The Merchant and the Rogue

GIVEAWAY

EDEN, SARAH M.

THE MERCHANT AND THE ROGUE

London, 1865

Vera Sorokina loves reading the Penny Dreadfuls and immersing herself in tales of adventure, mystery, and romance. Her own days are filled with the often mundane work of running the book and print shop she owns with her father. The shop offers her freedom and an income, and while she is grateful for the stability it brings to her life, she often feels lonely.

Brogan Donnelly was born and raised in Ireland, but has lived in London for several years, where he's built a career as a penny dreadful writer. He has dedicated himself to the plight of the poor with the help of his sister. But with no one to share his life with, he fears London will never truly feel like home.

Brogan and Vera's paths cross, and the attraction is both immediate and ill-advised. Vera knows from past experience that writers are never to be trusted, and Brogran has reason to suspect not everything at Vera's print shop is aboveboard. When a growing criminal enterprise begins targeting their area of London, Brogan and Vera must work together to protect the community they've both grown to love. But that means they'll need to learn to trust each other with dangerous secrets that have followed both of them from their home countries.

My Review:

Ssssssqqqqquuuuuueeeeeeeppppp! That's me squealing and eeping in a fangirling extravaganza of bookish glee because I LOVE this series soooooooo much! I was so eager for The Merchant and the Rogue's release that this was another audible preorder for me. 

Justine Eyre is the fantabulous narrator who brings an extra zip to an already unputdownable...er unable-to-stop-listening...read. She does all the voices so well -- from a dreamy Irish brogue to street urchin slang and everything in between. I've been collecting this series on audible and will continue to because of Justine Eyre! But the book covers are so gorgeous I think I'll have to purchase back up print copies too. :-)

This is the third book in Eden's Dread Penny Society series and, while I think it would read fine as a standalone, you'll get so much more out of the society and the Penny Dreadful aspects of the story if you read the books in order. Plus, they're brilliant fun so why wouldn't you want to read them all? :-)

In case you go ahead and dive into the series via this one, here's the basics you need to know: 

1) The Dread Penny Society is a group (a wonderful cross section of society) of Penny Dreadful authors who work 'undercover' to rescue London's downtrodden. They have nefarious enemies who will go to any lengths to ensure they don't succeed so cue the heart-tripping mood music and settle in for some intrigue and action.

2) Penny Dreadfuls were serialized stories told with atmospheric flare including mysteries and the paranormal and published in weekly installments. 

Each of the Dread Penny Society books include two Penny Dreadful tales along with the main story which makes it so much fun! Loved all the Irish references in this one. And, yay for a dashing Irish hero who thinks he's anything but dashing. Brogan considers himself as a foot soldier among a society of leaders and I love how he got his chance to shine in his very own story. 

The romance is sweet, slowly percolating in the background and just when you think it can't get more perfect...splat...that potential happily-ever-after takes a nose dive. Great romantical pacing with the perfect balance of highs and lows.

Add some intrigue in the form of some truly despicable villains and the stand-up-and-cheer moment when they are defeated and, well, I'm just gobsmacked and blissfully happy. Even if the suspense isn't totally wrapped up in a neat little bow because that means more Dread Penny Society books in my future! Woohoo!!!!!

Please Note: While not a Christian Fiction novel, this is a clean read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice. 

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Merchant and the Rogue, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 4 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!