An engaging first outing from debut author Lindsay Lovise. I loved the notion of a secret society of governess spies and two MCs who have infiltrated the ton in very different ways. Emily is delightfully brash and let's be honest, soldier-turned-copper/peer Zach never had a chance of *not* falling for her. Lovise serves up some familiar elements with meddling mamas trying to nab their daughters husbands, but the pacing and twists and turns in the spying element keep things fresh. Steam is well done: carriage and outdoor shenanigans fans, take note!

There's good balance between the romance and the spying on the family Emily works for, but I really needed more world building sooner in the book. We needed more upfront insight into what The Dove and her network were doing before Emily was recruited. And Emily really needed a governess-training montage because street smarts and a little comportment are only going to take you so far when you actually have to get in a room and convincingly teach children.

There are a few anachronisms that turn up: phrases like "on the up-and-up" and "watching your back" that stick out. They may not end up in the final copy, but if you're sensitive to those things, fyi.

The set up for the next installment already has me intrigued (and promises a math whiz heroine), so count me in.

For fans of Sarah MacLean's Hell’s Belles series and Miss Scarlet fans looking for more romance.

Never Blow a Secret had me captivated from start to finish. The protagonist, Emily, is an extraordinary heroine - resilient, intelligent, and courageous. Her character truly shines throughout the story. The book is filled with an air of mystery that kept me engaged and guessing until the very end. I particularly enjoyed the character of Zach, whose kindness and ability to truly understand Emily added depth to the narrative.

I was on the edge of my seat for this whole book! Emily is such an amazing heroine - resilient, smart, strong, and so courageous! I love the intrigue in the book too, it kept me guessing and invested throughout the whole thing. I also really liked Zach, especially his kindness and his ability to truly see Emily. Overall, I loved this book and I'm so pleased that it is the first in a series, I can't wait to read the next ones!!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read. The heroine was spunky, and I appreciated the fact that while the author used aspects of the heroine's common upbringing to make her impressively resourceful, she didn't resort to throwing in crass mannerisms to bring home the point.
The MMC was appropriately supportive (and as enchanted as I was) by Emily's self-reliance.

Will definitely read more from this author. The setup for the next book (don't worry, there's a clear cut ending and HEA for this one) already has me intrigued.

I thought this book was amazing!! I really enjoyed the main characters- Emily and Zack. I thought they had a lot of substance and I really liked their chemistry. I loved the storyline- the romance and mystery. I definitely recommend this book!!

I wasn't fully sure about the synopsis for NBaK but I'm glad that I took the opportunity to read an advance of this.

Pros-
This debut was enjoyable, with a little serving of spice.

Ms Lovise is a writer who obviously appreciates and loves reading romance - it's in her writing, and that's fun to read.

Cons-
This was allllllll over the place - nannying/spying, murderer on the loose, jealous plotting, we can't be together-but on second thought…, etc., etc, etc., etc. The excessive devices became annoying and this definitely detracted from the story for me.

The ending winds up being anticlimactic after all the dramas.

This is a series starter only in that it opens the way to further books. Otherwise, it seems to be a standalone.

All in all, a mostly solid debut and author I look forward to reading more by.


Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the DRC

"Never Blow a Kiss" is a solid debut from Lindsay Lovise. I love the notion of a network of governesses acting as spies and I certainly want to know more about the Dove's history. Lovise's character development is solid and her love scenes appropriately spicy. I did think one aspect of Emily's past wrapped up a bit too easily but the big secret is not one I would have predicted, yet tied in nicely with the murder mystery at the heart of this book. The murderer is a bit more obvious than Emily's secret, and there are non-murderous villains aplenty to get their comeupance. Zach is a strong male character who adapts to the presence of a strong female in his life, eventually realizing he wants her there always. Emily has multiple layers of trauma to work through but Zach and the Dove help, each in their own way. I am looking forward to further installments in this series.

4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

I left a review on NetGalley with less specifics, but wanted to mention a few things on here (so as to be more critical w/ out deterring other readers).

I think the descriptions of the serial killings need to be a little bit less graphic. They aren’t insane right now, but the phrase “mutilated breast” just should not be anywhere near a smut scene. I liked the mystery sub-plot, but that was a lot.

Additionally, there is wayyy too much going on here and (at the same time) not enough connection to The Dove. It felt like a watered down version of Maclean’s Hells Belles. but we get more time w/ her Duchess.

Finally, “Big Secret” was repetitive and made me feel like I was reading the thoughts of a ten year old: Yes, most MCs have some sort of secret, but literally repeating it was not effective. I was certain it would not be a big deal bc of how often it was mentioned.

All in all, this was a fun read but I wish it had another round of edits!! There is no need to rush with these and the characters have a lot of potential!