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Christina McKnight

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The Thief Steals Her Earl (Craven House Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Christina McKnight (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.2 762 ratings

Book 1 of 4: Craven House Series

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TO SAVE HER FAMILY, SHE MUST BE VERY, VERY BAD...
Miss Judith Pengarden has a problem: her family is in debt, and soon will lose their home. What's a dutiful sister to do to save her loved ones from ruination? Why, steal a few items from an aristocrat's house--items he'll surely never miss--and sell them to pay her family's debts. Luckily for her, she meets Simon Montgomery, the new Earl of Cartwright, a recluse familiar with antiquities. He can help her keep her family from debtor's prison, and he might just claim her heart too. Except instead of stealing from Simon's neighbor, she breaks into the wrong house...

Simon is determined to change the way the world sees his family, even if it means he can no longer pursue his dreams of being a scholar to take on his new title. When a thief breaks into his home and steals a precious family heirloom, he vows to get the item back. The last thing he expects is that the girl he met at a garden party is a thief! When Jude is discovered with his possessions, how will she ever convince him that despite her deception, her love for him is the truth?

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About the Author

USA Today Bestselling Author Christina McKnight writes emotional and intricate Regency Romance with strong women and maverick heroes. Her books combine romance and mystery, exploring themes of redemption and forgiveness. When not writing she enjoys coffee, wine, traveling the world, and watching television.

Visit Christina's website: christinamcknight.com
Sign up for Christina's newsletter and receive a free book: hyperurl.co/CMNL
Follow Christina on Amazon: amazon.com/Christina-McKnight/e/B0094RZ8SY/
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Follow her on Twitter: @CMcKnightWriter

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01I05Q460
Publisher ‏ : ‎ La Loma Elite Publishing (July 26, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 26, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1232 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #19,243 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #84 in Historical Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #169 in Mystery Romance
- #252 in Regency Historical Romance

Customer Reviews:
4.2 762 ratings

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Christina McKnight

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USA Today Bestselling Author Christina McKnight writes emotional and intricate Regency Romance with strong women and maverick heroes. Her books combine romance and mystery, exploring themes of redemption and forgiveness. When not writing she enjoys coffee, wine, traveling the world, and watching television.

Visit Christina's website: christinamcknight.com

Sign up for Christina's newsletter and receive a free book: hyperurl.co/CMNL

Follow Christina on Amazon: amazon.com/Christina-McKnight/e/B0094RZ8SY/

Like Christina's FB Author page: facebook.com/ChristinaMcKnightWriter

Join Christina’s Reader Group on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/McKnightAndLadies

Follow her on Twitter: @CMcKnightWriter

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

762 global ratings

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Kim Moye

Great story and characters

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2023

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The Pengarden women are a force to be reckoned with! This story featuring Judith is entertaining and fun. Judith and her twin sister decide to steal artifacts from members of the ton to help keep their family afloat. Simon is an Earl who is forced to work to try and restore his family's wealth. Their paths cross and it is a fun story.

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Cynthia L. Bogner

Pleasant romance 3.5 stars rounded to four

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2021

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This book is technically well written, and I did like the hero and heroine, but unfortunately much of the book was disjointed and sketchily supported.

I have no problem suspending belief in fiction. I am not a Regency era purist, but if one is going to set the plot outside the conventions of the period, it needs a little conventional ballast to keep it afloat. Not every convention can be tossed out, or it just becomes a romance masquerading as historical.

The heroine is the illegitimate daughter of a bordello owner and a peer. We get a few lines - and only well into the story once we are entirely perplexed - that explains how there is a noble half brother who disavowed the heroine’s siblings when their aristocratic father died. Somehow, their mother managed to run a bordello and gaming hell, and when she died, the older sister continued the gaming hell but did away with the prostitution part of the business. At the same time, the siblings move about in polite society even though everyone knows their origins because a Lady Haversham sponsors them. It is just too much to overcome. Plus, several people refer to the brother as “Lord” Garrett. It’s never explained why. Did the author slip up, or is she loosy goosy with the forms of address?

The whole idea for the twins to steal priceless antiquities to keep their family afloat is weak, and the relationship between the sisters in this endeavor is discordant. The author describes the heroine’s family as close and loving, but I only see sharp edges and selfishness.

As for the hero’s family, we are told later in the book how his mother used to be a good mother before his father died. Yet, the woman we meet is a harpy. I could never reconcile the proclamation of her past self to the present. And that is another weakness of the book. Characters are not well fleshed out, and they behave inconsistently with the descriptions from other characters and even the omniscient narrator.

If you are looking for steamy, you will not find it in this book. There are a couple of heated kisses. There is not even a wedding, so no wedding night.

I rounded up to four because the writing is good and the plot, for all its faults, is interesting in a quirky way. The author does create interest in discovering the family secrets, but I feel a little manipulated that I have to read other books.

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MelodyTregear

It was ok -2.5 stars

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2023

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For a large part of the book I didn't really enjoy the story. As the heroine belatedly realized, there were numerous legitimate avenues she could have chosen to raise money, rather than sneaking into people's homes and stealing. How she, as an adult, didn't realize she would hurt people in the process is beyond me. Much of the story did not seem believable to me. I cannot see the ton or Beau monde ever accepting them even though their sister moved away from their mother's profession as a madame of a bordello. Three of the five children were illegitimate. That may be casually overlooked today but it was a big deal back then. The ending didn't give one much satisfaction either as we still don't know the sister's secret, nor did we get a more detailed scene with Cart's mother's shock over his marriage choice. Considering how mean she was to her son, that would have been very satisfying. And on that, while he might not of cared what people thought about his choice for his countess, his sister would more than likely feel society's sensor. Not my kind of regency romance.

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A. STORM

Christina McKnight brings us a delightful new series and incorporates some old friends!

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2016

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We first met the ladies of Craven House in book 4 of the “Lady Forsaken Series” Hidden No More. All have a unique talent, legal or not.
It’s a light hearted story of two people whose love for antiquities (one who collects them and one who steals them) brings them together.

Thinking her family is deeply in debt, Judith, (Jude) Pengarden, uses her “skills” to “acquire” some items that may bring in some quick coin. However, one night she uses those skills in the wrong house and finds herself in a dark holding cell, while waiting for her sibling to have her released she decides it’s time she find other ways to help the family.
Simon “Cart” Montgomery, the Earl of Cartwright is looking for items his so called uncle has taken from his townhouse after the passing of beloved father. Being the man of the house he must deal with his mother’s spendthrift ways and try to secure a proper education for his young sister, Theodora, “Theo”. Who you immediately like with her “12 going on 25” personality! (This reviewer can’t wait for her story!)
Finding themselves at Lady Haversham’s garden party, Jude and Cart find a shared attraction for antiquities and one another. Cart is smitten right away and in the beginning Jude thinks Cart could be the answer to her prayers, but soon realizes it’s not Cart’s antiquities she’s really interested in as much as it is Cart, the man.
However, when Jude is caught by Cart with one of his family’s pictures; Cart walks out of her life, leaving them both shattered. Can their affection for one another overcome the deception?

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Top reviews from other countries

Dark Sketcher

In desperate need of a proof reader.

Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2020

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Good read but a lot of typographical errors.
To who would I recommend this book? Miss Stickles, my Grade 10 home room teacher.

CatF

Fun premise

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2020

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I really enjoyed the premise but felt the story could have moved swiffer. Didn't finish unfortunately

kk

Dreadful

Reviewed in Australia on March 14, 2021

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A badly written book with plenty of horrid non-regency anachronisms. The storylines are confused and frankly ludicrous, especially the bit about the daughters of a madam mixing with the ton. The grammar is dire. Absolutely no evidence of an editor within a hundred miles of this shoddy thing.

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Clive Robinson

Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2020

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Good read

Rosewood

Good novel for a new series

Reviewed in Canada on December 29, 2016

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I liked this novel because of the characters - who were all a little crazy -, and the storyline was great with so much drama and Intrigue that was happening with the thefts taking place and Sam with her husband hunting, and just enough humor to keep the reader interested. I would be worried about the Earl's monetary situation though especially with his mother spending way too much - if Jude is smart she'll put that one on a budget far, far away and confiscate the jewelry.