Lieutenant Eleazar Williams returns from the dead. After two years everyone wants to know what happened after he supposedly drowned. Eli gives part of the story, but Jane knows there's more. Hurt by circumstances five years before, Jane doesn't trust Eli. All he wants is a chance to make up for the mistake he made. To reestablish the friendship they once had, but he really wants more than friendship. With his career in the navy in jeopardy, what could he offer in marriage? It's a dilemma. Some interesting secrets and resolutions that were unexpected, but wrapped up better than I thought they would be.
Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

It's a fresh read, not coming from usual Regency aristocrats romance. And more exciting talking about a lady who does what males did best that time. Just my kind of special theme. The story itself is also good, not a really fast-paced one, but alright.

This book was a delight to read! Jane and Eli were quite compelling characters and I very much enjoyed reading their story. This book definitely helped me get into the headspace for Bridgerton season 3!
A great read if you are new to historical romance like I am.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC.

3.5

Eli and Jane’s love story is one of reunification and trust. Eli was in the Navy and he was thought dead due to a shipwreck. Jane always loved him, even though he was Engaged to her cousin. Time had passed, and Eli resurfaces. They learn how to connect again.
I thought this was a good book, but unfortunately, I struggled through the reading of it. I cannot see where Jane loved him at times during the story. She was holding onto a resentment. He was never aware of her feelings.

The Lady He Lost is an excellent debut from a historical romance author I will definitely be following. The writing is witty, the characters lively and modern, and the plot original and fun. This book had me from the first chapter, with a quip about how the drowned man returned from the dead and did not appear to be at all wet.

Premise: a man returns from a presumed death via shipwreck to find that the woman he loves now hates him because he almost married her terrible cousin and then had the audacit to get himself killed at war. His love is Jane, who has an adorable but annoying uncle and a plan to open a gaming salon for ladies.

Very fun. If you love histrom, you should grab this one.

This was a wonderful debut and entertaining historical romance. The beginning was especially strong, and I laughed out loud several times during the first chapter. Histrom fans looking for new authors have to check this one out; they'll be glad to have Faye Delacour on their radar because I anticipate her continuing to write banger after banger.

I loved both of our protagonists, Eli and Jane, who are in circumstances they cannot really help but care for each other deeply. Jane is a poor relation, and doomed to remain that way if she cannot find a way to support herself. She gets the idea to become a proprietress of a lady's gambling establishment, and begins staging card games with her friend Della. Jane's uncle, however, is determined that she will find someone to marry, and Jane must suffer through the season and his matchmaking.

Meanwhile, Eli has just "returned from the dead" and is the talk of the Ton. But his escape from pirate captivity isn't totally what he has represented, and he has cause to worry about what could happen if his secret gets out. Jane has not forgiven Eli, her dearest friend, from getting engaged to her cousin, even if it was due to a compromising position.

I adored the writing, and loved the characters even more. This is a great friends to I thought you were dead to enemies to lovers book, and I'm not sure how many of those are out there! I love Eli's pining, which is deserved based on his actions but no less sweet. I also really love how single-minded and forward thinking Jane is, she's such a strong character. I found both families varying degrees of annoying, but they were intended to be that way. This is a five star for me, because it really hit the note it was going for and I was incredibly impressed.

The premise was really intriguing, but I just couldn't get over how insistent the heroine was that the hero was hiding something - what did it matter to her?

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to review.

This is an entertaining friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story about Eli, a sailor who gets lost at sea and is believed dead, and Jane, the friend and old flame he left behind, though he was meant to marry someone else. As he was engaged with her cousin, who married while he was thought dead, Eli is now free to pursue Jane, but will she forgive him for his perceived betrayals, and can Jane trust him when she fears he's hiding something? This was an interesting and enjoyable Regency romance.

A historical second chance romance novel when a Navy officer returns from the dead.
Lost at sea, with a slight fib, Lieutenant Eli William is on a mission to clear his name as well as rekindle Jane, a girl he fancied.
Jane has been on the shelf for awhile. She hasn't found the one but she has a different view on the life she should lead.
Her friend and her plan to open an exclusive female only card game parlor.
When Eli comes back, it throws a wrench in her plans. Not only do the feeling arise but he seems to be everywhere she is.
A thunderstorm out of the blue bring a spontaneous opportunity for them to express their feeling and from then on they make an effort to reconnect.

It's a good historical romance story. I don't love it but I don't hate it either.
There wasn't much bantering and the plot was minimal. I would say very slice of life.

I read this book in one night, and once I started the book it was hard to stop. I felt that the book had the vibes of Bridgeton, Pride and Prejudice, and friends to enemies to lovers. Even though it is not a very long book it checked all the check marks for me. The passion between the two main characters and the problems they face to even be together. Now I know this is the first book in the series and I can't wait to see the other book and hope that Jane and Eli will make an appearance to find out how their life is going. I would have to say Eli was my favorite character in the book and not just because his the love interest. He was someone who looked out for his sister when a rude guy at a party was making fun of her. He was someone who always wanted to do the right thing even if it cost him the heart, and looking out for his friends. I do not agree with the fact that he stayed away so he could make sure that he didn't have to go through his first engagement. I also don't like how Jane's brother Edmund acted at the end of the book with her, but I can understand that's how it was during that time.

A solid debut! Jane Bishop is an orphan who wants to run a ladies' gambling club, and remain a spinster for the rest of her life. The death of her best friend (and secret crush) Eli Williams two years ago has helped Jane stay on this path, despite snide comments from her cousin (and Eli's former fiancée), and her meddling uncle.

But when Eli turns up alive, having escaped from pirates, Jane's deep feelings return, although she's sworn to avoid the man who broke her heart. And when Eli is put on trial on suspicion of desertion, his secrets may tear Jane away from him forever.

I got through this book quickly which is really a testament to the author's writing because I just had to know what was going to happen, and when Jane and Eli were finally going to have it out. There's lots of pining from both sides, and neither is aware of the other's feelings. I do wish the plot was more fast-paced, and the ending felt rushed, plus I wanted to see Jane succeed in opening the club, but maybe that will be shown in the next books of the series. I really loved Jane's friend Della and her meddling. I'm hoping for her and Hannah's (Eli's sister) books next because I love how they already are giving their parents grief for being brazen, and I want to see more of the club!

WDTK? Chapter 8

Steam level: low

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

This was a nice debut. I liked both main characters and enjoyed them together. However, much of it was slow, and nothing much actually happened. You would think a book about someone coming back after being mistakenly pronounced dead would be more interesting. The ending also felt a bit rushed.

Overall, this book had a lot of potential, and I'm hopeful that subsequent books in this series will be more interesting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book has one of my fav romance books tropes but it just never quite landed fully for me. I enjoyed reading about the ladies trying to start a Gaming club and parts of the story were fun.

A nice hisrom debut.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for the ARC.

I'm conflicted about this book. The writing is very good and the story intriguing, but unfortunately I hated Jane and her costant whining. Please, let me rant a little (no spoilers, all these things are clear from the very start): Yes, her cousin was horrible, but it was Jane who let her ruin her life! What if Eli was caught kissing the cousin? Jane and Eli were just friends at the time, they didn’t have an understanding. The poor guy didn’t even know that Jane was interested in him! And he was so very young at the time! Why does she want to make him suffer? To risk court martial because of her suspicions? Why does she blow hot and cold with him? Eli is really a saint and Jane is a total disappointment. End of the ranting.
All in all an intriguing debut, but not entirely satisfying in my opinion. I’ll round it to four stars because the author is very promising and I really want to read more of her.

i absolutely devoured this book. I love a slightly unlikable female character with lots of thorns. I am also such a fiend for second chance romances so it is safe to say that this checked all the right boxes for me. Superbly written with well fleshed out characters.

A good historical romance! It’s not my usual cup of tea when it comes to histrom, but I still had a good time!

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Lady He Lost is a feminist historical romance much in the vein of Evie Dunmore, Manda Collins or Harper St. George. When Jane Bishop is left fending for herself in life, she’s determined to make her own way by opening up a women’s only gaming hall. But when the uncle who took her in is found murdered in his own home during a symposium he was hosting, Jane steps in to see that justice is served, reuniting her with Lieutenant Eli Williams, who has returned from his rumored death with his own secrets. These friends-turned-enemies-turned-lovers must put their differences and pasts aside to unite in discovering the reason behind not just Jane’s uncle’s death but potentially a whole string of past deaths, including her father’s. Crackling with sexual tension and a well-paced murder mystery that needs to be solved, this book was a delight to read, and I look forward to the future books in this series!

While the book felt repetitive at times and was a bit slow moving to start, I was still pulled into the story and felt the angst and pining between the two characters. The author definitely took her time unraveling the various mysteries of the book--maybe a bit too long--and when it was over, I felt that the ending was realistic and mostly satisfying. It was nice to read about two characters who were "in society" but on the outskirts and neither really cared about it. There were aspects of the ton that were seen and felt but it wasn't as much a part of the story as it is in other books so it was quite refreshing to be a part of that world but not as immersed. I was, however, very shocked by what Jane's brother did to her at the end of the book. It felt slightly out of character for him but more than that, I was just outraged at the audacity!! If he gets his own book, he owes Jane some serious grovel.

I loved the wit and humor of this book. The author did a wonderful job with developing both characters and giving us a female main character who was funny and relatable. I would like to read more from Faye Delacour to see how she grows into her craft and develops stories, perhaps for the BFF Della?

I so wanted to love this story ( everyone else seem to have loved it ) but I just didn’t really like Jane too much and Eli’s story just wasn’t as dramatic as the earlier chapters hinted 🤷🏼‍♀️ still a cute friends to lovers story