Intrigue, suspense, romance....what more can you ask for in a story? Sharon is a master of all three!

This is dramatic romance that is full of intrigue and mystery. Will is confident, amusing and stubborn. Rose is brave, naive, determined and vulnerable. When they overhear a plot to kill the king, Rose and Will separately investigate the people involved. But Rose is being hunted by them, and Will is trying to keep her safe. They are attracted to each other but Will discourages a relationship knowing that his job doesn't allow for marriage and children. They become friends and allies, then give in to the attraction. I love both of these characters and the storyline. I look forward to the next book in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

I had not read anything by this author before and it was a great introduction to her work, even though Bound to a Spy is book two in a series. I was hooked on the first page and it kept my interest right up to the satisfying end. I love historical fiction but find much of it repetitive and familiar; this one features action, romance and suspense and it was an enjoyable read. I will spread the word.

This is the second book in the All the Queen’s Spies series and I enjoyed it even more than the first one. Lord Will Sheffield is currently residing at Holyrood Palace as he went to school with Lord Darnley. He monitors the Scottish court for Queen Elizabeth. One night he is listening to a secret meeting when Miss Rose Turner enters to escape the cold and hears something she should not.
Rose is from a border clan and her mother sent her to court to find a husband. Rose likes long walks outdoors and animals. She has no interest in marrying someone who would not understand her. When she meets Will she knows he is different from the others at court. Will is paying attention to her to keep her safe, but that is not always possible.
Eventually, there is a HEA but you will need to read the book for the complete story as it is too good to spoil. Thanks to the author and publisher for allowing me an ARC. No one has influenced this review in any way.

Bound to a Spy,  is book two in the series, "All the Queen's Spies" by Sharon Cullen. Of course, it is a love story set against the background of life at a royal court -- the court of Mary, Queen of Scots.
 
The author reminds us how dangerous it was to live in the 16th century. Women were the property of their husbands. Speaking against the king or queen was treason. In fact, refusing the (married or not) king's sexual overtures was considered treason -- he could do as he pleased with any of the women in the kingdom.
 
Rose Turner, sent to court by her mother for the purpose of finding a titled husband, stumbles upon the  plot to murder Mary's husband, the philandering Lord Darnley. Rose knows too much, and her life is immediately in danger. Will Sheffield, one of Queen Elizabeth's spies, realizes the danger, and makes it his goal to protect her. Rose, however, is quite the rebellious young woman. Rose and Will are drawn to each other, but Rose is unsure of whom to trust. Fearless, she is determined to resist the attraction -- well, at first, anyway.

Richard Kirkinny, Earl of Lysle, in on the plot, becomes aware of Rose's knowledge, and attempts to court Rose, marry her, then arrange for her to have a "tragic accident". He would then be widowed -- again, but the threat of Rose revealing the plot would then be removed.
 
The book is well written, and while it is romantic fiction, it is also historically accurate. Choosing which genre to place this one was a struggle. Is it historical fiction, or is it a romance novel? I'll leave that to the reader. Those who enjoy romantic historical fiction with a little intrigue thrown in, will love this book. I did.
 
What Makes This Book Reviewer Grumpy?
 
Incorrect use of the phrase, "begs the question". Contrary to recent popular usage, it is not interchangeable with "raises the question".
Of course, the usual improper placement of the word "only" within sentences, and numerous split infinitives.

Look for me online as The Grumpy Book Reviewer.

Historical romances are one of my favorite genres to read. My favorite historical romances are those that take place over in England/Scotland. I can’t get enough of them. But lately, I have read more contemporary novels. So when Bound to a Spy came up next on my TBR pile, I dove right into it. I am glad I did because it was a great book!!!

Bound to a Spy is the 2nd book in the All the Queen’s Spies series. Taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland during Queen Mary’s reign, this book is full of court intrigue, romance, and sex. So yes, a book that I can sink my teeth into. As I said in my earlier review of Wed to a Spy, I haven’t read a lot of books that were set in Tudor era Scotland. So to read another book set in that era was fantastic.

Rose was one of my favorite characters in this book. She was viewed as a bit of an oddity because she liked to be outside. No matter what the weather, she was there. She was coming in from the outside when she overheard several lords planning to kill the Queen’s husband, Lord Darnley. Rose feared Lord Darnley ever since he attempted to rape her the year before. But her conscience wouldn’t let her let the lords kill him. That was another reason I liked her. She was willing to put aside her fear and dislike for Lord Darnley and attempt to let the Queen know what was going on.

Will, however, I couldn’t get a handle on him. He was so quiet in the book. His back story was sad but not as sad as others I have read. His constant seesawing back and forth about Rose also drove me nuts. Either he loved her or he didn’t. And to use the excuse about his job. Ugggh. When he finally did make his decision, it was almost too late.

I will say that for a Tudor era book, the sex and sexual situations that Will and Rose found themselves in were through the roof. Also, for a Tudor era book, I found Rose open about sex. I mean, she was willing to return the favor for Will after he went down on her. Not only that, but she liked it! I was very surprised at that. I did laugh when she was telling her roommate about what she did. Can we say “Kiss and tell“.

The end of the book not what I expected. I was a little shocked by the brutality of certain scenes. I did laugh (and sorry for the spoiler!!) when Rose laughed at Lysle’s small member that he couldn’t get up. I could also understand why Rose didn’t want to do what she needed to do. I did think that Will’s proclamation felt more like he was forced into doing it. It came after a talk with Rose’s father. I also felt that he was risking Queen Elizabeth’s wrath to do that without letting her know.

Bound to a Spy is a well-written book. I was captivated by the plot and loved the characters. The sex scenes were very steamy. This is a book that I would read again!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and violence. There is an attempted rape scene and several scenes where a woman is beaten.

I would like to thank Sharon Cullen, Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Bound to a Spy

All opinions stated in this review of Bound to a Spy are mine

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Sharon Cullen always delivers a quality story. And is that not an eye catching cover photo? I keep looking at it.

A couple of things in the plot didn't really work for me, though. One thing was that Rose is presented as this rough-and-tumble wild child raised among five brothers, who knows how to throw a solid punch (mentioned with pride more than once). Yet, in the Queen's palace when she's in a position where she needs to defend herself, she freezes up and has to be rescued repeatedly. There's a disconnect in her personality there. She was also presented as intelligent and thoughtful, yet she bumbled around and acted naively most of the time. Finally, her mother, who apparently had her heart set on sending her daughter into this viper's pit ever since Rose was a little girl, didn't seem to have prepared her at all.

Still, it's a great story with hateable villains (boo, hiss) and high quality writing. I didn't love it as much as the first one in the series, but I'm really glad I got a chance to read it.

*ARC via netgalley*

As always Sharon Cullen has delivered another great story. It is full of intrigue and romance which will keep you turning the page. I did not want to put this book down, due to being so caught up in the story the author created. I have never been disappointed with any of this authors books as she always writes to entertain her readers. This is a must read.

I really enjoyed this story. It reads as a stand alone, but having read book 1 in the series, I think you will enjoy it more having read it.

I loved Rose and curious nature, even though it ends up getting her into trouble. I also really liked Will. He intrigued me in book 1 and I was happy to see this was his story.

Just as with book one in the series, this book is filled with intrigue at court. There are not many historical romances that cover time in the Scottish court, so it is a nice change of pace.

I'm excited to read the next book in the series, Lost to a Spy, which comes out in March.

Always interesting to read a HR set in Queen Marys Court especially one full of Intrigue and espionage!! I did feel the ending was kind of abrupt and just ended....curious to know how Queen Elizabeth handled his decision.

Torn between his duty and his rapidly growing feelings for a certain young lady, Will desperately tries to keep this stubborn and far too independent Scottish lass safe while navigating the very treacherous seas at the court of Mary, the Queen of Scots.

We met Will, our hero, briefly in "Wed to a Spy", the first book in this series, where he was a fellow spy at Mary's court when Simon, his fellow spy, and Aimée were married - and everything else happened that precedes "Bound to a Spy" and sets the mood for the events in this book.

This is the fifth book by Sharon Cullen that I've read and once again she didn't disappoint. Lots of action, some very, well, romantic romance, Scots, spies, treason, a bunch of villains and, of course, a wonderful HEA.
Even though our hero is not a Scot, he has some redeeming qualities, one of them the fact that he doesn't let anybody steal (and hurt) his girl and would even oppose the queen and her orders for the sake of this most stubborn, most irritable and most beloved lass of his.

Will and Rose are very strong characters in a really great, fast-paced and very entertaining story that I absolutely enjoyed. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series (and I sincerely hope that there will be a next one!) and every other book by Sharon Cullen that comes my way.

Bound to a Spy by Sharon Cullen is Book Two in the "All the Queen's Spies" series. This is the story of Rose Turner and Will Sheffield. I have read the previous book in this series but feel this is easily a standalone book.
Rose has been sent to the Queen's court to try to make a good match to help her family. But Rose grew up in the wilds with her brothers. So she is not used to the Court's people nor are they used to her. Rose has taken to going out on her own to find peace and on one of these trips back she overhears the talk of killing the King of Scotland. While working to figure out what to do with this information she meets Will. Will is a spy who is trying to keep an eye on Mary's Court and also been spying on the men that she overhears feels that he must help protect her. Will moves forward to become her friend to keep her safe. They hit off a friendship of sorts at first but they soon start feeling other things. But they also have to deal with the danger that they are both now involved in.
Exciting story!

A great Historical romance with intrigue,drama,action,angst and romance.Will was sent to court to spy and Rose was sent to try and find a husband.
A chance encounter between Will and Rose leads to a dangerous adventure.
Enjoyed reading.

Young, innocent Scots woman is caught up in the danger and intrigue of the court of Mary Queen of Scots. It is a tale of intrigue and romance.

Danger and intrigue stalk!

Rose Turner and Will Sheffield are unexpected characters. They are thrown together under fateful circumstances. Will, a spy for Queen Elizabeth I, is attending Mary, Queen of Scots' court, befriending the Queen's petulant and self-centered husband Darnley. He is keeping an eye on the various levels of simmering discontent and rumors swirling around the court as Mary and Darnley's son is about to be baptized. He doesn't expect a plot to murder the Earl of Darnley to be on the list of planned activities.
Rose is a reiver's daughter, a wild young lass more akin to the freedom of the outdoors than a stuffy rigid court. Her mother had been an attendant to Mary's mother. That's how Rose finds herself at court attending Mary, bearing her mother's high expectations of finding a husband and station in life. What Rose wants is to be back home with her family and animals. Which in a roundabout way is how she stumbles onto the plot to kill Darnley. Will himself is spying on the plotters when he sees Rose accidentally overhearing the conspirators. He also sees that one of them discovers Rose's dropped shawl when she hastens to get away. Will seeks to protect Rose and in the midst of all the dangerous subterfuge is smitten by her. One thing leads to another--Rose is in grave danger, Will is denying his feelings for her, Darnley is a depraved, lecherous seducer and is stalking Rose, and one of the traitors is looking to trap Rose into marriage--a marriage she wouldn't survive. Danger, tragedy and death loom large on Rose's horizon and Will is all that can avert that. The search for the plotters' identities is key to Rose's safety. As Will struggles with that Rose battles with whether or not to tell Mary of what she knows. A decision that could cost her all.
I enjoyed both Will and Rose. I shivered fearfully with Rose as she tried to hide from Darnley, sympathized with her situation and thoroughly enjoyed this contribution to All the Queen's Spies.
Cullen has taken this historically turbulent time and created a riveting romantic drama.

A NetGalley ARC
(October 2017)

Rose Turner’s mother has sent her to the court of Mary, Queen of Scotland to find a rich and noble husband. She is feeling lonely and an outsider. She makes friends with Will, who is a spy for Queen Elizabeth and together they overhear a group plotting against the queens husband. They each separately try to find out who is behind the plot and what they should do about it while trying to avoid being caught.

This story contains spies, court intrigue, and romance. I loved the storyline...a young Scottish lass overhears a plot to kill the King (the husband of Mary Queen of Scots). A spy for the English Queen Elizabeth, observes her eavesdropping and realizes she is in danger. So begins this fast-paced novel with a few twists and turns and a great romance. Needless to say, I enjoyed this book from the first page to the last. I received a free copy for review and can honestly say I would have paid money to read this book. I highly recommend it, especially to those who love historical novels.

Book two in Sharon Cullen's series All the Queen's Men can easily be read as a standalone. I'll be the first one to admit I'm weird, I love historical romance and I love history, but I don't like political machinations and all the double crossing and back stabbing drama but I love spy novels. I usually tend to avoid books with actual historical figures as main or secondary characters in them honestly I don't really know why I guess I like my fiction to remain fiction. That being said I really enjoyed this one. Sharon Cullen is a fantastic writer enough that I overlook my weird reading tendencies.

Mary the Queen of Scots and her boorish husband are still at outs and with the baptism of their son looms closer and closer there is a plot afoot to kill the King. Unfortunately for poor Rose Turner she just happened to overhear the conspirators talking and now she conflicted. While he is the King and morally no one should be murdered she can't help but think that maybe he deserves it because she has been on the receiving end of his unwanted attentions.

Rose isn't the only one aware of the plot Will Sheffield was there too and for some reason he feels like he has to protect Rose from the dangerous situation she unintentionally got herself into. The more Time they spend together trying to figure out what to do the more they fall in love. Will however doesn't want a wife, because he loves his job as a spy and it has no place for a wife, or atleast that what he tells himself Rose knows the real reason he resists her and even though he's nothing what she wanted for herself she falls in love with him for the man she knows he is underneath the exterior.

Overall, it was a really good read. My only issue is that it ended abruptly, it was a good ending it was fine that it stopped there but it just stopped, I was left wanting a little more.

Sharon Cullen once again gives us an engaging, intriguing, romantic tale featuring an at times sassy Scottish damsel in distress and an English man on a spy mission hero whose worlds collide when they stumble upon each other and a murderous plot in Queen Mary’s court.

The book synopsis pretty much sums it up well. These two destined to be together lovebirds continue to dance around each other for some time as Rose struggles with what to do, while Will tries to pinpoint more specific details.

While dodging unwanted, wandering hands/threatening advances from one man to being pursued by an unexpected suitor, Rose feels stuck between a rock and a hard place, especially since she finds herself longing to be with Will, who her family would never approve of. We, meanwhile, are left feeling like the shoe is about to drop at any moment.

Will, our reluctant to love because he has a dangerous job hero, wasn’t counting on his feelings for Rose blossoming into something he can no longer resist. Despite his openly honest declaration he never plans to marry, he continues to seek her out. Yeah, his head is saying one thing, but his heart, hands, and lips are not listening, folks. This couple ultimately end up stealing some very graphically smexy moments together.

When a big betrayal occurs, a nail biting, perilous situation containing abuse and violence unfolds. However, due to quick thinking, determination, and patience, two unlikely forces join together to save the day. It then wraps up with a rather abrupt, straight to the point, finally comes to their senses HEA.

Tristan, a fellow sidekick/English spy, who comes across rather heart hardened and dispassionate to the the fact innocent lives are often casualties of war, is the next hero in line to lose his heart to the queen bee of Queen Mary’s entourage. Yeah, he’ll be whistling a different tune when that gorgeous, blue-eyed, blonde bombshell gets her hands on him, folks. Widowed and feeling like she has nothing meaningful left to lose will likely make her more than his equal match, folks.

Title: Bound to a Spy, Series: All the Queen’s Spies (Book 2), Author: Sharon Cullen, Pages: 258, stand-alone but part of a series, reluctant to marry/English/good guy/spy hero, some very steamy scenes, some violence, attempted rape, heroine is beaten, no Scottish brogue, Scottish court setting. Rating: 3.5 stars

Book 1 - Wed to a Spy (Simon & Aimee), 5/23/17, Pages: 259
Book 2 - Bound to a Spy (Will & Rose), 10/24/17, Pages: 258
Book 3 - Lost to a Spy (Tristan & Emma), 3/18/18

(I received a free advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. No type of compensation was given to this reviewer. There is no relationship/affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)