Fed to the Lyon


Diana’s life has gone from near perfect to tatters in the matter of an evening. Abandoned by her betrothed in favor of the Princess of Wales, she makes the naïve mistake of drowning her sorrows in brandy at a party. As a last-ditch effort to save her soiled reputation, her mother abandons her at the door of the Black Widow of Whitehall in order to find her a husband. Mrs. Dove-Lyons, the mysterious woman who runs a seedy gambling den, promises Diana that she will become betrothed to the Scottish Lord Garvie. In order to protect herself from the curious eyes of the hall’s patrons, Diana must disguise herself as a young servant boy named Di. After befriending a tall handsome man simply named Bill, she begins to realize how deep the Black Widow’s games go. 

The queen of charming historical romances, Mary Lancaster breathes life into this delightful novel! The reader will fall in love with Diana, whose unfortunate mistake of acting before she thinks seems to consistently land her in hot water. It’s heartbreaking to watch as a simple mistake causes her family to essentially abandon her on a stranger’s doorstep in fear of retribution from the community. Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s mysterious aura will intrigue the reader, and the twists she pulls throughout the tale will keep one completely engrossed. Although it is part of a series, the book does an admirable job of standing on its own. Readers will want to visit the other books in this series after reading this captivating tale!

Jen Griffin