Thief of Hearts by Ruby Moone

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The year is 1806. Bastard-born jewel thief David Lambert has few rules in his personal life. Never bed the staff, never more than once with the same man, and never, ever, kiss. Attending an aristocratic party and relieving some of the wealthy of their possessions should be easy, but in the space of a weekend, one by one all his rules are shattered by a footman with a secret.

Jeremy Naylor thought he had found the man of his dreams, the one man who might understand him. Someone passionate, handsome, and respectable. But in one shocking moment his world is destroyed, and he is forced to run for his life.

Flung together to escape the hangman’s noose, the passion between David and Jeremy burns fiercely. But Jeremy yearns for respectability, and David refuses to admit what lies in his heart. Will they find a way together, or will their differences lead them to the very brink of disaster and the shadow of the gallows?

REVIEW - 4 Stars!

As a fan of Historical Romance, I am happy to discover Thief of Hearts by Ruby Moone. This is my first time reading Ruby’s work and I am pleasantly surprised.

David arrives at an aristocratic party and finds himself smitten with the household footman, Jeremy. David has been living with a set of self-appointed rules. 1. Do not sleep with the help, 2. No repeats, and 3. No kissing. With Jeremy, David finds himself breaking all three rules.

Neither man is as he appears; they have secrets that could ruin them. After their tryst, a guest discovers her pearls have been stolen. David watches as Jeremy is falsely accused of the crime David actually committed and the real action begins to unfold.

Jeremy is kicked out of his position and housing, with no money or place to live. David feels guilty and tries to help the crestfallen Jeremy.

I find David’s home to be very special because of what it means and provides to him. David hides his true self when outside of his home, and thus spends most of his life lying. But, at his house, he has created a place where he and his staff can be themselves.

David employs a cast of outcasts, all different from societal norms, or who have unconventional preferences. This part is fantastically written, as back in the early 1800’s, these people were shunned by society. David is remarkable to give them all not just a home, but also a family. Thus, Jeremy’s formerly humiliating love for dressing in women’s clothing is so well handled and touchingly, accepted.

The sexual relationship between David and Jeremy continues at David’s home, although David insists their relationship is temporary. He doesn’t want to fall too deeply into anything, knowing Jeremy will move on at some point.

Alongside their romance, Ruby creates an entertaining world of thieves, lies, fun characters, spies, backstabbing, murder, and more. This story will keep you interested throughout, rooting for justice and a happy ending.

Thief of Hearts is well written, atmospheric and believable. I definitely recommend Ruby Moone’s novel to anyone who enjoys a good historical gay romance.