This book is fantastic, I love getting a book that makes the real world disappear and this is one of those books.

Eliza is my absolute favorite type of character. Smart, cunning, intelligent, caring, and when she sets her mind on something she's pretty much unstoppable.

Allen is broken, there's no other way to say it. What he suffered at the hands of the Russians is unspeakable, and unfortunately Allen can't forget, his only times of peace are found with Eliza.

When we find our characters Eliza is heartbroken, she's leaving the home she's known for a complete unknown, a new mission, new living situation, and a new danger that's so much worse than she thinks it is.

While she knows and cares for Allen and wants to help him heal, she had no idea how much Allen cares for her or that the thought of her, keeping her safe is what got Allen through literal torture.

Just as they begin to form a routine both in life and with each other, just when they both open up to the possibility of more between them, thats when danger comes knocking.

The Memory of Her is full of twists and turns, and keeps you thinking about the under currents of the story right up to the end and I loved every page.

With love and loss, danger and intrigue this one has it all, and while it may be part of a series it can absolutely be read as a stand alone.

I personally will be reading the other books in this series and any future installments.

Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I started this title and then realized that I really wanted to read the other two books by this author before further committing! I will eventually purchase this book again after reading the others!

4.5 stars
This was a good paced story with plenty of action, that kept me reading until the end, As I had read the first two books in the series, I was a little surprised to find that this book comes between the first and second book as regards to timescale. I was pleased to find that this story featured Eliza. She was an intelligent, resourceful and fearless woman. Eliza had a traumatic background and this enabled her to understand all that Allen ( her fellow agent) was suffering. The tension, at times, was palpable and had me on the edge of my seat. There is a romance but other events take first place. Some things are resolved but not all and I look forward to reading the next in this entertaining series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This felt like something I would like, but it didn't grab me. I ended up not finishing this title. I really think that others will enjoy it though.

Exactly what it says on the tin. A great romance series that doesn't bring much new to the table, but is a delicious read nonetheless.

***4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account***

"...I will want more. I want to live this love."

Oh be still my beating heart! The Memory Of Her by reliable author Bianca M. Schwarz is a perfect mix of swoon worthy regency romance and spine tingling spy mystery.

The third book in The Gentleman Spy Mysteries series is now my favorite. Though it can be read as a stand alone, reading the previous books ( The Innkeeper's Daughter and The Gentleman's Daughter), makes Eliza and Allen's journey that more exciting and satisfying to the reader.

It's 1823 and Eliza is no longer spy Sir Henry's mistress but is now an accomplished spy for the Crown. Overcoming her traumas have made her stronger and, especially for the times, a very independent woman.

Allen Strathem, Sir Henry's best friend, has loved Eliza from afar but out of respect to his friend never acted on his feelings. He takes a mission in Crimea that leaves him tortured in captivity. It is his memories of Eliza that gives him the will to live.

Once he is free it is Eliza who nurses him back to health physically and mentally. As their feelings grow they hatch a plan to get revenge on Allen's captor. What they don't know is that there is a bigger threat to their blossoming love and ultimately their lives.

With tender romance and spy intrigue this historical fiction mystery is the perfect combination for Bridgerton, Outlander, Agatha Christie, and Jane Austen fans.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the chance to review this ARC. For me this book served I am guessing as a bridge within a bigger series, often I find that books 2-3 in a series are less exciting as they move a plot forward or step back to develop a character or characters, and this was the case for this book. I found that the early parts of the book were passive and less exciting and then moved into action but by then I was disconnected from the story and the goals of the plot. It might be that the next book really picks up with the promise of the later action in this novel and that this book becomes an important or at least needed step in the bigger story being told. For now though enthusiasm for this book is low.
I will note that the characters are interesting, the writing is strong, and the potential from earlier books is present but the plot, or limited plot, impacted my ennoyment and review.

When I requested this book, I didn’t know it was the third book in a series. I quickly went and ordered the first two in order to review this one when I found out and dear lord am I happy about that. This was cozy and fun for me.

Ooof this was so disappointing. I absolutely loved the first two book in the series but this one was so incredibly dull. The first 3/4 of the book was just them sitting around waiting to be attacked. Even the romance didn’t really develop so much as we were told he’d loved her all along and then she just like magically realized she loved him, too. If this was the first in the series or a standalone I would’ve DNFed. I hope this was a fluke and the next one has all the excitement, empowerment and romance as the first two.

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It’s interesting that this book takes place almost entirely before the events of book 2, from what I can tell. And I think it’s pretty necessary to at least have read book 1 for this third book to make the most sense. There seems to be a clear divide in this book, almost telling two stories. It starts with a recovery/recuperation story, then evolves into an action planning spy romance. And unfortunately, I was never quite at the edge of my seat - the suspense factor just wasn’t there. But I am invested in the characters now, so I look forward to reading what they’re up to in the next book.

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

The Memory of Her feels like a draft of a novel I could really love. The set up is wonderful - two spies who have been separated by circumstances (and other people) reconnect and heal together. I like the characters, especially the heroine. It was especially cool to me that there was no shame in Eliza having been a "kept woman". However, while much of the detail of the spy work was engrossing, both characters made some tactical decisions that didn't make sense to me. Also, Eliza is recovering from the loss of a major relationship in her life, and I would have liked to see a deeper grieving process. Overall, a lovely book.

I was so looking forward to Eliza’s story and it was as fantastic as I was hoping it would be!

We first meet up with Allen, a fellow spy who we know from the previous books has been in love with Eliza for years, after he’s been caught and now has to recover from his trauma. Eliza is tasked with helping Allen recover, which happens to be the first time Eliza is in charge of a mission. From there, Eliza realizes her growing feelings for Allen while also trying to discover why they’re in danger now.

This is the third book in the series and I definitely recommend reading the previous books first, so you get the background on these characters and this story and the growth they’ve had over the course of the series. Eliza is particular shows a lot of maturing and growth in this book. I love that this book focused on the espionage part a little bit more than the previous two, even though there were some excessive details at times. As a whole, this series has been a great read and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This review will be published on my blog closer to publication date.

England 1823

Three years ago, Allen Strathem fell in love with his best friend’s mistress. To avoid ruining his friendship with either of them, he threw himself into his spy work as an agent to the Crown. Three months ago, Allen’s luck ran out and he was captured by the enemy. Against all odds, he survived prolonged torture and was eventually rescued, then sent back home to recover.

Eliza Broad has been a happily kept woman (and agent-in-training to the Crown) for three years. However, it is time for her relationship with gentleman spy Sir Henry March to come to an end. Eliza is grateful for the distraction of her first real mission: nursing Allen back to health. As Allen recovers, two things become apparent. 1) Eliza is more attracted to her former lover’s friend than she realized. 2) Allen’s captors aren’t quite finished with him yet.

Not gonna lie, I’ve been waiting for this ever since the retiring room scene in The Innkeeper’s Daughter. I’ve always thought there was a quiet pull between Allen and Eliza, even when they were both actively ignoring the attraction. Even though their romance was hinted at early on, the love story isn’t the main plot. This is partly because Allen is still physically and mentally healing for a large chunk of the book. Instead, the narrative mainly focuses on Eliza’s growth as a spy and as a capable woman. She’s learned a lot in the past three years, including her own worth.

This book is distinctly different from the rest of the series. It doesn’t directly follow the exploits of the Knights of the Snake Pit and there is less of an emphasis on the romance. Instead, this story focuses more on regency era spycraft. However, as with the rest of the series, there is a strong subplot of people with traumatic pasts finding solace in each other. By the events of this book, Eliza has mostly come to terms with her own physical and emotional wounds, but her experience helps her empathize with and understand Allen and his more recent ordeal.

3.75/5 stars

Overall I enjoyed this story, the characters and their relationship together working through the plot. I would say this is a little out of what I typically go for as far as story and time period but I found it very interesting and want to follow along with the story.

I did feel like some of the writing seemed a bit off compared to the region and time period but it wasn't anything that distracted from the story for me personally.

I'll be looking forward to the next book to come in this story and other reads from the author.

So happy with Eliza's story!
She becomes a caretaker and protector to Henry after he is rescued from being a captive of war, where he is tortured. Suffering from wounds and PTSD, Henry is a mess yet finds himself back with the woman he loves, yet he fears she loves another still and wants to prove himself to be worthy of her heart. The romance is sweet and lovely, and love how these books are a mix of thriller, mystery, and fiction all in one!

Just delighted to have a story all about Eliza! I thoroughly enjoyed her character arc in The Innkeeper's Daughter and was glad to get back to her journey. Eliza made such strides throughout the first book and to see her now as the accomplished agent for the Crown is such fun. She has certainly become quite an asset and is willing to put her life on the line for her friends and her country. To finally get the full story of how she and Allen come together makes for a lovely read.
The events in this story run concurrently to those in book 2, The Gentleman's Daughter, so if you have read that you know where the story begins. If not, I highly recommend reading it, it's a fantastic story!! Eliza's story begins as her relationship with Sir Henry must end as he starts his search for a wife. Eliza is tasked by Lady Greyson with helping Allen Strathem recover from his horrific capture and torture at the hands of the Russians in the Crimea. This assignment not only leads to a serious romance between Eliza and Allen, but connections to the mysterious group Sir Henry has been investigating. I just so love spending time with these characters!! As with the other books in the series, I am very much looking forward to the next installment!!!

I was really looking forward to Eliza's story but I wanted more of a build-up to the relationship I guess. It felt like I liked her role in the spying and planning.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, this book did not compel me in the slightest.

The premise starts you off strong, but that doesn't make up for the writing or the ridiculous about of plot machinations that utterly distract from anything involving actual romance or actual stakes. What didn't need detail got excessive detail (multiple times over there is explanations of plots or meals or house set ups) and what needed details (the history of the characters, the way they felt about each other) was just so surface level and bluntly put out there that it was bordering on ridiculous. At one point, a character is murdered in front of another character and the only response is "they will be avenged" with no actual description of how either character feels beyond that.

It definitely does not help that the love story between the two leads is so badly drawn that there's no evolution of feelings or emotion behind it. The hero has always been in love with her, she basically seems to fall because he's there, and there's no ramp up to any feelings. One day they are not together, the next they are in love and every sentence he says about her, he finishes with "my Eliza."

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

We are first introduced to Allen. He appears to be held captive and his career is as a spy. I haven’t read the previous books in what’s obviously seen as a series whether you know this or not, you can kind of tell from the writing style at first glance.

I wasn’t too keen on the gruesome torture the poor guy had to go through. I’m not sure what he did to be captured like this. It’s difficult to follow the plot or the main intention for this novel before it begins to settle and we can see she is on a mission to help Allen who has always loved Eliza.

I would recommend starting with the first novel in this series as most of their interactions are based on previous books to expand on it.

At times the novel is gripping and makes me want to find out what happens next so it did capture my attention and it was intriguing. It’s difficult to say much without giving away the entire plot and spoiling it. Definitely read the first book and read these in order to understand it better. Gripping thriller.

I received this in exchange for an honest review.

I was sent number 2 in this series "The Gentleman's Daughter" before I'd read the first, "The Innkeeper's Daughter", so I bought that one first and then devoured both in a matter of days, so I was super keen that Bianca has continued the story in "The Memory of Her".

This one is a bit more action-heavy right from the off. The character, story and world building have been built over the first two books, so much so that this one can get stuck in quite early on.

I found this one more...human. I felt the other two had a mystery, almost fantasy quality about them, whereas this one seems more accessible - if not completely relateable (unless you are a spy in the early 1800s).

What I particularly like is how the female characters are front and centre. It doesn't shove feminism down your throat just for the sake of it; it just shows that even in the 19th Century, women were more than capable of holding their own against men, if only they're given the chance.

I like how restrained this book is. Let me explain what I mean by that. It must be so tempting when writing a spy book - no matter the era it is set in - to throw everything and the kitchen sink at it, and make it very fantasy and make-believe. But this is concise, with only what is needed, and yet it still feels fast paced, exciting, and thrilling, but real.

I am super excited to see another in the series is due in 2023; I could read this series forever and I sincerely hope Bianca continues to write instalments for many years to come.