Lord Despair (Beastly Lords #1)

From the lush English countryside to the glittering society of Victorian London, Lord Despair thought he’d left the worst behind in the Burmese jungle. He was wrong!

How can a man embrace his birthright when he cannot leave his bedroom?

Lord Simon Devere returns from the Burmese War, haunted by the vivid memory of his slain cousin and powerless to know reality from dreams. Unable to sleep, lest he awaken in the cell of his nightmares, he sits in the dark, incapable of believing he is truly home—and safe—in England.

How can a clever young lady support her family after her father dies in debt?

Jenny Blackwood is determined not to let her mother and sisters succumb to an unkind fate. With a head for numbers, she becomes the skilled bookkeeper “Mr. Cavendish.” One unexpected client is the nobleman cruelly named by gossips as Lord Despair.

A damaged aristocrat and danger in disguise…

With the estate’s coffers mysteriously dwindling, Jenny goes where others fear to tread, into the darkened room of the unstable earl. As friendship quickly sparks into passion, they discover even greater peril lies ahead of them, and the biggest threat to Jenny may be Lord Despair himself.

Engaging characters, attention to period detail, and passionate romance with a touch of intrigue—you’ll find it all in the stories by USA Today bestselling writer Sydney Jane Baily. Rated '3/5 - Open door' for steam/spice/heat level.