Lottie is being warned by anonymous notes that she must marry before someone tells her family’s secrets. She goes to Mrs. Lyon who reunites her with Lord Grey who was her first love. Together, they must find out who is sending these notes and what the secrets are. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

Lottie has always been happy with the love from her professor father. He's done his best to bring her up with help from her uncle and aunt. Her three cousins are just like her own sisters. Now all that is under threat from a blackmailer.

The only person who might be able to help her is the Black Widow of Whitehall, the owner of the Lyon's Den gambling hall.

Peregrine Froste often does jobs for the Widow. Some are more dangerous and exciting than others. His real life identity is not nearly as exciting. This job however will bring back a lot of memories.

A fun, historical romance that is linked to the Lyon's Den World, a multi author series. All the books I've read from this "World" have been fun. Now we learn a bit more about the Lady herself.

Good fun.

The Lyon's Den anthology is such an amazing concept - having so many authors writing stories within the same universe and having those stories all match in tone and quality is really impressive. There are two really great love stories going on in this story - one between Lottie and Septimus, and one between Lottie and her birth mother - and both are so well crafted. Obviously Lottie and Septimus are perfect for one another, they share each's others interests, are attracted to one another for more reasons than just looks, and offer one another the support and partnership they are looking for. I definitely did not see the little twist involving Lottie's mother coming so that was a nice surprise at the end. I liked that Lottie was still conflicted over her feelings for her mother and would have liked a scene between her and her father talking about it. The reconciliation scene between Lottie and Septimus was also really sweet. Overall, this is another great addition to the Lyon's Den world.

As this was my first time reading a book by Katherine Bone I would like to say that I was pleased by the story. Here is a story in which love, I always enjoy stories were social lines are crossed for love. For Charlotta nothing is more important than family and reputation, but she has a problem that she is terrified of being discovered. Desperate for help she turns to the only person she believes can help her, the Black Widow Of Whitehall. Septimus Grey, disguised as Peregrine Frost, works for Mrs. Dove-Lyonn as a helper of sorts. Mr. Frost is shocked and afraid of being discovered when he sees Charlotta in her office, but he he still vows to help her because she is the woman he has loved and lost.

4 1/2 stars. This is a great addition to the series that humanizes the proprietress of the Lyon's Den in ways that previous entries haven't. The author does a nice job with a dramatic storyline, balancing the focus between the central romance and secondary characters, which is particularly tricky in the novella format. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is that I felt the plot got off to a bit of a slow start, with the h seeming a bit overly starchy and introspective at first. I loved the way the H was introduced (I would love a longer book centering on his undercover exploits--I have a weakness for Regency spies/military men) but didn't fully understand his reasoning for ending things as abruptly as he had with the h when they were younger and his lack of attempts to reconnect with her sooner. There is a very satisfying twist and a sweet HEA, though, which I don't want to give away.

I have not read a book by Katherine Bone before and am definitely going to check out more of her work.'

Note: if you enjoy "sweet and clean" Regencies, this book is romantic but depicts no on-page sex. Steam level: 1-2.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced reader copy. My opinions are my own. Thanks to the author, Dragonblade Publishing, and NetGalley.