This is the 3rd and final book in the "Gamblers daughter" series.
This is the story of Beckett and Gwendolyn, whom we meet together in book 1. There was a connection then and then again in book 2.
This book did not disappoint. The connection and the chemistry between the two is off the charts.
Beckett Steele is known for helping to solve other people's mysteries. This story is about how he is trying to solve his own mystery. And this time Gwen gets to help him.
This was the perfect ending to a great series.
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I don’t think I could love Gwendolyn and Beckett more. Their chemistry jumps off the page. He’s used to forging through life alone, and this clever ray of sunshine shows up and says “but do you really enjoy that?” Not to mention the mystery of Beckett’s parentage and his family is very compelling. Just when I thought I knew where things were going, they changed on a dime, and it was so much fun.

What I really liked about this book was that Gwendolyn wasn’t hesitant with what she wanted from Beckett, particularly physically. She may not be experienced but she knows her own mind and heart, and it’s not difficult to hope she gets everything she wants, including this man who is trying to keep his heart locked up.

Beckett Steele is an enigma. He's the illegitimate son of a marquess, he was raised in a brothel, and now he's home from serving his country in the Napoleonic wars and wants to learn about his unknown mother. But someone doesn't want him looking into the past.

Gwendolyn Lanscarr is an Irish debutante. She and her sisters have made quite a stir on the London scene, and she's the only one still unmarried because she's in love with Beckett Steele ever since he helped her out of a jam a couple of years earlier. Now he's calling in a favor and needs her to attend a house party at the estate of the Marquess and Marchioness of Middlebury. He'll be there under an assumed name searching for information about his mother.

I really enjoyed this one. It definitely has an element of romantic suspense, as the house party is all kinds of weird and suspicious. There's an undercurrent of mystery running through the party and neither Beckett nor Gwendolyn feel entirely safe. I love a good mystery plot in my romances.

I loved the romance between Beckett and Gwendolyn. It has one of my favorite tropes, the man who's a tortured lone wolf and thinks he's too dangerous for a relationship and the woman who's all, "bring on the danger." He's got walls upon walls around his heart, but she's determined to break them down.

This book was romantic and suspenseful, and I highly recommend it.

That ending was way too nice………

This is one of those where it would probably be five stars if I were a nicer person but alas. I just kinda hate when I binge a book because it’s great but then I’m just not entirely satisfied by the end. I must note that most people will be satisfied I just thrive on vengeance and being a massive bitch to people who deserve it (AKA THAT ENTIRE DAMN HOUSEHOLD and their little dog too*) so I’m sitting here kinda mad at everybody for being too reasonable.

But other than the ending (which again was perfectly ~nice) I really did love this book. The mystery was fun and their chemistry was great, especially when jealousy entered the house party. It was a good end to a good series, and while book two remains my favorite, A Touch of Steele was a great follow up. Also I just gotta say I love the title and cover so much. Bonus points if he would’ve at one point or another ~velvet covered.

*jk slay queen (Magpie)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️.5*/5

*One open-door scene very late in the book.


I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.

Maxwell continues to immerse the reader in her novels. Broody heroes and witty heroines are a cornerstone in her stories, and I enjoy it every time! A Touch of Steele takes you on an adventure, from the back alleys of London to a high society country house party with high stakes card games to boot. This is a don’t miss read!

We have Beckett Steele, the mysterious loner hero who has had a very rough childhood. Now he searches for information about his mother from his childhood memories by doing favors for people and then claiming them. He did a favor for Gwendolyn to help her win money to finance her and her sisters for a London season. So he arranges for her to play whist at the home of the man he believes is his father.

Mysteries and danger ensue, but our hero and heroine are always able to escape. The mystery is not all that mysterious and the resolution isn’t all that satisfying.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Excellent mystery-adventure plot here. Beckett Steele is seeking answers about the dreams he’s been having about someone who he believes to be his mother, and to do this, he’s decided to infiltrate a country house party of the father he has never met. Beckett enlists Gwendolyn’s help to go to the party and provide a card-playing distraction, but when they get there, nothing is quite what it seems. We get some early hints throughout the book about Beckett’s identity and danger lurking behind every corner. I loved how easy the romance part was, so that these two could quickly team up against the dangers that surround them.

Enigmatic Beck claims the favor that gambler’s daughter Gwendolyn owes him, and they work together to uncover the secrets of his birth. A passionate romance ignites—but will ghosts from his past destroy everything?

This is a fun, romantic, and action-filled story with an intriguing mystery. Beck and Gwendolyn make a good team.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

As a chaos reader, I jumped into this series at (you guessed it) the third book. Was I drawn into the story, the existing characters and the author's writing so much so that I immediately went and purchased the previous two novels in the series? Yes, yes I did.

I love the hint of the past we get between Beck & Gwendolyn that only makes me more excited to read the previous novel. I didn't feel like I had really missed anything but it made me eager to read their past interactions.

From the opening line: "He'd asked for the oldest whore in the house." I was intrigued by where Maxwell was going to take us so much so that I finished the novel within 24hrs!

Beckett Steele, military hero (bastard son of a marquess), when injured in the war began having a recurring dream of a woman singing to him. A woman who starts out singing and ends up screaming in pain. This dream sets Beck on a quest to find out who the woman might be, believing it is his mother, a woman who he believed left him at a house of ill repute. Beck's talents for finding things and connecting the ton with what they are looking for has made him not only a wealthy man, but a man with a lot of favors owed to him. So when he calls in the favor his services procured from Miss Gwendolyn Lanscarr, what he does not realise is how essential she is going to be in aiding him in finding the answers he seeks as he enlists her cardsharp abilities at a infamous house party.

Gwendolyn Lanscarr is an FMC after my own heart. I adored her courage and how she was so sure of herself. Knowing that she is the third and eldest sister in the Gambler's Daughters' series, getting the hints of what she was willing to go through to save her sister in the previous novel (which I can't wait to read!) solidified just how much of a force she is to reckon with. How she is quickly able to access the situation and know she is the best person to help Beck (even when he refuses) only endears her further. Beck would have gotten no where without her and she saves him in more than one way.

OOOOH and we all know I love a good kidnapping and Cathy Maxwell honestly writes on of my favourite kidnappings (that's right plural!) that I have read in a really long time. I adore a Cathy Maxwell character POV in every book of hers I've read and I can't wait to "finish" this series!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

A Touch of Steele by Cathy Maxwell is a third person dual-POV Regency Romance. Gwendolyn and Beckett almost kissed back in Dublin, igniting an attraction that neither can forget but don’t know how to pursue starting a courtship. When Beckett calls in a favor and needs Gwendolyn to assist him with learning more about his mysterious mother, they won’t be able to hold their already strong feelings back.

The major mystery element here is the identity of Beckett’s mother. When the book opens, he’s going around to different brothels to speak to the oldest employees there to see if he can learn anything about who she was or where she is if she’s even alive. Nobody seems to know anything but there is a lead that takes him to the home of a marquess, which is why he needs Gwendolyn. The people who know the truth will do anything to keep Beckett from finding out and revealing it to the rest of the world.

Gwendolyn and Beckett’s romantic arc is made up of quite a bit of pining and noticing how the others in the marquess’ home view the other. Gwendolyn is the most beautiful woman in the entire group of visitors with the marquess’ own son pursuing her while Beckett is not only attracting the attention of debutantes, but also the attention of his former romantic interest who is now married. The two only have eyes for each other even if they can admit someone else is attractive or a good catch. Beckett’s former flame, Violet, is the one of the biggest obstacles between them as Violet isn’t willing to stand aside and let anyone else have Beckett while the other obstacle is the mystery of Beckett’s mother.

What I liked was how claustrophobic everything became over time. We start outside of the marquess’ home and the longer we spend there, the smaller the cast seems to become and the fewer people show up. It helped set the atmosphere and build up to the grand reveal. I love smaller casts of characters that are allowed to be fleshed out more, especially in a romance where the tension between characters is a major part of what makes the genre so enjoyable.

Content warning for mentions of pedophilia and attempted child murder

I would recommend this to fans of Regency romance with a strong mystery subplot and readers looking for a romance that acknowledges and respects sex work

I was extremely fortunate to receive an ARC of A Touch of Steele written by Cathy Maxwell via Netgalley. This is part of The Gambler's Daughters series, but could be read as a stand alone as the author does a fine job in exploring past characters. Beckett Steele, is trying to learn more about his birth mother who he believes lived and died in a ladies bawdy house. After having had a head injury, he is now remembering bits and pieces about his youth and wishes to learn why the Marquess of Middlebury assisted him in being removed from the courtesans home and then paid for him to be schooled and commissioned in the army. However, he needs the help of Gwendolyn Lanscarr, someone from his past who he almost, but didn't, but really wanted to kiss. She had asked him for help in the past and now he requires her to pay back the favor by indirect assisting him in his investigation. Gwen too is desperate to start the kiss that she was so eager to explore before they were interrupted so many years ago. I absolutely loved this story and will now go back and read the first two stories about Gwen's sisters and how Steele played a part in their earlier life.

Satisfying end to the gamblers daughters. Steele and Gwen were destined for their HEA from the 1st book and finally found it but not without twists and turns along the way. Sometimes you need to walk away from what should have been to find true meaning in what you’ve been blessed to find.

3.4 stars
First off, this has one of the best opening lines I've read in awhile: "He'd asked for the oldest whore in the house." Great, right?
Sadly, after that, it was just...okay. I liked the plot, and the reveals near the end. I didn't particularly care about any of the characters. I may have cared more if I'd read the 2 previous books, but I doubt it. I strongly fell it needed another pass at editing, especially the unnecessary exposition and over explanation of character feelings and motivations. Yes, that would shorten the book by a good bit, but it would've been a better read, for me.

I've been looking forward to this story since Steel appeared in the first book and it was worth every minute of the wait.

Here we have his quest to find out who his mother is, who IS him, and with that he demands a price from Gwen, which is purely for her to be a companion to letters from a lady who is very fond of whist, and in exchange he would be able to enter the property that he thinks belongs to his father and find answers to his questions.

Beck, always a loner, ends up fighting for his feelings for Gwen out of fear of several things: not thinking he's good enough, status, fear of rejection and a few other clichés that we love, but he comes to his senses and declares his love (which didn't have to be on the last pages like in many other HR books - many points in his favor in my opinion).
Gwen is a force to be reckoned with and also declares right away that she's always been in love with him.
That Lady Midlebury could have had another ending, honestly.
I won't go into details or I'll give away too many spoilers, but it was a good read and I believe it closed this trilogy very well.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved every single thing about it. The characters, the setting, and the story still have me in a chokehold.

This third book in The Gambler's Daughters series was a captivating and well written historical romance. It was full of drama, action, intrigue, mystery, muder, kidnapping, a stolen life, and so many intense emotional issues and plot twists that kept me very entertained. The characters were determined, interesting, and likable. I enjoyed their class difference romance that over comes many obstacles to fond a true and forever love. The ending was delightful. I highly recommend reading!

What a great blend of romance and mystery. This is the third book in the series but does stand alone fine. Gwendolyn is the one looking for adventure and she gets plenty of that. I laughed and couldn't wait to read the next chapter. When the story seems to slow down it takes off like a rocket. Definitely a book I will recommend to friends.

While this is the third book in a series of three, it can be read as a stand alone. Gwendolyn has loved Beckett Steele for a long time. When he finally approaches her about a payback from a couple of years ago, she is more than ready! Beck is a self made man. He grew up in a brithel not knowing who his mother is. As he begins to search for her, an old nemesis lays wait and his journey takes another turn. This is an interesting story with twists and turns. I fully enjoyed it!

A fantastic addition to the Gambler's Daughters series! In this book, Gwendolyn Lanscarr owes Beckett Steele a favor and *SURPRISE* he calls in said favor. They attend a house party together, looking to solve a mystery . As an attraction grows, Steele believes he is not good enough for Gwen which she disagrees with. As several dangers arise, they find their attraction to each other growing stronger.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon for my honest review.

I was given an ARC copy of this book in return for a review.

Another great historical romance in the Gambler's Daughters series. In this book, Gwendolyn Lanscarr owes Beckett Steele a favor and he calls in this favor. Beckett and Gwendolyn attend a country house party, Gwendolyn as a whist partner of Lady Orpington and Beckett as her supposed nephew. Find out what Beckett intends to find out while at the home of Lord and Lady Middlebury. How Gwendolyn and Lady Orpington end up spending their time at the party. And watch the romance between Gwendolyn and Beckett grow. Pick this one up in May 2025.