Title: One Thing Leads to a Lover (Love & Let Spy)
Author: Susanna Craig
Published: April, 2021
Publisher: Kensington Books
Readership: Adult
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: ★★★★.5
I received a copy of Historical Romance from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Opposites attract more than trouble in the latest captivating Regency romance from Susanna Craig.
Amanda Bartlett, widowed Countess of Kingston, is a woman beyond reproach. Married at nineteen, she dutifully provided the Earl with an heir and a spare before his death three years ago. Since then, Amanda has lived a simple, quiet life. A life that, if she were honest, has become more than a trifle dull. So when an adventure literally drops into her lap, in the shape of a mysterious book, she intends to make the most of it—especially if it brings her closer to a charismatic stranger. . . .
Major Langley Stanhope, an intelligence officer and master mimic known as the Magpie, needs to retrieve the code book that has fallen into Amanda’s hands. The mistaken delivery has put them both in grave danger and in a desperate race to unearth a traitor. It’s also stirred an intense, reckless attraction. Langley believes the life he leads is not suitable for a delicate widow, but it seems he may have underestimated the lady’s daring . . . and the depths of their mutual desire. . . .
This book is a delightful historical romance adventure between a widow and a spy and I loved every second of it.
Amanda, the widowed Countess of Kingston, purchases a book for her oldest son, the new Earl of Kensington, only to return home and discover the book in her possession is not the one she bought for him. A stranger turns up at her door, claiming that the books were mixed up at the bookstore and asks to swap them over, leading to a string of events wherein Amanda’s path crosses with the man known as Magpie, who needs the book in her possession to help rescue a colleague.
I haven’t read the first book in this series, but I really want to after reading One Thing Leads to a Lover. It was fun, adventurous and had a lot of heart. Amanda is a woman in her thirties with her whole life ahead of her, an overbearing mother, two children to look after and an unwanted suitor waiting in the wings. The last thing she expects is to be swept up into a life of adventure, but once she’s in it, she realises she wants to see if through until the end.
Magpie, otherwise known as Major Langley Stanhope, works in intelligence and is dedicated to his job. The last thing he wants is to find himself in the company of the beautiful Amanda, but he finds he can’t stay away. He was an entertaining hero, who took his time figuring out that what he really wanted was Amanda, but it was a fun journey getting from start to finish.
Susanna Craig’s writing style was top-notch and enjoyable. She put her characters into all sorts of whacky situations and it was so much fun to read. She had strong female characters, cinnamon roll heroes and kids who felt like real kids on the page. This was my first Susanna Craig book but it definitely won’t be the last!
Noveltea Corner 