Author: Lisa Kleypas
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense, Romance
Publisher: Avon
Book Release Date: October 20, 2026
Pages: 448
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas—a sweeping, richly layered Victorian novel about a trailblazing female economist who’s determined to build Britain’s first women’s bank, but she must fight both financial corruption and a system intent on destroying the newly found family she’s created.
In Victorian England, no woman—not even a brilliant economist like Reina Martin—is allowed to open her own bank account. Men will take care of everything, women are told. But Reina knows better. As the illegitimate daughter of a Spanish immigrant mother, she’s haunted by the memory of living with unpaid grocer’s bills and no coal for the hearth.
So together with her mentor, the powerful banker William Farlow, Reina will build the first all-women’s bank, where women can manage their own financial security.
At home, Reina’s domestic staff of recently paroled prisoners are building new lives and becoming a found family. But soon Reina is shocked to discover that her enigmatic butler, John Pembroke, is an undercover police detective. He’s been assigned to investigate Farlow, who’s suspected of financial crime on a scale so massive, it could destabilize the British economy. Pembroke needs Reina’s expertise for a high-stakes nighttime heist to obtain incriminating evidence.
Now Reina faces the agonizing choice of betraying her mentor or turning her back on thousands of working-class families who stand to lose everything. Either way, her dream of the women’s bank may be over.
But courage and sacrifice aren’t limited to the battlefield—they also occur at the kitchen table, where women who believe in compassion and community are working to remake the future. And when the stakes are highest, Reina knows to trust her heart as well as her intellect.
Based on real-life trailblazers such as Mary Paley Marshall, Britain’s first female economist, and financial titan Hetty Green, Queen of Lombard Street brings to light the hidden history of extraordinary women whose achievements should be celebrated. How can we know who we are, if we don’t know who we were?
My Review: Reina Martin is the illegitimate daughter of a Spanish dancer and an English banker. She grows up to become an excellent economist. She teams up with her mentor, William Farlow, to establish an all female bank for women to open their own bank accounts. While she is working on establishing her bank, Reina employs former convicts as servants with the intent of helping them adapt into society. Little does she know that her butler is a detective who is undercover to investigate William Farlow. Would Reins be able to trust her mentor and establish a women’s bank?
I have heard good things about Lisa Kleypas because she is famous for her historical romances. Therefore, I was keen to read her straightforward historical fiction novel. I like Reina. She was a smart, strong, intelligent woman. She believed that these convicts could be redeemed in society and did not hesitate to offer them a job. She also wanted women to have their own bank account and form a bank for them. Reina was caring. She cared about everyone she loved. She was also selfless and put others before her. I love her romance with her butler! They had great chemistry from the start! They cared about each other and looked out for the other’s best interests! Therefore, I was invested in Reina and her romance!
Overall, this book is about dreams, friendship, and second chances. I found all of the characters to be likable, and I was invested in their story. They seemed to be well-developed and realistic. They were flawed but they managed to fix them. I thought that this book focused more on Reina’s romance than her focus on building a woman's bank. Her personal life was more focused on than her professional career. There were times that I thought the book moved at a slow pace. Nevertheless, it was still an entertaining and enjoyable read! It is a perfect read for those that love reading historical romances! I recommend this book for fans of Eloisa James, Eva Shepherd, and Allison Grey!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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