The story starts out with excitement when Lady Daphne Worth is trying to escape out a window and Lorcan St. Leger is there to catch her. They make their way to the Palace of Rogues where they find there is only one room left and so they decide to pose as a married couple. It’s starting to rain, in fact the storm of the decade is moving in. This is the sixth book in the Palace of Rogues series that began when Delilah and Angelique renovated the boarding house. I was surprised to see so many characters from earlier books return in this one. This is a sweet romance between a privateer and a lady down on her luck. It has wonderful humor and is one of my favorite books in the series.

Daphne, now almost thirty, took a job as a companion to Mrs. Daggett but her husband was chasing after her and so she escaped out the window to avoid his advances. Daphne’s mother died when Daphne was eleven and Daphne ended up taking over the running of her home.  Her brothers Charles and Montague were touring the continent. Then Daphne was jilted by her fiancé when he fell in love with his brother’s governess.  Disaster struck again when she found out her father, a Viscount, had gambled away their fortune and along with her dowry and they had to move into the caretaker’s cottage and rent out their home. When Daphne and Lorcan arrive at the boarding house, she and Delilah, the owner, recognize each other from when they were younger and attended the same parties.

Lorcan used to be a smuggler but became a respectable privateer for the king after helping Christian Hawks, Lord Redvers, a spymaster in You Were Made To Be Mine. Now he is back in England to pay off his ship and restock it for his next trip. He is familiar with the other men at the hotel. He saved Lord Bolt from pirates off the coast of Spain (Angel in a Devil’s Arms) and he and Tristan Hardy (Delilah’s husband) knew each other when they grew up in St. Giles. Hardy went on to make a name for himself as a blockade commander, tracking down smugglers for the crown. He knew Lorcan was a smuggler but could never catch him and still doesn’t quite trust him. Lorcan wears a gold earring and has a scar that runs down the side of his face and the ladies think he looks quite daring and handsome.

Soon the rain is pouring down and the roads are flooded and impassable. Daphne and Lorcan decide they need to learn more about each other so they are more convincing as a married couple. Lorcan finds out Daphne loves oranges and finds her one. She says they are ‘like the sun in the form of a fruit’ and there’s a luscious scene where they eat one. Lorcan appreciates the comforts of the hotel, the fresh sheets, soft bed, good food, companionship and of course, lovely Daphne. My favorite parts of the book were when everyone gathered in the evenings for entertainment because there was always humor, like when the young Lord St. John Vaughn, made the mistake of smoldering at Daphne when they first met and annoyed Lorcan enough that he now has made it his goal to tease St. John at every opportunity. (St. John is the brother of Lillias who married Hugh Cassidy in I’m Only Wicked With You.)

Meanwhile, Daphne receives a letter from the Earl of Athelboro with a wedding proposal. He is twice a widow, in his fifties with five children. If she married him she would be a countess and it would help her family. But she is attracted to Lorcan especially after he rescued a toddler that fell into the Thames and she helps care for Lorcan when he is very wet and cold. They become closer and she sees how wonderful he is. There are a couple of sensuous games of spillikins where they make spicy wagers and things heat up. Lorcan is not of her class but he listens to her and truly loves her He helps her see how her father has been using her as a pawn and he lets her know how precious she is.

Hardy and Bolt have a ship that is several weeks late coming into port and no one has heard a word from them so this is causing stress for the couples. While it’s fun to see favorite characters from earlier books, I felt like I was pulled away from Daphne and Lorkin’s story and I wanted more time with them. But the ending of the book is so wonderful and uplifting it makes up for it. I am happy to recommend this book as another enjoyable addition to the Palace of Rogues series.