Synopsis:
Critically acclaimed author Vanessa Riley infuses the ballroom settings of Regency England with Jamaican flair her Rogues & Remarkable Women series featuring a secret society of widows battling society to regain their money and a chance at love everlasting. In this sweeping, swoon-worthy final installment, an English spy must follow his neglected wife through the streets of London as she investigates her sister’s death with the aid of the Widow’s Grace. Can they find common ground and learn to work together? This vibrant and inclusive historical romance is perfect for Bridgerton binge-watcher!
Founded by the ton ‘s most ingenious countess, the secret society The Widow’s Grace comes to the aid of ill-treated widows and wives and helps them regain their fortunes, their families, and sometimes discover true love…
For adventurous Jamaican heiress Cecilia Thomas, marrying charming military lieutenant Lord Gantry to save him from danger—and herself from mercenary suitors—was a painful mistake. Instead of a passionate life together, she’s stranded at his chilly Mayfair mansion with his unaccepting family. Worse, she finds he is actually a spy dedicated to duty over wedlock—and secrets over trust. So when she hears her sister has been driven to her death, Cecilia is determined to expose the powerful man responsible. Assisted by The Widow’s Grace, she flees to Covent Garden with a new identity. But can she elude her formidable husband—even as the desire between them continues to flare even hotter?
Always calm, forever controlled, Gantry has put everything aside to hunt down the traitor who nearly killed him. It’s only when Cecilia leaves that he realizes his real duty should have been to her. As she continually outwits him through London’s most perilous streets, Gantry realizes his wife is a resourceful, courageous woman he longs to truly know. But when her pursuit threatens influential enemies, will his and Cecilia’s only chance to gain justice separate them once and for all?
Rating: 4-stars
Review:
A Duke, the Spy, an Artist, and a Lie by Vanessa Riley is full of romance, adventure, and espionage. A husband neglects his wife for the sake of his career. A career that keeps him so preoccupied that his wife decides to leave him. It is then, that he finds her missing and decides to chase after her. A man who realizes what he had and what he has lost all due to his own fault. This hero is smarter than most. For most heroes take forever to figure out their wrongful thinking and then have others point it out to them. But in this case, the hero figures it out himself. I applaud such a hero. The female character is a strong one. She is intelligent and just what the hero needs. What a difference these two do as a career, yet they have such chemistry…overall, this historical novel was very entertaining and enjoyable. Vanessa Riley brings readers an entertainment they shall never forget.
Urban Book Reviews 