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A review by blandrea_reads
A Duke, the Spy, an Artist, and a Lie by Vanessa Riley
4.0
Thanks NetGalley!
I haven't gotten super into the Regency Romance things. I read Jane Austen, but not since I was a teenager, and haven't done any Bridgerton. This was my first Vanessa Riley book, and I leaped into the 3rd book in the series. But the portrayal of a POC as the main character looked interesting, and I love a spy story!
Felton is a British spy who bumps into Cecelia while fleeing a job that has gone wrong in Demerera (Which I looked up to find is the former name of Guyana). Being the daughter of a wealthy man, her money is embraced by Felton's family, but her ethnicity, not so much. Felton continues with his work as a spy, while not really having anything in the way of a decent cover story as to why he is gone all the time (seriously, this should be SPY 101, Felton!). This leads the family to think that Cecelia was a marriage for her money and that she means nothing to him, and that they are free to treat her with the same distain that Felton appears to shows her. Felton has no idea what's happening at home and so is absolutely shocked when she physically leaves and is frantic when he can't find her. For a spy, he is pretty oblivious to things happening in his own home! There is a long road back to finding each other and seeing if they can or should still make their marriage work.
Things I loved:
- The pining! Felton's physical reactions to Cecelia's art were exactly what I want to see in a Regency Romance.
- Cecelia's passion for cheese, and food in general. This was an important part of how they connected.
- The guard cow. I won't say too much and spoil the surprise, but it was a quirky touch that made me smile
- Exploring Cecelia possibly not wanting to have children, and that being ok.
For me the pacing felt to go a bit weird towards the end of the book. In the earlier parts of the book, Cecelia's actions, or each time she runs away clearly moves the plot forward or reveals something about her or the characters around her. And then it just turns into "oops, there she goes again", and for me, at least, it seemed to get a bit old, and I really started to lose patience with both of them. But maybe that was the author's point?
I wanted a regency romance with a bit of difference, and the strong POC taking on the ton (and winning) was something that I has happy to see. This book really grabbed my imagination and had me reading late into the night, but left me with a satisfying conclusion!
Am I sleep deprived now? Yes.
Do I regret it? Absolutely not!
I haven't gotten super into the Regency Romance things. I read Jane Austen, but not since I was a teenager, and haven't done any Bridgerton. This was my first Vanessa Riley book, and I leaped into the 3rd book in the series. But the portrayal of a POC as the main character looked interesting, and I love a spy story!
Felton is a British spy who bumps into Cecelia while fleeing a job that has gone wrong in Demerera (Which I looked up to find is the former name of Guyana). Being the daughter of a wealthy man, her money is embraced by Felton's family, but her ethnicity, not so much. Felton continues with his work as a spy, while not really having anything in the way of a decent cover story as to why he is gone all the time (seriously, this should be SPY 101, Felton!). This leads the family to think that Cecelia was a marriage for her money and that she means nothing to him, and that they are free to treat her with the same distain that Felton appears to shows her. Felton has no idea what's happening at home and so is absolutely shocked when she physically leaves and is frantic when he can't find her. For a spy, he is pretty oblivious to things happening in his own home! There is a long road back to finding each other and seeing if they can or should still make their marriage work.
Things I loved:
- The pining! Felton's physical reactions to Cecelia's art were exactly what I want to see in a Regency Romance.
- Cecelia's passion for cheese, and food in general. This was an important part of how they connected.
- The guard cow. I won't say too much and spoil the surprise, but it was a quirky touch that made me smile
- Exploring Cecelia possibly not wanting to have children, and that being ok.
For me the pacing felt to go a bit weird towards the end of the book. In the earlier parts of the book, Cecelia's actions, or each time she runs away clearly moves the plot forward or reveals something about her or the characters around her. And then it just turns into "oops, there she goes again", and for me, at least, it seemed to get a bit old, and I really started to lose patience with both of them. But maybe that was the author's point?
I wanted a regency romance with a bit of difference, and the strong POC taking on the ton (and winning) was something that I has happy to see. This book really grabbed my imagination and had me reading late into the night, but left me with a satisfying conclusion!
Am I sleep deprived now? Yes.
Do I regret it? Absolutely not!