Sassy heroine, strong hero, and interesting plot twists...all things I love when I settle down to read. As I find time to plow through my TBR pile, this became an instant star. I highly encourage you to read it, if you have not.

I found this book a little too long and repetitive. While the overall story is engaging, I found i had to force myself to read at times because the plot just wasn't moving fast enough. I did enjoy the characters and the story, but I think it could use some tweaking.

A quick exciting read that moves along nicely, this book was quite entertaining. I enjoyed the characters, and their unique personalities. Our heroine, Helen, is a strong woman, who quickly finds her life purpose in helping orphans rather than finding a titled husband. The hero, Clary, has a tortured past he is dealing with—sometimes better than others. She’s a little too willing to let it go, he’s a little too stuck in wallowing about. Together they find a way to deal and overcome, while remaining true to who and what they are. Oh, did I mention there’s deceit, kidnapping and mayhem? Meddling family members? Much intrigue? Quite enjoyable. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my freely given, honest review.

A Dream of Redemption by Bronwen Evans is a novel that's plot walks off the beaten path, which is delightfully fresh to read. Though I'm partial to Duke's, Earl's and Marquess's when the hand of ladies who are "low-born", it's great to read how the highborn ladies can fall in love with low-born men as well. I enjoyed reading this story and will be continuing to read more books from this author. I recommend!

I think this is my first book by Bronwen Evans, and I loved it! It's got a dark subplot which really sells the seedy side of regency romances (it's not all parties and drinking and horse rides). It was a great romance to really sink my teeth into, and I loved how she worked in the class system and the startling differences between Helen and Clary. This is not the Cinderella story. A Dream of Redemption fits the title to a T, and I'll be checking out the rest of her books!

It has been a long time since I read this book and I didn't get a chance to write the review at that time and unfortunately don't remember everything about the book enough to give it a good review. I did give it 5 stars when I read it on goodreads.

I loved the hero and heroine of this book. A quiet, scholarly, self-made man. A heroine unimpressed with the men who are her peers. The two fall in love while working together and know that it won't be easy due to the judgment of society. But they take a chance on love anyway. These stories are my catnip and this one might be my favorite of the series.

This story includes a history lesson that was a little hard to read but made the book all the more interesting. Hardships endured by children in any shape or timeframe can be uncomfortable to read, at best. Clary and Helen are mix matched due to their different stations in life. Their relationship is fraught with the struggles caused by this uneven life path. As they overcome and work through their difficulties the reader is taken on an enjoyable ride. As usual Ms. Evans has crafted a compelling tale that belongs on any historical romance lover's bookshelf. Thank you for sharing this one with me.

Very interesting spin on the typical historical plot line. I loved the highborn lady falling for the lowborn man. He may not have had a title, but what a great man he was for her to have at her side. Great book.

Ms. Evans never disappoints, she always writes a great story. Helen and Clary are great characters and both have their own fears. Helen learns how life can be unfair and wants to make a difference. She meets Clary at her sisters orphans and they work together to help orphans. Clary and Helen must fight the secrets from the past, and the dangers around them to find out what it is they really want. I highly recommend this story and the series.

I received a copy for an honest review from Netgalley

A well-written book that I enjoyed reading I am going to be looking at the other books in this series. This is Lady Helen Hawkestone and Lowborn Clary Homeward's story and is a book I want to read again.

Captivating!

Clary Homeward regarded his employer's sister as an angel. An innocent who should have nothing to do with him. After all, he is a product of the streets, of depravity, of the worst parts of London.
Book loving, intelligent Lady Helen Hawkestone was frustrated by the endless rounds of senseless ton activities. She wanted more, she wanted to marry for love. If she can't have that then her sister- in-law's support of orphanages would challenge the boredom of the social interplay.
A mission sweetened by the enigmatic manager of the charities, the beautiful Clarence.
Clarence's past rises up between them and Helen finds herself fighting for love, and the hapless children, prey to the amoral, who see them as nothing more than trading goods, human fodder to be used by those who rule the underbelly of the city.
A novel of darkness, and the light of love shining into the painful corners, bringing cleansing and freedom. Nicely balanced and well written.

A NetGalley ARC

A beautiful story of unconditional love by the heroine, Helen Hawkestone, and the man who had to learn he was worthy of it, Clarence Homeward.
This was a dark and tragic storyline made bright by the redemption Clary found after baring his soul and trusting his heart in the hands of Helen. There were no easy fixes. Life, would wouldn’t be easy for this couple but it was believable that they could at least face and conquer anything together.

The next offering in Disgraced Lords series brings the reader Lady Helen and Clay together for their journey to a future. Good storyline blends with thought out characters to bring a good tale.

Ebook from Netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

A Dream of Redemption by Bronwen Evans is the eighth book in The Disgraced Lords series. I thought the book was well written and the story plot was interesting. The two main characters are Helen and Clary. Helen wants a real marriage full of love and trust. Clary is not a high born like Helen, and believes he is not worthy of her due to his birth rank and his sordid past. I loved the relationship struggles that these two had. In addition, the author handles the topic of the horrible conditions of some orphanages in this time period and the topic of human trafficking using children.

It was a historical romance with a twist. I enjoy Bronwen Evans’s writing style and look forward to reading more from her.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

I have enjoyed this series and looked forward to this book. I was not disappointed. Helen and Clary are lovable characters that we met in earlier stories. It takes place a few years after the last one. Helen learns about the unfairness in her world and wants to make a difference. Together with Clary, they help orphans as their love grows. Clary's secret past is an obstacle for him, and then all the danger around makes them choose what is most important to them. I highly recommend this story and the series.

I received a copy of this through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

~~Reviewed by Monique~~

If you are looking for a light, frothy story, don’t waste your time reading this review. The Disgraced Lords is one of the best historical romance series around and A DREAM OF REDEMPTION is another astonishing example of Bronwen Evans’ talent. Clary was introduced in the previous book, but even readers who have not read this series can readily dive in because, even though this is book eight in the series, it does stand alone. Ms. Evans doesn’t shy away from difficult issues, and A DREAM OF REDEMPTION is an intense and gripping look at romance involving people belonging to different classes in the Regency era.

What makes A DREAM OF REDEMPTION so special is the way Ms. Evans wrote the story: even as Clary and Helen know that their ever being able to marry seems like a dream, they cannot stop the attraction they both feel, but giving in to that attraction could cost them everything they have. Still, while working alongside Clary, her outlook is forever changed; she has found her calling, but she has also found the one. Clary already knows that he loves her, but Helen is not a dreamer; when she realises that she really does love Clary, she also realises that being together would lead to disaster for both of them; and Bronwen Evans did not take the easy road in telling her story. Clary is ashamed of what he had to do to survive, but there is nothing he can change about it.

Could their love survive losing everything? Is their love strong enough, is it really love? Issues are discussed honestly, soberly examined, every little objection is weighed; is it all worth it? Clary and Helen look realistically at the slim probabilities of their romance becoming a reality. What a journey! Helen and Clary are two of the most fascinating characters I have ever read. This is a book that held me captive, and one of the most complex romances I have ever read. A DREAM OF REDEMPTION is a book that must be read by anyone who craves a deeply moving romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I saw the cover of A Dream of Redemption, I immediately judged the book. Yes, I am guilty of the old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I knew that this book was historical romance from the blurb and the fact that I reviewed A Night of Forever. I assumed that it would be one of those books that would be light on plot and heavy on sex. Oh, was I proven wrong. A Dream of Redemption is not only about the power of love but healing after abuse. This was a book that brought tears to my eyes several times and made me laugh out loud.

A Dream of Redemption takes place in Regency England. I have read a lot of books for this period and I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, the author knows her stuff. She did her research and I thank her for that. The division between classes was vividly detailed. I thought the whole scene with the Duke and Clary was very telling and true to that era. Broke my heart to read it.

The plot for A Dream of Redemption was not an easy one to read.The book explores child exploitation, child sexual abuse, and human trafficking. Clary is an ex-child prostitute who overcame his past. He works for Marissa, overseeing orphanages. He is happy in his life and he avoids any type of relationship. He considers himself damaged because of the abuse he experienced as a child. But, Helen (who is Marissa’s sister) makes him feel things that he thought he would never feel. He tries to keep away from Helen but events keep throwing them together. The Duke would never allow his sister-in-law to marry a commoner much less an ex-prostitute. But fate has a funny way of throwing people together. When Helen’s life is threatened by the same people who are kidnapping children from one of her sister’s orphanages, Clary realizes that he keeping his feelings from Helen might be a mistake.

Helen was a woman who knew what she wanted and she wanted Clary. Honestly, the only reason I think she wanted him, to begin with, was because he ignored her. He was something that she needed to figure out. She did try to press Marissa for his information. Marissa told her “Stop asking me. You need to ask him about his past“. That fascination grew into love during the book. I liked that Helen was a woman who knew what she wants and who she didn’t want. I also liked that she was willing to do anything to be with Clary. She didn’t care about class. All she knew is that she loved him and wanted to be with him.

Clary broke my heart. I liked that the author chose to gradually reveal what happened to Clary and his brother. Everything Clary did was for his younger brother. He endured things so his brother would be spared the same fate as him. I wanted to reach through the book and hug young Clary. He couldn’t have any meaningful relations because of what was done to him. He thought that Helen would be disgusted by his past.

The secondary characters were very well written and added depth to this story. I like it when secondary characters are so well written that you start to care (or hate in this case) them. I also liked that these characters did not overwhelm the book. I loved that the secondary characters got what they deserved.

The secondary plotline, with the orphanage, was very well written. I did some research while reading this book and found out that children going missing in this period was very common. Very few people cared about what happened to those children. It was refreshing to see a fictional character go above and beyond what society expected them too.

The romance between Clary and Helen was beautiful to read. It was a push/pull relationship for most of the book. Clary tried to keep Helen at arm’s length and Helen chased Clary. In some books, I would have rolled my eyes and said to myself “Desperate” but not this book.

The sex that Clary and Helen had been hot. Now, I shouldn’t be saying Regency England and hot sex in the same sentence but it was. The author was wise enough to save Helen and Clary’s sexual exploits until the latter half of the book. Loved it!!

The end of the book was great. The author resolved all storylines in ways that made me very happy. I loved the epilogue. Just reading that made me have a huge grin.

Pros of A Dream of Redemption:

A) Not your typical romance

B) Helen’s dedication to help find the missing children

C) Clary

Cons of A Dream of Redemption:

A) Reason why Clary became a child prostitute

B) Lord Fairfax

C) Helen’s upbringing

I would give A Dream of Redemption a rating of Adult. I would recommend that no one under the age of 20 read this book. While there is no language, there is explicit sex scenes and violence. There are also triggers with this book. They are: talk of past sexual abuse, child abuse and child trafficking.

I would recommend A Dream of Redemption to family and friends but I would include a warning about the triggers and sex scenes. This is a book that I would reread.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

A Dream of Redemption is a gripping story that illustrates the high and the low of life in London. Marissa, Duchess of Lyttleton, rescued Clarence Homeward from a life of poverty and degradation. He now works as her secretary. When he and Lady Helen, Marissa’s sister, work together to reform the latest of her orphanage acquisitions, they find horrible conditions and more.

This is a story of awareness, excitement, danger, forgiveness and an out-of-the-ordinary romance. Strong characters and a hold-your-breath story make this one not to miss.

I received and ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.