What a great passoniate and romantic spy story to start a new series. Kit has gotten in trouble with Queen Elizabeth so he is charged to be a gardner/spy to uncover any unseeming plots or traitorous acts.
Elizabeth Keysian's research was spot on, and really added to the story as she had history, romance, and everything Tudor. I so enjoyed Alys and Kit's HEA.

i really enjoyed reading this book, it was a fun read with a great start to a series. The characters were great and I really enjoyed the plot.

This author was a new and welcome find for me. Set in Tudor England, the book was well written and paced. Kit, the new gardener at Selsham is really Sir Christopher Ludlow, banished from court by Queen Elizabeth for bad behaviour, and sent by Walsingham to root out a traitor at the manor. Widowed Kate, a selfish and capricious woman, has taken in her orphaned cousin Alys, but treats her badly and faces her to serve as the housekeeper. When she coerces Alys into a wager to kiss the new Gardner, Alys is forced to spend time with him, and is equally attracted and intrigued by him. She senses he is not what he seems, and is keen to uncover the mystery.

When Sir Thomas and Richard Avery join a house party at Selsham the chase to find the traitor is on, but can Kit find evidence Alys is not involved? When Kit starts to put the pieces together, can they survive the danger that surrounds them and can their feelings for each other survive the unmasking of the traitors.

I really loved the historical detail in this book, and the character of Alys who really wanted to believe in the good of her cousin and the people around her. I did feel that she lost perspective towards the end of the book, when they were at court, and she seemed much more unsure of herself and Kit. Kit was a great character, and a lot of fun to read, however he did again have a wobble towards the end of the book where he lost his confidence and misread/got angry rather than understanding Aly’s guilt and confusion.

Looking forward to reading more of this authors work

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

Also posted on Goodreads

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Alys is the poor relation. She's at the mercy of her mercurial cousin, a pawn and a scapegoat for endless schemes. She is infinitely weary of her stationary life, and dreams of a family of her own. When the handsome gardner singles her out for attention, she is confused and suspicious of his motives.

Kit's true reason for masquerading as a gardner may be a secret of state, but he is also fighting his inconvenient attraction to Alys. He senses that she can creep beneath his guard, and he refuses to be distracted from the mission at hand.

Their innocuous glances, subtle touches and sparkling exchanges soon set them on the path of no return.

This romance set in a world of Tudor intrigue and espionage was a welcome escape.

Spies, Secrets, and Lies

He is a gardener, or is he? She is a traitor, or is she? No one is who they seem, and one misstep could get your head on the chopping block. Alys and Kit find themselves entangled in a web of treachery, and it is difficult to discern who is friend, and who is foe. I enjoyed this tale of love, treachery, and deceit. If you like your stories filled with intrigue, adventure, and romance, you might enjoy this story.

Lord of Deception by Elizabeth Keysian is book One in the Trysts and Treachery Series. This is the story of Alys Barchard and Christopher Ludlow 'Kit'. Kit was a member of the court who now is spying and pretending to be a gardener. This is how Kit meets Alys who is a poor relations to her cousin who makes Alys a servant. Alys ends up getting involved with Kit's seam which ends up getting her in danger. This was a page turning read for me. I do plan on reading more books by this author.

A true Tudor classic.

Alys is an orphan and works for her cousin Kate Aspinall...Asp is right. Her cousin is brutal, viperish and just a nasty person to be around. Alys lives a life above reproach. She meets the gardener and feels the attraction but knows it will cause a scandal so does her best to stay away. Well her cousin has other ideas, she starts a contest then continues to torment Alys right into a friendship with the gardener.

Kit is a spy! He is being punished by the Queen (when another woman accuses Kit of taking advantage)...so he is sent to be a gardener and ferret out the treasonous group who wants Queen Elizabeth I dead. He starts to fall for Alys and prays she is not involved.

The two work together and through much betrayal, love, and more lies and comes together to defeat the would be murderers.

Quite an intricate tale Elizabeth Keysian writes. Can't wait for book 2~

This was a good rendition of intrigue at court. The hero is placed as a gardener to observe the possibility of treason at an estate in the country. The estate is owned by a woman who has her cousin living with her as a servant. The heroine has been treated as a servant since the lady is her last living relative and she has no where to go. The heroine is used and abused by her cousin repeatedly. The hero is able to prove that there is treason going on with her help, but the danger and intrigue continues. The heroine is drawn to the hero, but he is a gardener and she should be looking for a nobleman to marry. This story is a good example of life at court. Many stories do not make any sense, but the author has such a command and great story telling narrative. I was involved with this story from start to finish. I highly recommend this story. Normally, I do not like political intrigue stories, but this is an exception. The story is written to the language of the day, but modern enough that the reader doesn't have to translate the story. There are few grammar or spelling errors and the story is well contained with in the covers. There are no danglers. I enjoyed this book very much, 5 stars

When is a handsome gardner not really a gardener? When he is a spy trying to figure out who is harboring traitors... Is it the lady of the house, Kate Aspinall or maybe her cousin Alys. Then Kate has the audacity to come try to get him to kiss her! Sir Christopher knew his guise as a gardener would not go over well!!
Alys had been living with her cousin Kate, who really did not treat her well. But what choice did she have? Kate, a widow, could be scandalous and she did treated Alys poorly. The only way for Alys to escape her servitude was to marry. She felt Kate was involved in something but not sure what.
I loved this story! A mystery, intrigue, deceit and a plot that needed to be averted.. Loved these two together and the Tudor period. Elizabeth Keysian's research for this timeframe paid off with this tale weaving in history, romance and everything needed for a spellbinding journey that will capture your attention to the end! I cannot wait for more in this series!

Lord of Deception by Elizabeth Keysian
Spies , Religious fanatics and romance what more could you ask for in a great book!
The author Elizabeth Keysian does an incredible job in weaving historical events such one of the key issues that pitted the Pope of the Catholic Church over Queen Elizabeth! Also throw in Queen Bess’s cousin Mary of Scotland who uses the rift of the Pope against Elizabeth to cause even more strife because she feels that the throne should be hers! So, what takes place is Mary of Scotland exerts her influential power with leaders in Spain and use religious fanatics who hide behind the Catholic robes to try and overthrow Queen Elizabeth, but this is all done under the cover of darkness!!!
Enter Spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham who works for Queen Bess and he controls a vast underground network of spys. Sir “Kit”Christopher Ludlow was sent to spy because there was whispers of a major faction in play and it was coming out of the Selwood Manor.
Kate Aspinall was a widower and had control of the manor. She allowed her cousin Alys to live there as her unpaid housekeeper basically because Kate was evil inside, but Alys tried to accept her fate because she had nowhere else to go. Kate had a friend, Sir Thomas Kirlham that No one particularly liked, but they treated with reverence because Kate was possibly going to marry the man. Sir Richard Avery was his brother in law and he was the life of a party , but something was not quite right with the man. His smiles didn’t reach his eyes.
A new man entered the household as the gardener and all the staff and ladies thought he was drop dead gorgeous! Lady Alys felt he had the assurance of a wealthy man, but at times seemed like he was who he said he was. So who was Kit Ludlow???
What was going on in the home?? Was the gardener the traitor? Her cousin and her friends? Pick up the book because it’s worth the read to find out what happens and the historical facts you pick up are also very informative!!!
It’s so important for freedom of religion and speech and all the other various other things we have!! To strive for peace amongst mankind is an never ending balance and so important for us to have these rights to choose!
I received a advanced copy from netgally and these are my words and opinions!!!

A romantic story of a Alys Blanchard, young lady who’s living with cousin Kate at Selwood Manor. Disguised as a gardener Christopher ( Kit) Ludlow has been sent to spy on the residents of Selwood to find the a traitor and bring them to justice. At first he’s not sure which lady is guilty Alys or her cousin Kate but as the story unfolds his heart is at risk as he finds himself drawn to Alys. I love these two as they have trouble trusting each other, but the chemistry and passion they try to hides brings them closer together. A intriguing story and one I voluntarily wrote a review for.

Lord of Deception by Elizabeth Keysian is a book about deception and underhanded behavior in the time of Elizabeth I of England. The new gardener was not a gardener at all, but a member of court: Sir Christopher Ludlow, and he was here to pay a debt ... to Her Majesty. Something was afoot here and it was Kit who was left to discover what. Alys Barchard was Kate Aspinall's cousin, and in reality, little more than a servant. Her only way out of this situation was by marriage (or Kate's death, but marriage seemed more likely). Kate was a widow and therefore able to behave more independently that Alys was, with men. Alys knew something was going on but not exactly what. Kit hoped that whatever it was, Alys was not involved. It was a huge conundrum and Kit spent plenty of time putting together the clues.

Lord of Deception was a little more specific setting than most Dragonblade offerings. Elizabeth appeared in it, for one. She was actually a sympathetic character who liked Kit, despite the fact he had not behaved as a gentlemen should. He was also very smart and totally loyal. Alys was as well, but she was a creature from the country, not used to the ways of court and the ways of spies and those people working against the queen. It was a good mystery as well as a good romance. There was plenty of angst as well as deceit and betrayal and several plots, which almost succeeded. It was enjoyable read; one which I recommend highly.

I was invited to read an ARC of The Lord of Deception by Dragonblade, through Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #lordofdeception

This is an interesting and refreshing book to experience. Elizabeth Keysian has brought us into the Tudor era with her wonderful descriptions and her choice of dialect. There are spies, romance, a spiteful cousin and of course mystery. As your knowledge of the characters grow, one becomes hopeful that Alys; the poor relation is not ruined by her spiteful cousin, that she must live with. The new gardener is the most handsome man nothing like a gardener should be. But Kit, has been banished from the Queen’s court, only to find treachery and deception among members of the peerage that have turned against the Queen. Alys and Kit end up in the middle of the plot and must survive to save the Queen. A great mystery makes this a page turner.

Alys Barchard has once again drawn the ire of her cousin, Kate. Due to the fact she has no recourse, she accepts her place-as an unpaid servant in the household. Kate is constantly making wagers and dares-all to embarrass Alys. The latest one includes the newest gardener, aka Sir Christopher Ludlow. Kit has fallen from grace with the Queen, who then designated him to find the members of the peerage who have turned traitor. Kit has tracked them to the home of Kate Aspinall. But, as he delves into all the secrets of the manor, he falls for Alys. Is she a traitor or not? Is her cousin a traitor? Will Kit accept the answer? A great first book of the series.

Lord of deception 4*
This was a good paced story that had some tense moments. I was a little undecided on the character of Alys, at times she was completely downtrodden by her cousin and at other times she was very courageous. She was an intelligent woman but because of her inexperience often had doubts as to who she could trust. She did face a dilemma at times as to where her loyalty should lay. Kit, was all you would want from a hero, handsome, brave and honourable. Kit and Alys had an attraction to each other but Alys was wary of Kit’s reputation. There are also rivals for Kit at court and Alys feels out of her depth at times. This is the first in a new series and it certainly had the flavour of the time. I look forward to reading the next in the series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. However I did preorder my own copy.

4.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Tudor romances are an under appreciated subset of historical romance, so I snapped this one up upon reading the blurb. It promised the passion and intrigue I love about the Tudor period, and the fact that it involved Walsingam’s spy ring also piqued my interest.

And it delivers on its premise. Kit is a wonderful hero, and I rooted for him as he tried to figure out what was going on at Selwood Manor, and went from suspecting the innocent Alys to working to protect her from the corruption going on around them.

Poor Alys! While the setup for her arc feels a little cliche, Cinderella-esque at times, I still rooted for her through it all. And I like that their love was really tested as well, a trait I love about the handful of Tudor romances I’ve read.

Keysian also injects a real sense of place and time into the prose and dialogue, without leaving the modern reader feeling lost. She achieves that perfect balance that can sometimes be hard to master for historical authors, especially as for stories set as far back as this one is.

I enjoyed this one immensely, and I can’t wait to read the others that have been announced as they come out. I recommend this to historical romance lovers who love the Tudors.

This is such a thrilling read. I'm a fan of historical fiction, add spies, romance, and mystery into the mix, and it becomes perfect. The story flows so beautifully and I love the conclusion as well. This is not an everyday kind of historical romance because there is so much more going on between these pages. I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for an entertaining read. As far as I'm concerned, this book is perfection.

A fast-paced Elizabethan romance that keeps the reader enthralled from the beginning to the entertaining conclusion, this well-written novel encompasses suspense, espionage, and treachery as the main characters strive to discover who is behind the threat to the Crown. Hiding behind the facade of a gardener, Kit sees and discerns the events unfolding in the Selwood Manor, including the cruel manipulation of kind-hearted Alys Barchard by her spiteful cousin. Even whilst he suspects that Alys may be part of the plot, each encounter with her stirs his heart and he finds himself becoming attracted to the resourceful lady. When Alys figures out the truth about Kit for herself, he has no choice but to start involving her in his mission, but when circumstances go beyond their immediate control, Kit realises that he has put Alys in danger. This is the first book I have read by this author, but I am definitely going to look out for more of her books as I found it witty and entertaining, as well as romantic. I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Alys Barchard had lost everything and now lived with her cousin who treated her no better than a servant. Kate Aspinall was her cousin and a widow. But she got Jealous easily and Alys knew that she would end up a spinster. She had just spent months on her embroidered pocket and Kate wanted it.
She forced Alys into a ridiculous bet that she could kiss the new gardener before her and she would get the pocket. Alys could not, yes, he was handsome, tall, long fingers, but he was a servant.
Sir Christopher Ludlow was not at all what he seemed. He was being punished by the Queen one of the Ladies at court accused him of something and this was his punishment. He had to work with the spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham.
It is engrossing and well written. The characters are realistic in the portrayal of the personality of the cast. It is wonderful reading their shenanigans. There are some surprises along the way to add to the entertainment aspect of this book. It is difficult to put down but there is so much you want to interpret. I loved the way they came to their first kiss. She had fallen from her horse and he picked her up, took her to a gardener's hut to clean her wounds. I highly recommend this excellent story.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it. Really lovely.

Lord if Deception
Elizabeth Keysian
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kit has been kicked out of Queen Elizabeth's court, and he really doesn't want to get Alys tangled up in his web of lies and deception, but what's even worse is falling in love with her and not knowing where her loyalties lie.

Alys is living with a cousin who more then dislikes her and has no time for love, but Kit is just way too tempting to resist. All she craves is escape not love, but she doesn't have a choice when her heart chooses for her.

Elizabeth Keysian writes a book that chalked full of lies, treachery, and most of all love. These two characters were so well matched together that they could almost flow as one together at times. They had a serious issue of trust and you really need that to build a strong relationship, but they found their groove. They oozed chemistry when they were together. I have always enjoyed any book that had to do with spies, Walsingham, and Elizabeth I's court and this will not disappoint. I really enjoyed this novel and I think any fans of Tudor era history would enjoy it as well.