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Lily Masters is a pickpocket, and a darn good one. Since the death of her parents, she's
supported both herself and her younger sister, Alice, in the slums of London by picking pockets. She'd tried to find honest work, of course, but found that no one wanted a penniless waif in their employ. Forced to provide for her sister, Lily had turned herself into a thief. Though the job doesn't offer much of a future, it does, occasionally, put food on the table. Lily is quick, and she's never been caught.
That is, until she sticks her hand in the wrong pocket.
Barrister Gideon Cole has worked his way up from nothing, insinuating himself into the good graces of the ton through hard work and careful planning. He's known for his persuasive arguments in the courtroom, and has the bad habit of taking cases for the less fortunate. Cole has a plan for himself and it doesn't include the beautiful thief who tries to steal his watch.
That is, until he finds her about to be hauled away to Newgate.
Cole can't seem to help himself. He barters for her freedom and then insists that Lily help him in his scheme to marry a rich, and extremely spoiled, heiress. Although Lily's mother was a lady, Lily herself needs quite a bit of polish before she'll fit into Society. With the help of Cole's good friend, Laurie, they just might be able to turn a street urchin into a diamond of the first water before Cole's heiress decides to marry another man.
TO LOVE A THIEF is a compelling and highly entertaining read. The richness of both the characters and the setting draw the reader into the sumptuous, and sometimes sleazy, world of old London in a time where pomp and title meant everything. Author Julie Anne Long does a stellar job of crafting the main characters, capturing the heart-melting heat, and the sweet bloom of forbidden love, between these two complete strangers who have been thrown together by unusual circumstances. The secondary characters - a cantankerous uncle who refuses to die, a loyal friend, and Lily's precocious younger sister - add sparkle and depth to this grand historical adventure.
TO LOVE A THEIF is extremely well written, fast-paced and entirely enjoyable, a book I'd highly recommend.
Reviewed by Janean Nusz
for The Road to Romance
May 11, 2005
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