Book Details:
Book Title: Duels & Deception by Cindy Anstey
Category: YA Fiction, 369 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Release date: April 11, 2017
Content Rating: G
Book Description:
Lydia Whitfield has her future entirely planned out. She will run the family estate until she marries the man of her late father's choosing, and then she will spend the rest of her days as a devoted wife. Confident in those arrangements, Lydia has tasked her young law clerk, Robert Newton, to begin drawing up the marriage contracts. Everything is going according to plan.
Until the day Lydia—and Robert along with her—is kidnapped. Someone is after her fortune and won't hesitate to destroy her reputation to get it. With Robert's help, Lydia strives to keep her family's name unsullied and expose the one behind this devious plot. But as their investigation delves deeper and their affections for each other grow, Lydia starts to wonder whether her carefully planned future is in fact what she wants...
Fans of historical romance will delight in Duels and Deception, a young adult novel from Cindy Anstey, author of Love, Lies and Spies.
My Review:
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani
After I read Love, Lies and Spies, which made it to my Best Reads of 2017 list, I knew I wanted to read Cindy Anstey's second novel Duels & Deception. Once again, I was delighted with a charming and witty Regency story, a clean read with romance, mystery and humor.
When she gets kidnapped and is put in a compromising situation, Lydia's world is turned upside down as all is no longer black and white but quite muddy...with lots of heart flutterings! Although there is never a question of how the main character and her man feel about each other, it's the coming-of-age journey that Lydia makes that makes this story interesting. It's that discovery and beauty of first love that endeared me to this book infused with intrigue and comical scenes.
The author captures so well the feel, speech and setting of the Regency period, making this a thoroughly entertaining read for me. This is very much a character-driven novel, one that fans of Jane Austen will appreciate. If you like YA historical fiction, this one is a feel-good book written about a time when the simple pleasures in life, such as strolling with friends was a highlight. How refreshing!
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.
