A Governess Should Never…Lure a Spy by Emily Windsor

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews1 Comment

A Governess Should Never... Lure a Spy (Governess Chronicles. #4)A Governess Should Never… Lure a Spy by Emily Windsor

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Governess Chronicles, #4

Release Date: April, 11, 2024

Hugh Cadwalader, also known as “the Scandalous Mr. Hugh Cadwalader” is in need of a governess for his ward Pheobe Thornton. Hugh is a spy for the Home Office and Pheobe is the daughter of his friend and mentor, Ross Thornton, who was found dead in his home 8 months ago, the Home Office deemed his death a suicide, when a letter was found, alleging Ross was a traitor. Hugh is furious, there is no way his friend was a traitor, and the Home Office seems happy to label him a turncoat and brush the matter under the rug. Well, that won’t fly for Hugh, he is determined to find the truth, clear his friend’s name and set Pheobe’s mind at ease. But to do that, he will need someone to care for Pheobe, so hence the search for a governess and so far, there has only been one applicant. Miss Amelia Jones, who Hugh is almost certain is lying about her experience. But she smells of roses and gunpowder and intrigues Hugh far more than she should…

Miss Amelia Lambert is the natural daughter of the Duke of Swanford and his one-time mistress, Alice Lambert, the Butterfly Courtesan, and though she is applying for the position of governess, she is actually an agent in the Foreign Office, tasked with investigating Hugh as a possible traitor. While she might be completely out of her league as a governess, she excels as an agent. She is pretty sure Hugh is not a traitor, but she needs proof, more than just the fact that he affects her like no man ever has. When her cover is blown, they work together to try and find the traitor and for the first time ever, Amelia feels seen and accepted. Is HEA possible for two spies? And that is assuming they find Ross’s murderer and stop them before they too are silenced for good.

I really loved this story, Hugh and Amelia are perfect for each other and they had an on-page chemistry that is hard to find in a book. Their banter was priceless, the secondary characters were wonderful, and I was delighted to realize that Charlotte was the same Charlotte from a previously read novella, as well as cameos from many previously read characters! The book has action, adventure, spies, steamyish love scenes, a lot of emotion, traitors, insecurity, loss, rejection, a housekeeper with home remedies, life & death moments, a matchmaking Aunt, a grieving ward, revelations, happiness and true love, complete with a HEA and an epilogue. Overall, I loved this story and would happily recommend this entire series. This is the fourth book in the series, but it could be read as a standalone title with no problem, however, I would recommend reading the books in order for the best reading experience.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Death and Glory by Will Thomas

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Scottish/Highlander, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Death and Glory (Barker & Llewelyn, #15)

Barbara’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Barker & Llewelyn #15
Publication Date: 4/23/24
Period: Victorian London – April, 1894
Number of Pages: 304

Thomas Llewelyn has worked with Cyrus Barker for ten years, and it has been a wonderful reading journey. Thomas has gone from a melancholy, down-on-his-luck, contemplating suicide young man to a confident, skilled enquiry agent with a wife. Thomas shows those skills in this book and even gets some excellent personal news.

It seems the south is rising again – in London. No, not the south of England, but the Southern United States. A delegation of Southern expatriates appears at the offices of Barker and Llewellyn on a lovely spring morning. They wish to hire Barker to arrange a meeting with the new Prime Minister, the Earl of Rosebery. Barker and Thomas immediately suspect their motives but feel they should play along until they discover what the Prime Minister and his government want to do about them.

What these Southern gentlemen want astounds the government and can create a huge political scandal/crisis. Whichever way the government decides, the fallout will happen. The civil war in the US has been over for thirty years, yet these people want the delivery of a warship promised to them just as the war was ending. Barker and Thomas think they want more and quickly infiltrate the group to see what they can learn. A Barker and Llewellyn case is always more complicated and convoluted than they first appear – and this one was no exception.

This excellently-written, well-plotted, fast-paced novel was action-packed and filled with interesting characters and enlightening obscure historical facts. Another thing I always enjoy is the Author’s Notes – Yes, I always read the Author’s Notes. This author’s notes are always educational and fun to read. I love Thomas’s wit as he gives us his first-person account of each case and we always learn more about him in each new entry in the series. Barker, of course, always leaves us wanting to know more. We’ve learned a lot about his history, and in this novel, he seemed more ‘human’, but still he is larger than life.

I recommend this book, this series, and this author. I hope you will love the book as much as I did. Happy reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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