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The Beaumonts #3
The Spy Who Loved Her
Lord Rafe Beaumont has loved Lady Emmeline Prescott for nearly half his life. She is the widow of his former friend, his younger sister’s closest companion…and she doesn’t even know he exists. For years he has contented himself with his position at the very periphery of her life, knowing it is the closest he can ever allow himself to be.
Emma has made a life for herself taking in and raising London’s less fortunate children. They fill the void left by the children she was never able to have—but she is still lonely. Though she has no desire to remarry, she resolves to take a lover to fill her empty nights. Someone she doesn’t know; someone who poses no risk to her fortune or her reputation.
She has no reason to suspect that a single unwise comment made to the wrong person has thrust her back into a danger she has never known existed, and Rafe is determined to rescue her from it once more. But he must do it without revealing himself for the spy he truly is, while warming the bed of the only woman he has ever loved...the woman he widowed ten years ago.
Emma has made a life for herself taking in and raising London’s less fortunate children. They fill the void left by the children she was never able to have—but she is still lonely. Though she has no desire to remarry, she resolves to take a lover to fill her empty nights. Someone she doesn’t know; someone who poses no risk to her fortune or her reputation.
She has no reason to suspect that a single unwise comment made to the wrong person has thrust her back into a danger she has never known existed, and Rafe is determined to rescue her from it once more. But he must do it without revealing himself for the spy he truly is, while warming the bed of the only woman he has ever loved...the woman he widowed ten years ago.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 23, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 stars.
➕ What I liked :
A widow heroine.
Good hero.
Spy hero.
Rather interesting main characters.
Interesting side characters.
(Especially Dannyboy… but also some others)
There was NO “miracle” baby or “surprise pregnancies”👍
(But the couple does adopt/foster 2 children and the heroine has a home/school for orphaned children and children from “less fortunate circumstances”)
Good steam.
OK romance/romantic build-up and chemistry.
Good plot.
That the main characters did not obsess over or focus too much on looks.
➖ What I disliked:
A little verbose.
Dragged in some places.
The hero had too much self-castigation and self-condemnation about what he did in the past… things that he more or less was forced to do because of his job and to save someone else.
The romance/romantic build-up and chemistry was OK… but it lacked some depth and it seemed to come out of nowhere.
And there was also the believability/plausibility issues with how the hero fell in love with the heroine without even meeting her face to face or even talking to her.🤨
And that he stayed in love with her and loved her from afar for 10 years… because he liked the stories the heroines half-brother told about her among other things. 🙄🤔
The character description/visual appearance for both main characters was on the vague side.
(There is some little info about their eye color and hair color and some other little things… but not much more…So there is No real description on how they really look… and also their ages are also vague …. so it is a little difficult to visualize what/how they look like… even the villain and some other side characters were better described than the main characters.)
Some parts of the ending … about the couple deciding to adopt/foster seemed a little out of nowhere and rushed… but also some things about the children's mother was weird and rushed and not really thought through and a little nonsensical.
August 21, 2024
I enjoyed the intrigue. This one isn’t as angsty as some of the others. I liked the unrequited love, long-suffering hero vibe. Rafe reaaaaaaally deserved his HEA.
June 6, 2025
“The Spy Who Loved Her” is the story of Emma and Rafe.
One she did not expect to love her, one she did not want to love her. One who could not disappoint her, for she would have no expectations to disappoint.
Which was damned inconvenient, when one considered that he had been desperately in love with her for more years than he cared to count.
In this book, a widowed heroine mourning her husband for ten years takes a paramour. She spends her days taking care of orphaned kids, and nights alone in tears.
She soon finds herself falling in love with the handsome hero, and things get complicated when emotions get involved. She soon realizes the truth not just behind the hero, but the people around her, including her dead husband.
“I am lonely when I leave you.”
And now, forever after her, he would know it.
This is more a spy thriller with a bit of romance. We spend more time with conspiracy and unlocking the mystery, than with the hero and heroine and their romance. I really enjoyed the moments with the various children, appearance of previous leads and that the was not spontaneously resolved. Beautiful ending and had moments of angst too.
“For as long as you wish me to be there,” he said. But the words were brittle, delicate. As if he could not conceive of a possibility wherein she would want him forever.
Safe
3.5/5
One she did not expect to love her, one she did not want to love her. One who could not disappoint her, for she would have no expectations to disappoint.
Which was damned inconvenient, when one considered that he had been desperately in love with her for more years than he cared to count.
In this book, a widowed heroine mourning her husband for ten years takes a paramour. She spends her days taking care of orphaned kids, and nights alone in tears.
She soon finds herself falling in love with the handsome hero, and things get complicated when emotions get involved. She soon realizes the truth not just behind the hero, but the people around her, including her dead husband.
“I am lonely when I leave you.”
And now, forever after her, he would know it.
This is more a spy thriller with a bit of romance. We spend more time with conspiracy and unlocking the mystery, than with the hero and heroine and their romance. I really enjoyed the moments with the various children, appearance of previous leads and that the was not spontaneously resolved. Beautiful ending and had moments of angst too.
“For as long as you wish me to be there,” he said. But the words were brittle, delicate. As if he could not conceive of a possibility wherein she would want him forever.
Safe
3.5/5
May 8, 2025
Spoilers ahead
I stumbled across this one and did not read any of the previous books in this series so the secondary characters were strangers to me which threw me off a little but not too bad......
Emma is a widower who was unable to have children during the 3 years of marriage to her husband. In the 10 years since his death she's taken in many children and cared for them, helping them to go out in the world able to get education and jobs. For 10 years this along with her friends and her somewhat relationship with her half brother has fulfilled her. But it's been a decade and she's finally ready to feel the touch of another. She seeks her brother's assistance and he sets her up with his friend Rafe. By nature of the situation much details aren't revealed and Emma and Rafe start an affair. Before long Emma starts falling in love, only to realise that not only was her once love of 10 years ago false but so too is this new one. Secrets are revealed and with a powerful man's back against a wall Emma's brother and lover are imprisoned and soon to be hanged. Calling on her friends and her own courage Emma must work quickly to decipher her dead husband's journal to bring a traitor to justice.
*******
This was well written and engaging and I enjoyed it for the most part......except I'm not a fan of martyrs. Rafe fell in love with Emma 13 years ago just from the stories her brother told, he was captivated from the moment he saw her......yet he stood aside and let their other friend marry her. His reason was that he was the second son and had nothing to offer her while their friend was wealthy and would treat her well. I could've probably accepted that but see that friend turned out to be a traitor and Rafe accidentally killed him but in the 10 years since his death he didn't try with Emma. As a matter of fact he admitted that had the circumstances not been what they were he never would have attempted to be with her. Maybe a noble gesture but all I saw was 10 years wasted when they could've been together!! I wasn't a fan of this and this drastically brought my rating down.
Rafe and Chris have been spies for years and the dead husband's journal being suddenly found causes Emma to be in danger so we get that but if suspense as he tries to decipher the journal. Again he and Chris make decisions for Emma and choose to keep the whole mess from her 🙄
Tbh I was hoping for a surprise pregnancy though Emma couldn't have children with her husband. I like my H's to have super sperm that create miracles 🤭 but thankfully they were able to create a little family regardless.
I liked Emma for the most part but he decision to spend 10 years mourning a man who didn't love her had me side eyeing her.
All in all not a bad read and I'd definitely try this author again
******
No cheating
No mention of the H's activities during the years Emma was married and then widowed but he wasn't celibate.
Emma had loved her husband and wasn't with anyone after his death
I stumbled across this one and did not read any of the previous books in this series so the secondary characters were strangers to me which threw me off a little but not too bad......
Emma is a widower who was unable to have children during the 3 years of marriage to her husband. In the 10 years since his death she's taken in many children and cared for them, helping them to go out in the world able to get education and jobs. For 10 years this along with her friends and her somewhat relationship with her half brother has fulfilled her. But it's been a decade and she's finally ready to feel the touch of another. She seeks her brother's assistance and he sets her up with his friend Rafe. By nature of the situation much details aren't revealed and Emma and Rafe start an affair. Before long Emma starts falling in love, only to realise that not only was her once love of 10 years ago false but so too is this new one. Secrets are revealed and with a powerful man's back against a wall Emma's brother and lover are imprisoned and soon to be hanged. Calling on her friends and her own courage Emma must work quickly to decipher her dead husband's journal to bring a traitor to justice.
*******
This was well written and engaging and I enjoyed it for the most part......except I'm not a fan of martyrs. Rafe fell in love with Emma 13 years ago just from the stories her brother told, he was captivated from the moment he saw her......yet he stood aside and let their other friend marry her. His reason was that he was the second son and had nothing to offer her while their friend was wealthy and would treat her well. I could've probably accepted that but see that friend turned out to be a traitor and Rafe accidentally killed him but in the 10 years since his death he didn't try with Emma. As a matter of fact he admitted that had the circumstances not been what they were he never would have attempted to be with her. Maybe a noble gesture but all I saw was 10 years wasted when they could've been together!! I wasn't a fan of this and this drastically brought my rating down.
Rafe and Chris have been spies for years and the dead husband's journal being suddenly found causes Emma to be in danger so we get that but if suspense as he tries to decipher the journal. Again he and Chris make decisions for Emma and choose to keep the whole mess from her 🙄
Tbh I was hoping for a surprise pregnancy though Emma couldn't have children with her husband. I like my H's to have super sperm that create miracles 🤭 but thankfully they were able to create a little family regardless.
I liked Emma for the most part but he decision to spend 10 years mourning a man who didn't love her had me side eyeing her.
All in all not a bad read and I'd definitely try this author again
******
No cheating
No mention of the H's activities during the years Emma was married and then widowed but he wasn't celibate.
Emma had loved her husband and wasn't with anyone after his death
March 8, 2025
Well Aydra, I have read all of your books in these last few weeks, and every single one of them is my favourite. I need more!!!!
Dannyboy here though has a special place in my heart.
Dannyboy here though has a special place in my heart.
July 25, 2025
"It is possible," Rafe said, "to fall in love sight unseen. I know because I have done it."
December 18, 2024
rafe is the most down bad motherfucker i have ever met in my life and i LOVE. HIM. SO. MUCH. he’s pathetic for her, he’s kind of stupid about it, i’m obsessed with him.
also i absolutely loved loved lovedd and respected so much how there was no . aydra richards U KNOW WHATS UP 🫡🫡🫡
when she blows up and everyone realizes her books are iconic i cant wait to say that i loved aydra since practically book 1 <3
also i absolutely loved loved lovedd and respected so much how there was no . aydra richards U KNOW WHATS UP 🫡🫡🫡
when she blows up and everyone realizes her books are iconic i cant wait to say that i loved aydra since practically book 1 <3
October 3, 2025
I love me a good spy / Agents of the Crown novel!
This book had lost (supposed) loves, unrequited love, mystery, suspense and of course, Dannyboy LOL! Between he and Kit, they are the true stars of this book. Kit, with his fake Cockney accent, and Dannyboy with his REAL one. Dannyboy, a little 10-year-old boy, struggling to be the best son and brother a boy of 10 could be. Love the ending / epilogue of the book and it all ended beautifully :) Aydra has witchcraft and manages to make the wildest stories come together at the end.
The only thing I didn't really like, given the 4-stars, is that the villain wasn't *truly* that villainous. Like, he's a bad guy, but I think there could have been more going on behind the scenes with him. I like that push & pull of the hero & villain and have that be an undercurrent throughout the entire book. Also, Emma was sweet but a little *too* vanilla for my taste. I though she was a little bland. She could have had a little bit more spunk & spice in her. Not bad, just not my personal preference.
This book had lost (supposed) loves, unrequited love, mystery, suspense and of course, Dannyboy LOL! Between he and Kit, they are the true stars of this book. Kit, with his fake Cockney accent, and Dannyboy with his REAL one. Dannyboy, a little 10-year-old boy, struggling to be the best son and brother a boy of 10 could be. Love the ending / epilogue of the book and it all ended beautifully :) Aydra has witchcraft and manages to make the wildest stories come together at the end.
The only thing I didn't really like, given the 4-stars, is that the villain wasn't *truly* that villainous. Like, he's a bad guy, but I think there could have been more going on behind the scenes with him. I like that push & pull of the hero & villain and have that be an undercurrent throughout the entire book. Also, Emma was sweet but a little *too* vanilla for my taste. I though she was a little bland. She could have had a little bit more spunk & spice in her. Not bad, just not my personal preference.
June 29, 2025
This was not my favourite. I found it very repetitive and too much inner monologue. Rafe has two character traits: he’s a spy and he loves Emma but that’s it. Constantly revisiting how much he loved her and how guilty he felt for lying to her was not compelling and it didn’t make him feel real. I also couldn’t buy into the “I’ve loved her for years because her half brother told me stories about her.” And it felt like there wasn’t enough dialogue to build a convincing relationship between Emma and Rafe.
Chapter 22 onwards were pretty good but I wish the author had cut the repetition from here especially - it wasn’t needed at this point and really dragged the interesting parts down.
I’m in the “My Deceitful Duchess” camp - I love feeling the heartbreak, seeing the male main character realize his mistake and burn from the pain of losing her forever. So if you like this author’s less angsty/ more cozy romances, then this could be for you.
Chapter 22 onwards were pretty good but I wish the author had cut the repetition from here especially - it wasn’t needed at this point and really dragged the interesting parts down.
I’m in the “My Deceitful Duchess” camp - I love feeling the heartbreak, seeing the male main character realize his mistake and burn from the pain of losing her forever. So if you like this author’s less angsty/ more cozy romances, then this could be for you.
April 30, 2025
Rafe and Emma
This was good. He was so into her without them ever meeting. She ends up seeking a lover to feel less lonely after her husband was killed 10 years ago. Rafe is sent in and oh boy does he turn on the bossy in bed 🔥🔥. She finds her husband’s journal which is written in code. Rafe and her half brother are spies as was her husband unbeknownst to her. They try to uncover the code but to no avail. Rafe and her brother figure out their boss was also a double agent and they end up in prison. They are about to be sentenced to death when she gathers all their friends to crack the code. They do so and she goes to the King.
She’s the owner of a home for orphans. She is infertile. Hea Rory and her are together and he proposes. Then two of the orphans are to become their children… one is a baby girl.
This was good. He was so into her without them ever meeting. She ends up seeking a lover to feel less lonely after her husband was killed 10 years ago. Rafe is sent in and oh boy does he turn on the bossy in bed 🔥🔥. She finds her husband’s journal which is written in code. Rafe and her half brother are spies as was her husband unbeknownst to her. They try to uncover the code but to no avail. Rafe and her brother figure out their boss was also a double agent and they end up in prison. They are about to be sentenced to death when she gathers all their friends to crack the code. They do so and she goes to the King.
She’s the owner of a home for orphans. She is infertile. Hea Rory and her are together and he proposes. Then two of the orphans are to become their children… one is a baby girl.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2024
4 1/2 stars. The first half of the book moves slowly as the author builds layers of information and a chess metaphor that permeates the remainder of the book. Then all the layers combine to fit threads together and quickly build tension. The h was widowed ten years ago when the H shot her husband who was threatening her half brother. The H is the h's half brother's best friend. He fell in love with her before her loveless marriage to a spy who turned out to be a traitor. Barren, the h has filled her lonely home with twenty children. The h decides to ask her half brother's help in finding a lover. He sends the H. The affair is described beautifully without the use of hackneyed cliches.
October 6, 2024
Promising start, but in the end it felt like a bit of a chore to get through. There is a *lot* of introspection/inner monologue going on here, the hero is such a wet blanket he made sploshy noises everywhere he went. Or should that be crept? This guy gave off the energy of a whipped cat, sort of hunched up and slinking about while begging everybody to just ignore him and he'll go away. I love a bit of grovel, but when the guy is a simpering apologetic mess from the get-go it sort of robs the grovel of any satisfaction. The last 20% really dragged and honestly I skipped it hard.
February 28, 2025
Aydra Richard’s is a gifted writer. I love her books and would recommend this book along with the first two in the series. I am looking forward to starting the final book. Rafe is a wonderful hero, he is a good man who has had to do difficult things in service to his country. Emma is one of my favorite heroines. She is a lot stronger than she thinks and seeing her develop into the woman she was meant to be was written so beautifully. Aydra really brings tears to my eyes and touches the heart. I want to own this series to read again and again
October 19, 2024
A New Author for me
This one had me from page 1. Rafe is a superb MMC. Cinnamon roll - perfect descriptor. Self -effacing, sweet and a great lover. The bathtub scene with Emma in her cramps just checked boxes I hadn't known I needed checking. So far, Aydra Richards has become a new favorite.
My only concern is regarding the need for editing. Major.
This one had me from page 1. Rafe is a superb MMC. Cinnamon roll - perfect descriptor. Self -effacing, sweet and a great lover. The bathtub scene with Emma in her cramps just checked boxes I hadn't known I needed checking. So far, Aydra Richards has become a new favorite.
My only concern is regarding the need for editing. Major.
August 10, 2024
Miss Richards is one of my fav authors.This 3rd book in her series well was 1 well written 2 had me on the edge of my seat, cried laughted .Characters were redeemable well some of them .I want my own Rafe but that would upset Emma. Loved it Can't t wait for next book no spoilers so I can't tell you who the main characters are Thank You Aydra for the great story telling.
December 12, 2024
This is the third book I have read in this series and once again Aydra has wrung out all of my emotions, Her style of writing puts you in the midst of what is going on which I really enjoy and feel is a real talent. Now to start book number four all emotions primed and ready.
October 28, 2025
Less angst, but not introspection than previous books by Aydra Richards . The spy stuff was honestly kind of boring and I skipped over a lot of it. 10 years also seems like a huge amount of time to waste.
March 25, 2026
It took me 2 months to read this, in three sessions, because the angst and genuine peril start on page one and last until near the end. It's an excellent, terrifying book. I just didn't always have the nerve sufficient to keep reading. Kit and Phoebe are next!
September 6, 2024
I am a fan of Aydra Richards but this was disappointing.
September 18, 2024
4 stars. Loved the main and side characters in this book. Especially loved how the mmc loved the mfc for so long yet so hard. Good amount of suspense.
September 23, 2024
All the books with the Beaumonts are so good but in different ways! Lady Diana’s Lost Lord is still my favorite but this one is also lovely.
November 11, 2024
I felt less invested in this couple. Richard’s is a great writer, but this couple just didn’t have the pull and all the feels like some of the others.
January 16, 2025
So good. Rafe is my new favorite hero.
Read
January 18, 2025It was cute
I feel like it didn’t have the same level of angst and grovel as previous novels- even though the betrayal felt rather big
But it was still cute
I feel like it didn’t have the same level of angst and grovel as previous novels- even though the betrayal felt rather big
But it was still cute
January 21, 2025
4.4 🌟's
so good! i wud crash out if i was emma tho if everyone around me was lying to me like that
so good! i wud crash out if i was emma tho if everyone around me was lying to me like that
Did Not Finish
December 18, 2025Pretentious writing. When you explain a metaphor, you undermine the intelligence of your reader. Also, it’s annoying.
May 19, 2026
A hero to watch over me
The spy who loved from the shadows. The FMC who wanted to feel again. Where's Kit's story? Seriously, where's his romance?
The spy who loved from the shadows. The FMC who wanted to feel again. Where's Kit's story? Seriously, where's his romance?
December 5, 2024
3.8? maybe
January 15, 2025
4.5 rounded up.
One of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and it didn't disappoint.
One of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and it didn't disappoint.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews