Delia Trevor and her brother Reynold learned to play cards from their father – who was an amazing gambler. Unlike his father, Reynold had sworn to never gamble. And he didn’t – until her did and lost everything – including mortgaging the home they all lived in. Of course he didn’t actually lose – he was cheated (by a man with a sun tattoo on his wrist). After confessing his actions to his sister he jumped into the river. Everyone thought it was a tragic accident but Delia knew different and she wanted revenge on the man who had ruined her life and the life of her sister-in-law and nephew.
To try to salvage the family, Delia’s aunt brings her to London to have a season and hopefully make a good marriage. Her friend Clarissa is worried that something is going on with Delia. She has a secret. Clarissa convinces her cousin Warren, The Marquess of Knightford to help keep an eye on her.
Warren tries to find out her secrets while hiding his own. He finds that Jack Jones, a gambler in the stews who is winning every time he plays, is actually Delia. He thinks she’s trying to win money to pay the mortgage and stop the foreclosure and she is but she is also looking for the man with the sun tattoo.
Warren comes alongside to help her in her quest and she starts to understand what his secret might be. When caught in a compromising position they are forced to marry. While there is a sexual tension between them but can they live Happily Ever After?
Sabrina Jeffries does a wonderful job with the characters in this story – making you want to pull for them, to encourage them to open up to each other and reveal the secrets that they are keeping. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story about Delia and Warren.
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Clarissa asks her cousin, Warren, to look out for her friend Delia, he grudgingly complies to protect Delia as he couldn't do with Clarissa. However, when he goes on his nightly adventures to the stews, he discovers Delia dressed as a man playing cards. He cajoles and demands that she stop her unsafe activities. However, when the two are at Clarissa's house party, they find themselves forced into marriage when caught in a compromising situation. The ensuing revelations bring the two characters together to share their secrets. ( )

Good book. Delia is in London for the Season, with her aunt and widowed sister-in-law. While the aunt believes that the two younger women are there to find husbands, Delia has another goal in mind. She is searching for the man who cheated her brother at cards, ultimately causing his death and their financial ruin. To do so, she disguises herself as a man and haunts the gaming hell where it happened. Delia is very protective of her family and will do anything she can to take care of them. She is also keeping a secret that is another motivation for her actions.

Warren is a well-known rake and cousin to Delia's friend Clarissa (The Study of Seduction). She asked Warren to keep an eye on Delia, who she is worried about. Warren was reluctant, as he suspects Clarissa is matchmaking, but soon discovered that Clarissa was right to be worried. While out one night, Warren recognized Delia and is determined to stop her. Warren is a good man, in spite of the reputation he has earned with his late night activities. He is driven by demons from his childhood that have had a profound effect on his view of himself.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Delia and Warren. There are sparks between them from the moment they met. Warren was intrigued by Delia's forthright manner, and puzzled by why she acts the way she does. His concern is also motivated by something that had happened to Clarissa. Once he discovers her secret activities, Warren is determined to stop her. I enjoyed their confrontation, as the heat in their exchange was also exacerbated by their underlying attraction. Warren was willing to help with her search, though Delia's trust issues have her reluctant to believe in his sincerity. When both were coerced into attending Clarissa's house party, the heat and tension continued to build. Their flirtatious and frequently innuendo-laden conversations are hilarious. When the two were found in a compromising situation, marriage was the only solution. I loved how they accepted the necessity rather than fighting it. During the time leading up to the wedding, I loved their honest conversations and the increasing heat between them.

I loved the interactions between Warren and Delia. It was pretty clear that, although it had its beginnings in lust, what they had together was rapidly becoming more. Warren especially fights it because of his feeling that it is impossible for him to have a normal relationship. Delia accepted her feelings more quickly and was determined to show Warren what they could have together. I loved how she confused Warren by not reacting to his actions the way he expected. She was well on her way to figuring out the cause of the problem when they received a surprise visit from Warren's brother. That scene was intensely moving as Hart spoke of things which Warren would not. I ached for Warren and what he had been through, and his fear of how Delia would react. I adored her loving and practical response and the impact it had on Warren.

Throughout the story was the question of who had cheated Delia's brother and whether Delia would be able to find him and get her restitution and revenge. The mystery was solved in a very unexpected manner and had an unexpected link to other characters. The reasons the man had cheated were understandable, and it looked like it may have been a no-win situation on both sides. I liked that he took responsibility for his actions and was prepared to fix what he could.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters. I liked seeing more of Clarissa and Edwin now that they are married, and how happy they are together. I also liked the little bit I saw of Delia's aunt. She definitely looked out for her nieces. Her reaction to finding Warren and Delia together was not unexpected. However, her later conversation with Warren was. I thoroughly enjoyed his reaction to that conversation. The most intriguing one was Delia's sister-in-law, Brilliana. Her avoidance of Clarissa was puzzling until they were at the house party. Her reaction to Clarissa's brother explained a lot, both then and later. I'm looking forward to reading the next book and learning more about her.
#netgalley ( )

This had pretty much everything I love about a historical romance. A sexy reformed rake. An unconventional miss. A little bit of mystery. ( )

Playing a deep game!

When his cousin Lady Clarissa asks the dedicated rake Warren Corry, Marquess of Knightford, and member of the St. George's Club, to watch out for her friend Miss Delia Trevor during her London season, neither realize that Corey will be inextricably intwined into Delia's life, despite his best intentions. But then neither did Corey know that Delia dressed as a man and gambled the night away in various notorious hells. When Warren recognized the woman beyond the gambling youth facade, to say his is somewhat startled downplays his reaction. Delia is searching for the man who'd been instrumental in her brother's death--that is until Corry sussed her out. What's a rake to do?
Two people, each with a problem and each with a different way of handling their world are inevitably drawn to each other, both fascinated and annoyed by each other. Will love find a way through the secrets they hold?
Intertwined with others in series, this is a fitting Sinful Sinners addition.
I loved the premise. I have previously stated how much I enjoy the female leading role emulating a youth in order to go about her business without being brought down in disgrace. Despite espousing one of my favourite plot lines this didn't quite capture me as I wanted it to but it's still a jolly good read.

A NetGalley ARC ( )