4.5 Stars
One Thing Leads To A Lover introduces us to Amanda, a widow who accidentally becomes embroiled in an active case. Amanda is bored in her day to day life, partly because she set aside her own desires in favour of respectability before she was married, and partly because she’s focused on protecting her children. When the opportunity to help a secret agent known as Magpie retrieve a valuable book presents itself, she insists on it. Of course, the mission is not as straightforward as it seems. Both Amanda and Magpie fight the feelings that develop between them while forced proximity creates an intimacy they both crave.

This book took a different trajectory than the first book in the series, but it’s still fairly low angst. The active investigation had me trying to figure out who was more than they seemed. Though I found the beginning of the romantic relationship had a few sticky points, it really didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying it. Once the feelings were out in the open, the tension and conflict between them continued until the couple finds their way to a happy ending.

This book prominently features children. They are well integrated in the plot, so I had no issues with their presence in the story. As a content warning, there are two kidnappings in this plot.

Amanda Bartlett has always done what was expected of her, which has resulted in a rather dull life. Now the eminently respectable widowed Countess of Kingston and mother of two young boys, she craves a bit of adventure. When just such a thing quite literally bumps into her on a London street in the form of a small book, she takes advantage of the situation and the closeness it brings her with a fascinating man.

Major Sir Langley Stanhope, expert mimic better known to his fellow intelligence operatives as Magpie, has lost the confidence of his colleagues and his faith in his own abilities since a mission went horribly awry. Now he’s charged with the seemingly simple task of retrieving a codebook from the hands of a Mayfair matron. But things aren’t so simple and when the enemy learns the book is in Amanda’s possession, she and her family find themselves in danger from which Langley must protect them. He also must contend with his dangerous attraction to her. His life isn’t conducive to taking a wife, but he may be underestimating Amanda’s determination and her mutual feelings for him.

I love the premise of this series and was very excited for the setup of this book, but it sadly left me underwhelmed. I loved the insecure beta hero, but he was let down by a weak, rather air-headed heroine. Amanda lamented the dreariness of her life but refused to stand up for herself to anyone, even her own mother or the servants in her employ. She was described as being clever, but I never saw any evidence of that, especially when her behavior and poor decision-making, in the name of interest and adventure, endangered several lives, not to mention her own and those of her sons. There was an excellent opportunity for her to redeem herself by more or less saving the day but instead the heroics were executed by Langley, mostly off page, and just wound up being incredibly anticlimactic.

I also wanted more emotion and vulnerability from Amanda, especially since poor Langley had his feelings and pain dragged out and discussed openly in front of Amanda by third parties, with little input or by your leave from him. That was one of the more cringy scenes I’ve read and put me off the heroine and some of the side characters, as well as, for me, representing a lost opportunity for some endearing insight for the hero. As it was, the concept of this book was excellent but to me consisted of too much missed opportunity and fell short. Nonetheless, I love the premise of this series and there was nothing wrong with the writing itself, so I’ll likely try the next book.

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

One Thing Leads to a Lover was enjoyable from beginning to end. It was my first book by Susanna Craig, but definitely won’t be my last (I’ve already got book 1 in this series ready to go on my Kindle!).

This book had all the things I love about historical romance but I was pleasantly surprised by the sense of adventure, intrigue and suspense as the hero and heroine worked together find a mysterious book. I also loved the classic elements of London society and a woman trapped by the expectations of that society who yearns for so much more.

I can’t wait to read more of this series and will keep an eye out for future books by this author.

One Thing Leads to a Lover by Susanna Craig is the second book in a series Love and Let Spy. The series is about women who end up marrying spies, but it is about the journey to get there that makes the book interesting. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. I certainly hope there are more in this series to come.

Amanda Bartlett, widowed Countess of Kingston has always lived her life under her mother’s dictates - even to when it came to marriage. She had two boys with her husband and then he died. Now Amanda is thinking it is time to run her own life, but her mother is still dictating so much and when she isn’t, her children’s guardian, Lord Dulsworthy is. Both her mother and Lord Dulsworthy (great name isn’t it?) are sure Amanda is going to marry him again.

On her way home from shopping for a book for her oldest son’s birthday, Amanda is bumped from behind and the book she bought (luckily wrapped in heavy paper) was pushed out of her hands and into the street. After some help, she makes her way home only to find, she has the wrong book. The beginning scene sets up Major Langley Stanhope, an intelligence officer trying to retrieve the book and things begin to spiral after that.

One Things Leads to a Lover is the second book in the series and I enjoyed the storyline with all the twists and turns. I liked Amanda and Stanhope as main characters with all their foibles. I do wish Amanda had pushed back on her mother’s interference earlier, but that would have taken away from the book. Susanna Craig’s newest novel is a fun read.

A fun story of a widow and a spy. Amanda Bartlett is bumped leaving a bookstore and discovers the book she purchased for her son is instead a code book. Major Langley Stanhope, an intelligence officer and master mimic known as the Magpie, needs to retrieve the code book. Langley contacts Amanda to retrieve the book and hijinks ensue. Amanda's life has been boring and she's yearning for some excitement. The romance felt light and the story was entertaining.

This book is great! I was excited to read One Thing Leads to a Lover after liking the first book in the series, Who's That Earl. The series is called Love and Let Spy, but the first book didn't have a whole lot of spying, so I wasn't expecting much here, either, but was very pleasantly surprised!

Amanda Bartlett is a young widow, and her wishes are constantly overridden by her overbearing mother and the guardian appointed to her sons by her late husband. Her life, as she sees it, is overwhelmingly dull. Until, that is, she finds an old French book by mistake. The book is actually a very important codebook, and Sir Langley Stanhope, a spy codenamed the Magpie, is tasked with getting it back. When the book goes missing, however, Amanda and Langley have to work together to retrieve it. There is a ton of action and, of course, romance.

Overall this was a great book! Craig does a great job of balancing plot and character development, with both progressing side-by-side. There is some on-page intimacy, and it's done very well. I can't wait for the next book in the series!



Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book started off slow, but turned into a delight! I found Amanda frustrating at first, but as the story progressed she blossomed into a more compelling character. I enjoyed how Craig integrated the intrigue and espionage into the story without having them take over the romance. Stanhope was fun to read about, but also took me a little time to warm up to. Amanda's boys were scene stealers and made me smile every time.

Amanda Bartlett, is the widowed Countess of Kingston, who having married at 19, had the heir and a spare, finds herself living a contained lifestyle, with her mother. Yet when a book is mistakenly given to her, she finds herself befriending a handsome stranger. Major Langley Stanhope, is an intelligence officer is tasked with retrieving the book which has essential codes, putting her in danger. Soon they find themselves working together to uncover the traitor to the Crown.
Whilst I found this book quite slow to start, it was quite entertaining with a great mix of mystery and romance between the couple. Whilst Amanda appears to be quite the demure woman to those around her, she starts to blossom as her friendship begins to develop with Stanhope. She soon becomes the self-assured woman, that she always wanted to be, whilst still keeping within the strictures of society of the time. Stanhope was an interesting male lead, who seems to lack in self-confidence to start, yet his humbleness and sensitivity to Amanda, makes him all the more dashing. I look forward to reading more in this series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Another great story with One Thing Leads to a Lover, book 2 in the Love and Let Spy series. I enjoy an opposites attract story, and this one gives you everything from feisty banter, passionate encounters and action rolled into one engaging regency romance. Amanda and Langley were an irresistible force, an intelligence officer up against a feisty widow, well you get the picture one things leads to...

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book in the series, finding it a bit all over the place, I did have hopes for the series. However, while One Thing Leads to a Lover is merely adequate, a step up by comparison, but a reminder that I did promise myself I would stop continuing with series that didn’t engross me.

I did like the characters for what they were, especially Langley. I could empathize with his insecurities and anxiety, trying to blend in instead of standing out. He’s a rare breed, when the genre favors more bold and broody types, and while not overly invested, I found him likable.

Amanda is also a fairly compelling lead, and one I rooted for. I chafed as she dealt with her domineering mother’s exacting nature, leading to her shrinking into herself. She did take a while to really stand up for herself, but in the circumstances, I get it. And the relationship between the two, while it didn’t rock my socks off, was rather sweet.

But the mystery element was once again forgettable. It had a lot of potential, what with him searching for a code book and her assisting, but I just never felt the stakes. Perhaps I’ve read too many thrillers recently, so I’m expecting something more high-octane than this, but even the cozy mysteries I read semi-recently had more action and a clear vision of the mystery trajectory than this? Then again, romantic suspense-y stuff has always frustrated me, because I like intense stuff, and my complaints are similar to those of the first book, so I’m not surprised.

I liked some aspects of this, but was sadly underwhelmed, and likely won’t continue with the third (especially as the epilogue, teasing what comes next, didn’t excite me). However, those who do like spy romance and historical romance with subtle mystery elements will likely enjoy this more than I did.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Amanda Bartlett, the Countess of Kingston has been widowed for nearly three years and her life has become somewhat boring and predictable. She lives with her two young sons and her mother, who came to “help” after her husband’s death and hasn’t left since. Her mother has taken over the role of chatelaine and Amanda doesn’t want to upset her by resuming her duties. The same goes for her boys, her husband named her and his friend George, Lord Dulsworthy as guardians, but with the exception of refusing to let him send her elder son Jamie off to Harrow, she has let him dictate things too. Her mother is a stickler for propriety and has even gone as far as to decide what invitations Amanda accepts – which is practically none, it is clear that her mother and George expect Amanda to marry George and let things continue as they have for the past few years. But all that changes when Amanda accidentally and unknowingly gets caught up in espionage!

Sir Langley Stanhope is a spy known as the Magpie, thanks to his ability to mimic anyone, so he is the perfect choice to be sent to retrieve a codebook that was passed to Lady Kingston by an agent on the street. The agent was captured but was able to send word of what he did with the codebook. Langley goes to Amanda’s house disguised as a shop clerk – but is brushed off by George. Later George takes the book and tells Amanda it will be returned. When it isn’t, Langley takes a chance and goes back to Amanda’s house – planning to break-in, but instead finds Amanda, who tells him George took the book, she offers to help him get it back – help that he reluctantly agrees to accept.

Langley feels like he has something to prove to his boss, not long ago he let himself become distracted while on a mission and another agent died – he carries that guilt and doesn’t feel worthy of the honors bestowed on him and he has sworn to never let himself be distracted again – but his feelings for Amanda make that almost impossible and after sharing a kiss with her, he knows he needs to get as far away as he can – but his boss has other ideas and commands Langley to personally see to Amanda’s protection. Langley tries to keep his distance – but Amanda has never felt so alive and isn’t about to let Langley shut her out!

This was such a delightful read, it is well-written and paced nicely, with a great blend of intrigue and sexual tension. Langley and Amanda are both likable, have great on-page chemistry and they each have their own issues to overcome before they find a HEA together. The book has mystery, secrets, betrayal, intrigue, spies, warm love scenes, abductions, and finally a hard-won HEA as well as a sweet epilogue that nicely sets up the next installment of the series. This is the second book in the series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone title with no problems.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *

The Regency spy is always a fun character. In One Thing Leads to a Lover, Amanda, Lady Kingston, mistakenly brings home a codebook. Recently knighted Sir Langley Stanhope (aka the Magpie) is sent by his matchmaking superior officer to retrieve it. Along the way, he masquerades as a store clerk, a footman, and a tutor.

Amanda begins the book as a silently suffering widow, bowing to her mother's controlling tendencies and her children's co-guardian's demands. We were afraid that she would be too passive of a heroine, but luckily she turns out to be intelligent and assertive at the right moments. We also loved that the spy reveal was not too prolonged, giving Stanhope time to reconcile his feelings of inadequacy throughout the text instead of being crammed into the end. Added to that - this book is really sexy! We all know that libraries are the sexiest rooms in any manor house, and so does Susanna Craig.

It has been a long time that a book has grabbed me and I actually want to read the preceding in the series and anxiously await the next, but this book had it all. It checked off all my boxes.
The heroine is a 32 year old widow with 2 sons. She has been grieving for the past 3 years and is ready to take back her place. She wants to look at the invitations and menus that her mother has taken over. She wants to make the decisions regarding her sons, and not have to deal with the input of the co-gaudrian. And she doesn't want to marry the co-guardian. She is ready to live again. She meets the hero by accident. Her package was switched with his and the co-guardian takes it and promises to deliver it. But the hero is a spy and he shows up again. The heroine likes him and is interested in more. And you will need to read this book to determine what comes next.
What I liked about this story the most was the story!! It read so easily and I could not put it down until I had read the last word. If this is the only book you purchase this month, then you just hit a home run. I give this book 5 stars for entertainment, creativity, character development, action, family life and period setting.

This was a change of pace from the historicals I usually read. The heroine, Amanda, Countess of Kingsley, was a 32 YO widow, longing to shake up her life after it was constrained by her mother and the co-guardian of her two boys after her husband's death. Major Langley Stanhope, the hero, also known as "Magpie", is a British spy from humble beginnings, with a gift of mimicry, and recently knighted due to his service to the crown as a spy. Amanda and Langley's path cross by sheer happenstance when she accidentally comes into possession of a valuable code book. From there, she gets drawn not only into the adventure she's been looking for, but also into love.

This was an enjoyable but forgettable romp. I found Amanda to be quite passive, willing to let her mother and her son's co-guardian, a gentleman friend of her late husband's, push her around and dictate her life. Given the times, I can understand why she acquiesced to the appropriately named Lord Dulsworthy, but I couldn't figure out why in the world she kowtowed so completely to her mother. I kept waiting for her to snap with both of them, but she never did, thus her actions in assisting Langley with his investigation seemed inconsistent with her basic character. Her blooming romance with Langley was sweet but seemed a bit flat. In general, spy historical romances aren't my favorites and that my have affected my opinion also. I did really like Langley though, and appreciated that he wore spectacles and wasn't perfect.

Amanda is a 32 year old widow with two boys, a pain of a co-guardian, and a mother who just won't quit. When she accidentally acquires a book of codes important to the Crown, her world opens up in more ways than one. Langley is an orphan who was adopted and raised by a loving couple and he's now an intelligence officer who must get that book back and uncover a mole in the service. He moves in with Amanda, posing as a tutor for her sons and well, genre readers know what happens next! It's got some light steam, some fun dialogue and two good characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a fun Regency read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for this advanced copy! I will post this review to Goodreads closer to the release date.

I found this book to be a lot of fun, perhaps more fun than the first book in the series I dug all the spy craft and the little things that Magpie thinks about as he is trying to navigate getting the book, finding the missing officer, and trying not to fall in love with the Countess. The chemistry between Magpie and Amanda was great, and I thought, in particular, that Amanda showed a nice balance of being bored with her life, fiercely caring for her kids, and hoping that a little spice will go a long way. Some of the plot twists felt a bit convenient, but never completely ridiculous. Well ok, maybe the part in Richmond felt a bit convenient, but not too convenient.

I assume General Scott is getting some sort of second chance romance at some point in this series? Also it would be great to see more of Mrs Drummond. She, like several of the secondary characters, seemed complex and needing of more story.

Overall, I don't feel like this book was breaking any new ground, but it was HIGHLY enjoyable and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Adorable! I loved how ‘discombobulated’ Amanda becomes when talking with Langley! Amanda grew up the typical English rose, doing as her parents raised her, marrying the man of her parents choosing at a very young age. And, as a young widow, her life has been somewhat dull even with her precious boys to raise. Yet, she still has a controlling Momma to ‘guide’ her. Between Momma and the boy’s co-guardian, the future is still dull.

Then, Langley Stanhope crosses her door over a mistaken book. Let the adventure begin; Amanda relishes in that adventure. Yes, she is very nervous about events, not sure what to believe, whether to trust, but she does it with all of her heart.

Langley or Magpie is like a chameleon at times. As an employee of the Crown, he wants to keep Amanda and her sons safe while doing what he does best. But, it seems Langley has a general who is also a friend. Said friend helps these two along who are so unsure of their newfound relationship while solving ‘the case.’

I loved One Thing Leads to a Lover! Susanna Craig has become one of my go to authors. Her books are all different, with unusual and endearing characters who lead mostly normal lives with normal insecurities. Kind of makes you feel like part of the family.

⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and Lyrical Press for am ARC of this book. Opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the first in the Live and Let Spy series, but each one is a standalone. In this book, Langley Stanhope is charged with retrieving a book which unwittingly fell into the hands of a widow, Lady Kingston (Amanda).

This proves harder than originally planned and Lady Kingston and Langley get close to each other. At the risk of "negging" I was really happy that there was no Big Lie, Amanda knows who Langley is the whole time.

The side characters where not super developed.. I would have liked to see a real conversation between Amanda and her mother. We also do not get a clear idea of George.

That said, Lady Kingston's sons were written with depth and care. They're very real relationship with each other and grief over their father was poignant.

Finally, Mrs. Drummond. She's the widow of a fallen officer in Langley's unit, one he failed to save. She is now working for his unit for reasons and figuring out what she wants. Would love to read a book about her as a spy!

The book is an easy fun read with some intrigue and a lot of romance.

#NetGalley#onethingleadstoalover

I am really enjoying this series! I thought this was a little better than Who's That Earl (which I did thoroughly enjoy) mostly because both characters knew what was going on almost from the beginning. I loved that Amanda knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it. Langley was a good match for her because he respected her abilities and determination to do what is right by her boys. Her stepping up at the end in helping with Langley's mission showed she wasn't some weak woman who would sit back and let the men take all the risks. She and Langley continuing on as partners (both in marriage and work) should make for some interesting moments - I know each couple in this series will probably get just the one story, but I wouldn't mind reading more about the cases these two take on in the future. I am also waiting in fun anticipation of Fanny's story (which I really hope ends up being part of this series). I thought her forgiveness of Langley happened a little too easily (really, just one person saying her husband's death wasn't her fault was enough to change her behavior?) but I was glad that animosity was dealt with rather than festering on for the foreseeable future. I'm also hoping Amanda and Fanny remain friends for future books - they make a good team and prove to the men time and time again they can handle themselves in difficult situations. So, although this is a romance story it also has strong themes of female empowerment and friendship that made me like it that much more.

This book was a fun mix of several genres. It's a countess learning to stand on her own again after the death of her husband. It's a group of spies working together to save the country. It's sexy times with a rogue in the library. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion. My thanks to author Susanna Craig, the publisher, and #NetGalley.
#OneThingLeadstoaLover