Kidnapping and the high seas are the impetus of this romantic action story! Cara Maxwell's writing is fun, excited, while being easily accessible to the reader. If you are on the look out for a fast paced romance that has a blend of sensuality and passion, that look no further than this novel. With a bold and independent heroine at the heart of this story, it is charming and fun to see the banter and interactions between her and the hero, as they both test, charm and frustrate each other. Maxwell builds the tension and chemistry to a wonderfully boiling over point and gives the reads a nice level of sensuality to push the romantic side of this story in a charming and endearing way.

I always find Cara Maxwell to be a delightful must read! In Bed with a Blackguard is another wonderful addition to her catalogue and should not be missed. If you have never read a Maxwell before, I highly encourage you to, I think you will find a new historical romance author to devour!

This is the first installment of a wonderful new series, Lady Knights, and it is off to a captivating start. Jacquetta is one of the Lady Knights, sworn to carry out various missions working for the queen. In her latest mission, she allows herself to be kidnapped in order to find out the identity of a notorious smuggler, and finds herself confined at sea with Grayson Thane. Grayson is estranged from his family and working to extricate himself from servitude that he fell into when younger. Both are very strong-willed and intelligent characters and there was no denying the chemistry and passion between them. The story was filled with action, drama, and romance and the plot twists kept me intrigued and turning the pages, anxious to find out what happens next. The story was well-written and entertaining and had a nice, smooth flow and the characters were well-developed and interesting and I became invested in their story.
This was an amazing start to what looks to be a very exciting series. I'm looking forward to reading the next one!
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Romance and Adventure on the High Seas

Jacquetta let herself be kidnapped; what madness is this? She is a Lady Knight, in service of the Queen. She must discover with whom Grayson Thane is working. One thing she does not realize is that she will end up on a ship, going across the ocean, a terrifying prospect. She also does not realize she is about to lose her heart to the scoundrel. What does Jacquetta discover? Must she betray the man she loves? What is Grayson's secret, and can there be a happy ending for the two of them? I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who like historical romance with action, adventure, and intrigue. This is my first book by this author, and I look forward to reading more.

I know i have been watching so much television when all i could think of was how would this book work as a series and let me tell you, it would it has action, it has drama, it has romance and why not comedy (accidental or not),

The book was fast, easy to read and keep me in my toes, the romance was good, the book is one highly recommended.

Miss Jacquetta Lawson plans her disappearance in the middle of the London social season, allowing herself to be kidnapped by the notorious Grayson Thane. She needs her plan to work so that she can uncover who her works for. Yet when she wakes up tied to the mast of a ship, she knows that her plans have gone awry. When Grayson, the second son of a duke finds himself together with Jacquetta, he knows that all he must do is deliver her safely to Barbados. As they spend time together, they realise that their initial plans must change.

This book had plenty of action and romance. Whilst at first they seem to be viewing each other as a potential threat, and wonder how to deal the situation, this soon changes. Jacquetta’s feistiness lights a spark of interest from Grayson, yet he soon realises that she is quite innocent. Likewise, Grayson appears to be very controlled but yet, his past hurts make him more vulnerable than he first reveals. There are some great secondary characters that I look forward to reading about in future books.

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

“A spark of interest lit in the back of her mind—Thane was thorough and clever, she’d give him that. But she was cleverer. She was a lady knight.”

I loved this book! I could hardly put it down. Jacquetta is a Lady Knight, meaning she is on a secret mission to find out more about Grayson Thane’s secret boss, a villain. For that, she needs to get herself kidnapped. So the book starts with Jacquetta kissing a man and thinking he’s not a bad kisser. You assume she must be kissing the hero, but she’s just playing, acting, and waiting for Thane to follow her and grab her. This is a very surprising and different way to start a book and I found it very promising.
Jacquetta expects te be cleverer and smarter than Thane, who doesn’t suspect her to be a spy, but she didn’t expect him to drag her out to sea, when she has a fear for the big, black ocean. What follows is a quick and easy read on them keeping secrets from each other, how Jack is handling herself in this new situation and them falling in love.
The ending was well played out, a bit as expected but with a little surprise twist and quite satisfying. One question remains: What happened with her slippers when her feet got wet (I won’t spoil anything)?
There a many steamy parts in the book, I wouldn’t mind less steamy scenes, but maybe that’s just me. The secondary characters make you want to read the next books about the Lady Knights, especially Jane! And I liked Rook and the cook.
I enjoyed this book very much, and I can honestly recommend it. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next book in this series! I’m curious to find out what happens to the other Lady Knights, and what other books Cara Maxwell has written. She knows how to write about hot men and feisty women!
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In Bed With A Blackguard by Cara Maxwell is a very satisfying “pirate” book featuring Grayson Thane and Jacquetta Lawson. Both were very well-written, complicated characters who certainly saw change throughout the progress of this book. To say that either of both of them was willing to give up everything for love is an understatement. Jacquetta planned to get kidnapped. It was part of her assignment from the Queen. She was a Lady Knight, an elite group of women sworn to carry out various tasks for Her Majesty. They were well-trained, intelligent, and brave. Little did she realize she would be transported across the ocean in her attempt to ascertain the identity of the notorious smuggler, Delaurier. Thane, it turned out, was his indentured servant, all harking back to the night he had killed a man in a tavern brawl. Delaurier had “rescued” him and he had been in debt ever since, as was every man on his crew, with his indenture extended with every misstep.

Jacquetta was a wonderful character, full of creativity and imagination. She took very few of her days of captivity in simple acceptance. She was beautiful and she knew it. Despite the fact that her M.O. was seduction, she was a virgin. She saw in Thane’s eyes that he was interested. She could use that. Grayson Thane was a man held in indenture because of threats against his family. He appeared every year or two, spent a month or so in a high-end motel, and disappeared again. The Queen wanted to know what was going on and put a stop to the smuggling. Jacquetta was the one for the job. It was a long book, with a complicated plot, but well worth the read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of In Bed With A Blackguard by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #CaraMaxwell #InBedWithABlackguard

I found that this suspenseful romance had my interest, although the build up to the final scene did take some time getting there. Having engineered her own abduction, Miss Jacquetta Lawson, who is a Lady Knight, discovers herself having to face her fears over and over again. Grayson Thane has no interest in the young woman, as she is just a means to an end. However, when her antics go beyond the pale, he opts to keep her locked up in his own cabin. The attraction builds in spite of himself and when she is attacked, Grayson will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Although the book does come to an exciting close, it was not at all what I expected. I received a copy of this book as a gift from Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Grayson and Jacquetta took to the seas by storm. I loved this romantic action story. I tucked myself in for the night and a had a great time reading an entertaining book. I certainly enjoyed that the book was a fast page turner. This allowed me to see what Jacquetta and her girls would tackle next. The romance was a little hot and very passionate. I must say that I really enjoyed that. The book was exciting and easy to read.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

A great start to a new series! I thoroughly enjoyed "In Bed with a Blackguard." FMC Jacquette "Jack" is a Lady Knight working on behalf of queen and country. Assigned to figure out the reasons behind MMC Greyson Thane's infrequent stays in London, she allows herself to be kidnapped, never imagining she will end up tied to the mast of a ship bound for Barbados. Unbeknownst to her, Greyson's boss/captor of many years has demanded Greyson bring Jack to the boss. Greyson will then finally be free to return to his family.

Jack and Greyson are electric and entertaining. Jack is definitely at least a couple of years younger than I would have written her, especially since she has been at the spy game for 2 years already, but I was able to get over her age and focus instead on her character. Jack is strong and resourceful, the best kind of heroine. Greyson is tortured (of course) and has to overcome the automatic black mark of him being willing to turn over a young woman to a man whom Greyson knows is a monster. The chemistry is great, the spice is spicy, and the secondary characters make me excited to read about them.

A very solid 4 stars. I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book in this series. Thank you to Dragonblade and NetGalley for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

Miss Jacquetta Lawson is a Lady Knight on a dangerous mission. It turns out to be a lot more difficult and complicated than she could ever imagine. He courage will be tested to its limits.
Grayson Thane has many secrets, some his own. He has done many things he is not proud of. This infuriating female could be the death of him.
This historical romance/adventure is the first in what I know will be a fun and exciting series. If the rest of the Lady Knights are half as brave as this one, we have lots more great adventures to come. The characters are fabulous and the setting unusual.
Great fun.

I absolutely adored this story! A tremendous introduction to this amazing cast of independent and incomparable Lady Knights. If this first book is any indication, this will be an amazing series and I cannot wait for more. A truly gripping story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The many mysteries that are Captain Grayson Thane will keep you guessing. Though unsure of his merit, you won’t be able to resist melting at this heartbreaking hero. His magnetism lights up the page and it is completely understandable that Lady Knight, Jacquetta is so drawn to him. Their chemistry is pure fire, wicked banter the foundation of their electric connection. There were moments I swear I held my breath in anticipation and despair equally. When al things seemed lost to these two, my heart broke with them. This is most definitely highly recommended and one of my new favourites. I could go on and on but instead I will simply say, Cara Maxwell you have outdone yourself!

I didn't easily sail into this book until a couple of chapters later, but what an interesting trip to Barbados. Jacquette Lawson is a spy for Queen Charlotte with many talents to do her job, including taking care of herself. On her next mission she must make it easy to be kidnapped. Greyson Thorne's last job to be free from his employer is kidnapping Jacquette and give her over in Barbados. Jacquette's mission is to discover the identity of the man controlling Greyson. A long journey of several weeks in close quarters gives plenty of time for enemies to become lovers.
Heat level 4
🔥🔥🔥🔥
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Enjoyed the plot. The characters were likable. Steamy but not over the top. The ending fit the story.

An amazing new series by Cara Maxwell! I love spy stories, adventure and suspense in my romance books and this book delivered all of them in spades, together with funny moments wonderfully mixed with some angst. I loved both characters and the side characters as well. Jacquetta is a great woman, willful and capable and totally adorable. She’s pretty young, maybe a little too young to be such a good spy (yes, I would have preferred an older woman in this case), but she can handle every situation with nonchalance. Save falling for the man she’s investigating, of course! I loved handsome, brooding and kind Grayson, even if I found him a tad naïve… I don’t want to spoiler anything, but I think he was quite a fool to put himself in the hands of the first man who offered to help him… As for the writing, it’s awesome as ever, with the added bonus of the wonderful descriptions of ocean sailing and beautiful Caribbean islands!
I have great expectations for the next books and I’m sure Maxwell will not disappoint me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 – 4 stars
This was an enjoyable read. The main characters are strong, stubborn and engaging. Grayson is a scarred hero, by circumstances beyond his control that have shaped the last several years of his life. Some of the secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and enjoyed when they were on page. For me, the story spent too much time on the sailing and not enough on the spy/intrigue. I love the spy/intrigue part of the story as much as I did the romance. It kept me engaged and hoping for more. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series and seeing the other ladies on their adventures. I hope we get to see more of Jacquetta and Greyson in the other books.

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

When Jacquetta Lawson allowed herself to be kidnapped by the notorious Grayson Thane, her plan was very straightforward. She would remain his captive long enough to deduce who he was working for and then she would promptly escape. Until she wakes up tied to the mast of a ship sailing to the West Indies. Grayson Thane, second-son of a is so close to extricating himself from the servitude he fell into in his youth. All that remains is to deliver Jacquetta Lawson to Barbados and he will finally be free to return to his family. Confined at sea with Grayson, Jacquetta starts to question her tightly held notions of right and wrong. But she will not give up her mission to Queen and country… even if it means she must seduce her bitter enemy.
This is the start of a new series & the first full length novel I’ve read by the author & it certainly won’t be the last. I loved the idea of Lady Knights working for the queen, different & intriguing. The pace was very good & the characters well portrayed & with depth. I loved both Grayson & Jacquetta sparks flew whenever they were together, first it was delicious verbal bantering then the chemistry between them grew hotter & hotter. However both had secrets & both had a mission to complete. Could they be truthful with each other & how could they be together? I recommend you read this page turner to find out!
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

The following are my thoughts as I read this book. Ahh this is a new series titled Lady Knights sounds intriguing. Jacquetta Lawson…younger sister to Marie, secretly working for Queen Charlotte, kidnapped. Grayson Thane…estranged from his family, lives on the edge of the Ton, possibly working against Queen Charlotte. Opens with a mystery, this should be fun to unravel. Well the H certainly did not waste time with his plan, he put it into action. The h is confident she has everything under control. They are always “too long without female companionship.” LOL I think I know what the H secret is. Yes, I was right. An unfortunate situation places the h in a new light to the H. Enter the character “Delaurier” I wonder what he/she is about. Oh dear the h has gotten herself in danger. The h is definitely a magnet for trouble, LOL the H does not stand a chance. These two are fire! Ahhh so that is the role of Delaurier. I’m nervous about what is going to happen next. Oh how are they going to get out of this predicament and there are so many secrets being revealed. Oh wow I did not see that coming, well done Ms Cara. Yes a HEA. I must say this book was nothing like I thought it would be. The chemistry between the MCs was electric. This was definitely an enemies to lovers story that provided danger, angst, and steamy scenes. I really liked the h because she was straightforward and honest with herself. I couldn’t really get a read on the H other than he and the h had a strong chemistry. Although both the H and the h were great characters, I have to say -in my opinion of course- that the h was the more memorable one. I strongly recommend that you read this book.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure/romance novel to read. She is resourceful and skilled while he is honourable but had to follow orders. Together, they found each other and found a way out of their predicament. Would love to read about the other lady knights!

I received an ARC from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

First in a new series, I didn’t want to put this book down. Abduction, pirates and knights, what a story. Well written with enjoyable and believable characters. There were a couple of spots that I feel should have been explained sooner and better. I kept laughing to myself about the title Lady Knights but then found out later on they were actually knighted. I feel this should have been made clear from the beginning. Overall, well done. I can’t wait to see what happens to the other ladies.