The Merchant and the Rogue - (Proper Romance Victorian) by Sarah M Eden (Paperback)

About the Book

"Russian-born shopkeeper Vera Sorokina and Irish-born penny dreadful author Brogan Donnelly join forces to take down a criminal enterprise that is threatening shopkeepers in South London in 1865. Along the way, the two find love and romance as they fight for a chance for their own "happily ever after.""--

Book Synopsis

London, 1865

Vera Sorokina loves reading the Penny Dreadfuls and immersing herself in tales of adventure, mystery, and romance. Her own days are filled with the often mundane work of running the book and print shop she owns with her father. The shop offers her the freedom and income to employ and protect the poverty-stricken Londoners she's come to care about, and it gives her father something to do other than long for their hometown of St. Petersburg. She is grateful for the stability in their lives, but she often feels lonely.

Brogan Donnelly was born and raised in Ireland, but has lived in London for several years, where he's built a career as a Penny Dreadful writer. He has dedicated himself to the plight of the poor with the help of his sister. His membership in the secretive Dread Penny Society allows him to feel he isn't entirely wasting his life, yet he feels dissatisfied. With no one to share his life with but his sister, he fears London will never truly feel like home.

Brogan and Vera's paths cross, and the attraction is both immediate and ill-advised. Vera knows from past experience that writers are never to be trusted, and Brogan has reason to suspect not everything at her print shop is aboveboard. When the growing criminal enterprise run by the elusive and violent Mastiff begins targeting their area of London, Brogan and Vera must work together to protect the community they've both grown to love. But that means they'll need to learn to trust each other with dangerous secrets that have followed both of them from their home countries.

Review Quotes

"Eden continues to build the overarching mystery and skillfully handles secrets and secret identities. Interspersed chapters of Penny Dreadfuls delightfully foreshadow the main action. Readers who enjoy chaste romances and also love a good mystery will enjoy the Dread Penny Society exploits and will look forward to what comes next."-- "Booklist"

About the Author

Sarah M. Eden is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning Proper Romance series novels including The Lady and the Highwayman and Ashes on the Moor. Combining her passion for history and an affinity for love stories, Sarah crafts smart, witty characters and heartfelt romances. She happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library and dreams of one day traveling to all the places she reads about.