acquaint myself with the series. My Review is based solely on this book alone and not on her past books or future.

I love the plot of the book and that James is wanting to be a self made man, but he is doing it by working hard and not taking advantage of others. He is a fair minded person and to the point. 
Alexis the daughter and heir to one of the key business owners in the area, Malverns, is a little on the spoiled side and used to being indulged to a point, but has a sharp mind for the business if she would take her emotions out of the workplace.

I think where the author has done a fantastic job is centering the flow of characters, it’s the continuity of the storyline that seems to get choppy. It seemed to drag forever on about Alexis and her depression where there could have been more about Alexis and James and there relationship. It was like she arrived and next thing they are getting along? What a flip? What happened to they hated each other? 

Then it was Peter and Natalie and he visits dead Aunt and boom, she is with William? Then we have a bomb and no mention or suspicion at all placed on William’s brother? Plus , I hope that James would tell his current fiancé he has a little girl! 

I realize there is a possible third book, but I cannot imagine that this was all just skipped over? It was like missing chapters for me? I actually went back to make sure that I didn’t skip any! 

I am still a faithful reader and hope some of these are addressed in book 3 which, I know a few can’t be set aside without revealing spoilers! 

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment of the House of Falconer series, and will now have to wait to see what is in store for James and his family as the saga continues.  These books have a little of everything: romance, family drama, danger, mystery.

Her 1979 debut novel, A Woman of Substance, ranks as one of the top-ten bestselling books of all-time, with more than 30 million copies in print. All 31 of her novels to date have been major worldwide bestsellers.

IN THE LION’S DEN continues the story of James Lionel Falconer who has now risen the ranks from working in his father’s market stall and crowning himself as the merchant prince, to now working side by side with the glorious shipping magnate, Henry Malvern of London’s Malvern & Malvern Co. in the setting of Victorian England, the ever handsome and ambitious James’ path to success was never easy - instead full of drama and intrigue. 

In Bradford’s signature storytelling style, she writes this historical fiction drama full of complex characters, a story rich in historical detail, and an entertaining storyline and plot with a pacing so enjoyable that makes it hard to put down. 

Historical fiction readers will endear to the Falconers family as we read about the intricate storyline full of ambition, romance and unexpected twists that makes this novel such an immersive and compelling read I enjoyed.

Barbara Taylor Bradford has done it again! She has created another wonderful story that will instantly pull you in, take you on a whirlwind ride and set you down unexpectedly and loving every minute of it. IN THE LION’S DEN was perfectly chiseled and took me to a time when I would find my mom reading through all her BTB books.

The plot line and the characters are beautifully penned. The Victorian era is vividly portrayed through this novel. There were so many times that I felt myself within the story, walking along side James and Alexis. I loved that feeling! The ups and downs of wondering what would happen with them, to them and around them, truly kept me hooked!

Once again, I highly recommend this beautifully chiseled novel. Bradford is a timeless story teller who never fails to deliver a story that will play out like watching a movie on the big screen. Her characters are always life like, her story line always full of rich details that make the reader feel as though they are truly the center of the story. I can’t wait to read the next book! Well done, Bradford. Well done!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Author/Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*