I really hate writing reviews like this, but here goes. This book was okay. It didn't really hold my attention. The characters were okay. The story was okay. This might be the okayist book Christi Caldwell has ever written. I am a Christi Caldwell super-fan, I've read them all, and love most of them. This one just didn't really do it for me. 

Honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of these stories from the slums. They are not my favorite. I think Christi is at her best with wall flowers and soldiers. I hate to say it, but it's true. 

This story was a bit depressing, and the happily ever after was a bit anticlimactic. I wanted to sit Temperance and Dare both down and have a stern, Andy Griffith style talk with them about communication. They NEED it. I also found several parts of the story to be just implausible. Dare left when he was 10, but he has blocked out all of those memories? It's just.... unlikely. 

I really wanted to love this book, and it just missed the mark for me. That being said, it definitely had it's good moments, and if you are into these stories that mix the Ton with the Rookery, you will probably enjoy it.

This is part of the Lost Lords series, but I had issues with the hero remembering things like how to dance, but forgetting details about his family, specifically his mother, after he left his home to go to the seedy side of London. While the heroine had suffered a miscarriage, that seemed to be the only real issue that she was concerned about. This is a second-chance-at love trope which pretty much worked, but there were too many gaps in logic for the characters and the story to be believable.

This book started out strong for me especially in the first chapter. There was a lot of intrigue and suspense. Who was the love of his life? Why does the crowd protest him being sent to the gallows? Who rescues him? We then get to know the love of his life who also happens to be his wife. I loved that she was strong willed, independent and hard-working. The hero of the story was a true hero helping out the poor. I couldn’t wait to see how their characters would develop within their interactions with his Family and the ton and also the passion they still felt for each other. Unfortunately they were no match for his aristocratic family. I felt the book went flat once they arrived at his family home. I would have loved to see a lot more humor too in the book instead of the dark side of their lives growing up. There was a twist/big reveal that I did not see coming but perhaps others that are more intuitive may have. I highly recommend Ms. Caldwell’s Heart of a Duke series - all 16 books - over this book. That series deserves a five star rating overall.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an ARC of this book.

Undressed with the Marquess is the first book I've read by Christi Caldwell and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dare and Temperance were wonderful characters with such a compelling story and had me hooked right from the start. The chemistry between the two along with the conflict between them and the emotional turmoil they suffer within themselves added a richness to the story which only makes the reader root for the couple that much more, but be prepared from some very heart wrenching moments.

This book had a slow start which I think is because of the continual rehashing of their pasts. That foundation of course was necessary but felt like it was gone on longer than I liked.
This was an emotional story with different griefs expressed. But Dare kind of made me think of him as an urban Robin Hood. He felt the hurts of others, while feeling unworthy being himself. As the story continues we begin to see the exact reason that is such a huge part of him.
Temperance was a good main character as well. Her name could have easily been Honor. Because even though she grew up under horrific conditions , she still holds high standards.
This story does come to a good conclusion but I am sorry to say that it just didn't grab me as much as I would have liked. But I am giving it 3.5 Stars on Amazon when it opens to reviews because it was a fairly deeply written story. It's not the author's fault that it just wasn't my cup of tea. I'm sure others probably won't feel the same.


"I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

The title, Undressed With the Marquess, suggests a light, humorous read; if that's the type of novel you're looking for, you'll likely be disappointed (in spite of an HEA). The characters' lives have just been too hard and tragic to allow for it.

The book is third in a series in the Lost Lords series, but it's the first one I've read. Presumably, the series follows men who were stolen from their upper class homes as young boys. This novel starts with Dare, the hero, in a cell at Newgate, about to be executed for thievery. He's guilty, it's true, but in a Robin Hood sort of way. As the jailors lead him to the scaffolding and cover his head with a sack, he only has thoughts for Temperance, his estranged wife (and former best friend). He's saved from the gallows literally at the last minute by long-lost wellborn relatives who have a deal for him.

Meanwhile, Temperance has been living as a seamstress in the Cotswolds for the last five years, having fled London after a traffic and terrifying ordeal. Dare seeks out Temperance for help with the project his relatives give him.

Temperance returns to London with Dare, and the rest of the story is a combo of the two heroes reconnecting and trying to fit in with the Mayfair set while dealing with their individual and shared pasts.

I didn't actually mind the tragic pasts. However, I did feel a bit lost. I kept going back to see if I missed a prologue that explained how Dare went from a position of privilege to a resident of the Rookeries. The other possibility, I thought, would be that his past (and Temperance's) world be gradually revealed. The latter was more or less true, but I didn't feel like any of the revelations were especially notable. I think I would have rather had Dare's backstory in a prologue so that the main story could focus on the present.

I liked this story and am curious about the other novels in the series. I'm not sure that the book would be on my keeper shelf though.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a quick read with a very intriguing premise, it just wasn't for me. I found there to be a lot of negativity and unnecessary angst that put me on edge (not in a good way) throughout the book.

Still, I really want to emphasize that I loved the premise of the book, the second I read the blurb when I was browsing, I knew I wanted the book immediately. So I was quite disappointed when it didn't live up to the expectations I had.

This was my first Christi Caldwell book and I have heard from others that this is not what her other works are normally like so I would like to pick up another book by her. With that in mind, this book did a good job of being able to read it sperate from the series. This is the third book in her series and I was still able to easily understand and read it.

I loved the main characters, Dare was super fun, charming, steamy, and interesting (total book boyfriend material). He did get on my nerves when he made some stupid decisions with his money or just stupid decisions in general. Temperance was super relatable and her grief did not get on my nerves at any time (as many grief-stricken characters have a track record of doing in other books). As she grew and came over her grief, I really began to love her. Their relationship and chemistry were quite lackluster, however.

This book had great potential, it just fell a little flat.

- 3 stars -

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for proving me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The opening scene has Dare walking to the gallows to be hanged for theft. He’s been there several times before – all for theft – and he’s managed to escape. But it doesn’t look like it will happen this time. The scene describes the previous hangings that day – ones that Dare had to witness – one person’s head comes off and another dangles and twitches forever. The bag is put over Dare’s head, the noose is put over his head and they are moving him forward over the trap door – when …

Temperance Swift was born in the rookeries to a mean, abusive drunk and a Vicar’s daughter (we didn’t learn how that matchup happened). Her mother took in washing and her father ran street gangs. Temperance, her mother, and her brother all suffered horrible beatings from her father. Yet, temperance always took care of others – especially her brother. She does have a loving and giving heart. She marries Dare Grey because he will protect her from her abusive father – and – well – she loved him. She wanted desperately for him to change his ways, but she still loved him.

Darius Greyson (Dare Grey), Marquess of Milford, has to meet one of two requirements from his grandparents in order to receive the twenty-thousand pounds they have for him. He NEEDS that money in order to help more people in the rookeries, so he agrees. He has to either marry off his sister or marry and produce an heir. Little do they know he’s already married – and they all learn that in a really dramatic way.

Old enemies emerge to cause trouble for Dare and Temperance gives him some devastating news before they finally get around to the ending. That ending – well – it was just there – all of a sudden – and it left me unfinished. I’m not sure I felt the HEA – thus the need for an epilogue.

Please realize it is with great sadness and dismay that I tell you this book just didn’t work for me. If you read it, I sincerely hope it works for you. The book, as always, is well written – it is just that the story didn’t work for me. It is one of the darkest, most depressing books I’ve ever read – without a single ray of sunshine. I didn’t find a single character that I really liked – except for a couple of the supporting characters. The main characters, especially the heroine, were so busy wallowing in self-pity that they couldn’t move on with their life. I totally understand Temperance’s loss, I just think 5 years is enough time to come to grips with it. Not accept it – not like it – but to at least have dealt with it so she can live her life. I also thought the plotline itself was implausible – so many things just didn’t make sense to me. I guess the bottom line is, it just didn’t make me feel good when I finished reading it. I also believe this is one book that simply cried for an epilogue set a couple of years into the future so maybe we find out they managed to have their own child after all – or – we find them surrounded with several foster children – something to put a little sunshine into the book.

There were so many things in the premise of this book that just didn’t make sense to me. For one thing, there was no way society was going to accept these two – especially Temperance – back into society even if his grandfather is a duke. Then, there is the arrest of him for trying to bribe a prison guard – after he was the Marquess – just wouldn’t have happened. A peer might have been arrested for murder, but not much else. And the ledger he had – with all of the names of folks he helped in the Rookeries – how did he still have that after being locked up in Newgate then going to be hung?

Anyway – I’m truly sorry this book didn’t work for me – and I truly hope it works for you should you choose to read it. I love this author and always love her books – I just couldn’t love this one. I do look forward to reading more books by her though.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've recently gotten back into historical romances and Christi Caldwell overall has really good reviews so I was excited to receive an early copy of this book from NetGalley. Overall, it was a good book- it was an interesting premise and started off with a bang, with Dare so close to being executed. He is saved, though, by his grandparents, Duke and Duchess of Pemberly but in order to fulfill his obligations, he needs to see his sister married or bear a child as an heir. As a child, he fell into a bad crowd and eventually enfolded into a bad group- as this is the third in the series of Lost Lords, I assume they tell even more in the prior books about the background situation. But I didn't have too much trouble even without background knowledge.

I have to say, for most of the story, I found Dare to be a bit immature. The author did reveal towards the end the hurt that caused him to act like a spoiled child after being rescued. I loved that he was initially the Robin Hood of the Rookeries and I was hoping it would give him a stronger character. I also feel like it ended a little too abruptly. I wish that there was an epilogue. However, overall, I enjoyed reading and was looking forward to seeing how the story progressed. Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy.

I have a real soft spot for the anti-hero. Wondering if he can be redeemed. These stories have so much drama, emotion, and intensity. Especially in Christi Caldwell’s Lost Lords of London series. These men have experienced the beautiful and ugly parts of life first hand and are left unsure of what world they belong in. And because of those ties to both worlds, readers get a real sense of the struggles between classes. I love this because it allows for a wide variety of couples and keeps the dirt and danger close to the surface.
I ached for Temperance and Dare. They both put the welfare of others before their own and in so doing had sacrificed their own happiness. But where Temperance strived to live an honorable life, Dare had turned to thieving to help those in need. A Robin Hood of sorts who took from society’s most undeserving and gave it to those in need. Temperance had wanted no part in a life that would inevitably lead to Dare’s destruction. So she’d left. Years later, they are brought together again. And in that reunion, they are forced to face painful memories they’d not allowed themselves to think about in a long time.
These two were such complex characters. I loved watching them change and grow. That journey was wonderfully captivating. A page turner in the truest sense. Few authors write damaged heroes better than Christi Caldwell who has a real affinity for wounded men and the strong, uncommon heroines who heal them. She is a master of setting a scene and making readers feel they’re right there in the middle of it. If you’re looking for a beautiful and deeply emotional story that tugs at your heart strings, look no further than this newest addition. This series is sheer perfection.

Caldwell does it again with another solid addition to this series. I would have loved one more chapter, but if who I think may be the next lead character of the series, I think we will get our updates then!

This is a story in Lost Boys series. Dare is a man who left home as a child because he wanted adventure. When he tried to come home, his father spurned him and he was forced to live in the streets of London. Temperance is the daughter of a brutal drunk who has been beaten regularly as a child and young woman. These two meet as young people. They grow up together and marry...but because Dare won't give up stealing, they do not stay together. Five years later, things change.

Ms. Caldwell has done an excellent job of developing these characters,. There is less steam but more story in this Lost Boys tale. I do not write spoilers so I will not tell you what happens, but I will say that this story brought me to tears more than once. The pain and confusion of our H & H is painful. This story is written so well you will find yourself emotionally involved and hoping for happiness for all. I have no doubt this will become a favorite.

Christi Caldwell is alway a hit or miss for me. This one was a hit. Undressed with the Marquess had plenty of suspense, betrayal, and romance. I really enjoyed Darius Grey and Temperance Swift story and chemistry was so great and angsty.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This is one of those books that kept me up late into the night because I could not put it down. Dare Grey is facing an imminent hanging for stealing when he is saved by a family he has long forgotten. Grey was born to the nobility but ended up one of the lost lords of London as a child and wound up living in the Rookeries. He's plucked from the gallows and returned to Mayfair as a Marquess with a family and expectations. Those expectations lead him back to his wife of years ago. Tempest grew up in an abusive household that Dare helped her to escape. She had her heart broken once by Dare so isn't exactly excited when he returns to collect her from the shop she's working at as a seamstress to join him in Mayfair.

The premise of this story is intriguing and I loved how neither of the main characters grew up in noble society. It makes for a different story that has you sucked in to see how things work out. This is essentially a marriage of convenience with a twist and plenty of angst that is heartbreaking at times. I nearly teared up reading certain sections which is something I never do. I love that Caldwell's writing has so many layers to it that things are not so easy and clearcut. You really feel the push and pull that both Dare and Tempest have with certain issues that they are dealing with. Both are likeable and good people, I desperately wanted that HEA for them.

Caldwell's books are tough to put down. This is the historical romance that will knock you right out of that reading slump. I highly recommend!

Dare Grey lived his life in the Rookeries stealing to survive. Leaving his wealthy family behind, Dare stole from the rich and gave to the poor who needed help. He always knew that eventually he would hang for his crimes. In prison, awaiting his punishment an older gentleman claiming to be Dare’s grandfather comes and rescues him from the gallows. His only requirement is that Dare come back to his family as a Lord. He needs to take of his sister and get married to produce an heir. If he refuses, Dare will hang for his crimes.

Finding a wife was the easy part. Dare was already married to Temperance. He rescued Temperance many times over the years from her abusive father and thought that marrying her would give her the protection of his name. Although they were in love Dare wouldn’t leave his life of crime for Temperance and she couldn’t live stay with him knowing he would hang one day.

Deep down Dare is a great person who only wants to help others. Temperance is in love with Dare but can she overcome the pain that was caused by her father to ever fully love and trust again? I enjoyed this quick romance. The ending was a bit abrupt and I would have liked for it to continue for a few more chapters but overall a fun read.

I loved the storyline , made me cry several times . I really felt for both H & h .
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Undressed with the Marquess review:

This is a continuation of the Lost Boys series. Dare's story is all about what happens when your past shockingly becomes your present. Unlike other aristocratic boys stolen from their families and given to Mac Diggory, Dare at the age of 10 chose to go off and have an adventure in the rookeries. While there he became friends, and eventually married, Temperance. Their relationship is full of angst and drama. When it is discovered Dare is a Marquess he wants Temperance's assistance entering the ton and marrying off his biological sister.

I enjoyed this book and the story but the steam level is low from what I would expect from this author. This book is an easy read with a drama filled plot. The story line was amazing and extremely well written. I loved the scene where Dare and Temperance first see each other for the first time after five years and the sparks that flew. The emotions are there in this book and I felt the pain and emotions of the characters trying to accept their new normal and come to terms with their past. I would have expected more steam and scenes of Dare and Temperance giving in to the inevitable. I would absolutely read this book again and have loved the series. I loved the character of Dare and how much he tried to make the world a better place and struggled with finding out how to live in the aristocratic world while being true to his mentality as a boy from the rookery. The cast of characters really made this book come alive and I found myself casting the characters in my head like a movie on who would be playing them.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC, this recommendation is given voluntarily and honestly. This book is available 11/17/2020. Don't miss out on it, my lovelies!

I love Regency Romance  novels and have read A LOT of them in my time. I usually love sassy heroines and charismatic charmers.  Lots of snark and banter. Definitely sizzle.

'Undressed with the Marquess' wasn't full of either banter or sizzle but it was bursting at the seams with emotion. The relationship between Dare and Temperence was compulsive reading, and I was with them every step of the way.

Plot wise I would say it wasn't the most thrilling but it was well paced and the blend of emotional development and main plot was on point.

I love Regency romances where the lead couple aren't just high born, privileged and worried only about touching hands without gloves. Dare and Temperence had both suffered horrendously in life and it had shaped them into well-developed and well-rounded characters with history and grit. It made a change to innocent never experienced anything Lady whatsit and Lord whoisit.

The opening hooked me immediately and I knew Dare was my type of fella. I loved him. He was acerbic and funny and charming and all the other things I look for in a fictional boyfriend. I laughed out loud a couple of times during his narrative. What I loved most was that he was charming and suave sure, but he didn't have a bloody clue how to handle his wife and his life was a mess. He had flaws too. I loved him.

Temperance was so buried beneath grief and regret that she didn't really seem to have a character at first, but she really came into her own and she had me tearing up a few times!

What did bug me is that they kept saying how clever Dare was but he didn't see the benefit of the long game. Boost the income of the estate and he would have funds for life for helping others. If not he just had £20,000 for short term. I just kept yelling at him (internally of course) to be logical.

Another minor bug bear was the constant repetition of past conversations. Little snap shots to remind us of arguments or statements. It didn't need the repetition and for some reason it really bugged me.

I also prefer a little more steam and sizzle in my Regency Romances. I think because the relationship was so rife with emotional attachment I didn't really mind as much but I'd still have taken some more sizzle.

Definitely a good read, I enjoyed it!

Dare was the son of a marquess who was continually berating him. He decided to look for adventure in East London and became one of Diggory’s (king of the slums) thieves. As a young boy, he rescues Temperance from an abusive father. They become friends and ultimately husband and wife to protect her. But Dare’s lifestyle of being a type of Robin Hood drives a wedge between them and she leaves. Five years later, Dare is to hand but his grandfather, the Duke, rescues him. He is offered his inheritance if he does one of two things: marry off his sister, or provide an heir.

Christi Caldwell delights in tugging at our heartstrings and this book is no different. There is darkness, and mistrust, and heartbreak. But ultimately, love wins.

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately and it took me forever to get through this book which is strange because I usually devour Caldwell’s books. The writing was great as usual and the characters were pretty dynamic but I just did not vibe with this book. I’ve been reading more working class romance novels and that includes historicals and I really hate the guys was aristocratic the whole time thing. Ugh I wish the story went in a different direction.