Cindy Anstey (1957–2021)

Yes, yes, it's just another fluffy regency romance... except there's also a strong willed young woman at the center of the story, and a young man who admires her for it. Also, there's an aristocrat who is relishing his law work, and a lot of good historical information about the stupidity of dueling and how to foil a duel, should you find yourself in one by accident. Also, dastardly adventures! Mystery! and rotten folks getting their comeuppance. Yargh, satisfying.

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Fantastic romance that I fell completely in love with. The amazing characters and intriguing mystery will make this a big hit with all YA regency fans!

Opening Sentence: “Oh, my this is embarrassing,” Miss Juliana Telford said aloud.

The Review:

Miss Juliana Telford is a young independent woman that has a mind of her own and in the early nineteenth century that was considered most improper! She cares way more about researching ladybugs then show more she does dresses or finding a suitable husband. But society demands that young ladies act a certain way and there are things every young women should experience, like a season in London! Juliana agrees to go to London and participate in the balls, the flirting, and the shopping, but she has also plans to find a publisher for her very important research! The one thing she wasn’t looking for or wanting was a husband. But upon meeting one particularly charming gentleman she just might change her mind about never wanting to marry!

Spencer Northam is a young gentleman with a beautiful estate and comfortable living. He would be a great catch for any eligible maiden looking for a husband, but Spencer has no interest in looking for a bride. He is too busy trying to save his country. He secretly works for the war office and they are investigating a family that has ties to smuggling and possibly are trading important secrets to France. His mission requires him to watch and stay close to the suspected family and he finds the best way to do that is by striking an agreement with the beautiful Miss Telford. She is traveling with the family to London and they will be housed together for the duration of their stay. Spencer loves his job but he knows it is dangerous. It isn’t the type of lifestyle you want to bring a wife and children into, but the more time he spends with Juliana, the more he questions spending the rest of his life as a bachelor!

Juliana is the perfect heroine and I can honestly say I adored everything about her. She is independent, witty, intelligent, and fun. I had so much fun getting to know her and found her spunkiness endearing. I loved that she didn’t care about what other people thought of her. She is the type of person that makes her dreams a reality instead of waiting around for others to do things for her. She is someone I wish I could be friends with in real life because spending time with her would never be dull. She is just an all around great character that I connected with and admired!

I pretty much fell madly in love with Spencer right away and my love for him just grew throughout the story. He is charming, sweet, thoughtful, cunning, and funny. I really respected that he chooses a profession that served the country he loved even though it was dangerous and he didn’t need the money. He was very well off, but instead of living life like a normal gentleman he decided to do more. His relationship with Juliana was adorable and slow burning. He treated her with the utmost respect, but at the same time he would totally make you blush with a few of his thoughts! It was the perfect romance and it will definitely make you swoon!

Love, Lies, & Spies is a fun story full of adventure, espionage, romance, and humor. It has been a while since I have read a regency novel and I forgot how much I love this genre. The setting in the story was beautiful and romantic. The plot was intriguing and full of suspense. The language in the story perfectly fit the time period it was set in and it made the story feel more authentic. The characters were engaging and easy to love. The writing was fantastic and Anstey really knows how to create a captivating setting. The only complaint I had was that there was a small moment in the middle of the book that dragged for me. Thankfully it didn’t last too long but it was slow enough that I did start to get a little board. Overall, this was a fantastic story and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great romance or a fun regency/mystery novel.

Notable Scene:

Spencer’s brows furrowed, and his gaze went from her hand to her mouth. The singular way in which he was staring made Juliana feel rather heady, as if she were about to float away. Without conscious thought, her body leaned into him at the moment his seemed to be drawn to her. She dropped her hand and took a deep breath, waiting for his next move. He swallowed and then leaned closer. His lips were mere inches from hers.

FTC Advisory: Swoon Romance/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Love, Lies & Spies. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. show less

A delightful, slightly cheeky take on the Regency genre as popularized by Georgette Heyer. A bluestocking & a young buck from the War Office stumble into each other's good graces in the midst of a Smuggling-And-Treason type plot that mostly serves to show off each protagonist's sound mind and good heart. The plot on its own hangs a little loose, especially with A Blackguard also lumbering through causing his own forms of trouble, but the A chemistry of the leads is why we're here & it's show more great. show less

I adored Anstey's first book, Loves, Lives & Spies, and was super excited to see she had a new one coming out this year. I jumped at the chance to review it.

Like the first book, Duels & Deception was super fun. It was also an engaging and quick read - I sat down anticipating only reading a few pages and when I looked up, I had finished over half the book. I loved the characters, and did not want to leave them. And I love that mystery and intrigue also played a large role in the plot.

Anstey show more writes intelligent and headstrong heroines (yes!!!), and heroes who like educated women who stand up for themselves (double yes!!!). Lydia is super smart, inquisitive, and refuses to let the men in her life sideline her. She is determined to take control of her property, her business, and her future. Robert is also also super smart, loyal, and tenacious -- just like Lydia. I loved them and rooted for them the entire book.

Given how much I loved this book and her previous one, Anstey just became an insta-buy author for me.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. show less