The Hellion's Waltz

Published:: June 15, 2021
Author:: Waite, Olivia
Genre:: Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBT, Historical, Queer, Historical Romance, Lesbian
Rating:: 4
date finished:: 2024-12-25
dates reread::

Goodreads Description

It’s not a crime to steal a heart... Sophie Roseingrave hates nothing more than a swindler. After her family lost their piano shop to a con man in London, they’re trying to start fresh in a new town. Her father is convinced Carrisford is an upright and honest place, but Sophie is not so sure. She has grave suspicions about silk-weaver Madeline Crewe, whose stunning beauty doesn’t hide the fact that she’s up to something.All Maddie Crewe needs is one big score, one grand heist to properly fund the weavers’ union forever. She has found her mark in Mr. Giles, a greedy draper, and the entire association of weavers and tailors and clothing merchants has agreed to help her. The very last thing she needs is a small but determined piano-teacher and composer sticking her nose in other people’s business. If Sophie won’t be put off, the only thing to do is to seduce her to the cause.Will Sophie’s scruples force her to confess the plot before Maddie gets her money? Or will Maddie lose her nerve along with her heart?

Review

Highlights

“There are only two kinds of people, Madeleine. The people you protect—and the people you protect them from.” — location: 184

Most of the neighborhood thought Catherine Gray only kept house for the Hedinghams. Maddie knew different: Cat slept so infrequently in her own room that it had become an informal storeroom. — location: 465

“You seem clever, Miss Crewe—I’m sure instructing you how to read music would be a trifle. You wouldn’t have to worry about the fingering, for instance.” Sophie choked on a bite of potatoes. — location: 1778

Porridge, Sophie found, was an awful thing to snort up one’s nose in surprise and dismay. — location: 1974

One Roseingrave alone could be stubborn enough for three ordinary people—but when they banded together in favor of something, that stubbornness became truly vast and overpowering. You might as well try to soothe the storm by shouting into the gale. — location: 2038

“It might be worth a little failure to learn how strong you truly are.” — location: 2217

Mrs. Crewe turned back to Maddie and said in tones of strong approval: “That was easily the politest orgy I could have imagined.” Maddie’s jaw dropped. — location: 2299

Hopefully we’ll be able to actually do something soon. It’s like being slowly poisoned, to know something’s unjust and not be able to do anything to correct it.” — location: 2314

“That is the most beautiful thing anyone has said to me in my entire life.” Maddie’s cheeks ached from smiling. “We’re still young. Give it time. I’ll do even better, I promise you.” — location: 2346

“If the work cannot go forward without you,” she countered, “then it is doomed to fail. You cannot base a collective on the effort of a single person. No matter how dedicated that one person may be.” — location: 2470

“The problem was never the power loom—it was the people who wanted power looms because they were cheaper and produced faster. It was the way all the factory owners were chasing profits at the expense of workers’ wages and livelihood—their health and happiness. The problem,” she said, “is when people think the factory is more important than the people who work there.” — location: 2867

Because if you play perfectly, you’ve conquered a piece of music. But if you play imperfectly, and still finish, you’ve conquered fear itself. And every audience in the entire world wants to see that.” — location: 2960

Planted: Friday 27 December 2024
Last tended: Wednesday 25 June 2025