Never Blow a Kiss had a fun and intriguing premise—spies and romance always make for an exciting mix! I was really drawn to the idea of a secret society of governess spies, and there were definitely some entertaining moments throughout the book. The historical setting added a nice touch, and the concept felt fresh for a romance novel.

That being said, I had a bit of a hard time fully connecting with the characters. While the story had its moments of excitement, some parts felt a little slow or predictable, and I didn’t feel as invested in the romance as I wanted to be. The chemistry between the main characters was there, but I just didn’t feel like their relationship had the depth I was hoping for.

Overall, it’s a light and enjoyable read if you’re in the mood for something fun and adventurous, but it didn’t completely hook me. Still, if you like historical romance with a twist, it’s worth checking out. It might hit the spot if you’re looking for a light, entertaining escape!

When I read the description of this book I had to read it. Regency meets governess spies meets serial killer mystery.

Emily and Zach both grew up in poverty, but managed to make their way to Mayfair. Emily as a governess (turned spy) and Zach made his money gambling and investing. It's a face paced story that has their relationship form quickly, but there is an emotional connection between the two. Taking the main stage throughout the book there's a serial killer and going on the adventures with them is half the fun of the book.

Emily grew up as a lying, thieving, knife-wielding con artist. Struggling to survive, she manages to become a governess and is soon recruited by The Dove to join her network of women who use their governess jobs to spy on the ton. Zach was born the son of a butcher but is now hugely wealthy due to his investments in the railroad. Despite his wealth, he works as a Detective Constable. Their love story has many obstacles. Emily is already married to Lionel the Pig who may or may not be dead, she's using an alias, and oh yes, there's the Big Secret. When Emily's employer is murdered, they work together to track the killer known as the Evangelist. The story is full of interesting characters, a murder mystery, and passionate romance. I highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to learning more about The Dove and the next governess, Frankie.

This was a well-written book. That said, it wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea. It contains a blend of romance and mystery, and I prefer my romance (usually) with less mystery than this. The writing style was great, and I’ll probably pick up another book by this author. Give it a chance if you like a side of mystery with your love story!

I got about 35% into the book, put it down, and never ended up finishing it. Unfortunately, while the characters were decent and the plot was somewhat interesting, I don't think this one is for me. I hope to get back to it in the future!

I loved this book! It was the perfect mix of romance,
Intrigue, mystery and humor. Both main characters were interesting and it was an easy read. Definitely recommend this one for historical romance fans!

Never Blow a Kiss is the debut novel from Lindsay Lovise and it is a promising start to a new series and a new author to the historical romance genre. Lovise’s writing is interesting and sensual, and her characters are clear and dimensional. I felt like she did a really nice job of balancing the plot and the development of the romance. I think that this novel has a delicious intertwining of steam and the hero and heroine really develop a relationship that is very physical in its exploration, this is not always something that is strongly prevalent in historical romances. My only big critique of this novel is that there where many threads and at many points towards the end of the novel it felt like we were coming to an end but then another secret or mystery would arise so it just felt like too many threads for what I was expecting from this novel. Ultimately a really lovely debut and I will definitely be interested in seeing Lovise grow more into her voice and style! Well worth a read for any historical romance lover or someone interested in supporting a new author!

A lovely debut - Never Blow A Kiss is part historical fiction, part romance, and part mystery. I’ll be interested in reading further books in this series as they are published.

The time is 1838. Emily is working as a governess in London, but she’s hiding a shameful past, one that you gradually learn about. She is recruited by a woman calling herself The Dove, to spy on her employers and any other members of “the ton” that she comes into contact with. She is supposed to report back to The Dove about anything unusual.

Zach is a self-made man, rising from poverty through the military and eventually making a fortune by being an early investor in the railroad. Despite his origins, because of his wealth (and he’s handsome, of course) he’s sought after by members of the ton, as possible marriage material for their daughters. One particular family, the Hills, are pretty obnoxious in this regard.

A serial killer has been murdering prostitutes in London and Zach is working the case - he found that the idle life was not for him, so he became part of the new Metropolitan Police force. These crimes and the social background of these women form a dark undercurrent in this story. I loved the concept of using governesses to spy on their employers and the author tantalizes us with a minor character who will probably be the focus of the next book in the series: Frankie, a governess who is a math wiz and helps narrow down who the serial killer in this book may be.

Be aware of some rather spicy scenes between Zach and Emily.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. I bounced between the ebook and the published audiobook, which was nicely narrated by two people: Ella Lynch and Rupert Channing. All opinions are my own.

This was a new author for me and I absolutely LOVED this historical! I loved the characters, the story line, and the mystery in there as well! I really enjoyed every page! I can’t wait for the second book! Highly recommend this one!

This was enjoyable to read but also didn't stick with me much afterwards, however I do think the series has a great foundation and will read others.

DNF
There was a whole slew of "yay for the police" right off the bat, and I just can't do that in this day and age.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the eARC of Never Blow a Kiss! All opinions in this review are my own.

Never Blow a Kiss is a fantastic start to a new series by Lindsay Lovise! I loved Emily and Zach's relationship, but I wish it had been more balanced with his case and her spy activities. However, the end was so good that it made up for this. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series!

Never Blow a Kiss was a very unique historical romance that I enjoyed from the first chapter. I loved how the main characters met and how Zach went after what he wanted even if he wasn’t born rich. He was a self made man and he wanted to marry whoever he wanted and didn’t care at all about what the ton thought. Emily was a headstrong, smart, and talented FMC who was just trying to survive in life. I didn’t like how she kept her one secret and never told the man she loved about it until someone else revealed it to him, BUT I understood why, after the secret was found out. I did NOT see that twist coming. I loved the mystery and action that was throughout this book and can’t wait for the next one in the series!

This is the first installment of the series Secret Society of Governess Spies and also my first book by this author. Emily has a dark past that she is trying to keep hidden. She works as a governess to try and create a respectable life for herself. She is recruited by a secret group of governesses that spy on the ton. Zach is an ex-soldier and helps the police track down killers. When he meets the saucy and intelligent Emily he is captivated. The banter between them is entertaining and witty and I loved the romance that developed between them. I also enjoyed the mystery interspersed within the story. It's a well-written story with interesting characters and I very much enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of this series.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I adored Emily. She had the kind of "don't mess with me" vibes that make me excited to see where a character will go and I loved that she was just so plainly badass, fun, and sassy.

I liked Zach too, but I struggle with books set in a Regency era with names like "Zach". I'm sure they existed back then, but the name feels out of place.

The pacing is great, the book is fun, and I enjoyed reading it.

The world needs more historical romances featuring spying heroines, and Lindsay Lovise thankfully answers that call with this charming debut romance. Although the pacing was a little unsteady at times, I largely found this historical romance to balance mystery and romance beats supremely well — I’m confident any of the pacing issues I struggled with are largely due to it being a debut story and that the author’s writing will get stronger with time but maintain the refreshing and charming voice..

A secret society of Governess Spies? What a fun concept! Lindsay Lovise takes readers back to the Victorian era to follow the main character Emily as she navigates being a governess with her own hidden past. I enjoyed the instant chemistry between Emily and Zach. I also found the mystery in the hunt for the killer to be intriguing. I cannot wait to continue reading in this series! Thank you NetGalley and Forever Pub for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This was a fun exploration of regency-style romance with a little bit of a twist. The way the romance developed between the main characters felt very modern to me — perhaps because they got physical before they got married, but the spice and dirty talk was great and I think helped the story move forward. The spy network was an interesting premise, though I don't think it was explored really too much in this novel — it's clear that it was the set up for more books in the network. I thought the detective/crime plot was fine.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this one. I am absolutely shocked by how much I enjoyed this! I grabbed it based on the princess-y cover but stayed for the absolutely hilarious banter, the unique story-line & the fast-paced romance and mystery.

“There are things a man’s can do to make a woman limp with pleasure, and it would be an honor to do those things with you.”

I was not prepared for how fun AND SPICY 🌶️ this book would be. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would highly recommend.

Never Blow a Kiss was a fun, original romance that grabbed my attention from the start and held it to the end. Emily and Zach both exist within the ton and outside of it: Emily because of her employment as a governess and the secrets she keeps regarding her origins and Zach because his origins gave him the honest appreciation for hard work and self-determination so often under-valued by those born to their soft lives of privilege. It is Emily's own drive, determination, and quick-wittedness that hold Zach's attention, but it was the kiss she blew him in passing at a party that caught it in the first place. That kiss and others that follow stir a passion that refuses to die, even as a serial killer haunts London and threatens their confidence in each other and their very lives. I thoroughly enjoyed Never Blow a Kiss and look forward to more from Lindsay Lovise.