The Gentleman and the Thief features Hollis Darby, part of the Dread Penny Society who secretly try to help those in need. Hollis has secrets of his own, however. He's a gentleman in society, yet his family's coffers are bare. In order to keep up appearances, he writes Penny Dreadfuls under a pseudonym. (The stories are interspersed throughout the book, which is an added bonus. It did distract me from the main story a bit. I wish the Penny Dreadfuls were just all together at the end.) But beyond that, I loved Hollis's character and seeing his background as he tries to navigate the life he's chosen. There are so many sides and such a depth to our hero. Ms. Eden is so talented at truly bringing her characters to life and making them feel so real!
Ana Newport is such a surprise as a character. She's a thief and I loved having her be the Phantom Fox. The reasons she had resorted to stealing are heartwrenching and I was definitely rooting for Ana to have a happy ending. The interactions between Ana and Hollis are so swoon-worthy as they discover and fall in love with each other. I do admit I was turning pages as fast as possible to see how they would react when their secrets were revealed and how it would all end. Ms. Eden does not disappoint. The romance and the intrigue of the story kept me up far past my bedtime and I went back to read my favorite parts the next day! I can't wait for the next installment of the series.
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Here's the back copy:
From the moment Hollis Darby meets Ana Newport, he’s smitten. Even though he’s from a wealthy, established family and she isn’t, he wishes he could have a life with her by his side. But Hollis has a secret: the deep coffers that have kept his family afloat for generations are bare, so he supports himself by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym. If not for the income from his novels, he would be broke.
Ana Newport also has a secret. Though she once had a place in society thanks to her father’s successful business, bankruptcy and scandal reduced his fortune to nothing more than a crumbling town house. So Ana teaches music during the day, and at night she assumes the identity of the “Phantom Fox.” She breaks into the homes of the wealthy to reclaim trinkets and treasures she feels were unjustly stolen from her family when they were struggling.When Hollis’s brother needs to hire a music tutor for his daughter, Hollis recommends Ana, giving him a chance to spend time with her. Ana needs the income and is eager for the opportunity to get to know the enigmatic gentleman. What neither of them expects is how difficult it will be to keep their respective secrets from each other.
When a spree of robberies rocks the city, Ana and Hollis join forces to solve the crimes, discovering that working together deepens the affection between them. After all, who better to save the day than a gentleman and a thief?
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