At the risk of giving too much away, Jane and Eli have been great friends for years. Ever since she visited relatives that were neighbors of his family. Eli and Jane have always connected, and Jane has been in love with him for a long time. Only, Eli made a stupidly male decision on a whim one night and got caught in a compromising position with her cousin. The resulting engagement broke Jane's heart. Eli needed the military to make his way in the world and to be able to afford a wife, so he left. Only his ship was commandeered by pirates and he was taken as a prisoner. His ship was wrecked and he was presumed dead. Jane mourned him but had to keep the depths of her mourning to herself as she didn't feel she had the right to mourn him as his fiance did. Eventually, Cecily marries someone else and Eli returns from the dead.

Jane refuses to allow her feelings for Eli to get riled up just because he's back. He chose Cecily over her. And she needs to focus on her own plans. Her uncle is a busybody matchmaker, constantly throwing eligible suitors in her way. But Jane plans to take her future into her own hands by starting an exclusive card club for women only. Why should men be the only ones to get to have any fun?

Eli returns with a mystery. He was shipwrecked and kidnapped, but he also could have returned home sooner than he did. The why is supposed to be the mystery and the ramifications when it appears that he deserted his post. I didn't love this part of the story. It seemed like a means to an end rather than a true part of the story. Like an afterthought maybe.

The "about the author" says that Faye Delacourt writes "feminist historical fiction." I suppose the progressive ideas pushed in The Lady He Lost included the women's card club that Jane was insistent upon providing her own way. As well as the progressive physical relationship that Jane and Eli had before marriage. Of course, these types of relationships have always happened, but culturally, this wasn't the norm of this period of history. I never mind skipping a feminist twist. Empowering is one thing, but feminism always seems to push things too far for me.

I pretty much hated Cecily. She was always in competition with Jane. I've known way too many people in real life who always feel the need to compete. And they exhaust me. At least Faye Delacourt provided her with a reasonable motivation for her behavior. And she didn't end up being a complete villain.

Favorite quotes:
-Really, what were gardens even for, except to compromise young ladies at house parties? Everyone knew that.

-They settled on the library, as it had served as a traditional hiding place for many a guest at many a party such as this.

-"I do love when you two are kind to each other."

Overall, I was a little underwhelmed by this book. Jane was a little too progressive for my taste considering the culture. Eli's mystery felt too thrown together. And the side characters were mostly annoying for too much of the book to be redeemed by the endings they got. The Lady He Lost gets 3 Stars. Have you read The Lady He Lost? What did you think? Let me know!

This is a new author to me and I have to say I was very impressed. Jane is a woman always on the receiving end of her cousin, Cecily’s barbs and digs. Eli is a navy officer who comes home after being declared dead. As you read this story, you will be enveloped with a plethora of emotions. Frustration with Jane over her very hard heart over his return, anger at Cecily’s egotistical bent, pain for Eli’s problems, curious over what really happened to Eli and why there is so much mystery behind his disappearance and return. There are several “mysteries” intertwined in this novel and though the reader is pointed in one direction, things aren’t what they seem. Though I was very irritated at Jane through half of the book, I began to understand the author’s intention and enjoyed how the author wrote the ending.. I loved the last scene between Jane and Cecily, bringing all the “dirty” laundry out and clearing the air. This story is really about the mistakes people make and , if one is willing to work past that, get to the happily ever after.. I enjoyed it immensely and will look for more of this author’s stories.

I received this ARC for free and these are my own opinion.

A secretive ladies gambling club, run by a woman left without a dowry and trying to make her way in the world? Yes please! I love a strong heroine and was really excited to read this role reversal of a story. And add in that the hero has been “lost at sea” only to surprisingly return in the middle of the Season after 2 years where his friends and family thought him dead—I love a good resurrection story.

Several plot points existed in this story, one that Lieutenant Eli Williams had compromised heroine Jane Bishop’s pretty cousin Cecily and was engaged to her prior to disappearing. But now that he’s back, Elizabeth seems more interested in Jane, but she can’t reconcile that he was set to marry her cousin. It felt like Jane just couldn’t completely forgive Eli, even after several attempts at him trying to apologize, AND after letting him secretly help her get off (because the mutual attraction is still there). The scenes between Eli and Jane were always exciting; the banter, tension, and especially secretive encounters had me thoroughly engaged. I think the pacing just felt off to me and would’ve liked to see more of the women’s gaming club included in the plot because it seemed to take a back seat to the competition between Cecily and Jane. I think there is so much potential for Delacour as a debut author and had a great time reading this.

I received both an ARC and an ALC from Sourcebooks Casablanca and Dreamscape Media, respectively. The ALC was narrated by Blythe Fortune and was fine, but I definitely would recommend reading this one with your eyes, as I felt my mind drifting at times. All opinions are my own.

Loved this second chance romance! The writing was emotional and romantic, and the premise of someone thought dead but coming home after being kidnapped by pirates was so much fun. Great use of the historical setting! Can't wait to read more from this author.

When Lieutenant Eli Williams returns from the dead, two years after his shipwreck, only to find his brother has spent his savings, and his fiancée married someone else. Yet when he turns up in the middle of the London social season, all he wants to see is Jane Bishop, a woman who meant so much to him, her memory keeping him sane during his capture by pirates. Yet Jane refuses to pine over Eli, a man who chose her cousin over him. She needs to focus on gaining her financial independence by establishing a ladies' gambling club. However, Eli is determined to wine Jane over and when Eli faces a court of inquiry on suspicion of desertion, Jane must decide whether she has the courage to support him, or risk losing him for good.
The attraction between Eli and Jane is obvious, to all except Jane, who struggles to come to terms with his engagement to her cousin. Jane does all that she can to hide her feelings, but it was lovely to see Eli win her over and build her self-confidence. A sweet romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this one but didn’t totally love it, mostly due to the pacing. I became frustrated with the slow pace of the relationship development BUT I am not generally a fan of second chance romances so this may just be not my perfect cup of tea.

When the man you love goes missing - presumed dead - you do what you have to do to get on with your life... especially considering that he was engaged to your mean girl cousin. Jane has done just that: she's starting a gaming club with her BFF and they're planning to make it a going concern. But then, Eli (that man Jane loves) shows back up. He's not engaged to her cousin anymore, and he seems to be interested in her.

We saw a ton of potential in this debut historical romance: the characters were consistent and appealing, the banter was on point, and the plot moved at a cracking pace. Also these are two horny characters, which we appreciated. Sure, the plot runs a little bit on romance reasons (Jane is really pissed at Eli but also decides that she trusts him to give her discreet orgasms) but on the whole we enjoyed it. The ending went a little bit off the rails, and we would have loved a little more groveling (or decisiveness?) from Eli, but that didn't mean we didn't enjoy the hell out of this book.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Jane and Eli are two very beautiful characters. However, I found the beginning slow in introducing the two protagonists. Afterwards, I became thoroughly engrossed in the plot.

Jane seeks to be financially independent by establishing a ladies' gambling club. This is one of the aspects of the book description that attracted me to my choice of reading. I would have liked this element to be more developed. A few scenes are too quickly incorporated into the tale, particularly those leading to the book’s ending.
This book remains a great read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Naval Lieutenant Eli is back from the dead after being shipwrecked and captured by pirates to find that he has no money, no fiance, and might be questioned by his bosses about his time away from the Navy. His former friend Jane is being cold and he doesn’t quite know why, but he wants to regain her friendship and affection. Well, we find out that Eli and Jane had a strong friendship up until the point where Eli gets caught in a compromising position with Jane’s prettier and more sociable cousin Cecily and then gets engaged to that woman. Stuck doing the honorable thing and staying engaged to a woman he doesn’t like very much, he runs off and joins the Navy. It’s basically a cluster of immaturity for Eli there. Meanwhile Jane is trying to run a discreet gambling club for ladies and gain her own financial independence. Due to the meddling of too many of Jane’s family members, she and Eli end up at the same house party attending the horse races at Ascot and sort of maybe start a physical affair. But both Jane and Eli is dodgy about their feelings, leaving the other person totally unsure and insecure. This is one of those books where I’m just waiting for the characters to just talk to each other already. However, it was fun to read about Jane’s adventures in gambling and Eli’s unwavering support.

"The Lady He Lost" is Faye Delacour's debut novel and while it was a decent read, I will be interested to see how her writing develops in future books. Here, the writing is a little uneven - the pacing is off and the ending feels rushed after all of the set up for both the romance and the military service conflict. I did like FMC Jane and her determination to forge her own path. MMC Eli - I don't know. While there was obvious tension and chemistry between him and Jane, I just couldn't really respect him. He made questionable choices over and over and basically hides rather than actually deal with the consequences. I did believe he loved Jane, but I also thought she would always have to be the strong one in the relationship versus more a union of equals. I did really enjoy Della and would love to see her get her own story - as long as it is not with Jane's brother!

Three stars. I see a lot of potential for this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. These opinions are my own.

I liked this historical romance. I liked the premise of the female gambling club. I liked a lot of small individual things but I didn't blow me away.

I thought the relationships was good, just the other things bore me.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

♠️𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝑯𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘♠️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️/5

Thank you, NetGalley, and Sourcebook CASABLANCA for an early copy of this audiobook.

I promised myself to try new genre this year and historical romance it’s a novelty to me. I tried to read something in the past but I never fell in love with any of those books, but The Lady He Lost was soooo good! Amazing debut novel 😍

I found the story and the characters very interesting. Eli and Jane had unmatched chemistry and all their scenes were just spot on!
I particularly liked the angst and how badly Eli wanted to do good by Jane, and how much she wanted to be independent.

I also really enjoyed the side characters, there was a little bit of everything. The super cute and loving uncle, the bitchy and annoying cousin, the young little sister, the crazily brilliant best friend (whom I hope will be the protagonist of the next book in the series).

As far as debut novels go this one is really good. Congratulation to @fayedelacour for the amazing job ❤️

If you are a fan of Bridgerton I think this book is a must for you.
I also liked the amount of spice, not too much and not too little.

I may be redundant but I have ZERO complaints about Dreamscape production! The voice actress did a splendid job and if you love listening to audiobooks I highly recommend this one ❤️

In this novel, the hero returns to England after having been presumed dead for years. The heroine, who had pined for him before, is not willing to trust him at all after he betrayed her in the past.

This romance novel has some of my absolute favourite things.

-a side character who delights in a new bureaucratic challenge that is frighteningly high stakes for the hero. Like, give me a whole story with this socially oblivious lawyer as a protagonist.

-a secret proof of love gesture that happens in the back story.

-heroine who is trying to make an independent life for herself during a time when it was unusual

-he messed up more, but she also needs to consider her past choices and how they affected outcomes

Looking forward to any connected books that come next.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

As delightful and steamy and angsty as advertised by friends! I REALLY loved the concept behind this one, with Eli coming back after all believed him to be dead (the Persuasion/Poldark comparisons feel very apt), although the romance for me was the strongest part and the surrounding elements weren’t as solid in execution. Eli and Jane’s chemistry is off-the-charts, and while the resolution of most of the side plots felt somewhat more rushed/neatly tidied up by comparison, there’s plenty here to love. A very strong debut from a historical romance author I’d love to read more from!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Upon the death of her parents, Jane Bishop and her brother Edmund were taken in by her widowed uncle Bertie and his young daughter Cecily. One summer while visiting with another uncle, Jane met Eleazar “Eli” Willams and fell in love, but at only sixteen, she kept her feelings to herself. A couple of years later, Eli broke her heart when he proposed to her cousin Cecily and then again when he was lost at sea and presumed dead. Jane decided that love was not for her and set out to find a way to support herself without a husband and along with her dearest friend Della, form a Lady’s Only Gambling Club. The hope is that they make enough money to support themselves independently yet ensuring that no one is gambling so much they ruin themselves. It seems like she finally has her life on track when the impossible happens – Eli returns for the dead, with secrets and seems intent on rekindling their friendship. There is no way Jane can risk her heart again, and hardens her resolve to ignore him, but when Eli offers to help her make her dream of a gambling club come true, everything changes. But will all her dreams come true, or will Eli’s secrets break her heart all over again?

Eli made a huge mistake when he followed Jane’s cousin Cecily into the garden and it cost him his freedom, as he was honor-bound to offer for her when they were discovered kissing by her father. Their engagement was announced, and Eli joined the navy to earn a living. Three years later, he is a Lieutenant in Her Majesty’s Navy when his ship is destroyed, and he is lost at sea and presumed dead. In reality, he was saved and taken prisoner by pirates, and it took almost a year and a half to escape. He returned to England to find he had been declared dead, his savings given to his younger brother, his fiancée married to another and Jane hostile. He tries to make amends with Jane, but without disclosing the entire truth, which could put him and others in danger, she refuses to soften. But all that changes with a rain-soaked kiss, giving him hope that he will finally be with the woman he has always loved. But when has the path to HEA ever been easy?

This was a new to me author and I thought it was a good debut effort. I liked the writing style, but I did find it a bit wordy and the first two-thirds of the book dragged for me. However, the final third of the book was paced nicely and wrapped everything up quite neatly. I wasn’t a big fan of Jane until about halfway through the book when she finally fell off her high horse and pulled the stick out of her – well, you know. I loved Eli and found the majority of the secondary characters to be completely delightful – I am seriously hoping for Della’s story – she is a piece of work that is sure to lead some hapless man on a merry chase. Overall, the book was good, it was original, the idea fresh, and the story was filled with wonderful characters, secrets, betrayal, heartache, some laugh out loud moments, warm love scenes, big plans, disappointment, hope and a satisfying ending but sadly no epilogue, although, the last chapter does set them on the road to HEA, so it’s all good. This is billed as the first book in a new series, and I am definitely looking forward to the next book.

3.5 stars

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Format - E ARC

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶

Series- the Lucky ladies of London

Troupes- Friends to lover, shared history, golden hero, independent heroine, forced proximity, historical romance

Representation-

CW-Kidnapping

This is Faye Delacour’s first book, which in it’s self is freaking amazing! Now the book is very good y’all. It’s a debut and you’d hardly ever know it. It’s a well constructed story with compelling characters who are pinning after each other!

Eli is back, after being presumed dead he's not expecting though the red carpet to be rolled out for his return but he also wasn’t expecting his long time childhood friend to be big mad at him and very spacious of his return.

Jane never thought see would see her friend and secret crush again, she’s made plans for her future that doesn’t include marriage but now that he’s back she knows he’s hiding something, and it take lots of forced proximity and golden retriever behavior on Eli's part to convince her to give him a second chance.

Eli is keeping secrets and Jane is trying to get her gambling club off the ground and things just don’t seem to be lining up. With both of them so unsure of their future how can they make it work.

I enjoyed the majority of this story, it was really right at the end when Jane’s brother is an absolute asshole and things somehow still turned out alright that left me wanting mostly for the brother to get his comeuppance.

The tension between these two was sparking and the spice for a debut was great!

Overall it’s a good hist-rom with great characters and intrigue. I’m looking forward to more from Faye Delacour!

Thank you Faye, Sourcebooks Casablanca and netgalley for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own!

Eli Williams is a lieutenant in the Navy who was thought to be dead after a shipwreck. He was engaged to Cecily, but her cousin, Jane, was in love with him. Cecily married someone else after Eli was thought to be dead, but Jane continued to privately mourn him even though he picked her cousin to wed. This romance starts when he comes back to England after being rescued by pirates and tries to get back to his normal routine two years after everyone thinks he died.

Jane Bishop wants to be financially independent after the death of her parents when she was younger, so she wants to start a gaming club for ladies. She worries for her younger brother, Edward, who is frankly awful to her. Jane was part of society, but never made a match due to her lack of dowry.

This romance started out strong for me, but honestly felt rushed towards the end. I liked the plot, but it felt like it went a little awry along the way.

I just reviewed The Lady He Lost by Faye Delacour on #NetGalley - all opinions are mine

The Lady He Lost is a second chance romance for Jane and Eli, who were separated when Eli was lost at sea. Unfortunately this one was just not for me. I didn’t connect with the characters and wasn’t even sure I thought they should be together. And I didn’t have too much interest in where the plot was going either. Disappoint but this just wasn’t for me.

Read and reviewed this Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley.

First, I love the cover of this book. It is gorgeous. This ticked off a lot of my boxes. Lots of dialog, guy lost or scarred, and an independent woman. But…it was a DNF for me. Honestly, I got bored. The same thing over and over. I don’t know how it ended, it might have gotten better, but I was done. I hate that because I love trying new authors and they are, most of the time, really good. I know it takes a lot to be a writer (not something I could ever do) so I applaud Faye.

The Lady He Lost by Faye Delacour was a quick and enjoyable read! I just happened to come across it and requested because is sounded interesting and I'm glad I did!

Lieutenant Eli Williams was supposed to be dead. After being gone for two years, he suddenly shows up in the middle of the season and quickly becomes the talk of the town...which isn't what he wanted. He did go down in the shipwreck, but he has a secret around what happened to him and why. All he wants now is to get his life back in order before he goes back to sea and reconnect with his friend, Jane Bishop, as she's always meant a lot to him. Unfortunately for Eli, he's going to have to work a little bit to get back into Jane's good graces.

Jane refuses to waste any more of her life pining over Eli, who chose her cousin instead of her. She truly thought they had a connection and when everyone assumed he died in the shipwreck, she was forced to mourn him alone. Now Jane has decided she is going to focus on becoming financially independent. She's lived with her uncle since she was young and he is determined to see her wed now that Jane's cousin, Cecily is married. Jane isn't interested. Instead, she is working with her friend to establish a ladies' gambling club. When Eli returns and finds himself trying to find a way to make up with Jane, he uses his notoriety to bring new members to her club and while she's thankful, Jane can't bring herself to trust him. She knows Eli is keeping a secret about his disappearance and while he eventually shares it with her, he also finds himself in some hot water with the government because of the gaps in his story.

As I mentioned, I truly enjoyed this one and I'll be looking for more books from Delacour in the future. If you're looking for a new historical romance series to pick up, consider this one!