I adored reading Fearless. I love that there is a strong female character and a stubborn male character that comes together in a romanctic maelstrom of desperation, love, sensuality and fear. I recommend this book to romance lovers of all kind.

When Lady Charlotte Engles receives an offer of marriage from an eligible suitor, she’s finally ready to let go of her long-held hope that her engagement to Lord Valentinian Shaw will result in marriage. For despite the betrothal their families made between them, Val shows no interest in leaving his reckless life behind in favor of one with Charlotte. But when her plea to end their arrangement ends in a heated embrace, suddenly Val seems reluctant to let her go. The last thing Val wants is a wife, despite how desirous his lovely bride-to-be has become. But when he discovers sweet Charlotte is planning to marry a dastardly man, he feels duty bound to keep her safe, even if that means making good on his marriage pledge. Then Charlotte is taken hostage by her dangerous suitor and suddenly Val is ready to risk everything for the woman who has won his heart.
The book was decent. The plot was not bad. I liked both main characters. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

I really enjoyed this story! When Val finally put some effort into knowing Charlotte, he could deny his attraction to her.

I really liked Charlotte! She finally gave up her dream of marrying Val when she couldn't deny that he didn't seem to ever want to get married. She planned to move on and find someone that had the same dreams that she did. Good for her! I'm just glad that Val finally saw what he was going to give up if he broke the betrothal! I loved watching these two together!

I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in The Shaws series!

Stevie‘s review of Fearless (The Shaws, Book 1) by Lynne Connolly
Historical Romance published by Lyrical Press 22 Aug 17

I’ve been avidly following the adventures of the Emperors of London since the very first book in that series, and while their stories have officially reached a conclusion with the ending of the tangled plots against the Crown, their cousins the Shaws now get to take centre stage in a new series of romantic entanglements. We’ve met a few members of this family already, and some have been paired off with Emperors, but there are a number of unmarried siblings in need of happy endings yet.

Lord Valentinian Shaw and his twin brother have taken part in a number of daring escapades as backup to one or other of their cousins, but neither has so far felt the need to settle down. While his twin has his own very personal reasons for not so doing, Val is simply unable to settle to one relationship or scheme for long enough – in his opinion – to give any potential bride a fitting home. Up till now, his betrothed, Lady Charlotte Engles, has been prepared to wait for him to come to his senses; although theirs is a carefully arranged match, her feelings and passions for Val run far deeper than she’ll ever let him, or anyone else, know. Her home life, however, grows ever more intolerable and, in the hope of finding a safer place for herself and her ‘unmarriageable’ sister, she starts to look around for alternative suitors.

When an apparently eligible candidate presents himself, Charlotte asks Val to release her from their arrangement. They share a kiss, which surprises him in its intensity, yet he is prepared to do the right thing by Charlotte, provided he can determine that her new suitor is worthy of her. This turns out to be far from the case. The man is an out-and-out scoundrel, and a murderer, although the Shaws will never be able to bring him to justice for his actions. He also turns out to be a good friend of Charlotte’s father – another thoroughly dastardly piece of work, and Val decides to rescue both Charlotte and her sister from the two men, by holding Charlotte to their previous arrangement.

The plan does not go entirely to plan, and we get to see the inside of a Georgian courtroom after all, though not in the context the Shaws would have hoped for. We also get to see John Fielding, the magistrate (and brother of the better known Henry), in action – one of those historical figures that I’d love to learn more about – and to glimpse a few areas of historical London life rarely featured in romance novels.

I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to the new series. All actions have believable consequences, and the various mysteries and difficulties are untangled at a realistic rate within the confines of the novel’s structure. I’m greatly looking forward to the next instalment, though that may be a few months in arriving yet.

Grade: A

'Fearless' by Lynne Connolly is The First Book in a New Series called "The Shaws". This is the story of Lady Charlotte Engles and Lord Valentinian Shaw. Charlotte and Val have been engaged for a few years. Charlotte has come to the conclusion that he won't every marry her as he never wants to set a date. But Charlotte has been under and overbearing father and her youngest sister that she feels needs protection, Charlotte goes to Val to see about calling their engagement off. They shared a kiss and when Val learns who wants to marry her he knows he can't let Charlotte fall victim to this man. But can he work out his feelings?
Loved it!
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."

Lord Valentine Shaw is a man who lives for pleasure a man with many secrets. But what is the truth with the many faces he portrays. Not in a hurry to marry he keeps his betrothed hanging for two very long years. His adventures are a release for his restlessness. His fiancé Lady Charlotte finally gives him an ultimatum either set a date for the wedding or release her from their engagement. She has a new suitor -Viscount Kellett -that wants to marry her. Her only request is that her first kiss be from Val after all his prowess are legendary. Val finally realizes that he can't give up on Charlotte not after the mind blowing kiss but he's given his word. Something about the Viscount is not as it seems the least he can do is look out for Charlottes welfare.
Charlotte needsto get away from her controlling father and she's desperate to get her sister as far away as possible and the only way is if she marries.
A wonderful set of characters, Charlotte is a strong woman with all that she's been through her devotion to her sister is heartwarming she will go above and beyond for family. Val came through for her a real hero who stopped at nothing to protect the woman he loves.
An amazing story full of suspense intrigue and twists and turns that you will never have imagined. I wholeheartedly recommend this Lynne Connolly spectacular story.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest unbiased opinion.

With Fearless Ms. Connolly spins us into a new arc of the Emperors of London focusing on the delightful Shaw family we've  had the pleasure of meeting in the earlier series.
Val has been engaged through out the Emperors of London series but his fiancé has been nameless and faceless so far in the story series. She remains tucked away out of sight out of mind while Val lives his life in town to the fullest.  Lady Charlotte Engles is nameless no more as she strides onto center stage from the get go. Daughter of a duke, she's tired of waiting for Val to commit himself and marry her so she's ready to break the engagement and marry someone else. Val's reaction to this proposal is not exactly the relief you might have expected.

Val is surprised at how pretty Charlotte is  when he meets up with her at his parent's fete. To his chagrin there's another man at her feet proposing marriage.   Suddenly the marriage that was once so unattractive to him doesn't seem to be such a bad thing anymore.  Of course Val being a Shaw and one of the emperors is not willing to walk away from his responsibilities so he decides to investigate this new man on Charlotte's horizon who as it turns out is quite the kinky villain.
As the story progresses and  Val really gets to know the real Charlotte beneath the icy cool façade she presents to the world a romance is born. He moves Charlotte into his parent's home as their guest and proceeds to really get to know her.  He becomes determined to make up for all the dreary years Charlotte has spent under her father's thumb in the mausoleum she called home. Along the way he investigates the seamy side of kink in London in his quest to protect Charlotte.  As the story progresses we get to catch up with some of the characters from the earlier series while Charlotte and Val finally find themselves married and forging a life together.
Outside events however continue to intrude on their idyll and then a incident at their estate disrupts the closeness they've been developing. Val's family mobilizes to protect them both but will their relationship survive let alone thrive after this trauma.
The author deals with the subject of abuse both emotional and physical in a very compassionate way such that it enhances the story.  A great start to the Shaw family. I look forward to reading about the other Shaw siblings getting their own story.

In an arranged marriage contract to a man she secretly loves, Lady Charlotte Engels, is ready to move on when she realizes Lord Valentinian Shaw has made no efforts to set a wedding date. Well that added to the fact she receives another offer that would help her and her sister escape her father's strict home.

After agreeing to end their engagement, the couple share a kiss that leaves Val with new feelings for Charlotte. He also gets a glimpse that his fiancé has another side to her prim and plain facade, a side he likes very much.

When Val finds out the true character of her new suitor he is is even more determined to wed Charlotte for her own safety. Charlotte on the other hand wants to guard her heart against the man she can't help but love.

I spent most of the night riveted by this book. I loved Val and Charlotte and wanted the villains to get their due. After forcing myself to get some sleep I awoke to finish the compelling story. Sadly, I felt I must have dreamt the first three-fourth's of the book because it took an unexpected turn and I had to go back and reread to see if I somehow missed something. I was left perplexed and at the end of one crucial scene thought I would get some answers but instead the story was over. I even thought my copy must have had an error it was that much of an abrupt ending. This is one case where an epilogue wasn't just wanted but it was needed.

I was so excited to read future stories of the other characters in the book and I still will read them mainly in hopes that the author decides to give a glimpse of how this couple works out in the sequel.

This was a 5 star and 1 star rating for me.

Fearless by Lynne Connolly
The Shaws #1

Not your typical love story but perhaps more true to life than many historical novels. This is dark and at times gritty with hints at abuse, caning, BDSM and more.

Charlotte Engles has been betrothed to Valentinian Shaw for two years when Hervey Kellett comes to her and asks her to break off with Val and marry him instead. With her older sister gone, her younger sister in need of a safe haven and no surety that Val will ever actually marry her she considers Hervey’s potential BUT asks for one kiss from Val before they break things off. Well, who knew that one kiss might mean that the betrothal would not be called off after all…especially as more light is gradually shed on Hervey’s proclivities.

I have not read “The Emperors of London” series but imagine that it must be excellent from what I have seen online and especially so based on this book. This book is not for the faint of heart…but it is definitely worth reading. I admired Charlotte’s strength and love for her sisters. I found the Shaw family’s support, acceptance of all members a joy to behold. I fell in love with Val. This book made me thankful I did not live in the era. Women were “owned” by their fathers and then their husbands, a simple law broken could see a person publicly executed or transported, and things were definitely more difficult than they are now. This book made me think and care and desire to read more books in this series when they are published and also search out other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books – Lyrical Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

I love Lynne Connolly's Georgian historicals. I absolutely adored the Emperors of London and flat our rejoiced when I heard the news that she was writing a series just for the Shaw family who were shown as a stable and loving family amid the chaos of the plotlines of that series. Two of the Shaw siblings already had their stories told and now we get the rest of them. I could fangirl and squee all over.

And then I read Fearless and the squeeing stopped. Because Connolly has really taken things up a notch here. The Emperors were focused on a political intrigue as the overarching plot. It's clear that The Shaws will be focusing, at least to some degree, on sex and how it is perceived and handled in the Georgian period. We already know, from the previous books that one of the Shaws is gay. And I know that he gets a book all his own (yay!). But being gay in that day and age is a death sentence. And that's underscored here in Fearless.

But this book is looking at something else, primarily at sexual sadism and discipline. And how that is explored here is rather fascinating. Understand, the villains of this piece are both sexual sadists and one of them, at least, loses control and kills a girl. These sexual appetites are whispered about, but also tolerated among the haut ton. But more than that, brothers and fathers pay attention to these things in protecting their daughters as well.

I was a little uncomfortable with the fact that "sexual perversion" was so strongly aligned with villainy but I can see how in that time period that was the typical understanding. I think I made an assumption that since gay characters have featured before in Connolly's historicals and in this series there will be an M/M book, that there would be less of that alignment. There is no "good" man into the lifestyle.

This is, overall, a very dark book. Not only is there sexual darkness, but Charlotte's father is abusive, both physically and emotionally. Charlotte's younger sister is developmentally delayed. There is a murder and a trial. My heart was in my throat for most of this book.

And all of that made it a great book. I loved how Val went from someone who liked Charlotte to someone who deeply respected and admired her and then loved her. I loved how he grew up, stopped looking at the surface, and started to see things deeply. And Charlotte, what can I say about her except how much I admire her deep well of courage. She knew what she faced in her father and she lived through the darkness to protect others.

The Shaws, as usual, are such an integral part of the story. I love how, no matter what, they always band together to protect their own. The scenes of them interacting as a family - the little day to day things like breakfast - always add so much depth to the stories and the characters.

Fearless is such an an apt title. Chalk up another win for Connolly and the Shaws.

Lord Valentinian Shaw was betrothed to Lady Charlotte Engles and had been for two years. His family was called the Emperors because they had so much power. Charlotte's father was a very strict duke.
The evil men do sometimes.. The descriptions were at times distressing, like Lord Kellett, when he went to the house of Correction. The characters seemed to be very realistic. I enjoyed Darius, he was gay and had to be careful because at the time it meant death, but he was such a kind and dangerous man and loved his family, deeply. There are a lot of twists to this plot. It amazes me how the author was able to keep track of the story and have a cohesive, even paced and easy to read book.

Scandal is his chosen path—until this infamous Shaw surrenders to love . . .

When Lady Charlotte Engles daughter of the Duke of Rochfort receives an offer of marriage from an eligible suitor Hervey Smithson, Viscount Kellett, she’s finally ready to let go of her long-held hope that her engagement to Lord Valentinian Shaw will result in marriage. For despite the betrothal their families made between them, Val shows no interest in leaving his reckless life behind in favour of one with Charlotte. But when her plea to end their arrangement ends in a heated embrace, suddenly Val seems reluctant to let her go. Val doesn’t realise what he had until he loses it
Oh my what a riveting, engrossing, enthralling read, the plot is so well paced that I’m glad it was a rainy day so I could curl up & read this book. Val is definitely an alpha male but has a soft side that he finally lets loose. Charlotte has had an horrendous upbringing but by strength of character manages to emerge even stronger. I won’t say much about the plot as you definitely need to read it, only to say that Val & Georgina have to fight for their HEA. It is the first in a new series but is linked to the Emperors of London & I look forward to Darius having his story

I promised an honest and fair review in return for this ARC. In the time of this story, women were nothing. Whether a daughter or a wife, they were commodities (and often expendable commodities). This story speaks to the despondency of that and also to the freedom that could be attained with love and a fearless heart.

The blurb for this book is a bit misleading, it makes it sound like the book is about a man who doesn't realize what he has until he loses it - which it is, but it is also so much more!

This is the story of Lord Valentinian Shaw and Lady Charlotte Engles, they have been betrothed for the last two years, but Val is in no hurry to marry. Charlotte needs to leave her father's home and while she loves Val, she is done waiting. When another suitor makes his interest known, Charlotte asks Val to release her from their betrothal. He agrees but when they share a passionate kiss, he begins to wonder if he has made the biggest mistake of his life.

Charlotte is just as confused, but for the sake of her younger sister, she needs to leave her overbearing, controlling father and since Val has made no attempt to set a wedding date, she approaches her father about breaking the betrothal. He father agrees to consider her new suitor and she tells Val to speak to his father. But by now, Val has learned some disturbing information about the man Charlotte intends to marry and has decided that he will not let her go.

What follows is a gripping tale, filled with steamy love scenes, secrets, reunions, a duel, a trial, a case of PTSD and finally a HEA. The book is well written and flows nicely, it is not a long book, but there is a lot packed into it.

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is simply because while the author obviously did her homework regarding major points in the story, smaller things were overlooked, for example Lord Valentinian Shaw is the younger son of a Marquess, he is not in possession of a peer title, he has an honorific which is Lord Valentinian, but he is constantly referred to as Lord Shaw and when Charlotte marries him she is called Lady Shaw, again this is incorrect. During the trial the legal counsel was referred to as lawyers - when in actuality they are called barristers. It is little things like this that ruin a book for me. I know not everyone notices or even cares, but for this reviewer, it matters.

I would still recommend the book, it is a very good read and I will certainly will reading any further installments.

Love everything by this author and this book is no exception. It's a story of second chances, but not without a few obstacles to surmount.. Characters you definitely root for.
I received an ARC copy of this book from netgalley.

Connolly has added a great follow-up series to her ‘The Emperors Of London’ series. This first book in the series is a wonderful lead-in to the series. It is action packed and leaves you wondering where it will head next.

Plots within plots, villains you didn’t expect, twists and turns and lots of passion – it sucks you in from the first page and doesn’t let you go until the end.

Lord Valentinian Shaw’s reputation exceeds his exploits – although those exploits are many. As one of several sons of a Marquess he is under no pressure to marry and produce an heir, so he’s in no hurry to give up his freedom and marry. He’s restless, unsettled and is constantly moving from adventure to adventure. However, he has been more settled over the last two years because he has found an outlet for his restless spirit – he, his brother, and their cousin have been pursuing financial ventures that are exciting and interesting.

Lady Charlotte Engles has been engaged to Val for two very long years. She suspects he will never be ready to marry and if they do marry, she is sure he won’t be faithful. She NEEDS to marry in order to get out from under her cruel father’s thumb and to provide for her younger sister. When she receives an offer from someone else, someone she feels is infinitely suitable, she asks Val if he would please release her from their engagement.

When Lady Charlotte asks Val to release her from their engagement, it unexpectedly leads to a kiss and a budding desire to keep her. However, he does reluctantly agree. Then, he gets to know her better and better and finds he is beginning to love her. He’ll live up to his agreement though – as long as the new suitor is worthy.

Val and his twin brother Darius begin to investigate and they find that the suitor isn’t just unworthy, he’s unsavory and debauched to the highest degree. Val cannot let Charlotte marry this man, but he cannot tell her the truth either. So, he does the only thing he can do – he refuses to end the marriage contract and doesn’t give her an explanation.

I won’t provide a blow-by-blow description of the entire plot, but you should know that it is a wonderful, exciting read and you will love watching Val and Charlotte find love and understanding. Val grows and matures so much through this book that you will hardly recognize him at the end. Coming to know all of the abuse Charlotte and her sisters have had to live with throughout their lives will keep you in tears.

The last twenty percent of the book will have you on pins and needles. I won’t describe it, but to tell you that it is suspenseful and gut-wrenching is putting it lightly.

"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."

Ms. Connolly has done an excellent job with this historical romance. Good overall writing.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Fearless was a book that came at a good time for me - I'd been having trouble finding a book that captured my attention but once I started this one, it immediately drew me in. Fearless is a off-shoot of the Emperors of London series, but readers don't have to have read any of those titles to enjoy this story. Lady Charlotte, the daughter of the Duke of Rochfort, has been engaged for two years to Lord Valentinian Shaw with no wedding date in sight when she is approached by Lord Kellet with an offer for her hand if she will speak to her father about breaking her engagement to Val. Faced with authoritative father who controls all aspects of her life and fear for her younger sister's situation, Charlotte sees the proposal as a way out. While asking Val to speak to his father, Charlotte and Val kiss causing Val to see her in a whole new light. Known for creating scandals, Val saw his engagement to Charlotte as a way to fend off his mother's calls for him to settle down. Although determined to let her go, Val finds himself unable to get Charlotte out of his mind after their kiss as he begins to see the passionate young woman she keeps carefully hidden. After finding out some unsettling information about her would be husband, Val decides to fight for Charlotte and provide her the future she deserves. A duel, murder, and scandal all attempt to keep Val and Charlotte apart, but sometimes love is enough. I loved Charlotte for her strength and devotion to her family. Val was such a wonder hero and I just adored him - his ability to see beneath Charlotte's public persona and his determination to provide her with the future she deserved. Connolly does a good job of providing historical details and giving readers a view into the plight of women - both aristocratic and common - during the Georgian era. I look forward to reading the next book about the Shaw family.

This novel was a good read. I enjoyed the plot of the story. Women were controlled by men during this time and some were extremely tyrannical. This affected women in different ways, some obeyed and others rebelled.
Lady Charlotte Engles does what is expected for her by her father. She has learned the art of masking her expressions and how she feels. She is engaged to Lord Valentinian Shaw, a second son and an Emperor. Charlotte's father wants the connection to the Emperors and will use his daughter to get it but nothing is what it seems and the duke has his own secrets. Charlotte "obeys" her father to protect her younger sister, who is considered "simple". When another man proposed marriage to Charlotte, she asks Val to break the engagement to him since he has no desire to wed.
Val gets bored easily and used the arrangement to keep matchmaking mamas away from him. He keeps going from one venture to another and has done this for two years. At first Val agrees to dissolve the betrothal. However, when he discovers the true nature of the man, he will do whatever we can to protect her. As Val gets to know Charlotte, he sees there is passion and intelligence, realizing he misjudged her. He learns about the abuse she suffered from her father and he becomes angry. He refuses to break the betrothal even after Charlotte asks him again, but he does not tell her why. Charlotte has been in love with Val, but would not be able to handle him getting bored with her or having a mistress. But Val shows her there is more to him than what society says of him. However, there are those who are not happy with the arrangement and will use whatever is necessary to prevent the marriage. Deceit and lies appear, but the truth always prevails, even in the face of danger.