I requested The Spy's Daughter because the cover is stunning, I didn't realize it was the final book in a series that I've never read. While the book was good not having read the other 3 put me behind the eight ball in many ways and definitely impacted my reading experience. This is not the author's fault however and I'm not laying any blame at their feet.

That said, I did enjoy the main characters and the pacing of the story.

Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Bianca M. Schwarz

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

I really liked this book, for the most part, but I guess I'm not one for regency era romance or anything that has to do with complex queen-king duchess princess duke blah blah blah social structures. They confuse me, which is actually quite embarrassing, so I find it hard to follow the story. Overall, I liked the premise and the characters!!

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book!

I have not read any previous books by this author and will review accordingly.

I firstly would like to say, absolutely obsessed with the cover! So gorgeous!

This mystery/historical fiction is filled with drama, romance and a hint of intrigue. I'm sure I would have loved it more if I had read the previous books prior to this.

Set in the early nineteenth century, readers return to the world of the Gentleman Spy Mysteries for the final book in the series. Bringing Emily March back into contact with Max Warthon, Schwarz draws readers into the ongoing conflict between Max and his cruelly sinister grandfather and the blossoming romance between Emily and Max. Readers return to Emily’s happy family life and watch as her world evolves with romance and marriage while also revisiting some of Max’s darker secrets which Emily does not know. Schwarz’s characters maintain their personalities, wit, and courage while they continue to mature as time passes and their adventures become more and more dangerous and personal. The evolution of the characters in this fourth installment seems natural and organic as they continue to experience the perils of their relationships and their world, and Schwarz naturally conveys any personality changes in the characters as they appear in the narrative. The settings shift, though many remain the same from the previous Gentleman Spy Mysteries, and readers travel to some new locales in addition to the familiar ones to give Max and Emily some new challenges and adventures. Schwarz’s last book in the series is a strong finish that sets Max and Emily up for a new life together.

Interesting and captivating story about two people finding their way to each other. Ms. Schwartz tells a good story with great detail. I clearly missed some of the back story of the prior villains. It can be read as a stand alone, as I did but I think it leaves you wanting to go back and read the stories of the other characters to see how they all arrived at this point in the timeline.

Synopsis

As the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman, Emily March's marriage prospects look dim until her rare beauty attracts the attention of an earl. Unfortunately, the earl comes with a reputation and his grandfather is the sworn enemy of Emily's father. Can the two find true love and happiness and get the blessings of both their families?

My Overall Thoughts

All of the characters seemed like caricatures. They could have been better developed. Emily is the pretty, innocent damsel without a thought in her head other than her love of horses and Max. Max is the rich, titled bad boy who turns his life of debauchery around for the love of Emily. They are both just so flat and I've met them both a hundred times before in every other bodice-ripper. Nothing makes them stand apart from all the others that came before them.

What I Didn't Love

As the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman, Emily March's marriage prospects look dim until her rare beauty attracts the attention of an earl. Unfortunately, the earl comes with a reputation and his grandfather is the sworn enemy of Emily's father. Can the two find true love and happiness and get the blessings of both their families?

Potentially Offensive Content

Sex
Violence

What I Loved

The most appealing part of the novel was how well the author worked in bits of historical life. For instance, I had to look up at least four different types of carriages. She went into some detail about period garments. I enjoyed the detailed historical elements that were worked in throughout the novel. For a novel that was really a lot of fluff, I did learn a lot and put the the dictionary feature on my Kindle to good use. I really appreciated that.

I read books 1-3 to prepare for this ARC and I am so glad I did! This book could have been read as a stand-alone but it's so much better to know all the backstory and relationships between the people! I love this series and really hope there is another book to this series! I love, love that Bianca M. Schwarz writes such strong & bad-ass women in her books! I am now adding her entire backlog of books to my TBR!

#TheSpysDaughter
#NetGalley

I liked Emily and Max’s story. Emily has grown a lot since she first appeared as a twelve-year-old tomboy. It was really interesting to see how she responded to challenges or unexpected events as an adult. I also appreciated her slow courtship with Max. It allowed her to naturally progress from idolizing the “golden god” who saved her to falling in love with a flawed but earnest man.

Each book in this series has its own tone and theme. This one feels the most like a traditional Regency romance novel complete with a society Miss, a reformed rake, and Society balls. This is partially because of Emily’s age and social standing but is also because, unlike the other books, neither main character is a spy for the crown. Also, the previous books in the series each have at least one character who is physically and/or emotionally recovering from an acute traumatic event. Although both Emily and Max have some distinctly unpleasant memories, they mostly struggle with the fallout from other people’s actions. Even though she is recognized by her father and was raised on her uncle’s ducal estate, Emily is illegitimate and has to bend over backward to be accepted by Society. Max is constantly trying to clean up his grandfather’s messes on both a political and personal level. This book was a fun change of pace, but I definitely missed the spy stuff.


Trigger Warnings: Attempted kidnapping and SA as well as mentions of past violence including nonconsensual intimate encounters and physical abuse of a child

NOTE: This is the fourth book in the Gentleman Spy series and should be read after the previous books.

Fun, fast and romantic read with a great depiction of adventures. I loved everything about it, and found myself turning page after page late into the night until I finshed it. Took me on an emotional ride.

I did not like how this book started with the main character when she was younger and an event that almost happened to her.

The romance part of the story was cute, but I had not read the others in the series prior to this as it said it could be read as a stand alone novel, but I think in order to care about the characters and understand their relationships I missed a lot in not having the first three read.

I'm sure this was a very good read in the series, but not having read the others I just wasn't as interested as I could have been. I may update my review later if I read the others and this one became better as a result.

While reading the spy’s daughter I found that the themes in the book didn’t resonate with my personal interests. I did not read the other books in the series and I know there is some background information I’m missing but I don’t think that information is truly needed to read this book as a stand-alone. I did love Emily’s character but the men in this story just kept getting under my skin and I would have made very different choices from what Emily made but it was interesting to see how that played out. I did like the writing style but I think my rating mostly comes down to personal interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The spy’s daughter is an absolute gem of a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Being in a huge fantasy mood, this was absolutely what I was looking for and didn’t disappoint one bit! It's a perfect blend of mystery, romance, and intrigue that will leave you wanting more. The characters are so well-developed that you'll feel like you know them personally, and the plot is so engaging that you won't be able to put the book down. Here are some reasons why The Spy's Daughter is a must-read:
The romance is steamy and passionate, but it's also meaningful and adds depth to the story. You'll root for the characters to overcome their obstacles and find happiness together.
The mystery is dark and twisty, with plenty of surprises and red herrings along the way. You'll be guessing until the very end, and the payoff is worth it.
The setting is richly detailed and immersive, transporting you to another time and place. You'll feel like you're right there with the characters, experiencing everything they do.
Overall, The Spy's Daughter is a fantastic book that will leave you breathless. Bianca M. Schwarz is a talented author who knows how to craft a compelling story, and this book is a shining example of her skill. If you're a fan of historical romance, mystery, or just great storytelling in general, you won't want to miss this one.

3.0 ⭐️/5
1.5 🌶️/5

This is the fourth book of a series, so when I got the opportunity to read this ARC, I caught up by reading book blurbs of 1-3. Admittedly I might be missing some nuances previously setup in the series. Other than that, I had no idea what to expect. The Spy’s Daughter is billed as “The fourth and final book in the darkly romantic Gentleman Spy Mysteries”, and I was expecting mystery and suspense and definitely romance.

FMC Emily March is making her debut into society and at the ripe old age of 18 she is ready to get married and have a family of her own. It will be an uphill battle for her despite being born into a family of privilege, niece of a Duke and all that, she was also born out of wedlock (yet claimed by her father). I feel like a lot of people can relate to Emily in that she still feels like an outsider despite having loving family members surround her.

Emily has set her sights on her “golden god”, Max Wharton, heir to his evil grandfather Earl Wharton. The transition from Max being her golden god to Max her best friend was sweet to watch unfold. Aside from the battle to get her dad to approve of Max, and the ton discrediting Emily as a possible match for Max due to her status as an illegitimate child, their love story was very sweet and going too well so I was wondering when the mystery would pop up.

The writing was engaging and pleasant and I enjoyed the 3rd person omniscient narrator because we got to see almost every aspect of the big mystery unfold leading up to the big reveal.

The tension builds because we as readers know gramps Earl Wharton is the big bad but the big mystery is finding out why he hates Sir Henry so much. I wish there was more buildup to not only the mystery but secret on the actions of gramps Earl Wharton. If we the audience weren’t privy to the Earl’s grand evil plan, it might have a larger impact to the suspense once it happened.

I also wish the adult relationship between Emily and Max was explored more, especially the after the big climatic event. I like how Emily decided that she didn’t want to be kept in the dark and sheltered but I wish we saw more of that in action.

I would recommend this to readers who like historical romances who enjoy but want more than just romance as the central plot. This reader would also have to not mind multiple references to abuse and torture and rape in a creepy society club.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for ARC. This review is voluntary and all thoughts and opinions are mine

I’m so happy with how the series ended and enthralled with Emily getting her happy ending! It took me SO LONG to come to terms with having to say goodbye to these characters, so I went back and read the first three books.

I did enjoy this book and I liked the main characters of Emily March and Max, Lord Didcomb. Theirs was a delightful and tender romance but having read the previous books I just knew everything wouldn’t be plain sailing for them. Max was the heir to the Earl of Warthon, who was a very vindictive man and for some unknown reason hated Emily’s father, Sir Henry March. There are secrets in Max’s past that he isn’t proud of and is yet to tell Emily. I found the first part of the book to be slow in pace but the second part had plenty of action and the tension was certainly building towards the conclusion. This does have some dangerous moments and it was good to meet up with the characters from the books in the series. It does have a satisfying ending. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed The Spy's Daughter! I thought it was a good ending to a series, not as high stakes and plot heavy as the other books but still a really good read. I hadn't read the other three books in a while, and ended up having to go back for a few details, but the book did a good job of picking back up where the series left off.

I am a great fan of historical fiction, and have read ( and enjoyed) my share of regency romances over the years.
But, i failed to find the “ sweet spot” in this book.

The nasty villain was just too one-dimensional for me.
The romance was too florid.
And, the historical background was not vibrant enough to cover the other weaknesses.

If the author had delved into the history of the mysterious Knights, that might have held my interest. As it was, the book was too much of a “ bodice-ripper” to appeal to me.

Might be as simple as “ wrong genre” for this reader’s taste.

Title: The Spy's Daughter
Author: Bianca M. Schwarz
Genre: Historical fiction, mystery, romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Emily March, the illegitimate daughter of Sir Henry March, has all she needs: bountiful wealth, ample beauty, and abundant talent. But will this be enough to secure the one thing she truly a loving marriage and her own family? However, it’s not her illegitimacy that stands in her way, but a mystery her father—an agent of the crown—has never been able to solve.

Max Warthon has twice rescued Emily from the machinations of his sinister grandfather, the Earl of Warthon, enemy of Sir Henry. Max knows that getting too close to his daughter will lead to certain peril, but he cannot resist her. Played out in front of London’s high society, their whirlwind romance attracts everyone's attention — and raises the ire of the Earl.

With old secrets standing in their way, will Emily and Max be able to unravel the mystery of an ancient hatred and unmask the true enemy? Their happiness and their lives depend on it.

I’ve read all of The Gentleman Spy Mystery series and enjoyed this one. This was a solid read and a nice wrap-up to the series. I thought Max and Emily’s romance was a bit too easy—I expected more obstacles—but it was about what I expected from this series. I don’t really have any problems with the novel. It is what it promises to be: a romance in a historical setting, and I never felt like the characters were in any danger. I expected the HEA ending, and that’s what I got.

Bianca M. Schwarz was born in Germany but now lives in L.A. The Spy’s Daughter is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)

3.75/5
Thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

The Spy's Daughter is a nice wrap up to the Gentleman Spy Mysteries and this should definitely be read in order as the threads that were laid down in the Innkeeper's Daughter come to an end with this story. Sir Henry's daughter Emily is grown and is having her coming out season and so is focused on finding a husband and only one will do to her mind and that is Maximilian Warthon. Throughout the story old enemies of Sir Henry return to ruin Emily's happiness and potentially her life to get revenge on Sir Henry. The final confrontation with the ancient order, the Knights resolves all the lingering questions, and the thoroughly despicable characters meet their just ends.
It was certainly nice to have some of the characters from the beginning pop back in, along with Eliza and Allen, and that all the main characters who we have come to know get a happy ending. The final scene was lovely. I did miss the darker story elements and mystery that were present in the first two books. I felt that some of the villainous characters endings were a bit too quick and easy. Since this focused quite a bit on Emily and Max's courtship, there was a level of tension that was missing, and personally I missed the level of spiciness that was also there in those first books. Overall, this was a fun and entertaining read and a solid wrap up to bring the series to a close.