2nd chance love in this Lyon's connected world! I love this universe, and I adored this latest story. So, Mrs. Dove-Lyon , unusual matchmaker, succeeds again with our heroine, Anna. She needs to get married and is matched up with ... a masked man. I mean, right here, we know this is going to be a good one. So, off comes the mask and lo and behold, it's the one man she least expected! Delicious novel, don't miss it!

Another fantastic matchmaking romance by Mrs. Dove-Lyon of the most notorious gambling den in London, The Lyon's Den.
She's making another match through her match making service in Lyon at the Altar. Lily Harlem has written a enjoyable second chance romance that will hold your full attention to the very end, with characters that come off the pages and pull you into their tale, a story that is well-written, and a enjoyable plot.

I have read a number of the Lyon's Den books, but this is my first time reading something by Ms Harlem. I think she did a really nice job of keeping with the spirit of the series, and the story flowed along nicely with the theme of the books. Anna and her mother live at the home of Viscount De-Wold . Her mother teaches French to the viscount's son, Frank. Frank and Anna spend a lot of time together, and fall prey to young love. But being caught in a compromising position, Anna and her mother are tossed out and Anna later finds herself at the mercy of Mrs. Dove-Lyons to find a suitable husband, after her mother's death. Mrs. Dove-Lyon once again does her magic, and Anna ends up marrying none other than the man that brought scandal upon her.
Frank is thankful to get a second chance with Anna, but Anna sees things much differently
She blames him for her ruin and ultimately the downfall of her life and loss of her mother. Frank will need to prove his love to Anna in order to win back her heart.
An intriguing and entertaining story, and a brilliant addition to the series!
My thanks to Dragonblade Publishing and Netgalley for providing a complimentary copy. This is my voluntary and honest review.

Steamy, Second Chance, Historical Romance

Her mother worked for his family, and he wanted her. When they were caught in a compromising position, his mother turned them out. Frank did nothing to stop this; could Anna forgive him? A couple of years later, Frank was looking for a bride, and Mrs. Dove-Lyon, the infamous matchmaker got involved. Anna's mother had left her in the Black Widow’s care.

Mrs. Dove-Lyon had the task of finding a bride for Frank. As always in the Lyon's Den, it is all a game of chance, or is it? It turns out that Anna, Fran'k's old love is to be his bride. Is that an accident, or is it by design? How will the two do in the marriage? Anna has not forgiven Frank for not interfering on hers and her mother's behalf when his mother turned them out. There will be challenges ahead. Will love prevail? I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who like steamy, second chance, historical romance.

This series has been so much fun and great. Full of passion and 2nd chances.
Anna and Frank, love, love, Young love, but had to part. She was his one and only love, though it has been years and she is broken, Well. . . Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon will make anything is un impossible.
The characters were great, no lot of unnecessary pages with useless blabbering.
Thanks to NetGalley I received this book free for an honest review.

An exceptional historical romance with lots of romance and a solid story. Good characters. I really enjoyed it

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this novella and this is my freely given opinion.

This is another novella that is part of the Lyon's Den series, and is a story that starts out quite sweet, with Anna Toussaint and her widowed mother arriving at the home of the Viscount De-Wold in order for her mother to teach French to the Viscount's son, Frank Webb, so he could progress the family's business in weaving and mills in France. Frank insists on Anna joining in on their lessons, and they develop an infatuation. Caught up in young love, they are rather indiscreet and are caught out in a compromising situation by Frank's mother and their gossipy cook. Anna and her mother are tossed out of the household, with the mother planning on marrying Frank off to a more suitable bride. This leads to a downturn in circumstances for Anna and her mother, leading to Anna seeking help to find a husband from the matchmaking owner of the Lyon's Den, as arranged by her mother before her death.

Mrs. Dove-Lyons arranges a special masked gaming night at the Den, with a veiled Anna as the prize as the bride of the winner. When the winner claims his prize, they wed right away, not revealing themselves until the marriage lines are signed and witnessed... lo and behold, her new groom is Frank Webb, now the Viscount of De-Wold. Frank is thrilled to get a second chance with his beloved Anna, as he never forgot her and his love for her, but Anna is horrified as she blames him for her and her mother's downfall and ruined reputations and wants nothing to do with him. Even as Frank convinces Anna to give their marriage a chance, she still fears there would be barriers to their future together, such as his mothers anger and hatred of her, and how she would be accepted in Society, being so socially below him in status.

A bit of a fairy tale, sweet, young love story to begin with, and it almost felt as though Frank was dallying with Anna, especially when it did not seem as though he tried very hard to find or help her, especially when he became Viscount. Cute, but straining belief a bit, especially the sudden turnaround with his mother. Also, I doubt she would be so accepting or wanting a relationship with her mother in law, when I think I would hold a grudge considering how their downfall and being ejected from the De-Wold household could have contributed to her own mother's stress and death.

Also, how much was this was planned by Dove-Lyons - it was not clear, but surely she manipulated the entire situation because it is just too coincidental, right?

3 stars out of 5

Lyon at the Altar by Lily Harlem is an enticing story of two young people who were in love. Anna was the daughter of the French tutor to Frank Webb, the next Viscount of De-Wold. Frank insisted she tutor with him. She was not a French speaker, despite the fact her father emigrated from France. They quickly became friends and more, until the day the Countess caught Anna with her hand down Frank’s pants. They were dismissed immediately and she never saw him again, but she thought about him, as he did her. Then after several years her mother died but not before contracting with Mrs. Dove-Lyon to find her a husband. Frank was not particularly looking for a wife. He wanted the one he couldn’t have: Anna, but he got involved with a card game in the Lyon’s Den wherein a young lady was the prize, sight unseen. His competitive streak kicked in and he won because winning was what he did. They were to be married the next day and she still wore her veil. After signing the register she took it off and they saw one another. He was thrilled. She was not. She blamed him for her mother’s death due to reduced circumstances after their departure from Frank’s home years earlier. It did not bode well for their marriage.

These Lyon’s Den stories give authors a chance to stretch their sings, and Harlem did in this story. Both of the lovers were excellent characters who knew what they wanted and what they believed. Anna was not thrilled with the arrangements her mother had made but really didn’t have much choice. Frank had grown to be a decisive man who could no longer be ruled by his mother. Would that be enough? It was a good story with these two interesting characters. I enjoyed it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Lyon at the Altar by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #LilyHarlem #LyonAtTheAltar

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

Great series, and now a new book from Lily to join the club.

Love anything this lady writes, so much passion in her writing, great character and content, and she has a very unique way of presenting her stories that is all her own.
Very much worth the read!

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

I can't tell a lie, I nearly stopped reading after just a few chapters, but I kept hoping it would get better. By the time I realised it wasn't going to, I was already over halfway through. Regency Romances are my guilty pleasure. They are often formulaic, I know that, so why did this one not work for me? I couldn't find any sympathy for the characters. Anna Toussaint, in the beginning, is too naive to be allowed to live. She gets swept off her feet by Frank, the young viscount’s heir whom her mother is tutoring in French. They are both little more than children, but when they get caught in a compromising position (her hand down his trousers) Anna and her mother are promptly dismissed. Some years later, Anna's mother having died, Anna is under the protection of The Black Widow at the Lyon’s Den and finds herself married off to a masked stranger. Yes, you’re ahead of me. He’s now the viscount, the one who shamed her and then let his mother dismiss her. She bears a grudge, but you can see where this is going. There are obstacles to overcome, but mostly it’s all too easy. The characters don’t show much initiative and I couldn’t bring myself to care. Your mileage may vary.

Lyon at the Altar by Lily Harlem
A Lyon’s Den Connected World Story

Young love thwarted is given a second chance to flourish a couple years later via the Black Widow’s efforts. Intriguing idea and would love to know more about the veiled dressed in black woman who spins happily ever after endings for her clients.

What I liked:
* That there was immediate chemistry between Anna and Frank
* That both Anna and Frank loved their mothers
* The reason the couple were unable to come together originally was believable
* Thinking about the manipulation that must have been done to have Frank win the woman who would be his wife
* That it was a sweet but also steamy story and rightly so since the two were always hot for one another
* The way it all worked out rather predicably
* There were no real horrors for either of them to have to overcome

What I didn’t like:
* Thinking about the bigotry and class system of the haves versus the people they felt less than themselves

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

Another exciting installment in the Lyon's Den series.

This time the Black Widow has to keep a promise she made to the mother of the heroine and with her magic, matches her with a man of long ago! With may twist and turns that will keep you reading, the couple works toward their happy Ending.

It was a lovely romance.
I had a great time reading it. A great discovery.
The character were endearing.

3.5 stars

It's not a bad story. Frank lusted after Anna whilst Anna's mother was teaching him french. He originally wanted to do something in the diplomatic world. Anna's mother is ill and Anna is very keen that they have a settlled spot. Frank acts like a randy teenager and they get discovered with Anna's hand down his trousers. Frank's mother throws them out. Frank's father tries to compensate them for their loss of earnings but Anna has to then fall back on her seamstress skills and she ends up working for the Black Widow. Anna's mother dies and Anna becomes keen to have her revenge on Frank. Meanwhile Frank's mother has been trying to persuade him to marry and in the interim Frank's father dies. The Black Widow orchestrates a match. It's a feature of having different authors write the characters that I thought this author made Mrs Dove-Lyon cold and hard hearted which wasn't my impression previously. Anna is resentlful that she's ended up married to Frank. I think this author likes the erotic side of love so it's not surprising that in the latter part of the book the tone changes to full on sex. Perhaps it's this change of tone that has persuaded me to lower the score. I didn't understand why as a mill owner Frank would be buying silk? Unless he had dress making factory which is less believable in those days.

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

I have read and enjoyed, to varying degrees, other Lyon's Den books. This one was on the lower scale of enjoyment for me. The plot is fairly straightforward - the book opens with a young Anna Toussaint accompanying her mother as the mother takes up a role as French tutor to the future Viscount DeWold, Frank Webb. The two end up falling in love/lust and are discovered in a compromising position, leading to Anna and her mother being tossed off the estate by Frank's mother. Frank makes nary a protest.

The book then moves to what the header claims is 2 years later. Anna's mother has died but not before using her severance to buy a match for Anna through Mrs. Dove-Lyon. Frank, now the Viscount, ends up in a game where, unknown to him, Anna goes to the winner. The pair end up married before either knows who the other one is and the remainder of the book evolves from there.

I admit to feeling somewhat annoyed through much of my reading of this book. The timeline makes no sense. According to the chapter header only two years have passed, yet both Anna and Frank act as though it has been years. They each refer to being "young" during their first interactions, yet given that Frank was still young enough to have a French tutor, he could not have been more than 17 or 18 during the initial portion of the book, which would mean he is only 19 or 20 during the later portion? Such an obvious timeline incongruity took me out of the book anytime there was reference to the time that had past.

I also felt like the book dragged during the last third. The main characters resolved many of their differences and yet the book dragged on. Yes, the mother was an obstacle, but I think her resistance could have been addressed in an epilogue rather than multiple chapters. My final annoyance is admittedly a silly one, and likely personal to me - something about the hero's name just grated on me. It made me grit my teeth every time the FMC says "Frank!". But this again is something that likely bothers only me.

2 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

Frank fell in love with Anna years ago when he was taking French lessons from her mother. But she was not of their class and his mother forced them to leave when she found them together. Her mother died and she was working as a seamstress for the Lyon's Den. Frank now the Viscount came there looking for a wife. They were wearing masks until they were married. Neither knowing who the other was. Anna doesn't want to be married to Frank and is fighting her feelings as well as his. But then something happens that she realizes how much Frank carries for her and she must show her feelings too. A true love story.

I enjoy The Lyon's Den Connected books. I enjoy the creativity each author brings to the Series. I like when an author leaves you with a question to ponder. In this case, did Anna's Mother scheme with The Black Widow to bring Anna and Frank together again? Frank was 19 and Anna 17 when they first met. Too young and from different stations. True love does not look at wealth, age, or station in life.

Frank and Anna become friends and fall in love when her mother comes to be his French tutor. The two of them take lessons together. When they are caught in a compromising position, Anna’s mother is fired and they are sent from the estate. Fast forward a few years. Anna is alone, needs a husband, and asks Bessie Dove-Lyon, the Black Widow of Whitehall, to help her, and Mrs. Dove Lyon agrees. Frank has come to the Lyon’s Den at the urging of a friend, to maybe find a wife. An evening with masks, a card game, a betrothal. Anna is to marry the winner of the card game, but they will not actually see each other until the wedding. Well, surprise! Frank is happy. Anna is furious. This is another enjoyable story in the Lyon Den’s world. The chemistry between Frank and Anna sizzles, as it always did. This is their second chance. It doesn’t happen quickly, and there are some problems, but sometimes a happily ever after is hard work.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

Mrs Toussaint becomes the French tutor for Frank Webb & he insists her daughter Anna also takes the lessons. The young couple become friends but feelings deepen after all first love is passionate, addictive and forbidden . When they are caught in a compromising situation the Toussaint’s are dismissed. Now a few years later Anna alone in the world finds herself in dire need of a husband and under the rather dubious wing of The Black Widow of Whitehall. During an evening of twists and turns, intrigue and suspense Anna finds herself betrothed to a mysterious masked gentleman. At the altar a flick of a wrist sees his devilish mask removed and reveals the wickedly handsome Frank.
Another delightful read in this series, a well written well paced story with strong characters. I really liked Frank & Anna & thoroughly enjoyed their second chance romance. The chemistry between them sizzled & Anna did make Frank work for her forgiveness & she may not have forgiven so soon but a traumatic experience made her realise how she felt. His mother was a problem, I can never understand why difficult Mothers weren’t banished to another property
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Another enjoyable Lyon's Den romance as Anna Toussaint comes under the Black Widow's scrutiny when it is time for Bessie Dove-Lyon to fulfil her promise to Anna's mother. Tasked with finding Anna a husband, the Black Widow takes an unusual approach, which just happens to bring the man who left Anna devastated some years before, standing at the altar and taking their vows, with masks on! Viscount De-Wold not only finds himself with an unwilling bride but one with a deep well of anger. It does not bode well for the future, especially as Anna knows that Frank's mother is going to be appalled when she discovers that her darling son has married the woman she despises. It takes a near tragedy for both Frank and Anna to realize how much they have to lose if their situation is not resolved, and in fact, it takes very little for them to find the path back to each other. Unfortunately, Anna's predictions regarding Frank's mother are realized, but as they have already found out, things can change very quickly. The novel comes to a happy conclusion and Bessie Dove-Lyon once again succeeds in her matchmaking efforts. I received a copy of this entertaining romance as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.