Historical romance (and romance in general) is a genre that deserves more respect. Yes, it is a formulaic genre but so is mystery, and people do not take shots at mystery like they do romance. Historical romances can be a wonderful escape for an afternoon or an evening- sometimes it is just nice to know that things will work out at the end. (A guarantee of the genre!) The Lady Thief of Belgravia by Allison Grey is a new historical romance with elements of My Fair Lady and Bridgerton!
Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Listening Copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Lady Thief of Belgravia, Allison Grey
A notorious thief joins up with Belgravia’s most eligible gentleman to steal for Queen and country…
London, 1879. Della Rose scans the crowds until she finds her target. A well-dressed gentleman with a fine gold watch. Stealing it will be easy. Everyone knows she has the quickest hands in the notorious Seven Dials.
The gentleman’s name is Cole Winthrop and he’s been watching her for a while, waiting to see whether the scandalous things people say about her are true. Because if they are, he needs her help. Something was stolen from him long ago. And only a thief can get it back.
But to do so, Della must first learn how to walk, talk, ride and flirt like a lady. Only then will she be welcomed into Cole’s glamorous world of lavish balls and high tea – and catch the eye of the villainous Duke of Salisbury, so she can crack his safe and steal its mysterious contents.
When Cole finally trusts her enough to reveal his greatest secret, Della understands that completing the job is about more than earning the money to start a new life. The safety of the entire country rests on her shoulders. And this thief won’t let the small matter of falling in love get in her way…
With irresistible charm, sparkling romance and an unforgettable heroine, The Lady Thief of Belgravia will delight fans of Evie Dunmore, Minerva Spencer and Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton.
Why You Should Read This…
Note: this historical romance does have sex scenes in it; I would recommend it for an adult reader.
This book was a jam-packed story from start to finish, and I thought it was fantastic! It very much felt like historical romance plus some mystery, and it worked well for me. A lot of historical romance is fairly low-stakes (something that I enjoy) but a higher-stakes story was also a nice change.
Della’s transformation was fun to follow. A general conception of upper-class women in the nineteenth century is that they mostly sat around and had few talents or skills. However, Della quickly learns just how many skills are needed, and how much she needs to balance. While I was rather hit and miss with Cole, Della may be one of my favourite historical romance protagonists. (She gives me Eloise Bridgerton vibes, which is a compliment from me.)
The narrator, Katy Sobey, was great. She handled every accent well across several different London groups and her male accents were also done well! I’ve listened to many audiobooks lately where the opposite gender accents are quite jarring, so this is no mean feat. All in all, a fun read perfect for an escape!
Is The Lady Thief of Belgravia on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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