I really enjoyed this book it had great character development and made me feel for who I was reading about. I also felt the book was very well written and edited. The story keep me interested from start to finish and loved being taken back in time to the highlands. The author found a great balance of story and erotica while keeping everything very tasteful. I don't want to give away anything in the book, so I suggest you pick it up for yourself. Only way you want like this story is if you don't enjoy what I would call period pieces. I will be for sure checking out the her other books she has written.

Publisher's Description:

A refined Scottish courtier. A rugged British spy. And an affair that will change the course of history. Everything changes when the shocking deception is revealed in this seductive novel from USA Today bestselling author Sharon Cullen.

Ladies in waiting can’t help noticing more than they let on. After so many years at the court of Mary, Queen of Scots, Emma Howard sees quite plainly that the royal couple is anything but happy. Reeling from a failed marriage herself, Emma sympathizes with her beloved queen. But the last thing she wants is for the king to be murdered, let alone to witness the shocking act herself. With her whole world turned upside-down, Emma is saved by the quick thinking of a lowly printer . . . who, unbeknownst to her, is one of England’s most daring spies.

At Queen Elizabeth’s behest, Tristan has been stirring discontent against the Scottish nobility. Now that the king is dead, his mission is even more critical. There’s only one complication: the exquisite courtier who’s unexpectedly fallen under Tristan’s protection. Emma rouses his body and his soul. But after she learns that he’s a traitor, the fate of two nations hangs on her response. Tristan’s prepared to risk his life in exchange for hers. Will Emma do the same for the man she’s come to love?

My Thoughts:
This is book #3 of this series
I have read all of this series and to this reader this one is the best one so far.. The covers of all three, alone attract the readers attention if they love historical romance. They are very attractive.

Emma Howard is one of Mary, Queen of Scots ladies in Waiting. She is widowed and her marriage was a very unfortunate one. Her deceased husband was not kind and Emma wants no part of a second marriage.

Tristan is not what he seems. Working as a spy for Queen Elizabeth, he is posing as a printer. When he finds Emma, unconscious after the death of Queen Mary's consort (Husband) he takes her in until she is feeling better.
What does Emma know about the King's death? Who is responsible and does either she or Tristan know more than they are saying.

I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 4.0 of 5.0 flames. There is an unmistakable attraction between our hero and heroine.

I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review.
This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Lady Emma Hamilton is a widow, living at Holyrood Palace as a friend of Mary, Queen of Scots. She witnesses what appears to be a murder while walking home late at night, but is knocked unconscious by an explosion immediately afterwards. She is found and cared for by Tristan Fitzherbert, a kind, charming English printer, but who is secretly a spy for Queen Elizabeth. When it’s discovered that the murder Emma witnessed was that of Queen Mary’s husband Lord Darnley, her life could be in danger if the men behind the murder learn there was a witness. And her heart, bruised and wary after her loveless, abusive marriage, could be in danger of falling for her mysterious rescuer. Will their attraction survive when their loyalties are at odds? And will they survive the Scottish court and its treacherous plots?

A sweet but fast paced story, Lost to A Spy has a little bit of everything-adventure, suspense, history, and heartwarming, heart-racing romance. The main characters are well rounded and likable, and it brought to life a period of Queen Mary’s reign that I wasn’t familiar with and that I haven't encounter in other historical novels. I loved the Scottish setting as well. I'd definitely be interested in reading the previous books in the series.

My only complaint with the book is that I would have loved to have seen more with Queen Mary, Bothwell, and the political intrigue surrounding the king's murder. But that's just personal preference.

Lost to a Spy is a story of espionage in Edinburgh during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. The tale revolves around Lady Emma, one of the Queen's courtiers, who is injured during the assassination of the Queen's consort, Lord Darnley. She is rescued by Tristan Fitzherbert, a lowly English printer who moved to Scotland after the death of his wife. But Fitzherbert is not all he seems, as Emma discovers while falling in love with him. She is eventually swept up in the intrigue surrounding the Scottish court during this turbulent time, as she and Tristan become involved in the life and death struggles between Scotland and England.
I appreciated the fact that the author did not use Scottish phonetic pronunciations for dialogue by the Scots. However, some of the writing was very modern, such as when Emma didn't want her thoughts to 'go down a rabbit hole'. The story ended rather abruptly, with no epilogue, leaving me to wonder how it all ended. Also, the love scenes were steamy, so those readers put off by this might want to skip this book.

I really enjoyed Emma and Tristan's story.

With Emma coming from a horrible marriage, it is a wonder that she was able to trust any man again. But with patience and understanding, Tristan was able to show Emma that not all men were as horrible and dishonorable has her late husband. While they navigate the aftermath of the death of the king, the two grow closer than either of them ever imagined they would with another person. Having both claimed never to wed again, they were surprised to find themselves not wanting to end their affair. Can they get out of Scotland with their lives to start over and find their HEA?

This was a great addition to Cullen's All the Queen's Spies and I look forward to the next book in the series!

After being widowed from a horrible marriage, Emma is just trying to keep her head down in Mary Queen of Scots' court. Then she witnesses a murder & gets caught in an explosion, putting paid to that plan. Luckily, a local spy for Elizabeth waders by to pick her out of the rubble & nurse her back to health??? It's a bit contrived, but it works. While they're sequestered together, Emma and Tristan change each other's worldviews irrevocably, helping to shore up what at first reads like a love-at-first-subconscious-feeling-of-"rightness" romance. Also, at its core, this is a book about an abuse survivor coming into herself & the soft boy who helps make that possible, which I am always, always here for.

Lost to a Spy is third in the All the Queen’s Spies series and just a good as the previous books. Sharon Cullen is gifted at weaving together sweet romance with the history of Scotland and England. I was halfway through the book before I realized that Emma and Tristan had basically been the only characters, with a brief appearance of Emma’s maid.

Tristan cares for Emma at his print shop after finding her unconscious at Kirk o’Field, later finding out that was the location in which the king had died, supposedly from a blast. It takes a bit before Emma begins to trust Tristan, but once she does, their relationship develops quickly. Tristan is not quite as open with Emma as she is with him, but he is trying to protect her from knowing about who he really is – a spy for Queen Elizabeth.

Tristan is very kind and gentle, although also quite lethal in his role as a spy. He gently leads Emma to her conclusions about what is taking place in Holyrood and around Scotland. With the same gentleness he teaches her the joy that can be found in making love. Emma revels in his kindness and protects his secrets after returning to Holyrood Palace. She never lets on that a printer cared for her while she was away. Their relationship becomes so strong that Emma will give up everything for Tristan even as he tries to protect her.

Lost to a Spy may seem a little slow at first, but the steadiness of the pace is what builds the relationship between Emma and Tristan. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Might we see something between LaGrange and Margaret?

Emma Hamilton lives at Holyrood Palace and is close with Mary, Queen of Scots. She feels safe there and Mary has been kind to her since her Emma’s evil husband died. She’s a Scot through and through and doesn’t plan on leaving the palace any time soon.

One night while walking home from dinner she witnesses what might be a murder but before she can think too long on it, there’s an explosion and Emma is knocked unconscious. The sound rouses the Edinburgh residents from their homes, including printer Tristan Fitzherbert. He finds Emma and takes her back to his home above the print shop to nurse her back to health. He did this as he could tell she was nobility by how she was dressed and feared that she would be arrested when she was found as she was so close to the explosion site.

Emma fears all men after her husband treated her so badly during their marriage. She’s frightened when she wakes up in a strange place but Tristan puts her at ease and soon she’s enjoying spending time with him. As the explosion killed the King consort, Lord Darnley, they talk a lot about that and Emma tries to sort out what she saw that night. Tristan, for his part tries to get Emma to see that the Queen’s right-hand man, Bothwell, is most likely responsible for the death. The more he talks, the more she sees things might not be as safe in Holyrood Palace as she thought. In just a few days she starts to have feelings for Tristan and he for her. Emma’s a smart girl, however, and soon figures out that Tristan isn’t necessarily who he says he is – a lowly printer. More like an agent for Queen Elizabeth of England. She fears for his safety when she hears about printers being gathered up and questioned for printing seditious placards but what can a woman do to help the man she loves?

This was another wonderfully intriguing book by Sharon Cullen. I’m just loving this series so far and this book was no different.

Emma and Tristan were farther apart in station then I think the previous couples in the series were so that made it a bit more interesting for me. They were so cute together! The main part of the story takes place in the span of about 2 weeks which is a short time to fall in love, but I guess when you know, you know. The pair just clicked from the first and of course Tristan’s protectiveness kicked in when Emma was hurt.

I’ve loved reading about all of the intrigue throughout this series. When I first started I didn’t know much history about Mary, Queen of Scots but I’ve done a little reading up on her since then and I think Cullen has kept pretty closely with the actual events in history, taking just a little license with it all.

If you haven’t read any of the books in this series I definitely recommend them.

Rating: 4 out of 5

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. This was a 3.25 star read for me and my least favorite of the trilogy. Readers don't have to have read the previous two books to enjoy this one. Lady Emma finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time while walking back to Holyrood palace; she walks past Kirk o" Field and appears to witness a murder before an explosion rocks the area and knocks her out. Tristan, a spy for Queen Elizabeth charged with stirring up unrest against Queen Mary, finds Emma, recognizes her, and brings her to his print shop. When Emma awakens, she is surprised to find herself in Tristan's printshop and not knowing if she can trust him decides to keep her identity to herself not realizing he already knows who she is. Afraid for her own safety after realizing the body she saw was Mary's husband Lord Darnely, Emma fears returning to the palace without knowing if the conspirators saw her. Emma and Tristan are drawn to each other, but neither has been truthful about their real identity. Having experienced a very unhappy and abusive marriage Emma fears most men but something about Tristan inspires her trust. I liked Tristan and Emma as characters and his patience helping her come to terms with the effects her marriage continued to have on her even as a widow; I wish that their relationship had developed over a longer period of time. I really love the non-regency or Victorian setting and wish more books were set during the Elizabethan era; I really enjoyed the history that the author weaves into the story during what was an especially turbulent time during Queen Mary's reign throughout all three books.

Lady Emma Hamilton, widow and friend to Queen Mary of Scotland, was abused by her deceased husband and does not trust men. Walking back to Holyrood Palace with her maid, after dinner at a friend’s house, she sees men gathered around what appears to be a body in the orchard nearby and then she is thrown by the explosion in the Kirk o’ Field building. Tristan, a printer, wakens from the blast and runs out to see what has happened. He finds her unconscious and to protect her, takes her back to his rooms above the print shop. When she awakens in a strange place, she learns Lord Darnley, Mary’s husband, was killed the night of the blast. She’s determined to return to the palace and help Mary, but when they walk by the explosion site, she asks to go back to the print shop with him. Tristan teaches her that all men are not like her deceased husband She eventually goes back to the palace but is still uncomfortable with what she knows. She discovered he is more than just a printer. When he is arrested for printing placards, she does everything she can to save him. There is so much more going on and I will not spoil it. There is a HEA and a reunion with some of the people in the first two books. I have truly enjoyed this trilogy, but this one is my favorite. If you like historical romance with some real history, this series is for you.

This is my first book by Sharon Cullen. It's book three in a series, I hope there will be a book four. I also hope to read books one and two. This book is easily a stand alone. I am curious about the two previous books in the series. I enjoyed this book and it kept me turning pages long into the night. The setting starts in the Court of Mary, Queen of Scots, then toward the end moves to the Court of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I. I love books involving the Court. Thank you, Netgalley, Sharon Cullen and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book!

Lost to a Spy follows Emma as she is saved by Tristan who she believes to be a lowly and lonely printer.

However, Tristan is a spy and works as much information from Emma as he can before he returns her to the castle and the Queen. Emma and Tristan make an unlikely match and both seem to heal each other's hearts.

Lost to a Spy is well written and although part of a series, not necessary to have read the other books to enjoy this one. A heavy romance, the reactions and the writing is very realistic and well done. Take a step back in time and fall in love with this series again!

I have really enjoyed this series. Tristan always seemed so aloof compared to the others and I was glad that we got to see him as he really is in this story. Emma is so much stronger than she believes and Tristan helps her realize it. After Emma witnesses a murder and then an explosion, Tristan rescues her and nurses her back to health. He realizes that she probably witnessed the murder of Queen Mary's husband. Emma doesn't trust any man and she certainly isn't going to tell this printer what she witnessed. But, it doesn't take long for her to realize that she can and does trust Tristan. When Tristan is nearly murdered, she realizes that she must make some big changes.

3.5 stars
I was intrigued by the premise of this romance, set in the court of Mary, Queen of Scots around the murder of Lord Darnley. This isn't a murder mystery. I think part of me expected that to some degree it would be, but it isn't. It's a romance between Lady Emma Hamilton of Mary's Court and Tristan who is a spy for Queen Elizabeth in Edinburgh. Despite the lack of real murder mystery that still makes for a very interesting backdrop for a romance.
It was a pleasant romance. The characters were both very likeable, their situations were complicated but they slowly found each other. It was well written enough to let me have pictures of the locations. And since it wasn't a murder mystery it was just enough tangled up in events to make it believable and interesting without carrying it too far.
I liked Emma and sympathized with her a great deal. Her choices, for the most part felt like reasonable ones to me. Tristan was sympathetic and lovely and charming. I have not read any of the other books in the series so the references to previous characters went a bit past me, but not annoyingly so and there was nothing that kept me from enjoying this book alone and as it was.
Overall it was a pleasant historical romance set in a time period and place I haven't seen used often and was an entertaining read for a few chilly afternoons.

I have learned so much history from the research I have done relating to my interest in Sharon Cullen's Elizabethan spy series. 'Lost to a Spy' was a particularly tender story about two people for disparate background who find love during great upheaval. I skip over the sex, but in this case I could see why it was included. I am fervently looking forward to LeGrange's story that I'm hoping will feature Margaret.

A different Historical romance within the Regency and Victorian era.
About the going on in court and the ladies in waiting and the men who were sent in as spies.
Emma was withdrawn from life after the death of her abusive husband.
Tristan is a spy who is posing as a printer who came upon Emma after a incident which she was injured
While caring for her things get a little complicated.
Good mystery,intrigue,action and romance.
Enjoyed reading.
Voluntarily reviewed.

This is the first book I have read by Sharon Cullen and I loved it! I haven't read any books set in this time period and I was so interested I had to go do some research into Mary Queen of Scots. It is fascinating. I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen to the hero and heroine. It was all very edge of the seat and so good! I am going to get busy reading the first 2 books in the series before moving on to her other series.

Emma and Tristan have your typical regency romance. A spy, intrigue and romance all in one book. It makes this book one you will love reading. The characters have such depth and the book brings back some fun favorites from past books by Ms. Cullen. A pleasure to read.

I believe this is the third installment in the Queens Spies series by Sharon Cullen. We pick up where we left off with the second book - a plot to kill the king. Rose and Will are gone and their friends really have no idea where they are or if they are alive. Lady Emma meets Tristan after the a dramatic event and soon find that they cannot be apart from each other. Wonderful read. I look forward to reading more from Sharon Cullen!

I absolutely loved this book. Everything Sharon Cullen writes is absolute perfection. I adored Tristan and Emma. I loved seeing the other couples from the two previous books at the end. I don’t know how I will be able to wait for the next book! I am assuming the next book will be about Lagrange and Margaret.