To Love a Thief

Ensnared!
Lily Masters has a gift for picking pockets and telling stories—skills that come in handy for surviving London's slums. She's proud of providing for herself and her lively young sister, Alice, and she's never been caught. Well, there's always a first time.

Enticed!
Gideon Cole is a brilliant barrister with an unfortunate weakness for clients who can't pay. His latest charitable misstep: buying the freedom of a daring, beautiful thief. To repay the debt, Lily agrees to his proposition: pose as the object of his desire and help him snare a wealthy bride. All he has to do is transform the impudent Lily into a diamond of the first water.

Enthralled!
But the education of Lily could cost Gideon his carefully planned future. While she plays cards with his invalid uncle, and Alice charms the servants, the honorable Gideon is harboring less than honorable thoughts. For sweet, stubborn, and sensual Lily has a way of slipping past a gentleman's defenses—especially when she's stealing his heart.

*May Contain Spoilers*

 

Most times, love can be quite inconvenient. Especially when love can ruin a plan for wealth and title. Julie Anne Long pairs a lawyer with a thief in her novel, To Love a Thief. Quite a combination, that.

 

Gideon is a poor barrister in London. He has the awfully adorable trait of taking on clients that cannot afford to pay for legal services. He's a great lawyer, never losing a case, but his soft heart sets him up for financial failure. Gideon is a man with a 'master plan.' Each step of his life, since his parents died, has been strategically laid out to reach his main goals of financial security and a title. Though that isn't the real Gideon. Readers will respect him and understand his motives, though they may not agree to every facet of his plan. His sweet and heroic nature will win readers to his side in hopes that they will see him find happiness.

 

Lily is the thief that tries to steal Gideon's pocket watch and gets embarrassingly caught. Lily, merely twenty years old, is in charge of protecting and taking care of her ten year-old sister. Pickpocketing is the only way she knows how. Readers will love Lily's wit and sharp tongue, regardless of her occupation. Lily is a charming, beautiful girl with a few rough edges who has the power to open people up, especially Gideon.

 

The plot of To Love a Thief follows Gideon's 'master plan.' He knows that if he can win the hand of a certain titled woman, he will have the money and status required to help his sister. Though, if he's going to win, he needs to stack the odds in his favor with jealousy. Enter the thief, Lily Masters. Lily is an unknown gorgeous woman. With a little direction and a few lessons, Gideon believes that she will rival the women of London creating a sort of competition for his hand. He's right of course, but can he make it that far without falling in love with Lily? Of course... not! It's a romance novel with a happy ending, perfect for a quick enjoyable read.

 

Rating: 3/5 Cups