A great start to the new series and a successful change of genre by the author! The plot is very well written, fast-paced and dark with lots of emotion, intrigue, mystery, action, danger, secrets, lies and a budding romance, that captivated me from the start. I really like the narrative from many different perspectives, as it increases the suspense and the reader finds himself in the middle of the action. The characters are complex and very likable (despite Adrian’s past and Samantha’s assignment), their inner conflicts are palpable and they fit together wonderfully.
Since the story is a serial, the ending is open and I am already looking forward to the next part!

Bow Street Chief Constable Peter Kendrick is on the case of the Mayfair serial killer who murdered several promiscuous young ladies of Society, but all his leads come to nothing. In order to save his job and that of his superior, he is instead tasked to investigate Adrian Croft and is given a member of Harlowe's espionage ring to assist him.
Adrian Croft is the heir to the much dreaded House of Croft, a family business and legacy built on decades of illegal operations and trade in secrets. For years, he was involuntarily the enforcer of his brutal father. When he dies unexpectedly, Adrian becomes the newly minted King of Portman Square, but instead of following his father’s footsteps, he finally sees the chance to withdraw from the illicit activities and start a quiet life with his younger sister Evie. But then the innocent Evie becomes the victim of the serial killer and Adrian decides to take up the hunt himself, even if it means reactivating the family business.
Since being rescued from the orphanage by Harlowe as a child, Samantha Carmichael has been trained with other girls to be an elite spy. When she is assigned to secretly infiltrate Adrian Croft’s household for Bow Street and find evidence of his illegal activities, she gladly accepts, but the closer she gets to the man, the less she believes that Adrian is the monster everyone thinks he is. So she decides to support him on the hunt for his sister's murderer...

If you love a great mystery story with a morally gray hero and a strong, capable heroine that keeps you guessing, this book is for you!

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.

A Vengeful King Rises by Sophie Barnes
House of Croft #1

Murder, intrigue, spies, criminals, revenge and the potential for romance are all in this new series that had me reading till 2am. Not a typical Sophie Barnes historical romance but just my cup of tea!

What I liked:
* Adrian: strong, resilient, bright, protective, loving brother, raised by “tough” father to take over the generational crime syndicate, has dreams that are upended, rather taken with Samantha
* Samantha: orphan, fostered and trained to be a covert asset, strong lethal, more than what she seems, dedicated to her mission, has her eyes opened and grows a lot during the story
* Evie: Adrian’s younger sister, sweet, charming, didn’t deserve what happened to her
* Murry: Adrian’s valet…and much more – intriguing and hope to see more of him
* Edward: Adrian’s best friend, loves Evie from afar, intriguing, would like to see more of him
* That Adrian the serial killer of women in the ton is eventually rooted out with and dealt with
* The twist at the end that has me eager to read book two and see how it will all work out
* The shades of gray
* Understanding why Adrian made the tough choices he did
* Knowing that there is another book to look forward to

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* The serial killer
* The men in charge of the Nightingale Project
* Having to wait for the next book

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

What a read!! This was completely different from Sophie Barnes' usual romance novels, but it was thoroughly engrossing. Between the murders of allegedly immoral young women, and the mission the female protagonist (Samantha Carmichael) has concerning the male protagonist (Adrian Croft). Her boss wants Croft brought down, but feelings develop between her and her mark. Yes, they end up together (spoiler) BUT it does not lead to happily-ever-after. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. I'm eager to see where things will go.

Sophie Barnes successfully stepped out of just being a historical romance novelist. Now she has added historical mystery to her repertoire, and I look forward to more.

Thanks to NetGalley for access to this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The start of a new series from this author that is different to other things I have read by her. This was as well written as her normal books and full of brilliant characters who are complex and intriguing. The situations and motivations and not the usual black and white answers. It also finishes on a bit of what would be called a cliff hanger leaving lots of things unfinished and lots of answers to come in the future books. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

More, MORE Please!!! It has been a long time since I've read this type of book, Thanks to Sophie Barnes and Netgalley, I was able to enjoy a Regency book again!! I'm really looking forward to reading more about Adrian and Samantha and all the mysteries they will come across. I wish I could give this one more than 5 stars!! Highly recommend!!

3.25/5 stars

This is the second in series (but the first full-length) historical mystery from a historical romance author.

As heir to an underworld empire in London, Adrian Croft, who was raised and abused by a domineering father, dreams of quitting the family’s shady business. But following a tragic event, he finds himself having to put his family’s vicious reputation and connections to use in helping to find a vicious killer. Meanwhile, Samantha Carmichael, who was rescued from an abysmal orphanage, finds herself raised as a peer’s ward to become an elite spy. Her first assignment? Find the goods on Adrian for an arrest.

As Samantha goes undercover, she grows close to Adrian and begins to see that he is more than his father was and that he is conflicted by some of his choices. She decides to aid him in his sleuthing endeavors and finds herself falling for him.

I had two problems with this book. First, it didn’t hold my attention well. I think that it was a combination of a lack of action and not feeling a connection to the characters. And second, I didn’t feel what I had expected to feel from a romance author, a real spark between the mains. In fact, the romance almost felt like an afterthought, and I didn’t feel the chemistry as I expected to. Yes, it IS a mystery, but I gather that the romantic aspect wants to be an equal opportunity player, and I just didn’t get that zing from that corner.

I realize that this is a new genre for this author, and I hope as the series picks up there will be some improvements in certain areas.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley for providing the free early arc of A Vengeful King Rises for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

This is the first book in the new House of Croft series and what a great start. The characters were well written with a storyline that kept me turning the page. It was full of suspense, action and budding emotions of both love and hate. It was on the darker side but I have read many other historical mysteries that are much more gruesome. I felt the murders were well written without to much detail but enough for the reader to understand the mind of the murderer and the heartache of the families. I enjoyed the mystery of the characters with their secrets and their similar strengths but was disappointed in the end although I release this is a set-up for the rest of the series.i look forward to the next in the series. I received this as an ARC and freely give my review.

Sophie Barnes steps out of her lane....

And into the fast lane of murder, mystery and compromised characters.
Samantha. Her mission? Take down the Croft family.
Adrian Croft. His goal? Revenge.

Samantha has spent her life in service, but for spying and clandestine information gathering. Love her. Love, love her. No shy maiden, she is clever and ruthless.

Adrian Croft thought he wanted a sedate, normal, legal life. Instead, when his sister is murdered, he's on a rampage to find her serial killer. That thirst for revenge blinds him to well, everything. And the one thing he never saw coming was Samantha.

Ends in a cliffhanger. This is a series...
Recommend.

Adrian Croft dreams of quitting the shady business he stands to inherit, of settling down, and of raising a family free from a life of crime. But when tragedy strikes, this fanciful dream is destroyed. All he wants now is revenge. Yet when he meets Samantha Carmichael, his perception changes. However, Samantha is not the person he believes her to be, as she has been trained for covert operations and her task is to find evidence to prosecute him. As they begin to work together to solve a crime, Samantha wonders if she can hold onto her goal, if she finds herself falling in love with him.
A definite swing away from Sophie Barnes traditional romance novels, as this one has a mysterious side to it. I must admit that as soon as I finished the last chapter, which has a cliffhanger, I looked for the second book in the series. I found both characters of Adrian and Samantha, thoroughly engaging, each hiding secrets from the other but obviously hoping that they have found the ONE. This book had it all, with plenty of action, mystery with a touch of romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Vengeful King Rises by Sophie Barnes is an amazing historical mystery starring Samantha Carmichael and Adrian Croft. Samantha has been trained her entire life to spy for her country when the need arises but now that the wars are over, she has to take up lesser missions to prove her worth. In order to help the Bow Street police save face, she’s tasked with uncovering the illegal money-making schemes employed by the Croft family.

Seduce and destroy. That’s her mantra.

Adrian Croft has always longed to step out of his father’s shadow and live an honest, peaceful life devoid of any criminal activities. But when his sister, the happiness of his life, is one of the ladies who has been murdered by a serial killer, he must go back to his roots and catch him before he hurts any more people.

After all, 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙡.

My thoughts
I loved this book. It was amazing how Sophie spun a story with the strongest FL and the traumatised, morally grey ML with murder, suspense, romance and finally, betrayal.

This book ends on a cliffhanger and while I hate cliffhangers and was quite angry with Sophie for ending the book at the most vulnerable stage of their relationship, it just means there’s more to come and October can’t some soon enough.

The mystery aspect of the story was impressive and Sophie’s intriguing take on good and evil made this book a 5 🌟 for me.

Love is portrayed as a powerful thing that can even shift loyalties and make a person untrained to question, question. Two broken people who have long stopped dreaming find each other and vow to protect the other.

Question is, will they be able to do so? With all the secrets they’re hiding?

Great start for a new series! Multigeneration crime family. Murder. Betrayal. Spies. Vengeance. Passion. Heartbreak. Loyalty. Secrets. Love? All in Regency England.

A compelling story with a dark side to it, not the normal for Sophie Barnes. Love the different direction the writer has taken. Adrian Croft has been brought up to takeover his family legacy, one he has tried to resist. His father was determined to have his only son takeover and if the meant he needed to teach him the hard way, so be it! Once his father passed away Adrian thought he could leave that life behind. Enjoy the Ton with his sister, but evil lurks on the streets of Mayfair. And Adrian beloved sister is murdered. All that he had hope to leave in the past he will now need to get the revenge he craves.
Samantha and her sisters of her heart are rescued from the orphanage. Their foster parents are raising them to be secret agents for the Crown. Finally after years of training Samantha has her first assignment, to find evidence to bring down the new heir to the Croft legacy. As she makes her way through the various Ton events she manages to cross paths with Adrian, but what her superiors told her about Adrian isn’t the man she is beginning to get to know.
The characters are very well developed and Samantha character reminds me of “Charlie’s Angels”. Very intriguing story that ends in a cliffhanger, which fits perfectly with the story. Can’t wait to read the continuation of Samantha and Adrian story.
Thank you for the ARC, all opinions expressed are my own. #AVengefulKingRises
#HouseofCroft #SophieBarnes

Loved reading the captivating and engaging story. When Adrian's sister is murdered, he wants to find the person responsible; meanwhile, Samantha's assignment is gain Adrian's trust. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting story by the phenomenal author, Sophie Barnes.

I enjoyed this new series starter. In it, we have Adrian Croft, the unwilling heir to an evil empire who wants to leave it all behind and live a good life, but a family tragedy puts him back on the dark path he is trying to escape. Samantha Carmichael is an orphan who a secret group trains to be a weapon in fighting for the Crown. She is assigned to bring down Adrian Croft, but as she spends more and more time working with him she begins to question if he is what she has been told he is.

The story is dark, but, also, fascinating. I look forward to seeing what will happen in the next book. 4-1/2 stars

I received an ARC for free and gave my honest opinion voluntarily.

This is an intriguing new series. It starts with brutal crimes so there is an ominous feeling throughout this Regency mystery. The hero and heroine are different from traditional historic mysteries with a romance mixed in. Adrian is the heir of a crime family who lives among the elites. People suspect that they are criminals, but no one has proof. However, Adrian wants to live a moral life, but a terrible crime forces him to seek revenge while accessing his dark side.

Samantha is part of a group of orphan girls who have been trained to be a secret band of agents for the government. Yet the French wars are over so now their skills are going to be used against the English elites. She’s given the task to get to know Adrian and find out his secrets. She is hiding her fighting skills and Adrian thinks she’s just an attractive and intriguing young lady. They start working together to figure out who is murdering young women of the ton.

However, just as it seems that things are going to be wrapped up nicely, the book ends with a cliffhanger for both the romance and for part of the mysterious details! Oof! However, I enjoyed this book so I’ll be happy to read the next one. I just hope it doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. I’m expecting to see more books using the other women in Samantha’s group of agents.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Tropes: MFC/MMC play cat-and-mouse; murder mystery; MMC and MFC both have tortured pasts
Steam level: 1-2 (but many of the steamy situations aren't exactly savory)
First in a series

TW's: young women duped and killed by a sexual psychopath

This is a major departure for this writer, and though it's a bit dark for my tastes, it did keep me reading. It also manages to be pretty subversive, even for the HR/mystery genre. It's heavier on the suspense and violence than the romance, and don't look for an HEA or sexy consummation scene (the book ends on a big cliffhanger). There's plenty of of dramatic irony to to had; you know early on that nothing will quite go to plan when a likable secondary character connected to one of the MC's is brutally murdered.

Adrian and Samantha are both compelling. Samantha is smart, strong, lethal, and for the most part I actually bought into her almost-but-not-quite-superwoman abilities. Adrian is very much an antihero, and I appreciated the author's attempts to keep a balance between his dark and light sides, although there were a couple scenes that did turn me off (when he brutally beat the second innocent man in the book it was pretty OTT). The POV changes increase the sense that you are piecing a puzzle together, with the caveat that it does leave the book open to inconsistencies. For example, at one point Adrian is brooding about how his father had trained him to use violence only in self defense--yet the book opens with him brutalizing a hapless club owner at his father's behest. So apparently the use of violence is determined by the victim's social class? Another scene told from the killer's POV has him annoyed with a couple of unidentified women whose descriptions sound like Samantha and her friend, but it's murky; the significance of the scene is hard to discern. Also, at first Samantha's adoptive father, Harlowe, seems protective and ruminates about her falling into Adrian's clutches sexually; later in the book that protectiveness disappears. Are there scenes missing from Harlow's POV that will come up in the next book?

One of the biggest ironies--intended by the author or not--is that the scenes involving the killer with his victims are more sexually graphic than the super slow-burn scenes between Adrian and Samantha. As a reader, it definitely made me feel uneasy, almost like a voyeur. This brings an extra layer of darkness to the book that, again, sets it apart from most HR's.

Even though I pretty much got burned out on serial killer books way back in the early 2000's, when the suspense genre got obsessed with different ways to depict women being brutalized and I got more into HR's, I admire the way the author constructed this plot and draws you in. This is, overall, an intelligent book, and I wasn't able to guess the killer, so I can't rate it less than 4 stars. I'm not sure I'll continue with the second book, as it moves on to a different killer, but I have to give the author kudos for writing something so out of the ordinary for the genre.

I enjoy Sophie Barnes’ romances, but this new series is not for me. Not only is it darker than I like, but I can’t keep track of all the POV characters. It reads more like a crime thriller than a mystery to me, with a diffuse plot rather than a straightforward whodunnit. I’m sure others will love this book, but I’m not the target audience.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This was an excellent start to a new historical fiction series. The characters were well developed, even if they weren't all perfect. The plot had mystery, action, deceit, romance, and of course some drama. I was completely engrossed in finding out what happened. Not loving the HUGE cliff hanger at the end though. Definitely looking forward to the next book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderful new series by Sophie Barnes that had me gobsmacked. This is the 3rd book in the last month that I have read where the hero is really a VERO (villian+hero), a hero with a dark and dangerous soul and I like it.

Adrien tries so hard to break the mold, to live with hope for a life that is very different from the one he's born into. A series of murders, which includes his sister, puts him back on the darker side. In the meantime, you have Samantha a spy sent to bring down Adrien, instead they combine efforts to bring down the killer and solve the murders.

Cannot wait to read more to see how the dynamics and relationship between Adrien and Samantha changes.

A great departure for Sophie Barnes from her usual writing of romance novels. Adrian is the unwitting heir to a crime family. He wants to cease operations until a tragedy occurs and he realizes that he is unable to. Samantha is tasked to bring Adrian down. During their time, they work together to bring down an enemy. Each holds onto their secrets tightly but are learning to relay on each other.

I enjoyed the intricacies of the story and the storyline. I can’t wait for it to continue.