Love, Lies, and Spies

 Synopsis

Juliana Telford isn't your ordinary nineteenth-century lady. She's more interested in publishing her research on ladybugs than in marriage or fashionable dresses.

Spencer Northam isn't your ordinary nineteenth-century gentleman. He's a spy for the War Office on his first mission. But when Spencer's assignment involves keeping an eye on the lovely Juliana and her friends, their plans for a season without romance are unapologetically foiled.

Loved

• The chemistry. Spencer and Juliana are just perfect, and the chemistry between them from the first moments of the book is just magic. The dual perspective of the story gives us such a fun insight into both characters' thoughts, insecurities, suspicions, and hopes regarding the other- which is unique and satisfying. This is a silly, but still dreamy romance and I found myself swooning a bit! :)

• Spencer and Juliana. How can we not love Spencer? Gentlemanly, quick on his feet, devastatingly handsome, always there to rescue . . . and of course, unabashedly in love with Juliana-- so dreamy! And Juliana is such a spunky and quirky Regency heroine- what other Regency women do you know who are trying to publish research about ladybugs? Clever, pragmatic, and confident, Juliana is a heroine we can all relate to and root for from the first page as she dangles off a cliff and feels embarrassment instead of fear ;)

• The spy element. This story is different than other Cindy Antsey stories in that Spencer works for the War Office as a spy, and he is on a mission for his country. I loved this element of the story, even though it's secondary to the romance :) Watching Spencer dress up in all sorts of costumes and appear in bizarre circumstances due to his spying added such a fun element to the story.

• The wit. Cindy Antsey is just the best because she is so witty and spunky. Her writing is always clever and engaging with her dry humor, quirky characters, and awkward situations and conversations galore. I love the wit she incorporates into her descriptions of people, her characters' thought processes, and their banter with each other.

Didn't Love

• I just love Cindy Antsey and she always delivers what I'm looking for from her- fun, witty, and swoony romances that are light and fluffy. If you are looking for a deeper, more complex story- look elsewhere! This is not complex and even the spy element of the story is quite vague and doesn't have a lot of real substance. The real purpose of this story is to set up a cute and fun romance :)

Content

• Language: 
• None.

• Sexual content: 
• A male takes advantage of a female and tries to kiss her and grab her behind.
• A sweet mellow kiss.

• Violence
• A few fist fights with injuries.
• A woman is kidnapped by a man and taken to a different city.
• A woman pushes a man off a cliff- he survives.

Overall Thoughts

Ah, Cindy Antsey is just the best. I can always count on her for a fluffy, light romance that just makes me happy. My favorite thing about her books is her witty and clever writing that has me laughing out loud at times and smiling throughout the book. Spencer and Juliana are both so fun to root for and their romance is adorable as they fall hard for each other while trying not to suspect each other of subterfuge. This is guaranteed to bring some smiles and make you feel all gooey inside- and I highly recommend this and her other books!