This is historical romance with a bit of mystery thrown into the over all arc of the series. A secret society pulls off a bombing in London. Alexander Sinclair, Earl of St. James is assigned by the Home Office to find out who is trying to assassinate the prime minister. The only clue leads to Henry Everett who runs a school with his sister Olivia. Alec thinks that Henry is doing the mathematical calculations to cause most damage to structures. But quickly he realizes Olivia is actually the better mathematician. Alex is attracted to the proper school mistress but knows nothing can come of it because he must marry in his class. He also has a huge chip on his shoulder because his father who was immoral but pretended to be pious. I really liked Olivia. She is attracted to Alex and believes her brother is innocent. I disliked how Alex judges Olivia for her past but it fits in with his issues. Overall I enjoyed the story and the romance/mystery. I didn't think there is much progress made in learning who is behind the secret society compared to the last book I read in the series. (3.5 stars) Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A romance of different social statuses and a mystery!

This book took quite awhile to get going. I struggled through the first 3rd of the book and then I started getting more interested when Alec and Olivia's relationship and mystery started to take off.

I really liked Alec and Olivia's characters in a sense that they played off of eachother well, but I would have like development from some of the other characters. Some which were part of the mystery plot were barely mentioned or mostly viewed from a distance so to speak. More insight/surprise about the "villains" would have added some more excitement.

Overall I enjoyed the Earl/Schoolmistress love affair with the added mystery/suspense bonus.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for an honest review.

Terrific story of a young school mistress, Miss Olivia Everitt, who inadvertently becomes embroiled with spies, murder, and intrigue in 1819 England. Lord Alexander Sinclair, Earl of St. James, and reputed rake, is secretly working for the crown to solve the mystery of a recent explosion that has caused mayhem and death in London and his investigation has lead to Olivia's schoolhouse door.
The plot thickens as Olivia and Alec work to determine just who caused the event and what they may have planned next, as it needs to be prevented.
Alec must decide if Olivia, or someone she cares about, is a suspect or not as well.
As their time to solve the puzzle runs toward an end, their passion for each other only grows.
This is a wonderful plot with some interesting characters, not all of whom are what they seem. The book was difficult to put down once I began, as it's definitely a page turner. I highly recommend it and am really looking forward to the next in the series.

Loved it!!

Was totally Intrigued!

This is the fourth book in the "Lords of the Armory" series but this is the first am reading. Can be read as a standalone (not sure if any characters from previous books are continued in this but the story is complete and leaves an opening to the next book in series).

A very well written book with intetesting storyline and all the characters were awesome!

Will definitely watch out for the previous books in the series and super eager for Nate's book 🤩🤩

Absolutely loved this book! Anna Harrington doesn't disappoint. When a school teacher, gets involved unknowingly in plot to murder the Prime Minister we know this means trouble. When a dashingly handsome earl has to follow her and keep an eye on her, he has no idea he's about to loose his heart.

I missed the few in between this series, but this is a great book, I will look for the next one in the series, and quite excited about it as well.

This series of books has been incredible. I love the Adventure and Romance. This book is about Alexander Sinclair, Earl of St James and likes for everyone to know that he is trouble. The Home Offive tasks him with find the man who attempted to assassinate the prime minister. But one of his leads him to Olivia Everett and she is a schoolmistress. They team up and try to figure out who the really person is. This story had some fun twist and turns to the plot. I really enjoyed it.

Lots of intrigue and mystery in this 4th book of the Lords of the Armory series. Alec, the Earl of St James and his half brother Nate are tasked with uncovering a plot to kill the Prime Minister. Their investigation leads them to Olivia Everett, a Headmistress and talented mathematician whose brother is implicated in the plot.

I enjoyed this book - it moved at a good pace and there were lots of likeable characters. There were also possibly a few clues to the identity of Spector. I'll look out for the next in the series!

Read an advance copy from Netgalley.

Totally Captivating! Alexander Sinclair, Earl of St James has a reputation for being a Rake, but the reasons behind that are heartbreaking. Olivia Everett, a most proper schoolmistress has given up on the idea of marriage and concentrates on he girls at her school. Brought together by trouble with Olivia's brother, these opposites certainly do attract. Loved the characters, the story, the intrigue and the romance. In a nutshell - the whole package. Highly recommend.

I haven't read any books by this author though I see this is the 4th in a series. I did enjoy this book about Olivia and Alec. She was just a schoolmistress and very intelligent. He was an Earl and according to society they could never be together. I felt this book had more intrigue rather than romance so that is why the four stars. Almost 75% read before they really got together though there was some romance sprinkled throughout. I felt the ending, while a happy one, was a bit abrupt. Alec and Olivia had many personal obstacles to overcome before they could realize their love. And we had a few villains as well. At times I did get a little teary. Olivia was a very strong woman for her time. I also enjoyed the banter between the two and how they tried to deny their feeling for one another. This book was well written and I will be reading more by the author. I received an ARC from NetGalley. and Sourcebooks Casablanca and all opinions are my own. Thank you for the opportunity to review!

This is a great book for lovers of historical romance! The main characters are both conflicted and lovable. You find yourself rooting for them throughout the entire plot. I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out!

I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley. and Sourcebooks Casablanca. Thank you for the opportunity to review!

This is the 4th book in the Lords of the Armory series. It is not necessary to read the previous books but the story is a little richer if you know the continuing 'bad guys'.

Oliva Everett is a dedicated and proper young lady who runs a school for girls along with her mathematician brother. Olivia gets caught up in an investigation into an attempted assisination of the prime minister when her and her brother's last name is found at the crime scene.

Alec Sinclair, the Ear of St. James is one of the 'Lords of the Armory', a dedicated group of nobles returned from war that essentially solve crimes (and fall in love, not necessarily in that order). Alex's terrible father died several years prior and ever since Alex has done his best to follow the rules and keep his nose out of trouble. Alec is assigned to keep an eye on Olivia in order to find out how her and/or her brother are involved in the crime. .

The conflict between the two characters is entirely on Alec as he is quite quick to judge and discard Olivia when he finds out about a mistake she made in her younger years. He eventually comes back from it and learns to grow as a person but man oh man he was a real jerk about it for a while. I would advise not to give up on the book at that point but let Alec redeem himself and grovel in order to win Olivia back.

I really love this series and the mystery of the evil group that weaves its way through. Can't wait for the next one!

Series: Lords of the Armory #4 it can be read as standalone
Genre: Historical Romance
Trope: different class, opposites attract
Topics: mystery-solving, smart heroine, secret society, crime, damaged hero, hidden identity
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Release Date: March 29, 2022

I discovered this author in 2021, and I am a fan. She writes marvelous historical romance and I definitely recommend her books.
Since, I haven't read previous books in the series there was a little bit of worry would that be an issue, well it wasn't.

I love the banter between these two, and despite the class difference, I felt they were on the same level.

Now until book five comes out, I need to go back and read previous books in the series.

* thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This book is great as a stand alone novel There is mystery, love, and drama.Sometimes ones own happiness outweighs society expectations.

This book had everything I’ve come to expect from the Lords of the Armory series: painful pasts, spies, action, romance and spice. Both Alec and Olivia allow their pasts to dictate their current and future choices, and their guilt is unbearably heavy. I love how, eventually, they both come through it together.

It appears that this book is immediately followed by the next, A Remarkable Rogue, so I look forward to where that next takes our Lords of the Armory and their investigation into the nefarious Scepter.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This may be my favorite book in the series so far! I really liked both Olivia and Alec - as both individuals and when they were working together. She proves to be a great asset to Alec's investigation and doesn't just sit back and let the men around her do as they please. One of my favorite scenes is when Olivia tells Alec (while he's being his masked man) that she knows who he is - she toys with him just enough to deflate his ego a bit. The Scepter mystery deepens and ups the stakes a bit. And the mystery surrounding just exactly what role Olivia's brother plays in all of it was perfect - for much of the novel you are not sure if he's a willing member or has been duped into doing their bidding. I also enjoyed that Reed pretty quickly realizes that Olivia is the smarter of the two siblings and appreciates that about her. However, I did want to smack him when he turned on Olivia after learning that maybe she wasn't as perfect as he thought she was - at that moment I really hated it. Luckily, he comes to his senses pretty quickly and actually listens to her side of things. This is a perfect book for a series - it moves the story forward and makes you excited to see what happens next. I really can't wait to find out what is going on with Lady Rowland!

thank you net galley for this arc!

I think this is the first book i ever review that won't be about how much i enjoyed the book but about how good the actual book is. i personally didn't enjoy it at all and i kinda had this coming as i knew this isn't a genre i usually read and i knew that this would be out of my comfort zone so this is why i won't give it a lower rating.

If you love historical fictions and like bridgerton and lowk the vibe of reign with just a little spice and these kinds of books/shows then you would LOVE this. For me it read like a wattpad book but one thats has a better writing. But the fact that it is in third person didn't help it at all and i genuinely had to push myself to read it.

Alexander Sinclair, Earl of St James, works for the home office where he is given a case to find out who is trying to assassinate the prime minister. His half brother who he just recently found and the earl track it back to Olivia Everet who runs a school and her brother. His brother takes on following her brother while the earl takes Olivia. . Olivia and the earl team up to clear her brother. During the investigation something happens to the school and the Earl helps to rebuild it. I just reviewed A Relentless Rake by Anna Harrington. #NetGalley
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With each added book to the Lords of the Armory, the series is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Like the previous books, this one has it all. I love a read that incorporates intrigue, spies, dastardly villains, romance, and wonderful characters who may not always be likeable. After an explosion destroys the Admiralty Club, Alexander Sinclair, the Earl of St. James is asked, no forced to work with his unacknowledged, illegitimate half brother, Captain Nathaniel Reed. Although, neither is happy about it, they agree in order to hopefully stop another bomb from exploding. Their only clue is a burned building plan with name Everett scribbled on it. Little does Alex know that his assignment will turn his world upside down. Olivia Everett along with her brother are trying to keep their school up and running. Just what does a relentless rake and a proper schoolmistress have in common? Well, for one a mutual attraction to each, and for another, each carry secrets that have crafted them into the person they have become. The author has perfectly portrayed a person who suffered childhood abuse by a parent, you can almost feel Alex's pain. This is a definite winner!

Olivia Everett is a perfectly respectable woman who runs a school dedicated to educating young women, along with her brother. But when her brother gets involved in nefarious business, it brings Olivia into contact with Alec Sinclair, an earl who is working to uncover a plot against the crown. Together the two dance around each other as they work to figure out their respective secrets and battle their rising feelings for each other.

I flew through this book in a matter of hours and loved every second of it. As a hero, Alec undergoes a huge transformation as a man who society thinks of as a rake, but has lived relatively well behaved since his father's death six years ago. He sees the world firmly in black and white, right and wrong, and it takes meeting and falling in love with Olivia for that worldview to shift. What works so well about this is that it doesn't happen instantly, he has to slowly come to these changes and the path that he takes is far from perfect. But while he's figuring this out, Olivia doesn't simply sit by and wait for him - she takes action and makes plans, willing to put aside her happiness, but not willing to ignore what she knows is right in her heart.

This was my first book by Anna Harrington but I'm planning on devouring the others that she has written after this one.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alexander Sinclair, Earl of St James, is tasked by the Home Office with finding the villains who attempted to assassinate the prime minister. Intel leads him to school mistress Olivia Everett and her brother Henry. Alec believes Olivia's brother has been working on mathematical data for a revolutionary group planning to overthrow the government and needs to unravel the plot before anyone else gets hurt. Will Alec and Olivia be able to trust each other enough to find the truth?

This is book four in the Lords of the Armory series. It features former military heroes, and has an overarching intrigue with pieces that are solved in each individual story. It’s an excellent series for readers that like spies with spice!

I’m a big fan of Anna Harrington and this book is another example of why. She builds compelling stories that draw a reader in, and imperfect characters to love, frustrate, and rout for. Both main characters had baggage and trust issues they were working through. Olivia was intelligent and an overall sympathetic character. Meanwhile, hero Alec, was judge-y and sanctimonious…but I did like his journey and he apologized properly.

I loved the author note at the end and the set up for the next book. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

Tropes: Class Difference, Working Heroine, Spy/Govt Work

Steam: 2

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #ARelentlessRake #NetGalley