A vigilante widow and a casino owner are both trying to bluff their way to a winning hand.
Heloise Marlowe has always forged her own path. As a former blacksmith and fencing instructor, she wasn’t just going to sit around knitting after her husband died. The Wimpole Street Widows Society, a secret group dedicated to balancing the scales of justice, was a much better fit for her skills. Her newest mission: seduce the owner of the club Dionysus and gain access to the den’s inner workings. She didn’t mind putting her body on the line, but she wasn’t prepared to gamble her heart.
Ethan Sinclaire has worked hard to clean up his club after the betrayal of his brother. But now, rumors are swirling that his club is just as crooked as before. He won’t let anyone destroy what he’s built, so when Heloise starts poking around, he decides to go all in, in hopes that she’ll show her hand. Enjoying her company is the easy part. Keeping himself from falling—that’s a whole different card game.
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Sexual Content - 3/5
3/5
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Violence - 1/5
1/5
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Language - 0/5
0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 1/5
1/5
Summary
If you enjoy historical romantic suspense with a touch of steam, To Heist and to Hold is a fun start to Christina Britton’s new series. I suspect future installments will follow the women of the Wimpole Street Widows Society—an intriguing group where each widow brings her own unique skill set.
This first story focuses on Heloise Marlow, a blacksmith and fencing master who trains the other ladies in self-defense. When her sister-in-law asks for help recovering missing jewels, the society bands together to solve the mystery. Their plan leads them to infiltrate a men’s club, where Heloise schemes to seduce one of the owners, Ethan—a setup that delivers both humor and sparks. Ethan was one of the owners with his brothers and two life long friends. He had his own backstory which was very interesting.
I really enjoyed the immediate chemistry between Heloise and Ethan, as well as the lively banter, secrets, and antics of the women. With strong women, second-chance love, and a dash of intrigue, this book sets the stage for an entertaining new series. I’m looking forward to seeing more from the Wimpole Street Widows.
Content - romance - a few steamy scenes
Violence - previous violence is mentioned
Drinking - it a men's club so there was drinking