Don't Be Gentle with Lord Tristan
(2026)(Book 11 in the Victorian Outcasts series)
A novel by Barbara Russell
He wants revenge. She believes in his redemption. Loving her may cost him everything.
Lord Tristan is accustomed to taking what he wants—and now he wants Effie, the compassionate, quietly determined daughter of his business rival, the Earl of Winchester. Their connection is immediate, dangerous, and deeply forbidden.
Effie refuses to believe the cruel portrait her father paints of Tristan. Beneath his commanding presence and ruthless reputation, she glimpses a man burdened by grief, addiction, and a darkness he keeps carefully hidden. Against her father’s wishes, Effie is determined to reach the man behind the walls—even if it costs her everything.
When a devastating bombing at Aldersgate Station cripples Tristan’s railway company, he becomes convinced the Earl of Winchester is responsible. Consumed by fury and grief, Tristan prepares to strike back with calculated vengeance. But revenge would destroy the one woman who still believes in him.
Caught between justice and obsession, love and retaliation, Tristan must decide whether to surrender to his darkness—or fight for a future where Effie might still choose him.
Don’t Be Gentle with Lord Tristan is a darkly emotional Victorian romance that confronts grief, addiction, and redemption head-on. Blending forbidden love with high-stakes revenge and raw vulnerability, this story delivers a brooding hero, a courageous heroine, and a powerful journey toward healing. Perfect for readers who crave intense emotion, complex characters, and romance that dares to explore the shadows—and the light beyond them.
Please note: Includes themes of self-harm (non-cutting), addiction, physical injury to a child, grief and loss, depression, panic attacks, and violence related to boxing and industrial sabotage.
Genre: Historical
Lord Tristan is accustomed to taking what he wants—and now he wants Effie, the compassionate, quietly determined daughter of his business rival, the Earl of Winchester. Their connection is immediate, dangerous, and deeply forbidden.
Effie refuses to believe the cruel portrait her father paints of Tristan. Beneath his commanding presence and ruthless reputation, she glimpses a man burdened by grief, addiction, and a darkness he keeps carefully hidden. Against her father’s wishes, Effie is determined to reach the man behind the walls—even if it costs her everything.
When a devastating bombing at Aldersgate Station cripples Tristan’s railway company, he becomes convinced the Earl of Winchester is responsible. Consumed by fury and grief, Tristan prepares to strike back with calculated vengeance. But revenge would destroy the one woman who still believes in him.
Caught between justice and obsession, love and retaliation, Tristan must decide whether to surrender to his darkness—or fight for a future where Effie might still choose him.
Don’t Be Gentle with Lord Tristan is a darkly emotional Victorian romance that confronts grief, addiction, and redemption head-on. Blending forbidden love with high-stakes revenge and raw vulnerability, this story delivers a brooding hero, a courageous heroine, and a powerful journey toward healing. Perfect for readers who crave intense emotion, complex characters, and romance that dares to explore the shadows—and the light beyond them.
Please note: Includes themes of self-harm (non-cutting), addiction, physical injury to a child, grief and loss, depression, panic attacks, and violence related to boxing and industrial sabotage.
Genre: Historical