Craig’s Love and Let Spy (Better Off Wed: Book Three)

Better Off Wed (Love and Let Spy, Book Three)

Susanna Craig

Stars:  Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (mystery, intrigue, great characters, witty dialogue, chess, General Scott is always the GOAT, dashing hero, heroine who is strong and smart)

Heat rating:     🔥🔥🔥 (see the SEX-AND-SPOILERS section.)

I received an advance reader copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley; this did not influence my review in any way. You know me, Constant Reader. I’m gonna say what I’m gonna say. But here’s a hint: after reading the ARC, I went right to Amazon to purchase my own copy to keep.

I love Susanna Craig. I’ve read nearly all her books (I missed two and didn’t realize! I own them; I just haven’t had a minute to read them yet. Well, I shall be rectifying that wrong ASAP!). One of the things I like best about SC is that she puts content warnings on her website. I appreciate how these help; as you know, Constant Reader, I recently lost my mother, so parent loss definitely affects me and it's nice to be forewarned if that is going to show up in a book. (Damn, squirrel woke up and decided to tell you about the Does the Dog Die website for TV and movies, which has saved me a lot of grief—tell me right off if the pet is going to die so I can nope right the hell outta there. You can find content warnings on shows there.)

I always enjoy Susanna Craig’s stories. Quite often, the romance genre has but two extremes—not enough detail, so the background is lifeless and pale, or far too much detail, where the story becomes stilted and mired in just EVERYTHING. Susanna Craig, however, knows how to massage that sweet spot and gives just the right amount. I’m never tempted to skim or skip ahead with her books. She draws you into the story and keeps you. There’s just enough foreshadowing to whet your appetite for what is to come.

In addition, she gifts you with characters who have depth and hold your interest. This book is no exception. From the first moment you are introduced to Laura Hopkins/Lady Sterling, you feel invested in her crusade to get some small justice for innocent women who have been taken advantage of by their employers. And you know from the beginning that Jeremy is an honorable man who is beaten down by circumstances beyond his control and needs excitement and attraction to brighten the dark, dull life that he leads while buried (of his own choosing) in the Underground.

I really liked the Love and Let Spy series. The first book, Who’s That Earl, is about Jane and Thomas. Now, I’m a 70s kid so you know I was rocking out to Madonna when she came out with Who’s That Girl in 1987. Heck yeah, I watched the movie, too. That being said (I told you, I say that a lot) I preferred Desperately Seeking Susan. The armpit drying scene was classic—and I tried to do it at the mall once and my mother thought I’d lost my mind. And I cannot believe I drifted off the subject that fast. You know the deal . . . SQUIRREL!

As I mentioned in my first two reviews of the series, which you can find here—Book 1 and Book 2—this series is inspired by 80s shows. Now, I’m a 70s baby, so I watched all the shows these are inspired by—Magnum P.I., Scarecrow & Mrs. King, and (gasp) REMINGTON STEELE. Okay, I was OBSESSED with Remington Steele. I thought the Pierce Brosnan was the most handsome man ever—look at the pic in that link. Swoon!). I wanted to be Laura Holt.

Anyway, like I said above, I was given an ARC of the book by NetGalley. You can find my spoiler-free NetGalley review here. I wrote this MAR-typical review simultaneously, and waited to post it until 3  days after the book was released.

Wait, COVER RATING: I like it. The font is cute, and matches the roses. I like that the model has short blond hair, which matches Laura’s description. I’d love to have Jeremy in it, which is why it just misses the A rating: B+.

So, to review Better Off Wed, we must harken back to the previous book (which you better have read already or I am going to give you that disapproving stare that comes naturally as soon as you hit your 50^th birthday). Anyway (told ya, I say that A LOT), if you’ve read this series, you know that the man who holds the fate of the free world in his hands, General Zebadiah Scott (a.k.a. THE Greatest Of All Time), has a plan that has nothing to do with his position as England’s premier spymaster. General Scott wants his agents happy. So when he’s not saving the country, he’s being an insufferable matchmaker.

In the book two epilogue, we are introduced to Captain Jeremy Addison, Lord Sterling, a Viscount, though he prefers to live his life as an Army codebreaker. Alas, Jeremy is now General Scott’s newest victim of love (oh hell, now I’m singing The Eagles and hol’ up, that song was BOMB):

What kind of love have you got?
You should be home but you're not
A room full of noise and dangerous boys
Still makes you thirsty and hot
I heard about you and that man
There's just one thing I don't understand
You say he's a liar and he put out your fire
How come you still got his gun in your hand?

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Don Henley / Glenn Lewis Frey / Don Felder / John David Souther
Victim of Love lyrics © Cass County Music, Red Cloud Music, Fingers Music)

NO . . . FOCUS!

You see, there’s a woman who is calling herself LADY STERLING (now, that’s one hell of a coincidence) stealing from men of the Ton, and Scott wants Jeremy to do something about it.

“ ‘So I’m sending you to find her.’

Addison, who had been obligingly nodding along with his commanding officer until the last, jerked to his feet. ‘I? But I—I don’t—’ His throat bobbed in a hard swallow. ‘What am I to do with her if I succeed?’

‘When,’ Scott corrected, handing the newspaper across his desk to Captain Addison as he would a set of orders. ‘And I should think the answer would be obvious, Lord Sterling. I want you to marry her.’ ” (Epilogue, One Thing Leads to a Lover)

Oh my.

You see, Lady Sterling isn’t an ordinary thief. She’s actually Laura Hopkins (NOTE: HOPKINS. You’ve been hearing that name since the first book in the series. Take note, Constant Reader) and the Lady Sterling is actually an avenging angel whose purpose is to assist innocent young women who have been abused by their employers: “men whose lust for power extended beyond empires and crowns, beyond land and title, beyond even trade and politics, into the comfortless garrets and cellars of their domestics, often mere girls, whose pleas fell on deaf ears and whose refusals meant nothing at all” (page 9).

That description is why I enjoy SC’s writing. The righteous fury that shines through those words immediately had me signing up for Team Laura. She’s a lady with a calling and she puts her own self in danger to help others. See, Laura doesn’t care that she’s getting up close and personal to some utter shit excuses for men and that she’s labeled a thief. What matters to her is trying to get some justice for these innocent women (and, often, their children).

The first encounter, set out in the prologue, spurs the newspaper item that causes General Scott to send for Jeremy. Lady Sterling pretends to be a prostitute to steal the watch of Lord Penhurst, who has taken advantage of one of his domestic servants and gotten her pregnant—and then immediately fired the poor girl. Lady S. planned to just steal the watch, but luck is definitely a lady tonight, and he’s got a fat purse, which is not a usual thing for him. But she’s comely and he’s willing to give the pretty lady sixpence for a “quick spit and polish.” (Okay, that wording cause me to see things in my head that I didn’t want to ever imagine. Hand me some brain bleach, if you please. Lord Penhurst is not sexy.) And poor Lady S. has to pretend she is interested, in dialogue that underscores why Susanna Craig’s books are an instant purchase:

“ ‘Oooh, gov. Me mouth’s already waterin’.’

It was not. But her eyes were. Why did gentlemen prefer dousing themselves in cologne to a thorough application of soap and water?” (11)

That made me cackle because it’s true. One ride on the subway in rush hour will show you this hasn’t changed in hundreds of years. The only “good” thing about the pandemic is the fact that an N95 mask will filter out some of the funk that used to envelop you while you’re crammed on the train like sardines, always in close proximity to someone who smells like they took a cologne shower, usually without benefit of any previous bathing. 🤮

Anyway, she grabs the goods, leaves her card, and is trying to figure out how to get out of this situation (she’s armed, so she WILL get out of the situation), when a couple happens upon the scene. Lady S. takes advantage of their proximity and hauls ass, just to be caught by the gentleman half of the couple. She stammers that the man has attacked her, and Penhurst comes blustering out like a sweaty oversexed bear. Lady S. just knows the jig is up because, though the man holding her asks her if she’s been harmed, she doesn’t trust any man to actually assist. “If men truly cared about the fate of women, they would stop their brethren from doing to innocent girls what Penhurst had done to his parlor maid.” But she’s shocked when the gentleman releases her and tells her to run. And off she goes. Now, Constant Reader, we’ve already determined who the gentleman who just happened upon the scene and saved her is, right? OF COURSE we do. (Reminder: suspend your disbelief.)

Now, mind you, all that happened before Chapter One! The first chapter starts with Captain Jeremy Addison waiting in General Scott’s study. At. His. House. He legit got called to General Scott’s house and is it bad that I am pea green with envy? Y’all know how I feel about the man. He is the GOAT. And something is clearly up, because General Scott does not mix work and home. Jeremy knows it’s serious since he’s only been to the General’s home twice, but he’s so frustrated because he cannot figure out the cookbook/code book from the second book, that he’s excited to boogie over to the General’s home: “General Scott’s note had provided a welcome excuse to stretch his legs and clear his head, to escape a dungeon, grown musty with the stench of his failure” (14). (Dude, you don’t know the General that well, do you? In my best Admiral Ackbar voice, “It’s a trap!”)

Anyway, here we are at the General’s digs, and it’s minimalist spotless, which is so unlike his usual messy office at the Horse Guards that Jeremy is freaked out. If anyone should run, it’s you, darling. See, all of his men know that the General is the ultimate actor. “And the show was about to begin.”

You got your popcorn ready?

The General shows him the newspaper bit (previewed in book two) and Jeremy is actually irritated AF and doesn’t care that the General knows it. He knows why the General called for him (um, “STERLING”). LMFAO, this man has some balls. He considers cussing AT. GENERAL. SCOTT. But, instead, “settled for a glare in the general’s direction.” WTAF. This isn’t Remington Steele; it’s Sonny Corleone!!!! But I told you that the General is the GOAT, and possibly the smartest man on earth, because he KNOWS how to hook his man. See, the General thinks that Lady S. would be an ideal spy . . . he thinks she’s stealing more than money and jewels—she’s collecting info (cue the Morgan Freeman GIF: “He’s right, you know”). Oh yeah, now Jeremy is interested (despite himself). And now we get to the bit that SC teased us with in the previous book: “I want you to marry her.” 💒

But we hear a little bit more about why a Viscount is living in the Underground and spending his days toiling for the Crown. See, when he was 17, he inherited a title and a shitload of debt. Jeremy does NOT want the title, and he certainly doesn’t want the debt and responsibility.

Here, we see Jeremy laugh off the marriage bit and the General laughs with him: Haha, J/K, Cap. But you know he’s not (Thomas and Langley can tell you more about whether the General is actually joking about the parson’s mousetrap . . . yeah, no).

So he tries to get out of it, but the General isn’t going to play that game. Seriously, Cap, HAVE YOU MET HIM? But right now, Jeremy’s getting in his feelings. Scott must be doing this because Jeremy hasn’t solved the code of the French cookbook; he believes the General has lost faith in his master code breaker. But Scott won’t let him wallow in self pity. He needs to get out and about and he has no field agents he can slap with this, and his next words about those agents SHOULD scare the pants off Jeremy, because, holy shit, it’s a H I N T: “They’re being drawn into the greener pastures of wedding bliss at an alarming rate.” I want to go all Doctor Who on him and yell, “Don’t blink.”

Oh, SQUIRREL. I adore Doctor Who. My favorite Doctor is 10, David Tennant (who is also one of my favorite actors, have you watched Broadchurch or Deadwater Fell?) but I love the whole series. I will admit, I didn’t start watching until the revival series with Christopher Eccleston (I love 9 as well). I have a Dalek hat and a T.A.R.D.I.S. hat that I must show you one day.

Did you really let me veer off AGAIN? Constant Reader, you need a cattle prod. Where were we? Oh yeah, Jeremy learns that the plucked pigeon is Lord Penhurst, who I absolutely loathe. And General Scott sends him that way, but not before he gives a shout out to Robin Ratliffe (you’ve read the first book, right?). And, our man, General Scott is headed to the beach with his missus, so he wishes Jeremy luck, though Jeremy ain’t pleased, and heads to see Penhurst.

Penhurst is a POS. That’s all I can say. And he starts to go through the events of previous night and—aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh—the heavens part and the angels sing for Jeremy and, holy shit, LADY STERLING WAS THE WOMAN WHO RAN INTO HIS ARMS. Dude, we been knew that; you need to learn to keep up. Anyway, Jeremy skedaddles, but not before he snags the card that Lady S. left with Penhurst, which references a “Betty.” On his way out, runs into a footman (hey, Walter!) who is clearly hella disgruntled, and as any good spy knows, those are the best sources. And that’s how gets all the deets on the mysterious Betty, who has been impregnated by Penhurst. Now that he knows who and what Penhurst is, Jeremy has a change of heart about his interaction with Lady S. and is happy she escaped that horrible animal. But the footman also provides some great info, Betty is working for a Mrs. Mildred Hayes. Oh, and the footman gives a little more 411—Mama Penhurst is sending Penhurst-the-asshole to the country because the watch Lady S. stole is a family heirloom, though Penhurst didn’t mention it getting stolen. Hmmmmm. Now, that’s suspicious.

Hope you still have popcorn. 🍿

Let me break off for a second (y’all know me; you knew it was coming) to tell you that I love me some Walter! He still wants to walk in the park with Betty, even in her condition. (Betty, you need to hold onto Walter because this is a good man. Grab him. Keep him.) Next thing you know, Jeremy and Walter and rolling out to find Betty (dude just yanked off the powdered wig and abandoned his post without a second thought).🏃

In that awesome SC way that sets things up and gets you salivating, the next chapter reveals that Mrs. Mildred Hayes is the aunt of Miss Laura Hopkins.

Were you surprised?

Okay, so I love Aunt Mildred. She’s the kind of old lady I have every damned intention of being. Laura keeps pulling the watch out and fondling it and Auntie is in full Auntie mode: “my dear girl, that must be the tenth time you’ve looked at your watch this hour.” Laura has got NO shame; she shows it off and Auntie sniffs, “Rather masculine.” Oh snap—S H A D E. I’m telling you, Aunt Mildred is channeling every single old Auntie out there—I have 4 nieces and nephews so I have old Auntie DOWN; I’m only 50, but my eldest niece was born 36 years ago, which gave me hella practice before I hit my midcentury. You go, Auntie. I can even see her face in my mind. I bet you can, too. She is talking about feeling the rain in her bones—oh yeah, Auntie Mildred is invited to the cookout. I also ADORED Doris Roberts as Mildred Krebs on the show. She would tell it like it is.

Just a quick point on Susanna Craig’s unconventional heroines. Laura has short hair, which is refreshing. Usually historical romance heroines have hair that is waist length and holy crap, that is a bitch to deal with in 2021, so how the hell did they handle all of that in the 19th century? Note, my hair is just below my shoulders and 2-in-1 shampoo is a lifesaver. Otherwise it’s dry as straw. Yeah, I actually use a conditioner as well as the 2-in-1, but back in the day, these ladies were using soap (lye, I bet) to wash their hair and that’s really not great (their hair must’ve felt like that pink asbestos insulation that is probably still in my attic; note: stay the helllllll outta the attic). Though they weren’t using a 1200 watt blow dryer, so maybe it evens out. Am I really embarking on a discussion of conditioner and heat styling tools here? Maybe I need to save this and go to bed. Pretty sure Laura keeps it short so she can easily change up her look with hairpieces, though. And she’s also short of stature, which I like since I have never even seen 5 feet.

Auntie is headed to Bath. Laura isn’t going (she’s pleading a headache). And Betty is gonna stay with her (wink, wink). Yeah, but the second Auntie is down the block, Laura is jetting outta that joint. Where ya going, lady? Kent, cuz she’s got another asshole to punish. And Laura isn’t afraid of anything—she’s going by public stage (this part is important).

Here, we talk about charm. Now, let me tell you, I am all about the old adage “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar” (I told you, I’m an old Auntie). “As Lady Sterling, she charmed men into situations that made it possible for her to punish their mistreatment of powerless young women as painfully as she knew how.” Anyway (told ya), we leave our avenging angel on the stage, heading to Kent to help out a Miss Godfrey, who is concerned about her employer, Lord Thornton. So yeah, Lord Thornton is a thorn in Laura’s side, as two of her earliest clients had been mistreated by the man, but Laura hadn’t been able to find something to stop him. There is no way she’ll be deterred now!

We will leave her on the stage for a sec, cuz we’ve got to return to our dashing hero and Good Guy Walter, who’ve actually caught up with Betty. Betty quickly coughs up the goods on Laura, because her knight in shining armor (Walter) is there and vouches for Jeremy as a good man. So, back to the stage we go, with Jeremy in hot pursuit. Well, there’s an accident (a legit accident—even General Scott isn’t THAT good) and poor Laura badly sprains her ankle and ends up at an inn where she runs into . . . Thornton and Jeremy (separately, of course, dear God, my man Jeremy would NEVER consort with someone like the Odious Earl). And we see why Jeremy isn’t a field agent, because he sees Laura, sees the watch, and blurts out “LADY STERLING” in front of an. Entire. Room. Of. People. Face palm. And because he’s screwed this up, he’s got to step up and agree to one helluva madcap scheme. Even before she realizes his name is actually Sterling, she says they are married. One of the best scenes is when they are hurriedly introducing themselves in a whisper and he drops the bomb that he is Lord Sterling. And though he’s usually staid and logical and frankly boring, my boy can step on the stage and hold his own: “Her supposed husband stepped closer still to her, dropped down on one knee, and reached for her hand. This was a degree of commitment to the role she had not expected” (41). Hell, neither did we!

But SC always throws a twist in here, and yeah, he actually recognizes the real her, too. He’s met her before, at an officers’ mixer. He knows exactly who she is (ding ding, remember Lieutenant Fitzwilliam Hopkins from the epilogue of book one and basically all of book two? Langley and Amanda saved his bacon in the last book). Her brother is the one who found the codebook that screwed up everyone’s lives. And ready for another twist? Now, the two of them are headed to Thornton’s house so she can recover. Oh, and Thornton is throwing around some date-rapey suggestions about dosing her up with laudanum. He’s really just disgusting. Jeremy is wondering if the General planned this all, but soon thinks, nahhhh, he wouldn’t (aw, he’s so cute and innocent).

I need a minute to describe our hero. Jeremy “was a planner, a thinker. He took notes. He made lists” (33). Boom, I’m in love. I’m a planner and thinker. Logic is my north star. His cred just went way up. Oh, and “he was the sort of man who did his duty. Even when he would much rather not.” (Same, dude, same.) Anyway, he’s not super tall, and he ain’t swole (though he can pick her up and carry her around with no issues). He’s got almost black hair and eyes as blue as lapis lazuli. Ah, 1980s Pierce Brosnan; sigh (though current PB is still hot as 🔥). Yeah, I’m really in love.

And Laura knows he’s a problem. Because “the very real Lord Sterling was neither ancient nor feeble, and not entirely dull-witted. He had the potential to cause her a great deal of trouble” (50). She can’t even call him handsome; beautiful is a better word. Oh, and she has NO idea he knows who she is (that her brother is his coworker), so when he throws out family info, she is shook. He knows too much and she doesn’t like that. Thornton introduces them to the household, and Miss Godfrey, who is the reason Laura is there in the first place, suggests the blue bedroom for them, so she can get to Lady Sterling quickly. Soon, they’re chilling in the blue room, with one bed that she insists he sleeps in with her to make it look legit, and . . . the doctor says her ankle is sprained and she cannot do anything for a few days—which sucks because she’s here to find something out about the Odious Earl that will ruin him once and for all. What will she do? Well, first of all, she wants to know the legit 411 from Jeremy; particularly, how on earth does he know her?

One of the best parts occurs around page 60, when they’re drinking brandy. Laura drinks it without a peep; then he tries to swallow it, and starts coughing and choking. Our innocent hero. He’s more shook when she refers to him as Lord Sterling, and he has to explain that he doesn’t use his title—unheard of. But he reveals that not only does he WORK with her brother, he’s met her before. She thinks that her brother has sent him for her, and he doesn’t reveal what really happened. But she’s learning that he’s actually a really nice man, which she doesn’t seem to believe exists: “She was tired of being surprised by him—even agreeably” (63). However, she does tell him that, in her Lady S. persona, she takes something of value, but also lets them know that she knows something about them—close to what General Scott suspected. She explains that Thornton is her nemesis—she’s been asked to assist twice, and hasn’t been able to stop him. One client killed herself as a result of her employer’s abuse. The other, a cook, was at least able to get away with £50. 

Jeremy is a good man. He decides to help her; particularly since their “marriage” would overshadow any other connotations of “Lady Sterling.”

Another part that I liked—they’re talking and he puts up a finger to quiet her. OMG, women haaaaaaaaaaaate that, and she responded (she fantasizes about biting his finger; we have all been there). But he’s not doing it to be a jackass—his training has kicked in and he knows that someone is approaching the door. So he gets a pass. It’s Miss Godfrey, btw, and she’s surprised to know there’s a Lord Sterling—“Gentlemen do, on occasion, have their uses,” Laura says (71). Miss Godfrey has not be accosted by Thornton yet (she hadn’t even met him until that day, but had been warned), and Laura gives her a hatpin as protection (and tells her, basically, to jab him in the balls if he comes too close—causing Jeremy to wince). The best part is after Miss Godfrey leaves, when Laura tells Jeremy, “You show promise as an assistant, Lord Sterling.” Lmao, he’s a legit spy for the Crown, and she’s giving him an attaboy. And right then, he has an epiphany:

“With every passing moment, he felt more certain that Scoot should’ve sent someone else on this mission—and oddly grateful the general hadn’t. Being locked away with books for weeks on end could grow a trifle dull.” (73)

(I get you, my man, but being locked away with books for weeks on end is my greatest fantasy. #TeamIntrovert)

Anyway, how to get from her fleeing after her wedding to wedded bliss? Well, apparently they both go to the theater (thanks to his sister and her aunt) so they’re going to go full thespian and pretend that she changes her mind after one night. Our man is legit innocent:

“ ‘And what exactly is meant to have changed overnight?’

She blinked at him, lips parted, incredulous.

Realization dawned. ‘Oh. That.’ ” (77)

He’s so freaking adorable.

And he is afraid to sleep in the bed with her. He swears he will sleep on the dressing room floor. And she has to persuade him that might reveal everything, “with the sort of exaggerated gentleness he generally associated with speaking to small children or dull-witted men.” HAHAHA. I do this to my man all the time and he says, “why are you talking to me like that?” LMAO, because YOU ARE NOT GETTING IT.

So they sleep—though Jeremy is freaked out and leaps out of bed at the crack of dawn to get closer to Thornton (in this case, going shooting). Thornton actually wants them to stay through “a house party of rakehells” he’s having that week; Jeremy wants to be as far away as possible, but Laura insists they stay. Laura is miserable being stuck in the bedroom, unable to stand on the foot yet, and tries her best to get info from the maids, but it’s killing her to be unable to really search for info. She falls trying to pick up something, and Jeremy comes in to see her capsized on the floor, and rushes to her, “are you all right, darling?” (97). Sniffle. She finally takes the laudanum the “doctor” gave her, because she’s in pain and not resting. But . . . that means he has to help her undress. (YES!) Of course, he’s a perfect gentleman. She gets a peek at his chest (oh, Constant Reader, you know me and a hairy chest—swoon).

But . . . more importantly, she provides some info to him that she has no idea the magnitude of: remember we said that she’d been foiled by Thornton before—one victim killed herself and the other, the cook, was able to get away? Well, the cook brought something of Thornton’s with her (CUE DRAMATIC MUSIC):

A French cookbook!!!!!

Yes, this is the codebook that was first mentioned in book one, was the focus of most of book two, and has been Jeremy’s nemesis ever since it was recovered by the Magpie. What a coincidence (yeah, when General Scott is involved, there are NO coincidences). Yep, her brother Fitz “sold” it for £50, after disappearing and coming back beaten up and appearing half starved—yeah, we know what happened there. So, hmmmm, where’s the best place to find out if there’s anything that can help decode the book? Thornton’s house! Where they just happen to be staying. So Jeremy CARRIES her downstairs in the night. Oh, and did I mention, the library is full of erotic artwork, including a pornographic chess set? God, I love SC’s writing: “The chessmen were extraordinarily well-endowed little fellows . . . ” (114). Hell, the pawns are actually little penises. He is MORTIFIED. She is amused at his embarrassment.

Back upstairs, Laura wants a kiss. Well, she calls it a “private rehearsal” for their marriage farce. Lol, okay, sure. But she says that’s it, just the once . . .

Okay, Constant Reader; y’all know me. If books have been out for a while, I will keep going through the plot until just a little bit before the end (cuz I don’t want to fully spoil anything). But this book just came out 3 days ago, and I want you to BUY IT. Right now, we are at the halfway point, and I won’t go into full detail on the rest of the journey Jeremy and Laura have embarked upon toward their HEA here;  you’ll see some more down below in the spoilers, though, but not as much as a typical MAR review.

 Kudos

By the way, another thing that makes this book, and the whole series, amazing is Susanna Craig’s addition of characters of color. We have Theo in the first book and we meet Colonel Millrose in the second and, to our delight, he’s back here in this one! You’d think Millrose was just a lowly storekeeper, but oh no. Millrose is actually a spy, but not just any spy. He’s a high ranking, intelligence officer—Colonel William Millrose—General Scott’s aide. THANK YOU, Susanna Craig, for adding a character of color who has depth, importance, and smarts. As you know, Susanna Craig was inspired by 80s TV shows for this series, and the character Billy Melrose was played by a black actor, Mel Stewart, on Scarecrow and Mrs. King. I remembered him from back when I watched the show in real time (haha, DVR/record what?)  on my huge, clunky, tube TV with no kind of remote control option (it was the middle ages back when I grew up, lol). More about Millrose in my second book review: https://diaryofamiddleagedromantic.blogspot.com/2021/12/craigs-love-let-spy-series-book-two-one.html.

 

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Time for the SEX-AND-SPOILERS section. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Reminder, don’t continue if you don’t want to hear about sex and/or you don’t want to hear about the ending. Second reminder: these are primarily HEAs, which means H (Hero) and h (heroine) are getting together before the last page. So you know it’s coming, pun intended (I am overusing that, but it’s just too delicious to pass up).

The book is relatively short, about 213 pages. There are a couple sex scenes, which include two separate scenes of masturbation/mutual masturbation, which is also a refreshing twist that’s not always presented in romance novels, but I think should be. There’s one very limited full on sex scene, one page, not many details. But rampant boning would be totally out of character for these two, so what SC’s given us works for them.

Sex

I know kisses aren’t sex, but I love the detail that SC puts into their first kiss. It really is beautiful how she provides description of the physical act, as well as what it’s doing to our hero and heroine. And it does a lot; he rushes off to the library and she takes care of her own pleasure (points to SC for not shying away from the fact that women been doing this forever and there’s no shame to it—the more you know how to pleasure yourself, the better things are with others).

A little later, IN THE CARRIAGE, they admit to each other that neither of them has “much practical experience” with sex. Lmao, Jeremy says: “Well, I believe that when a man truly wants to know something, he must throw himself wholeheartedly into his studies . . . and I’ve always been a quick learner” (147). Yassssssssss, boy! You ‘bout to learn TODAY! He talks to her, he wants to see how she pleasures herself, because he wants to learn how to pleasure her (LISTEN TO THE MAN, MY FRIENDS) and then he joins in. And she returns the favor. There’s only so much folks can do in a carriage—those bad boys are tiny.

Okay, finally so we are in the sitting room of his home, and he’s speaking low and seductively and staring her in a way that “the intensity of his gaze nearly robbed her of breath.” Oh yeah, we know what time it is. His mom and sister have dashed off and he’s asked her to stay, and of course she agreed (Laura is a lot of things, but she’s not stupid). 

FINALLY. The moment we’ve all been waiting for. They’re finally about to . . . what? He whips out a chess set, and not an erotic one like the Odious Earl has. I feel like crying. But Jeremy has to get something off his chest before he can offer her his heart, and the precision of chess is helping him open up to her. And no matter what we’ve learned about him and he’s learned about himself, Jeremy is still up to his eyeballs in debt that isn’t even his.

Just when I had lost all hope, YES! They sneak off to his bedroom. And I love them. They’re both virgins and they know it’s going to be awkward.

“ ‘Easy, love,’ he whispered, catching her roving fingers. ‘This is already bound to go too fast.’

‘Then we’ll do it again,’ she said . . . ”

(Now that’s a positive attitude. Go get ‘em, tiger!)

I’ve said before, SC doesn’t go into all the sex act deets, and it’s fine. The entire act takes up maybe one page, and there’s not a lot of detail, but seriously, the man is what, 29, and it’s the first time he’s had sex. He rises to the challenge, but he’s not experienced, so it makes sense. And it’s sweet.

And, surprisingly, one of the hottest parts is when he wakes up naked, in soldier/spy mode. That was just fun to visualize in my mind: “. . . never more a soldier than in that moment, as he sat up, indifferent to his nakedness, and scanned the room for some unseen threat” (196). Yeah. That’s more Bond than Remington Steele, but Pierce Brosnan can do it all and, clearly, so can Jeremy.

SPOILERS BELOW. BEWARE!

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 Some spoiler-y things

She is his second kiss—the last was 12 years previously. I love the fact that he’s not a rake or Lothario. It is so refreshing. Most historical romance novels feature an experienced man, who has often just changed his promiscuous ways upon meeting the heroine. It’s nice, yes, but this is different and fresh. A+ to SC for this. See, 12 years before, he inherited the title and everything changed. The title meant that, all of a sudden, he was a catch. Jeremy has never been stupid—he knew why things suddenly changed and it didn’t have to do with him as a person: “. . . he’d discovered that a title he did not want and did not deserve nonetheless made him interesting to others. And eligible, in a way the son of the rector had never been. Knowing he could not afford to marry, Jeremy had gently set Sally [his first kiss] aside and sworn off drink, kisses, and everything to which they might lead” (117).

We learn why Laura became Lady Sterling—her father was an abusive drunk; cruel to her and his wife, and sexually abusive to the staff. Aunt Mildred provided her with The Rights of Woman and took her to lectures; Laura decided she would try to do something to stop men like her father.

Laura could be a great spy. She figures out how to find Jeremy at the Underground. Oh, and the fact that Colonel Millrose knew exactly who she was the second he saw her made me yell in glee. I was waiting for him. As you saw in the “Kudos” section, above, and since you have read my other reviews and the previous two books (and you better have! I warned you), you’ll know how much I love him. Oh, and then he reels off her background, down to the fact that she’s 11 months older than Fitz. Nothing gets by Millrose. 🏆

Jeremy’s mom and sister are adorable. Laura nearly gives his mother a heart attack when she says she’s his wife, causing Jeremy to have to quickly explain the whole situation. Sister Julia is amused! Julia is delighted because he’s NEVER mentioned a woman to them before. Julia thought he was gay, actually. And she’s a devoted sister; she wants to know if Laura likes Jeremy back (since Julia knows he clearly likes Laura).

We are also reintroduced to Arthur Remington, who we met in the Rogues & Rebels series, when he worked for the Marquess of Ashborough in The Companion’s Secret, as well as having a relationship with the Duke of Raynham in The Duke’s Suspicion. I always liked Remi, and was delighted with where his character arc went in this book. His introduction is a significant spoiler, but I am not telling you here; buy the book!

I like the fact that Laura doesn’t need a man to feel complete, and though she always thought that loving a man made you weaker, she soon learns that loving the right person actually makes you strong. “She had been whole before she met Jeremy. But she was stronger with him by her side.” SC infuses this through the entire tale, beginning with how Jeremy and Laura quickly become partners (though, for different reasons) early on in the tale. Neither of them is used to working with another person, so they learn to collaborate for the first time in their lives, professionally and personally. Laura says, “Every plan I have, you manage to make better,” but the sentiment could have been expressed by either.

Another one of the biggest obstacles is the fact that Jeremy is not only barely making ends meet to take care of his mom and sis, but he’s got all of Lord Sterling’s inherited debts. But, booyah, Laura’s got a dowry (I KNOW this was part of the reason General Scott set this up; Millrose said that they know everything about their agents).

This book wraps up some of the mystery of the second book, and you’d think it was the end of the line, but thank you Eight Pound, Six Ounce, Newborn Infant Jesus (Talladega Nights is a CLASSIC, and if you tell me you haven’t seen it, Constant Reader, you’ll get THE LOOK), there’s a fourth book in the series (Every Rogue Has His Charm) planned for August! Constant Reader, you know I am Team Epilogue. And SC’s epilogues are the Marvel movie post-credit scene of romance novels (I am an insane Marvel movie fan; the reason it took me so long to finish this and the NetGalley review is because I went to see Spider-Man: No Way Home the day before I started writing this and got distracted!), so I always sit up and pay attention. So we know it’s setting us up for the fourth book. We will also meet Lord and Lady Chesleigh, whose match was made by our man General Scott and doesn’t appear to be working out—uh oh. No fear, Mrs. General Scott says he must fix it! And I have a feeling that, kind of like those old E.F. Hutton TV commercials (I just dated myself), when Mrs. General Scott talks, everybody listens! And it seems like we will see more of Fanny Drummond, who, it appears, will be assisting the General in more than tobacco shop business. Huzzah!

 

 

 

❌ I caught two mistakes. Page 33, it has Freddy instead of Walter. At 177, it says Miss Addison where it should say Miss Hopkins. But they are minor, and do not take away from the story!