Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for the ARC. The Gentleman and the Thief was a fun read. I did not read the first book in the series, but I felt this novel was fine as a stand alone. I love the idea of the Dreadfuls. The book within a book idea was interesting, but I found it very confusing to follow, and hard to jump back and forth. I enjoyed the writing style, and look forward to seeing more from Sarah Eden in the future.

I read the first book and enjoyed it. It was cute seeing a book about two people hiding their affinities for writing gothics and falling in love. With a slice of Scarlet Pimpernel thrown in.

While this book was the same, featured the same world building and the same characters (plus some new ones), I was not as impressed.

For one, there were the two penny dreadfuls. The stories were a weak imitation of penny dreadfuls, in my opinion. They were not gothic, creepy, or macabre enough. One had to do with a group of young boys who were ghosts and befriend a boy who is human. The other featured a surviving Lord to a family whose heirlooms at being taken by pixies on the moor.

The love interests weren't as strong and they didn't grab me or radiate the same chemistry. The story was a lot more interesting than the romance and the penny dreadfuls, but still, I was just bogged down by how it was just a weak-retelling of the same beats and hits from the first book.

If you enjoy the world building and the characters, then you'll enjoy this story. If you're looking for more build and a tighter romance, then you might be a bit upset.

Between 3 1/2 and 4.

This is the second book in the Penny Dreadful Society. We already know Hollis and Ana as they were secondary characters in the first story, and now it's their turn.

Hollis is a gentleman of low means and writes penny dreadful stories under a nom-de-plume. He likes Ana, likes to spend time with her, and he's the one to recommend her as a music teacher to his brother's daughter.
Ana's family used to be in society but that all changed when her father's company was bankrupt, and she's been teaching at Elizabeth's school.

They both keep secrets from each other, but when the situation arises, they help each other too, and their relationship deepens.

As for the penny dreadful stories by Mr. King and Mr. Jones—I understand their purpose, and I liked them, but not sure the jumping around the three stories was effective. It created a lot of interruptions. It would work a lot better to have the main story and then the other two stories at the end.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Undeniably clever, suspenseful, well-researched, and deftly written, but the romance was practically nonexistent, taking third place after the action sequences and the two penny dreadful stories. I enjoyed the hero and heroine when they were secondary characters in the previous book and feel like they deserved a better happily-ever-after than they got in this one. I also expected more resolution for the primary characters from the previous book, but nothing seemed to have changed for them. Perhaps that's more realistic and I was simply feeling more fanciful about their relationship. There are many unresolved threads hanging, although that may be because this is going to be an ongoing series. I was disappointed in the relative lack of witty dialogue that I usually so enjoy in books by this author. My expectations and excitement for this book were perhaps a bit too high, but it was still without question an interesting read.

Another win for Sarah Eden! I was desperately hoping that this second book would feature Hollis Darby--and I got my wish! Hollis Darby has sworn off his not-insignificant gambling skills after seeing the damage the vice did to his family. Instead, he makes a living secretly writing Penny Dreadful stories and spends his time rescuing people as a member of the Dread Penny Society. Ana has sworn to right the wrongs done to her family after her father lost his fortune and London Society shunned them. She has a very specific set of skills to assist her in this. When trouble finds them, it will take both their skill sets to save the day.

I absolutely love Hollis and Ana. Hollis is genial and kind and ready to be the hero when needed. Ana is smart and sweet and effective in reaching her goals. Both characters are well-developed and likeable. The plot is well-paced and intriguing, with some danger and mystery involved. The Penny Dreadful stories peppered in throughout the chapters are again entertaining and unique, much as they were in the first book of this series. And as always, I'm on pins and needles about who the Dread Master could be (please, oh please, let it be someone related to the Jonquils, lol!).

I can't wait for the next installment!

Rated PG for mild violence
--no cursing
--some mild violence
--clean romance

I was provided this ebook free from NetGalley in return for an honest opinion

Not long before picking up this book I read the first book in this series and was a little nervous that this second book would not live up to the first. I couldn't have been more wrong! I really enjoyed getting a closer look at Hollis and Ana's story. This book definitely was as good if not better than the first! Would highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a lighter fun read that also has some substance.

*I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for review. All opinions are my own.*

So charming I almost didn't know what to do with myself. I love indulging in period dramas and lovers who spar and solve crimes. Almost like the regency's response to Nick and Nora. A ton of fun. Thank you for the ARC!

A lovely return to the Dread Penny Society. A sweet romance centered around a fun group of do-gooders. I’m a big fan of the author’s work and this one didn’t disappoint!

THE GENTLEMAN AND THE THIEF follows Hollis Darby, a member of Society who secretly writes penny dreadfuls to support himself, and Ana Newport, a music teacher who moonlights as a thief to steal back every momento taken from her family after they lost their fortune due to a shady business partner. The main action in the story centers around the efforts of the Penny Dreadful society -- a secret society made up of authors of penny dreadful novels who seek to make life better for the poor and working poor of London -- to stop a gambling operation that's bankrupting those who play.

I found the plot to be significantly less romance-focused than I expected (particularly as I requested this because it was shelved under "romance" on the galley sites). Ana and Hollis often tell the reader that they like the other person yet I never felt any sparks between them. Each character seems like they should be interesting given all the cool things they do but I never got a sense of their personality outside of these accomplishments. It made it hard to root for their romance, especially since it played a minimal role in the plot. I'd also like to note that this is a clean romance, which I have nothing against but wasn't really expecting.

The big thing that really bugged me about THE GENTLEMAN AND THE THIEF was the use of POV switches in this story. The narration jumps between Ana and Hollis with some mini chapters that contain snippets of stories from penny dreadfuls that the characters are writing. While I was initially skeptical of the penny dreadful chapters, I did come to enjoy them and was a little disappointed that some were left a bit unresolved. The issue with all of these POV switches is that they frequently disrupted the tension in the story. An exciting event would happen then we'd get a penny dreadful chapter and then it would switch to the opposite POV to tell me either a different story OR skip past all the action. I found this incredibly frustrating in a book that claims to be about excitement and adventure.

Overall, I think this was a case of mismatched expectations. The blurb of the book is factually accurate but really didn't reflect the tone and plot of THE GENTLEMAN AND THE THIEF. If you're looking for a historical romance with some action, as I was, I would recommend reading something else.

This latest installment of Sarah Eden’s penny dreadful stories was entertaining and enjoyable. This is the second book in the series and I would recommend you read the first. While the main characters in this story are different than those in the first there characters and plots that weave through both.
This story has a bit of mystery, two enjoyable short stories interspersed throughout, and a brief introduction to card playing in the Victorian era. I found myself watching YouTube videos to learn more about the games played in the book. Sarah does a great job researching her stories and this was no different. Her list of sources in the Author’s Note is impressive.
If you are looking for an entertaining story with romance and a touch of intrigue this would be a good book for you.

A great follow-up to The Lady & the Highwayman! I love that the heroes in these books aren't reformed rakes or scoundrels - it's nice to be reminded that there are just nice guys out there. The relationship between Ana and Hollis is sweet and both characters are given personalities beyond just the run-of-the-mill romance characters. Having them work through their problems rather than fight and "break up" just to have a big reunion at the end was also refreshing. I enjoyed watching Hollis prove himself to the rest of the DPS, especially since he kept his sense of humor through all of it. The best parts of the story come when Ana and Hollis team up after her secret is known to him. They prove to be perfectly matched.

It takes a talented author to make it seem effortless to write a full romance/mystery story and two penny dreadful stories and make them all page-turners. I often found myself as excited to read the next installment of one of the penny dreadfuls as I was to see what was going to happen next in the main story.

I will be waiting excitedly for the third installment in this fun and clever series!

Last year I read The Lady and the Highwayman by Sarah M. Eden and enjoyed it thoroughly. It was such fun! After a little doubt at the beginning, I fell into the whole idea. The authors of Penny Dreadfuls formed the secret Dread Penny Society whose primary goal, aside from writing in the genre, was rescuing street children.

The Gentleman and the Thief includes the previous characters, but focuses on Hollis Darby and Ana Newport.

from description: A gentleman scribes penny dreadful novels by night and falls in love with a woman who is a music teacher by day and a thief at night.

The penny dreadful stories didn't work quite as well in this one, but it was still a fun read.

Read in April. Blog review scheduled for Oct. 19, 2020.

NetGalley/Shadow Mountain Publishing
Mystery/Romance. Nov. 3, 2020. Print length: 368 pages.

Thank you so much for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a delightful Victorian romance. I had read the first book but this could easily be a stand alone. I can't wait for the next book. Ana and Hollis were dliggtf as a couple and their interaction in the novel was tender. I loved he character of Very Merry and hope to see her again.. I also hope to find out who the deed master is and if Serena is found. Eden is such a talented author and appreciate this advanced reader copy. Fully recommend this book!!!!

This is a fun romp through the seedier corners of Victorian-era London. An intriguing secret society of authors is working behind the scenes to help the downtrodden victims of a wide-spread criminal ring. This one focuses on the gambling rings that ruin gentleman of financial means. Hence the focus on Hollis, the one member of the Dread Penny Society who is welcomed in high society, and Ana, whose family was ruined by the gambling of her father’s crooked business partner.

There is everything to love in this novel: enjoyable characters, witty dialogue, and a puzzling mystery. Plus two of the amusing penny dreadful stories written by members of this society of authors. I enjoyed my time with the members of the Dread Penny Society and hope more stories are forthcoming.

I love a good Sarah Eden and I was so grateful to have received an early copy of this book. I loved how this book took place between the people who weren't all that high in society's standing. It was a unique concept and one that isn't explored enough. One main character has to put up appearances of wealth while working for the underground while the other puts on appearances to save what is left of her families heirlooms. I enjoyed both characters, their wit and charisma. I liked the short stories from the Penny Dreadful society however I did feel like they were a bit distracting from the main storyline and I felt myself wanting to rush through them in order to get back to the main story. Overall a really cute read that is fun and formatted in a unique way. There is romance although I feel like it got as much shine as the mystery plot. Sarah Eden always writes a good time and this was no exception.

I am wondering with so many unanswered questions if there will be a next installment to wrap things up. There probably is and I am simply unaware of it as of now!

I enjoyed this book. Sarah Eden has achieved a nice balance of transporting the reader to the time period without those details bogging down the story. This series can be confusing with having multiple short stories filtered through the main story. Having read the first book, I was accustomed to the set up and it wasn't difficult to follow.
The reason I rated the book with only four stars is because I usually feel a lot more emotion from her works. This piece was pretty light and even from beginning to end.
That said, the plot moved at a an easy pace without slowing to a crawl or jumping ahead and skipping details. The characters were introduced to us in the previous book and it was like turning acquaintances into lifelong friends.
I'm excited to see which members of the DPS we get to develop relationships with next!

This was a very sweet and enjoyable read. The lead characters are nicely developed and have interesting lives. I like that the female lead is never a damsel in distress and instead works with the other characters in the novel to accomplish goals. An area for improvement is how the two Penny Dread stories are interwoven into the main story, in several places it disrupted the flow of action. The two side stories were cute, but didn't do a lot to advance the plot or add to the larger story.

Overall, I had fun reading this book and would recommend it to others.

Ana is feisty and determined, and has her own moral compass to guide her.
Hollis is determined to prove himself to his friends, and undeniably attracted to the young music teacher.
With Elizabeth and Fletcher from the first book in this series reappearing (this time as supporting characters), readers will quickly be captivated by the story of their best friends.
Very Merry is wonderfully entertaining and her fiery sass is enchanting! I especially love the banter between her and a minor character near the end.
With the criminal mastermind known as the Mastiff still causing mayhem, Ana and Hollis must each play their part to try to unravel the truth behind what is currently going on in a respectable London house.

Well developed characters, a great storyline that will leave you longing for more of this series! And with more Penny Dreadful stories interspersed throughout. An all around winner!

There's a great concept and some wonderful writing here, but unfortunately the multiple stories and general pace of the book isn't working for me at the moment so I won't be finishing it for the time being. I'd like to some back to it at some point in the future to hopefully appreciate it more.

Another great book by Sarah Eden that has three fantastic stories all bound to please.
The Dread Penny Society’s goal is to help the helpless. To rescue those in need and they have been made aware of a child, a little girl, being used as a thief. Hollis, a member of the society, sets out to catch the child so she can be given a chance for a better life. Not only is the girl discovered and rescued from her situation but Hollis is reintroduced to Ana, a teacher at the school the girl is taken to be kept safe. Hollis has always been drawn to Ana and soon recommends her to his brother as a music teacher which also allows him to spend more time with her, not knowing she is a thief. So begins a fantastic story interspersed with two Penny Dreadfuls that are equally entertaining. I was sent a free copy in exchange for an honest review.