I, for one, am happy that Long is writing historical romances once again! The Palace of the Rogues starts off with a bit of mystery (which, btw, is wrapped up quite tidily by the end of this tale, keeping us free from hanging on book after book before we see anything close to a conclusion) and two destitute women who reinvent their lives after opening a respectable boarding house together in the worst part of London. The residents who eventually trickle in may not be top choice material, but luckily for us readers, they are an entertaining lot. And then there's hardened Captain Tristan Hardy who quickly finds himself between a rock and a hard place, what with his desire for the lovely proprietress Delilah and his need to keep his identity a secret as well as his reasons for securing rooms at said establishment. Their romance is a constant simmering attraction (quite delicious) and mutual revelations, and Tristan falls hard, making the final scenes the stuff worthy of romantic diehards and suckers of bad poetry, which they can tuck securely into their treasure boxes to relive for days to come. Some of the inner reflections can be rather long-winded, but the myriad cast of characters make it absolutely worth it. 4 stars.

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I love author Julie Anne Long's historical romances and I've read every one. Even this one although, I wonder how I made it to the end. Probably because I have hope this is just the beginning or set-up for another good series by the author. Just so you know what to expect, there is little to no romance/sizzle/attraction between the H/H until well into the book. In fact, there is no first kiss until the half way point. Not soon enough for my preferences but I'll still read Book 2. Keeping my fingers crossed for the rest of The Palace of Rogues series.

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