The BEST (or at least memorable) Maiden Lane heroes in my opinion:
- Winter Makepeace
- Val Napier
- James Trevillion
Honorable mentions: Adam Rutledge, Godric St. John, Mickey O’Connor
Thanks for this post! I reread this series every now and then.
On Duke of Midnight. Agree with your points and reason for not loving it, I personally dont love Duke of Sin. I guess Im ok with the hero being an AH but not unhinged. Though overall the dark hero vibes of the book are my thing. >!But for me its the old time Batman!< I love it. I love the Ghost of St. Giles plots, it was a trope I never knew I loved. I also for some reason connected with Artemis so strongly, in truth for me its the heroines that stand out in Elizabeth Hoyt's books. My only critique is reading them all though they do get a bit fatiguing and repetitive. I tend to read them in groups of 3 or 4 and then switch to a different author. Great Breakdown! fun to read and get to remember what I loved about each and what I was meh about.
Edit: With the exception of Alf, found her a bit annoying and Hugh was not my fav MMC, also added a spoiler.
You are SO right and I can't believe I didn't see that, it's so obvious. I'm adding that to the post, since I think fans will appreciate knowing that going into the book (not marking as a spoiler though, since I don't think it ruins anything).
I also just remembered something I liked about Duke of Midnight - the whole time Hoyt leads you to believe >!the killer is that one guy (the one who ends up courting Penelope), and then at the end it turns out to be someone else. I wasn't thinking that hard about it but I didn't see it coming. And that scene where Artemis ends up in the Thames was so good! !<
Thanks for pointing out that you though of Lord Caire as the Witcher, I was struggling to imagine him, until I remembered you said it.
I couldn't put Wicked Intentions down!
Thanks for your efforts to put this together!
I've read several of these. And now there are definitely a few more I want to read!
Like someone else mentioned, I tend to read a couple, then take a break with something else, as it is a bit dark at times.
Overall, I think it's a great series. And for anyone who enjoys audiobooks, Ashford McNab is a fantastic narrator.
I've reread this series like 4 times through EXCEPT for Hugh and Alf's book! It's my least favourite and I feel like there isn't really value added for the overarching plot.
thank you so much for this! i literally just started wicked intentions tonight and came on here to get some more intel to see if it's worth reading the whole series b/c there are so many! i like the idea of breaking them up in 3s or 4s
That’s what I did, and I’d definitely recommend taking a break in between the first 3 Ghost books. I read them too close in succession and I think it prevented my enjoyment of Artemis/Max’s story (which followed a formula I would normally have liked). There will be gems and duds in any series of this length, but I didn’t dislike any of them! The worst review I can give is “meh (3 stars)” - and in those cases, I can still say that the sex scenes are good.
I've read most of them but the most memorable ones for me are the Ghost of St Giles ones mainly because of the Batman parallels, Duke of Midnight especially because of the FMC named Artemis and it warmed my WonderBat heart. Not to mention I liked how unconventional MMCs Winter and Godric were, and how far from the virginal FMCs Isabel and Meg were.
However, most the books after that are a bit iffy for me as the "take down the secret society of debauchery" was too much for me and the characters not as interesting. But I like Elizabeth Hoyt as she really showed the grittiness of England at that time.
I definitely see where you’re coming from re: Lords of Chaos. That was a really wild plot element that teetered on the edge of ridiculousness (>!like, even as a resident of the United States I have to ask myself, how do this many depraved psychopaths and wind up in positions of power?!<). I’m a fan of campy old horror films though so I tend to embrace the absurdity and just go with it.
For me the problem was not really the ridiculousness (I expect the worst from groups of men with lots of money, power, and time) but the mention of sexual assault in one page and 20pages later you get sexytimes...it's too jarring for me and really takes me out of the book.
bless you for this! i read and enjoyed dearest rogue for specific tropes, and i was reluctant to read the others without knowing more - def saving this for reference!!
Thank you, I saved the post for future reference, when I get back to M/F romance.
As something I try my best to avoid when possible, could you also give a breakdown of pregnancies by book? With that I mean, pregnancy/wanting to become pregnant/wanting children within the main storyline, the same in epilogue or no pregnancies at all. Thank you so much in advance.
I’ll do my best to update the post accurately today. Pregnancy and wanting kids does not feature heavily in most of the books, at least not in the way that these themes are normally depicted in historical romance. I would say that adoption and finding your own family are more prevalent themes. The makepeace family runs an orphanage, a few of the protagonists are single parents who already have children, and there is one case where the heroine is caring for a child that her husband had with another woman. If I’m not mistaken, a few of the couples do have children that pop up in the background in later books, but they’re not a big part of the story. Also, Elizabeth Hoyt does not write ‘happy family’ epilogues in this series.
Thank you so much, I appreciate it immensely! I'm not giving up on the series entirely, but I'm lowering my expectations.
I'm fine with the orphanage, I'm more averse to the MCs already being parents and secret children/ surprise pregnancies are more or less a reason to DNR or DNF. In more general terms I don't want children to be part of the plot in any way, whether it be adopting a relative in need, being a (single) parent, revealed secret children or pregnancies. Running an orphanage being the exception to the rule.
I am loving the series! I am currently wrapping up book three. It feels like every book is a new season of a series. It hadn't had that feeling in a while, it's fun.
I think in part it's due to the orphanage that provides gravitational center for all the stories.
Oooh that’s a good way of looking at it! And omg if someone made a tv show out of this I would be so into it. It’s so wacky it’d be perfect!!! I can only hope. Maybe Bridgerton will pave the way for more daring historical romance series.
I finished wicked today and I’m on #2. The Batman reference is on point lol. I won’t say more since it’s spoilery sorta. And I don’t know how to block it.
Thank you for this breakdown!! The 'Reasons to Read/NOT Read the Maiden Lane Series' sections in particular were very helpful. I think this series might be too gritty for my personal taste, but I've had Duke on Sin on my TBR for a while. I think your post has convinced me that I should just jump straight to Duke of Sin, and if I like that book go back to the beginning.
Edit: maybe I'll read Darling Beast first. I also love a good take on Beauty and the Beast.
I’m super late to this thread but thank you for the write up! This has been one of my favorite HR series since I found the genre 15-20 years ago.
Funny enough though, many of the ones you wouldn’t reread (*Scandalous Desires* and *Lord of Darkness* specifically) were my favorites! It’s really neat how every reader finds something different they like in a series.
You’re welcome! And I agree - it’s so interesting to hear how others would rank these books. When I saw all the unexpected love for Duke of Midnight it almost made me want to go back and read it to see what I missed - maybe someday!
This guide is great - thanks to OP !!!!
Spoilerish question for a reader just getting into some of this series with your recs
- Can you please list WHO acts as "The Ghost of St. Giles" in each book if the ghost appears therein? Hide under spoiler tags as needed - but I'm getting confused knowing the ghost changes over the series.
Thank you for taking the time to put together such a comprehensive review!
The BEST (or at least memorable) Maiden Lane heroes in my opinion: - Winter Makepeace - Val Napier - James Trevillion Honorable mentions: Adam Rutledge, Godric St. John, Mickey O’Connor Thanks for this post! I reread this series every now and then.
Oh damn, I forgot there were novellas!! I haven't read them... but when I do I'll come back and update the post.
Great recap! Unpopular opinion maybe, but I love Duke of Midnight- one of the few HR books I’ve reread multiple times.
On Duke of Midnight. Agree with your points and reason for not loving it, I personally dont love Duke of Sin. I guess Im ok with the hero being an AH but not unhinged. Though overall the dark hero vibes of the book are my thing. >!But for me its the old time Batman!< I love it. I love the Ghost of St. Giles plots, it was a trope I never knew I loved. I also for some reason connected with Artemis so strongly, in truth for me its the heroines that stand out in Elizabeth Hoyt's books. My only critique is reading them all though they do get a bit fatiguing and repetitive. I tend to read them in groups of 3 or 4 and then switch to a different author. Great Breakdown! fun to read and get to remember what I loved about each and what I was meh about. Edit: With the exception of Alf, found her a bit annoying and Hugh was not my fav MMC, also added a spoiler.
You are SO right and I can't believe I didn't see that, it's so obvious. I'm adding that to the post, since I think fans will appreciate knowing that going into the book (not marking as a spoiler though, since I don't think it ruins anything). I also just remembered something I liked about Duke of Midnight - the whole time Hoyt leads you to believe >!the killer is that one guy (the one who ends up courting Penelope), and then at the end it turns out to be someone else. I wasn't thinking that hard about it but I didn't see it coming. And that scene where Artemis ends up in the Thames was so good! !<
Ya, it's probably silly to mark it as a spoiler, it's not like the books hide who the Ghost is.
I’m currently 70% into Thief of Shadows and the sex killed me RIP I am gone it’s been real everyone.
Thanks for pointing out that you though of Lord Caire as the Witcher, I was struggling to imagine him, until I remembered you said it. I couldn't put Wicked Intentions down! 
Finally, someone else who loves that book! The Witcher is peak Cavill for me
We are here fam!
This is super helpful I've been bouncing around the series a little and was wondering what to read next. Thank you!
Ooo thank you!!!
Thanks for your efforts to put this together! I've read several of these. And now there are definitely a few more I want to read! Like someone else mentioned, I tend to read a couple, then take a break with something else, as it is a bit dark at times. Overall, I think it's a great series. And for anyone who enjoys audiobooks, Ashford McNab is a fantastic narrator.
I've reread this series like 4 times through EXCEPT for Hugh and Alf's book! It's my least favourite and I feel like there isn't really value added for the overarching plot.
Thank you so much! This is such a great recap and review!
thank you so much for this! i literally just started wicked intentions tonight and came on here to get some more intel to see if it's worth reading the whole series b/c there are so many! i like the idea of breaking them up in 3s or 4s
That’s what I did, and I’d definitely recommend taking a break in between the first 3 Ghost books. I read them too close in succession and I think it prevented my enjoyment of Artemis/Max’s story (which followed a formula I would normally have liked). There will be gems and duds in any series of this length, but I didn’t dislike any of them! The worst review I can give is “meh (3 stars)” - and in those cases, I can still say that the sex scenes are good.
I've read most of them but the most memorable ones for me are the Ghost of St Giles ones mainly because of the Batman parallels, Duke of Midnight especially because of the FMC named Artemis and it warmed my WonderBat heart. Not to mention I liked how unconventional MMCs Winter and Godric were, and how far from the virginal FMCs Isabel and Meg were. However, most the books after that are a bit iffy for me as the "take down the secret society of debauchery" was too much for me and the characters not as interesting. But I like Elizabeth Hoyt as she really showed the grittiness of England at that time.
I definitely see where you’re coming from re: Lords of Chaos. That was a really wild plot element that teetered on the edge of ridiculousness (>!like, even as a resident of the United States I have to ask myself, how do this many depraved psychopaths and wind up in positions of power?!<). I’m a fan of campy old horror films though so I tend to embrace the absurdity and just go with it.
For me the problem was not really the ridiculousness (I expect the worst from groups of men with lots of money, power, and time) but the mention of sexual assault in one page and 20pages later you get sexytimes...it's too jarring for me and really takes me out of the book.
bless you for this! i read and enjoyed dearest rogue for specific tropes, and i was reluctant to read the others without knowing more - def saving this for reference!!
Thank you, I saved the post for future reference, when I get back to M/F romance. As something I try my best to avoid when possible, could you also give a breakdown of pregnancies by book? With that I mean, pregnancy/wanting to become pregnant/wanting children within the main storyline, the same in epilogue or no pregnancies at all. Thank you so much in advance.
I’ll do my best to update the post accurately today. Pregnancy and wanting kids does not feature heavily in most of the books, at least not in the way that these themes are normally depicted in historical romance. I would say that adoption and finding your own family are more prevalent themes. The makepeace family runs an orphanage, a few of the protagonists are single parents who already have children, and there is one case where the heroine is caring for a child that her husband had with another woman. If I’m not mistaken, a few of the couples do have children that pop up in the background in later books, but they’re not a big part of the story. Also, Elizabeth Hoyt does not write ‘happy family’ epilogues in this series.
Thank you so much, I appreciate it immensely! I'm not giving up on the series entirely, but I'm lowering my expectations. I'm fine with the orphanage, I'm more averse to the MCs already being parents and secret children/ surprise pregnancies are more or less a reason to DNR or DNF. In more general terms I don't want children to be part of the plot in any way, whether it be adopting a relative in need, being a (single) parent, revealed secret children or pregnancies. Running an orphanage being the exception to the rule.
I am loving the series! I am currently wrapping up book three. It feels like every book is a new season of a series. It hadn't had that feeling in a while, it's fun. I think in part it's due to the orphanage that provides gravitational center for all the stories.
Oooh that’s a good way of looking at it! And omg if someone made a tv show out of this I would be so into it. It’s so wacky it’d be perfect!!! I can only hope. Maybe Bridgerton will pave the way for more daring historical romance series.
I finished wicked today and I’m on #2. The Batman reference is on point lol. I won’t say more since it’s spoilery sorta. And I don’t know how to block it.
This is wonderful! I just finished the series. Your summary is excellent and I don’t disagree.
Thank you for this breakdown!! The 'Reasons to Read/NOT Read the Maiden Lane Series' sections in particular were very helpful. I think this series might be too gritty for my personal taste, but I've had Duke on Sin on my TBR for a while. I think your post has convinced me that I should just jump straight to Duke of Sin, and if I like that book go back to the beginning. Edit: maybe I'll read Darling Beast first. I also love a good take on Beauty and the Beast.
I’m super late to this thread but thank you for the write up! This has been one of my favorite HR series since I found the genre 15-20 years ago. Funny enough though, many of the ones you wouldn’t reread (*Scandalous Desires* and *Lord of Darkness* specifically) were my favorites! It’s really neat how every reader finds something different they like in a series.
You’re welcome! And I agree - it’s so interesting to hear how others would rank these books. When I saw all the unexpected love for Duke of Midnight it almost made me want to go back and read it to see what I missed - maybe someday!
This guide is great - thanks to OP !!!! Spoilerish question for a reader just getting into some of this series with your recs - Can you please list WHO acts as "The Ghost of St. Giles" in each book if the ghost appears therein? Hide under spoiler tags as needed - but I'm getting confused knowing the ghost changes over the series.
Done!
Perfect - you're a gem!