Endurance, love and in intrigue!

Saved from the gallows by her now husband Sir Edmund Ashendon, Lady Julianna is finding a place for self at Ash’s side, and he’s glad to have her there.
Understanding the abuse Julianna received at the hands of her dead husband, Ash is giving her time to heal.
The result is a beautiful intimacy of thought. They come to know and appreciate each other. In that atmosphere Julianna is free to cast off the shackles of her former life.
Ash finds Julianna an astute partner. When they are drawn into a shocking discovery of a dead body at Vauxhall, the search for justice comes close to them.
Ash finds himself pitted against a crime lord known as the Raven.
I’m loving the secondary characters who saunter across the pages, like the link boy Cutty Jack.
Now waiting for the next in the series!

A Harlequin - Carina Press ARC via NetGalley ( )

The Sign of the Raven by L.C. Sharp
Ash & Juliana #2

LOVED this book and the continuation of this series ~ Can’t wait for the next book!

This book picks up about a year after Juliana and Ash have married. They have formed an alliance and friendship and Juliana has had time to heal from the wounds inflicted by her first husband. That is all covered in the first book and was a tale that left me eager for more, too. As book two begins we find Juliana, Ash, his brother Gregory, and sister Amelia at Vauxhall for a big event with many people, music, theatrical performances, and fireworks. As they are leaving, they come across a body. Ash, a lawyer and sometimes sleuth, is intrigued and requests the case. It seems that Juliana has become his partner and they work together to solve cases. Their task this time is to find out who the murderer is and that is what they set about doing…although that is only a bit of the story

What I liked:
* Being reminded of the first book and how much I enjoyed it
* Juliana: a woman abused by more than one but finally free and coming into her own. She is resilient, observant, intelligent, interesting, caring, aware, and so much more. I really like her!
* Ash: lawyer, brother, crime fighter, sleuth, incorruptible, on the side of right, brilliant, capable, honorable, honest, kind, and so much more. I really like him.
* How much both Ash & Juliana have overcome ~ their backstories were not easy.
* The slow growth of the relationship between Ash & Juliana and getting to watch it. The two are so well suited to one another and deserve happiness together.
* Cutty Jack & Col: criminals that are good at what they do but also informants-assistants to Ash in his sleuthing endeavors. I hope they will show up in future books and that they will find a way to make an honest living eventually.
* Parrish: educator, physician, ex-slave, potential friend and part of the team as the series continues
* Silence/La Senza: Ash’s sister, courtesan, businesswoman, knows who and what she is, an intriguing person that should appear in future books
* The Raven: lethal, dark, vengeful, criminal mastermind, gang lord ~ his backstory, as it comes out, makes him sympathetic…at least in some ways
* Siblings of Ash: We haven’t seen a lot of their part in the series but have a feel for them. I have a feeling they will show up in each book and have parts to play.
* That I was reminded a bit of the Inspector Pitt series but found these books deeper and more enthralling in every way.
* The gritty aspect of the story
* That I felt I was there as all of my senses were engaged
* It was real and believable with a feel for the era.
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* The killer – heartless, cold, calculating, ruthless, and evil
* Knowing how difficult the lives of Juliana, Ash, and his siblings were growing up
* Having to say goodbye to the characters as I wait impatiently for the next book in the series

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series/by this author? Without a doubt!

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

Goodness! I surely do hope this turns out to be one of those very long-running series because I absolutely adore Ash and Juliana. The mystery is intriguing, the villain is vile, and the secondary characters are a mixed and interesting bunch.

Sir Edmund (Ash) Ashendon is constantly searching for justice – whether it is finding the perpetrator of a crime or defending someone he is sure has been falsely accused. It is the driving force in his life because he is trying very hard to make up for the really important one, the one he couldn’t save. He solved it too late and guilt still eats at him.

Ash and Juliana married almost a year ago after Ash saved her from the gallows (The Wedding Night Affair) when she was accused of murdering her husband on their wedding night. Juliana had been horribly brutalized, but she swore she didn’t kill her husband – and Ash believed her. They ended up in a marriage of convenience because her parents were immediately auctioning her off to the next brutalizer before the funeral had even been held. Juliana couldn’t stand to be touched in any way and since Ash never planned to marry because of his dedication to his work, having no intimacies between them was fine with him. Since she was very intelligent and observant, she’d make a good partner for him in his work – especially within the ton because she and her family are from the highest echelons.

It seems everyone in London knows of Ash’s penchant for helping Bow Street with the more ‘interesting’ cases. He had taken his family – Juliana, his sister Amelia, and younger brother Gregory – to Vauxhall to attend a fireworks rehearsal, where he was soon approached because there had been an ‘incident’. Oh! There was an incident alright – a dead body. While most would have put it down to a robbery gone wrong, Ash was certain it was murder.

Ash and Juliana pursue their investigation regardless of the rank of those they are questioning. From dukes to street urchins, to the infamous Raven, everyone was suspected until they could be cleared. When another murder is done, Ash and Juliana know their main suspect is getting desperate and they have to put a plan in motion to catch them out. The culprit might surprise you – or it might not – but you’ll love getting to the identification.

There was so much I enjoyed about this book! I loved that the villain didn’t get off with no punishment. I loved that Juliana has come so very far in her healing process and that she and Ash have found they care more for each other than they thought. I loved the new relationship between Ash and the newspaperman. I loved that we learned the identity of the Raven – but – he sure left us hanging about what would be next. Oh! My!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. Having both a romance and a mystery is a double treat!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

1749 A year has passed since the accusation of murder and her proven innocence. Now Lady Juliana and her husband Sir Edmund 'Ash' Ashendon investigate the murder of James, Baron Coddington, shot while visiting Vauxhall Gardens. But what of a motive or suspects. Is the master criminal known as The Raven involved.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of likeable and interesting characters. A good addition to the series which can easily be read as a standalone novel.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )