I really loved this charming, fast-paced, Regency romance. Lord of Vice is the final book in Erica Ridley's Rogues to Riches (6 Book Series), and while the characters and events overlap with other books in the series, it is written so that it can be enjoyed on its own or as your first foray into this series. I do recommend reading the entire series.

I adored both our hero, Maxwell Gideon, and our heroine, Bryony Grenville, as well as their friends and family. This book features lots of laughs and witty banter in a generally uplifting story.

I tend to enjoy books where the heroine disguises herself as a male to have adventures, and I feel like that trope was used to particularly good effect here. I also loved that, in addition to seeing the romance bloom, we got to see Max and Bryony working together, using their intelligence and persistence to bring about positive changes to their society.

This is such a feel-good story, I can see myself rereading it from time to time, and I don’t reread books very often. Highly recommended.

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review. Because I have not seen the final published version, I cannot comment on the final editing and formatting. The ARC I received was well-written and neatly formatted; I noticed only a few proofreading errors, which may have been corrected before publication. If not, the errors were sufficiently minor and infrequent enough that I doubt they would interfere with most readers' enjoyment of the book.

A wealthy man, but he came from the working class and now needs to reach just one more goal to accomplish his plan of success.
A woman with musical talent, but who prefers to invest her money in something more profitable than staying at home embroidering.

Two tough-headed people, who did not search for romance, but ended up having their paths crossed... and fell in love.

They came from different worlds, but their hearts recognized one another as equals.
How could Maxwell Gideon think of taking Bryany's chance to find a worthy husband?
How would Bryany convince Max that they were perfect for each other?

The last book in the series, with a wonderful couple and a perfect plot.
5 stars

3 1/2 stars for me. The first half of the book had me suspending belief too much. Bryony was supposedly attending ton functions, yet was at the Cloven Hoof every night. Plus she was always going places without a chaperone with ease. The fact that Max let her in and stay without knowing anything about her didn't sound feasible either. I will admit I loved the 2nd half of the book and the way Bryony and Frances acted with each other. The 2nd half of the book was what made the 1st half worth reading. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I has been a huge fan of the Rogues to Riches series from the beginning. This story is about Vice merchant Maxwell Gideon who is handsome and ruthless. The rumor has it, that his gaming hell has the power to steal peoples souls and also grant circles. But the really truth is that Max only owns half of The Cloven Hoof. He wants to buy his partner out but does not know who owns the other half of the Cloven Hoof. Now comes in Miss Bryony Grenville who is actually secretly financing the ton’s most infamous gambling place. I really loved this book. I always like it when the heroine gets away with something big.

Lord of Vice is (apparently) the last entry in Erica Ridley's Rogues to Riches series, in which remaining unmarried Grenville sister, Bryony, becomes involved with Maxwell Gideon, the owner of gambling den The Cloven Hoof. It is considered a stand-alone story, but I would have found it difficult to follow had I not read all of the other books in the series. I felt that the character development of both Max and Bryony was superficial. In all of the previous books, Max was a dark, ruthless businessman who took no prisoners. In this book, he is brooding (at first) but quickly warms up to Bryony and unsuccessfully hides his heart of gold. How did that happen? And why did he fall for her, even though she really had not much in her favor, other than dressing like a boy, having a mind for business, and musical ability? As in the previous stories of the Grenville siblings, the parents are the antagonists because they want their children to procure socially acceptable mates. There is one sexually explicit scenario toward the end of the book.
The plot is fast moving, with no tired damsel-in-distress/kidnaping/miscommunication themes. Ridley's writing style is enjoyable, with no discernible errors. For these reasons, I give the book 4 stars.

Loved it!

Over the past few books we have seen the wicked Lord of Vice Maxwell Gideon preside over his exclusive gambling den The Cloven Hoof. Created to provide a club for men who were ostracised from the elite gambling hells, the Cloven Hoof has now become one of the most popular clubs where membership is purely at Maxwell's discretion. He's built a thriving business and has a hand in many pies but his sole aim is to buy out his silent partner so that he can truly be beholden to no man, if he only he knew his identity.

Similarly we have seen Miss Bryony Grenville as a brilliant financial wizard, investing wisely and using the profits to donate anonymously to her sister's school. She is ready to cash out her investment in the Cloven Hoof, brokered by her brother, until Maxwell's offer is so much higher than he should be able to afford that she becomes suspicious, has he been holding out on her all these years? In disguise she enters The Cloven Hoof only to be discovered by Maxwell.

Maxwell is blissfully unaware of the identity of his mysterious visitor, by turns vexing and intriguing she has a keen mind and a brilliant grasp of business. But as Bryony's mother becomes more strident in her demands for Bryony to get married to a suitable member of the aristocracy can there ever been anything more between the son of a dock worker and a member of the ton?

I'm a sucker for a clever woman romance, especially if her hero is a clever man and these two were just great together and apart. Even their disagreements were clever because they showed how others can misconstrue our intentions.

Erica Ridley writes lovable heroines, glorious heroes, wonderful families and she has surpassed herself with this one.

I received a free copy of this book from the author via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I’ve read other books in this series and love these characters. This book focuses on Bryony, one of the Grenville siblings and Maxwell Gideon, owner of The Cloven Hoof, a gambling club.

Both Bryony and Maxwell have things to learn from one another because of the social class difference between them. At first I wasn’t sure I would like Bryony but ended up really liking her character. She held her own against Max, reaching out to him out of love but also not groveling and distancing herself when needed. Bryony was willing to make sacrifices to be with him. Max wants to be treated as an equal and has to work through the emotional damage of his past experiences to realize that he is not being looked down upon any longer but is accepted for who he is.

Bryony and Maxwell are well matched and are meant to be together.

This book was enjoyable and I looked forward to reading more from this author.

The Lord of Vice is not near as naughty as I thought it would be for an Erica Ridley book. That is not to say it is free of sensuality, because it is still delicious. Bryony is quite a character. She is bold and adventurous, quite overwhelming Max Gideon. Bryony is the youngest of the Grenville siblings and has watched those siblings find their matches. She has a hidden talent known only to her family. Music and numbers are her gift, as you will see as you enjoy reading.

Max has raised himself up with the help of his, unknown to him, silent partner. Part of the reason he chose to ‘build’ the club is revenge against those peers who would not allow him access to the aristocrat’s clubs. Max believes he has to totally own his building along with his club, The Cloven Hoof. He is determined to purchase the building that houses his club. Byrony truly invades his club and his life. He has no idea what to do with her, he just knows he wants to keep her in his life. Max, frequently, tells himself Byrony is out of his reach. He just cannot stop kissing her. All the time he knows and she keeps reminding him, her mother is determined to see her wed this season.

Max’s sister is a precious addition to their story. Francis is beautiful, kind and, also, smart. She makes her living sewing clothes and is determined to make her own way. Francis does not want to be dependent on her brother. Bryony and Francis become friends upon meeting. They have like minds and sharp brains.

This could be a stand-alone book easily, but I enjoyed reading it as part of the series. Erica Ridley is one of my favorite authors.

This is a sweet, romantic, entertaining and fun. Max is smart, determined, kind, charming and vulnerable. Bryony is smart, bold, impulsive and caring. Max has spent his life trying to overcome his meager beginnings and become a self made man. Starting with nothing but an idea and a loan from an anonymous investor he has almost reached his goal, but the investor holds the last thing he needs to accomplish his goal, the deed to his building. And no matter Max offers him, he is not interested in selling. Bryony wants to know if it's in her best interest to sell, or hold onto the title for her future, so she steals into Max's club to find out more about the business. She ends up finding out about not just the club, but the clubs sinfully sexy owner. They have to fight their attraction, knowing nothing can come of it, but it becomes harder the more they learn about each other. The storyline, main characters and secondary characters make this book a must read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

I have read one other book by Erica Ridley and didn't care for it. This one started off well for me as it caught my interest but it went downhill about halfway through the book and I had to push myself to finish it. The characters are well developed and the story line is good. Mysterious, hot, sexy, alpha male clashing with a brilliant female character create a good story line for a romance obviously. I like that the author shows that the women in the stories are talented, smart and skilled even though that was not considered to be qualities a woman wanted or needed in regency England. I think I lost interest when Byronny just did whatever she felt like and whenever she wanted. If she was truly a proper young woman as she is supposed to be then she would not have been sneaking out every night in men's clothes. Her parents would have eventually caught her and she wouldn't have been going to the pawn shop on a regular basis to sell her jewels and other belongings just as a few examples. Her mother was an absolute wretch throughout the story and Ridley can make you want to hate her but then she does a complete turn around suddenly at the end and it just seemed to be a quick solution for solving the issue before the end of the book. I didn't dislike the book and I am not bashing the author so spare me your comments. It was just ok.
I received an ARC from NetGalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance copy exchange for an honest review
This story was cute, sweet, and basically unmemorable. The characters are nice enough, but there's no real tension or frisson, no real twist, nothing to really keep the story moving but so fast. A basic three stars

What an absolutely perfect end to this series! I have read each of the novels in this series (although, don't be mislead, you do NOT have to have done so yourself in order to understand and enjoy this one), and they never fail to disappoint!

Max and Bryony were evenly matched both in their stubbornness and in their feelings for each other (and about society as a whole). I loved the way these two verbally sparred with each other, and watching their bemusement turn into affection was truly a joy to watch. I also very much enjoy the way the author doesn't hold back from the realities of the time, they were very unevenly matched in terms of how society viewed them, and there was no shortage of people waiting to point this out. However, despite the odds being stacked against them, they still found a way to make things work.

There were a couple times where I did worry about their reaching a happily ever after due to the stubborn nature these two possessed. And while I understand a lot of their reasoning for what and why they did things (or why and how they reacted to other things), and while there were times I wanted to smack them both, I'm glad the author kept them true to themselves.

I do wish her mother hadn't been such a dragon, but again, its understandable why. The thing I am most sadden by is the fact that I do believe this is the last book in this particular series, and I have enjoyed getting to know all of these characters and getting to spend time in their world. I look forward to what is coming from this author next!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I don’t particularly care how impossible this pairing would have been at the time, Max and Bryony cracked open my gooey marshmallow heart and made it bleed. They’re both so far ahead of their time. Struggling against a restrictive society that doesn’t value them for being their true selves, only holds their shortcomings against them. But Max and Bryony see the soul of one another. They value each other exactly for those traits that society sees as faults. I had to force myself to slow down to read this, to properly immerse myself in their world. I so desperately wanted to see what it was going to take for this pair to defy the odds. It was also a wonderful tough to have the opportunity to check back in with so many of the couples we met earlier in the series.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book.

Lord of Vice (Rogues to Riches, #6) by Erica Ridley This is the final book in the series and I really enjoyed it. Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for letting me preview this book. This is Maxwell (Max) Gideon and Bryony Grenville's story. He is know as The Lord of Vice and dislikes the upper class and their rules ...she is the youngest daughter and feels she can never please her parents and does not want to be married off..she invested in his gambling den under a fictitious name. Then she buys the building and the fun begins... We get to touch base with the other Grenvilles and have lots of laughs, tears, some sex and a very HEA and an end to this series.

Another feisty "Erica Ridley created" lady far ahead of her time has become the silent and anonymous part owner of London’s infamous gambling establishment, The Cloven Hoof. Bryony Grenville is far more intelligent and has more business savvy than many of the wealthiest men of the TON. Still, tongues would wag if her secret ever got out.

Maxwell Gideon peddles vice and while not accepted in proper circles he has come a long way from the docks of London and now he wants to buy out his mysterious silent partner, if only he could find him. Little does he know, the intruder he found in his office late one night could be just the “man” he is looking for. He wasn’t a man at all, but a beautiful and daring young woman with a head for business and a firm hold on his heart.

How can Bryony keep the handsome devil in her arms when he discovers the truth?
Holy chemistry! Erica Ridley is back with one of her best historical romances yet! Humor, heat, heartbreak and other swoon-worthy affairs of the heart abound as the LORD OF VICE brings Ye Ole London back to life!

Ms. Ridley never fails to deliver romance with flair and characters that are deliciously perfect for each other! Feel the atmosphere of an era long gone, the frustrations of being a young lady with an independent streak that crackles like a live wire and a budding romance that sizzles with tension, passion and desire! It’s a safe bet to say this one is another must read for historical romance lovers who want a winning read!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Web Motion!

Series: Rogues to Riches - Book 6
Publisher: WebMotion (August 31, 2018)
Publication Date: August 31, 2018
Genre: Historical Romance
Print Length: 243 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

I found this story fun and lighthearted. Miss Bryony Grenville is one of the four Grenville siblings. They are talented but Bryony also loves math and does it well. She also likes to dabble in investments. Maxwell Gideon is the owner of the Cloven Hoof, a gambling establishment. He grew up poor and slowly worked his way up. He tries to help people who are about to lose their business or whatever they need.
The tale was easy to read and moved along very well. I loved when all the siblings got together, they teased each other and the music. Bryony is the last to get married. The characters interacted well with each other and you could see the camaraderie. The descriptions were great. I would highly recommend this book but it does have a touch of sex in it.
I received this ARC from the author and I voluntarily reviewed it.

Bryony, who is the daughter of a Baron, has a quick mind and sharp instincts in regards to business ventures that she has honed over the years due to her sneaking into her father’s study and reading the financial section of the newspaper. One of her secret business investments is in the gentlemen’s club the Cloven Hoof, procured by her brother, and Max, the owner, is not aware that his silent partner is a woman. Bryony, dressed as a lad, sneaks out of the house and goes to the club and is caught by Max. He comes to learn that she is very intelligent and is helping make some significant recommendations to the running of the club which are improving profits. The banter between the two of them is extremely well written and a lot of the times comical. Along the way she falls for Max and this just adds to the story. This is a great story that is well written and highly entertaining. I would highly recommend this book as a great read.

I truly looked forward to Max and Bryony's story, and I wasn't disappointed. These are two truly unique people and the story was so well crafted that I couldn't believe that it could have a positive ending. I was engaged completely until the end and am left to wonder who is next, possibly Frances and the Duke? I have to skip over the graphic sex to concentrate on the story, and then can highly recommend it.

This is one quick read and I really enjoyed it.

Maxwell and Bryony are perfect for each other and their chemistry is just palpable. I love their banters and even their simple conversation, I found enjoyable to read. It's also very refreshing to see a Hero in a Historical Romance who is not a duke or not a member of high society but have wealth thru his own abilities. Just like the heroine, who can have everything without hardship, yet wanted her freedom and refuse to let anyone dictate her life. And brave enough to run around in a lad's clothes. Their first meeting and those that followed were so cute with Bryony in a lad's clothes.

I love that their romance didn't right away turn into sexual part. It was developed in the right pace. Though I think this book is too short for me. That's one of the reason why I didn't give it a perfect rating. I think the story could be better if it was longer. It's not that it's shallow but somehow, the story was so easy to predict. Also I found some repetitive mention of some things by the same person. Which means the book can still be shorter if that was edited.

By the way, I read the ARC copy so some parts would surely be still edited. :)

Overally, I recommend this one. It's a quick read and the characters are very likeable. :)

Miss Bryony Grenville just wants someone to "see" her for what she really is--a mathematical genius with a flair for finding the right investment to make money, not a young woman searching for a husband. If Bryony had her way, she'd become an independent spinster who had control of her own life. Her mother, however, is determined to see her wed. When Bryony decides to learn more about her #1 investment, the Cloven Hoof, she sneaks into the gentlemen's club when no one was around. Unfortunately, the wickedly handsome Max Gideon decides to check the books that night and catches Bryony in his office.

I really enjoyed this book and especially the banter between Bryony and Max. Their attraction grew not only from the physical aspect, but from their conversations about increasing profits at the club. Max was the first man to respect Bryony's intellect and that led her to falling in love with him. With the class divide being a big obstacle for them to overcome, things looked bleak for the couple for most of the book. This was a quick read and fans of regency romances will definitely enjoy this story.