This is a romantic and engaging with extremely likable characters. It's not a book that you can easily put down. It leaves you hanging a little at the end about a character, but otherwise is has a very captivating ending.

Lyon's Prey The Lyon's Den by Anna St. Claire

Lady Charlotte Grisham first encounters Evan Prescott Earl of Clarendon when she barges into his home. After his carriage nearly kills her and her young brother. The Earl then realises he must pull himself together as he is basically drinking himself to an early grave, he is still grieving for his wife who died a year ago in childbirth.

On the death of her father and her elder brother missing presumed dead after an army battle overseas leaving her younger brother of 10 as heir and uncle now acting as guardian and embezzling from the estate. Charlotte’s mother secretly approved the matchmaker Mrs Dove-Lyons to find an appropriate match who is the Earl of Clarendon.

A really good read with many twists and turns.

I had heard great things about this series and looked forward to reading/reviewing BUT I cannot download from Amazon so cannot read/review as there is no other option but Kindle/Amazon for download. This is not the first book from Dragonblade this has happened with so probably will not be requesting again in the future. Thank you for approving me, though :(

In the beginning it was a sad recounting of a wife lost during labor. The babe survived yet the father could not hold stop his grief and for many months spent drinking, getting drunk and playing cards. Due to a near fatal carriage accident the earl found himself engaged to a woman that had intrigued him when he had met her. I love this series. They are exciting, romantic and action packed. A quick read. Excellent characters and an enthralling all-encompassing plot. A very good read.

This Lyon's Den Novella was a good and jam packed quick read. Evan Prescott is out of control, as Earl of Clarendon he lost his beloved wife in childbirth a year ago, and he has been practically permanently drunk ever since. When his sister returns his Son to him, he decides he needs a compliant wife and nursemaid to deal with his son. Before and heads to the Lyon's Den to make a wager that could change his life, an exceedingly irate young woman storms his house and berates him for almost killing her younger brother with his carriage on his way home.

Lady Charlotte Grisham is livid, she has just had to snatch her younger brother out of the road to save his life, and she holds the Earl responsible for the erratic driving of his coachman. Unfortunately, she has been seen leaving his house, how can she save her reputation.

Charlotte's life is also not an easy one. Her father, The Earl of Romney has died unexpectedly, her older brother Matthew is missing, and her mother's brother, the Earl of Langdale has taken control of the family finances and has engineered himself to be guardian to Charlotte's younger brother, when her grieving mother discovers Langdale plotting mischief. Lady Romney approaches her old friend Mrs Doves Lyon for help.

Charlotte and Evan find themselves married, and they have to learn to get along, whilst navigating and thwarting her Uncle Langdon's nefarious plans.

Really very enjoyable read.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

Evan Prescott, the fifth Earl of Clarendon, lost his beloved wife during the birth of their son. He was so traumatized by the experience that he had his sister and her husband raising his son. He spent his days at the Lyon’s Den, playing cards and drinking. Drinking to an excess so most of his days he never remembered. Even the day his carriage almost ran over a lady and her brother. Lady Charlotte Grisham saved her younger brother and goes to the Earl’s townhouse to confront him about the incident. Of course, he does not remember, but found himself drawn to her. Maybe, he was drinking to much and to make matters worse, his sister wants him to take his son back and raise him. After all, he should know his father. Could he stop his drinking well; it just might be time to find out. Lady Charlotte has just lost her older brother and father, putting the estate under the control of her mother’s brother. Things were not good at home, but there was little she could do about it. However, her mother, that seemed to be grieving and not paying attention, had a special friend, the Black Widow of Whitehall. Things were going to change and soon. I really enjoyed reading this book, loved the characters and how the story develops.

Lady Charlotte Grisham wants an explanation from Evan Prescott, Earl of Clarendon, as to why his coach nearly ran down herself and her younger brother. Evan though can’t remember the incident as he was foxed. So begins the path to both of their futures. While forces bring them together, others lurk in the background to keep them apart.

Charlotte and Evan were a good match for each other. They both were able to help each other in different ways with their pasts. With the Lyon’s Den being pivotal in getting them together, will they be able to find love? Will Evan be able to save Charlotte’s brother from an evil family member wishing to do him harm. Very nice story and well written. Charlotte was a fiery little thing, which is what Evan needed to get past his wife’s death and be able to raise his young son. Very nice beginning to the series.

When the Black Widow at the Lyon's Den is involved you know things are going to be interesting! Mrs. Dove-Lyon is much more involved in this well-written story which was a treat itself.
I enjoyed Evan and Charlotte's emotional story that will make your heart weep for them. It is also a story of new beginnings and hope.

4.5 stars

I liked this book, it's a good addition to the whole Lyon connected world. Evan has gone to pot after the death of his wife, he's abdicated his responsibility to his son and spends time in the bottom of the bottle. Charlotte is insensed by the near fatal accident to her brother and goes to berate Evan over his folly. Charlotte's mother goes to get help from Mrs Dove-Lyon and she organises a marriage of convenience. This protects Charlotte from her Uncle's machinations and gives someone for Evan to focus on rather than his grief.

The Romance and passion built up gradually and I think you will enjoy this book.

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

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I нαve тo ѕαy I αм reαlly eɴjoyιɴɢ тнιѕ ѕerιeѕ αѕ eαcн вooĸ ιѕ α ѕтαɴdαloɴe нιѕтorιcαl ɴovel wrιттeɴ вy dιғғereɴт αυтнorѕ αɴd eαcн oɴe ιѕ α тoтαlly ɴew eхperιeɴce eveɴ тнoυɢн ceɴтered αroυɴd тнe ɢαмвlιɴɢ Deɴ - Tнe Lyoɴ'ѕ Deɴ.

Nice easy 3 hour read. Lord Clarendon's loss is so well written, my heartache for him, Sweet quick romance to lose yourself in this coming winter.

This was fun sweet and sexy, enjoyed it more then anticipated. Refreshing and sweet story, I enjoyed how the characters evolved and how they made it work.

Well it certainly started with tears. Evan's wife died in childbirth after delivering a son. Ean is lost and spends his life drinking and gambling...until the day Charlotte enters his life.

I never write a spoiler. I can tell you this is a story of ţwo people who are hurt. They meet and bring out the best in each other.

Evan Prescott, the fifth Earl of Clarendon lost his wife during the birth of their child and has been drinking and gambling his life away as his sister takes care of his son. Lady Charlotte Grisham shows up on his doorstep accusing his driver of almost running her and her ten you old brother down with his carriage, she’ seen leaving in his carriage and is all but ruined in the eyes of society. I love how the Black Widow Bessie Lyons always has the perfect match to marry. Evan has vowed to never marry again, but he sees Charlotte as a solution to his current problem a mother to his young son. Evan and Charlotte can save each other from disaster, but can they before her wicked uncle finds out and stops their plans to save her and her family? I have voluntarily read and reviewed these excellent story.

This is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. It's a nicely written and engaging historical romance novella set around Christmas in 1816 England. An arranged marriage between a widower drowning himself in alcohol and the younger sister of a missing Earl. Charlotte will be a mother to Evan's infant son and in return, he will protect her family from the horrible uncle trying to control her family's finances while they search for her brother. A pleasant way to spend a couple of hours and I enjoyed the story. My thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in return for my honest opinion. 3.5 stars.

A story of the heart that captivated me quickly, with the engaging characters of Lady Charlotte and Evan, Lord Clarendon. Both have suffered loss which has changed their lives. Evan with the loss of his wife in childbirth, leaving their small son, and Charlotte with the loss of her father and then her young brother, the heir, having his guardianship taken over by her dastardly Uncle.

But as fate often does, or in this case, Mrs. Dove-Lyon, the Black Widow of The famous Lyon's Den, steps in and tries to save them both! It is known that when she gets involved, lives change. Quickly.

Anna puts her special pen to paper and pulls us into a exciting world of unexpected love, bringing two hearts together as only she can create. Perfect.

This enjoyable book continues a series that is written by different authors. Some of the books are a hit ,but some are a miss. This book, was a HIT!
The hero suffers through his first wives death in childbirth. They had been childhood friends, growing up together, always in each others lives and were lucky enough to live each other as adults since it was a contracted marriage. When his wife dies, the hero is devastated and doesn't even want to live any more. He hides his grief in the gambling and drinking, never seeing his son. Thank God his sister takes the baby and is raising him. After a year, his sister is even more adamant in her demands that he straighten up and raise his son the proper way. That same day he meets the heroine. She is there to reprimand him for almost killing her and her baby brother with his carriage. As he argues with her, he realizes that his school boy chum was her elder brother and realizes that her older brother must have died in battle in America. He is attracted to her, even though she is the opposite of what he normally is attracted to.
This story was about the length of a novella but contains the depth and description of a full length novel. I was very impressed with how much build up of story and mix of fully dimensional characters the author was able to convey in such a short story. I did not find very many grammatical or spelling errors. I give this story 5 stars. I highly recommend.

When Evan Prescott loses his wife in childbirth it throws him down a dark hole of despair where he tries to drown his sorrow by frequenting Lyon's Den and indulging in excesses, along with having his sister take care of the baby who survived the birth. Always drunk, he does not even know that his driver almost ran over two people until a lady confronts him about it. This starts a cycle of events that will change both of their lives forever. Whether these changes are good or bad I will not tell you. You will have to find this out for yourself!

This is an emotional story that will tug at your heart. It is also a story of hope and strength. It is a very well-written story with very well-developed and complex characters. This story has drama, action and suspense along with a nice blend of humor that will captivate you from the first page right up until the last page. I loved the story and I am looking to much more from this very talented author. Highly recommended.

When a Bet Leads to Marriage

A carriage accident, a drunken bet, and the machinations of a desperate mother are about to change the lives of two people in an unexpected way. When his wife died in childbirth, Evan gave up on life. Drinking and carousing became a part of his everyday life. One day, in a drunken stupor, he made a bet that changed his life. Perhaps, falling into the web of the Black Widow of Whitehall might have been the best thing that could have happened to him. Then, when lady Charlotte came to his door unchaperoned, both their fates were sealed. Theirs started as a marriage of convenience, but could it become more? First, Charlotte and Evan must solve the mystery of Charlotte’s missing uncle, and they must protect Charlotte and her family from an uncle’s evil plots. If you like historical romance with a dash of mystery and suspense, you might enjoy this story.

Evan Prescott, Earl of Clarendon lost his wife to childbirth. In the year since he has drowned his loss in drink. His son is being cared for by Evan's sister. This cannot carry on, and he's already feeling guilty for it when he is told in no uncertain terms of the damage he very nearly caused.
While Lady Charlotte Grisham is still mourning the recent death of her father, something happens that very nearly cost the life of her little brother. Her temper causes her to act rashly and that could ruin her.
This is an exciting story with lovely characters, a wicked villain and more than a few surprises. It's part of a series of books by various authors centred on the Widow who owns the Lyon's Den gambling hall and her matchmaking. They are all good fun and I've enjoyed each one that I've read.
I loved it.