Series: Love and Let Spy, #3
Traits & Tropes: spies; fake marriage; independent heroine; troubled, impoverished hero; soldiers; celibate (possibly virgin) hero; beta hero
Publication Date: 12.28.21
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London, England
Heat Level: 2
Rating: 4.5/5
Rather than pursue a husband as most girls of her station do, Miss Laura Hopkins’ unique circumstances permit her to use her charm and fortune in other ways. She disguises herself and uses the alias of Lady Sterling to help mistreated young women escape from abusive employers. Laura is happy to meet out justice, even in a small way. She prefers to work alone, but that policy is challenged when her efforts against her latest target bring her face to face with none other than Lord Sterling.
Captain Jeremy Addison, reluctantly titled Viscount Sterling, prefers his work as a spy and codebreaker for the Crown to any sort of societal obligations his unexpected title brings. He’s been a part of various and sundry dangerous situations, but they haven’t left him quite as prepared as he’d like for the complication that is Lady Sterling. When their circumstances force them to pretend to be newlyweds in the home of an earl under suspicion, Laura and Jeremy are surprised to find they make a good team. There’s a real connection developing beneath the façade they’re putting on for the earl’s household and soon they begin to wonder if their risky pretend affection could become the real thing.
This was such a fun book. I’m thoroughly surprised by how much I enjoyed it given that I found the previous books in the series to be just okay. Jeremy was an interesting, multilayered hero, since he mostly came off as very gentle, more of a beta hero, but also had a strength and competence to him that was endlessly endearing. Laura was that rare breed of intelligent, independent heroine, who knows her own mind but is never shrewish or hateful to the hero. In fact, she went for everything she wanted, which included not shying away from her feelings for Jeremy and her desire to see if they could build a future together, even as he insisted he was unable to marry. Jeremy walked a fine line with his self-deprecating tendencies, but his mother set him straight in time for me to not be too annoyed by him and I loved that Laura stood by him and recognized the sweetness and gentleness that were inherent to him as a person. I also loved that we got a celibate, possibly virgin hero here, and though there wasn’t much of it, the intimacy between Jeremy and Laura was very sweet and felt very much integral to the development of their relationship, and I loved that both wound up being honest about their feelings for one another. This plot had plenty of intrigue to keep me entertained, but I was never stressed or annoyed by an overabundance of angst. This one is definitely my favorite of the series thus far.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2051008790
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4211340625
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