When I requested this book I didn’t realise that it was the second in a series until about halfway through, however I absolutely loved it! The main characters are really likeable and the story well written. I enjoy a period crime novel and look forward to not only going back to read how Becca and Daniel first met, but also their future adventures together.

Mally Becker beautifully showcases the beloved and intricately developed characters, Becca Parcell and Daniel Alloway, in their second collaboration. This historical fiction gem challenges the tendency to overlook the genre, immersing readers in a captivating tapestry of time, place, danger, and intrigue. Becker's expert handling of mystery keeps readers engaged, as every page turn unravels clues that feel both satisfying and well-explored. A delightful read that leaves you yearning for a third installment.

This book is the sequel to The Turncoats Widow,continuing the story of Becca and Daniel as they strive to help their fledgling new country. Suspenseful and exciting.

The Counterfeit Wife is the sequel to The Turncoat’s Widow. Becca and Daniel are sent by General George Washington to look for counterfeiters in Philadelphia. When one counterfeiter is murdered, Becca’s long-lost mother is blamed for the murder. Could Becca save her mother and find the real killer?

This novel gives more insight into Becca’s background. We learn more of her relationship with her mother. We also learn that Becca has trust issues and is very insecure. She is not as confident as she pretends to be. This often leads her into conflict with Daniel. Throughout the course of the novel, Becca must learn to overcome her fears if she wants to pursue her own happiness. I also loved Becca’s sleuthing skills. She is very observant and strongly daring.

Daniel is an excellent sleuthing partner. However, he is pretty reckless and often gets himself into dangerous situations. Still, he is very supportive of Becca and admires her intelligence. I love the blossoming romance between Becca and Daniel. It was a very compelling will-they-or-won’t-they romance. I wanted to see if they ended up together by the end of the novel.

Overall, this novel is about motherhood, counterfeiting, and slavery. I found all the characters to be very intriguing. I also loved how the mystery was set during the Revolutionary War. This setting was very refreshing after reading many historical mysteries set in the Victorian era! The only things I did not like about this book was that it had a slow beginning and a predictable mystery. Nevertheless, there was a lot of intrigue, action, and romance that will keep you invested in the story! I hope that there will be more installments in the Revolutionary War Mystery series because I would like to know more about what happens to Becca and Daniel! I recommend this for fans of Victoria Hamilton, Julie Bates, and Jane Steen!

When the leader of your fledgling country’s military asks you to find the source of counterfeit money in Philadelphia, you’ll do it. And if you need to tell a few lies, maybe you’ll hesitate a little but you’ll still acquiesce. After all, he’s George Washington and the two of you are an escaped prisoner-of-war patriot and the widow of a spy. You just don’t expect mutual attraction and miscommunication to come between the two of you and hinder your quest as well.

The Counterfeit Wife by Mally Becker is the second of her Revolutionary War Mysteries. I haven’t read the first, The Turncoat, but didn’t feel I was at a disadvantage. Becker starts the book after Becca and Daniel have begun their assignment, so we don’t get much information about how it came about, or how they initially felt about being paired with each other and posing as a married couple. The opening scene shows an unidentified man discovering a dead body, along with a pouch full of money. From there, readers are immediately taken to a soiree and are shown that Becca is uncomfortable with toasts to George Washington and liberty. Is she a loyalist or a patriot?

The plot continues at a fast pace, with surprises around almost every corner. Becker includes a number of characters from various walks of life, including slaves, publicans, and gentry, and also historical figures such as Sally Franklin and Martha Washington. Eighteenth century Philadelphia is shown in all its contrasts: from the wealthy to the poor, from beautiful homes to river docks and warehouses, and the differences in how loyalists and patriots are treated. This is a time and setting where gossip is rife, and suspicion is everywhere. Did I guess who the murderer was of the dead man at the start of the novel? Actually, no. There were, after all, several possible candidates. As for the relationship between Becca and Daniel, it felt like a case of two steps forward and one step back. Much of the fault for that, it has to be said, lies with Becca.

Will there be a third installment of these Revolutionary War Mysteries? Given how The Counterfeit Wife concludes, with certain situations seemingly resolved, it’s hard to say. If there is another, however, it won’t be one I’ll say no to reading.


Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.

The Counterfeit Wife was my new favorite suspenseful historical romance. This is my first read from the author and I am sure isnt become the last. The writing is descriptive but successful make the worldbuilding and characters feel real and flesh out.

I like the MCs, both well written and enough development at their characters. Their relationship is nature and believable. I enjoyed their banters and build the chemistry. The plot is strong and keep me engaging till end. Fantastic read.

Thank you Netgalley and Level Best Book for provided my copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Counterfeit Wife, by Mally Becker, is a fast paced historically based, romantic suspense. This is the first book in the series that I've read and it took me a few chapters to get into it. The main characters are interesting and I found myself rooting for them pretty quickly, too. I also enjoyed learning about a part of America's early history that I hadn't heard about before. I look forward to more books in this series.
Becca Parcell and Daniel Alloway have been sent to Philadelphia on a secret mission for George Washington. They've been tasked with finding who's been forging Philadelphian paper money. All the colonies are struggling with inflation and the value of cash just keeps falling.
In an effort to weed out the traitors Becca inserts herself into the Ladies Association of Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Daniel is getting to know all the city's most prominent men. He also hopes to draw out information from any one of the printers within the city.
Soon, their mission takes a strange and dangerous turn. They've both become targets of a murderer who's on the loose. Fortunately, they have a lot of patriots on their side.

Thrilling and utterly compulsive! An incredible read, impossible to put down. Incredible storytelling! Recommend you read this book!

This book read like a historical young-adult/romance hybrid. I love the mystery but it’s hard to feel too engaged when you’re not really presented with the suspects and one of the main characters is completely sidetracked by being reunited with her estranged mother. I think this is fast paced, but reads like a writer without a ton of experience. A good beach/travel read.

George Washington once more asks Daniel Alloway and Becca Parcell to go under cover to investigate a danger to the new Republic. This time, Philadelphia is being flooded with counterfeit money and the president thinks that the perpetrators are among the wealthiest. Becca is a gifted healer and a widow - her husband was a traitor, although this is not widely known. Daniel was a printer before he was arrested by the British and had his right hand crushed as a punishment. Those events are described in the first book.

They present themselves in Philadelphia as a wealthy married couple who are looking to invest. Becca gets to know the ladies, and Daniel visits printers, as they are most likely to be creating the counterfeit money. They are looking for people who recently have more money to spend. There are several wealthy couples who meet this criteria, and they must eliminate each couple as suspects without being too direct in their questioning, and bringing attention to themselves. Their task becomes personal for Becca when she meets a healer who seems familiar to her, a healer who is accused of being a witch and arrested for poisoning one of the persons they were investigating.

This is the second book in the series, suspense and espionage set around the time of the American Revolution. Both books were incredibly well re-searched and equally well written. The author has a gift with bringing the characters and the setting to life, and interweaving the fictional tale with the real historical events and personages. Her plotting is some of the best I've ever seen - the clues are subtle and only later are seen to have meaning. I recommend reading the series in order, although it isn't strictly necessary to read the first one in order to enjoy this one. The mix of fictional characters with well researched society and real people brings the books to life.

I received a review copy of this book from publisher Level Best Books via NetGalley and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

This is the second book in the series set during the American Revolution. The first book was just okay for me, but this one surpassed all my expectations. The mystery was much more intriguing, and the relationship between the characters felt more real. I definitely can't wait to see what happens as this young couple navigates the revolution. The counterfeit bills angle was fascinating, but hardly the main mystery. Two thumbs up to this sequel!

Becca and Daniel have been sent by George Washington to Philadelphia to investigate a counterfeit money problem. Can they figure out who the culprit is?

This well-researched historical mystery transports the reader back in time and with many twists and turns keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall it was extremely well written and I thoroughly enjoyed the character's journey. The two main characters are interesting and well-developed.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Becca Parcell and Daniel Alloway are clearly dearly loved and deeply developed by Mally Becker, this is their second book together, and the way they work together makes me hopeful for a third time out of the gate.

Historical fiction is often overlooked, and this book proves that overlooking this genre is a mistake. The time, the feel, the place, the danger and the intrigue are all working with the characters to set a rich tapestry for real and imagined events to take place against. The mystery aspect proves that Becker has a great grasp of her twists and turns. Nothing felt unexplained or under-investigated. Everything worked together to make you feel that each page turn really was a clue to discover.

I already bought a copy for my mom for Christmas.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Mally Becker is now a must read for me!

Set in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary war, the reader easily immerses themselves into the time period. While Rebecca and Daniel go undercover to find counterfeiters. they uncover one mystery after another. The story develops in a logical fashion which is easy to read and keeps one's interest. Rebecca is an independent woman of the times and struggles with love. I found it interesting how Daniel uses his printer's knowledge in uncovering clues.

When Becca Parcelle and Daniel Alloway introduced to high Society Philadelphia they’re introduced as husband and wife but in reality Becca is a widow and needs the money and Daniel was a printer who escaped being kidnapped on the ship due to the injuries he sustained while escaping, he can no longer do his trade.. so now they’re spying for the general George Washington and is being introduced by him and his wife to stop the counterfeiting that’s going on from spreading. After arriving in Philadelphia Daniel gets a bad vibe from one of the influential traders he meets edit party (bent Franklin‘s adult daughter.) when Becca and Sally are out looking for donations for the Continental army everyone in the neighborhood thinks Becca is there because she’s related to Hannah the medicine woman and women Becca finally meets “Hannah“ she finds it is her long lost mother who she thought was dead. No it may seem I have given away plot twist but trust me when I say this is just the beginning they have twists in this book I did not see coming in the ones I did see coming did not pan out the way I thought they would. I loved Becca and Sally‘s friendship I loved Daniel and Bacchus fondness for each other and I can only hope there’s going to be another book with them. I love the revolutionary era and this authors writing style. If you love historical fiction you’ll love this book I can’t recommend it enough. This is a total five story and one I will definitely put this in the top 10 of books I read in 2022… It was so good! I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.)

This e-book was received from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

The Counterfeit Wife is a straightforward genre novel: a historical mystery with a side of romance. It is the second in a series. I haven’t read the first book and it was accessible as a standalone. The story is balanced between a well laid out mystery and an exploration of the lives, hopes and fears of the two main characters, Becca and Daniel. Because of this, the mystery has a slower pace, and may not be as appealing to someone who prefers a faster paced thriller although there are several moments of danger.

I especially enjoyed the Revolutionary era setting. This work of fiction includes some aspects based on real people and events. There were times that the attitudes of the characters seemed more 21st century and not how someone with more liberal attitudes of the 18th century would have expressed themselves. Ultimately, centering the thoughts and experiences of a woman as an independent woman during an era when women were not seen as such is a central theme of this story. Parallel subplots reinforce the theme of independence and the lack of independence along with the presence of multiple women making their way in different ways within the constraints of the time.

This is book two in the series, and I enjoyed it very much. The first book, The Turncoat's Widow, takes place immediately before this book, but I don’t think that someone needs to read that first to enjoy this book.

Becca and Daniel are two widowed people, both trying to recover from the death of their spouses. They have been entrusted by General George Washington to move to Philadelphia, posing as a married couple, and to discover who is behind the ring of counterfeit money flooding the colonies. In the first book they worked together reluctantly, but they have grown fond of each other since then.

The mystery/investigation is fascinating, and there are enough characters to make the story interesting and suspenseful, but not so many as to cause confusion. Both Becca and Daniel are sympathetic, and their relationship grows closer as the story progresses. They are actually very sweet together.

The descriptions of Philadelphia were very well done, and there was just enough history to provide a believable and immersive backdrop to the drama.
I liked the book very much, and I hope Becca & Daniel’s story continues in a future book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

# TheCounterfeitWife #NetGalley

Book Review…The Counterfeit Wife by Mally Becker

At the General’s request, Becca and Daniel travel to Philadelphia to track down traitors who are flooding the city with counterfeit money. Searching for clues, Becca befriends the wealthiest women in town, while Daniel seeks information from the city’s printers. With time running out and their faux marriage breaking apart, Becca and Daniel find themselves searching for a hate-driven villain who’s ready to kill again.

The Counterfeit Wife is the second in the A Revolutionary War Mystery series and it reads fine as a standalone. I really enjoyed this one! The pace was a little slow at times but it was full of tension enough that it's hard to put down once it gets going. I found the details of the post Revolutionary War to be fascinating and the vivid descriptions just added to it. Overall it was an interesting and entertaining story! Thank you Partners in Crime Tours and Mally Becker for sharing this book with me!

This is another good novel from Becker highlighting the turmoil between the supporters of the British and those supporting independence at the time. The novel had many aspects I liked. It was interesting to learn a bit about printing and counterfeiting and how it might be used to weaken the independence effort. The justice system of the day was certainly frustrating to those such as Becca and Daniel as they tried to uncover a murderer.

Other interesting aspects of the plot included the relatively new use of inoculation to prevent smallpox. Washington had embraced it for his troops and a character in the novel was a “healer,” practicing inoculation along with using herbs and tinctures to help those sick. It was also very interesting to see how a woman like Becca would go about getting information in that society.

There were a couple of areas in the plot I did not like. I don't like it when a character gets into trouble because of foolish actions. That is exactly what Daniel did. Suspecting he was heading into a trap, he went anyway. And once there, he stayed when we readers knew he should have left right away. Of course, disaster happened. Also, at the end of the novel, the resolution to the final suspense was just a little too convenient.

Except for those two issues, I enjoyed this informative novel. It gives readers a good idea of the conditions in Philadelphia during the War of Independence. I was happy to see Becker clarified the historical and fictional parts of her novel at the end.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

The second book in an historical fiction series set in a colonial America fighting for independence, The Counterfeit Wife continues the stories of Daniel and Becca, For their second assignment from General Washington, Becca and Daniel pose as a married couple in Philadelphia to identify and stop the flow of counterfeit paper money. The believable bills are being dispersed by the British to upend the colonial economy and the patriot’s confidence in General Washington’s Continental Army to win the war. During their assignment, Becca and Daniel’s mutual attraction grows but Becca has trouble getting over her abandonment issues and the lack of independence she will have as a wife. Lots of twists and turns, nasty characters and a surprise reunion make The Counterfeit Wife a fun and intriguing read. When’s the next installment???