While there were some flaws, this book, particularly the hero's narrative voice, was rather hilarious.

When a newly minted spy, Lynley gets himself engaged to Lady Emily to get a foot in the door of the Ton events, he never expected that everything in their relationship would get so serious. When Emily says yes to him as a lark, she thinks that the engagement will be over soon enough. But as they both get entangled with each other and the nation's secrets, they realize that attraction to each other is real enough. I loved both Emily and Lynley’s characters. They were both strong and brave. I liked that the hero was not afraid to ask the heroine for help when he needed. The romance was sweet and sexy. They both felt genuinely like equal partners in their relationship and I adored that about the story.

* I received this ARC and from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

I love this book. So different, so refreshing. This is an unusual regency romance. It does not fit the norm of most books I have read and I like that very much. The story is well written and the characters are well developed with unique personalities. I love the storyline of looking for spies, eavesdropping, causing commotions, distractions, giving chase and a fake engagement that turns into a real romance. There is lots of adventure, action and following clues. I like the fact that the lead female character, Emily, is no wilting wallflower. She is independent, outspoken, direct but knows the rules of society. She is a force to be reckoned with. The lead male character, Lynley, is tall, strong, handsome and hides a deep hurt from his youth. He is brave and signed up to be a spy thinking it a lark. But when he brings Emily into the picture, he starts to have feelings that he never wanted to have. At first, he treats Emily with caution but she proves she is his equal in all things. He begins to confide in her the details of the mission and they work together to solve the mystery. Not only is he brave, but he is intelligent, thoughtful, crafty and fun to be with. Ohh ... Emily thinks he is a great kisser. This book kept me intrigued and involved in the story. I was glued to each page. This is my first Kate Moore book and I am looking forward to her next one. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and recommend it.

Emily Radstock is about to reach her twenty-ninth birthday and is still unwed. While her parents want to see her married and settled, they have never tried to force her into a marriage she didn’t want. Still, Emily is angered that her mother presented her with a copy of The Husband Hunter’s Guide to London, and has gone to visit her sister, Rosalind, to vent her frustration. As Emily is ranting on about how she should accept the first imbecile she runs into, a hitherto unknown gentleman rises from the sofa on the other side of the room, tells Emily that he accepts her proposal, kisses her hand, tells her he’ll call on her, and takes his leave.

Sir Ajax Lynley, a baronet, has come to town to begin his new occupation as a spy. He needs a cover before he begins his assignment of investigating the theft of sensitive Foreign Office documents, and an engagement to Emily will gain him entrée into society and the events of the season. He’ll sort out later how to end the temporary engagement.

Emily is an outspoken and independent woman, and is not used to being bested. When Lynley comes to call, he has an engagement ring in hand, and gains her father’s permission for their betrothal. Much to her own surprise, Emily lets him slip the ring on her finger, and decides to go along with the engagement until she learns what Lynley is all about. She knows that Lynley is a wealthy man, and has no need of her dowry, so she’ll worry about jilting him later, after her curiosity is satisfied.

Emily and Lynley are similar in many ways, they are intelligent, witty, and have an honest and direct way of speaking to each other, even though Lynley is often evasive. As they attend events together, it turns out that Lynley needs Emily’s help on different occasions, and she provides it without hesitation, only questioning him later. Lynley tells her as much as he can without revealing his real purpose, but it’s not long before Emily figures out that he is actually a spy. I love the interaction between this couple. It’s obvious that they felt an attraction for each other right from the start, and before long they’re sharing some heated kisses. The pretend engagement starts to feel very real.

Emily proves to be very adept, and becomes more involved in Lynley’s investigation, which takes them on a path through the darker side of society. Gaming hells, infidelity, treason, blackmail and villains all lead to putting them both in danger, at which point, Lynley decides that he can’t allow any harm to come to Emily, and he has to put a halt to her involvement. He figures that by not showing up at their own engagement party, he’ll kill two birds with one stone. Emily will be angry enough to jilt him, and he’ll continue the investigation on his own.

One of my favorite things in a book is when I adore both the hero and heroine, and that’s the case in A SPY’S GUIDE TO SEDUCTION. Neither Emily nor Lynley is overly sentimental in their speech toward each other, yet their care of each other, as well as all their interactions speaks volumes. There are no explicit scenes, but their chemistry is undeniable, and their kisses just sizzle. I love that Lynley doesn’t want to change Emily, he embraces her independence and her intelligence. Emily knows that behind Lynley’s supposedly imbecilic and indolent persona is a dedicated, caring man of great intelligence, a man who is still bearing the pain from an unfortunate past. I have loved all the books in this series, and highly recommend them, but A SPY’S GUIDE TO SEDUCTION can be read as a standalone, if you choose. There is plenty of witty dialogue, mystery, and warm romance in this delightful, well written novel to satisfy those who enjoy a captivating book with strong and appealing lead characters.

This is the third installment in a genuinely delightful series by Kate Moore; you don’t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one, however, as previous characters appear very little and there aren’t really any ongoing plot threads you can’t easily pick up.

‘On the shelf’ at twenty-eight, Emily is being pressured to marry by her mother, and jokingly threatens to her sister that she’ll marry the first imbecile she meets. Unknown to Emily, there’s a man asleep on her sister’s sofa, and spy Ajax Lynley is far from an imbecile - but he is in need of a good excuse to move in London society, and what better reason than his engagement to a lady as popular as Emily?

Emily’s far too astute to miss Lynley’s sneaking about whenever they’re in the company of certain people, and the two of them are soon working together to recover stolen papers and thwart a dangerous plot.

The romance between these two is so believable, growing as it does from a position of wariness at a complete unknown, through acceptance they can be useful to each other, to mutual respect and finally love. And although Emily was uncertain of Lynley’s affections, she never let other people influence her opinion of him, but made up her own mind and took the initiative when it was time to do so, leading to their eventual triumph in their mission and Lynley realizing he’s much stronger with her by his side.

I love the little ‘book extracts’ that begin each chapter in this series, as they feel so true to the time period, and I also love that Moore doesn’t insert gratuitous sex scenes; there’s one brief one in the book in a place where it makes perfect sense - after the wedding!

Five stars for a great read, and I look forward to more in this series!

Kate Moore's "A Spy's Guide to Seduction" features Emily Radstock and Sir Ajax Lynley, who like previous books in this series, come together with a little help from the Husband Hunter's Guide to London. Not that they want to. She's an independent woman who writes and likes her life; he's a spy who is not seeking to get married. Yet, somehow, they end up engaged — for show, of course — and proceed to mix mystery and love in an engaging manner. The love story is not always front and center, yet the development of the romance is definitely realistic and lots of fun. These two aren't struck by lightning, they grow into their love while helping each other get to the bottom of an important mystery. The respect they have for each other is a great feature of this book. (I received an advance copy on NetGalley and opinions are mine.)

A Spy's Guide to Seduction by Kate Moore is book Three in the Husband Hunters Club Series. This is the story of Emily Radstock and Sir Ajax Lynley. This can be a standalone book I thought.
Emily is nearing her 29th birthday and works to be a independent women but her mother just sent her the book 'The Husband Hunter’s Guide to London' a a hint which throws her into path of Ajax. Ajax is out his friends house who happens to be Emily's brother-in-law. There he over hears her saying to her sister that she would marry the first person she see now to teach her mother a lesson. Ajax rises from where he was sitting to announce he will except her offer. Ajax is a government agent who happens to be in need of a fiancé to use as a cover to work his mission to uncover information and hopefully undercover the person he seeks.

I'm swiftly learning that historical romance that has more of a mystery bent is really not my cup of tea, as I find that attempting to get both into one book often leads to both plotlines being rather weak. As such, I found 'A Spy's Guide to Seduction' a little bit underwhelming, though I loved the conceit of the heroine's guide to Husband Hunting.

Lord Ajax Lynley, government spy, sometime highwayman, and bearer of the world's least attractive name, offers to marry Emily Radstock purely to provide cover for himself in society. It's not a marriage he wants, but the license to parade around as an engaged man, who is therefore free to ignore all the matchmaking mamas of society. Unfortunately, I really couldn't see what Emily saw in him - he was barely characterised at all beyond 'traumatic past' and 'must not give in to lust'. Emily herself was a little more interesting, but seemed to fall in love rather quickly with not a lot of substance behind it, and immediately start putting herself in peril to join Lynley in his spying. It just... didn't click for me. These two weren't great at communicating with each other, and there was no real reason for them to get together - for Emily to agree to marry him, or for Lynley to agree to let her be a spy. I was also never really sure what the mystery really was. Something to do with vague top secret papers. The mystery watered down the romance, and the romance watered down the mystery. There's a happy ending (and strangely, the only sex scene is kept until the epilogue, where it suddenly gets really steamy. Not a problem, just weird pacing.)

Overall, it's a quick, lightly entertaining read - it just really didn't grab me.

This is my promised fair and honest review in exchange for this ARC. Quirky story and characters. Delightfully written with lots of twists and turns that will keep you engaged.

I have not read any of Kate Moore’s books but when I read the synopsis of this book and it drew me in. One of my favorite heroes, a spy. Unfortunately, the book fell short for me. The mystery was kind of a mystery but it did not make sense to me why the villain did what he did and what connection did he have with others. I am not sure if reading the first two books would have helped but this book also ended without an ending for the villain. The romance was just a side story and no real steam although I think the two main characters had a connection but no seduction.

The Husband Hunter's Guide to London. What was her mother thinking? Evidently that Emily needed help to find a match but what she declared was to marry the first man she meets! Well if that did not backfire because she was at her friend Emily's house and Sir Ajax Lynley overhears her and offers himself up! Stunned he declares he should post the announcement and leaves.
Ajax is a new recruit for a spy ring and he think's Emily will be his perfect cover. As his betrothed,he can can move in the circles of society to uncover the leak happening that could put England into war.
Simple right? I mean he really will not marry her or get attached and will just figure a way out later.
Of course she is set on making him break it off, but he tells her a little of what he is doing and that she can help him.
But as plans go, it seemed too simple, oh yes, no place for attraction and it seems they are pulled to each other! Throw in some secrets, intrigue and hurtful gossip and the past and it is not a smooth road to their happy ending. Could they really have a future with such an auspicious beginning?
Really enjoyed this story and the others in this series. Although is can be read as a standalone, you will want to read them all!

I did enjoy this story, the characters of Emily and Lynley were very likeable. It had romance and a mystery to solve. Both Emily and Lynley were intelligent and quick witted and I liked the humour in the story. I enjoyed the way their relationship grew and their feelings for each other deepened. This was a very entertaining, good paced read and I will look for the next by this author. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lighthearted Adventure. What I liked was the slow build of the romance, the spy action and Emily’s strong character. Though I was rather confused by some of the story particularly at the end - maybe another book in the series will explain how the villain came by the missing papers and why he didn’t leave earlier.
What I disliked were the inconsistencies, like the heroine on 6 occasions being referred to as Miss Radstock (The daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls are NEVER Miss Surname but Lady, First Name, Surname). Also I couldn’t understand why an injured man would sleep on his friend’s sofa when the house would contain guest bedrooms. However, having said all that, I did enjoy the book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Maybe 3.5 stars...

Lady Emily Radstock is upset and goes to her sister Rosalind's house to vent - their mother has gone too far, she has given Emily a copy of the Husband Hunter's Guide to London, a clear indication that she thinks Emily should marry. She tells Roz that she should teach her mother a lesson and marry the first idiot she meets. When Roz's husband Phil comes in looking for his friend Sir Ajax Lynley, he rises from the sofa - much to Emily's mortification - and he turns to her and says that she proposed and he accepts, he kisses her hand and asks if he should post the announcement and then leaves a stunned and speechless Emily as he walks out with Phil.

Sir Ajax Lynley has recently returned to England from Spain and is Goldworthy's newest recruit to his spy ring. His mission is to uncover a leak and recover some letters that if not found could launch England into war. He needs to move in society and Emily's outburst provided him with the perfect cover - as her betrothed, he will be able to investigate at parties without matchmaking mothers throwing their daughters at him. He speaks to her father and gives her a ring. He doesn't really plan on marrying her, but will sort that out later.

Emily can't decline his proposal, but she can make him jilt her and plans to make that happen sooner rather than later. But when she realizes he is up to something, she is intrigued and after a kiss, is a little bit smitten. When she confronts him, he tells her a little bit about his case, because frankly, he could use her help. They agree to be partners and work well together. But if they truly want a future, they will need to overcome secrets, gossip and past hurts and learn to trust each other.

I did like this book, I thought it was well written, flowed nicely, stayed on point and of the three I have read in the series, this one has the most "romance" but it wasn't perfect - the author says she did extensive research to ensure that weather was accurate to the timeline of the story - and I can only assume it is correct, but personally, I think that research time would have been better spent with the basics of the peerage - a baronet is not a member of the peerage, an earl's daughter is not addressed as Miss Surname, being a widow doesn't necessarily make you a dowager , etc. The story itself was good, but I finished the book not quite understanding what the "villain's" motivation really was in the book. I did like the interaction between Lynley and Emily and the secondary characters were entertaining and while the book was not "steamy" there were some warmish love scenes and a tremendous amount of chemistry between Lynley and Emily.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

3.5 Stars
When her desperate mother sends her The Husband Hunter’s Guide to London, outspoken twenty eight year old Emily Radstock rails against the slim book of manners, boldly declaring that she should wed the first “imbecile” she meets and be done with the matter. Too bad Sir Ajax Lynley overhears her outrageous proposal and holds her to it. But he’s no dullard, he’s a government agent who needs the cover of a beautiful fiancé to pursue a deadly enemy. To resist his charms, Emily turns to the guide she disdains and does exactly the opposite. Dress fashionably? She enshrouds herself in black crepe. Be demure? She steps into danger and faces down criminals alongside her fiance.
This is the third book in the series & it could easily be read on its own, like the first two books this book just fails to deliver with a little more work it could be a five star read. So saying I did thoroughly enjoy the book but I just wanted that little bit of a oomph. The characters were well fleshed & the plot flowed well, although I did think one character was superfluous & added nothing to the story. It wasn’t a steamy read by any means but more of a slow burn romance where Lynley & Emily grew to like & then love each other
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Lady Emily Radstock is approaching 29 and yet believes she will never marry. To her surprise, she finds herself betrothed to Sir Ajax Lynley after he proposes to her, on overhearing a conversation she is having about her future. However, Lynley is not all that he portrays to society and Emily soon finds herself working with him as a spy, to prevent a plot that would send England to war.
The romance between the pair is slowly revealed and what begins as friendship, against the backdrop of espionage, soon becomes a love story. Whilst both characters are attracted to each other, it is only as they work together, does their love for the other become apparent. I so enjoyed the slow build up to this romance, that as I reached the end, I wished for more.
The story is beautifully written, with such well-developed secondary characters. Having found a new author to follow, with such an eloquent style of writing, I am so looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*** 3.5 stars ***
This was my first book by this author and I was really looking forward to a steamy romance and confounding mystery. What I found was no steam, but a nice slow build of a romance – and I liked that. I liked that the characters didn’t jump into insta-lust, but they were definitely attracted to each other. I love the way Lynley came to respect Emily’s intelligence and cleverness before he really realized that he also loved her. The mystery was a good one as well with multiple villains and missing secrets that could plunge England into war.

Speaking of villains – there is one I just never figured out. I could not see his purpose nor could I see what he was trying to gain. Yes, he provided a misdirection for the plot, but he could still have had some ulterior motives in mind instead of just being . . . I can’t explain more without telling you who he is and what he does, but I think his motives should have been plainer – otherwise, there is no reason for him to have done what he did or even to be in the story at all. Maybe he'll play some villanous role in a future book.

Sir Ajax Lynley (I love that name) has agreed to work for a spymaster for one year. So far his assignments have been exciting, but fairly minor. Now, he has a task that affects the fate of England. If he cannot retrieve certain documents, England will be forced into war with Russia. Lynley has lived in Spain since he was a teenager and now that he has returned to be a spy, he needs to reenter society. He’s been trying to think of the best way to do that when the perfect opportunity drops right into his lap.

Lady Emily Radstock is fast approaching her twenty-ninth birthday and she is still unmarried and sees no particular reason to change that. However, her mother has other ideas and presents Emily with a book ‘The Husband Hunter’s Guide To London’. Since her mother was on her way to care for Emily’s grandmother, Emily couldn’t rail at her, so she heads over to her younger sister’s house to rant. As she says that she ought to marry the first imbecile she meets, she hears this masculine voice say, “I accept”.

She is dumbstruck – surely he can’t mean it and surely can’t intend to hold her to that. Yet he does. She knows he has to be up to something and she fully intends to find out what it is. As they spend time together she comes to like him – and she starts to figure out what is going on. Then, suddenly it hits her – he is a SPY. Yum, adventure – and she sorely wants to have an adventure so she happily joins him in his mission. She is, however, annoyed that she is only a quasi-partner – he doesn’t share everything with her. Yet, the one time he takes off on his own because he wants to protect her, it doesn’t end well for him.

I enjoyed this book even though I thought that it could have been a bit longer and better fleshed out in both the mystery and the romance aspects of the story. I'll look forward to the next one in the series - The Christmas Husband Hunt.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Spy's Guide to Seduction, Husband Hunters #3, was just an okay read for me. I am giving it three stars.

It occurred to me to wonder what my 26 year old, “outspoken, independent” daughter would say if I sent her a “Husband Hunter’s Guide”. Pretty sure she would think I had lost my mind.
But that is exactly what Emily’s mother has done, and, tired of the pressure being applied to her to wed, she accepts a proposal from the first man to ask. Although it is a sham proposal, both Emily and Lynley need each other as cover, it soon turns into something else, as they become intrigued with each other.
The spy theme in this book was not as strong as in previous books in the series, but it still provided an interesting frame on which to hang the romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A nicely developed historical romance. Good solid characters and writing makes the story flow from page to page.