In this historical romance we get a hero who has returned home after being declared dead, and a heroine who gambles everything on a way to support herself.
We get mystery and wounded feelings that could mean misery for all. With that said there is an unavoidable attraction between our characters.
Fun and games for everyone.
Good fun.

The Lady He Lost is the debut novel by Faye Delacour. It begins with Eli appearing at his family home after being declared dead two years prior. He was shipwrecked and taken captive by pirates. The world has moved on: his fiancé has married another, his savings has been given to his brother, and his first love is angry enough to avoid talking to him at all costs. Jane is shocked to find out Eli is still alive. She still hasn't forgiven him for getting caught in a compromising position with her cousin. She longs to be independent and to continue building her lady's only gambling events. They try to navigate and bridge the two year separation of who they were then and who they are now.

This book was cute and had a little bit of spice. It was a great debut novel. I wish that the shipwrecked captive storyline had been juicier. The book as a whole felt slow at times but I did enjoy it overall.

3.5 stars

Tropes included: virgin hero and heroine, first loves, compromised, lady gamblers, secret backstory, complicated family dynamics, house party, mutual pining

Thank you to NetGalley, Faye Delacour, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review will be posted on Forever Young Adult blog on 4/8/24.

First Impressions: Tumblr Tacky

This feels like a collage of random things someone cobbled together in five minutes for a quick presentation and not for a thoughtful cover, which this book doesn’t deserve.

What’s Your Type?

Returning from the Dead…with Secrets
Man in a Uniform
Friends to Lovers
Prickly, Smart Heroine
Dating Profile

Eli Williams was declared dead two years ago after his ship sank, but he’s just shown back up with a story of captivity at the hands of pirates…but why does Jane think he’s hiding something more?

Jane Bishop was never able to properly mourn Eli as a friend turned unrequited crush turned her cousin’s fiancé before his “death”. But now Eli’s back, albeit with secrets, and her cousin is a happily married mother…so what’s holding Jane back from speaking her feelings?

Meet Cute: Fastidious Friends

Jane and Eli met when they were sixteen, and he was one of the only people who took her interest in academics seriously and saw past her stern demeanor to make her smile. She can’t bring herself to believe he’s actually alive, even when he sends her a note asking her to let him explain where he’s been, so, naturally, an awkward run-in at her cousin’s ball is the perfect place to reconnect!

The Lean: Self-Denying

Eli had to get engaged to Jane’s cousin, Cecily, five years ago when he was caught in an unfortunate compromising position with her, and while Jane doesn’t know the details, she does know that Eli chose her prettier, most charismatic cousin over her plainer self, and she’s never quite forgiven him for it. She holds on to this hurt for quite some time, probably to her own detriment, but it also leads to plenty of charged encounters where no one is quite sure where they stand with the other, and yet they can’t help but drag hot eyes over one another’s forms…

I love a good slow burn / yearning, and for the most part I was pleased, although at times I wanted to yell at Jane to just GET OVER YOURSELF! Luckily, she’s still quite willing to test out the physical goods, even if she isn’t sure what she wants, emotionally, from Eli.

Dirty Talk

Sometimes a good euphemism is even better than stating it plainly. Eli and Jane are often surrounded by others, like at the races when they have this conversation about any future assignations:

A moment later, she added, “If we did have occasion to make the journey to Ankerwycke again…would you do anything differently?”

Jane couldn’t bear to look at him while such a question escaped her lips, so she kept her gaze riveted straight ahead. But she could feel his eyes on her body, lingering on all the places he’d like to touch. She heated in response.

Eli didn’t answer right away. For a long moment the air between them was filled only by the sound of his breathing, unnaturally quick. Finally, he spoke, measuring each word. “I think that if I were so fortunate as to have the opportunity for such an outing a second time, I should take particular care to ensure that my fellow visitors enjoyed their day thoroughly and saw every sight they wished to.”

Ms. Perky’s Prize for Purplest Prose

This is Delacour’s debut novel, and I liked her straightforward prose and dry, observational wit. Eli wondering what Jane thinks of a potential suitor:

“He’s simply a friend.” She pursed her lips and offered no further insight on the subject, where a few more words might have been welcome. Something like, I think of him as a brother I’m not fond of, or, Terrible shame about his festering syphilis.

Her romantic moments were free of affectations and had a sweetness that partly came from a nice build-up in Eli and Jane’s story.

We Need To Talk: Solid Debut

The last 25% got a touch convoluted at times, and Eli’s “secrets” were a bit more ho-hum than I’d expected them to be, but it wrapped up nicely and I was happy to see a couple that wasn’t so overly obsessed with maintaining their “status” in the ton versus just figuring out how they were going to live day-to-day, monetarily.

I liked that Jane was prickly and practical, and while sometimes I wanted to shake her and tell her to just trust people, it rarely strayed into supreme eye-rolling. Eli was a refreshingly alpha-free male lead who was—shockingly—a virgin before Jane, and I ended up really liking him, despite sometimes ALSO wanting to shake him and just be like, LIE. LEARN HOW TO LIE FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, YOU DINGDONG.

Shoutout to Della, the most amazing ride-or-die bestie a girl growing up in the ton could have—Jane doesn’t know how good she has it! I am looking forward to seeing what Delacour cooks up for this queen. Also, I loved Uncle Bertie! Just let him dress you in cute outfits, Jane!

Was It Good For You? Yes

There were some small hiccups here and there, which isn’t uncommon for a debut novel, but overall I had a great time and would happily read another in this series.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. The Lady He Lost is available now.

So, you've got this historical romance with all the makings of a juicy read - a guy coming back from the dead, a gal with big dreams of owning a gambling hall, and that classic friends-to-lovers vibe. But instead of fireworks, it's more like a fizzled-out sparkler. The story's bogged down by constant misunderstandings and unresolved issues, especially with the main characters stumbling over each other's feelings. And let's not forget our heroine, who seems to miss the memo on her beau's emotional baggage.

Sure, there are moments where you catch a glimpse of something intriguing, but overall, it feels like the story's stuck in first gear. The characters don't really grow much, and the drama just drags on. Even though things tie up neatly towards the end, you're left feeling like there could've been so much more to it. It's a bit of a bummer, really - you were hoping for a rollercoaster ride, but ended up with more of a kiddie train loop.

Really thankful I got an arc of this! I’m so happy it’s out in the world now. This was a very cute and at times pretty funny romance.

Narration - 5 stars
Story - 3.5 stars

This was a cute second chance romance. It started out angsty and I wish it had continued. There was nothing major wrong with this book, but it also didn’t wow me either. I just feel like a few conversations could have solved most of the problems in this story.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Sourcebooks Casablanca for gifted copies. My thoughts are my own.

Started strong, but ended up having some pacing issues. I love the idea of ladies running a gaming club, and Jane felt like a really compelling character with lots of depth until Eli came back into the picture. Once he showed up, all the things that made her and Della unique kind of faded away. Most of the middle of the book happened while they're all away for the races, so the gaming club didn't even factor in.

I liked Eli and Jane both, but their major conflict leaned heavily on a mistake he made literally years prior. We end with a very tidy resolution to all their problems, and the last bit of drama with her brother came totally out of left field. I wish the spice had been cut to allow the intrigue and character development to breathe a little bit more, as well as figure out a believable solution instead of a convenient one. An easy read but one that kind of lost itself along the way.

This book was lovely, especially if you love some mutual pining.

Eli died while serving in the Navy... or at least that is what everyone thinks. Until he turns up alive. Jane loved him when she was young, but he ended up engaged to her cousin, which broke her heart. When he died, she was privately devastated.

These two characters have been in love forever, but both were too afraid to make a move. Then he is an idiot and drinks too much and is caught in a garden with Jane's cousin.

Jane struggles with this quite a lot when he returns from the dead. She's grateful he's alive but is still so hurt from what happened in the past that she keeps him at a distance.

Of course, this ends up being impossible. I liked both characters, but neither was great at communicating with each other or anyone else for that matter. It could be a bit frustrating watching them go back and forth on their feelings, but they ultimately figure it out.

Overall, it's a solid read. I would definitely read this author again.

I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this one! I love the friends-to-lovers trope, and the premise for this one was interesting. Eli Williams was presumed dead after being kidnapped by pirates and returns to face his feelings for Jane Bishop. The catch— Eli was engaged to Jane’s cousin Cecily before his disappearance. Jane is an independent and strong-willed heroine who runs a covert ladies’ gaming hall, and Eli is a true gentleman who supports her. As Jane and Eli both learn to put their past behind them and take a second chance at love, the emotions and chemistry run high. I truly enjoyed the side characters of Jane’s well-meaning Uncle Bertie, Jane’s best friend Della, and Eli’s younger sister Hannah. For me, the ending did feel a bit anticlimactic and some of the characters’ actions came out of nowhere. With witty banter and dialogue and sizzling chemistry between the leads (including a first kiss in the rain and some steamy scenes), The Lady He Lost is a delightful debut romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and SourceBooks Casablanca for the eARC!

What’s worse than your best friend in love of your life proposing to your snobbish cousin? How about him returning from the dead and pretending everything is fine between the two of you!

I love a good miraculous return, and poor Jane has to deal with both of these scenarios when her long lost best friend, Eli goes missing, well at see with the navy and is presumed dead… Only to return to London, alive and well and very interested in Jane now that her cousin has married another!

This is a fun romance, and Jane and Eli‘s relationship can be described as a comedy of errors! These two belong together, but their circumstances in the truth, they’re not willing to share keep them apart… but only for so long! I absolutely loved jeans, independent spirit, and her willingness to come up with a way to save her families dwindling fortunes by creating her own women’s gambling salon. she’s a unique character and Eli complemented her perfectly!

This was a great debut from Canadian author Faye Delacourt- I can’t wait to see what she puts out next!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for my digital review copy. Opinions are my own.

A debut Victorian romance novel with an eye-catching cover. Who could resist? Lieutenant Eli Williams arrives in London two years after he was given up for dead during a shipwreck while serving in the Navy. He learns that his family has spent his money and his fiancee has married. He seeks out his old friend Jane Bishop. Jane was originally interested in Eli but gave up on him when he got engaged to her cousin. Now after a few failed seasons she is determined to become independent and has plans to open her own gaming club for women. Meeting Eli again is a shock and neither is sure of the other. A house party to attend Ascot allows the pair to spend time together and share kisses and start some sparks.

The tension between the two is great especially in the first half. There are obstacles for the pair. They are part of society but are not aristocracy. They need to be able to support themselves. Jane’s savings is banked under her brother's name (she isn’t allowed to have an account), and he has his own needs for the funds. Eli may be facing a court martial for being missing. It feels like a lot is going on but when I finished I realized things move quickly and it takes place in a short time period. The heat level is medium and I did like that both were inexperienced. I am assuming future books in the series will include a romance for her best friend or maybe his sister. I will look forward to the next romance from this new author.

If he lost her, he didn't work very hard to get her back...

Eleazar "Eli" is back after being declared deceased after he disappeared at sea.
He was engaged to Jane's awful cousin who he was kissing, hence the engagement. He makes terrible decisions. I also think he did not grovel at all.

Jane, was trying to start a gaming club for ladies. She wasted so much time pining for Eli, who really didn't deserve her. Again, zero groveling.
Not enough romance, too much time spent on his inquiry.
Still, give it a go...

There was a lot of hype surrounding this book on Twitter and that cover is just stunning so I was pretty excited to get my hands on this one. Unfortunately though, it quite missed the mark for me. The all-female gambling club is a pretty interesting premise and so is the intrigue surrounding the hero’s mysterious disappearance and I had no issues suspending disbelief for either. The romance on the other hand was pretty lackluster, and by the second half of the book it all but fizzled out.

Lieutenant Eli Williams was supposed to be dead. In the two years since his shipwreck, his friends and family mourned him, his brother spent his savings, and his fiancée married someone else. So, when he turns up in the middle of the London social season, he quickly becomes the talk of the town. All Eli wants is to set his life back in order and reconnect with Jane Bishop, a friend who has always meant so much more to him, before returning to sea. Jane refuses to waste any more of her life pining over Eli, who chose her cousin instead of her. She needs to focus on gaining her financial independence by establishing a ladies' gambling club.
A debut novel & a very good debut. Well written with strong characters & a well paced story. I really liked both Eli & Jane & became engrossed in their story. I loved the banter & the chemistry between Eli & Jane but I would have liked a bit more grovelling from him, I did feel the ending was a little rushed. I look forward to reading more from the author as she hones her craft
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

First off, the cover for this book deserves five stars. No notes, it’s perfection.
Of course, I also enjoyed the story within. Eli was in the navy and was missing/presumed dead after a shipwreck two years ago. When he suddenly reappears, claiming to have been the victim of a pirate kidnapping, no one is more shocked than Jane, who loved him. The problem was, when he went missing he had been engaged to her cousin (they’d been discovered kissing and it was basically forced). The cousin - Cecily - is now married with a child and is just the most snotty human being on the planet.
Thus begins a battle of wills between Jane and Eli - she’s determined not to be second place after her cousin, he’s determined to show her that that’s never been the case.
It’s a fun historical romance with great tropes like second chance and a headstrong and accomplished FMC (she is building a gambling business for ladies). I’d have loved if Eli had attempted to prove his love to her more, he needed to grovel, but overall their dynamic was great as was the banter. Some of the side characters annoyed me, but Jane’s best friend Della was just the best. I’d love a book about her next!

10/10 period… no notes. This really scratched my historical romance/Bridgerton itch. The chemistry and emotional pining was 🤌🏻. You could cut through the romantic tension with spoon. There is something so aggravating and satisfying about having two characters be so clearly in love with each other. Yet they are completely blind to the other person’s affections.

Thank you for the ARC! I’m so glad I read this one and I’m looking forward to more books by this author!

Such a lovely historical romance debut!
This book has a great plot and interesting, well developed characters. Eli and Jane were complicated and we’re letting past hurts hinder them. Their relationship felt natural and so romantic towards the end. I liked the build up to the romance and that each character has a hurdle they have to overcome. The pacing for the relationship was just right.
The descriptions were very good, I felt like I could picture everything clearly.
A wonderful debut that’s filled with wonderful characters, a mystery, women’s gambling club and romance.

At the risk of giving too much away, Jane and Eli have been great friends for years. Ever since she visited relatives that were neighbors of his family. Eli and Jane have always connected, and Jane has been in love with him for a long time. Only, Eli made a stupidly male decision on a whim one night and got caught in a compromising position with her cousin. The resulting engagement broke Jane's heart. Eli needed the military to make his way in the world and to be able to afford a wife, so he left. Only his ship was commandeered by pirates and he was taken as a prisoner. His ship was wrecked and he was presumed dead. Jane mourned him but had to keep the depths of her mourning to herself as she didn't feel she had the right to mourn him as his fiance did. Eventually, Cecily marries someone else and Eli returns from the dead.

Jane refuses to allow her feelings for Eli to get riled up just because he's back. He chose Cecily over her. And she needs to focus on her own plans. Her uncle is a busybody matchmaker, constantly throwing eligible suitors in her way. But Jane plans to take her future into her own hands by starting an exclusive card club for women only. Why should men be the only ones to get to have any fun?

Eli returns with a mystery. He was shipwrecked and kidnapped, but he also could have returned home sooner than he did. The why is supposed to be the mystery and the ramifications when it appears that he deserted his post. I didn't love this part of the story. It seemed like a means to an end rather than a true part of the story. Like an afterthought maybe.

The "about the author" says that Faye Delacourt writes "feminist historical fiction." I suppose the progressive ideas pushed in The Lady He Lost included the women's card club that Jane was insistent upon providing her own way. As well as the progressive physical relationship that Jane and Eli had before marriage. Of course, these types of relationships have always happened, but culturally, this wasn't the norm of this period of history. I never mind skipping a feminist twist. Empowering is one thing, but feminism always seems to push things too far for me.

I pretty much hated Cecily. She was always in competition with Jane. I've known way too many people in real life who always feel the need to compete. And they exhaust me. At least Faye Delacourt provided her with a reasonable motivation for her behavior. And she didn't end up being a complete villain.

Favorite quotes:
-Really, what were gardens even for, except to compromise young ladies at house parties? Everyone knew that.

-They settled on the library, as it had served as a traditional hiding place for many a guest at many a party such as this.

-"I do love when you two are kind to each other."

Overall, I was a little underwhelmed by this book. Jane was a little too progressive for my taste considering the culture. Eli's mystery felt too thrown together. And the side characters were mostly annoying for too much of the book to be redeemed by the endings they got. The Lady He Lost gets 3 Stars. Have you read The Lady He Lost? What did you think? Let me know!

This is a new author to me and I have to say I was very impressed. Jane is a woman always on the receiving end of her cousin, Cecily’s barbs and digs. Eli is a navy officer who comes home after being declared dead. As you read this story, you will be enveloped with a plethora of emotions. Frustration with Jane over her very hard heart over his return, anger at Cecily’s egotistical bent, pain for Eli’s problems, curious over what really happened to Eli and why there is so much mystery behind his disappearance and return. There are several “mysteries” intertwined in this novel and though the reader is pointed in one direction, things aren’t what they seem. Though I was very irritated at Jane through half of the book, I began to understand the author’s intention and enjoyed how the author wrote the ending.. I loved the last scene between Jane and Cecily, bringing all the “dirty” laundry out and clearing the air. This story is really about the mistakes people make and , if one is willing to work past that, get to the happily ever after.. I enjoyed it immensely and will look for more of this author’s stories.

I received this ARC for free and these are my own opinion.

A secretive ladies gambling club, run by a woman left without a dowry and trying to make her way in the world? Yes please! I love a strong heroine and was really excited to read this role reversal of a story. And add in that the hero has been “lost at sea” only to surprisingly return in the middle of the Season after 2 years where his friends and family thought him dead—I love a good resurrection story.

Several plot points existed in this story, one that Lieutenant Eli Williams had compromised heroine Jane Bishop’s pretty cousin Cecily and was engaged to her prior to disappearing. But now that he’s back, Elizabeth seems more interested in Jane, but she can’t reconcile that he was set to marry her cousin. It felt like Jane just couldn’t completely forgive Eli, even after several attempts at him trying to apologize, AND after letting him secretly help her get off (because the mutual attraction is still there). The scenes between Eli and Jane were always exciting; the banter, tension, and especially secretive encounters had me thoroughly engaged. I think the pacing just felt off to me and would’ve liked to see more of the women’s gaming club included in the plot because it seemed to take a back seat to the competition between Cecily and Jane. I think there is so much potential for Delacour as a debut author and had a great time reading this.

I received both an ARC and an ALC from Sourcebooks Casablanca and Dreamscape Media, respectively. The ALC was narrated by Blythe Fortune and was fine, but I definitely would recommend reading this one with your eyes, as I felt my mind drifting at times. All opinions are my own.