Absolutely stunning and a fantastic conclusion to the series!

. From the first page to the last, the writing was exquisite—smooth and evocative, with each sentence pulling me deeper into the world the author created. The prose flowed effortlessly, making it impossible to put the book down. The attention to detail in both the setting and the emotional depth of the characters was masterful, setting the stage for a love story that felt both timeless and fresh.

The character development was one of the standout aspects of the novel. The beloved characters were both so well-drawn and complex that I could relate to them on a personal level. Watching them evolve over the course of the story—from their initial struggles to the eventual opening of their hearts—was a journey I thoroughly enjoyed. The author made their growth feel natural, showing not only their personal growth but how their relationship developed in tandem. It was a beautiful progression, where both characters learned to trust, forgive, and ultimately love with full hearts.

I'm a fan of Sarah Eden's writing and always enjoy her stories. I have enjoyed the Dread Penny series but find that I prefer many of her other titles. She is a beautiful writer and that is always evident in her stories.

The Final Climax of the Series, this is NOT a standalone. Starting with the first book in the series is a must to understand what's going on.

The Main story was gripping and I liked finding out the mystery along with our characters. The Tempest being a woman out for revenge is refreshingly far from the norm and I really liked having Woman again Woman, the leader of the DPS against leader of the gang.

I will admit that I skimmed/skipped the bonus novels inside these books. While entertaining, they never really add to the plot and almost take away from the amount of time we could spend with the characters.

I am sad that Stone doesn't get his own book, i was looking forward to his story. Having his romance being a sidestory and then the assist to the resolution of the plot was the cherry on top; very well done.

An excellent conclusion to this series, I"m sad to see it go, but leaves little to the imagination of what could happen next.

A wonderfully entertaining conclusion to the Penny Dreadful Society. Móirín is a fun character who is selfless and strong. Fitz was an excellent supportive character and I really enjoyed seeming them together. But make sure to read the others first, because this is the epic final chapter!

A fitting conclusion as the Dread Penny Society goes against their most dangerous adversary yet!

Moirin Donnelly has been working behind the scenes with the Dread Penny Society, and when member begin to go missing to goes to the police. Fitzgerald Parkington is a recent transfer to the detective department, assigned to cold cases, one of which has a compelling connection that has him crossing paths with Moirin.

Deftly picking up the threads laid down in previous books, this final installment binds them all together for a thrilling and satisfying conclusion. I loved the banter, and solid friendships between the team. Moirin and Fitz make a wonderful team, and I loved how the problem solve together, and come to trust each other over the course of the story. The bonus stories were charming as always, with one about an enchanted queen and her guard, and another about two older ladies who decide to take on a new career solving mysteries.

A wonderful conclusion, with likable characters, witty banter, and a high stakes conclusion. An excellent conclusion that ties up all the ends, with clean content, sweet romance, and a satisfying ending.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow! This book blew me away! The amount of twists and turns that this story took is insane! There are some things that I am so happy were red herrings and others that I was just devastated by! By far one of Sarah M Eden's best books! I highly recommend this series to any mystery and romance lover!

The Dread Penny Society is a fantastic way for the reader to see the different sides of politics and beliefs in London. The main characters have so much personality. Their conflict & resolution kept me on the edge of my seat as I read. I love the way Eden weaves the Dread Penny stories in between the stories about her characters. The different voices she is able to write in is astounding. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family!

Moírín Donnelly give so much for the Dread Penny Society and she’s getting exhausted. When members start to disappear, she in desperation gets the help of Detective Constable Fitzgerald Parkington to help her. We continue to pursue “The Tempest” in this latest novel in the Dread Penny Society series. I always enjoy these stories and look forward to each one.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I apologize, and thank you for the free arc of this book but unfortunately I could not finish this novel.

The Queen and the Knave by Sarah M. Eden is the perfect conclusion to what has been a superior Historical Romantic Suspense series. Of the many things I will miss now that I have turned the final page in the final book, I will miss Eden’s outstandingly vibrant and unique characters the most. These fictional people have wheedle their way deep into my heart. I won’t soon forget any of them. In The Queen and the Knave, the star of the story is, hands down, Móirín (pronounced Maureen…at least that’s how I heard the cute, old Irish guy say it on YouTube). Oh my word, is she the BEST heroine ever. Móirín is one of the strongest women ever. She is so smart and so self-less. She never, ever wants recognition for all the good she does; in fact, she prefers to stick to the shadows of life. And Móirín is hilarious. She says some of the funniest things in this story. Which is good because there are some INTENSE moments in this book. I needed her comic relief. I also needed all the Fitzgerald Parkington I could get. What a hero! He is 100% the perfect match for Móirín, and I was cheering the whole journey for them to become more than just friends. What I love so much about Fitz is his fearlessness and his integrity. Fitz will do the right thing every single time no matter what, and he never runs from a fight. He also has a huge heart for the downtrodden, the most vulnerable, and those who cannot protect themselves. Yes, Fitz is a handsome gentleman, but what makes him swoony is his innate need to protect. Heroes like Fitz will always steal my heart! As far as the suspense goes, this story is utterly superb. Because this is book five, readers who have been following along since book one already knows the villain. But the journey to defeat the villain is harrowing. There were moments I didn’t see coming, there were moments I held my breath, and there were moments I cried. I cried a lot actually. I really love these characters and to not know what was happening to one of them, to several of them really, because of the villain had me so stressed. I actually had to put the book down a little more than my average read because I just could not handle potentially losing any of these endearing characters. Over five novels, they’ve all become like family to me. Because of this, I really do recommend not reading this series out of order. Sure, you could read each book as stand-alone, but I don’t recommend it. You would lose the family feeling and deep connections to the characters overall.

The Queen and the Knave is a fantastic Historical Romantic Suspense and the best ending to what has been one of my most favorite series ever. I cannot recommend this book enough. If you love highly engaging storylines filled with intense suspense, if you enjoy a well-written, clearly well-researched Historical story, and if you love strong and memorable and endearing characters then this is definitely the book for you. I loved every minute of this book, and I know you will too!

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

***4.5 stars***

This was the perfect end of the series. I love the different characters that make up the Dread Penny Society. Sarah M. Eden's attention to detail is amazing. I don't know how she can keep all the characters and their individual storylines straight.

The Dread Penny Society is scattered. The Tempest is taking control of London and kidnapping members of the Society. Moirin (who shocked me in the last book) teams up with Detective Parkington to follow the clues and save the city and her friends before it's too late.

This story will keep you invested and "on the tip of your toes". I adored this book.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

It's a really good book with a good story, usually my HR is more regency focused so victorian era was a new thing but Sarah had me good, the thing is i didn't know it was a series and this was the last book of it, so i needed a bit of context about the story.

An amazing and fantastic ending to the series! We get updates on all of the characters in this grand finale and the mystery was very good.
Many thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this conclusion to the series and I really loved getting to know Móirín’s character more fully, since she is someone that has intrigued me from the very beginning of the series. The dynamics between her and Fitz were a lot of fun to read and I thought that the conclusion of the plot line that has been at the heart of all of the books was very well done. I do however think that, as the series has gone on, I have gotten less and less invested in the characters and their stories; this book was better in this regard than the couple before it in the series, but still does not match how good the first book was. This was definitely a successful way to end this fun and unique series!

I enjoyed this much more than the previous book. It was much less repetitive - probably because it had more substance to fill the pages and a lot more action. All the plot threads get tied up in a very satisfying ending.

I loved Moirin's flirting with Fitz by playfully calling him names and bantering with him. And I loved how much he loved it and took it in stride. I do love a good romance based on sarcasm and banter.

The reveals in this one were surprisingly unexpected which was nice. it kept me reading and invested in the story.

Overall I loved this series and am excited to see what Sarah Eden does next.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing an early copy for review.

First sentence: Moirin Donnelly had been called a great many things in her twenty-seven years, but "naive" was not one of them.

Premise/plot: The Queen and the Knave is the final book in the Dread Penny Society clean romance series set in Victorian England. I've read, reviewed, and loved them all. Each novel stars its own heroine (and romantic hero), but characters from ALL the book series are present and part of the continuing story. The novels also include penny dreadful novellas written from the fictional characters.

This one is all about the SHOW DOWN between the good guys and the bad guys. In many ways, all the books have been leading up to this big show down... This one is more action-based than previous ones.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this one. I have always looked forward to reading the new book in the series each year. I do think the series resolved well. I wish I had time to reread the whole series and revisit all the couples.

I would recommend if you enjoy [clean] historical romance novels with some mystery and suspense.

What a fabulous ending to the Dread Penny Society books! It wrapped up the series so well. The story was engaging and fun. Definitely a page turner. A great story and so well written.
This is a series you need to read in order. Each of the books build on each other. I’m so happy we finally got Moirin’s story! It was worth the wait.

This was well worth the wait! The culmination of a five book series, this book answers all the questions and wraps up the overarching villain story of the series and sees all our favourite Penny Dreadfuls with happily ever afters!

Our final, and most secretive Penny Dreadful, Móirín Donnelly, the Dreadmaster herself, finally has to come out of the shadows, reveal herself to the society, and take on the criminal mastermind known as The Tempest all on her own… or does she!

Always there in the shadows, Fitzgerald Parkington has been the detective of choice for the Penny Dreadful Society, even though he has had a love-hate relationship with Móirín from the get-go. But with the penny dreadful’s disappearing from the street, Móirín has to depend on Fitz in order to save her friends and herself!

This was the finale. I have been waiting for, and it was everything I could’ve wanted. I love to seeing two side characters. Come out of the shadows, and then to the spotlight in the story. Móirín and Fitz make a great pair and are delightful. Opposites attract pairing that you can’t help but root for!

This wraps up the main story arc for the Penny Dreadful Society, but I definitely would come along again, to see more penny dreadful find their happily ever after hours and fight more crime on the street!

Penny Dreadfuls Included:

The Queen and the Knave by Mr. King
In which a queen is threatened to lose her kingdom by an evil witch, who turns her into a pine marten, during daylight hours, only to be saved by her trusty guardsmen, who has been her friend since childhood.

Poise and Pru- Detectives for Hire by Chauncey Finnegan
Two quirky, elderly women beat their boredom by opening their own bumbling detective agency, and investigate a murder in their small town.

Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing for my review copy. Opinions are my own.

Sarah M. Eden is one of my favorite authors, and certainly my favorite romance author. Her books are funny, sweet, romantic, and clean. I got to attend a writing workshop from Sarah a few months ago in Provo, and I'm happy to report she is just as hilarious in person as she is on the page.

The Queen and the Knave by Sarah M. Eden, as is the entire Dread Penny Society series, is a slight departure from Eden's usual writing. It's a mystery with romance involved. I normally don't care for mysteries, but it's Sarah Eden! So, of course, I devoured all the books in this series.

The Queen and the Knave is a thrilling culmination to the series. After the bomb dropped at the end of The Bachelor and the Bride, Eden offers a very satisfying ending a good series.

To fully enjoy Queen, you should read the other books in the series first; otherwise there's a whole cast of characters that you don't yet care about (but absolutely love if you've read the other books).

The romance in this story just kind of happened. That's fine overall, because plot is so important to this story in particular, but, still… I read Eden because I love her romances.

As with the other Dread Penny Society books, there are Penny Dreadful stories interspersed among chapters. The ones in Queen are the best since Lady and the Highwayman (which holds my favorite penny dreadfuls).

This was an absolutely amazing story! You couldn't ask for more. From the suspense to the romance with some humor rolled in. I grew up with my grandmother on the Penny Dreadful stories. I'm actually glad that I had already read the other stories in this series because in this case I believe it makes this story alot easier to understand and read!