Marked as a Lyon's Marchioness
by Wendy LaCapra
The Lyon's Den Connected World
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Release Date: January 14, 2026
Reviewed by PJ
She sought marriage.
He sought pleasure.
Love had other plans.
When scandal threatens to force her sister into a disastrous marriage, Miss Eliza Wainwright makes a desperate, daring nighttime visit to the Black Widow, owner of London's most notorious gaming hall. All Eliza needs is a respectable husband to restore her family's standing—instead, she finds herself drawn to the arrogant yet enigmatic Marquess of Redver, who comes to know her only as The Blackbird.
Redver’s carefully crafted façade hides explosive family secrets. But during a masked encounter with The Blackbird, he discovers not only pleasure and passion, but unexpected solace. When she refuses to see him again, him being of the same ilk that ruined her sister, his walls begin to crumble.
As hidden truths emerge and disguises fall away, will Redver and Eliza be destroyed? Or can Redver convince his perfect match he is worthy of her heart?
PJ's Thoughts:
So, there are apparently 100+ books, written by multiple authors, in the Lyon's Den Connected World. This was my first. It is also Wendy LaCapra's first entry in this fictional world. Jumping in at this point did not diminish my enjoyment of Eliza's and Adrian's journey at all. Much of the credit for that is due to LaCapra's fully developed, multi-layered characters as well as her flowing, nuanced storytelling. She never disappoints.
At 249 pages, this is a quick read that still packs a punch. The spice - which also includes a bit of mystery and hidden identity - is in the opening pages of the book and sets the stage for everything that follows. I found the pace to be a bit slow in those early chapters but once the layers of Eliza and Adrian - especially Adrian - began to slowly peel away and I started to understand them more, I really got into their characters and their bumpy, sometimes humorous, sometimes mysterious, sometimes heart-tugging journey from adversaries to friends to lasting love. I became emotionally invested in their friendship, their deepening feelings, their individual growth and healing, and the slow realization (I do love it when the lead couple are the last to realize they're in love) that they have found the person they want to share their life with. The story picked up pace after those first few chapters and I was happily flipping pages, eager to discover what would happen next until the satisfying conclusion.
Secondary characters played pivotal roles in the book, including Eliza's four sisters, Adrian's friends and family, and a mysterious woman (at the center of this fictional world) who owns a gaming house and apparently meddles in the romantic lives of her clients. At least, she did in this romantic journey.
I hope LaCapra has plans to write stories for at least some of Eliza's sisters because I'm nowhere near ready to say goodbye to these characters.
At 249 pages, this is a quick read that still packs a punch. The spice - which also includes a bit of mystery and hidden identity - is in the opening pages of the book and sets the stage for everything that follows. I found the pace to be a bit slow in those early chapters but once the layers of Eliza and Adrian - especially Adrian - began to slowly peel away and I started to understand them more, I really got into their characters and their bumpy, sometimes humorous, sometimes mysterious, sometimes heart-tugging journey from adversaries to friends to lasting love. I became emotionally invested in their friendship, their deepening feelings, their individual growth and healing, and the slow realization (I do love it when the lead couple are the last to realize they're in love) that they have found the person they want to share their life with. The story picked up pace after those first few chapters and I was happily flipping pages, eager to discover what would happen next until the satisfying conclusion.
Secondary characters played pivotal roles in the book, including Eliza's four sisters, Adrian's friends and family, and a mysterious woman (at the center of this fictional world) who owns a gaming house and apparently meddles in the romantic lives of her clients. At least, she did in this romantic journey.
I hope LaCapra has plans to write stories for at least some of Eliza's sisters because I'm nowhere near ready to say goodbye to these characters.
This sounds like a good entry into this "series."
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