Series: The Royal Saboteurs, #2
Traits & Tropes: spies; widow; danger induced intimacy; only one bed
Publication Date: 10.11.22
Genre/Setting: Historical; Victorian; London, England
Heat Level: 4
Rating: 4.5 stars
With his parents having been decorated crown agents during the Napoleonic Wars, Willoughby Galloway has always wanted to follow in their footsteps. He wants to be recognized for his abilities and move out of his parents’ shadows and he thinks his place in the Royal Saboteurs is the way to accomplish that feat. When he receives his first mission to foil assassination attempts on Queen Victoria, Will knows he must stay focused and avoid distraction, but then he meets his prime suspect, the ethereally lovely Lady Averley.
Emily Blythe-Coston, Lady Averley, has been a lady-in-waiting to the queen since the death of her beloved husband two years previously. She agreed to the service as a way to escape her grief and certainly doesn’t expect the feelings she begins to develop for the newest courtier, a handsome friend of the prince who also shares her interest in fossils. Emily doesn’t know what to do with this attraction and she certainly doesn’t want it. When she is injured during another attempt on the queen’s life, Emily finds herself drawn into an intrigue she never imagined, and Will may be the only person she can trust. She has no hesitation about trusting her physical safety to Will, but she’s not so sure about her heart.
I liked this book quite a bit more than its predecessor. Will is, of course, very focused on his mission, but as he’s so distracted by his growing feelings for Emily, it never felt like the romance was lost. Instead, we got a very natural progression of their relationship and the emotions between them felt real. Their relationship by nature does start off under false pretenses, but their feelings never are, and I loved the fact that Emily didn’t shy away from them, but rather embraced them as a way to finally heal and move on from the loss of her husband. In fact, I wish Will had been more willing to embrace his feelings faster, though his conflict with his duty was understandable. These two demonstrated excellent communication and willingness to compromise to make things work and I liked that, though their HEA was a bit unconventional and perhaps not my favorite, I did like it and I think it was perfect for these characters. I’m enjoying learning little tidbits about the other characters in this world as well and I’m looking forward to their stories.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2363562709
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5016782333
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