10/29/2018Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Dec.)
“Every now and then, you discover a new (or at least, new-to-you) author who leaves you a little sunstruck... I was dazzled.” — Lisa Kleypas for Powell’s “Lisa Kleypas Recommends” column- Forever Your Earl
“packages all the best parts of historical fiction and wraps them up in a lovely romantic bow. [...] Leigh’s heroines are complex, vivid characters who seem to have stepped out of an enviable time and place, and not just because of all the satisfying, sexy romance they get to have.” — Sarah MacLean for the Washington Post (Scandal Takes the Stage- Best Romance Novels of November)
“Eva Leigh is proving herself as vital a voice in the genre... Leigh consistently crafts whip-smart heroines and irresistible heroes delivered in packages bursting with wicked wit, feminist leanings, and sex positivity... For any who question whether historical romance is outdated or can be feminist, look no further than Eva Leigh’s work – while maintaining assiduous historical accuracy, she delivers intoxicating yarns that bulldoze tropes and flip gender expectations on their head.” — Entertainment Weekly
“Featuring a strong, secure, and in-no-need-of-saving heroine, the third in Leigh’s London Underground series is a must-read for Regency romance lovers.” — Booklist
“a sexy, scandalous tale... Complex characters, witty exchanges, a little blackmail, and a lot of loyalty and love make this a fantastic ending to a sensational series.” — Publishers Weekly
“You’ll breeze through this steamy read...” — BookTrib.com
“Rebellious and racy... sparks fly...” — Woman’s World (Woman’s World Book Club Pick - Best New Books of the Week)
"The drama is so juicy, and fans of Harlots will love it!" — Bookish
Rebellious and racy... sparks fly...
Woman’s World (Woman’s World Book Club Pick - Best New Books of the Week)
Eva Leigh is proving herself as vital a voice in the genre... Leigh consistently crafts whip-smart heroines and irresistible heroes delivered in packages bursting with wicked wit, feminist leanings, and sex positivity... For any who question whether historical romance is outdated or can be feminist, look no further than Eva Leigh’s work – while maintaining assiduous historical accuracy, she delivers intoxicating yarns that bulldoze tropes and flip gender expectations on their head.
Featuring a strong, secure, and in-no-need-of-saving heroine, the third in Leigh’s London Underground series is a must-read for Regency romance lovers.
"The drama is so juicy, and fans of Harlots will love it!"
You’ll breeze through this steamy read...
Every now and then, you discover a new (or at least, new-to-you) author who leaves you a little sunstruck... I was dazzled.
Lisa Kleypas for Powell’s “Lisa Kleypas Recommends” column- Forever Your Earl
packages all the best parts of historical fiction and wraps them up in a lovely romantic bow. [...] Leigh’s heroines are complex, vivid characters who seem to have stepped out of an enviable time and place, and not just because of all the satisfying, sexy romance they get to have.
Sarah MacLean for the Washington Post (Scandal Takes the Stage- Best Romance Novels of November)
Featuring a strong, secure, and in-no-need-of-saving heroine, the third in Leigh’s London Underground series is a must-read for Regency romance lovers.
2018-11-12
The manager of a Regency London sex club and one of her patrons mix business and pleasure only to be blindsided by an unusual inheritance that threatens to expose them to public censure.
The action in Leigh's (Counting on the Countess , 2018, etc.) third London Underground novel centers around the Orchid Club, which appeared briefly in the first two books. Its overseer, Lucia Marini—known as Amina—is a former prostitute with dreams of establishing a residential school for indigent girls. To that end, she's determined to run her business impeccably and suppress her attraction to a masked guest. Thomas Powell has abided by her rule, but the day he becomes the Duke of Northfield, he asks for one night of passion before he must assume the mantle of propriety and responsibility that the title entails. But the late duke had a secret that soon throws Tom and Lucia together in a more permanent way. Now they have to confront their feelings, and Tom must also choose between toeing the line of his conservative heritage in Parliament or breaking free for the sake of his progressive conscience—and heart. Leigh paints a picture of an Italian street urchin-turned-immigrant sex worker-turned would-be philanthropist with her heroine. She also gives us a half-Irish nobleman whose carousing bent has suddenly given way to awareness of colonial slavery and the domestic wealth gap. Both portraits, and the presence of a lesbian couple as well as a fleeting glimpse of a black businessman, show some limited questioning of Regency romance's fetishizing of straight Anglo one-percenters. The characters are interesting beyond their didactic functions, and the social justice theme feels true to our moment.
The upstairs-downstairs plot stretches believability, especially in its hasty commedia dell'arte conclusion, but this novel is still stronger than its predecessors, bucking the tendency of series to lose steam over time.
Rebellious and racy... sparks fly...
Woman's World (Woman's World Book Club Pick - Best New Books of the Week)
Every now and then, you discover a new (or at least, new-to-you) author who leaves you a little sunstruck... I was dazzled.
Lisa Kleypas for Powell's "Lisa Kleypas Recommends" column- Forever Your Earl
Zara Hampton-Brown narrates a fairy-tale romance between a principled duke and a former sex worker. Profligate rake Tom Powell recently became the Duke of Northfield when his father died unexpectedly. Lucia manages the Orchid Club, a popular secret sex club owned by a member of the ton. Hampton-Brown does an excellent job with the necessary accents. Tom, while British, was raised in Ireland and has a slight brogue; Lucia is Italian and uses Italian words and phrases with some regularity. The secondary characters are also well done. Members of the ton, including Tom’s Irish mother, are easily distinguished from one another, and members of the working class also have a range of accents. While the story is perhaps not historically accurate, it is wholly enjoyable. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Zara Hampton-Brown narrates a fairy-tale romance between a principled duke and a former sex worker. Profligate rake Tom Powell recently became the Duke of Northfield when his father died unexpectedly. Lucia manages the Orchid Club, a popular secret sex club owned by a member of the ton. Hampton-Brown does an excellent job with the necessary accents. Tom, while British, was raised in Ireland and has a slight brogue; Lucia is Italian and uses Italian words and phrases with some regularity. The secondary characters are also well done. Members of the ton, including Tom’s Irish mother, are easily distinguished from one another, and members of the working class also have a range of accents. While the story is perhaps not historically accurate, it is wholly enjoyable. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
