The Emperor's Conspiracy by Michelle Diener

And it works, because they do not fall at once, they do not even like each other at once. As he is not one of those silly Men of the ton who wants her dowry and are all talk. A Lord who become the romantic interested of our cool heroine. Gold smuggled out of England and a Lord who tries to figure out the plot. While still be connected to the underworld. She used to live in the slum, daughter of a whore, worked as a chimney sweep but was saved by a nice lady and raised as her ward.

Charlotte the heroine was no simpering miss of the ton. It was a nice mix of historical fiction, suspense, mystery and romance. It started so good.and yes it continued to be that good! :D And I also loved the character of Luke, but then I have a soft spot for damaged anti-heroes. Unlike so many heroines of historical novels these days, Charlotte is not impulsive or silly, and if she believes something needs to be done she doesn't wait around for a man to take care of it, but takes action herself not impulsively but with careful thought and planning. Rescued and taken in by a rich lady as an adolescent, Charlotte strives to keep a foot in both worlds, trying to remain loyal to Luke while attempting to please her guardian and friend, Lady Howe. The one soft spot he has is his love for Charlotte, who he protects with a ferocity that sometimes frightens her. Having taken a beating in prison, Luke has grown into a bitter, violent crime lord who is both physically and emotionally damaged. This is due to her childhood raised in the slums, orphaned and protected by a boy named Luke. Charlotte is a complex heroine who is (thank the lord) mature and worldly although fairly young in years. The mystery part of the novel was done well enough, but the best part of the book are the main characters and their stories (and backstories). Otherwise I would be annoyed at the ending of this one. For the sake of a review I will assume the author intends to bring back the characters in another book. Warning - the ending of this book is very abrupt and doesn't completely resolve the romantic subplot of the story.

The Emperor's Conspiracy by Michelle Diener