The Houseparty

I was in the mood for a quick light read and this was perfect. Elizabeth and her brother have been invited to a house party. Her other brother is off fighting in France against Bonaparte. Someone at the house party is a spy and a traitor and Elizabeth is determined to uncover the mystery. She solves the mystery and finds some romance. I enjoyed the setting and the characters. The mystery was good with lots of suspects. Enjoy

Thinking about this book just brings a smile to my face. It reminded me a little bit of playing the board game Clue - that same ambiance, the old manor house, visiting houseguests and an unsolved mystery. It had a touch of mad cap comedy and adventure and a little dark, broody mystery. I loved every minute of it. And let us not forget it's an Anne Stuart so the romance was present as only she can do.

The characters were so well written that I can see them in my mind, the heroine was sassy and smart and the hero was dark and mysterious and as alpha as they make them. I loved every page of this book and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher

I have loved Anne Stuart's writing for years. This book is kind of like a mystery. Michael Fraser is a spy and rumored to be a french agent. Elizabeth is visiting with her cousin and she meets him for the first time when her cousin and her meet at a 3 day house party. Michael and Elizabeth are attracted to each other. But if he is a French spy she can have nothing to do with him and he is not telling her the truth and she doesn't trust him.. Lizzie has a habit of getting into trouble and Michael is frustrated and fascinated at the same time. Their is a conspiracy brewing and a list of possible traitors in the house somewhere. They are both looking for the list for different reasons. I love Anne's writing. She weaves a tale full of danger, intrigue and love. You cannot help loving her characters, her plots ar intricate and the pace of the story is fast paced and a joy to read.

A little bit of spying, a little bit of romance and a whole lot of funny confusion. This was a interesting and delightful read and not in the same vein as the author's Rohan series that contains dark romance filled with angst. This novel is surprisingly lighter compared to those novels. It is almost a funny interpretation of events when the lovely and extremely curious Elizabeth comes into the picture. I love her interactions with the mysterious and oh so handsome Michael Fraser. The question with Michael is, is he a spy and a traitor, a hero or a villain? Only time will tell.

In some parts of the novel, I thought Lizzie was so annoying and nosy, almost to the detriment of her own health. But over the course of the novel, her love for her brother and country completely charmed me and I found laughing at her predicaments towards the end of the book. The sex in this book is almost non existent so if you are looking for Anne Stuart's usual style, this is not it. But it is a cute read for a lazy weekend.

This is a rerelease of an old book that was earlier published in 1985 but was a delightful read nonetheless.

* I received this ARC from netgalley and the publisher for an honest review and all the opinions contained here are my own.*

What a fun read! Every single character in this book is a perfect fit. It has some mystery in it but that really isn't the main focus of the book because it wasn't a shocker, what was the main focus were the colorful characters. They were funny, rich, full characters that brought the story to life. Anne Stuart brought each of the characters to the forefront in an exceedingly well played manner. We get to know the different characters, their traits and quirks and the interaction between them. We saw those interactions bring out the best and the worst in them all. From beginning to end it was a book that you just can't stop reading and you thoroughly enjoy.

This book was first published in 1985 but this is the first time I am reading this book. I was glad that they re-released it since I did missed it the first time. Our heroine, Elizabeth is at a house part where her brother wants her to marry the host. But he isn't what Elizabeth would want at all. our hero is Captain Michael Fraser and rumors abound that he is a spy for the French. Elizabeth thinks this is her chance to help her one brother who is doing undercover work for the English in France and foil any possible plans Fraser might have. This starts a really good mystery type love affair. This is also a really good short read (almost 200 pages) that you wont' want to put down! I hope that you enjoy having this book too!

Spies, intrigue, and romance in Regency England, are among my favorite scenarios. This is an older offering of Anne Stuart's, now in kindle. Although I have read many of her books, this was not one of them. It did remind me of why I enjoyed her stories. House party is just that, a weekend gathering of relatives, near relatives, and various other people. However, this was not just a friendly get together, but an attempt to catch an English turncoat who is spying for the French. But who is the spy? Michael Fraser allows himself to be cast as the potential bad guy, or is he, maybe it's a long time friend.
Elizabeth and Michael are drawn to each other much to her chagrin, she doesn't trust but wants to know what is going on. She knows her brother, Jeremy is a spy working in France for England and she is concerned how this weekend's ActiveX will affect him.
I don't like to give the storyline away with spoilers in a review. If you enjoy clean romance mixed with intrigue, then I recommend this book. It was definitely worth my time.

ARC provided by the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When NetGalley offered this older Anne Stuart book I grabbed it without even reading what it was about. I do that with authors I really like and I really like Anne Stuart. The Houseparty is a Regency Historical-Romance set during the British Napolitano war in the mid 1800's. It is really a cozy romantic-suspense and a lot of fun, with no overt sexual content. No one writes witty, sarcastic dialogue like Anne Stuart.

Elizabeth is a old maid at 23. She keeps house for her parson brother and life is good, if dull. Elizabeth and Sumner are invited to a houseparty given by a distant cousin, Adolphus, who is also Sumner's patron and has his eye on Elizabeth as a possible wife. Unknown to them is the fact that there is a spy also in attendance and he must be stopped before he can pass valuable information.

Captain Michael Fraser is on the staff of Adolphus' uncle, Colonel Maurice Wingert, also guests for the weekend. Michael is something of an black sheep. He was disgraced in Italy over some gambling debts and passed over for a promotion, being assigned to Colonel Wingert, who is soon to retire. Gossip has it he is bitter and could have traded information for the money to get him out of his trouble.

Elizabeth and Michael strike sparks from their first meeting. Elizabeth is mistakenly given information about a list of British agents that the spy is going to transfer during the weekend. As her brother Jeremy is an agent Elizabeth is determined to recover the list and gets herself in all kinds of trouble. With everyone.

Another winner by Ms. Stuart. Good plot. Wonderful dialogue.

Classic Anne Stuart Which Shows Glimpses of Her Later Themes and Characters

"My dear Captain Fraser, if you really happen to be a spy and a traitor, then I intend to be the one to catch you red-handed. I see no reason to let the men have all the fun and excitement."

FINAL DECISION: Lively with a classic Stuart hero who walks the line between hero and villain. This classic historical book is sex-free, but with intriguing characters and a well written suspense story.

THE STORY: Elizabeth Traherne is "bright, inquisitive and far too pretty" when she attends a houseparty. She is worried about her brother who works as an agent for the British. When MIchael Fraser attends, Elizabeth learns that Mr. Fraser is known by gossip as a traitor and French spy and agent. Elizabeth learns that something is going on that threatens English security and maybe the life of her brother. At the same time, she is attracted to the dangerous potential spy which might threaten Elizabeth herself.

OPINION: I liked this book because of the interesting characters. Elizabeth is nosey and sometimes too curious for her own good, but I liked that she is unwilling to conform to her "proper" role. I really liked Michael. Stuart keeps his role ambiguous until the end of the book. He is sexy and dangerous like many of Stuart's heroes. The well plotted suspense story is also emblematic of Stuart's later works. This is a nice uncomplicated read that I enjoyed primarily because of the suspense story and the interesting characters.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book is really clean compared to modern romance novels.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE HOUSEPARTY is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

No doubt about it, the rumors were right: this stony-faced soldier, Michael Fraser, was a traitor, a spy, a scurrilous French agent. Yet her hapless cousin had invited him for the weekend! Now ELizabeth is surely scandalized, for she hears that this stealthy spy has been querying the servants about her. Her own brother is off on a secret mission against Bonaparte--that must be the reason for Michael's monstrous attentions. WONDERFUL!! I love it and couldn't put it down until I finished it. A real page turner. Will recommend to any book reader lover. EXCELLENCET!!

 
Elizabeth has been convinced to attend a houseparty with her vicar brother but they are unaware that it will be a hotbed of spy activity. A list identifying the names of English spies in France is on the loose in the house and everyone is suspect, especially the dark and handsome Captain Michael Fraser. There are rumors that he is a traitor but nothing has been proven so far. Elizabeth has an instant dislike for the infuriating captain but also finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. It will be a weekend of intrigue and insights and Elizabeth must decide whom to trust before it is too late.
 
A quick read of mystery and machinations, The Houseparty was a fun ensemble read. Originally published in 1985, it is a great book to reissue as the story manages to avoid any dated feelings. There was an abundance of characters that occasionally veered into too much of a handful but ultimately end up being the strong point of the story. From the too good-looking for his own good brother, slightly evil mother, her sinisterly flamboyant son, the overly sexual woman of the world widow, gruff military men, and a sprinkling of red-herrings, the characters sweep you along on who’s the real baddie ride. The actual story thread of spy stratagem was a bit confusing and wasn't quite fleshed out but the characters' personalities filled in the cracks.
 
Elizabeth was our leader through the story and while she could be called precocious and full of gumption, she also could be called bratty and TSTL. There was many times where Elizabeth blindly and bull headedly charged into situations that made her annoying to follow along with. She was smart in figuring things out and knowing the score but not so great in butting out of situations she had no business in. Michael was a little more lighthearted than your average brooding hero and even though I didn't get to see him as much as I would have preferred, I liked him. Most of what we see of Michael is him trying to keep Elizabeth from possibly dangerous situations and ruining his mission; he had somewhat of a limited role. Together they have tit for tat conversations that were entertaining but their interactions were limited. I wanted to see them together so much more, I'm not sure their relationship felt completely solid to me.
 
If you're looking for a cleaner, quicker read with many and varied characters and willing to accept a wobbly spy plot, and a scant romance, Anne Stuart is a quality writer to whittle away a few hours to.