I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review. I had not read The Right Sort of Man, the first book in this series, but I don't think it was a huge issue. There were references to the previous story, but this book stood alone pretty well. A Royal Affair follows matchmakers Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge as they are pulled into a mystery involving rumors of Prince Phillip's legitimacy. It was a very well written book with strong, smart, brave female leads. It is historical fiction, but featured very witty and sometimes modern dialogue. In general, I found myself liking the characters and enjoying their banter but not being truly drawn into the story. The resolution to the mystery was a little murky and not entirely satisfying.

This book is available July 2020.

An interesting premise with real life characters of our present Queen and her husband.
However, I couldn’t really get into the story and couldn’t connect with the characters.

Another fun addition to this series. The whole thing was a bit complicated and I could not have figured it out on my own, but for me, part of the fun is the 'aha!' of reading the ending. I've already been recommending this series to my customers and they can't wait to get their hands on this title.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was so excited to read the second. We find Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge fresh off of the publicity surrounding their success of solving a murder case while running their matchmaking business. They receive a call from one of Princess Elizabeth’s staff to ask for help with vetting one of the Princess’ suitors, Prince Phillip. Naturally, things become more complicated, when one of their contacts is murdered, a gangster, Iris has to ask for help from her former boss, oh and they actually make a successful match in the midst of it all. Per usual, the ladies take us on quite a twisted ride to find the answers to the mystery. I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well developed and evolve throughout the story. Gwen is regaining her confidence and strength after spending time in a sanitarium after the death of her husband in the Great War. Iris is still adjusting to life after being a spy durning the war. Despite their differences, Iris a Cambridge grad, and Gwen a debutante, they have become the best of friends and colleagues. This book will not be out until July 28, but in the mean time, I suggest reading the first book in the series, “The Right Sort of Man”. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

I am really enjoying the Sparks and Bainbridge books. Even thought at first I rolled my eyes at the royal connection of the mystery, I soon got in to it. A few things I enjoy:

I love the friendship between the ladies. They both have such different backgrounds, they have different things to offer, and they both need each other to get over their war traumas.

I like how intelligent the ladies are. They aren't blindly stumbling into clues and solving mysteries, they are researching and using their brains to figure things out.

I like the cast of characters being assembled in the series so far, especially the playwright muscle (is his name Sally?).

I will definitely keep reading this series as it continues to unfold and recommend it to the historical mystery lovers out there.

An absolutely wonderful second story in this new series featuring two young women in post WWII Britain, Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. This sounds sufficiently charming and possibly lighthearted, but the backstory is quite serious, and the subjects are blackmail and murder. Montclair is able to bring postwar social issues, PSTD, and international intrigue to the forefront while giving readers an action-filled and well developed plot. The Queen is tangentially involved in this second episode, as Sparks and Bainbridge set out to vet the future husband of Princess Elizabeth. Blackmail, murder, and government espionage are all deftly woven into this highly recommended novel.

.Loved! Strong on character and tone, and set in bomb-ravaged, post-war London, A Royal Affair is a particularly delicious treat for fans of Netflix' The Crown. In their second outing, Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, proprietors of the newly-formed Right Sort Marriage Bureau, are back and even more engaging as business partners and would-be sleuths. As they delve into Prince Philip's mysterious back story, Iris and Gwen continue to delight with equal parts courage and witty repartee. Highly recommended addition to a much-welcomed fresh, new mystery series.