I read this as an ARC through Netgalley.

Spencer has delivered a compelling tale that involves social stigmas getting in the way of two people who are ultimately well-suited because of shared interests. In this case, sport.

We are introduced to an incredibly compelling cast of characters in this one with half belonging to a female-fronted circus troupe and a trio of noblemen who get involved with them as cover for a secret mission into France. Our two mains, Marianne Simpson and the Duke of Staunton fall in with each other due to Marianne’s former bigamous “marriage” with a former friend of the Duke, who now claims to have news of the Duke’s brother, who was thought to have been killed in France during the war with Napoleon. The Duke thinks she knows something, and basically blackmails her uncle, the owner of the circus, into allowing him and his friends to accompany them on their upcoming French tour in order to find out if the former friend is lying again, or if he actually has found the Duke’s brother. This is the very basic outline of the setup, but there are a LOT of moving parts here.

The attraction between Marianne and the Duke due to her athleticism in a sport he also enjoys is actually a really cool hook I haven’t seen used much elsewhere. So kudos. And her descriptions of the boxing matches and training is excellent.

I really enjoy plotty romance and this is that in spades. There are tons of plots and subplots and they all do hang together, but some of them work much better than others. For example, I love the revelations based on people’s shown skill sets in the course of the story. I hate some of the revelations due to people not telling each other the truth about things. And the end of it gets really implausible. I wish Spencer had not felt she needed to graft on quite so much over-the-topness in the revelations in this one. That said, I did enjoy it a lot even if I eyerolled a bit at the end.

However, this works as a romance. The central characters coming together is earned and excellent. And her sex scenes are hot and not weird and offputting and full of internalized misogyny, so that’s also a plus. If you like the absolute craziness of Laura Kinsale plots, this might be for you. It might also be for you if you like plotty romance, but you will probably eyeroll. ( )

Enemies to lovers trope fits like a glove for this tale.

Marianne Simpson works as a pugilist in an all female circus troupe. There’s Marianne, Cecile a sharpshooter, and the strange woman Josephine Brown, who throws knives and has a familiar, a huge Raven who appears to speak in French.
Marianne’s uncle, Barnabas Farnham operates the Farnham’s Fantastical Female Fayre.
Marianne is known as the boxing baroness due to a very ruthless rake, Baron Dominic Strickland, staging a fake wedding service and seducing her into believing they were married, then revealing the truth once his wife appeared on the scene.
Now Marianne has a visitor. St. John Powell (Sin), the seventh Duke of Staunton. He’s been requested to bring Marianne to France with him. He needs to sort out the truth of whether his brother is alive or not. There’s no question that he’ll countenance failure in this endeavor. And the person requesting Marianne to go? Non other than her hated and despised husband who never was, Dominic.
Marianne of course refused, but the Duke held some dismaying evidence against her uncle, so she acquiesced. France at the time of Bonaparte’s return is no place to be.
Secrets, deadly secrets are uncovered. But in the end, Marianne knew she and the Duke were destined to part.
Adroitly written, I couldn’t put this down. Loved it!

A Kensington Bks ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher. ( )