This was a fun ride and I was totally here for it! I wish this was a series b/c I would definitely like read more about Della & Cole! This was my 1st book by Katy Sobey but will not be my last.

#TheLadyThiefofBelgravia
#NetGalley

This book hooked me from the beginning with the premise. Wealthy noble man needs to help recapturing something that belonged to him. Enlists the help of a beautiful girl... who just happens to be a very good thief. I thought the story was good, and intriguing, but it had too many spicy scenes I had to skip. I wish Goodreads let people rate the book itself, and then add a spice rating, so that people like me who went in unassuming, would at least have a heads up. So here is my gift to you! HEADS UP! This is a 2-3 out of 5 on the spicy scale. I think there were at least 5 parts I had to skip over. So, a well written and captivating story, but not one I would recommend just based on spice. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC (that it took me a while to get around to).

I wasn't sure about this book after reading some of the reviews so I marked it as "wont be giving feedback". After the last season og Bridgerton, I started thinking about this arc again and it made me go seek it out so I could give it a listen.

I really really enjoyed it! The characters were very fun and did not make me cringe, which is a common problem I have in romance books. Though this book may lean a bit more into Erotica territory to me. The only thing that made me knock this down to a 3 star was the obvious historical inaccuracies. I noted that going into the book because many of the other reviews stated that but it was just more than I was prepared for. I studied a lot of history in college so it just made a bit difficult to enjoy.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Dreamscape Select for this audiobook arc!

A fun semi My Fair Lady with a less cringy MMC. I enjoyed the plot and the narration of this audio book. As a fan of Regency and non traditional main character, this one delivered. Also, pretty good on the spice 3/5🌶️. I would recommend!

*The Lady Thief of Belgravia* introduces readers to Della Rose, a skilled pickpocket from the infamous Seven Dials, who is offered a life-changing opportunity by the enigmatic Cole Winthrop. Tasked with stealing from the Duke of Salisbury, Della must infiltrate high society by posing as Cole’s cousin, setting the stage for a tale brimming with intrigue and romance.

The book excels in several areas, starting with its engaging and fast-paced plot. Della’s transformation from a streetwise thief to a faux lady of high society is both entertaining and suspenseful. The chemistry between Della and Cole is palpable, adding a layer of emotional depth and tension to the narrative. Fans of authors like Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn will find much to enjoy in the romantic development and the charismatic leads.

However, the book is not without its flaws. One major drawback is the overabundance of steamy scenes, which often feel gratuitous and detract from the story’s historical context and plot progression. These scenes, while passionate, sometimes overshadow the more substantial elements of the story, making it feel more like a historical erotica rather than a nuanced historical romance. Readers looking for a more balanced narrative might find this aspect overwhelming and somewhat misplaced.

Additionally, the historical inaccuracies are noticeable and can be jarring for those who appreciate authenticity in their historical fiction. The portrayal of societal norms, language, and customs often feels anachronistic, pulling readers out of the story’s 19th-century setting. This lack of historical fidelity is disappointing and prevents the book from achieving the immersive quality that defines great historical romances.

Despite these issues, *The Lady Thief of Belgravia* remains an entertaining read, particularly for those who enjoy a good romantic adventure. With a bit more restraint in the steaminess and a sharper focus on historical accuracy, it could have been a standout in the genre. As it stands, it’s an enjoyable romp with memorable characters but falls short of perfection due to its modern sensibilities and excessive eroticism.

With the new season of Bridgerton, I was in the mood for a Victorian swoon-worthy romance and The Lady Thief of Belgravia was absolutely everything I wanted!! Bridgerton fans, this needs to be your next romance. Della is a their who has to steal to just keep herself fed. She’s never been caught before… that is before Cole Winthrop comes into her life. Cole needs a beautiful thief to get something very important back. He’s willing to give Della anything, and of course, life changing money in exchange for her help. She might be more than he bargained for. Then again Della might be the one who is in over her head with a irresistible, handsome man like Cole Winthrop.
The Narrator Katy Sobey was perfect for this book and it was a very enjoyable listen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the audio-arc!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I really enjoyed this book, minus a couple of historical inaccuracies and the often too descriptive scenes. Both main characters are well written, they have their story explained, and the story itself switches between an adventure and a romance.

This book was a jam-packed story from start to finish, and I thought it was fantastic! It very much felt like historical romance plus some mystery, and it worked well for me. A lot of historical romance is fairly low-stakes (something that I enjoy) but a higher-stakes story was also a nice change.

Della’s transformation was fun to follow. A general conception of upper-class women in the nineteenth century is that they mostly sat around and had few talents or skills. However, Della quickly learns just how many skills are needed, and how much she needs to balance. While I was rather hit and miss with Cole, Della may be one of my favourite historical romance protagonists. (She gives me Eloise Bridgerton vibes, which is a compliment from me.)

The narrator, Katy Sobey, was great. She handled every accent well across several different London groups and her male accents were also done well! I’ve listened to many audiobooks lately where the opposite gender accents are quite jarring, so this is no mean feat. All in all, a fun read perfect for an escape!

Love Katie Sobey's narration. Have enjoyed many of her performances.

As to the book well it's not My Fair Lady meets Ocean's Eleven. It's a smutty romance with weak historical setting and a vague mystery subplot.

If you are a romance first reader and you enjoy the NetFlix adaptation of Bridgerton (I do but historical inconsistencies often annoy me and no I don't mean the blind casting) then you will probably enjoy this as a lught steamy romp.

However if, like me, you were hoping for an actual heist with character development and a romantic subplot that answered qyestions like 'why would a lord want to marry a pickpocket without regard for societal norms and social rules?' you'll be disappointed.

There's nothing wring with pure wish fulfillment but a book's marketing does it a diservice when it tries to make out it's anything else.

Overall I enjoyed parts of this due to the narrator but was left baffled by the unlikeliness of the plot. I can see why others love it but ultimately it wasn't for me.

I was drawn to this book by the description. While I liked the overall plot, there some plot holes and dialogue issues. Some of the characters choices were so unbelievable it took me out of the story. I think this could've been developed into a great story if these issues were resolved. The narrator did amazing work and I would listen to the other work.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this Audio ARC.

I listened to this book in January and it was the perfect cozy atmosphere for this read. I loved it. The idea of ​​a secret alliance between a master thief and an Earl was ingenious. I've had moments during their adventures where I felt really stressed and on the edge of my seat. It was good, but there were some dissonances and conclusions to somewhat unrealistic situations. Plus, I'm realizing more and more that I'm not a person who really likes spicy in a story, so I would have appreciated a milder version more.

I'll start by saying I'm probably not the target audience for this book. I found the description to be misleading and thought that the intrigue part of the storyline would be more prominent. In my opinion the story was pretty slow moving until the last 5 or so chapters where everything seemed to happen all and once and this made them a little rushed. I was expecting there to be more substance to the relationship between the main characters too and didn't see that really develop at all other than the physical. I was listening to the audiobook and found myself increasing the speed several times to get through the book faster.

The narrator for the audiobook was good and added a couple accents and slight change in voice to denote characters, and as the main character learned more about being a lady the accent changed to match which was nice.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the unique twists Allison Grey has placed in The Lady Thief of Belgravia. It's an interesting mix of Pygmalion, undercover spys, mystery, and opposites attract.

Della's character isn't a shrinking violet though, she's strong and confident. A well written heroine.

Grey also doesn't shy away from exploring the class disparities of Victorian Era England, which I appreciated. Plus it's a mighty steamy romance.

The audio version of The Lady Thief of Belgravia is nicely performed by Katy Sobey.

This is an engaging story mix of Victorian-era adventure and romance. The story centers around Della Rose, a skilled pickpocket from the gritty Seven Dials, who is drawn into a high-stakes heist involving the sophisticated Cole Winthrop. As Della immerses herself in high society to pull off the theft, her relationship with Cole evolves, adding a complex layer to their mission. This book brilliantly contrasts the harsh realities of Seven Dials with the luxury of Belgravia, painting a vivid picture of class disparities. Grey's storytelling is captivating, especially for those who appreciate historical fiction with strong, resilient heroines. It's a compelling read that combines heart-pounding action with a touching love story.

I picked this book due to the element of originally promised by the MC being a pickpocket that has to find her way in the glamorous world of the noble society and make everyone believe she is one of them and I must say it delivered to the expectations.

Even though it’s set in the Victorian Era, the novel reminds more of the Regency novels and, as many of the modern novels set in that era one can’t avoid to compare this to the Bridgerton series. It was really fun and entertaining to see this irreverent character dealing with the restrictions and rules of the upper society. Her manners and language are very straightforward, some would consider them almost rude, but nonetheless realistic. Not for one moment did I have the impression that the author has taken too many liberties with the language and all the dialogues seemed realistic and appropriate for the time in which the novel is set.

I would’ve expected this to be some sort of enemies to lovers who are forced to work together, but I’m so glad it went into a different direction. The way Cole accepted who Della Rose was, his appreciation for her skills, never looking down at her and always being supportive of her wish to be independent won him a place in my list of bookish boyfriends.

I listened to the audiobook and as someone who is not a native English speaker I loved how clear this was read. It’s not easy to find an audiobook that is read easy to understand regardless of the narrator’s accent, that you can read at 1x speed and still not feel the need to go faster.

I really enjoyed the premise behind The Lady Thief of Belgravia. Cole Winthrop is a spy for England, like his father before him. However, the villainous Duke of Salisbury stole documents that could implicate his late father and put others in danger. Cole hires Della Rose to infiltrate his inner circle so she can steal the documents back. During their interactions and etiquette lessons, they fall in love and overcome several obstacles as they figure out whether they can have a new life together.

What I didn't enjoy was the multitude of salacious sex scenes between the pair. About half way through, I started to skip ahead to avoid these scenes. Had these scenes been more "closed door" leaving my imagination to fill in the blanks, I would rate this story higher.

Katy Sobey did an excellent job in narrating (4 stars). Despite my misgivings, I would recommend this audiobook to anyone who enjoys a little intrigue with their historical romance.

<i>The Lady Thief of Belgravia</i> feels a lot like a rough first draft — an interesting skeleton, lots to work with, but poor execution all around.

To start, the romance, which is the focal point of the story, is half-baked and insta-loved-up. The FMC and MMC know each other for all of a handful of days and they live in a time period where women still require chaperones. And yet—<i>and yet</i> the MMC, who is an earl and should know better, asks to kiss the FMC. And then they start making out. Later on, they get down and dirty in a public park on a walk home. None of this is giving 19th century London. It’s poorly-researched and underdeveloped, full stop.

Additionally, the romance between the two MCs never makes sense. Not once during the entirety of the novel does the author develop their relationship beyond physical attraction. Della, the FMC, is an orphan in a lower class. At the point they share their first kiss, the MMC knows nothing about her except that she’s beautiful. Nothing else is established in her character that would attract the highborn male lead, Cole. Because of their shallow relationship, this quickly became one of the most unromantic romances I have ever read.

To further muddy the waters, one week after the love interests meet, Della is already thinking to herself that she’s “unable to comprehend a future without him.” Add to that—we are practically beat over the head with the fact that Della is a hardened, closed-off woman, and yet she’s literally in tears at the thought of one day having to part ways with Cole. Ma’am, this is a Wendy’s. You don’t even know him!!

Another fun, unearned sentiment comes from Cole: “I do love you. You are a necessity to my very existence. The thought of never seeing you after this week is unbearable." Reading these lines had me nearly ripping my hair out. We are never shown this, only told over and over again, about the depth of their love and how they wouldn’t be able to survive without the other. It makes no sense, considering the only thing the author developed about the couple is their physical connection. Both are enamored with the other’s appearance, and don’t know anything of substance about the other. I can’t for the life of me buy this “love” story because of this poor set up and the sheer magnitude of telling versus showing that is done. Ultimately, the entire romance is as depthless as a puddle and is awash in insta-love.

Let’s move onto the main characters, Della and Cole. Della Rose is our FMC. Yes, you heard that right. Her name is <b>Della Rose</b>. This whimsical, Mary-Sueish name is explained away within the narrative, but I still can’t get past it. To top it off, as I said earlier, we are beat over the head with the fact that she is a hardened, closed-off character. Yet, at multiple points, she tears up at the thought of never seeing her love interest, Cole, again. These points occur very early on in their acquaintance, thereby directly contradicting all the claims the text makes regarding Della’s characterization.

In addition to this, we are given one single fact about both characters regarding their respective tragic backstories. Della is an orphan that grew up to become a criminal in the Seven Dials, and Cole’s ex-fiancé left him because of his job. These two factoids are brought up repeatedly, with very little depth. There is not much we learn about the MCs’ pasts beyond those facts, which contributes to the overall vibe that the two characters are flat and bland cardboard cutouts, with no depth or development—much like the romance at large.

Lastly, I want to mention the antagonist. He is as mustache-twirling as they come, and constantly threatens to violently SA the MC in the third act simply for the sake of heightening the drama of the climax. This is not an appropriate or mindful use of SA within a narrative. These threats were sensationalized to ramp up the stakes, and not once treated with the care and thoughtfulness deserved by such a traumatizing reality that affects so many people. This flagrant use of SA as a plot device needs to be outright condemned.

<b>Audiobook Review:</b> Katy Sobey’s performance was fine. The choice to use the lower-class Victorian English accent for Della, while historically accurate, was not nice on the ears. For that reason, this isn’t a must-listen if you’re deciding between medium, unless you don’t mind that accent.


<b>OVERALL RATING:</b> 1 star.


<i>A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Dreamscape Select, for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!</i>

A cute Regency spy mystery, fun, romance.
Della Rose and Cole are great together..
Just a good fun mystery romance.
Narration was very good.
Voluntarily reviewed.

First I would like to thank Dreamscape Select for providing me a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of the notorious thief Della Rose who steals the watch of a gentleman, Cole, and then gets swept up in a scheme to steal from a Duke in exchange for a sum beyond her wildest dreams. Cole has had something very important stolen from his family and the only way he can get it back is to find a woman who can not only seduce the Duke of Salisbury but also get in and out without being noticed. Della checks all the boxes, she is smart, a master thief, beautiful and can take care of herself. While they prepare her to be around "polite society", Della and Cole start spending more time together and start rethinking what their futures could be.

What I Loved:
Narrator, Katy Sobey narrates this book and does a great job with switching between accents (posh vs lower class) and even between the different types of posh and lower class accents for each character it was so enjoyable to listen to and easy to follow which character was which
Dual POV, I love a multiple POV book and this was a great example of that with both Della and Cole having their own chapters and it helped bring the story forward
Jobs, both Della and Cole have fun jobs and especially for the time the book is set it makes the story more unique
Romance, there is a bit of a slow burn between Della and Cole but when they do finally give in the heat level goes up and stays spicy throughout
Cause, the reason why Cole needs his property back was a fun cause/twist that I did not anticipate but as a person who loves that genre of stories it was a fun surprise

If you are a fan of historical romance with a suspense element, a great romance and a great group of characters from all walks of life, I would encourage you to read this book. Also, the quality of the audiobook is amazing and any audiobook lovers should consider listening to this story.