Loved by the Lyon

A sweet story about a man who needs money for his family and a woman who trying to find a jewelery .
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

This is the second book in the Lyon's Den series that I have read. The first one was by a different author but the common thread is a gambling den in which there is also a lot of matchmaking.

It is a shortish read that starts a little slowly as we're about 30 % in the book before the couple meets for the first time. It picks up once they start interacting and meet his siblings.

Vanessa is a heiress who is quite alone in the world after the deaths of her mother and brother. She has a stepbrother but he is a bit too intent on stealing her valuables to be much of a comfort. Kingston is the heir to a dukedom, but currently he is penniless. He has returned from the war traumatized and feeling guilty. He had an amorous liaison with an enticing spy and as a consequence, a friend of his perished. That friend was Vanessa's brother.

Vanessa goes to the Lyon's Den to look for her thieving stepbrother. Kingston wants the matchmaker's help in marrying a desperate heiress. They end up marrying each other, planning not to consummate their union and get an annulment later. Kingston is determined to punish himself for his fatal indiscretion. However, there is a definite attraction, and the question is whether they really are able to keep celibate throughout their marriage. .

Kingston's physical description seemed somewhat inconsistent to me. In the beginning of the book Kingston considers himself maimed and crippled, and we're told that "his clothing hid his mutilated flesh". Apparently he suffered burn scars in the fire that killed Vanessa's brother. But later when Kingston and Vanessa get naked we hear that he was "sculpted, molded, masculine perfection": There is just a brief mention that his back is scarred, but it seems a far cry from being maimed and mutilated. Perhaps Kingston estimated his injuries through the glasses of self-hatred and Vanessa saw him through the eyes of love.

Collette Cameron was a new author for me. Her prose is pleasant. if a bit flowery in places. Some readers might be offended by four letter words in the book.

I would rate this three and a half if half stars were a thing.

I read an ARC I got from Netgalley and these are my voluntary opinions.

EDIT: I ticked the box for posting the review to goodreads automatically but it posted on the wrong book"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11052020-going-going-gone

I enjoyed this quick and light historical romance. The story focuses on Vanessa and Kingston, a pair that knew each other when they were children and reconnect as adults. Vanessa and Kingston haven’t seen each other in years, ever since he left to join the military. Vanessa and Kingston, for different reasons, agree to an arranged marriage with the stipulation that they annul the marriage in six months. As their feelings grow, they both realize that theirs is more than just a convenient union. Will secrets and their eventual annulment keep them apart, or will they fight for their happily-ever-after?

Kingston is an honorable and good man who is willing to do whatever it takes to take care of his younger siblings. He carries a lot of guilt and is burdened by the past. I like how Vanessa helps him to make peace with the past and look to the future. Kingston, in turn, does the same for Vanessa. He gives her what she feels is missing in her life, a sense of belonging. They are a well-suited pair that complement each other well. Plus, their marriage of convenience turned epic love story is wonderful!

The chemistry between Vanessa and Kingston is fantastic. They have a history since Kingston was the best friend of Vanessa’s brother. Kingston has the immediate compulsion to help and protect Vanessa, and she reciprocates these feelings. Since they did not marry for love, they fight their feelings, but their feelings and history run deep. They have so many conflicted emotions and fears about the past and the future, and it was interesting to see how they tried to come to terms with it all.

If you are looking for a quick and charming historical romance, you should give this series and book a try. Also, though Loved by the Lyon is part of a series, it can totally be read as a standalone. Thanks so much to Netgalley, Dragonblade Publishing, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.