The Lyon Won't Lose - Dayna Quince (Dragonblade - Dec 2025)

Series: Lyon's Den (Book 102)
 
A masked heiress. A desperate guardian. One game to win it all.
 
Tristan Chase is a man with everything to lose. Working for the mysterious Widow of Whitehall, Tristan must navigate the treacherous world of the Lyon’s Den to pay off his late brother’s debt, reclaim his family home, and reunite with his younger siblings. But when Tristan discovers that Miss Smith, the gentle nurse he’s fallen for is an heiress in hiding, he knows he can never have her.
 
Miss Felicity Brandon is desperate to escape a dangerous past. Under the protection of the Widow of Whitehall, Felicity must choose a suitor to marry, but secretly she wants only Tristan Chase, the one man she can’t keep. Identity hidden behind a gold mask, she mingles with the Den’s players, with Tristan as her reluctant bodyguard. But close proximity and their irresistible attraction draw Tristan and Felicity together in a game of passion they both know will end in heartbreak.
 
When Felicity’s former fiancé and her father arrive, the stakes become deadly. Felicity’s past threatens to destroy their fragile trust, and Tristan’s jealousy risks everything he’s fought for. Tristan must risk it all—his heart, his future, and his pride—in a high-stakes game for Felicity’s hand.
 
Will love triumph over fear and scandal? Or will the Lyon’s Den claim another heart? 

This is the story of one of Mrs. Dove-Lyon's "wolves", aka her enforcers and spies, and a young woman who came to her for protection. As one of the Black Widow's men, Tristan intrigued me whenever he appeared. I wondered what brought him into her circle. At last, we learn that Tristan's late brother lost the family estate gambling at the Lyon's Den, and Tristan made a bargain to earn it back. It looks like it will be a long process, especially since Tristan refuses to gamble for it.

Felicity is a vicar's daughter from a small village. The man her father picked for her to marry assaulted her, blamed her for it, and her father still insists she marry him. Rather than submit, Felicity flees to London, where she throws herself on Mrs. Dove-Lyon's mercy. The widow promises to protect her and help find her an acceptable husband. In the previous book by this author, To Steal a Lyon's Heart, Felicity served as a nurse to an injured nobleman, but a match between them didn't happen. Mrs. Dove-Lyon's current plan is to put Felicity out in Society. 

Tristan served as Felicity's bodyguard while she was nursing, to protect her reputation. They first became friends, but their feelings grew stronger as they got to know each other. Felicity felt safe with him, and she brought out his protective nature. I liked how Tristan's support helped Felicity gain confidence in herself. Matters become complicated when Felicity's fiancé and father track her down and try to force her to marry. Tristan and Felicity fell hard for each other, but Tristan believes she is far above him. I liked seeing how Mrs. Dove-Lyon motivated him to go after what he wanted.