ARC REVIEW Lord of Vice by Erica Ridley

Rogues to Riches #6, "The road to me is paved with gold intentions" That right finally Maxwell Gideon! and the final Grenville sibling Byrony. This can be read as a stand alone but it is a pretty great series. The whole Grenville family is gregarious, Bryony is less so, she forces it, she hates going out in society for the soul purpose of finding a husband especially since her mother has made it her mission that Bryony marry higher than an Earl by the end of the season. Grenville are known for their musical talent Byrony is a wonder on the violin but it grates on her nerves that her mother very openly complains that the violin is her only winning point to attract a man. Byrony is so much more than just a pretty smile and a violinist, she can do math sums in her head she can assess a situation and tell you the best out come, she can look at an investment and know if it will be successful or not which is how she got to be involved in being the investor for The Cloven Hoof and the deed holder for the land and the building.

Maxwell Gideon rose from almost nothing to being the most infamous game hell owner in all of London. The men that once blackballed him from their gentlemen clubs are now blackballed by him. Maxwell has dreamed of this day for forever and the only thing keeping him from finally achieving that dream fully is his investor and their unwillingness to sell Max the deed. Bryony doesn't have all the information she needs to make an informed decision about selling Max the deed, and she needs to decide whether or not she want to keep it and continue getting rent from such a prosperous property or sell it and use the money to do something else and if her mother gets her way she end up married and everything she's worked so hard for goes to her husband that's something Bryony really doesn't want. Max and Bryony met by accident she snuck into The Cloven Hoof when it was supposed to be closed and Max caught her there, not knowing who she was. Even after he kicked her out she kept coming back and proved she was helpful on several occasion. Bryony was just happy that he actually listen to her suggestions. An attachment forms but Bryony feels guilty and blurts out who she really in right before he kisses her for the first time. Max feels betrayed but reluctantly agrees that she can shadow him there at The Clover Hoof for one month then she will make her decision about whether or not to sell; one month to fall in love.

Overall, this was a wonderful end to the series. Max really is a roasted marshmallow all crispy and bitter on the outside but all soft and gooey on the inside. Once he realizes his feeling for Bryony he feels like he's not good enough for her, and that he won't be welcomed in society even after meeting her siblings and their eclectic group Max still feels like he wouldn't belong. Bryony is so giving and so willing to put others before herself. They both were great characters and fit so perfectly together. As always Erica Ridley is a great story teller and a wonderful world builder.