Raised as a gentleman, Matthew Milton's life changes when it is discovered his father's friend is swindling money from their newspaper and Matthew and his father loses everything. Forced to adjust to a life in the slums of New York, Matthew leaves behind the gentleman he is to lead the rag-tag group of ruffians that make up the Forty Thieves. Now in London, Matthew's life is about to change again. One chance meeting with Lady Bernadette and Matthew can't help but think of all the things that his life may have if he lives the life of a gentleman.

Lady Bernadette Marie Burton may be the richest widow in England, but that doesn't make up for all the lonely years she spent with her much older husband. Now free to do as she pleases, Bernadette craves the kind of passion she's only dreamed about; the type of passion that's eluded her until she meets Matthew. Separated by wealth and status, Bernadette is determined to have a life which includes Matthew, but Matthew's honor dictates he first become the kind of man he deems worthy of Bernadette. With such a huge gap between their worlds, will these socially divided lovers ever be?

FOREVER A LADY, the second book in the amazing Delilah Marvelle's Rumor series, is as engrossing as it's predecessor. The thing I love about Marvelle's books is that her characters are rarely conventional. In FOREVER A LADY, not only is Bernadette older than Matthew, but you also have the reverse Cinderella, where Matthew is not just poor, he's also a criminal. Yet she makes the characters work wonderfully. Marvelle does a great job of bringing to life the seedy side of New York during that time period as well, transporting you to the gritty and dangerous streets of Five Points. If you're looking for an outside-the-box historical or just a great read, FOREVER A LADY will satisfy both those wants and more.

Book Summary

TWO DIFFERENT CLASSES, ONE COMMON DESIRE... Lady Bernadette Marie Burton may be the richest widow in England, but like her dreams of finding true passion, her reputation is deteriorating. Cruel gossip, loneliness and hoards of opportunistic suitors have her believing Society couldn't be more vile...or dangerous. So when an attacker threatens her life, she finds safety in the most unseemly of places: the arms of a mysterious, Irish-American gang leader. His fortune stolen, young Matthew Joseph Milton is done playing the respectable gentleman. In the slums of New York, only ruffians thrive. But from the moment he arrives in London and encounters the voluptuous Lady Bernadette, he can't help but wonder about the finer pleasures he's missing. Or just how much he's willing to risk-not only to bed her, but to prove his worth....