In Love with a Spy

David has loved Dominique for many years. She disappeared from his life ten years ago, and now that he had found her, he vowed never to let her go. However, neither David nor Dominique were the idealistic young people they were all those years ago. She was making sacrifices for queen and country. She was a Lady Knight of Queen Charlotte's Round Table. What she did could be quite perilous. When she recruited David for her investigation, she drew him back into her life, too. Could they rekindle what they once had? First, Dominique must survive the dangers of her mission. I enjoyed this second chance historical romance with intrigue and would recommend it to those who appreciate this delightful genre.

Every time an HR book has a illegitimate daughter, she is already by beloved and i must protect her with my whole heart, this is the case and she is just a girl that wants to survive and love, but puts her heart in a little hold until she cannot do it anymore. I loved this book and Dominique and David, my beloveds.

This story is entertaining. I do think that it’s a fast pace story and that’s ok. I liked the mystery and the romance. The story is clear as to when the plot comes into action. The romance is charming.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Dominique Beauchamp is the the illegitimate daughter of a country baronet and his French mistress. She and her mother live in the village close to her father, Lord Wartham, his wife and her half sister. Lady Wartham eventually.
takes her revenge against Dominique and her mother. Forced to leave, they start a new life in London. Dominique's heart is broken leaving David, the man she loves. In London, she is recruited as a Lady Knight working for the Crown. Revealing a blackmailer is her current assignment. Seeing the man she loves in London causes some complications. Now that he's found her, he doesn't intend to let her go. Moves at a nice pace with nail-biting situations and steamy encounters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

The Lady Knights of Queen Charlotte's Round Table can go where no man can and they are better at ferreting out secrets than some of the best secret agents of the Crown. After an almost idyllic childhood, Dominique and her mother have to face one of the worst setdowns, and Doninique's father bows to the pressure put on him. Ever resourceful, mother and daughter find new ways in which to earn a respectable living, but even that is not enough. A surprising invitation to join the group of Lady Knights with their special skills brings Dominique back into the orbit of her best childhood friend, David Grisham. David is thrilled once again to find Dominique, but perhaps a little less so with her new occupation. Nevertheless, when she needs his special skills, he is more than willing to help her, but with a purpose: to win her heart. The novel is fast-paced, exciting, and romantic and comes to a good conclusion. I received a copy of this romance as a gift from Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Dominique is the illegitimate daughter of a titled Englishman and a French ballerina. Although her father loved them he married someone else. When Dominique's secret became known, she and her mother decided to make their own lives. Now our heroine is a strong independent young Lady Knight working for the Crown.

David Grisham had his life all planned until the girl he loved left him and his father and brother died. Suddenly our hero is heir to an Earldom with all the responsibility that goes with it.

This historical romance is filled with adventures and unusual characters. This is part of a series and while you can easily read each book separately, you will be tempted to read them all. The Duchess who recruits our heroines knows just how to pick the lady most qualified to take on each assignment. They will all surprise you. Interesting stories from start to end. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

I loved it.

Woah, this book was so good on so many levels.
There may be spoilers in this review.
The heroine is the
illegitimate child of a French ballerina and an English Earl. She and her mother lived in a small village next to the estate of Lord Wartham, her father. She was raised knowing her younger half- sister and the heroine loved her dearly. The villagers did not know she was the iillegitimate daughter, until she became engaged to the son of a minor noble. Her father's wife burned with jealousy and started a rumor at church one Sunday that the heroine was illegitimate and her mother was an unwed mother. The gossip forced them out of town. The heroine left a note for her fiance', apologizing for what was happening and why she had to leave. The heroine and her mother moved to London and her mother opened a dancing school. The heroine and her mother were very careful not to go where they might be recognized and they prospered.
The hero, the heroine's young fiance', never forgot her. He grew up with her and loved her all of his life. He was about two years older than her and looked for her for many years. When he became the heir for his cousin, an earl, he moved to London to look for a wife, but kept thinking of her and unconsciously looking for her.
The heroine was approached by a Duchess one night, when she and her mother went to a small gathering where her mother's students would have a slow introduction into society and her mother could watch them dance right before they graduated from her dance course. The heroine was in terrible fear that someone had recognized them and the heroine only wanted to protect her mother. The Duchess asked to meet her later at a specific address. When they arrived, the Ducheas asked if she would be a member of the Lady Knights, a spy operation conducted by the Duchess to fight domestic treasonous people.
The heroine is attending a ball, dressed as a maid, when the hero sees her. He loses her in the crowd, but is joyful that she is in London. He goes to the theater one night and is gobsmacked that the heroine is an actress. Unknown to him, she is posing as an actress to lure in a heinous noble who might be a black mailer.
This story is part of a series, but there is no dependency on previous stories. This is definitely "stand alone".
The plot of the story grabs the reader from the start, tells a detailed but not over burdened story, has the right amount of suspense, drama and comedy and every plot line is finished. And it all makes sense and is cohesive!
5 stars and definite recommend to read.

I enjoyed this slow burn romance, especially since it had one of my favorite tropes where the hero pursues the heroine.

Dominique is the illegitimate daughter of a country baronet, who was driven from the village she grew up in by his wife's maliciousness. Before she left she had formed an understanding with David Grisham, her childhood friend.

Fast forward a few years and Dominique has been recruited as a Lady Knight (!) and is up to all sorts of shenanigans around London and beyond as part of a group of spies/vigilantes lead by a Duchess. David is now the heir to an Earldom and is most surprised to see Dominique on the stage in Covent Garden.

This is quite a fun book as long as you very much suspend all your disbelief and just follow the characters around an alternative universe where there were female James Bonds zipping round the ballrooms and back rooms of Regency London!

Thanks to ARC for the advance copy.

I really love spy/mystery/ action in a book so this should have been up my street. However it didn't quite work for me a female spy is an interesting twist and Dominique was certainly tough and capable. However David didn't seem like a good match for her being a bit too tame and not very able. So I must confess that there were things that didn’t well with me but the intriguing background of the series did help to lift things 3.5 stars
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my

Intriguing book! I really love spy stuff and lady spies are even more captivating, because they have to be so much tougher than a male spy to accomplish their task! And Dominique certainly was, even too tough for my liking in certain things (I won’t spoiler it!)
I’m not fond of second chance romance, but in this case I understand that the main characters were very young at the beginning of their love story and they had to overcome too many difficulties for their young age (even if I would have appreciated a little more bravery on Dominique’s part at the beginning). And I really think that a little more life experience and personal growth can certainly improve a relationship. And Dominique and David had both in spades in the ten years they lived apart. But when love is real it lasts, so when they find each other again they are even stronger! I liked the mystery/action part, which was interesting, but didn’t divert attention from the love story, even if I would have liked to know more about the “code”. So I must confess that there were things that didn’t sit well with me in this book, but the gorgeous writing I came to expect from this author and the intriguing background of the series more than compensated for them!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Both the romance and the intrigue plots are well executed and entertaining. I loved that we got to see a glimpse into how the Lady Knights were formed and into the women who make up the group. I found both David and Dominque intriguing, interesting, relatable characters. They captured my attention from the start and held it until the end. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story in various ways – especially family members. I thoroughly enjoy the world of the Lady Knights and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

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

Young women built of strong moral character, capable and adept, serving in secret to the crown. How can one not love such a premise? Cara Maxwell writes women who you cannot help but root for and love. Dominique has been dealt a rough hand in her parentage, being the bastard child of a peer she is relegated always to the sidelines. Invited to be a part of his life, but never fully accepted. After leaving that life behind, she is now a Lady Knight. No longer the young girl striving to be accepted. But she has lost so much, the father who barely accepted her, the sister she loved dearly and the love of her life. Seeing the shock when she first appears to David was palpable. He has never given up, and his unwavering love & loyalty are what sell this entire story. She may have her doubts but he has enough love to sustain them both. David is the ideal cinnamon roll hero. He loves her, supports her and worships the ground she walks on. I was immediately drawn to their connection and could not wait to read more. The Lady Knights never fail to bring the drama and the passion.

Dominique had a devoted mother but her father was on the fringes of her life due to her “born out of wedlock status”. David was devoted to her, courting her, until the details of her past became apparent and her mother took her away to London to start a new life. Dominique tried to forget David and eventually began a new life as a Lady Knight completing missions for the Crown. David never forgot Dominique and searched for her until a chance meeting set them a new course of romance. David will be the next Earl so can Dominique overcome her fears & how will she maintain her Lady Knight. Status?
Second book in the series and intertwines well with first book although easily read as a a standalone.

3.5 stars

This is the lovely story of Dominique, a lady knight, that is a spy for her Majesty, and how she reconnects with her childhood sweetheart. David has been searching for her since she left, when she was an adolescent, so now he does whatever he can to keep her in his life.

Both characters are equally likeable, Dominique's scandal is not one you would think with a wink, it's the fact that she was her father's dirty secret and she and her mother suffered a lot because of it. But she grows out to be a very skilled lady knight, a strong woman. Maybe even stronger that David, though he has his share of loss, he keeps his softness and his open heart for her. She is a bit more experienced and this is felt all over the book, it's not necessary a power dynamic as it is a vibe of strong vs soft, and truly, it's pretty refreshing. David is wonderfully supportive and overall a sweetheart.

The whole book is a nice love story that can be read easily, though I am not particularly a fan of inserting at the beginning of chapters snippets from the past. If this would have been the beginning of the series it would have been a good start, but since the first book has been so special, so unique, this one doesn't quite reach its level. It's a matter of taste, someone else would disagree, but this was my feeling. A nice read, sweet read, nevertheless.

I received a copy of this book in order to offer my personal view on it.

I am a fan of Cara Maxwell and was excited to see she had a new series. While I did not start with book 1, In Bed With A Blackguard, it appears these two books are running simultaneously so I didn't feel like I missed anything. I will go back and read it and I'm honestly ready for Red's book. This has me hooked from the beginning.

I like the twists in this book that allow it to be not your typical H/h/HEA. The author still takes us there, but a very different path that was unexpected and fun to read. Cara has a way of explaining so you see the characters, know where they are and what they are wearing without an abundance of useless words and using the same trops from every other romance novelist. Her books never disappoint.

Thank you NetGally for the ARC and am I giving my honest review voluntarily.

3.5 Stars
Dominique’s status as the mostly forgotten daughter of a country baronet and his French mistress has been the key to her success as a Lady Knight of Queen Charlotte’s Round Table. The new heir to the Earl of Danby has come to London! Fate has been cruel to David Grisham. He’s lost his father and his brother in the space of a year and suddenly he’s set to inherit his cousin’s earldom. Come to London to learn about what that inheritance will entail, he visits the Theatre Royal for a bit of revelry. And sees his dearest childhood friend and lost love dancing across the stage. In a split-second decision, Dominique brings David into her investigation rather than risk exposure.
The second book in the series & it’s easily read on its own. A well written book with strong characters & a well paced story. I liked David & Dominique & loved the chemistry between them. Whilst I did enjoy the book it didn’t keep me glued to my kindle, not sure why as it ticked all the boxes for a book I should have been riveted to, maybe it was the flashbacks which spoiled the flow of the book. I'll reread in a while & skip the flashbacks & see if I'm more enamoured second time around
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Wow, I loved this book. I must admit that I love when a man is absolutely devoted to a woman, and David is. Even though they were separated for years he has never stopped thinking of Dominique and I also really liked that he was the inexperienced one rather than the woman. The sub plot of lady knight was interesting and worked well with the romance plot of the book. This book was also very steamy, I think the first in the series may have been a bit more so but this just hit all the marks for me romance wise. Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.

‘Lost to Lady Scandal’ is the second installment in the Ladies Knights series. Since I really loved the first one - In bed with the Blackguard - I was really enthusiastic when I saw that book two was available as an ARC. But this second book can easily be read as a standalone.
This book is about Dominique, the illegitimate daughter of a baronet, who has tried to keep that a secret for everyone around. She and her mother have shied away from society to avoid scorn from the ton and built a life in anonymity. They left their little home near her father, but by leaving she also left behind her childhood friend David. That same ability to adjust and assume any role she needs, makes her perfect as a lady knight, a spy for the crown. When she’s working on an assignment Dominique and David accidentally run into each other. David has been in love with her all his life, and Dominique can’t seem to resist David as her childhood friend - and more.
The book is written with several flash-backs, which I felt were unnecessary and slowed down the story.
What confused me, was the fact that she so quickly revealed herself as a lady knight (or spy) to David first, and then asks for his help and for him to keep quiet about it all. Why divulge such an enormous secret without permission, and why not demand his promise the keep everything she will tell him a secret before she tells him anything? And why confide in him anyway, when her work is so secretive? I think the story would have been more thrilling and exciting if she would have kept him in the dark and some sort of cat-and-mouse game would have begun; him trying to find out about her life and her trying to keep her relationship with him separate from her work. Now she just opened up right away, they took up their relationship again and he just did everything she asked of him. Not much excitement there. So David’s character didn’t really appeal to me. He was like a puppy, waiting for her, and she kept using him but also pushing him away because she didn’t want to get married.
And I found one typo in chapter 8: “Instead of coming to her aid, D’Terre rang for a servant, exactly as she’d expected him too.” Change the last word into: ‘to’.
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Being the by-blow of a country baronet and his French mistress, Dominique Beauchamp learned from an early age she best kept her secrets close or she would be running her entire life. Her particular talent for flawlessly blending in, landed her a spot amidst the Lady Knights, and the many talents she developed since then her secret to completing successful missions.
She had few regrets, but leaving her childhood love and her half-sister behind when she and her mother had to flea the gossip and the shameful looks, had always left a hole in her heart.

As the new heir to the Earl of Danby, David Grisham, a country gentleman, had to step up and learn all his future title would entail. Other than finding a wife and sire an heir, that is. The part he dreaded the most after losing his childhood love. Chances were slim, but he never stopped looking.
All of a sudden, there she was! Dancing across the stage at the London Theatre Royal! Could this be?

An unexpected reunion, a risky secret mission and her heart at stake. This man! She should resist the temptation now more than ever. A bastard and an earl would never work…
This was it! His chance at everything! She, the woman who carried his heart and soul with her. And apparently a few more secrets… no matter, his mission: picking the lock to her heart!

📚 Fast-paced, fun and entertaining! I love the role reversal in this story, and the girlpower! No swooning and simpering, but banter, quick wit and pining (from him). As the story jumps back and forth in time, the strength of their bond becomes clearer and the mystery is revealed. It’s very well-written and keeps you hooked until the very end!
📚 Childhood lovers, second chance, virgin hero, lady knight, steamy, open door

Thank you to Cara Maxwell, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.