BREAKING NEWS

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey (Review)


Fans of Jane Austen will be delighted by this witty and charming tale. It's a clean read with romance, mystery and humor.

Book Details:

Title: Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey
Category: YA Fiction
Genre: Historical / Romance
Publisher: Swoon Reads (Feiwel and Friends)
Published: April 19, 2016
Trade Paperback, 368 pages
Content rating: G

Book Description:

In Love, Lies and Spies, Cindy Anstey's hilarious homage to Jane Austen, a lady with a penchant for trouble finds a handsome spy much more than merely tolerable.

Juliana Telford is not your average nineteenth-century young lady. She's much more interested in researching ladybugs than marriage, fashionable dresses, or dances. So when her father sends her to London for a season, she's determined not to form any attachments. Instead, she plans to secretly publish her research.

Spencer Northam is not the average young gentleman of leisure he appears. He is actually a spy for the War Office, and is more focused on acing his first mission than meeting eligible ladies. Fortunately, Juliana feels the same, and they agree to pretend to fall for each other. Spencer can finally focus, until he is tasked with observing Juliana's traveling companions . . . and Juliana herself.

Buy the Book:  Amazon



My Review:
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Every so often I love to read a good Regency novel and when it's YA historical, all the better. I didn't quite know what to expect from Love, Lies and Spies, and I am pleased to say I loved it. It was very well-written, with witty dialogue, an intelligent heroine who loves bugs (ladybugs to be exact, she actually studies them) and a swoon-worthy gallant spy.

Juliana Telford was sent by her benevolent father to live with her Aunt so that she can be introduced to the ton for her coming out and hopefully find a suitable husband. However, Juliana is not interested in procuring a husband. She, instead, has researched, along with her father, and documented her findings on ladybugs. Now, she hopes that her stay in London will afford her the time to look for a publisher.

Spencer Northam is a spy for the War Office and he meets Juliana during one of his lookout missions. He is taken in by her wit and lack of apologies for being different from the other young ladies. He too in uninterested in marriage, but his mission requires that he stay close to Juliana and her family and friends. How could he resist her guileless charm?

The author captures so well the feel, speech and setting of the Regency period. It was a delightful story that highlighted the fickleness of the beau monde when it came to proper manners and how quickly one's position can change in a society steeped in gossip and frivolous rituals. Juliana stood out because she was unconventional and dared to pursue a passion for entomology, which was considered unladylike, indeed.

Fans of Jane Austen will be delighted by this witty and charming tale. It's a clean read with romance, mystery and humor. I look forward to reading more from this author as I now count her among my favorite! 

Disclosure: Thanks to Raincoast Books for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.


About the Author:



Cindy Anstey spends her time writing and adventuring around the world. She has lived on three continents, had a monkey in her backyard and a scorpion under her sink, dwelt among castles and canals, enjoyed the jazz of Beale St and attempted to speak French. Cindy loves history, mystery and... a chocolate Labrador called Chester. Love, Lies and Spies is her debut novel. She currently resides with her husband in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Connect with the author: Website ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Share this:

4 comments :

  1. This sounds right up my alley!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like these kinds of books (generally), so I'm definitely going to give this one a go. It sounds delightful!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for commenting! I appreciate your feedback.

Visit Us Today

Visit Us Today
iRead: getting your book in the hands of readers
 
Back To Top
Copyright © 2009-2017 Laura Fabiani Library of Clean Reads . Designed by OddThemes OddThemes