If you haven't read the previous books in this series or haven't read all of them do not worry, I have only read a few of the books in the series and that did not impact my ability to follow along with the events and characters here. This book has a nice mix of romance and mystery - at times it felt like too many mysteries but they did end up all being related. The only disappointing part of the mysteries were that they were not so much solved by the characters as revealed to them. They did not track the smugglers, they just came upon them; they did not find the killer, he gave himself away when things started to go against his plans. As for the romance part of the story, William and Bella may not have gotten a meet-cute but their introduction was certainly memorable. There was never really any question they would end up together, the enjoyment of their story came in watching them work together and form a bond that would make their relationship that much stronger. I really enjoyed the plotline involving Bella's Uncle Stephen - he was turned into a fully dimensional character worthy of redemption. The part with him and Michael searching for the treasure was especially sweet.

This author’s simplistic style of writing makes this story a very easy read. She doesn’t drag the story down with a lot of unnecessary descriptions and crass language. William is a former Crown spy. Bella is reeling from the loss of her parents and her Uncle’s change in behavior. Uncle Stephen’s trajectory was a fine part of the story that shows anything is possible. The Villain is rather obvious from the start, but that does not take anything away from the story. Winterborne is a wonder, as is Michael- the animal whisperer. I adored the grandmothers and it was good to revisit Harriett and Lucas. Bella and Williams’s meet cute is one anyone would fall for (Te-heheh) and their love story was precious, though I thought the first kiss kind of came out of nowhere. A good story, with just enough angst to keep it interesting and love to fill your heart. Laney and Garrett were hilarious and their last scene was so sweet!

I received this story for free and these are my own views.

In this book there is a lovely heroin, named Bella, with two dear grandmothers, an uncle with gambling debts, a smart dog and a troubled horse. The hero’s name is William and he has a very young brother and a secret job (working for the Crown). The villain in this book is nicknamed the pied piper and he preys on kidnapping children.
William is hunting the pied piper but he also recently inherited the viscount title and thus the estate and guardianship of his younger brother. In the meantime Bella struggles with a leering baron who wants to marry her for her dowry and inheritance, besides finding out her father was murdered. The uncle has gambling debts, a very guilty conscience and a former flame. And let’s not forget about the two “fortune tellers”, the “ghost” of Bella’s deceased father and the promise of a treasure. A duke and duchess from a previous book are also thrown into the mix.
Although there was A LOT going on, I found it overall pretty predictable. Several things happened that I saw coming from the proverbial "mile away." I would have liked more depth to the characters. But it was a nice, easy read.
Kudos to the writer for keeping it a clean story!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

William has rescued multiple children from trafficking and now is retiring from working for the Crown.
He collects Michael his eight year old brother and retreats to Dover to work in peace on his estates.
William rescues Bella from a fall and they are drawn to each other.
A sweet romance complicated by family drama, gambling, and treasure hunting.
Lots of plot twists that keep you involved.
Enjoyed the grandmothers part in the story as well as the animals becoming part of the plot.

Though resigned from being an agent for the crown, William finds himself saving Bella. Together they try to uncover who the mastermind is behind the child abductions in their area. Can they find their happily ever after as well? I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

I simply can't find a Regency-era romance I don't like! For a romantic novel, Tempting a Lonely Lord is also full of action and suspense. A little something for everyone, right?