Absolutely delightful!

Georgette Frost is a delightful force of nature. Lord Hugo Starling thinks he's rescuing her from a hare brained plot to try to find the gold sovereigns stolen from the Royal Mint. What he's doing is miring himself even more deeply in her scheme.
Georgette's world turns upside down when she reaches twenty-one, which is very soon. She plans to find her brother Benedict and the gold and start a new and glorious life. Benedict we met in Fortune Favors the Wicked.
Boarding a coach disguised as a boy is quite in order. As an avid reader Georgette knows that, 'Many the blue-blooded heroine of a conte de fée had disguised herself to escape the cruel predations of a wicked relative'. Not that Georgette had wicked relatives, perhaps more unthinking. And now here is Hugo annoyingly overturning her plans. However, never daunted, Georgette leads the way, despite the Bow Street runner who seems to be keeping in step with them.
So begins a journey of humor, deceit, surprise and danger.
One of my favorite lines between Georgette and Hugo was when discussing the meaning of love, comprises of 'putting down a book for one’s companion when one only wants to read. That is love indeed!'
An enjoyable romp, made even more so by the frisson and wonderful repartee between Georgette and Hugo.

A NetGalley ARC
(February 2017)

London - 1817

Georgette Frost has been raised in a bookshop owned by her parents before their deaths. It is now run by her aunt and uncle and she can live there until her upcoming 21st birthday at which time she must move out and be on her own. What she wants most to do is to join her older brother Benedict in his travels.

Before Georgette was able to leave, Benedict’s friend, Lord Hugo Starling, the youngest son of the Duke of Willingham, stops her. Angry at being delayed, she admits that she wants to obtain the Royal Reward of 5,000 pounds for locating 50,000 pounds of missing gold sovereigns that are new and uncirculated. The coins had been stolen from the Mint during a violent and deadly theft. Hugo suggests that Georgette stay with his mother, the Duchess of Willingham, while he tries to locate her brother. He does not think it is right for a young woman to go on an hunt like this on her own. Knowing Georgette will not give up her quest to find the missing coins, Hugo is persuaded to accompany her.

As the youngest son of a Duke, Hugo chose to attend medical college instead of joining the clergy. Now, he cares for sick people. He is looking for financial support from donors for support of his project of a private hospital to save lives. She tells him that he can use the reward to fund his hospital. Unfortunately, Hugo’s family does not support his plans for the hospital and refuse to help fund it.

Thus begins their adventure where they must pose as husband and wife.

I simply did not care for this story. The constant oneupmanship mostly on the part of Georgette toward Hugo was irritating. I have been a fan of Ms. Romain’s novels but this one was simply not my cup of tea.

Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The second book in the Royal Rewards Series is a light hearted fun read with a witty heroine and a handsome, funny and dedicated hero.

This book is about Georgette Frost who has lived and worked in a bookstore her whole life. She is a avid reader of romantic novels and day dreams of a handsome prince to rescue her from her daily boring life. When she gets her chance to escape she takes it and gets her Prince, but she doesn't see him as her savior. He is Lord Hugo Starling, third son of a duke who defies his parents and becomes a Doctor instead of going into the Clergy. When Georgette makes her escape she does it in men's clothing. She has a plan. Find her brother who is hunting for a trove of stolen gold sovereigns and join him. Hugo is trying to find financing for his plans for a new Hospital, but he cannot let Georgette travel alone. She talks him into taking her to find her brother and the adventure begins.

I really enjoy Theresa's writing. It is unique, witty and romantic. Her characters have their share of flaws, but they do not consume them and control their lives. Their imperfections make them strive to find happiness and not wallow in misery. Georgette and Hugo are made for each other and as the story progresses you will be enchanted by their love story. Do they find the gold, will Hugo get to build his hospital? Has Georgette found her Prince? You will have to find out for yourself. This is a great book that is a must read.

Received a complimentary copy from the Publisher for an honest review.

Passion Favors the Bold takes Sir Hugo, son of a duke, traipsing across England somewhat unwillingly with his best friend’s sister. The little minx, Georgette, was dressed as a boy to travel to her brother to assist him in finding the stolen treasure from the Royal Mint. Sir Hugo insists she go with him to his mother’s home rather than on the mail coach. Her brother is Benedict Frost from the first book of the series, Fortune Favors the Wicked.

His plan to take her to his mother’s was for her own protection. He did take her there, but for only a short bit of time. Hugo has been estranged from his family for about 15 months since they will not support his plan for a hospital. Sir Hugo had lost his twin brother to pneumonia when they were 18 year of age believing his brother died due to the lack of good medical care. His father had paid for the best physician, but afore mentioned physician was not an experienced doctor, just a ‘ton’ physician, thus, Hugo’s serious interest in studying medicine and creating hospitals for everyone since he was unable to save his twin.

Georgette enlivens this tale with her successful attempts to keep Hugo on his toes. They claim during their travels to be cousins at one point, with her being unable to speak. Later, they claim to be a newlywed couple. The two of them have some very creative dialog and unusual terms of endearment for each other. They do not seem to stop with their witty repartee.

During their travels they run across a police officer, Jenks, who is, also, looking for the treasure. Staying close to him, they bravely invite themselves into the home of Sir Frederick, claiming to be his niece. Sir Frederick, frustrated with Jenks, allows the strangers to move in with him going along with their claim. He hires Sir Hugo as his community physician and puts him to work.

During the interesting tale of the search for the stolen treasure, they are numerous surprises and twists.
People seem willing to trust for no reason except the make the tale more interesting – it works for me as it helps keep the story entertaining. I am not one to give a lot of detail so you will be curious enough to read Passion yourself. I had not read the first book, but enough details were provided so you knew what was going on. Although obviously, reading the first book might have made reading this one better, it did not take away from the enjoyment. Thank you Net Galley for sharing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fun and lighthearted regency romance. The romance is slow-moving, but the banter is fun and the plot moves swiftly.

We met Georgette and Hugo in the previous book. Now, she decides to take her destiny into her own hands and seek for the same treasure that her brother is seeking. Georgette decides to dress as a boy and head to the area where her brother is looking. Hugo is a friend to Benedict and when he spies Georgette dressed as a boy, he takes her in hand. She doesn't want help from anyone. She will soon be 21 and wants to make her own way. Along the way, Hugo and Georgette discover so many things about each other and themselves. They are an unlikely pairing. She is a shop owner's daughter and he is the younger son of a duke. I like that they are not "equal" socially. It makes the story more interesting. Neither of them care what society thinks, but can a girl who likes fairy tales love a man who likes to plan everything?

What's a girl to do when her world is rapidly closing in on itself? Seek out an adventure. Ms. Romain continues to blend bold adventure with suspenseful narratives and flamboyant characters. Georgette is a woman with few prospects in an ever changing climate. Hugo has always followed his heart despite opposition and lack of funds. Brought together by a mysterious treasure and an ever growing attraction, this duo of treasure seekers are in for the ride of their lives. With never ending surprises, pockets of danger and rapidly building temptations Passion Favors the Bold delightfully seduces and thrills from start to finish.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Passion Favors the Bold is a historical romance written by Theresa Romain. I have not read any of her other books, but Regency/Victorian stories are my favorite genre, and I am always excited to discover new authors.

I was instantly captivated by the heroine from the moment I first encountered her, masquerading as a street urchin. A male street urchin. A street urchin named Bone-box. Unconventional does not even begin to describe Georgette, and that is what makes her so fascinating. Georgette is paired with the rather subdued Lord Hugo, the younger son of a duke, who dreams of opening up a hospital but lacks the capital to do so. Hugo has promised his friend Benedict to keep an eye on Benedict’s sister- Georgette, of course. Needless to say, their madcap adventure in search of several trunks of missing gold coins is not what Benedict had in mind. As Georgette and Hugo get closer to solving the mystery, they realize that their lives may be in danger!

Passion Favors the Bold is just lovely. The hero falling in love with his friend’s sister is a common trope in the romance genre, but Romain has created a wholly original tale. This was achieved by combining two mismatched personalities. At first, it seems as though Georgette and Hugo have nothing in common; not only in terms of personality (introvert vs. extrovert) but also in terms of social class (he’s the son of a duke and her parents owned a bookshop). Despite these differences, they manage to form a friendship that grows into more over the course of the book. Add to this the tension of a mystery and the result is a delightful novel.

I would absolutely recommend Passion Favors the Bold. The dialogue is clever, and Georgette and Hugo have great chemistry. I also loved that Hugo was a doctor, especially his reasons for wanting to go into the field of medicine. As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, this was my first exposure to Theresa Romain, but I am looking forward to reading more of her books- especially Benedict’s story!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! The couple in this story is unlike any I've seen in a regency romance. The dialogue is clever and entertaining, with a wicked sense of humor. The characters are well written and developed, with personality quirks that endear them to us and each other. There is a touch of passion, but not excessive sexual content. This is a couple with heart and soul. He is a younger son of a Duke, she is the orphaned daughter of booksellers, both are lonely and searching for new lives, though neither really knows it. Many twists and turns in the story before we get to the HEA . This is the first I've read of this author, but not the last.

This is a sweet story of adventure involving a doctor, an orphan, and missing gold.

This is the second novel in the Royal rewards series. This story began in the first novel so I would definitely recommend reading it if you want to have a wholesome understanding of the characters. Both stories run almost parallel to each other. As Georgette starts out on a path to discover the stolen coins, Hugo joins her to help and protect her. But Hugo has expansive plans to open up a hospital in memory of his twin. As they travel away from London and Hugo's plans, they start caring and slowly falling for each other. This is a really sweet story with well written characters and beautiful dialogues between Hugo and Georgette.

* I received this ARC from netgalley and the publisher for an honest review*

We met Georgette and Lord Hugo in the last book of this duo. She is the sister of Benedict Frost and has been living with her aunt and working in what used to be her parents' bookshop. At twenty-one, her aunt will no longer be obligated to keep Georgette around so she decides to take matters into her own hands and find the brother who has only recently returned to England after being in the Navy.
Though she is dressed as a boy, she is handily recognized by her brother's friend, the third son of a Duke, Hugo Starling. From there, she convinces him to try and search for the lost gold coins. Hugo is reluctant but ends up giving in when it seems like that will be the only way to get his hospital up and running. Through a series of events, they end up posing as a married couple in order to follow a Bow Street Runner who they believe to also be on the trail of the thieves. This includes pretending to be the niece and nephew of a Northumberland land owner, Sir Frederic Chapple.
A sweet story though there are parts that stretched even my willingness to suspend disbelief. Nothing earth-shaking but I think regular Theresa Romain readers will be happy with the story.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out February 28
Follows Fortune Favors the Wicked

The clever dialogue in the latest offering of Theresa Romain reminded me of the joy of reading Georgette Heyer. The story of Hugo and Georgette was delightful in plot and execution. The graphic sexual descriptions were unnecessary and almost derailed the great storytelling for me. Fortunately I am skilled at skipping pages. Otherwise this was a sparkling Regency that I can highly recommend.

Another fun, lighthearted read from Theresa Romain. This is my second book by this author and I've thoroughly enjoyed both of them. Her characters felt pretty fully developed and the dialogue was sparkling and humorous. I found myself laughing out loud several times, and I really enjoyed the book as a whole.

Small weaknesses: It didn't feel all that true to the time period. There's an outspoken, liberated heroine + a duke's son who insists on accompanying her out of deference to convention - but I'm pretty sure there's no way an unmarried man and woman could have traveled the countryside and stayed together for weeks on end without being compromised somehow. Somehow the h's brother (who makes a sudden, brief, and random appearance in the book) and the H's family don't seem to care at all, which seemed a little odd. I also thought the storyline re: the gold hunt felt a little weak. The mystery of who stole the gold and where it was felt very secondary to the romantic plot. Considering the gold hunt spanned two books, I thought there would be more development and wrap-up to it, but it ended fairly abruptly and with no fanfare. These two things aside, I still thought the book was a wonderfully entertaining read, and I liked the characters enough that I may even re-read it so I can visit with them again, which is high praise indeed. :)

6 wooden boxes of newly minted gold sovereigns have been stolen from the London mint. A HUGE reward has been offered. What better way for an orphan who will soon be homeless to secure their future.

The banter and humor in this book is absolutely outstanding. I found myself literally laughing out loud as I read through the book. I was really wonderful!!! I'd love to share some quotes, but since I had an ARC, I am not allowed to do that.

In the last book in the series, our heroines brother was on the search for the gold. That was a delightful tale and I hope you read it as well as this one. This book takes place almost concurrently with the previous one, so you'll get some updates from that book.

Lord Hugo Starling is a driven man. He is the son of a duke and has defied his family by studying to be a physician. He has some very forward-looking views on the whole medical profession for that time period and he is absolutely driven to complete the perfect hospital. He is constantly designing and updating his plan and lobbying for funds to get that hospital built. As you read the book, you will learn his reasons for being so driven.

Georgette Frost lost her parents several years ago. They were very unloving, uncaring parents -- it wasn't that they mistreated Georgette - it was just that they hardly knew she existed. They were so engrossed in themselves and their academic research that they just basically forgot about her. She never really knew love and craved it so much. While her parents did academic research, Georgette read fairy tales and dreamed of a life where she was loved and wanted.

After the death of their parents, Georgette's brother (the hero from the last book) sold the bookstore to some cousins with the stipulation that they provide a home for Georgette until she reached her majority. That was very short-sighted, but -- he'd left home when he was twelve an didn't even really know Georgette and he was blind.

Lord Hugo and Georgette's brother were friends at school and Lord Hugo has felt responsible to keep an eye on Georgette to assure that she was safe. So, when he finds her dress as a man and waiting for the mail coach to take her north, he takes her and ends up escorting her northward to find her brother and to search for the gold.

They spend a lot of time together and come to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses each has. Their search becomes dangerous -- and there is even the possibility of them being blamed for the theft.

It is delightful to see their interactions, their growth as individuals and their journey to finding love. I do hope you'll read this book and find it as wonderful as I did!

"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

Super read! One of the things I have such a hard time with lately is the same old same old in writing. This author breaks out of that and brings witty as well as engaging writing to a novel. She is definitely a writer to follow as the book is proof of. I enjoyed the read for the following reasons. The characters are strong and likable. The plot is a little different and the way it is handled is very interesting. I enjoyed the romance, the humor and just the general mood as I traveled along in the story. It held my interest and made me laugh and smile and most of all made me wish to read more. All the ingredients of a good read are here. The writer is talented in writing a tale and it definitely shows.( I do not write spoilers) I look forward to following this series to read more. I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna Swedenmom

On Goodreads. On my blog on the release date.

There aren’t many authors whose books I’d pick up when they advertise two of my three most hated historical romance tropes: the heroine in breeches, and the treasure hunt. (The third is the “duke who is a spy”.)

However, I have really enjoyed most of the books Theresa Romain has written, and so I took a chance. Her books are often lighter-hearted, but usually they’re funny rather than trying to be funny.

Firstly: the silly boy’s disguise disappears near the beginning of the book.

Secondly: the treasure-hunting adventure wasn’t some relentless tale of mad capers. This was at least as much a ROMANCE, with strong character development, as it was anything else.

And that is what is so special about this author’s books: the characters take their time, have quirks, and fall in love despite all the conflicts and flaws (Kate Noble is another author who does this).

There are some steamy scenes, but there is no conventional sex scene in this book. Even the first kiss comes a while in – and I liked this pacing. Even when they’re pretending to be married, hero and heroine are not jumping into bed together.

These two characters are a little strange, and have many issues to work their way through.

However, they are both great fun, and genuinely enjoy spending time together. The forced proximity worked because it wasn’t some obvious attempt to throw them straight into passionate love.

One other thing I absolutely love is that Romain often writes characters who are *slightly* socially below those in most Regency romances. Yes, the hero of this one is the son of a duke, but he’s a *younger* son, with almost no chance of ever inheriting, and so he has a career instead: medicine.

Romain’s use of British English has improved. It’s nice to see words like pavement in this book.

HOWEVER, a sentence ends with a FULL STOP, and never a “period”. Many a Regency author from North America uses expressions like ‘put a period to their stay in Northumberland’ – this makes absolutely no sense.

I enjoyed this book because everyone in it was slightly different. It’s nice to have some new ideas in an almost-overused time period.

Passion Favors the Bold is the sequel to Theresa Romain’s thoroughly enjoyable romance-cum-treasure hunt, Fortune Favors the Wicked, wherein a blind former naval officer teams up with a former courtesan to locate the six missing crates of gold sovereigns that have been stolen from the Royal Mint in order to claim the hefty finder’s fee. The events of this book run more or less concurrently with this one, so it’s not really necessary to have read that first – and in fact, the books can be read in any order.

Georgette Frost will, on her twenty-first birthday, likely become homeless. After her parents died in an accident, the conditions of their will stipulated that the relatives who took over the family bookshop would house her until she was of age. Her birthday is approaching, and while her aunt and uncle have never been unkind to her, Georgette knows that they need space for their own, growing family, and having to keep her fed and housed has been a drain on their resources. Knowing that her brother, Benedict, has travelled to Derbyshire in search of the missing coins, Georgette decides to join him there and help if she can. She doesn’t know him well as he has been at sea for most of her life, but he’s her only family, and Georgette yearns to be part of something and to find a purpose in life.

Sir Hugo Starling, younger son of the Duke of Willingham is a friend of Benedict’s, having studied medicine with him in Edinburgh. Medicine is not a typical profession for a man in Hugo’s position – in fact, his family intended him to go into the Church – but the loss of his twin brother more than a decade earlier led Hugo to take a different path, no matter that it put a strain on his relationship with his family. Firmly believing that his brother’s life could have been saved had the duke employed a physician selected because of his knowledge and skill rather than his reputation in society, Hugo became determined to prevent others from suffering such devastation and loss and trained as a doctor. He continues to practice, but his driving passion now is the creation of a brand new hospital in London, but he is having trouble getting the needed financial backing. When he encounters his friend’s sister – dressed in ragged, boy’s clothes and insisting on travelling to meet up with her brother in Derbyshire – Hugo wants to take her to stay with his mother until he can contact Benedict, but Georgette is adamant, telling Hugo that “being in [Benedict’s] company would be better than being alone”. When she learns of Hugo’s difficulty in persuading anyone to invest in his hospital plan, she tells him that if he were to be instrumental in finding the gold, the publicity that will attach to his name can only help him in his cause – and realising that she’ll go with or without him, Hugo begrudgingly agrees to accompany her.

Along the way, they encounter a Bow Street Runner by the name of Jenks, who is following up on rumours that blobby bits of gold have been used to pay for things as far north as Northumberland. They eventually make their way to the estate of Sir Frederic Chapple, a congenial, somewhat eccentric baronet who welcomes them warmly, in spite of having absolutely no idea who they are or why they are there. Sir Frederic has newly come into this title and is not best pleased at having to spend so much of his time on his far-flung estate dealing with tenants, drainage and disputes over sheep. So the appearance of the young couple is a pleasant diversion, and a useful one, as he puts Hugo to work treating his tenants and estate workers. But when a grateful patient slips Hugo a gold “blob” the stakes are raised – as it seems the thieves will stop at nothing to prevent the discovery of the gold's hiding place.

While the treasure hunt is an important part of the story, lying at the heart of Passion Favors the Bold is the gently-paced story of two people searching for that missing ‘something’ and struggling to break free from what their pasts have made of them to find the futures they deserve. Georgette’s parents were so wrapped up in each other and their love of books and literature that she was little more than an afterthought, and with her brother away at sea, she was lonely and lacked any real affection. She would like to find love, but what she really wants is to matter to someone; while Hugo, who has known both love and affection also knows what it feels like to lose them and is wary of opening himself up to either. Since the death of his twin, he has sought refuge in the certainty to be found in planning and organisation, and the need to honour his brother’s memory by doing something to prevent others from suffering the same loss and grief as he did. In this way they’re the perfect complement to each other; Georgette is impulsive and open to all sorts of new experiences while Hugo is cautious and reserved, and I enjoyed watching him gradually falling under the spell of Georgette’s warmth and optimism to become a man prepared to open himself up to the possibility of loving someone again

The romance in the story is very well-developed and proceeds at a realistic pace. There’s an undercurrent of attraction between the pair right from the start and their long journey together affords them plenty of time to get to know each other better. Their conversations are laced with gentle, affectionate teasing, and their growing longing for each other is nicely-judged; there’s no over-the-top mental-lusting over shapely curves or rippling muscles, just a simmering awareness and a growing mutual understanding that gradually turns into -

… a sturdy feeling, built brick by brick from fondness and laughter and annoyance and lust and mischief and admiration.

That quote illustrates another of the story's great strengths – the writing. The book is full of beautiful, poignant turns of phrase -

“Love is… laughter after a joke that isn’t all that funny,” he said. “Asking how a day was, and listening earnestly to the answer. Splitting the last tart instead of eating it all oneself… it is,” he added, “putting down a book for one’s companion when one only wants to read.”

And of course, Hugo has done all those things for Georgette – he just hasn’t realised it yet.

Passion Favors the Bold is what one might call a ‘quiet’ book. It’s not flashy or flamboyant; it’s just a beautifully written story about two people falling in love. I will admit, however, that it’s a little slow to start, which caused me to knock my final grade down a little; but it’s the sort of book that pays dividends in the long run, and one I’m certainly happy to recommend.

by AAR's Caz

I have been a fan of Theresa Romain's book for a long time. I absolutely love her writing style and her characters. This story is about Georgette Frost’s when her twenty-first birthday all the protections in her late parents’ will expire. So she leaves to go help her brother look for treasure. Lord Hugo Starling has always felt protective his friends sister. So when he discovers her dressed in ragged boy’s clothes. So of course he has to protect her. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

3.5 stars
On her twenty-first birthday, Georgette Frost’s must leave the bookshop her parents once owned & was sold to her cousins. The protections outlined in her late parents’ will are set to expire on her birthday so she decides to leave London and join her brother, Benedict in Derbyshire, on a treasure hunt for six trunks of gold sovereigns stolen from the Royal Mint.

Lord Hugo Starling has always felt protective of his friend Benedict’s sister, Georgette & has frequently visited the bookshop to see that she is fine. So when he discovers her dressed in ragged boy’s clothes, about to board a coach, he feels duty bound to join her search. Hugo is the younger son of the Duke of Willingham & he declined to enter the church but became a physician instead. Hugo has dreamed of building a hospital for years as a memorial to his twin Matthew who died aged fourteen, eighteen years ago.
Hugo & Georgette travel North & encounter a Bow Street Runner Callum Jenks who’s also hunting the thieves & treasure.
I found this novel to be quite slow to begin with but the pace did quicken & it turned out to be a very good read. Hugo & Georgette were likeable characters & their attraction to each other developed throughout the book, no bolt of lightning but the realisation that they loved each other & wanted to be together. The added mystery of the stolen gold all added to this well written novel