Title: A Lady on the Edge of Ruin
Author: Lotte R. James
Published: November 2023
Genre: Historical Romance, Harlequin Historical, Mills & Boon Historical, Age-Gap Romance

Blurb:

A forbidden romance sizzling with scandal and seduction

A passion that could destroy her reputation

But save her heart!

Since the traumatic events of her first Season, Lady Mary Spencer’s been wary of Society. Tired of feeling angry and bitter, at a seemingly innocuous garden party, she lets her guard down with Luca Guaro. The charming Itaian rogue also abhors the ton’s dictates and becomes a much-needed light in Mary’s life. A liaison with Luca would be scandalous, so why is she so tempted to head to the brink of ruin...?

My Review:

Oh I can’t recommend this book enough! I loved everything about it from the beginning to the end!

Alright, at first I was so reluctant to read it because I’m not a big fan of age gap romances where the heroine is older but, oh, Lotte R. James has totally changed my mind with this book.

Where to begin? Let’s meet the characters. We have a very tender and kind hero, Luca, a companion of Lady Granville, and Lady Mary, a perfect society lady. When I first glimpsed Mary’s characters, she sounded like a mean lady but I knew there must be a story underneath and I was right. She hides her true self for her family, to avoid any scandal that might threaten her family. Oh, I felt sorry for her. She longs to be herself, to express her feelings but she can’t. She has to be strong and unafraid. She has to be the perfect society lady. On the other hand, Luca, despite his lack of title and wealth, warmed my heart and Mary’s with his tenderness and kindness.

Luca is attracted to Mary even though he knows he can’t be with Mary yet he keeps on pursuing her. When Mary is in need of help, Luca is always there to help her and Mary begins to break down her strong wall before him, just to be herself. I loved when Mary reveals her jealousy and she is on the verge of crying and Luca runs after her and soothes her. Ah that was sweet. I was so caught up in the romantic journey of Luca and Mary, but their journey isn’t without bumps. Mary has to deal with her trauma and also her friends and her scandalous secret. Just when I thought that her happy ending was near, I was taken aback into more emotional turmoil of how Mary has to sacrifice her happiness.

Well Lotte R. James’s writing has the power to bring out all emotions within me. The traumatic past that Mary and her friends experienced, the heartbreaking issue between her and Luca, the heart-warming family ties and the friendship that Lady Granville offers to Luca. It is all emotionally powerful and touching. If Lotte ever offers to review her next book, I’m definitely in! Thank you, Lotte R. James, for the e-arc which I volunteered to review.

Rate: 5 of 5

About the Author

Lotte R. James trained as an actor and theatre director, but spent most of her life working day jobs crunching numbers while dreaming up stories of love and adventures. She’s thrilled to finally be writing those stories, and when she’s not scribbling on tiny pieces of paper, she can usually be found wandering the countryside for inspiration or nestling with coffee and a book. You can reach her on Twitter https://twitter.com/lottejamesbooks.