Another good entry in the Lyon's Den series. In this book, we have Priscilla, a young woman suffering at the hands of an overbearing mother. Mom has her ideas of what her daughters need/should do to catch husbands, and her actions have made Priscilla and her sister Jane the laughingstock of the ton. Her only bright side is the card games she plays with her father. Pricilla has a knack for the cards and rarely loses. Desperate to get out from under her mother's thumb, Priscilla hatches a plan to win enough money to set herself up in her own home. With Mrs. Dove-Lyons's help, she disguises herself as a young man and gambles at the Lyon's Den.

After years at war, Alex returned home after his father's death to find the estate in financial ruin. He suspects that his father's greedy mistress found ways to fleece his father of everything from money to a townhouse in London. A skilled cardplayer, Alex goes to the Lyon's Den to win enough money to repair his fortunes. There he encounters a mysterious young man whose card skills match his own.

When Alex is attacked on his way home after another winning night, it starts a rollercoaster of events. There is a link between the attackers, the Lyon's Den, and his father's mistress, and Alex is determined to follow it. He also meets Priscilla and almost immediately connects her to the mysterious young man at the Lyon's Den. Fascinated by her talent and bewitched by her beauty, Alex finds his protective instincts aroused. Though I didn't care for him ratting out Priscilla to her father, it opened the door to them spending time together. It isn't long before Alex's pretend courtship turns real. The attraction and connection between Alex and Priscilla are undeniable, and I loved watching them get to know each other.

The romance sometimes seems to take a back seat to the mystery surrounding Alex's father. I enjoyed seeing Alex unravel the truth behind his father's death and finances. The twists and turns of this mystery kept me hooked from start to finish. The resolution was intense, with a surprise heroine saving the day. I loved seeing justice done.

As always, Mrs. Dove-Lyons manages to bring together two people who are perfect for each other, though, in this case, it wasn't preplanned. I also liked her scene with Priscilla's mother near the end of the book. Priscilla's mother had quite the wake-up call, and I was happy to see its effect on her.

There are some possible lead-ins to further books with these characters. I liked Alex's friend Montgomery and would love to see a book with him. A line at the end indicates he is interested in Priscilla's younger sister, Jane. There is also Maggie, the younger orphan girl that Priscilla rescued. Comments about her resembling someone (currently unknown) show a mystery that needs to be solved.

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