A storyline full of intrigue, danger, murder, villains galore, and spies is my kind of read. When a Lady Dares is my kind of read. I do not believe I have ever read a Tara Kingston book that I did not fully enjoy. There is always lots of paced faster action, as well as great characters. When they first met Sophie and Gavin did think much of each other. Of course in their defense, they did meet under false pretenses. Sophie, an undercover operative, is working as spiritualist 's assistant. Gavin is attending the seance to try to find out information about his close friend's death. From there the action really picks up with the reader trying to guess what will happen next. I do not enjoy books where the bedroom activities are given more precedence than the actual storyline. In Ms. Kingston's book, the story is first and the bedroom acrobatics are second, which for me is better. I already have the next in the series loaded, looking forward to reading it.

I loved Sophie and Gavin's story!!

When they meet, Sophie and Gavin are both misrepresenting themselves to find answers to their individual problems. But they are both smart enough to see through each other's acts. It was great seeing each of them reveal the person that they truly were! The bantering between them had me laughing out loud and kept me riveted until the very end!

I'm so excited for the next book in the series and can't wait to read it!

When a Lady Dares is well-written, but just did not strike me as being a romance. There are times I struggled to stay with it due to a bit too much ‘head conversation’ occurring rather than romancing. There is a lot of flirting, but not with any real meaning. Sophie is an undercover agent for the crown who works as a newspaper reporter as her cover. In this book, the newspaper reporter is undercover as a assistant to a medium to solve several ‘suicides’ that may really be murders. Gavin is trying to solve the death of a close friend. All of it connected to the man for whom Sophia is working to try to get information.

Gavin is a profession who goes to the medium because he believes his friends death is connected to the medium. So, he claims to be wanting to connect to his dead father to find a treasure, but is really investigating the medium and his beautiful helper, Sophie. There are a lot of secrets and twists and attacks that keep you wondering what is going to happen next. I just kept wishing for more ‘meat’ and for it to happen more quickly.

I read Tara Kingston’s The Highlander Who Loved Me and loved it. When a Lady Dares just is not the same level of writing and wit between main characters. So, I will not judge Ms. Kingston’s work by this one book.

I loved the story simply could not put it down. It has humor, mystery, romance and spies what else is needed.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

This spy, mystery, romance was just a touch off the beaten historical romance path. We have it all in the title of the series Her Majesty’s Most Secret Service. There was intrigue, a plot-line. A story that pulled you in to find out what exactly was going on. At the same time watching Gavin in his pursuits of or not of Sophie. Sophie had a job to do. It was of the utmost importance. Being ensnared by a very alluring male was not part of the assignment. The two team up and find that working together may just provide them both with something either ever expected. This was a satisfying read with a mystery seasoned with romance.

When a Lady Dares is book 2 in the Her Majesty's Most Secret Service series. I haven't read the first book and had no trouble following along so it can be read as a standalone.

This is an intriguing story full of mystery and romance. It is one of the best historical romances I have read. It's a different kind of historical from what I normally read with the mystery being involved and I found that I really enjoyed it. The characters are great and I loved reading their story. Even if historical romance isn't your thing, I'd highly suggest you give this one a try!

London, Sept 1891

WHEN A LADY DARES is book two of Her Majesty’s Most Secret Service series, however, I read it as a stand-alone. The setting is late Victorian era.

Sophie Atherton has gone undercover to investigate some mysterious deaths for the Herald. Gavin Stanwyck wants to find out the story behind his friend Peter Garner’s mysterious death. And they mesh beautifully, the chemistry is great.

Equal parts romance, mystery and suspense, add in the hints of humor and this is a great read. The plot is compelling and quite riveting and it will propel you page after page wanting to know what will happen next.

Set in the late Victorian era, When A Lady Dares is the second book in a series, Her Majesty's Most Secret Service. I haven't read the first book in the series and had the feeling that there were one or two points I missed because of that, but for the most part When A Lady Dares stands quite well alone.

Sophie Deveraux would be considered quite a courageous, independent woman by today's standards - she lives alone, works as an investigative journalist AND uses her investigative skills as a spy for the Crown. In the 1890s she would have been absolutely extraordinary. To be honest, I found her a little bit too perfect to be real. She's that dreaded trope, a Mary-Sue; beautiful, brilliant and always one step ahead of everyone else.

On an undercover assignment to investigate a string of deaths attached to the work of a fake medium, she encounters Gavin Stanwyck, who I think we are supposed to believe is an Indiana Jones type of figure. I never quite bought it, however; we were constantly told how smart Gavin was but he never actually does anything particularly intelligent.

The villain of the story was introduced very late in the piece, which I found quite frustrating. While this is a historical romance, the mystery is present from the very beginning, challenging the reader to figure it out. Except that we can't, because we haven't actually been given the clues. When the villain appeared, I found myself saying "who?" because there was absolutely no build-up. (It's possible that this is someone who turned up in the first book - in which case this is an even more egregious error, because each book needs to stand alone).

Despite these criticisms, there were parts of the book that I really enjoyed. The author writes well, drawing an excellent image of 1890s London that made the story easy to visualise. People at this time did have a great curiosity about psychics and mediums, making the central themes of the story both historically appropriate and very believable; similarly Gavin's Egyptian exploits were something that would have very much interested the public, so I can well believe his picture appearing in the newspapers.

I dithered between awarding 3 and 4 stars; in the end I'll go with 4 because I did quite like it and I would read further works by the author in the future.

Sophie Atherton is working undercover as a medium. The man she is working for is suspected of being involved in the deaths of several men who are close to the queen. Her job is to find out who is responsible for the murders.
Professor Gavin Stanwyck has returned from his adventures in Egypt to find a good friend is believed to have committed suicide. That, he will never believe unless he was driven to it by the unscrupulous medium he was seeing.
A grand adventure for our heroine and an intriguing Victorian romantic suspense. A mystery for us to solve and grave danger for our protagonists. This is part of a series but easily read as a stand alone. It will fascinate you from first to last page.
I loved it.

Sophie Atherton works for the Crown and also works as a journalist for the Herald under a different name. She knows a liar when she sees one she’s gone undercover as a medium's assistant. So when she meets Gavin Stanwyck a treasure hunter she knows that he isn't telling the truth. Gavin is looking into his friend’s death and he thinks the Spiritualist may have the information he is looking for. She can take care to herself in any difficult situation, but Gavin he has idea that his investigation will put him directly in the path of danger. Sophie and Gavin have a chemistry that neither can resist for long. They need to learn to trust each other as they unite to solve a sinister plot involving several murders. An intriguing story filled with romance and mystery. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers' copy of this book from Net Galley and the publisher.

This was the second installment in the Her Majesty’s Most Secret Service series, and it was just as delightful as the first. I loved seeing Sophie get her own story. This story did not lack for great, suspenseful moments and captivating intrigue. I enjoyed the verbal sparring between Sophie and Gavin and thought it added just the right balance of sass to enhance their obvious romantic spark. These were characters that I found easy to adore and root for. The plot moved along at a good pace, and Kingston's descriptions did a wonderful job of making you feel the Regency charm and flair.

I am SO eager and ready for the next book. I never get bored with danger, deception, romance and royal intrigue!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Entangled Publishing, LLC in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

When a Lady Dares by Tara Kingston is Book 2 of Her Majesty’s Most Secret Service Series. While this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

I’m iffy on this one and it was more of a “meh” read for me. There was a lot of potential for this book, however it just didn’t reach the mark. The entire focus of the story seemed to be more on the flirty back and forth that took place between Sophie and Gavin than on any possible mystery and the suspenseful investigating that was to take place, which in my opinion was what the book was supposed to be all about. The possible romance was to be in the background. Add in that it took quite a while to get into the story and the very slow pace and you got one story that just dragged on.

Please note that an ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

This had such an exciting premise! Sophie Atherton is a secret operative for the Crown, which is not something you normally see in historicals. I found it a very refreshing idea.

When she meets Gavin, the attraction unsettles them both. Each have their own agenda to be involved with the phony medium. Watching them come to terms with how they felt, overcoming the untruths they started out on was a great read.

Plenty of excitement, steaminess. Would love to read the first book and am excited for more in the series!

in 1891 London Sophie Atherton is employed by the Colton Agency to investigate Trask, a medium, and his possible involvement with the deaths of three prominent gentlemen who had ties to the Queen's inner circle.
Professor Gavin Stanwyck is intent on discovering Trask's connection to his friend Peter Garner.
A story that is part mystery, spy and romance. An enjoyable well-written read with some very likeable characters.

Gavin and Sophie have a strong attraction to one another. The book was a little slow to start but the second half was good.

'When a Lady Dares' by Tara Kingston is book Two in the "Her Majesty's Most Secret Service" series.
This is the story of Sophie Atherton and Gavin Stanwyck. I have read the previous book but feel this can easily be a standalone book.
Sophie is undercover as a medium's assistant when she meets Gavin. Sophie works for the Crown and also works as a journalist for the Herald under a different name. So she is used to repeating lies and knowing when someone is lying. So when she meets Gavin who is a treasure hunter she knows that he isn't telling the truth.
Gavin is looking for answers on his friend's Peter death. To get those answers, Gavin poses as a Treasure Hunter. Gavin thinks a Spiritualist may have the information he is looking so he needs to hide who he really is. But Gavin has found the Spiritualist assistant, Sophie is a temptation he might not be able to resit.
This book was a great mystery mixed with romance story that once you got a few pages in you wanted to see what would happen next. Gavin and Sophie I thought had good chemistry and both were very likable characters.
I enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from Ms. Kingston.
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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the her majesty's most secret service series continues with when a lady dares picking up some time after the secret agency established in when a lady deceives comes into being. sophie atherton has become more than jennie's assistant, she's become a field agent all on her own. while undercover investigating a series of deaths linked to a spiritualist by the name of trask she encounters gavin stanwyck. she knows he's a sceptic, he's a man of science and there is simply no way he is honestly seeking to speak with his dead father as he claims.

afraid that he's aiming to debunk trask entirely, sophie acts as an obstacle, so to speak. she needs gavin out of the way in order to complete her own investigation without coming under suspicion. what she doesn't realize until later is that she and gavin are both investigating the same suspicious deaths.

at first gavin suspects that sophie is a party to the murders, but the more time he spends with her he realizes that she is in danger. trask may not be an honest man, but the people he's involved with are worse. and as they start to sense that they have more than one person on their tail, things start to get extra murderous.

thrown together, the simmering attraction between sophie and gavin basically explodes. the whole story they've been dancing around each other, playing mind games, fighting to gain the upper hand. they are perfectly matched in a battle of wits and they both want a life filled with adventure. they just have to figure out how they might take that adventure together. because the truth is, they are better together than apart.

A little of everything in this book, murder, spying and of course, romance. A really interesting plot that doesn't detract from a lovely romance . First read by me from this author but not my last.
received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from EntHralled.