ARC Review: To Tame the Lyon by Sky Purington

About the Book:

Title: To Tame the Lyon

Author: Sky Purington

Series: The Lyon’s Den Connected World

Page Length: 152

Publication Date: March 24, 2021

Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Synopsis: Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

Can a woman and her daughter heal the broken heart of a grieving man? Or will ghosts of old keep him forever distanced?

When her rake of a husband promises her to another before he dies, Clara Ainsworth, Duchess of Surrey, has no choice but to seek out matchmaker Mrs. Dove-Lyon and the protection of another marriage. More so, she must trick her childhood love, Isaac, into a union, not just for her sake, but his. At one time, he had been there for her, so she’s determined to return the favor and see him free of his self-destructive ways.

Having suffered more loss than most, Isaac MacLauchlin, Marquess of Durham, frequents the Lyon’s Den to drown his grief in liquor. Or so he leads others to believe. In truth, he’s keeping tabs on his lost love, Clara. So, imagine his surprise, when she tricks him into a marriage contract to avoid the results of a pre-duel agreement. Naturally, he will protect her, but marrying her is another story. It might come at too high a risk to his wounded heart.

Will Isaac and Clara be able to find their way back to each other and deal with the madman who might be on his way? Find out as the past merges with the present in a tale of regret, forgiveness, and new beginnings.

LINKS:     Goodreads    |      Amazon   

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My Review:

When Clara learns that her husband promised her to another before his death in a duel, she knows she must take matters into her own hands and avoid the dangerous union at all costs. With the assistance of Mrs. Dove Lyon, owner of The Lyon’s Den, Clara gains the help of her childhood friend and first love.

Isaac has never forgotten his first love. Clara haunts his dreams, but believing he is cursed, Isaac does not want to give in to his long-standing feelings. He begrudgingly agrees to marry Clara. However, when she and her daughter move into Isaac’s home and they begin to plan their wedding, both find their long-standing love hard to ignore.

A wonderful second-chance romance, To Tame the Lyon is a fabulous addition to The Lyon’s Den universe. This story focuses much less on The Lyon’s Den and more on the relationship between Clara and Isaac, which I love. Childhood friends turned potential love interests, theirs is a long and complicated relationship filled with miscommunication, self-doubt, and meddlesome family members. They have such an amazing connection, and I love how they slowly let their guard down and embrace their feelings again.

I also like how the characters reflect on and discuss what happened in the past and begin to see the story from each other’s point-of-view. They learn a lot about each other and the people who influenced their lives, which helps them heal and move on. Isaac has never stopped loving Clara, and her realization of this is empowering. Clara determines to convince Isaac that he is not cursed and that he deserves a life filled with love and happiness. With the help of her young, kind, and enthusiastic daughter, Clara slowly breaks the wall Isaac has erected. They have a tremendous bond, and I so adore their love story.

I also like the secondary characters in the story. Clara’s daughter is an absolute delight, and her bubbly and happy personality is infectious. She is instrumental in breaking through Isaac’s wall, and her energetic and innocent wonder is wonderful. Clara’s maid/friend and Isaac’s cousin/best friend are great characters as well, and I love the part they play in bringing Clara and Isaac together.

To Tame the Lyon is a wonderful story of new beginnings, true love, hope, and rediscovery. With dynamic characters and a lovely second-chance romance, this story is perfect for lovers of historical romance. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Dragonblade Publishing, and Sky Purington for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The romance! It’s a lovely angst-filled, second-chance romance!

• The secondary characters.

• The messages about starting over and finding love again.

Recommendations:

Want to learn more about The Lyon’s Den universe? Check out my review of some of the other books in the series: