Lady Sophia has her heart set on revenge against the man who set her brother to his death. However, that resolve will falter when she's faced with the noble and generous heart of Sir Ross Cannon. Take a stroll down Bow Street with Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas. **Crimes of SPOILERS**

Grab your copy of the book we read today, Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas!

Want to listen to a certain segment? Here is our outline this week:

0:00 - 11:06: Intro/History Facts

11:06 - 15:35: Synopsis

15:35 - 17:28: Parlour

17:28 - 46:26: General Discussion

We include our synopses as a semi-transcription of the episode in our blog posts. You can learn more about how we compose these by reading this article. As a reminder though, our synopses are FULL of spoilers. Read ahead at your own risk :)

Lady Sophia's Lover:

• Lady Sophia Sydney has not had the life that was destined for her. Orphaned when she was young, this daughter of a Viscount has been a servant for most of her adult life.

• She was recently sent away from her position with a cousin due to having an affair with a man who spoke of marriage but actually already had a wife.

• Although disgraced, it has spurred Sophia on to finally act on a plot of revenge. She plans to ruin the man who sent her younger brother to his death, the Chief Magistrate of Bow Street, Sir Ross Cannon.

• Sir Ross is known as the Monk of Bow Street. After his wife died in childbirth, Ross threw himself into his work and has turned the Bow Street runners into a professional service all of London depends on.

• Sophia comes to Sir Ross as an applicant for a position as Secretary. She plans to use the position to gather evidence against him and his runners, while also finding a way to seduce him and break his heart.

• After getting the position as Secretary, Sophia begins to get to know Sir Ross. They instantly have an attraction to one another and even though she should not, Sophia begins to care for Ross.

• For Ross’s part, he has not desired a woman this much since he lost his wife. While he normally has no problem burrowing his desires deep down, with Sophia they tend to rise to the surface and he is unable to stop himself from acting on it by kissing her.

• Shortly thereafter, Ross is shot while pursuing a criminal and Sophia is there to assist in his recovery. This is a turning point in the relationship. On his first day of recovery, Ross and Sophia have an encounter that is rudely interrupted by a servant coming to relay some information from Bow Street to Ross.

• For Sophia, after working with Ross for over a month, she realizes that she has feelings for Ross that are not conducive towards revenge.

• Things culminate at a house party thrown by Ross’s mother at their country estate. Sophia was brought on to help manage the event as house keeper and while there, Ross and Sophia finally loose the fight of sexual tension and make love. Ross then proceeds to ask Sophia to marry him.

• Sophia is at a loss, how can Ross want to marry her. Especially after she confesses to wanting to seek revenge on him for the death of her younger brother.

• Ross understands her hesitancy but also wants to prove his feelings are genuine and will not change even after discovering he may have had a hand in her brother’s death.

• During their research, they find that Sophia’s knowledge of the crimes of her brother are not correct. Ross actually did him a service of sending him to prison hulk instead of to the gallows, which was the fate of the rest of the people who were arrested with her brother.

• However, this is not the point of happily ever after. Sophia keeps one more secret from Ross.

• It turns out, her brother is actually alive. He assumed the identity of another inmate upon their death and was reborn as Nick Gentry. Currently the reigning king of the underworld but also a renowned thief taker (aka Bounty Hunter). He and Ross are bitter enemies and Ross’s final goal for his career is to bring Nick Gentry to justice.

• Keeping this information from Ross, Sophia still agrees to marry Ross. She loves him and the idea of being away from him for any reason is devastating.

• They are married and things are great until Nick Gentry is caught and taken to Newgate. It does not look for him and Sophia finally unveils the truth of her connection to Nick.

• Ross is not happy to hear his wife is keeping secrets from him but still he is a good man and comes up with a plan to help Nick.

• He offers Nick a chance to turn his skills toward good. In exchange for holding back evidence, Ross offers Nick a position at Bow Street as a runner. Turn his skills toward legal good instead of working outside the law.

• Nick sees that this is his only way of redemption and takes it.

• Our story ends with an epilogue where Sophia and Ross have a beautiful baby girl and they can start their life together filled with love and companionship.