Laura Beers (2)

Lady Rachel has recently escaped an attempted kidnapping with the help of Agent of the Crown, Shadow. She was taken hostage by those who would like to see the French influence the English Parliament. Now, it has been determined that Rachel should be kept safe at her uncle's estate in Scotland until the French threat passes. Rachel is left with an Agent and bodyguard David as well as a threat to neighbor and older brother of Shadow, Luke Beckett, the Marquess of Downshire to protect Rachel. show more However, when the lonely and brooding Marquess first meets Lady Rachel, he believes that she is just like every other English Lady and she only wants him for his money. Upon meeting Lady Rachel, he believes she is a horse thief responsible for the slew of missing animals around town. Rachel believes that Luke is a horse trainer. Luke keeps up the charade by calling himself John. As Rachel and John spend time together, Luke realizes that Lady Rachel is kindhearted and adventurous. Before Luke can let Rachel know of the ruse, a French threat is exposed on the shores of Scotland and Rachel is endangered once again.

The fourth book in The Beckett Files, A Tangled Ruse continues to excite and entertain. I highly recommend reading the rest of the books in the series- and in order to catch up on the Beckett family. I was eager to continue the story with Lady Rachel who, despite her upbringing, desires more. I enjoyed her attitude of being willing to continue on with life and waking up her sense of adventure even after being kidnapped. Along with getting to know more about Lady Rachel, the story dives into Larson's past and we get to meet Jonathan and Eliza's reclusive older brother, Luke. Unlike the other Beckett's, Luke is not an Agent of the Crown but the Marquess of Downshire and his father's heir. At the start, Luke's attitude is distrusting of women and he is a loner and rough around the edges, hiding himself away at his stud farm. When Rachel comes on the scene, the writing creates the feel of a life-like Beauty and the Beast, complete with large library. The writing also offers plenty of masterfully crafted witty back-and-forth banter between Luke and Rachel as well as mounting tension as the French threaten to invade Scotland's shores creating a way for the rest of the Beckett family to come into the scene. Woven in with historical elements of the Napoleonic Wars and the madness of King George III, A Tangled Ruse is more than a regency love story. With an exciting conclusion, a sweet romance and plenty of spy action, A Tangled Ruse is a great addition to The Beckett Files.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less

Lady Elizabeth Beckett has been trained as a code-breaker and spy for the English Crown from an early age. Elizabeth watched in envy as her brother Jonathon took on dangerous missions and soon forced her way into accompanying him. Being adept at the longbow and a dagger, Elizabeth excelled in the field and earned the code name Shadow. When young ladies begin to disappear around London, Eliza makes it her personal mission to stop the man responsible for selling the women off. However, to show more complete the mission, Eliza must partner with the agent, Benedict, who believes his step-brother is responsible for the missing girls. When Eliza and Benedict meet, sparks fly, but the mission must come first.

Saving Shadow is a fun, intriguing, historical spy-thriller with just the right touch of romance. I absolutely loved Eliza's character, for a story set in Regency London Eliza is a good blend of a lady of high society and a woman who gets to use her intellect while not being pigeonholed into the image of a proper woman. I enjoyed that her intelligence and unique talents of memory and coding were utilized and promoted instead of stifled. I do wish we could have seen some of the examples of the encryptions that she decoded. My favorite scenes were those where Eliza was in action, it is truly her element. The theme of being in control was prevalent throughout the story. Eliza wanted to continue having control over her life after being banished from the control of her mother's household. All of the men in Eliza's life attempted to establish control, however quickly learned that it would not work with Eliza. The man responsible for the kidnappings of the young women also wanted to feel powerful and in control. The pacing of the story was just right, I savored the scheme leading up to Eliza and Benedict finding the stolen women and bringing down the man responsible. Not to mention the super-sweet romance with a wonderful amount of witty banter that added some spice. I'll look forward to reading more about the Beckett's in A Peculiar Courtship.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less

Martha Hackett is still recovering from the trauma of being sold into prostitution. She was rescued by Agents of the Crown and now resides with her rescuers, acting as a lady's maid for Lady Eliza Landsdowne. Martha has not reconnected with her family or much of society since the trauma, especially men. After a particularly bad flu, she is just beginning to trust Dr. Emmett Maddix, the family doctor who stayed by her side throughout the illness. When Martha father shows up without warning, show more he brings unexpected news- an inherited title of Earl and a deal for Martha. If she spends one Season with him in London, Martha will be gifted a dowry and an estate. Martha has never had warm feelings towards her father, but at agrees at Eliza's urging and with promised protection. While in London, the group of Agents don't waste any time in investigating. They are set up to probe the town of Gravesend, where a gang called the Cursed Lot have taken over. However, the Cursed Lot's reach is further than anyone could imagine and involves more people than the Agents expect.

A sweet and cautious romance paired with multiple intriguing spy plots marks the fifth book in The Beckett Files series, A Deceptive Bargain. I would definitely recommend reading the rest of this series beforehand in order to become familiar with the characters, especially Dr. Madddix and the prostitution ring that had captured Martha and was brought down by the Agents. Once again, Laura Beers has pulled me in with characters I care about and luring plots. All of her female characters, including Martha are strong and courageous in body and mind. Martha is very complex, still dealing with her years as a slave and trying to figure out how to live in a world that seems forever changed. Dr. Maddix is a Lord who would rather use his talents to treat the poor in order to atone for his past. When he hears of Martha's past, he is drawn to her strength. Their relationship is slow going, respectful and delightful to watch as it plays out. In addition to the romance, the spy plots in A Deceptive Bargain are complex pulling together demons from Emmett's past as well as new villains as the web of treachery deepened. I loved when all of the Agents go to put their skills to use against the Cursed Lot; the excitement of kidnapping, escapes, brawls, longbows, pistols and stabbings made for a heart-pounding ending. I can't wait to see what happens next.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less

*I received a copy from the author. This does not affect my review. This review is voluntary.*

I expected this to be a quick and entertaining story. And it is those things, but oh it's so much more! I quickly found myself loving these characters! And even the side characters appealed to me! Plus, it's fairly well known that my favorite characters tend to be side characters, or at least they start out that way? Yes, well this book is definitely a case of that. There are several I loved, and I show more know a couple have already gotten stories of their own. Eee! I'm excited to get the chance to read their stories as well! I would love to possibly see Tristan's best friend get his own story as well, and the girl everyone else thought strange...That should be an interesting tale!

But anyway, I quickly found that I couldn't not put this one down, and was surprised that it's got quite the mystery! Sure, I expected a bit, I mean it's a noble heir (yet not by birth) who meets a servant (who is secretly a noble), so yes, mysteries abound. But it doesn't end there, and oh what an entertaining tale they end out finding themselves a part of! show less