The Prince of Spies by Elizabeth Camden is an engrossing tale against a family feud as the main hero works on against the artificial chemicals in food. If readers have read the previous stories in this series, then they are familiar with Luke. First, as the trouble maker, then he returns as repetive toward his hurts. Of course, Luke needs the pages to tell his story and show his love story. With the introduction of Marianne, readers are introduced first hand to the other side of the family feud. She hands the dilemma in her family with grace and maturity. The romance sparkled from the first chapter with the rescuing of the dog from the frozen water. It kept growing deeper and deeper as the story moved along. As always with Camden's novels, I love her ability to dive into a historical element and make it fascinating for the readers to follow along. I love how the story captures the importance of the Food and Drug Administration. As an added bonus, Camden included a chapter at the end that features all the sibling four years later. Overall, The Prince of Spies was an engrossing tale that I finished in one day.

I received a complimentary copy of The Prince of Spies by Elizabeth Camden from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Elizabeth Camden does such a fabulous job at taking an obscure piece of history and bringing it to life. I really enjoyed learning about the food testing and the 'Poison Squad'. Her research into all this is impressive, and I love how she seamlessly weaves these truths into fiction.

I'm also a fan of forbidden romances and so I was super happy to find out this story features that trope. I really loved Luke's character in this series. He has a bit of a recklessness about him, but he possesses a good heart. Marianne was an interesting heroine. I often felt bad for the way her family treated her and rooted for her happiness.

The author has done a remarkable job with this series and I can't wait to see what she does next.

**I received a copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

"He barely knew her, but their spontaneous attraction was dangerous. Then again, Luke had always loved flirting with danger."

Ever since meeting the charming and sometimes reckless Luke Delacroix in book one of Elizabeth Camden's Hope and Glory series, he instantly became a favorite character of mine. After playing a supporting role in the first two books of the series, Luke gets his story told in book three, The Prince of Spies. Luke's story was definitely worth the wait.

Readers will be treated to a fantastic tale rooted in a deep rivalry lasting several generations between two important families, the Delacroix family and the Magruder family. When Luke Delacroix and Marianne Magruder meet and sparks fly, tensions also increase as they soon discover that they belong to feuding families.

Elizabeth Camden is one of my go-to authors for historical fiction, and her Hope and Glory series is my favorite of hers. She intricately weaves relatively unknown bits of history into her novels, such as the The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and "the Poison Squad," a group of men who voluntarily participated in food safety trials with a variety of preservatives. Although I am sad this series is over, the Delocroix family will have a permanent place on my keeper shelf where I can easily revisit old friends.

The Prince of Spies is highly recommended for readers of historical fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Like finishing the most satisfying meal. As expected, Elizabeth Camden delivers a wonderful story, dynamic characters, and blessed little reprieve from my everyday life.

I have just closed the cover of the final book in the Hope & Glory series, a smile on my face and my heart full. What a satisfying way to finish my time with this family of siblings. No one else can take you into the Gilded Age like Elizabeth Camden. From the first book (The Spice King) through the last, these characters have made their way into my heart and memory and won't be forgotten. I have loved how this series ties each of the siblings together--their stories melding from one book to the other. Luke has been woven through each of the previous books and it is good to finally have a focus on his own story. Not to be outdone, Maryanne has a fantastic story of her own and the growth that she goes through is beautiful.

I have been to Washington, DC and as Camden describes the setting, I can picture each place she mentions with detail. I believe this is a story-series is worth having on your shelf.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

The Prince of Spies
by Elizabeth Camden
Bethany House
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
Bethany House Publishers
Christian | Historical Fiction | Romance
Pub Date 16 Feb 2021 | Archive Date 16 Mar 2021

Good read! This is one of my first books of the year for 2021. I highly recommend it. Historical fiction plus!
Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for the ARC.

5 star

Very well written and engaging. I enjoyed the star-crossed lovers trope and learnt a lot about the guilded age as well. A cute romance, and I also liked the progression of the relationship between Marianne and her step mother.

To me, this title is the best of the series. Read it from cover to cover and nary a paragraph skipped - something that I seldom do with novels these days. In fact, many a time, it was hard to put down my kindle.

I've come to expect Elizabeth Camden to introduce us to intriguing portions of history and this time we come to know about the Poison Squad and the work of Dr Wiley, and yes the Poison Squad and Dr Wiley really existed. So interesting even to me because, though I am not American, what happened here had an impact worldwide.

I loved how unpredictable and impulsive Luke was. I didn't like him in the first book but he was a really fun and refreshing character in this last one. The development of his romance with Marianne was slow and sweet, and you couldn't help but root for them.

I don’t read novels for spiritual enlightenment so I can’t comment much on those elements, but prayer, church and a return to faith are mentioned briefly in this book.

What will the author will come up with next? I can’t wait to see!

The Prince of Spies is a fantastic story. I have read all three books in this series, and I think I like this one the best! Luke has been out of prison now for a few months, and he meets Marianne on the ice, trying to rescue a poor dog that is going to drown.. He doesn't know the lady's name at first, but he knows he must know more about her. They soon learn that their family names are families that have been at odds for generations. Sworn enemies. They continue to see each other anyway, and their future doesn't look very promising. She faces her family with a betrayal by her, knowing she could be disowned. How will they ever be together with all of this family trouble?
Great, clean story I loved reading!

From the moment they met rescuing a dog that had fallen through the ice, Marianne Magruder and Luke Delacroix were irresistibly drawn to each other. The problem? Their families had been feuding for decades. As Luke, an investigative journalist, seeks to uncover the truth about preservatives added to the Magruders’ canned food company, will he lose Marianne in the process? Find out in this intriguing work of historical fiction.

I've read a few of Elizabeth Camden's books in the past and have enjoyed them. I obviously wasn't paying attention because I originally didn't see that this was the 3rd book in a series. I could tell by the assumed familiarity with some of the other characters that this was probably the case, but it didn't keep me from being able to read and enjoy this book. Camden has always done a fantastic job of depicting historical time periods. I can tell she does a lot of research on the topic which helps the reader immerse themselves in the story. I really enjoyed Luke's vulnerability in this story. I struggled a bit with his seemingly strong faith juxtaposed with his intense desire to destroy an entire family. Realizing the newness of his faith helped ease some of those frustrations.

I did have two problems with this story. The first was how incredibly immature Marianne was. She was supposedly this brave, bold woman, but she was completely spineless with her family. They were crazy, but there's a fine line between honoring your parents/family loyalty, and allowing egregious misconduct to go unchecked. My second complaint follows, in that there doesn't seem to be much resolution there. They all just try to get along and not rock the boat, and some of the main transgressions are never really addressed.

I did enjoy reading this book, and now I definitely need to go back and read the other two. I'm especially looking forward to Caroline's story. I'm sure it will be just as fast-paced and interesting as this one.

I had no idea this was the third book in a series. It stood alone just fine, but I’m definitely curious about the other books now.

I really enjoyed this story. There’s a bit of a Romeo and Juliette aspect with the feuding families and a forbidden relationship, but a much happier ending.

I was fascinated by the historical aspect of food safety, the Poison Squad and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and the creation of the FDA.

*I received a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Bravo!!! Excellent conclusion to a fabulous trilogy!
I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Camden's fascinating historical fiction. She excels at finding obscure history and creating such interesting stories around it. I have loved each of the stories in this series. The siblings each get their own story; Gray Delacroix (The Spice King), Caroline Delacroix (A Guilded Lady), and now Luke Delacroix (The Prince of Spies).

In The Prince of Spies, we learn the intriguing history leading up to the need for the Food & Drug Administration. Luke meets a brave woman who goes out on the ice to try to rescue her nephew's dog, he goes out to help and they leave the scene being intrigued with one another. Since they did not exchange full names, they do not realize the deck is stacked against them as their families have had a long-standing feud.

This story drew me in and I couldn't put it down. I loved all the twists and turns. Some of my favorite quotes:

"She'd been stripped away from her family, friends, and every familiar guidepost in her life. Without those crutches, perhaps it was only natural to look up."

"The virtues of love, humility, charity, and forgiveness might not solve the problem, but they could serve as a balm in an imperfect world."

"Marianne considered rushing for her camera to immortalize this perfect moment.....Then she thought better of it. Sometimes it was better to live in the present." (I enjoy taking pictures and this would be hard for me, but I totally get it and perhaps should try this more often!)

I highly recommend The Prince of Spies! Excellent historical fiction, page-turner, very enjoyable read. I read this on New Years Day and loved every minute of it. My first book of the year!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy! All opinions are my own.

In the Prince of Spies, Elizabeth Camden weaves a perfect blend of historical events with a compelling story!

The long awaited third book in the Hope and Glory series both fascinates and informs the reader about the struggles at the turn of the century regarding the fight for food safety and purity. The Prince of Spies is very much a continuation of the storyline first introduced in The Spice King, but told from Luke Delacroix's point of view.

I appreciated the historical aspects of the book, but after having enjoyed Luke's mischievous ways and penchant for trouble in the first two books, I couldn't wait to read his story and what type of woman would win him over. I loved that he was a man of principle and character and wouldn't yield to pressure even when it cost him a high price. He is very much a prince, but not without his flaws. He constantly pursues doing something important and memorable to measure up to the men in his family, in addition to wanting to atone for past mistakes. He also suffers from post traumatic stress and it's affects will have a reader very much sympathetic to his suffering.

Marianne is the woman who captures his heart from the first page. Her bravery is on full display as she risks her life to save a dog fallen through an icy lake. Not even knowing who she is Luke pursues her and her identity, only to discover she is a Magruder, a family the Delacroix's have a three generation feud with.

"Luke wouldn't let an inconvenient attraction stand in the way of a lifelong grudge. No matter how much he admired Marianne he intended to get Clyde kicked out of Congress." And so it begins, the push and pull of the heart against family loyalty.
In many ways Marianne is an admirable character, but with a less than stellar start in life, she suffers through the abuses of her family feeling less than valued as a family member. She only wants to be accepted and loved so it takes her a while to find her footing and stand up to their mistreatment. There was so much angsty disfunction in this family, I was ready for Marianne to get as far away from them as she could.

I really enjoyed reading about previous siblings and spouses Gray and Annabelle, Caroline and Nathaniel. I loved the relationship Luke and Caroline had as twins and it was one of the most poignant portions of the story when Luke felt he was losing Caroline as she was about to marry,
"I feel her starting to pull away already," he said. "Ever since we were infants, Caroline and I have been a team. Two peas in a pod. Now she's moving to another pod." So touching!

Nearing the end, the book, the story went a bit different than I was expecting and each reader will need to decide for themselves if they agree and are satisfied with Luke and Marianne's actions and choices.. I would have chosen to do some things differently, but the final chapter was stellar so all in all, I'm a happy reader. I appreciate Bethany House Publishers making a copy of The Prince Spies available for review. All thoughts and opinions are my very own.

As this series ends, first of all, I'm a big fan of the Delacroix family and the covers of these books. I want to frame them and put them on my wall! I can't help but love Luke and I love him next to Gray, so I'm glad they got so much screen time together in this one. I've enjoyed watching Luke mature over this series and even more in this book and liked watching him fight for the woman he loved.
I was never bored in this book. Once again Camden highlights obscure, fascinating history, which is why I return to her again and again. In some ways, this was my favorite of the series.
With that said, Camden doesn't write the most refined prose. There's a lot of use of the passive voice and telling instead of showing. Although I truly appreciated the message of love and humility in relationships with difficult people and Luke's insistence in following the fifth commandment, as terrifying and painful as it was, Marianne's relationship with her parents really was concerning. They were abusive to her and yet she still felt like it was her fault and she should have "done better." I'm not sure that she ever really got over her unhealthy dependence on her father. It was interesting how Camden handled it, and I wonder how I would have if I'd written it. The other thing is that we briefly returned to the wrong ideas about worthiness that gave me major red flags in The Spice King. Luke prays in Prince of Spies, "I pray that this experiment will be successful and make the world a better place. I pray it will help make me worthy in Your eyes." 🚩🚩🚩
There is nothing we or Luke can do to make ourselves worthy to God. The gospel is that Jesus, the only One in heaven or earth found worthy, came down to earth and saved us in our utter unworthiness. All of our performance and making the world a better place can not make us one ounce worthier to God.
Aunt Stella was an interesting plot twist. In the end, good won and love won, and Luke Delacroix was a delightful hero.

PRINCE OF SPIES is the third novel in the Hope and Glory series by ELIZABETH CAMDEN. Although it can stand alone I suggest you read the books in sequence - you will not be sorry.
In 1902 the feud between the Delacroix and Macgruder families reaches new heights. When Luke and Marianne meet, while rescuing her nephew's dog, there is a spark between them which grows against all odds.
Luke is as intense as ever and just as determined to bring down his nemesis, Clyde Macgruder. He joins the "Poison Squad" and is trying to stop dangerous additives from being used in food - something the Macgruders would rather keep quiet. He is a journalist, and is also translating Don Quixote into less stilted, more passionate English. He is altogether passionate, but is trying hard to conform since spending fifteen months in a Cuban jail and nearly dying there. His family is supportive, but they went through a hard time when he was in prison.
Marianne loves her parents. Although she is her father's illegitimate daughter she gets on well with them both. They are very wealthy. Although she does not need the money, she works as a photographer for the government. She longs to make a difference and feels she is doing something important.
This is a book that deals with family dynamics, jealousy, betrayal, relationships, politics, the desire to make one's life matter, and through it all there is a strong Christian message.
I cannot recommend this novel, and in fact the whole series, highly enough. I was looking forward to this book and am definitely not disappointed.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I have been anticipating this book for months... Am I happy with it?

Not really, I liked it, but it was disappointing and did not hold up to expectations after the so very enjoyable "The Spice King" and the spellbinding "A Gilded Lady."

Since the first book in the Hope and Glory series by Elizabeth Camden, I have wondered what Luke's story would be like. Now my question is answered, yes, it is a book I find I like, but the most loved part of it for me was the cover. I don't know why but this is yet another series with a somewhat saddening conclusion due to the book not being as spectacular as the others.

I loved the story and didn't all at once, it is not what I have come to expect from Camden.

But the hidden love between Luke and Marianne was still one that pulled on my heartstrings, and oh my, the way that they met, again and again, was just wonderful!

The main reason I have been somewhat disliking "The Prince of Spies" is that I kept expecting something to happen and yet there was no action. I also disliked the cheating and sexual content mentioned below.

If I had read this book first in the series I would have tossed it, sadly.

Content: Cheating, two children born through two affairs, a dog is murdered as punishment to a boy, and just in general wrong things that annoyed me.

I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e/copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Luke Delacroix has the reputation of a charming man-about-town in Gilded Age Washington, DC. In reality, he is secretly carrying out an ambitious agenda in Congress. His current mission is to thwart the reelection of Congressman Clyde Magruder, his only real enemy in the world.

But trouble begins when Luke meets Marianne Magruder, the congressman's only daughter, whose job as a government photographer gives her unprecedented access to sites throughout the city. Luke is captivated by Marianne's quick wit and alluring charm, leading them both into a dangerous gamble to reconcile their feelings for each other with Luke's driving passion for vital reforms in Congress.

Can their newfound love survive a political firestorm, or will three generations of family rivalry drive them apart forever?