The Viscount and the Thief is a delightful Regency romance packed with intrigue, secrets, and a touch of revenge that keeps you turning pages late into the night. Emma Orchard has masterfully crafted a story where tension and romance intertwine against the backdrop of the mysterious Wyverne Hall.

Sophie Delavallois is a compelling heroine. Her determination and sense of justice are admirable, but it’s her vulnerability and the way she navigates her complex feelings for Lord Drake that truly make her relatable. Lord Drake himself is the perfect mix of brooding hero and compassionate man, and their chemistry is undeniable.

The setting of Wyverne Hall adds a gothic flair to the story, with its haunting secrets and familial undercurrents. The narrative moves at a brisk pace, especially as Sophie’s true motives begin to unfold and collide with her growing affection for Drake. The twist surrounding the family’s hidden truths was cleverly done, keeping the suspense alive without overshadowing the romance.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed the book, some secondary characters felt underdeveloped, and I would have loved a deeper exploration of the Dowager Marchioness, whose presence hinted at untold stories.

Overall, The Viscount and the Thief is a captivating tale of love, betrayal, and redemption that will appeal to fans of Regency romances with a dark edge. Emma Orchard has delivered a memorable story that left me eager to read more of her work.

This review is being posted as part of The Viscount And The Thief blog tour hosted by Rachel’s Random Resources.

The Viscount And The Thief is the latest compelling regency romance from author Emma Orchard.
One of the things which I think really sets Emma Orchard apart from other regency romance authors is what an incredible storyteller and wordsmith she is. Her compelling writing immerses you in the setting of Wyverne Hall and the narrative was perfectly paced, leaving the reader hooked from cover to cover.

The focus of the narrative is shared between the blossoming romance between Sophie and Rafe and Sophie’s plans to steal back her family heirloom, driven by a desire for revenge against Rafe’s father. This second aspect to the plot really added something different to a genre which more typically focuses on the world of debutantes and balls. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if Sophie would succeed in her revenge and if Rafe would be a useful ally or her ruin.

Emma Orchard writes strong female protagonists beautifully and Sophie was no exception. She was feisty, headstrong and far from the typical wallflower you often see in a regency romance. Our handsome MMC is Rafe, Lord Drake. He initially appeared as your typically brooding regency hero but had a beautiful sweet side to him under the surface. The way he talked to and about Sophie just warmed my heart.

Sophie and Rafe had brilliant chemistry and the sexual tension between the two of them was palpable, particularly in the earlier chapters when they are trying to resist their mutual attraction. The spicy scenes were well written, varied and well placed throughout the plot.

Overall, The Viscount And The Thief is another fantastic steamy regency romp from Emma Orchard, perfect if you like a crime element to your books and a good long-overdue revenge plot against someone who most definitely deserved it.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Level: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ / 5 (Explicit Open Door)

I have posted an extended review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk

*Thank you to Emma Orchard, Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books and NetGalley.

Sophie Delavallois is an expert in disguise, and this new role is only the latest when she becomes a lady’s companion to the dowager marchioness of the Wyverne family. She has an ulterior motive, to bring the Wyverne family down for the crime that has forced her to a life of crime and thievery. However, when she does finally meet the marquis’ heir, Lord Drake, he is not the evil person she assumes him to be, given his father. He is very loving and protective of his grandmother who is one hundred years old and still very lucid. I liked the grandmother very much; such a wise lady who dispenses advise as and when required to both her companion and grandson. Overall, an interesting read.

Emma Orchard is a new author for me and I hope to read more from her soon. I received an ARC from the publishers and NetGalley with thanks and submit my honest review voluntarily.

Who can resist a Regency romance filled with revenge and a jewel heist? My first Emma Orchard novel won’t be my last.

In a time where reputation is tantamount to success or ruination, Sophie’s strength and steadfast mission to take back what is hers is commendable. She is a resilient woman with a tragic and tumultuous past. Eight years ago, her life crumbled under circumstances that forced her into a world of crime and theft. Her desire for revenge against the despicable Lord Wyverne drives her to infiltrate his household, posing as a companion to the aging Dowager. This clever ploy reveals Sophie’s resourcefulness and determination, making her a relatable and admirable character.

Lord Drake “Rafe” is the son of Lord Wyverne, and he is nothing like his nasty father. His role is to protect his grandmother and siblings from his father’s nefarious dealings and acquaintances. I enjoy Rafe’s character as he reveals layers of complexity and kindness unhesitant in assisting Sophie in her mission of redemption. His journey of self-discovery and loyalty reveals his character’s depth and offers a fresh perspective on the consequences of family conduct.

The attraction between Sophie and Rafe is instant and surprising, considering the FMC is no longer an innocent debutante and the MMC is not your archetypical bad boy. In addition, the home of Lord Wyverne is an astonishing dark atmosphere of debauchery and depravity that holds some erotic undertones.

Rafe’s 100-year-old grandmother, Delphine, is a lovely supporting character who gives sage advice to both protagonists. Though Rafe’s brother Charles appears toward the end of the book, he’s welcome comic relief for all of the seriousness of the book.

The Viscount and the Thief is a must-read if you enjoy strong, compelling characters and a captivating story of redemption and rising above hopeless circumstances.

Thank you to Ms. Orchard for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

An enjoyable romp in this genre. Nicely characteristic and told well. Well constructed with good grammar.

The protagonists are a strong, smart, and independent heroine and a loyal, generous, and protective hero in a story full of passion and intrigue. Sophie Delavallois is a young woman who takes a job as companion to the Dowager Marchioness with every intention to get her revenge for what happened to her family, and Lord Drake, the Viscount of Wyverne, has always known the shame that his family name brings and only returns home to visit his grandmother.

Sophie is a thief, but she has also a more complex past that leads her to Wyverne mansion with a clear and well-thought out plan to get her revenge against the Marquess who destroyed her family. However, when she meets Lord Drake and their attraction keeps growing, that plan becomes more complicated. Lord Drake knows that his father’s cruel and repulsive behaviour has brought only shame and isolation to the family and he would do anything to protect those he cares about, including Sophie.

If you are looking for a Regency romance with lots of spice and a bit of mystery, then The Viscount and the Thief is the right read for you. It has enemies to lovers, fake identity, a heroine looking for revenge and with a plan for a heist, close proximity, and quite a few steamy scenes!

Full of romance, secrets, twists and turns, and so much more, "The Viscount and the Thief" is an intriguing Regency Romance! Fully immersed in the world of the story, I found myself reading late into the night to see what was going to happen next, and how everything would connect.

Firstly, such a beautiful cover!

Emma Orchard's writing is immersive, and she seamlessly weaves each aspect of her story into a novel that is simply impossible to put down. Every element jumps off of the page; from location, to characterization, to the plot itself, I truly felt like I had traveled back in time and was right there during the time period.

When Sophie takes a job as a companion at the Wyverne home, she has reasons and motives of wanting to get back at them for harm done to those she cares about. However, when Lord Drake (the heir of the family) comes home and also wants to protect those he cares about from the unkind members of his family, neither could he nor Sophie have imagined what will spark between them. Full of streamy moments, hidden motives, questions of whom really knows what and when, deep emotion, recognition, and building trust between someone where it is least expected, this novel truly has so much in it. What happens? You will just have to read to find out!

I highly recommend this book! I so look forward to reading what Ms. Orchard writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and Emma Orchard for the e-ARC of this novel, and to Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and Emma Orchard for having me on the blog tour! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Like many people, I have really enjoyed the recent Bridgerton series. I’ve read all the books in the series and of course I’m a big fan of Jane Austen too. So it’s fair to say I do enjoy a bit of Regency Romance. And yes, I very much enjoyed this one too.

Sophie isn’t your typical Regency heroine. Her aim isn’t to marry but rather to avenge the wrongs done to her family by the Wyvernes. So it’s rather inconvenient that she is attracted to Lord Drake, the Viscount of the title. Despite himself, he is drawn to her too and it’s fair to say there are some passionate scenes in this book which would make Austen or Heyer blush!

Sophie was a great central character. She’s a strong woman who has many skills perhaps not befitting a lady! While hiding her true identity, she takes on a position as companion to the elderly Dowager Marchioness. I really enjoyed reading about the relationship between these two. Despite her advanced age, the dowager was very sharply witted and knew exactly who Sophie really was. Our hero Rafe is all a Regency hero should be. Brooding and handsome with a complicated relationship with his father (gosh he was horrible!) but devoted to his grandmother.

The Viscount and the Thief is a really entertaining read, a proper Regency romp! There’s tension of various kinds, secrets, danger, intrigue, villains to hate, protagonists to root for and of course passion. if you are a fan of historical fiction with strong female characters, this is a book for you.

BOOK: VISCOUNT AND THE THIEF
AUTHOR: EMMA ORCHARD
PUB DATE: NOVEMBER 2024
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REVIEW- 2.5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I read and liked the previous book in this series, so I was eager to try this out. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same experience with this one. I didn't really like this. I liked the characters just fine, but there was no drama!
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The title, the synopsis, and the beginning of the book promised drama, but it fell short for me. I was expecting all he'll would let loose after discovering who the thief was, but it was not the case and it was disappointing. And I didn't feel any chemistry between the main characters.
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I admired the FMC, Sophie, she and her family went through a lot and it was nice to see her as a survivor. I liked the MMC too, Rafe. I liked that he rose up his scandalous father.
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This book was just not it for me

Deception and revenge underpin this historical romance, which explores the sharp social divisions in early nineteenth-century society and its endemic undercurrent of immorality. Sophie manages to secure a companion position to the Dowager Marchioness of Wyvern. Her methods are deceitful, but her reasons are just. The Marquis of Wyvern is a libertine and revels in his notoriety. His wife is similarly minded, and these characters contrast with the Marquis' son, Drake, who avoids his father but seems unable to stop him from hurting others. The plot is complex and defined by betrayal, deceit, and revenge, but courage and love exist. I invested in the couple and disliked the villainous Marquis and his wife, although they remained shadowy figures and not relatable. The chemistry and emotion between Sophie and Drake are believable, and their passion reflects this.
I like the contrasts in this story, the passionate romance and the witty dialogue that balances the intrigue and sense of menace surrounding Sophie and Drake.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I was very excited for this book and I was not at all disappointed.

To keep it short and sweet and of course spoiler free I just want to say how much the author put time and thought into the well written story and how hooked I was from start to finish. The cover is absolutely beautiful and I would recommend anyone to give this book a go.

If you are a fan of Regency romance but are looking for a book with a bit of a twist beyond the usual romantic machinations of the haut ton, this might just be the book for you. There is a feisty heroine with a secret past and nefarious intentions, a broody leading man and some notorious villains to enjoy, alongside a spicy romance that will agitate the mildest of bloods.

Sophie is a displaced French aristocrat who has been done wrong and is out to avenge her family and right the wrongs done to them by the iniquitous Marquess of Wyverne. She manages to get taken on as companion to his elderly mother so she can set about her task from inside the family home, but has reckoned with her attraction to his son, the viscount. As you can see, there is already huge scope for drama and tension, and the author milks this intriguing set up for all it is worth to deliver a page turner which is unlike the standard Regency fare.

Sophie is, uniquely in regency novels, a heroine with agency and a particular set of skills that would not usually become a lady of breeding. You’ll want to pick up the book to find out exactly what they are and how she uses them but, suffice it to say, they make for an exciting read. She is capable of nursing a burning hatred for those who have wronged her, but this passion also manifests itself in other ways, especially when it buts up against the handsome Viscount. The rest can be left to your imagination until you read the book. I loved all this about her, but also enjoyed seeing her softer side in her relationship with the Dowager Marchioness, who was one of my favourite characters in the book. I adore a protagonist with layers and depth, and the author certainly delivers this here.

Rafe is equally as complex, suitably dark and brooding with a tragic past and a complicated relationship with his father, his stepmother, and a devotion to his grandmother. His passion is also never far from the surface and the tension between he and Sophie is hot from the very beginning of the book. They are the perfect foil for one another and the story enflames the reader’s heart, and possibly other parts too, throughout. Anyone who loves a high stakes, spicy romance will be in seventh heaven with these two.

The villains are perhaps a little campy, but that just adds to the entertainment value, and I kind of love the fact this book is peppered with some of the more unsavoury characters from the Regency period, rather than just the upper echelons of society. All in all, it is really good fun and will provide several hours of entertainment for anyone jonesing for their next Bridgerton-style fix.

Sophie Delavallois has accepted the post of companion to the aging Dowager Marchioness but enters the Wyvern mansion with some trepidation as the family’s reputation is somewhat disreputable. However, Sophie has her own special reason for entering into this den of iniquity and nothing, and no-one, is going to get in her way.

When Sophie meets Lord Drake, heir to Wyvern estate, she is determined to carry out her mission but with an instant attraction flaring between them, this is going to make her quest to seek revenge on Drake’s family all the more difficult. Sophie is a determined heroine with a real sense of bravado but it is in her relationship with the handsome Lord Drake where the story really starts to come together.

As always, this talented author has captured the essence of Regency England and with a style all of her own she delivers a lively romp, which is rich filled with an abundance of fascinating characters, not all of whom are very likeable, with the exception of the Marchioness, who is definitely someone I would have liked to have encountered in real life.

I have found much to enjoy in this thrilling Regency romance, it’s filled with delicious intrigue, smouldering passion and a real hint of danger which kept me entertained from first page to last. I’m already looking forward to the next Regency mystery/romance from Emma Orchard😊

Spicy, male female, dual point of view, historical romance. Well written, perfect length, entertaining book! I enjoyed the main leads and their relationship immensely. The back story and plot were fantastic. This is the second five star read from this author that I've had the pleasure of reading. I hope to read many more!

What a refreshingly different historical romance this has been! The Viscount And The Thief is set in the early nineteenth century and brings together two marvellous characters who are clearly perfect for each other apart from their vastly different social standing. Mademoiselle Clemence De Montfaucon, the daughter of a French Duke who fled to England with his family, has become a skilled thief after her family was forced into penury by the Marquess of Wyverne. Determined to steal back a superb pink diamond from Wyverne, she reinvents herself as Sophie Delavallois and insinuates herself into his household as a companion to his aged mother Delphine. Sophie is a marvellous character with plenty of backbone, an adventurous and a strong sense of self preservation. I loved that at one point in the story, she threatened to stab the man she was seated next to with a fork if he didn’t leave her alone. Rafe, Lord Drake, is Wyverne’s son but is .nothing like his notorious parent. There is certainly no love lost between them and as the story progresses, we see Rafe working hard to protect his grandmother and step-siblings from the worst of Wyverne’s actions. He’s not only tall and handsome, he’s also honourable and an excellent and considerate lover. How could I not swoon over him? Rafe and Sophie feel a strong connection from the start, though she is determined not to stay at Wyverne once she’s stolen the jewels. She’s also acutely conscious of the social divide between them and how her presence in his life might damage his reputation. There is loads of emotion in this story as well as passion and joy. Set against the background of sexual depravity, this is a thoroughly enjoyable love story that sparkles with wit. It’s been lots of fun to read.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

I chose to review this book because I really liked the last book that I read by this author.

I often find that I connect more with historical novels, than those in a modern setting, possibly because I see reading as an escape. There was something about the storytelling that really made the characters come to life for me, and I really liked Sophie and Rafe. I found this pleasantly spicy to read, but I did feel the romance as well, and reading this left a little smile on my face.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Emma Orchard for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Viscount and the Thief coming out November 11, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve read a couple books by this author. I enjoy her historical fiction. The plot got slightly crazy at the end. But I really enjoyed the characters. I think Sophie was a strong character. I enjoy a little revenge in the plot. I would check out more books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

I absolutely loved this book in the series. It was the perfect combination of spicy romance and heist. I'll definitely be rushing to buy the author's next novel.

Thanks again to the publisher for the ARC!

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It was steamy, fast-paced, fun and intriguing. I enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author.

I do love a revenge story and this was one I enjoyed. There are a few mysteries, such as who really is Sophie and why does she want her revenge on the Marquess of Wyverne. There are also rumours about his son Lord Drake, but are they true? This was a good paced story that kept me engaged until the end. There are a number of number of passionate moments and some satisfying ones, when people get their deserved comeuppance. There is romance and I loved the character of grand-mere, who although, she was very old still had her wits about her and knew more than others thought. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.