In Bed with a Blackguard

Lady Knights #1

by Cara Maxwell

The gentlemen of the ton may have returned from war, but the Lady Knights of England are just beginning …

Miss Jacquetta Lawson has disappeared in the middle of the London social season. Has scandal befallen this headstrong miss or is something more nefarious afoot?

When Jacquetta allowed herself to be kidnapped by the notorious Grayson Thane, her plan was very straightforward. She would remain his captive long enough to deduce who he was working for and then she would promptly escape.

Until she wakes up tied to the mast of a ship.

Grayson Thane ought to know better. But weeks of sharing a cabin with a brazen, beautiful woman would tax any man…

Bound for the West Indies, second-son of a duke Lord Grayson Thane is so close to extricating himself from the servitude he fell into in his youth. All that remains is to deliver Jacquetta Lawson to Barbados and he will finally be free to return to his family.

But the insufferable tart is determined to frustrate him at every turn.

Confined at sea with Grayson, Jacquetta starts to question her tightly held notions of right and wrong. But she will not give up her mission to Queen and country… even if it means she must seduce her bitter enemy.

Lady Knights
In Bed with a Blackguard
Lost to Lady Scandal
A Spinster's Last Stand
The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

Published March 13, 2023

About the author

Bringing fresh perspective and punch to the genre readers already know and love, Cara Maxwell is dedicated to writing spirited heroines and irresistible rogues who you will root for every time. A lifetime reader of romance, Cara put pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keyboard) in 2019 and published her first book. She hasn’t slowed down from there.

Cara is an avid traveler. As she explores new places, she imagines her characters walking hand-in-hand down a cobblestone path or sharing a passionate kiss in a secluded alcove. Cara is living out her own happily ever after in Seattle, Washington, where she resides with her husband, daughter, and two cats, RoseArt and Etch-o-Sketch.

Reviews

[Rainelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grayson and Jacquetta took to the seas by storm. I loved this romantic action story. I tucked myself in for the night and a had a great time reading an entertaining book. I certainly enjoyed that the book was a fast page turner. This allowed me to see what Jacquetta and her girls would tackle next. The romance was a little hot and very passionate. I must say that I really enjoyed that. The book was exciting and easy to read.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A spark of interest lit in the back of her mind—Thane was thorough and clever, she’d give him that. But she was cleverer. She was a lady knight.”

I loved this book! I could hardly put it down. Jacquetta is a Lady Knight, meaning she is on a secret mission to find out more about Grayson Thane’s secret boss, a villain. For that, she needs to get herself kidnapped. So the book starts with Jacquetta kissing a man and thinking he’s not a bad kisser. You assume she must be kissing the hero, but she’s just playing, acting, and waiting for Thane to follow her and grab her. This is a very surprising and different way to start a book and I found it very promising.
Jacquetta expects to be cleverer and smarter than Thane, who doesn’t suspect her to be a spy, but she didn’t expect him to drag her out to sea, when she has a fear for the big, black ocean. What follows is a quick and easy read on them keeping secrets from each other, how Jack is handling herself in this new situation and them falling in love.
The ending was well played out, a bit as expected but with a little surprise twist and quite satisfying. One question remains: What happened with her slippers when her feet got wet (I won’t spoil anything)?
There a many steamy parts in the book, I wouldn’t mind less steamy scenes, but maybe that’s just me. The secondary characters make you want to read the next books about the Lady Knights, especially Jane! And I liked Rook and the cook.
I enjoyed this book very much, and I can honestly recommend it. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next book in this series! I’m curious to find out what happens to the other Lady Knights, and what other books Cara Maxwell has written. She knows how to write about hot men and feisty women!
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Jacquetta Lawson allowed herself to be kidnapped by the notorious Grayson Thane, her plan was very straightforward. She would remain his captive long enough to deduce who he was working for and then she would promptly escape. Until she wakes up tied to the mast of a ship sailing to the West Indies. Grayson Thane, second-son of a is so close to extricating himself from the servitude he fell into in his youth. All that remains is to deliver Jacquetta Lawson to Barbados and he will finally be free to return to his family. Confined at sea with Grayson, Jacquetta starts to question her tightly held notions of right and wrong. But she will not give up her mission to Queen and country… even if it means she must seduce her bitter enemy.
This is the start of a new series & the first full length novel I’ve read by the author & it certainly won’t be the last. I loved the idea of Lady Knights working for the queen, different & intriguing. The pace was very good & the characters well portrayed & with depth. I loved both Grayson & Jacquetta sparks flew whenever they were together, first it was delicious verbal bantering then the chemistry between them grew hotter & hotter. However both had secrets & both had a mission to complete. Could they be truthful with each other & how could they be together? I recommend you read this page turner to find out!
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a pretty new author for me. I do like to let you guys know when it is a new author. New authors are a hit or miss for me. I recently read a new author and at 18% and hours of reading, I deleted it from my Kindle. I then picked up another new author and even though I’m a Regency snob and the book was early 1900’s, I really enjoyed it. So you never know and even though I thoroughly research new authors, I don’t always find a gem.

My first book by Cara Maxwell was One Race to Ruin (Racing Rogues Book 1). It was a pretty good read but didn’t blow me away. But it was just good enough that I did want to read more by her but just not that series (yet anyway). I wanted to try a new series of hers first. I chose her Hesitant Husbands series and I am glad I did. I really enjoyed all the books in that series. I do like a bit more steam in my books but they were still good reads. Well shut my mouth….this book was freakin’ hot. Sex was yummy! Talking about steam.

I was happy to see she had this new series out. I freakin' loved reading Jacquetta and Grayson's story. I have found over the last couple of years, I really enjoy a good Regency story that takes place on a ship. So fun. It’s funny since I don’t read book synopsis’ anymore, I had no idea what this book was about but was intrigued from the beginning. Like I mentioned above, their chemistry was off the chain and sex was hot.

I can't wait until book 2. So damn good.

[Balthazor · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enemy to lovers story. I like the idea of a female agent of the crown. I just wish she would have showed her skills a little more throughout the story. I understand she has to fool the hero into thinking, she is a debutant, but I would really have liked to see some asskicking earlier on in the story. You get the impression, she is not the best of the agents. The internal dialogue explain a lot about her skills, but we only see them briefly in the end. The hero is more bark than bite. He tries to keep the control, she often persuade him otherwise. Mainly through seduction. As a smuggler and captain he is a softie. The chemistry between the hero and heroine is good, but the love scenes did not capture me completely. The time on the boat was by far the best read in the romance. I felt the ending was a bit rushed and too neatly solved. I would have liked an epilogue telling what happend, when they came to London. How did their family greet them? Especially the heroine who was kidnapped and away almost a year.

[lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

someone lmk when grayson develops a personality that extends beyond brooding

however jacquetta you are the loml do i want to be you or be with you?? the world may never know

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was good, but I did not love this. Our MMC's personality consisted of hot and broody and not much else. I never did like him, or her for that matter. The "I'm angry and I hate him, but he's hot, so I have no control" is just distasteful to me.
The MMC kidnaps an innocent women and his going to deliver her to a known villain. He doesn't know if she's to be raped and murdered or enslaved. He doesn't care. He's going to drop her off and return to England. He doesn't feed her for more than 24 hours and keeps iron shackles on her for days. I'm supposed to get over this? We don't get examples of him being a good person. We do know he's hot and good at sex, so she will fall in love. She was an interesting character and would have liked more of her being a spy. She spent most of this story in one room and having sex. The showdown with the villain was predictable. The villain exposes our FMC as a spy and it hurts the MMC's feelings. I didn't really much care what happened after that. I knew it would work out. For smart people they didn't really make good plans about how to beat the villain. They were doing their own things without telling each other, so it was messy. We end the story with them on a boat, heading back to England.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Bed With A Blackguard by Cara Maxwell is a very satisfying “pirate” book featuring Grayson Thane and Jacquetta Lawson. Both were very well-written, complicated characters who certainly saw change throughout the progress of this book. To say that either of both of them was willing to give up everything for love is an understatement. Jacquetta planned to get kidnapped. It was part of her assignment from the Queen. She was a Lady Knight, an elite group of women sworn to carry out various tasks for Her Majesty. They were well-trained, intelligent, and brave. Little did she realize she would be transported across the ocean in her attempt to ascertain the identity of the notorious smuggler, Delaurier. Thane, it turned out, was his indentured servant, all harking back to the night he had killed a man in a tavern brawl. Delaurier had “rescued” him and he had been in debt ever since, as was every man on his crew, with his indenture extended with every misstep.

Jacquetta was a wonderful character, full of creativity and imagination. She took very few of her days of captivity in simple acceptance. She was beautiful and she knew it. Despite the fact that her M.O. was seduction, she was a virgin. She saw in Thane’s eyes that he was interested. She could use that. Grayson Thane was a man held in indenture because of threats against his family. He appeared every year or two, spent a month or so in a high-end motel, and disappeared again. The Queen wanted to know what was going on and put a stop to the smuggling. Jacquetta was the one for the job. It was a long book, with a complicated plot, but well worth the read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of In Bed With A Blackguard by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #CaraMaxwell #InBedWithABlackguard

[Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, no, I've made the mistake of reading this and now I have to wait for the next one, it was that captivating!

This is truly a book like no other! There is so much and so surprising here, it keeps you on your toes!

It's the story of Jacquetta, a young woman who has a special mission that involves an noble man turned pirate. She allows herself to be kidnaped - just by reading this you have to know her character is just something else - by the pirate in question, and so begins a fascinating dance of attraction and secrets and all the in between.

While it is a well balanced and written book - nothing is rushed - there is so much action, a lot of scenes, a lot is happening. And there is still a lot of space for the romance, from the first sensual moments to the very hot ones. There is no dull moment and no guessing what is going to happen next. Something I liked a lot and found very refreshing!

Jacquetta is incredibly brave, so well instructed in the art of handling any situation, yet in her feminine power and vulnerability of accepting the love that comes upon her. Grayson is equally a fascinating character, he seems large and commanding, yet so vulnerable when he realizes the level of betrayal his last years were built on. He is such a book boyfriend material, with his possessive and protective ways.

Their connection is wonderful and I liked a lot that, despite good and bad characters, most of the book features their interaction and you have a front seat to witness how their relationship grows and evolves.

I can't wait to read more about the other Lady Knights! This was such a promising start to the series!

I received a copy of this in order to offer my personal view on it.

[Donique Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The following are my thoughts as I read this book. Ahh this is a new series titled Lady Knights sounds intriguing. Jacquetta Lawson…younger sister to Marie, secretly working for Queen Charlotte, kidnapped. Grayson Thane…estranged from his family, lives on the edge of the Ton, possibly working against Queen Charlotte. Opens with a mystery, this should be fun to unravel. Well the H certainly did not waste time with his plan, he put it into action. The h is confident she has everything under control. They are always “too long without female companionship.” LOL I think I know what the H secret is. Yes, I was right. An unfortunate situation places the h in a new light to the H. Enter the character “Delaurier” I wonder what he/she is about. Oh dear the h has gotten herself in danger. The h is definitely a magnet for trouble, LOL the H does not stand a chance. These two are fire! Ahhh so that is the role of Delaurier. I’m nervous about what is going to happen next. Oh how are they going to get out of this predicament and there are so many secrets being revealed. Oh wow I did not see that coming, well done Ms Cara. Yes a HEA. I must say this book was nothing like I thought it would be. The chemistry between the MCs was electric. This was definitely an enemies to lovers story that provided danger, angst, and steamy scenes. I really liked the h because she was straightforward and honest with herself. I couldn’t really get a read on the H other than he and the h had a strong chemistry. Although both the H and the h were great characters, I have to say -in my opinion of course- that the h was the more memorable one. I strongly recommend that you read this book.

[Amberreads.alot · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start to a new series! I thoroughly enjoyed "In Bed with a Blackguard." FMC Jacquette "Jack" is a Lady Knight working on behalf of queen and country. Assigned to figure out the reasons behind MMC Greyson Thane's infrequent stays in London, she allows herself to be kidnapped, never imagining she will end up tied to the mast of a ship bound for Barbados. Unbeknownst to her, Greyson's boss/captor of many years has demanded Greyson bring Jack to the boss. Greyson will then finally be free to return to his family.

Jack and Greyson are electric and entertaining. Jack is definitely at least a couple of years younger than I would have written her, especially since she has been at the spy game for 2 years already, but I was able to get over her age and focus instead on her character. Jack is strong and resourceful, the best kind of heroine. Greyson is tortured (of course) and has to overcome the automatic black mark of him being willing to turn over a young woman to a man whom Greyson knows is a monster. The chemistry is great, the spice is spicy, and the secondary characters make me excited to read about them.

A very solid 4 stars. I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book in this series. Thank you to Dragonblade and NetGalley for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

[Gloria Pastorino · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing new series by Cara Maxwell! I love spy stories, adventure and suspense in my romance books and this book delivered all of them in spades, together with funny moments wonderfully mixed with some angst. I loved both characters and the side characters as well. Jacquetta is a great woman, willful and capable and totally adorable. She’s pretty young, maybe a little too young to be such a good spy (yes, I would have preferred an older woman in this case), but she can handle every situation with nonchalance. Save falling for the man she’s investigating, of course! I loved handsome, brooding and kind Grayson, even if I found him a tad naïve… I don’t want to spoiler anything, but I think he was quite a fool to put himself in the hands of the first man who offered to help him… As for the writing, it’s awesome as ever, with the added bonus of the wonderful descriptions of ocean sailing and beautiful Caribbean islands!
I have great expectations for the next books and I’m sure Maxwell will not disappoint me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[SH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Jacquetta Lawson plans her disappearance in the middle of the London social season, allowing herself to be kidnapped by the notorious Grayson Thane. She needs her plan to work so that she can uncover who her works for. Yet when she wakes up tied to the mast of a ship, she knows that her plans have gone awry. When Grayson, the second son of a duke finds himself together with Jacquetta, he knows that all he must do is deliver her safely to Barbados. As they spend time together, they realise that their initial plans must change.

This book had plenty of action and romance. Whilst at first they seem to be viewing each other as a potential threat, and wonder how to deal the situation, this soon changes. Jacquetta’s feistiness lights a spark of interest from Grayson, yet he soon realises that she is quite innocent. Likewise, Grayson appears to be very controlled but yet, his past hurts make him more vulnerable than he first reveals. There are some great secondary characters that I look forward to reading about in future books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first installment of a wonderful new series, Lady Knights, and it is off to a captivating start. Jacquetta is one of the Lady Knights, sworn to carry out various missions working for the queen. In her latest mission, she allows herself to be kidnapped in order to find out the identity of a notorious smuggler, and finds herself confined at sea with Grayson Thane. Grayson is estranged from his family and working to extricate himself from servitude that he fell into when younger. Both are very strong-willed and intelligent characters and there was no denying the chemistry and passion between them. The story was filled with action, drama, and romance and the plot twists kept me intrigued and turning the pages, anxious to find out what happens next. The story was well-written and entertaining and had a nice, smooth flow and the characters were well-developed and interesting and I became invested in their story.
This was an amazing start to what looks to be a very exciting series. I'm looking forward to reading the next one!
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Linda J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 STARS

This is my first book by this author and it was enjoyable. It does end at the 95% on my e-reader and the rest is teaser for the next story. Instead of this teaser I wish the following were addressed. The author does include an epilogue 6 months in the future and it was ok. I wanted more because we know the H is estranged from his family and I would enjoyed their having a reunion. How was it explained to the h's family where she's been?

Many lovemaking sessions - heat level 4 out of 5. She is with him for over 8 months and certainly didn't take precautions, was she pregnant?

Violence, interesting main and secondary characters, some romance, unique storyline, HEA, no cheating, no cliffhanger and plenty of steam. Some crude words and Lord's name used in vain.

I can't improve on the blurb, just giving you some other tidbits to decide to purchase. (ljb)

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 – 4 stars
This was an enjoyable read. The main characters are strong, stubborn and engaging. Grayson is a scarred hero, by circumstances beyond his control that have shaped the last several years of his life. Some of the secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and enjoyed when they were on page. For me, the story spent too much time on the sailing and not enough on the spy/intrigue. I love the spy/intrigue part of the story as much as I did the romance. It kept me engaged and hoping for more. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series and seeing the other ladies on their adventures. I hope we get to see more of Jacquetta and Greyson in the other books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found that this suspenseful romance had my interest, although the build up to the final scene did take some time getting there. Having engineered her own abduction, Miss Jacquetta Lawson, who is a Lady Knight, discovers herself having to face her fears over and over again. Grayson Thane has no interest in the young woman, as she is just a means to an end. However, when her antics go beyond the pale, he opts to keep her locked up in his own cabin. The attraction builds in spite of himself and when she is attacked, Grayson will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Although the book does come to an exciting close, it was not at all what I expected. I received a copy of this book as a gift from Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Petula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Jacquetta Lawson is a Lady Knight on a dangerous mission.  It turns out to be a lot more difficult and complicated than she could ever imagine.  He courage will be tested to its limits. 

Grayson Thane has many secrets, some his own.  He has done many things he is not proud of. This infuriating female could be the death of him. 

This historical romance/adventure is the first in what I know will be a fun and exciting series. If the rest of the Lady Knights are half as brave as this one, we have lots more great adventures to come. The characters are fabulous and the setting unusual.  

Great fun.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't easily sail into this book until a couple of chapters later, but what an interesting trip to Barbados. Jacquette Lawson is a spy for Queen Charlotte with many talents to do her job, including taking care of herself. On her next mission she must make it easy to be kidnapped. Greyson Thorne's last job to be free from his employer is kidnapping Jacquette and give her over in Barbados. Jacquette's mission is to discover the identity of the man controlling Greyson. A long journey of several weeks in close quarters gives plenty of time for enemies to become lovers.
Heat level 4🔥🔥🔥🔥
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

[Carolyn Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

First in a new series, I didn’t want to put this book down. Abduction, pirates and knights, what a story. Well written with enjoyable and believable characters. There were a couple of spots that I feel should have been explained sooner and better. I kept laughing to myself about the title Lady Knights but then found out later on they were actually knighted. I feel this should have been made clear from the beginning. Overall, well done. I can’t wait to see what happens to the other ladies.

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, Fast Paced, Steamy Adventure!

In Bed with a Blackguard, written by Cara Maxwell, is the first book in Ms. Maxwell's Lady Knights series. This is also the first book I have read by this author, but it won't be the last. From the world building to the detailed characters, this book captured me from beginning to end. The story is fast paced, with interesting characters, adventure, secrets, danger, twists and turns, enemies to lovers, friends and family and a happily ever after. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good I couldn't put it down. Jaquetta and Grayson both had secrets to hide. Jaquetta was a Lady Knight. Grayson kidnapped her with a plan to take her to his boss, the villain in the book, because he wanted to know who she was working for. The villain also had an evil hold on Grayson. As they take a long voyage across the sea they find they cannot resist one another. This was a very detailed story with lots of different things happening. It was really great and not to be missed.

[Zena · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fun Adventure!
I was expecting a a story with all the pirating things in it but it wasn't so. Instead we have a very entertaining one with a delicious Grayson Thane fulfilling our fantasies and the surprising Jacquetta Lawson, a Lady Knight, standing up to him - these two were just perfect together.
What an adventure they have and their story was such fun.
I am happy to recommend this book and would love to read more about the Lady Knights.

[Albi (albireadingromance) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really enjoyable story, but I felt like it needed more background on the Lady Knights. At first, I thought this was like book 4, and I was missing out on a backstory. Loved Greyson and Jacquetta. Kinda had a zany plot, but it was fun. I feel like it would have been better if it had been longer. Just felt it was rushed, and I needed more of an introduction to the Lady Knights and their ethos.

[Aldara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know i have been watching so much television when all i could think of was how would this book work as a series and let me tell you, it would it has action, it has drama, it has romance and why not comedy (accidental or not),

The book was fast, easy to read and keep me in my toes, the romance was good, the book is one highly recommended.

[AprilGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adventure filled tale..

This novel is well worth the read.
It did get a bit much for me midway and I left it to read a few more lighthearted novels. It has a unique storyline and is action packed.
It ended well and has laid a foundation for the novels to follow.

[Cynthia R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Bed with a Blackguard

Very well written story. Good storyline. Interesting characters. Keeps you intrigued. Never know what's going to happen. Loved it. Would highly recommend.

[Anna C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

I love an adventure, with my romance, and Grayson and Jaquetta, do not disappoint, this book will keep you entertained, and it has some great steamy scenes, can't wait to read the next one!

[Beverly Purser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed the many characters thru the story. I couldn’t put it down.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it was very steamy.