To be honest, this audiobook actually really exceeded my expectations! It was so engaging and compelling, I didn’t wanna stop!

I loved this story that really gave me Pygmalion/My Fair Lady vibes with an excellent twist in recruiting a thief to become a society lady in order to steal for her new benefactor..
Very enjoyable story!

"The Lady Thief of Belgravia" is an interesting retelling of Pygmalion, but in this instance, the poor unfortunate who is taught to blend in with high society isn't finding their life changed on a bet, but rather to bolster national security. Important documents have been stolen that must be retrieved before their code is cracked. So who better to steal something from a thief than another thief?

While I enjoyed the storyline itself and the love and appreciation that developed between the two main characters, I found the spicier scenes completely unnecessary. This is the second historical novel I've read in recent months that included explicit sex scenes, but it just seems utterly out of place for the genre.

That said, the story was a well-done period piece filled with great characters and descriptions.

Thank you to Allison Grey, Dreamscape Select and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

The Lady Thief of Belgravia is a title with a lot of promise and potential. I enjoyed the pacing and the general sense of excitement that built across the plot, and enjoyed the characters as well. Where this title fell flat for me was in the narration. I find myself wishing that my first introduction to this book was in its written form, as I really did not enjoy the narration style and found that it detracted from the story. The narrators pacing doesn't feel on par with the book, dialogue reads a little awkward, and I found it took me longer to get through the story because the narration style grated on me and required frequent breaks. Had this title been narrated differently, or had I read it in its written form, I think it would have been far more enjoyable.

What a whirlwind adventure! Come along on a fantastic tale with some My Fair Lady vibes as Cole Winthrop teaches renowned pickpocket Della Rose to be a true lady to help solve a case. This has mystery, intrigue, scandal and passion. I was lost to this story, desperate to see if these two mismatched individuals could come together despite the vast world of obstacles. Della is an absolute delight both as a rough & tough pickpocket and as refined lady with grit. Is it any wonder Cole is helpless when she steals the her biggest prize of all, his heart. A wonderful story and a great listen. The audio is a treat to listen to with full emotion and a great range of voices.

This book was okay. its not my favorite. it just left me feeling... meh. Not bad, i don't regret reading it. but its not one i would go back to either.

I LOVED this!
Think Bridgerton meets Ocean’s 8 meets Pretty Woman.

This historical fiction takes place in regency London where Della is known as the fastest hands in London. She has never been caught. That is until she’s cornered by one of her targets. And he has a very interesting proposal for her… to pose as a debutante to help him steal back something very important.

Della goes from being a common thief to learning to act like a lady and living in a type of luxury she had only ever dreamed of.

The only problem? She finds herself falling for someone she can never have.

I absolutely love regency pieces, and this book was so much more fun watching a commoner learn to control her impulsive mouth and learn new skills to blend in among the other members of high society.

Della and Cole have great banter and I loved any scene they interacted with one another. These two have chemistry! 🌶️

The Lady Thief of Belgravia by Allison Grey

Recipe for a Delicious Historical Romance
Gorgeous descriptions for a great sense of place
An original set-up – the freshest only, please!
A smart & street-wise heroine
A Cinnamon roll hero
A pinch or two of secrets
A dash of open communication
And a little spice to bring it all together

Historical romances offer an escape from our 21st century sensibilities, allowing readers to step away from the stresses of our everyday world. Yet, the genre has evolved as readers want a deeper sense of relatability, particularly with the characters.

The Lady Thief of Belgravia is a terrific example of how historical romance has changed with the times. This book features two incredibly competent main characters – different in their skills and backgrounds but each smart, savvy and kind at their core. They each have a sense of independence that feels familiar to the current day.
The story opens with our lady thief spotting her mark, but not all is, as it appears. Very quickly, she realizes that she has met a very capable foe, who has secrets of his own. And, so begins the adventure that will usher readers to the poshest Mayfair homes, lavish country estates and even the backstreets of the seediest parts of London. The characters, both main and secondary, will have readers rooting for them and the deft plotting and adventure will keep the pages turning.

This book was a delight and just what my cold January soul needed for a little joy and dare I say some heat. The audio narration was fantastic, making this a delightful listen.

I want to sincerely thank Allison Grey, Storm Publishing and Net Galley for an advance listener version.

3.5/5 stars
Hot and Spicy
- 1800's and differences in station
- Spirited and sassy heroine
- Handsome, supportive MMC with secrets
- Close proximity
- Moderate pace

Thank you to Allison Grey, Storm Publishing, and Net Galley for an advanced Audiobook recording of 'The Lady Thief of Belgravia,' Della Rose is a very successful pickpocket working in London, working the streets and stealing from the wealthy, all with dreams of moving out of her dirty and unsavory rooms with her best friend from the orphanage, Violet. Having never been caught before, it takes her by surprise when a handsome Earl grabs her wrist in the middle of stealing his watch, meeting her gaze with golden eyes. He takes note of her appearance, offering her the chance of a life time, but in exchange for stealing from a wealthy and powerful Duke. She accepts, and in a very 'My Fair Lady' like living situation, trains to be an aristocrat while living in close quarters with him. She learns his secrets, and hesitantly divulges hers to him, over the course of a steamy affair full of beautiful dresses, lace, and danger.
I really enjoyed this audiobook and the narration was very good. The story was predictable, but so fun. 'My Fair Lady' has always been one of my favorite romances, and to read it with some new twists and some top notch spice was great. Cole is a little one dimensional for my taste, and Della was very stereotypical of what we would think of a pickpocket of the 1800's, but I think that's what makes this story a fun read.

The training to become a lady scenes reminded me of the Princess Diaries movie. So fun. Beginning to end fantastic read! The narrators did a great job. Loved the accents.

Thank You NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this regency spy romance the characters were great and worked so well together. The story was great and was well written. The narrators were great also.

3/5
The audiobook was cute. It was a fun, cutesy historical rom-com. However, I struggled to get past the initial setting up of the book. For example, why he picked a random common thief, then showed her way too much kindness. Like even a kind gentlemen would probably have some internalized prejudices and be weary about having a common thief in their home, even for a charade. I think a good example of a similar set up working is The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian. Also, they were letting way too many people in on their schemes. Like come on, all I could think about was that saying: two people can keep a secret if one is dead. Well now they have like twenty in on the secret.
But, if you are looking for a cutesy historical rom-com that is like Pretty Women but with schemes and stealing, then this might be the book for you. I just couldn't get past the basic set up and how the characters interacted with one another to truly enjoy it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for providing an advance reader copy of this audiobook for my honest review.

I really enjoyed listening to this interesting regency spy romance! The characters were came alive with the wonderful narration and accents the narrator used! The story itself was well done and interesting with strong relationships among the characters.

A little bit of My Fair Lady, some intrigue and romance thrown in and you get this book which was an enjoyable read.

Cole Withrop recruits Della Rose from Seven Dials to steal some papers from a Duke. It is her chance of a lifetime to get away from her squalid existentce. She fits the Dukes mold of a woman he would be enticed with. Cole works on getting Della up to snuff, ballroom lessons, dinner table, etiquette, music etc... While they work together on this transformation, their mutual attraction simmers. She I introduced to society as Coles cousin and therein lies the damper to their happily ever after. Will Cole be able to give up his lifetime of spying and cope with society for Della.

I got the audiobook, the narrator is new to me, but I think she's going to be added to my favorite list. Great dialet and gender differentiation and tones. Well read and was enjoyable to listen.

Bio: London, 1879. The city’s most notorious pickpocket is about to become the jewel of high society…

Della Rose learned her trade as a pickpocket on the vice-ridden streets of the notorious Seven Dials. But when the handsome Cole Winthrop offers her a huge sum of money to steal from his arch nemesis, the nefarious Duke of Salisbury, it seems Della’s days of deceit and thievery could soon be behind her.

To do the job she must go undercover as a member of high society, learning to walk, talk, ride and flirt like a lady. Which also means pretending to be Cole’s cousin…

As an undeniable attraction grows between them, Della must fight to stay focused. Succeeding in her mission could be her ticket to a new life. And this thief won’t let the small matter of falling madly in love get in her way…

Post Date Recap: This book date was a setup. Translation: This is an ARC of The Lady Thief of Belgravia that I received from NetGalley to provide an unbiased review. Thank you to the team for allowing me this opportunity.

This review is for the audio book so I am going to start with the narrator and, although this was a single narrator, I thoroughly enjoyed Katy Sobey. I believe this was my first exposure to her, but she did a wonderful job switching between the male and female point of views and clearly changing the pitch and tone of her voice to accurately denote the speaker. Additionally I appreciated how she changed the pace of her speech when in Della’s POV versus Cole’s.

Now for the story itself! I believe that this is the first historical romance I’ve reviewed here and, in truth, the first I’ve read in quite a while. I have to say that one word keeps coming to mind when I was thinking of this review in my head and that is “enjoyable.” This was simply an enjoyable for me. There is a touch of “My Fair Lady” to the story as Cole and those in his employ were tasked with working on the etiquette, speech, mannerisms, and hobbies of a woman raised in an orphanage in the inner city. In my head I certainly was picturing Audrey Hepburn in those moments and possibly threw out a “the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain” as I listened.

Romance was certainly the primary plot (and, let me tell you, for a historical romance this certainly did not skimp on the sexy times which I’ll get more into in a bit), but there was a bit of a suspenseful subplot as Cole was grooming Della to not simply be socially acceptable arm candy, but to work as an undercover spy. Her talents for picking pockets and lifting expensive items from people she passed on the street as her means of survival are the same gifts that caught Cole’s eye and urged him to employ her for a dangerous task.

Circling back to the sex scenes I will say that, while I did enjoy them, given the time period they felt a bit unrealistic to me. Even for women that weren’t of social status and breeding, Della seemed to be overly aware and accepting of her sexual desires. If you had taken the sex scenes from this story and plopped them into a contemporary romance I don’t believe you could tell the difference and, in my personal opinion, that is an issue for a historical romance.

There was also a sly little hint at a possible follow-up romance between Della’s best friend and Cole’s valet which is certainly a story that I would like to see happen.

this is such a fun story about a girl pickpocket and a lord that convinces her to help him with a task he can’t accomplish by himself.
this was exactly what I wanted it to be - a steamy, exciting, historical romance that it predictable enough to enjoy and lose yourself in the story but with enough twists to keep it exciting. I recommend this to any fans of romance and especially to those that loved bridgestone the series, but found the books to be severely lacking.

Sweet, sassy, spicy! Della Rose is as spirited a heroine as one could hope for- the best pickpocket in London. When the Earl of Bradford enlists her to steal back documents that reveal a traitor in the Ton's midst, she takes on the job hoping to wring it for all its worth. All her carefully laid plans quickly go awry when she finds that instead of stealing the earl's valuables, he has stolen her heart. The romance between Della and Cole is swoony and ever so steamy! I loved both of these characters and am excited for more from this author (hopefully a Violet/ Barrow romance?). Overall, a very fun read!

This kept my interest, which is more than I can say for the last two books I’ve gotten from NetGalley.

It was interesting, although not as good as I had hoped, given the premise.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad, it just wasn’t what I was expecting.

I would consider reading more from this author.

This was a fun regency romance (think Bridgerton-esqe) with some suspense built in. The MCs work together to save their country from a traitor while finding that they cannot act on their feelings together due to their vastly different social standings.
I enjoyed that the FMC was not the typical prim and proper woman we often see in regency romance, instead she brought spice, experience, and grit!

2.75⭐️ rounded up. I somehow expected this book to have more thievery and hijinks, but it definitely delivered as a smutty regency retelling of My Fair Lady. I really liked the narrator, I think she nailed the enjoyment factor of the book, and the differentiation between the social classes was easy to hear in the accents. I didn't find the characters or their chemistry terribly engaging, but I did enjoy the fast paced plot.