How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy

The Renegade Royals #3

by Vanessa Kelly

Whether as spies or lovers, the Renegade Royals—illegitimate sons of England’s Royal Princes—are bold, skillful, and a force to be reckoned with…

A war hero returned from Waterloo should be able to indulge in a bit of bad behavior. Instead, Captain William Endicott is summoned by his father, the Duke of York, to investigate an assassination plot. The unlikely suspect: William’s former sweetheart. Will can’t believe that innocent Evie Whitney could be mixed up in anything so nefarious. Then again, almost everything about Evie has changed—except for his body’s instinctive response to hers…

Just as Evie’s life is finally coming together, Will saunters back into it. Should she slap him—or seduce him? Even as she tries to decide, scandal pushes her toward marriage with a man she can neither trust nor resist—and into the heart of a deadly conspiracy…

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

390 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 6, 2015

About the author

Vanessa Kelly is a bestselling author of historical mystery and historical romance. She has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Maggie Medallion for best historical romance. She is a USA Today, Barnes & Noble, BookScan, and Amazon bestseller several times over. To date, her books have been published in eleven languages. Vanessa also wrote USA Today bestselling contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.

After receiving her MA in English literature from Rutgers University, Vanessa spent several years in the Ph.D program at the University of Toronto, studying women authors of the 18th Century. She worked as a researcher for many years, and currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband.

Reviews

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

****Full Review****

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Will and Evie were childhood sweethearts whose love story was interrupted by Napoleon. Will went off to fight for King and country while Evie remained at home confused and hurt as to why Will distanced himself from her. With Evie's mother constantly giving him the cold shoulder because of his born on the wrong side of the blanket status, emotional toll of war, and little bit of fear of his feelings for Evie, Will makes the unconscious decision to drift away from Evie. A couple years have gone by, Napoleon has been routed and Will has a side job as being a spy. When he and his cousin Alec are given the assignment of uncovering Irish rebels and a plot to assassinate royals, he is shocked to hear Evie's name mentioned. It seems Evie has been doing charitable work at St. Margaret's, which is known to help Irish in need along with her soon to be, fiancé Michael. Hearing Evie could be betrothed and not to him, is a shot to Will's heart. When Will and Evie collide old feelings might not be buried as deep as liked but Will's lies and Evie's lack of trust in him might keep those feelings from ever surfacing.
 
The first half of this book was immensely slow and tedious; very hard to get into. Will and Alec are on the mission of finding out if Michael and by extension Evie, are involved in the murderous plot but there seems to just be a lot of standing around at parties as Will is annoyed with how Evie tries to avoid him. There are also numerous mentions of how Eden, Evie's twin sister, and Alec try to antagonize one another as the author sets up the story for the next in the series. Except for Alec questioning Michael and asking for tours of St. Margaret's there doesn't seem to be any actual spy work being done. After the fifty percent mark things picked up a bit as Will and Evie get caught in a compromising position and start to spend more time together. There is still a slight stiltedness to their interactions but at least they are having them. The assassination plot is really the main focus of this book and it also picks up steam halfway through as more characters and answers get revealed.
 
Evie had extreme hurt, anger, and confusion towards Will due to miscommunication, misunderstanding, and how young they were when their relationship was forming. She loved how handsome he was but constantly tried to run back to Michael's side because he had never hurt her. Will, of course, can't figure out why he becomes angry whenever he sees Evie with Michael. I thought Evie had depth as a character; she is the shy twin so she lives a bit in her sister's shadow and has a lack of self-esteem but a passionate nature that flares up at times. Her character was layered and she was interesting. Will never managed to get beyond the good looking soldier boy for me as I never felt anything from him, he rang hollow many times. Together they fell somewhat flat as Evie kept placing Michael between them and I kept waiting for the customary Big Lie of Will investigating Evie to blow up.
 
The Irish rebels and their murderous plot started off slow but towards the end became the most engaging part of the story, even if the main villain was fairly predictable. Unfortunately, I found there to be a lack of romance, in this romance book. The quality of writing is apparent with the plot technically strong but the emotional execution simply wasn't there.

[Patty McKenna Van Hulle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigue & conspiracy is afoot, but never fear a yummy spy hero & a wallflower will save the day & they have a FAIRY GODDUDE sprinkling his meddling PIXIE DUST!

Miss Evelyn, Evie, Whitney is a twin, but she has always been a wallflower as her sister, Edie, has always been the outgoing one always getting into mischief. Their mom has always loved everything about Edie, but she has never stop lecturing Evie for everything. When she finally straps on her BIG GIRL UNDIES, she demanded glasses, so she could stop walking into plants & walls, but Edie was just to vain to get herself some. Evie grew up with her FOREVER guy, Wolf, but he joined the army, deserted her & ripped out her heart. Evie has finally found a man who wants to marry her & take her away from her toxic mom, but he is catholic & her mom doesn't approve, but she hopes her family's house party will prove he is her future hubby.

Captain William "Wolf" Endicott is the illegitimate son of the royal Duke of York, but he was raised by his loving uncle & aunt. Wolf went into the army for his royal father & he & his cousin Alastair "Alec" Gilbride become spies as well as soldiers together doing the Napoleonic War. Wolf is so sick of death & wasted life & he is finally home, but he & Alec are called in by his outraged dad & their spymaster boss, Sir Dominic Hunter to stop a Irish/Catholic conspiracy & possible royal assassinate plot. Wolf is willing to due his duty, but he will have to use is childhood sweetheart to get close to his target, Evie's fiancé Michael Beaumont.

At her family's house party, bespectacled Evie comes face to face with the man who stepped on her heart & Wolf is delighted to see the BOMBSHELL that his little Evie has grown into & CRAVES her NEKKID body draped across him ASAP. As Wolf & Alec begin their mission, Alec plays interference between Evie & Michael by asking endless questions about their charity, the Hibernian Benevolence Association. Evie knows that Wolf & his Scottish sidekick are up to no good & she & troublemaking Edie are keeping their eyes on them. Soon her mom starts matchmaking & throws Evie at Wolf 24/7 & soon their hormones go NUCLEAR! Since Wolf is in her mom's good graces, he takes Evie on an outing to her charity to sniff out clues about the conspiracy. When a undies drenching runaway kiss leads to a Evie's dropped bodice, they are invaded by a devastated almost fiancé, a happy mom, a shocked twin & a laughing Scot!

Soon they find themselves engaged & Evie just wants her old life back & Wolf just want to embrace all kinds of NAUGHTINESS! So a demanding royal father, a meddling mom, unknown traitors afoot, a sexy waltz, a chaise lounge set ablaze with SCANDALNESS, intrigue aplenty, a kooky twin set loose, a sexy highland of hotness, a kidnapping, twins switching places, a assassination plot unraveled, baddies a$$ kicking & a FAIRY GODDUDE spymaster sprinkling his meddling PIXIE DUST to make this most NOTORIOUS house party of 1815! Can Wolf pack enough C4 to demolish Evie's walled up heart? Is Evie able to accept Wolf's love & embrace her fate? Will they ever say their I dos? Will Wolf wipeout the assassination plot before its too late? Who will kill who first, Alec or Edie? How much chaos will Wolf's FAIRY GODDUDE cause?

This is book #3 of the Renegade Royals series & they just keep getting better & better! Ms. Kelly twists this romance up with the Twin Team against the Cousin Team & it would not of been as great or hilarious without all the kooky twinNESS & the cousins' BROMANCE! Now Evie was the wallflower of the twins, but she never hated Edie for all her popularity & just embrace her unique & troublemaking twin. Evie also thought she had to settle, but Wolf came back & blowup her safe small world apart. Ms. Kelly made Evie take a rough & potholes galore journey & she discovered her inner SEXUAL KRAKEN & never looked back! Now Wolf was the only Renegade so far with a loving family, but he just wanted his royal dad's approval all his life. Of course, Ms. Kelly makes Wolf go against all he ever wanted, his dad, to find his own path & get the girl! As all my romance peeps know, I love myself some PULL THE FIRE ALARM NAUGHTINESS & Ms. Kelly did disappoint me. This book was the HOTTEST of the series & Ms. Kelly filled it with unique available surfaces for the undies scorching scenes that will make all y'all pleasure centers wake & smell the New Year! This action packed romance had it all with espionage, baddies getting their collective a$$es kicked, hilariousness that will make you ROFLing, kooky characters & scenes full of yummy NAUGHTINESS! Ms. Kelly completely earns & deserves my top score of 5 fingers up & 10 toes & I can't wait to get my greedy hands on Alec & Edie tale that I know will be even more HILARIOUS & YUMMY!

NetGalley ARC given for my honest review.

[Shauni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy.

Having swooned during the reading of each and every one of Vanessa Kelly's, Renegade Royals Series, I was thrilled that Dominic's story was not the end. Nope, it was the beginning. The beginning a new chapter at least.

Dominic has stepped down and wants nothing more than to live his happily ever after with his beloved Chloe (Tall, Dark and Royal) but he has committed most of his adult life to making sure that the illegitimate children of the Royal spawn have not been neglected (wonder if there are any females out there?). So while he is "retired" he does keep his fingers in the pie.

How to Plan a Royal Wedding is about a son I hadn't heard of yet. One whose father was semi involved in his life. Not quite sure if that was a good thing or not. BUT.... It also introduces us to his cousin.. so I am sure romance will soon be coming his way. But for now, it's about Captain William Endicott, son of the Duke of York, and Evie Whitney.

Evie Whitney, was quiet and shy. The child it was easiest to ignore, that is until the family needed something. As a child she had one true friend, aside from her beloved sister, William Endicott. She knew and understood his past and still she loved him. But William was a bit of a twit as a young man and turned his back on her and the love she offered. He was more interested in the adventures of war. Finally, years later, she has a new life. She has found a passion, a cause and a man to share it with her. A man she admires but refuses to love. No longer will she allow that kind of passion to rule her life. Everything is moving along smoothly until William returns and upends all of her plans.

Captian William Endicott, has been called from the last days of war to investigate an internal affair. Away from the battlefield he is just the Duke of York's Bastard son. He needs to serve above and beyond. Show his promise is more than in battle. Otherwise he will remain just another bastard. Called to investigate an Irish conspiracy, he is appalled to discover that the Duke suspects Evie, the kindest, sweetest, gentlest woman he knows. His assignment, infiltrate the Whitney family as an old friend and investigate her and her soon to be fiance... Yeah, that's what William wants to do...

Secrets abound and yet the flame that burned in them as children insists upon reigniting and burning bright. Evie, is confused because she knows that William walked away, why does he seem so possessive now? And William? Talk about totally lost. Just now he is realizing what he left behind and has no idea how to go about honestly courting Evie AND investigating her.

Another fabulous story told! Of course nothing ever runs smooth and there is opposition to their romance. And not from the source one would expect!! And the villain.. yeah so not gonna share who that is.. but this surprise alone makes this book worth reading..

What a great book! Can't wait for more.

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of How to Plan A Wedding for A Royal Spy, provided by netgalley and is scheduled to be released on January 6, 2015

[Dls · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's amazing how much the author includes of period detail and still completely misses the emotions and importance of them. Her whole plot revolves around these details. For example in Georgian Enhland
--an unmarried young lady would never go anywhere without a chaperone far less spend hours at a time in a rough part of town working on a charity with only an unrelated man as escort
--nor would she be allowed to write letters to an unrelated young man even an old family friend
--a Catholic nobleman of the time would be rare and very unlikely to be wealthy since Catholics had only been allowed to own land or inherit property for less than 40 years
--a mother who didn't want her daughter to marry a Catholic would have much bigger concerns than just being a snob. Religious episcopalians would be deeply unhappy at their child converting or grandchildren raised catholic. And even people who were not at all religious would be deeply bothered by their child marrying into a family that couldn't vote or hold public office.

Yet all these things happen in the book and are integral to the plot.

The hero also annoyed me intensely. Is he courting her or isn't he? It's one thing for a hero not to recognize the strength of his own feelings. It's another for him to act as if he is courting a woman without even considering the possible consequences.
I really liked the idea for this series of looking at the lives of royal bastards but I am deeply frustrated by the poor execution.

[Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC of How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*

Fun, mysterious and very hot, How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy continues in the same vein as the other books in this series. I was a little annoyed with Evie at times, though, she didn't really think things through.

This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews

[Kimberly Rocha~ Book Obsessed Chicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain William Endicott is on the verge of finally living his life the way he wants to live it. He is close to leaving his life as a spy and taking up other pursuits when his father, the Duke of York, to delve into a rumor of a planned assassination of someone of importance. When the Duke tells William that his former beloved is possibly linked to this plot, William will do all he can to get to the bottom of devious plan and clear Evelyn Whitney of any wrong-doing. But William is not particularly sure if Evie will even accept his presence since her left her heartbroken years ago.

Evie Whitney is no longer the shy and proper maiden that William fell in love with. She is unconventionally involved with a charity that involves her with all walks of life, which could be to her detriment, and she is now engaged to the founder of the charity. When William discovers her betrothal, old feelings become new when faced with the beauty and the dilemma. They were both innocents when they first declared their love for one another and circumstances came between them which created anguish for both Evie and William. Now, the more they are thrown together in this plan to stop a crime, the more that William realizes Evie has always been his one and only love. Seeing Evie with her betrothed bothers William so, that he occasionally acts the fool. Thank goodness his cousin Alec, another bastard son of a royal, has a clear head to knock some sense into William.

Evie and her twin Eden are as different in demeanor as they are similar in appearance but they are also the best of friends and will do anything for the other, even if it means switching identities. Eden is somewhat of a fireball with her outspokenness and her carefree style. She appears consistently irked by Alec's presence and the comic relief from their being thrown together makes this story all the more enjoyable.

How To Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy by Vanessa Kelly is the third book in the Royal Renegades series. This book was not my favorite of the series so far, but it is a solid and interesting tale. Evie Whitney's inconsistency and woes me about her fiance vs. her ex-love make me want to smack some sense into her. Happily, Eden takes care of that in some ways and I am more intrigued now for her story. Alec and Eden already have sparks flying with their few meetings so far, I cannot wait for them to be thrown together for their own tale. I enjoyed William as a whole. He genuinely felt sorry for the way he left things with Evie, and his attempts to make things right with her is a lovely part of the story. I look forward to more of the Renegade Royals.

~KIMBERLY~

[Jen Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard for me to fully give my heart to a story where there’s a Big Secret between the hero and the heroine. I’m not blaming this book for that; it’s a pretty common trope. But the romance doesn’t stand a chance until the secret comes out. I find myself just waiting, sloshing through the pages, until we get past the inevitable so I can finally enjoy the couple and wherever they go from there. In this book, I was waiting a long time.

As the story begins, Will is looking forward to taking a break from his life as a soldier and spy, after the events of Waterloo. But his father, the Duke, has other plans. The Duke orders Will and his cousin Alec to investigate a possible threat to the crown. Even worse, it forces Will to call on an old acquaintance –a childhood friend and almost sweetheart, Evie. Will is the duke’s illegitimate son and thus was never accepted by Evie’s mother. And when he joined the military, he cut all ties with the sweet young woman, breaking her heart in the process. Mending fences will be difficult, especially since she is all but betrothed to another man named Michael.

OK. Maybe it’s not that difficult. Which is one of the problems I have with the book. Will was a cad to Evie all those years ago and the speed and ease in which he ingratiates himself back into her life really bothered me. Evie is a good person and despite a token protest, she falls right back in love with Will in a very short time. Boo. He should have had to work for it. My other big issue: the pacing. This book was very slow in places, especially the beginning. It took too long to get to the part that interested me. Then when things would pick up, they would slow down again.

The romance didn’t have a great spark. The foundation of their relationship happened years before –and thank goodness– because what we did see of these two “falling” for each other didn’t really support the depth of feelings they ended up with. I was more interested in what was happening with Evie’s twin and Will’s Scottish cousin, which sadly, wasn’t much. Michael actually treated Evie better than Will did. I almost wish things had gone his way, except for how very boring he was. The spy secret went on way too long and then the fallout was kind of meh, other than the fact it prompted predictably foolish behavior from the heroine.

I know I sound really down on the book, but it wasn’t terrible. It just wasn’t very good either.

Rating: C

*ARC provided by publisher for review

[Kiltsandswords · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy (Renegade Royal Book #3) by Vanessa Kelly


This was such a great book to read. Vanessa Kelly creates amazing characters and detailed plots that have complexity and yet still remain fun. The characters are what make this book so well done. Evie and Will are former sweethearts and their reunion is anything by smooth.
Will is the bastard son of the Duke of York, a royal Prince. He has spent the past years fighting in France and has come home to an uncertain future. He is very quickly recruited to a very important spy mission on British soil and lo and behold, it involves his former sweetheart Evie. There is strong evidence that Irish rebels are plotting an assignation attempt in London and Evie’s beau Michael Beaumont is suspected of being involved with the plot due to the Irish charity he runs and his sympathies with displaced Irish.
Will and his cousin, Alec (Captain Gilbride) are immediately sent to Evie’s home as guests to get to the bottom of the suspicions. Evie has changed in the long years Will has been away. She is still quiet and a wallflower who is constantly berated by her overbearing mother. However, Will has never seen Evie with a suitor. He immediately dislikes Evie and Michael’s relationship. He wants Evie safe and proven innocent at all costs.
There is a slow build up to Evie and Will reuniting, regardless of the secondary characters machinations, as Michael and his charity prove a drain on Evie’s time and Will’s mission. Evie and Will spend time together and get to know one another again, this time as adults. Will tries very hard to keep it strictly business, but slowly he starts to admire Evie’s hair, then her bosom, then her figure, then he starts to imagine kissing her neck. Will’s desires grow along with his conviction that Evie is innocent, but he can’t prove anything yet.
He is getting pressured by his father and superiors to find the evidence and fast. He is also told by his father that Evie is not a match he can consider. It’s a complex relationship between Will and his father. He was raised by his uncle and has led a respectable life, but like any child he wants the attention and approval of his parent. The only thing he can’t agree to abide by is staying away from Evie. Time may have passed, but the relationship between the two feels the same as when they were younger, but now as adults, they have options open to them that they didn’t before.
Evie is convinced that a marriage with Michael is what she wants. They have similar interests and want to live a quiet life. Evie’s twin sister, Eden, calls her an old woman when she is with Michael and sees that Will (whose nickname is Wolf) makes her come alive. She thinks Will is a much better match for Evie and conspires with her mother at times to throw them together.
The secondary characters were amazing!!! I loved Eden, Evie’s twin sister. She was outlandish and exciting. What was really compelling was the relationship between her and Alec, Captain Gilbride. I liked Alec right away. He’s a highlander and also a bastard Prince’s son as well. He’s the heir to a sizeable Scottish title and has served in the military with Will for years. He’s cheeky, glib and fun. I want to read a story about him as he just seems like so much fun. What was so enjoyable, was reading about the sparks blazing between him and Eden. I truly hope she is the woman for him. Their story would be amazing to read. With Eden throwing barbs at him, you just know that if that meanness was turned to passion, it would burn up the pages.
The passion between Evie and Will was really hot. I found myself shocked at times and blushing as I read some of the naughty talk that Will speaks. It was a very memorable first love scene and if reading a historical romance novel with some blazing passion is a requirement, then this book more than satisfies. The author uses their passion for each other as a foundation for a real relationship. And let me say, that I would not mind if my husband took some lessons from Will. He is quite the lover!
The plot about the Irish rebels moves slowly for most of the book as the relationship between Evie and Will grows, but then it takes off. Working together, which just about kills Will, leads them to uncover what is happening and of course there is danger and tense moments.
I really thought this book was a great adventure. I haven’t read the other books in the series, but I will be reading them now. I am SO EXCITED for Alec to get his story and I REALLY, REALLY hope Eden is his adversary in love.
Reviewed for www.kiltsandswords.com Thank you to netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the third full length novel in The Renegade Royals series, Vanessa Kelly brings two individuals back together because of a possible assassination plot. There are mysteries to be solved along with growing emotional attachments, and how each plays out is not only clever but fascinating. With careful attention to details, the story is always convincing with realistically depicted events. The excellent cast of secondary characters also adds much enjoyment to this outstanding historical story. HOW TO PLAN A WEDDING FOR A ROYAL SPY captivates the imagination by making the storyline seem believable.

Though Captain William Endicott has been working for the Intelligence Service as a spy for England when his country was fighting the French, he is ready for a different life now that the war has ended. If he chooses a career others would actually admire, then he could get more respect despite the fact his father who is a royal prince never married his mother. Will is planning to turn in his resignation when he meets with the man from whom he gets his missions, but unfortunately an urgent task must be carried out first. Since the assignment comes from his father, there is no way to refuse.

Someone in the English government or the Royal family may have an attempt made on their life very soon, and whether this rumor is true or not must be quickly verified. The reason Will is the ideal candidate to gather information is because the woman who was once very close to him could be somehow involved in the plot. It has been four years since he saw Evelyn Whitney, but surely she could not have changed from such a quiet person into one who would commit murder. When Will goes to her home in order to learn if she is tangled up in the plan, he discovers several parts of her life are different, yet she still possesses the qualities he always liked. Evie cannot understand why the man who left her has come back, but she is not willing to have her heart broken again, even though she has never forgotten the adoration she felt for him.

Since the beginning of The Renegade Royals series, I have been fascinated with the background of the heroes in the book and how they have overcome their illegitimacy. Though Will is in contact with his father, the Duke of York, their relationship is rather strained and not filled with love. The power his parent has over his future makes him obey his command, though spying on Evie does not make him happy, seeing her does bring back fond memories. Seeing how these two handle their second chance at love is sometimes fun and heartbreaking during other moments. Their former feelings may now have more depth, but trust is the one step that both must accept before their relationship can turn into something more lasting. The sexual longing between them is definitely much more mature this time, and they express their desire with lots of lust.

There are references to several actual historical events in the story, and interweaving these facts into the lives of Will and Evie gave their book much realism. The religious conflicts referred to throughout the novel showed how lives could be adversely affected, especially when beliefs come under question. Though often stories written about the Regency period in England are all about the balls and high society, Ms. Kelly shows a more realistic side to how many people lived at this time. Quite a few secondary characters are spiritedly portrayed, and I am hopeful Alec plus Eden will have their own stories. There is delightful banter and surprising disclosures in HOW TO PLAN A WEDDING FOR A ROYAL SPY, and Vanessa Kelly makes each adventure entertaining.

Single Titles review - 4.5 Stars

[Stormi (StormReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vanessa Kelly is fast becoming one of my favorite historical authors. I love this Renegade Royals series.

William “Wolf” Endicott and his cousin both just got back from the war and Dominic has summoned them. Not only does Dominic want them to spy on Evelyn Whitney and the man who has been seen courting her. Will’s father a Duke has also expressed that he accept this assignment. Someone is planning on assassinating some and it could be a Royal.

Will can’t believe that Evelyn would ever be associated with something as ugly as that but he has to take the assignment given him. He thought he had moved on from being in love with Evie, but being around her only brings out his feelings for her again. Evie, is trying to move on from the heartache she felt when he walked away from her when he joined the army. She has found a purpose in helping the Irish who are starving and in need of assistance to make it in England. Not everyone feels the same as her and Michael and they have a hard time with their charity.

Time has changed them both, but they are no longer teenager and each have grown up and changed but one thing hasn’t changed how they feel about each other.

I really like second chance romances, something about them just makes me feel all gooey. I really liked Evie she is no longer the wallflower that Will remembers because now she has a beau and a cause. She has a knack for getting herself into trouble and her twin sister Eden doesn’t help.

Will is a handsome spy and a royal renegade, his father is a Duke and it wasn’t until later in his teens that his father started to take up with him a bit. He doesn’t like spying on Evelyn but once he gets there his feelings sort of override his duties at times. He will do anything to protect her if she would just listen to him once in a while.

I loved the secondary characters as well. Alec and Eden as they are always fussing with each other and I am pretty sure I seen where they are going to be the focus of the next books and boy does Alec have his hands full with that one!

I think the only thing that I didn’t really like out of the whole book was how much Evie kept putting herself down or refusing to believe that Will wanted to marry her because he wanted too. I know she is a little insecure when it comes to him because of what happen when they where teenagers but I think he proved quite a bit that he wanted her.

Overall I really enjoyed this one and if you like historical romances then I think you will find this one enjoyable and fun. I was really surprised by who was really behind the assassination plot which made it a bit more fun.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy is every bit as entertaining as I had hoped it would be. Will and Evie make a charming couple plagued by trust issues because of Will's bad behaviour years earlier.

I loved that Evie isn't the bold and brassy character that we might have expected. Will remembers her as being rather shy, though not with him, and content to be in the background while her minutes-older twin sister Eden shines in the spotlight. How to Plan lets us witness Evie developing some backbone when it comes to the people in her life who push her around (such as her mom). She starts to speak her mind, assert herself, and at the same time, retain that sweetness that Will remembers. She still doesn't want to be the focus of the room, and most significantly, she always wants to apologize for any perceived rudeness. That last bit was something that I really liked - that as much as everyone deserved any dressing down Evie dished out, she always acknowledged propriety and wanted to apologize. Such a small detail but one that really spoke to the core of Evie as a character. I liked it. Really bold heroines are so popular, it was nice to have one who was a bit more... demure.

I liked Will, but I did find his friend, Alec, to be more colourful and interesting. Will's reactions to Evie and being forced to spy on her made up for his less entertaining persona. The back and forth regarding his attraction to Evie was solid, but I would have loved to see him pushed a little bit more to the edge.

As much as I disliked Evie's mother, I loved the role she filled in the book. She was frustrating and devious and absolutely awful and added some needed conflict to the story.

I found the plot of How to Plan to be fairly original. I haven't read many historical romances that touch on the Irish-Catholic-English issues so that was cool. There were some bits that were a bit predictable but overall, I thought the story was pretty darn good!

The Bottom Line:

Historical romance fans will love How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy, I think. There's enough material here that's different to delight readers. I especially liked Evie, and the historical context given to the story.

4 stars
For fans of historical romance, dashing spies, twins, childhood sweethearts reunited.

Find this and other reviews at To Each Their Own Reviews

Received in exchange for an honest review.

[Marilyn Rondeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a continuation of the Renegade Royal Books, Ms. Kelley has brought to the forefront Captain William Endicott, a royal spy and illegitimate son of the Duke of York. Will’s father has summoned him to investigate rumors of a planned assassination plot to which he believes an old friend of Will’s may be associated with. The suspect - Will’s childhood sweetheart and best friend from long ago, Evie Whitney. Knowing her as he once did, Will thought it highly unlikely the shy reserved young girl he once held in high regard would be capable of anything so nefarious. However, years have past and what he does find is that young love-struck Evie has grown up and apparently doesn’t want anything to do with him!

*** In Vanessa Kelley’s series of the illegitimate children of the Royal family, most have been located and William Endicott, always striving for any kind of recognition from his father has been sent on a mission he truly doesn’t want. Evie Whitney had been the light at the end of a tunnel for many a year during their childhood, and unfortunately, Will knew that he had hurt her when he refused her advances and broke her heart. Now she seems to have found a place and a new beau for herself and Will truly did not want to have to spy and lie to her in order to complete his mission, but for all that he also didn’t want her to be hurt if her beau was leading her into danger.

As he and his cousin Alec (and spy partner) proceeded to investigate, Will was reminded of the past and how much he missed Evie who had grown into such a beautiful young woman. The author used this vehicle to test both the protagonists. Evie who was trying to maintain her devotion to Michael the man she was hoping to marry - all the while trying to stay away from Will who had a distinct impact on feelings she would rather smother than try to sort out.

Author Kelley did a fine job of keeping the action moving rapidly and supplied a wonderful ensemble of secondary characters with helped to keep the attention and the mystery moving along as time began to run out in trying to stop any kind of assassination.

Bottom line: The romance was lovely; the many protagonists repartees were totally enjoyable and fit right in with the plot lines. A lovely read and quite enjoyable.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

With both intrigue and romance, How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy was an excellent historical romance. It was sweet, with a few secrets and thrills along the way, and I really liked it.

Evie was a really likable heroine. She was quiet, somewhat shy, and definitely kind. But, don't let that fool you into thinking she was a doormat. When it came down to it, she could stand her own, especially when it came to protecting someone she cared about. I thought she was lovely.

William was also wonderful. Honorable, clever, and protective of his loved ones, he was a great hero. And, while he wanted to protect Evie, he also respected her enough to trust her and allow her to make her own decisions (even though she really should have listened to his advice a couple of times). He was very likable as well.

The romance was lovely, with plenty of sweetness and some spiciness to go along with it. Evie and Will already had a deep friendship and they already cared about each other. It was just a matter of them realizing it wasn't simply friendship anymore. And, they certainly proved it with all the chemistry between them. I thought they were great together.

The plot moved quickly and kept me hooked all the way through. The intrigue and mystery definitely kept things interesting and I actually never suspected who the treasonous culprit turned out to be. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was perfect.

How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy was a delightfully charming, absolutely wonderful historical romance. I really liked this lovely book. Romance lovers, this is definitely a book worth the read.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Amy Alvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 3 in the Renegade Royals series.

Captain William (Will) Endicott has been ordered by his father, the Duke of York, to uncover an assassination plot. This is nothing out of the ordinary except that one of the suspects is Will's former sweetheart Evie Whitney. Will can't imagine that Evie has anything to do with the plot, but he has to investigate her regardless.

Evie can't believe that Will has come back into her life after all this time. Even with her impending engagement, Evie can't seen to fight her attraction to Will. He broke her heart all those years ago, but her heart doesn't seem to care.

What will Evie do when she finds out that the only reason Will came back into her life was to investigate her?

I've LOVED this series from the start and Will and Evie's story is no different. Kelly sucks you into the world of the characters and you don't want to leave!

We visit a few of the characters from the previous books, but this story mainly focuses on William, his cousin Alec, Evie and her twin sister Eden. I know that the next book in the series will feature Alec and I'm hoping that Kelly pairs him with Eden. They were so much fun to read about.

I loved reading the scenes between Will and Evie. The chemistry between the two of them practically leapt off the page. As with other Kelly stories, the banter between the characters had me laughing out loud throughout the story.

I can't believe that I have to wait until July to read Alec's story. I'll be waiting on pins and needles!

Thanks go to Kensington Books via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

[Jaci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in The Renegade Royals series. Vanessa Kelly has done it again!!!! Her books just get better and better. Her plots are exciting, sophisticated and full of surprises and the pace is prefect. The Renegade Royals are the illegitimate sons of England's Royal Princes. They are all handsome, smart Alpha males who know what they want and are willing to whatever they have to achieve their goals. They are Bold, Dangerous and Lethal. This book is about Will, bastard son of the Duke of York. Will has survived Waterloo and has plans for his life when he is summoned to London by his father. There is a plot to assassinate a prominent member of the government or a royal and Will has to uncover the conspiracy and stop the assassination. The only problem is that the man that the government thinks is behind the plot is courting an old friend of Will;s that he has not seen in years. Evie has finally found purpose to her life and a man who will treat her with respect and give her the opportunity to finally become a wife and mother. She was in love with Will and he left her to pursue his military career. She was devastated and it took years for her to find peace and now Will is back and turning her world upside down. Will and Evie are perfect for each other, they just don't know it.

Vanessa writes a beautiful love story with wonderful characters and sensual scenes that are simply stunningly romantic. Her writing keeps you up all night and you never want the book to end. She is one of the best in the Historical Romance Genre and I would never miss one of her books. I cannot wait for Eden's and Alasdair's story.

I received this ARC for an honest review.

[Kathy Dalquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this first reads book through Goodreads. I enjoyed reading about Will (Wolf) Endicott who had been a spy in the war on Napoleon. When he left for the war he left behind the young teenager Evelyn (Evie) who was in love with him. They had been good friends for years but Will broke off the friendship, hurting Evie badly in the process. When he comes home, his father, a royal duke, orders him to investigate a possible assassination plot that Evie might be involved in. Evie in the years that Will was gone had naturally grown up and started a life without him. She is in fact close to becoming engaged to the man that may be involved in the assassination plot. When Will and Evie meet again, the feeling are still between them although Evie fights them and Will has been warned off Evie by his father the Duke. But you know how feeling grow and start to force changes! So they have to work around Evie's mother, her twin sister, her possible fiance, Will's cousin, his father and of course the villeins who are set on making mayhem. I also learned some of Ireland's history that I wasn't aware of. It makes it easier to understand why the villeins are acting as they are.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate picking up books in the middle of the series, especially if I don’t know they’re a part of a series. This is book 3 in a series and I didn’t realize that until I was well into the book .That said, it didn’t matter. This author gives enough background and reference information that you do not feel like you’ve missed anything and are able to read this book as a stand alone. This is very important to me when inadvertently starting in the middle of a series. If nothing else, this book made me want to go back and read the first two books in this series so I could experience everything that came before; however if you don’t have the time it’s not necessary. This was a nice historical romance that was equal parts entertaining and intriguing. This is a great idea for a series, with great side characters that I cannot wait to see get their own books cough Alec cough. Anywho, I highly recommend this series, it’s truly a great read.

[Vera Neves (Sinfonia dos Livros) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vanessa Kelly adopts a lightweight written, easy to understand despite being a history passed in the 19th century, right at the beginning.
The characters are fun and with a degree of complicity between them very strong.
Will and Evie (Evelyn) have been friends since forever. Will goes to war when they were in love, or at least Evie like to think so because she was totally and completely in love with him.
Some (many) years have passed and Will never had contact with Evie again. When he reappears in her life, he is no longer an inexperienced boy, but a man.

Complete Opinion On http://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...

[Susana Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another thoroughly enjoyable Regency romp!

I can't say enough about Ms. Kelly's knack for characterization. The relationship between Evie and Edie, their parents (particularly their frequently misguided mother), and Will and his friend Alec (surely the next of the not-so-royal brood to be struck by Cupid's arrow) give the story authenticity. Hovering over the courtship—if it can be called that—is a dangerous secret that threatens to wreak havoc on the security of England…and yet Ms. Kelly manages to weave it all together with a light touch of humor, leaving no doubts in the reader's mind that Will and Evie's romance will stand the test of time.

Highly recommended read!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable romance. It's a second chance for Will and Evie who are thrown together again when Will is sent to investigate an assassination plot that Evie may be involved in, or is she. The story is full of twist and turns as Will and his cousin Alec are asked to spy on Evie and her 'supposedly nearly' betrothed David.
There's some surprises that are were entertaining. I loved every page. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a little intrigue, suspense and action with your romance. And I'm hoping to see Alec's story in the future as he was a wonderful character.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story quite a lot, but I did think it was a little bit slow at the start.
I persevered with it, as I nearly put it on the back burner - it got better the more I got into it.
Nice plot and characters. Hoping next book is about Alec and Eden.

[Jenni Schell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love this series. The romance is excellent and the characters are amazing. I get excited every time I get to read a new book from Vanessa Kelly and this did not disappoint.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will is the son of the Duke of York. But, he is not a legitimate son. He has been a spy for the government and now his father has a special assignment for Will. He and his cousin Alex, another illegitimate son of a royal, are to find and stop an assassination plot.
It will put Will back in contact with Evie. They were friends when they were children. And then their relationship became something else. Will walked away when he went into the military. Evie has never forgiven him for leaving without a word.
Evie works in a charity which helps Irish people who have been displaced. The church and charity are suspect to the government. There is a belief that the murder plot is being planned among the people being helped at the church. All this is one of the reason Evie is being investigated by Will.
Michael and Alex are assigned the task of ending the plot before anyone is hurt.
A good portion of the book is devoted to Evie and Will and their relationship, their ups and downs and families.
To be honest, this part of the book was dull for me. I would have enjoyed more of the mystery and the investigation. What I got was a lot of emotional baggage, ups and downs and conversations.
Evie is an identical twin, her twin’s name is Edie. Their mother did not approve of Will until he has now become more likely to overcome his birth. Because he has a future career in government, he is no longer a pariah.
Evie and Will are good characters. It was good when they started actually communicating and being honest. There is some humor. Alex is a strong supporting character and it seems that he and Eden, Evie’s twin, may become a couple.
Ms Kelly is a talented author who writes interesting books. I was not as enamored of this one, but there are many of her other books I know I will love.

[S Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho-hum, I’m sure there are readers out there who like the “permanently weak at the knees, I cannot stand up for myself” trope, I’ve come across so many in my search for my 5 star “enemies to lovers” trope. For me, the tension and the fireworks should come from the H/H, not the background couples or sub plot.

[MBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 in the Renegade Royals series tells the story of Captain William Endicott (Will), the bastard son of the Duke of York, a military officer and a spy for the government. Returning from the bloody battlefields, Will is more than looking forward to putting up his feet and relaxing and perhaps determine on the course which he wants to steer his future. All that is thwarted however, when he is summoned by none other than his father, requiring him to work on a mission of utmost importance. A mission rendered doubly tricky by the fact that he is to spy on his former childhood sweetheart, Miss Evelyn Whitney (Evie).

Evie is the typical variety of plain Jane heroine if ever there was one. A wallflower and happy to be one, Evie is comfortable with who she is, letting her twin Edie shine in her stead. Working on charity supporting Irish immigrants with her almost fiance’, Evie is looking forward to settling down with the man with whom she shares a lot of similar interests with, a man who wouldn’t crush her dreams and destroy the very ground on which she stands on like Will, her childhood friend and the love of her life had done.

When Will enters into Evie’s life all of a sudden, no one is more dismayed than Evie herself. The fact that she responds to Will’s presence with a ferocity of her being that she can’t help yet want to hide from, Evie finds herself in a dilemma of epic proportions when her mother starts to push her and Will together. A lot of theatrics and misunderstandings determine the fate of this second chance at love Will and Evie gets, amidst a plot of assassination of the Kingdom’s finest that Will bears the responsibility of stopping.

How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy would have to be the story from the series which I found the hardest to get myself into. The plot starts off slowly, the most riveting thing about it being the sparks that fly between the secondary characters, Edie and Will’s best friend and cousin Captain Alasdair Gilbride whose story is up next. When the main couple in question fades to a mere dot in the presence of secondary characters, well there’s a damper on the excitement of the reader if ever there was one.

The story begins to pick up during the latter half, and mostly due to the assassination plot stirring in the midst of all the antics between Will and Evie. Both protagonists have trust issues stemming from different things. Will’s distrust stems from the fact that he doesn’t bring himself to trust his judgement where Evie is concerned, the conflict of interest between doing his job by his country and doing right by the love of his life, the latter being something which he figures out only much later in the story. Evie has a hard time trusting Will for good reason if you ask me. Will had pretty much cut ties with her after her attempt to show Will that she had feelings for him, something that had crushed the soul of someone like Evie to an extent which she’d thought she would never get over from.

Though I didn’t overly fall in love with either Will or Evie, both were likable enough characters. Evie being a softie for anyone, male or female in distress and Will, the handsome war hero whose mere presence alone stirs Evie into doing things she would never think of otherwise. All said and done, I think Will and Evie are the perfect match for each other. Will brings out the passion in Evie, stirs her desires and delivers on them in the most panty melting fashion. Evie brings forth the playful side of Will, a man who has seen too much blood and senselessness on battlefields to last him a lifetime.

Recommended for fans of the series. I can’t wait to wade into Edie and Alasdair’s mess of a story. I am practically rubbing my hands in glee even now! Those two promise a fiery and stormy read and I have been hankering for one, for a long, long while.

Rating = 3.75/5

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[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy is full of suspense , intrigue and conspiracy , but it is also a second chance at love story.
Captain William " Wolf" Endicott , bastard son of the Duke of York is back form the Nepoleonic Wars along with his cousin Alec, they have just been drafted by Sir Dominic Hunter and the Duke to work one more mission , looking into a possible assassination attempt; and to Wolf's utter surprise they suspect his best freind and sweetheart from childhood to be a the middle of it, Evie Whitney.
Evie spent years trying to get over Wolf and she finally has a chance at happiness with Michael, and is soon to become his Fiance' ,not that her mother approves, Michael is from a good family , however they are catholic and he is a staunch supporter of the Irish catholics, and runs the Hibernian benevolence association through St Margaret's, that Evie is also very involved with .
Wolf, is floored to discover that Evie will be marrying and finds himself a bit jealous that she has moved on , but he admits to himself that he is the one wh pushed her away and then went off to war and forgot her, well tried to, but she has always been in the back of his mind. Sir Dominic and his father want Wolf to get close to Evie , use her prior affections toward him to get close to Michael and investigate , the benevolence association, St Margaret's and their potential assassination plot! Wolf is hesitant to do so , but believes with all his heart that Evie is innocent and determined to prove it!
The Duke being freinds with Evie and her twin sister Edie's mother secures Wolf and Alec an invitation to a house party , and their appearance brings back all the hurt feelings and insecurities Evie had to deal with after Wolf left her, but Wolf finds himself drawn to Evie and the beautiful women she has turned into and upset that other men see what he always saw in the past. Evie's mom takes this opportunity, to put her and Wolf together at every opportunity she can , she was never a huge fan of Wolf , being his bastard status , but she dislikes Micahel more. Sir Alec , runs interference with Michael by showing intrest in the benevolence association and it's charitable works in an attempt to gain more information , while Wolf takes the time to do the same with Evie and press his own advantage.
Things truly do not heat up to later in the book, but once they do the move quickly, and things he hot and heavy between Wolf and Evie on a chaise in a back office at the benevolence association, leaving Evie very conflicted afterwards.
The story line moves quickly from this point, and eventually Wolf and Evie become caught in a very public comprising position , forcing and engagement between the two, one Evie keeps trying to back out of mostly out of fear of her own feelings and the possible lack of return of those feelings from Wolf, after all she was not good enough for him in the past!

I found the book to be an enjoyable read, even if a bit slow through the begining , the last half more than made up for it.
Evie and her twin sister were intresting Character's and I got a huge kick out of Wolf's coursing Alec and I am looking foward to his story!

Arc copy graciously provided by Zebra publishing via Netgalley for an honest review.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reunited lovers plots and can’t say no to anything involving spies especially in historical romance. When the opportunity came to participate in the blog tour for Vanessa Kelly’s HOW TO PLAN A ROYAL WEDDING FOR A ROYAL SPY, I couldn’t say no! Besides I’m always looking for new historical romance authors to read and Kelly has been on my radar, but I haven’t had a chance to read anything she’s written.

We have good character development and Kelly spends an equal amount of time with each of her characters so we get to know them really well. Evie Whitney is quiet and always gets in trouble despite not causing it. It was pretty easy to understand which twin her mother prefers (Evie’s twin is Eden and she’s rambunctious and isn’t afraid to make a scene) and you really do feel for Evie. I wish at times she had stood for herself, but I understand why she didn’t. Then there’s William Endicott, a captain in the army who went to fight for king and country during the Napoleonic Wars. He’s made no secret of his upbringing: he’s a bastard son of the royal Duke of York. I had mixed feelings regarding Will and at times he could be quite the hero especially when it comes to defending Evie, but overall he’s quite flat. The real treat in HOW TO PLAN A WEDDING is Will’s cousin, Alastair. I adored Alastair and sadly, he stole the show. We have a few secondary characters that play a role including Michael, who’s a rival for Evie’s heart.

What I really enjoyed about Kelly’s HOW TO PLAN A WEDDING was the spy operation. While the “villain” was easy to uncover and the outcome a bit predictable, I liked the whole intricate plot at having to woo a former sweetheart while being on pins and needles at her reaction when she finds out the truth. I debated with the rating between a three and a four and in the end, decided on a three for two particular reasons. The first has to do with the overall set up of the book in terms of the first half; it was slow and I appreciate Kelly explaining things (such as history), but it felt drawn out and as a reader of historical romance, it felt like she was just regurgitating information. Now I understand a lot of readers may be not familiar with history or the customs of Regency England and Kelly does a great job bringing the reader up to speed, but for veteran historical romance readers, it just feels tedious. Secondly, I wanted to feel butterflies and walk with a spring in step during Evie and William’s romance, but we didn’t get that. I know in stories where lovers are reunited, there’s always a slow build up of trust again, but you can feel the attraction between the two characters and long for them to finally kiss, but Will and Evie’s romance just fell flat. In the real world, Evie might have still chosen Will because he’s familiar and comfortable, but I don’t think she’d really love him.

Overall, Vanessa Kelly’s HOW TO PLAN A ROYAL WEDDING FOR A ROYAL SPY was a lovely read. If you enjoy slower paced historicals, you’ll want to check out HOW TO PLAN A WEDDING. I can’t wait to go back and read the rest in the series and of course see what’s in store for future royal spies.

This review and more are posted at Literary, etc.

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I was excited to read yet another installment in this series, I had done a bit of “catch up’ with earlier titles, and was intrigued by Will’s story.

Will is one of the royal cousins from the wrong side of the blanket. To prove himself to his father, he has worked tirelessly as a spy and soldier: now returned from Waterloo, he wants to move on with his life and away from spying. But that is not to happen, there is a threat to the government, and his childhood best friend Evie is thought to be involved.

Evie is a bit of a wallflower, or always was, especially compared to her very brash and bold twin Edie. Betrothed, or near to, to Michael, a man determined to do good for te influx of Irish immigrants into the area, Evie has found a ‘simplicity’ in her relationship with Michael, and it is clear that he loves her very much.

And then Will returns, and Evie’s brain turns to mush as he is wooing her, seeing her not as the childhood friend but a desirable woman. OK - so Evie is busy ‘telling’ everyone she is to marry Michael, but she is constantly caught in difficult, and then compromising situations with Will. It’s as if she is determined to forgo her morals for the fulfillment of one night, and then expect that Michael will be waiting.

I pretty much wrote her off at that point. And Will was not much better, first for insinuating himself into Evie’s life again, repeatedly telling himself that the goal was more important than the aftermath, and compromising Evie in front of everyone during a party. His chivalry was certainly tested, and cowed by his father’s flat out dismissal of Evie. Fortunately Will does manage to turn his own attitude about a bit in regards to her, and become worthy of the attention.

For me, the favorite character in this story was Will’s cousin and Alec and his brash, honest, wicked sense of humor that never gives a break. And his willingness to bring Will up to task when he is perseverating. The underlying plot of who is the real threat to government and the climax as they ferret out the mystery, the use of the church and good works to help the indigent, and Evie’s final development and apology to Michael helped to redeem the story a bit, even though I was more frustrated with the characters than enjoying them.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful tale of The Renegade Royals by Vanessa Kelly. I love this series every book so far has grabbed my attention and pulled me along with the wild adventures and scandalous happenings. Vanessa Kelly has created a plethora of characters that you can't help but love, her illegitimate sons of the regency princes are some of her best.

Captain William Endicott, the illegitimate son of The Duke of York, works hard to win his father's approval so when asked to spy on an old friend despite the fact that he knows she could never do that he reluctantly acquiesces. Along with his cousin and partner in spy, "Alec" Gilbride, they must find the truth of the assassination conspiracy and the Irish/Catholics behind it. Evelyn Whitney was always the quiet one the blue stocking the disappointment compared to her vivacious twin sister, Eden, who always seemed to have a flock of men at her beck and call. That suited Evie just fine she was happy as she was but her world hardened when she was rejected by her first love, William " Wolf " Endicott. She stopped following her sister and was determined to be her own person along the way she meet Michael Beaumont. Evie still with a soft heart decided to help Michael with his charity work to help Irish immigrants. Their friendship soon buds into more but with Evie's snobbish mother it isn't very likely to end in marriage.

Will and Alec show up without warning to the house party after pulling an invitation from Evie's brother. With Will back Evie is fighting even hard the feelings she thought she let go years ago, but seeing her Wolf and how he was changed since war has only intensified it she doesn't want to give in she already gave her loyalty to Michael and she won't betray that trust and even after feelings between her and Will are revealed she still feels the need to protect Michael much to Will changrene. The conspiracy that Will and Alc are there to uncover goes slow but the book goes by so quickly. Not only do they have the conspiracy but Evie's snobbish meddling mother and the even more snobbish Duke of York.

You can't forget about Eden's apparent hatred for Alec, I foresee the next book. yea! I can't wait especially now since Dominic has stepped down and put Aden in his place and Alec is a burly Scottsman. ( rwar )

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vanessa Kelly delights in this charming romance about a royal spy! When William Endicott leaves to pursue a career in the military, he doesn't realize how much his departure had hurt his childhood friend, Evie. Evie, always harboring a secret crush for William, nicknamed Wolf, is devastated when he leaves her without a glance back or any promise to wait for him. After she is brave enough to try a kiss before he goes, she takes his dismissal as lack of interest, when instead he walks away because he is way too interested for his own good and worries that things will not end with just a simple kiss.

Despite years apart, Will has never quite been able to get Evie off of his mind. When his father, the Duke of York, requires his bi-blow to take on a mission for the crown, Will could have never imagined that at the heart of the mission his once beloved Evie could be a suspect for treason. Always kind of heart and gentle in nature, Will is shocked at the suspicion cast her way. The only way to prove her innocence and to protect his father and government officials from what appears to be an assassination plan is to go undercover and get close to the woman whose mere presence makes him forget everything else.

Not only is Evie not happy to see her long lost sweetheart, but she's also practically engaged to a man who does a lot of charity work with the poor Irish and possibly has ulterior motives which the charity may be a cover for. In order to learn the truth, Will must deceive the woman he longs for the most while trying not to loose his heart in the process. Is Evie really above suspicion or have the years changed her as well as Will? Will the assassination be successful or will Will be able to stop it in time? Most importantly, will Will survive being this close to the woman he loves without being able to be with her? And can Evie ever forgive her first love or will she marry Michael?

With a cast of outrageously funny and clever characters including Evie's sister Eden and fellow Spies, this book is incredibly charming, laugh out loud funny, and too good to put down! Definitely a must-read for anyone who loves historical romances!