An Indecent Invitation

An Indecent Invitation by Laura Trentham
Book #1: Spies and Lovers Series
Source: Author
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:

Laura Trentham had me intrigued with the title, showing real interest with the series name, and hooked with the synopsis. How do I walk away from all these things?? The answer is, I don’t.

Lily Drummond just isn’t what her father, the Earl of Windor hoped she would be. Lily isn’t at all interested in making a good match and settling down with a man who only wants her for her dowry. Lily doesn’t care about titles or property, she wants a man who will see her for what she is, an intelligent, adventurous, daring woman who doesn’t need a man to be complete. In fact, Lily is so committed to her plan and desires, show more she faced off against her father in an attempt to convince him of her wishes. Unfortunately, that fight was the last words Lily spoke to her father before he went missing. As a spy, the Earl of Windor is often gone for long periods of time but this time, Lily is certain something is amiss.

Gray Masterson has known Lily Drummond since she was an obnoxious child trailing around behind him and her brother, Rafe. Gray has been best friends with Rafe since they were children and when Rafe calls on his friend to look after his sister during her first London season, Gray finds he simply can’t deny his friend. Additionally, he lost a bet and has no choice  The years have been good to both Lily and Gray but nothing could possibly prepare either for the dramatic change in their respective appearance. Gray is simply gobsmacked by Lily and from the moment he lays eyes on her, he finds it hard to resist her. Lily is intelligent, bold, stubborn, determined, sassy, and undeniably, the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. She also has her mind set on finding her father and if Gray won’t help her, so be it, she’ll go at it alone.

Gray’s encounters with Lily are some the highlights of this read. Gray is a trained spy and understands how to go about gathering information and accomplishing goals without getting himself killed. Lily is desperate to find her father and willing to take unreasonable risks. Reigning her in takes every ounce of patience Gray has and some he didn’t know he possessed. Additionally, Lily is ripe for the taking and watching her being courted by titled and entitled asshats is more than Gray can tolerate. Gray knows he isn’t good enough for Lily (no money, no title, etc.) but she is a treasure that none of the men courting her can possibly handle. As the mission to find her father becomes more and more dire, Gray begins to see Lily for exactly the woman she is and knows, absolutely that she will never be satisfied with the life her father wants for her. Lily’s mind is quick, her heart is true, and she loves working with Gray to uncover the mystery of her father’s disappearance. The deeper the investigation goes, the deeper Gray falls in love and when Lily’s life is threatened (multiple times!) he realizes he may be the only man capable of handling her.

The Bottom Line: WOOOOOO, did I love this read!! How the hell can you possibly go wrong with spies and lovers set in the Regency period? You can’t, is the answer. Trentham has created deep and involved characters that simply can’t be ignored. Lily is a delight and I am always glad to have a woman who is so boldly and unapologetically ahead of her time and place. To take it a step further, I more than love it when said woman finds a man worthy of her and willing to accept her for exactly who she is. Gray is just the man for Lily and though he is often totally exasperated by her, he accepts her and learns to work with her rather than against her. The plot is sufficiently convoluted and crazy to keep the reader interested though not so complicated as to become off-putting. There is a past meets the present element that I am always excited about and just enough danger to keep you on the edge of your seat in some places. The only element of this read I didn’t care for at all is Lily’s father. The anecdotes about his behavior and attitude, especially toward Lily generates a lot of hate for the man and I found myself not really caring if he was found at all. In the end, I didn’t let that one element sway my opinion of the overall read and can honestly say, I fell a little in love with Laura Trentham and her Spies and Lovers series. show less

4.5 stars

An Indecent Invitation is the scorching hot and intriguing first installment in Laura Trentham's Spies and Lovers series. This historical novel pairs up a sassy, intelligent young woman with a long time family friend and their resulting romance is explosive. Readers of historical romances who also enjoy a suspense element to the storyline do not want to miss this beguiling and super steamy novel.

Lady Lily Drummond is a quick thinking, feisty and clever young woman who is determined to think for herself. She is nothing like the shy and retiring ladies of the peer and she wants more from life than an advantageous marriage. She can be a bit impulsive but she can take care of herself and Lily is not about to take orders from show more anyone.

Gray Masterson grew up beside Lily and he is best friends with her brother Rafe. While he is not an aristocrat, his career as a spy for the Crown has garnered him the respect of his peers. He is stunned to discover the hellion who tagged along behind him and Rafe has grown into a beautiful and highly sought after young woman. Gray is dismayed by his attraction to Lily but he knows she deserves a titled suitor, so he is determined to ignore his feelings for her.

Much to his annoyance, Lily is not easy to ignore or dissuade once she decides to help investigate her father's disappearance. After Gray realizes this, he and Rafe devise a scheme to keep her busy while at the same time keeping her out of harm's way. However, Gray underestimates Lily's abilities and she uncovers important evidence. She can also move freely about in Society and her invitations take her into places that he cannot freely access so Lily quickly becomes a valuable asset to the investigation.

Underlying all of Lily and Gray's interactions is a simmering attraction that soon becomes impossible to ignore. Lily might be innocent but she does not hesitate to explore her burgeoning sexuality once it is awakened. Their mutual desire leads to some very sensual and exquisitely detailed sex scenes that are also full of deep emotions. Being an honorable gentleman, Gray knows that marriage is the only thing that will salvage Lily's reputation, but will she agree to marry him?

An Indecent Invitation is a wonderful blend of suspense and romance and fans of the genre are sure to enjoy this beautifully written and well researched first installment in Laura Trentham's Spies and Lovers series. The mystery surrounding Lily's father's disappearance is quite interesting and the investigation is full of exciting twists and turns. There is a plenty of sexual tension between Gray and Lily and their exchanges are a delightful combination of witty banter and flirtatious bickering. An outstanding historical romance that will leave readers impatiently awaiting the next book in the series. show less

2.5 stars. This was enjoyable for the most part - although the romance was kind of iffy. I didn't particularly like Gray and I had some issues with Lily but they were mostly alright. Lily had some great comments on the role of women in society. Still, she was so naive it made my head hurt. Gray was kind of a dick. Not all the time and he got better as the story progressed but for a lot longer than I prefer. I would've liked to see more character development of secondary characters, they fell a little flat. The plot was pretty straightforward and the villain is fairly obvious, but it was entertaining and easy to read. I'll possibly read the next one.

DNF at 16%

The hero pulling the heroine’s hair “to get her attention” should’ve been my cue to leave, but I soldiered on. Unfortunately, because what followed was a casual chat at tea with neighbors about the heroine’s parents’ marriage and infidelity. Because that’s the stuff you discuss with casual acquaintances.

A fun read. A bit of intrigue, a bit of naughtiness, but nothing to scare the horses. The only bit I didn't buy was Lily being allowed to marry the son of a family servant, no matter how high up the ranks he was, this just wouldn't happen.

What's a little romance without some complications? Foreplay. At least in Gray and Lily's case. Ms. Trentham conjures up a tale of intrigue, danger and sensuality with An Indecent Invitation. She brings genuine emotion to a dance of mysterious love and unending twists to create an action packed bundle of redemption. He hides in the dark, afraid to step into the light. She exudes all the things he never knew he wanted and knows he can never be. When danger lands at her front door, he will risk it all to be the hero she deserves. Through the good, bad and heartbreaking, Ms. Trentham delivers a story that teeters on the edge of beautiful and disturbing to create a timeless story of ageless and courageous love.