In Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas, Reina Martin grew up knowing she unfortunately didn’t completely fit in anywhere in London thanks to her illegitimate 
lineage. Her Spanish mother, a former dancer, was the mistress of a prominent banker–who already had a wife and family. But after years of being ridiculed and working as hard as possible while staying in the shadows, Reina has become a successful economist and has recently purchased (the dilapidated) Westbrook House. Her long-time best friend June will be her cook. The rest of the staff, though, is harder to come by. Then Reina learns of a program that allows paroled prisoners to be hired, giving them a second chance to earn a living. The perfect solution.
“You ain’t never managed servants before. Nary a one! And you want to start by hiring an entire household staff of vicious criminals?”
“Of course not. I’m only going to hire nice criminals.”
June scowled.
Even with the chaos and steep learning curves for her new employees, it’s somehow the handsome butler, John Pembroke, who turns her world upside down–in more ways than one–when Reina eventually learns of his true reason at Westbrook House. John, on the other hand, is fairly horrified by the state of the house and the workers within when he arrives. Of course, he doesn’t tell his new employer that he’s a policeman, not a butler, although he’s more than familiar with the responsibilities required. He’s there to assess if Reina is working with her mentor William Farlow, a well-known banker, in possibly swindling people out of money, or if she’s oblivious to his deeds. As John tries to both investigate as well as get Reina’s household in shape, he realizes that his suspicions of her are likely unfounded. But that doesn’t change the fact that Farlow may not be on the up-and-up. Or that John is falling for Reina a little more each day.
“I would lay the world at your feet,” he said raggedly, and left before she could respond.
QUEEN OF LOMBARD STREET was a lovely reminder why I fell in love with Lisa Kleypas’ writing years ago. In this Victorian novel there was lively, witty banter that had me laughing with delight. A ragtag cast who created their own found family, and who rose above their harrowing pasts. Two slow-burn romances that expertly mixed moments of sweetness and steam. And the main characters, Reina and John, who wowed me with their tenacity, kindness, and loyalty to the group our heroine had assembled on her quest to lift others up instead of punching down.
‘Mamaita had changed Raina’s life with a single phrase: “Reina de tu propio castillo.”
Queen of your own castle.
There was magic in those words. They bestowed power on a girl.’
Feminism is definitely not new in Historical Romance, but the way Kleypas built Reina’s story around the theme and how clever our heroine was made this very timely as well as entertaining. There were some moments when I was (severely) frustrated on Reina’s–and her found family’s–behalf. But the wins, both large and small, they all accomplished more than made up for it. And although this was set mainly in 1880’s London and Manchester, so much of what Reina, John, and their group endured was relatable. It was still very much a historical story. But thanks to Kleypas’ flowing, descriptive prose–and multiple POVs–it was easy to step into the characters’ shoes and understand their struggles as well as celebrate their personal successes.
TROPES/THEMES:
👑 Feminism in Victorian England
🕵️ Undercover detective
🤫 Hidden identity
🏡 Found family
💕 Two slow-burn romances
💪 Overcoming adversity
❤️ Trust and loyalty
⚖️ Power, privilege, and corruption
CW: View Spoiler »
I’m not always a fan of duplicitous heroes or heroines. That big reveal moment that throws more chaos into the mix can be frustrating if not handled right. Thankfully, after getting to know John and seeing how much he changed, how deeply he cared for the Westbrook House crew over time, and simply how much of a standup man he was, it went a long way to smooth over his initial reason for being there. It also didn’t hurt that John treated Reina like the intelligent, precious woman she was right from the start.
Speaking of Reina, she was dealt a number of personal blows over the years, let alone being born an illegitimate daughter and the stigma attached, and was an amazing heroine. I so enjoyed her curiosity as well as the way she was constantly treating others with respect, even if it didn’t follow societal norms. Reina’s generosity with her hired personnel–all parolees, save John–was oh so heartwarming. Particularly since many of them had never been shown kindness or grace before.
Filled with Easter eggs from a few of her other series and a sense of family and community that was hard-won but completely cherished, I think Kleypas created a work of fiction that will remain in readers’ hearts for quite some time to come.
QOTD: If you’ve read Lisa Kleypas’ books before, do you prefer her historicals or contemporary work?
Book Info:
Publication: Published: October 20th, 2026 | Avon |
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?
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