A Lady’s Revenge (When the Blood Is Up)
To all appearances, Lady Lydia Somerset is one of the many young women at Regency balls and soirees looking for a husband. However, Lady Lydia has discovered the art of pugilism and has taken up the sport. Her goal is to take revenge on three men who raped her as a child in the belief that virgin blood would cure syphilis.
Lydia’s new neighbor, John Arthur, is a gutter kid who has gotten rich on the London Stock Exchange. He is also a star prizefighter. When Bess, Lydia’s female trainer, is lured away by one of the men on Lydia’s revenge list, she reluctantly takes on John as her new trainer. At first Lydia and John keep their emotional distance. Lydia wants to hide her past experience, and John believes a relationship with an aristocrat is unthinkable. But boxing is a contact sport, and the attraction between the two cannot be denied.
There are many side characters in this story, which might be distracting for some. I loved the character of Bess and can’t wait to read her story. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy romances with a strong female protagonist.
