4.5 stars
This was a very entertaining read with engaging characters. I also liked that the main setting was in Vauxhall Gardens. Lola is a highwire entertainer but she also has a secret that could cause her to be in a lot of trouble. Theodore Coventry, Earl of Essex is back in London after an absence of two years. When he is informed of his best friend’s murder, he is determined to find the killer. Lola and Theo have an instant attraction but he needs to find a murderer and she has her secrets. The solving of the problems did come quite quickly towards the end and also sets up,the next story in the series, which I will look out for. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A new A new series that has my attention!

This series is starting well. There is intrigue, murder, danger, love, lies, and a wonderful twist ending!

Theodore Michael Coventry, third Earl of Essex, is a well traveled thoughtful man. He has just returned from a two year stay in America and is anxious to meet up with his friends. His best friend is murdered and he and Miss Lola York, a performer at Vauxhall, work to find the killer.

Miss Lola York just wants to perform the tight rope walk at Vauxhall Gardens and live quietly. She wants to stay hidden to protect her family. She is smart, tender hearted, saucy, and aware of how choices can lead to dire consequences.

Together they find a partnership that is respectful and easily blurs the lines between the classes. Theodore sees Lola as his potential Viscountess and expects his friends to do the same. While Lola is constantly reminded by her friends that there is a divide, she hopes for more. It is lovely to see them working together and not worrying about other's opinions as much.

Because this is a new series we meet supporting characters we hope will get their own HEA. Sofia and her brothers are a great family of acrobats, immigrants from Italy and the boys are very protective of Sofia. Then we have Marco, a musician who is an ex-love, but still friend of Lola. He is protective of Lola and the most hung up on the division of the classes.

The tension of the mystery is a balancing act for authors that has my attention

Love on the Line begins with tightrope walker Lola York witnessing a murder while she performs high above a crowd in Vauxhall Gardens, although she can't see who the criminal is. The Earl of Essex, Theodore, has just returned from a 2-year stay in America and is awoken abruptly around midnight by Bow Street Runners to inform him of the murder of his best friend, Stephen, who was murdered in Vauxhall Gardens that night. Quickly Lola and Theodore are thrown together, and we see a few mysteries arise, from the murder of Stephen to Lola's secrets. At the same time, Lola and Theodore's chemistry is undeniable, and while Theodore seems all-in, Lola has to protect her secrets and her family.

Anabelle Bryant is a new-to-me author, but it's safe to say I'm excited to explore more of her work, especially more that involve the Vauxhall Gardens! I enjoyed Lola and Theodore's characters in this story, but I also enjoyed the side characters so I look forward to seeing more of them. I appreciated that Lola knew what she wanted and went for it, even if she did have to constantly remind herself not to get too attached to the duke due to their differing social classes. She was a great strong and independent character, so I was very invested in her story.

I found the pacing to work quite well for me. Everything was revealed little by little throughout the story, never feeling like anything was stalled. It was a biiit predictable but at the same time refreshing, because we get a nice regency romance with a duke and a working woman without the stuffiness of the ton. I also didn't really feel much emotional connection between the two main characters - it was pretty insta-lust and they had a physical connection more than anything, since Lola was always trying to stay off the radar and keep her identity hidden.

Overall it was a solid read, and I'm excited for the next book in the series!

I was looking forward to this one as although the author is new to me the write up was intriguing with the murder mystery. I liked the character's very much and the book was well written but the mystery was a bit of a let down with the ability to solve it taking much longer than it needed to when the culprit was obvious quite quickly. However still a nice story 3.5 rounded to 4. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

London 1817

From the first line of the story I was hooked to see what would happen.
A tightrope walker in Vauxhall Gardens witnesses a murder, while balancing high above the crowd.
Can you image it?

An Earl comes back home to find his friend has been murdered and is determined to find the killer.
What he finds if Lola, who has a past she is running from. But may hold the key to help him.

Mystery, suspense and a connection that cannot be denied. As long as they survive!

This was an entertaining, well-written historical romance. It was fast-paced, suspenseful, steamy and kept me reading so I could find out what was going to happen. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Best-selling author Anabelle Bryant kicks off her new series, Vauxhall Voices, with a beguiling tale of passion and sensuality historical romance readers will thoroughly enjoy.

Vauxhall Garden is a place where the aristocracy can feel free to lower their guard, abandon their inhibitions, succumb to temptation and indulge their desires. Lola York is a woman who has known her fair share of heartache and disappointment. Having come to the conclusion that romance is not on the cards for her, Lola isn't looking for love. But that all changes one night when she crosses paths with dashing aristocrat Theodore, Earl of Essex.

The chemistry between the two of the them is electric and from the second they clap eyes on one another, Theodore and Lola know that they will not be able to resist one another. Yet, Lola knows that there is a vast social chasm between her and Theodore and that a future for the two of them is simply out of the question...or is it?

Anabelle Bryant is a wonderful writer of historical romance and she hits the jackpot with Love on the Line. Passionate, dramatic and emotional, Love on the Line is a powerful love story with two strong and vivid characters who take readers on an epic journey that will leave them breathless.

A superb historical romance from an exceptional writer, Love on the Line is another winner by Anabelle Bryant.

4 `/2 stars for me. I enjoyed this story. I loved the historical locale for this series as well as the suspense aspect. Lola was a strong woman, brave for leaving her home and making her own way, and daring in her choice in making her wages. Theodore was so sweet, loyal to his friends, and determined to find the murderer and to keep Lola in his life. They had their witty moments, definitely steamy moments, and "aaah" moments. I recommend this story, and I look forward to the next in the series.

I received an ARC through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

Walking a tightrope...

Lola is a tighrope walker at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. She witnesses a murder (sort of) and that puts her into the path of Theodore Coventry, an earl. Ok, props for giving us a properly named earl - Theodore. Love it. There's suspense - who murdered Theodore's best friend? Lot's of chemistry - between Lola and Theodore. Oh, and of course, a big old secret.
Recommend.

Love on the line is a great new story by Annabelle Bryant. Lola York is a tightrope walker at Vauxhall who witnesses a man being murdered without actually seeing the mrdererer. After the Bow Street Runners come to Vauxhall to question the staff she later finds that the victim's best friend, the Earl of Essex is working with Bow Street to determine who killed his friend. Lola is a woman with secrets and when Lord Essex shows interest in her she tries as hard as she can to resist him. As Lord Essex continues his investigation, it brings him into contact with Lola more often and eventually they give in to temptation. Lola knows that her secrets and the difference in their status in society does not bode well for her, but she is determined to enjoy what time they have for as long as she can. The story is romantic, steamy and also has mystery and intrigue.

I received this story as an ARC from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving a response

This book follows Lola, a tightrope walker at Vauxhall who is trying to outrun her past, and Theodore, an Earl who only wants to solve the murder of his best friend. The twist? Lola saw the murder happen while she was walking the rope. Who did it will keep you guessing for the rest of the book as Lola and Theodore investigate-- and, of course, fall in love along the way.

I was immediately swept into the beauty and magic of Vauxhall, where Lola preformed. More than once, I found myself wishing that it was still open so I could travel to London and visit myself. After reading this book it's actually incredible to me that more authors don't exploit Vauxhall as a setting in their own Regency Romances. I loved experiencing it on the page and am eager to read further books in Bryant's Vauxhall Voices series, even if only to hear about the waterfall again.

Often, when there's a mystery in a romance book I grow frustrated and just want to see more of the romance, but that was not the case here. I absolutely loved the main mystery of who had killed Theodore's friend, and I also enjoyed the secondary mystery regarding Lola's own past and what exactly had happened to her. Her story is revealed slowly over the course of the book and really held my attention throughout. While both threads were ultimately resolved extremely neatly, I didn't anticipate either resolution and had a lot of fun guessing along the way.

However, the romance itself was mediocre to me. Lola and Theodore had many sweet and tender moments that drew me in, such as her telling him she finds him remarkably attractive in his spectacles. However, their relationship in reality could most accurately be described as insta-lust. Theodore in particular is an incredibly upstanding and moral person, the kind of man any woman would want to be with. But the truth is that Lola has no awareness of that or reason to believe that the first several times that she falls into his arms, overcome by lust. For his part, Theodore spends most of the book not knowing a huge secret Lola is keeping from him-- in fact, you could argue he barely knows her at all. He doesn't even know her real name.

Despite this, their story is sweet, and their love scenes are steamy (in the case of the spectacles, at one point quite literally). I would definitely recommend this to fans of Historical Romance who don't mind a murder mystery featuring quite heavily in the plot.

Anabelle Bryant gives readers a story filled with romance and intrigue in Love on the Line for a fast paced and captivating read!

Lola York made her living right in the public eye even as she hid herself from a past she could barely outrun. Performing daring stunts she soon found herself embroiled in a situation that not only put her life on the line but her heart. Theodore Coventry, the Earl of Essex returned to his home in England after two years abroad in America only to find himself pulled into the mysterious circumstances of his best friend's death. From the start Lola and Theodore were enmeshed in each other's lives not only because of their individual involvements in the murder of Theodore's friend but because of their unavoidable attraction to each other.

Ms. Bryant took great care in creating a scenario that was believably unconventional in the very conventional setting of Regency England. This author did a great job of balancing Lola's existence in the fringe area that she dwelt in between her past and her present circumstances. The relationship between Lola and Theodore was interesting and complicated, filled with smart dialog and their struggle with their burgeoning trust and attraction. The secondary cast in this work helped keep this story on its toes and was blended well with lots of period appropriate facts.

Anabelle Bryant is a historical romance author who embraces the less obvious sides of history and gives them a platform. Her portrayals are engaging and challenging in their actions and beliefs. Love on the Line is a strong start to a new series and will resonate with readers looking for a historical romance that is out of the box!

Theodore Coventry, Earl of Essex returns from two years in America & the next day he’s visited by two Bow Street Runners to tell him that his best friend has been murder at Vauxhall Gardens. He insists on going to the murder scene with them & there meets Lola York a tightrope walker who happened to see the murder whilst on the tightrope. Lola has secrets of her own & doesn’t wish to get involved.
The start of a new series & I found it to be a well written book with a lovely mix of romance & mystery. The characters had depth & were well portrayed & the pace was good. I really liked both Theodore & Lola & liked the chemistry between them & how their relationship grew & deepened. There were two mysteries, who had murdered Stephen & why Lola was hiding in plain sight? Both of them seemed to be dealt with quickly & a little too predicable, one of them felt like karma. An interesting read, which I enjoyed
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

When Lola York witnesses a murder, she is unaware that the victim was very close friends of Theodore Coventry, the Earl of Essex. Soon, the chemistry between this couple is undeniable. Yet together, they need to uncover the murderer before any chance of happiness is possible between them.
This is the first book in the series ‘Vauxhall Voices’ and it is a great start to a series. As always Anabelle Bryant. The two main characters are very engaging, and their chemistry is very intense. The balance between the romance and the mystery, is well done but I did wish, it seemed a bit less scripted. The ending was a bit rushed, and a bit too easily tied up, which is why I settled with a 4 rather than a 5 rating.
I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Love on the Line is a great mystery from page one. This is not a typical regency romance and leaves all the tropes behind. Lola and Theodore are attracted to each other from the moment they meet, under decidedly abnormal circumstances. They are honest with each other from the outset: she's a Vauxhall performer, he's an Earl and we know they're supposed to be together, but how could they make that happen? Lola is very brave and puts love and family above everything. Theodore is practical and pragmatic, caring not for the usual constraints of Society. As they investigate and delve deeper into the mystery, their feelings become stronger with each page. I was so invested in this story and the ending truly caught me by surprise! This feels like a great start to an exciting new series!

A delicious journey of intrigue and romance. Anabelle Bryant does it again. Love on the Line is impossible to put down. From the first page, you’ll be swept up in the intoxicating world of Lola the powerful Earl of Essex.

L. Wiemken

Imagine Vauxhall Gardens, London, you're walking the tightrope with no net below to catch you if you fall, hundreds are anxiously watching when you stop midway. Keeping your calm and cool, high above the crowd, out in the distance you witness a murder happen. This is how Lola York met the Earl of Essex newly returned from America. His friend Fremont was the one murdered and she was a witness. Problem is, Lola is running from her past, and doesn't want the Bow Street Runners anywhere near her, but Essex won't let up. He keeps insisting they speak until she finally gives in. What follows is a push and pull of emotion, sensual tension, mystery, intrigue and endings not expected.

This story kept me on the edge of my seat, I couldn't put it down. I love the setting, the uniqueness of Lola's profession, the way in which the characters were written as well as the not knowing what was going to happen next. Definitely will recommend this to friends and family.

I was given an ARC of this book in return for a honest review.

3.5 stars
Theodore and Lola are interesting characters, whom I enjoyed. Lola past is affecting her current life and choices. These two together are fun and interesting to read. I enjoyed their romance and the mystery that they try to solve together. Many of the secondary characters add to the fabric of the story.

If you like a historical romance with a modern influence, this is the book for you. The story is easy to read and the main characters are relatable.

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

Love on the Line is the story of Lola, a Vauxhall tightrope walker, and Theo, an unconventional Earl who cares nothing for the normal constraints of Society. The story starts with a bang, embroiling Lola in suspense and danger right from the first page. When she meets Theo, the two are drawn together by more than their mutual attraction to each other. They need each other to unravel the mystery of what happened deep in the Pleasure Paths of Vauxhall Gardens. Pace is a major player in this tale; this is not your usual slow-burn historical
romance. Lola and Theo's romance deepens as their investigation runs closer and closer to the truth. Sofia and Huntington are marvelous supporting characters and friends, giving the story depth and a bit of comedy too. Marco, an old flame of Lola's, seems like an odd addition to the mix, but if I know Anabelle, she has something up her sleeve for him later in the series.
I've read many of Anabelle Bryant's books and really enjoy her style of writing; her characters are innately human, and her ability to build the steamy is just so good. Vauxhall Voices feels like a new direction for her. These will not be typical Regency Romances, wading through the crush at every ball of the Season. I'm very excited for this new series, for its quick pace, witty characters, and the different view of The Ton through the eyes of Pleasure Garden performers. 10 out of 10 would recommend!

Theodore is a dream. I’m sitting here thinking about all of his fantastic qualities and woolgathering. If we could bottle up his essence, we would make a mint. Okay, stop gushing and get on with the review. The premise of the story is original and well written. Tightrope walker sees murder and meets earl. Sound intriguing? While I liked the relationship between Lola and Theodore, I felt the mystery was lacking. You can guess the villain right away and the conclusion of the villain’s arrest was just there, no fanfare, no nothing. I wanted more sleuthing (there is some but I wanted more). There are a couple of side stories - I won’t give it away but it has to do with Lola and why she became a tightrope walker. One I didn’t particularly care for was Huntington (you’ll see why when you read it). So why the higher rating? Anabelle writes an engaging story and Theodore.