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The Agency for Scandal #1
The Agency for Scandal - Geheimen en schandalen: The agency for scandal - Vol. 1
De achttienjarige Isobel 'Izzy' Stanhope heeft geheimen. Zo is ze smoorverliefd op een jonge hertog die niet eens weet dat ze bestaat. Ook is haar familie berooid achtergebleven nadat Izzy's vader overleed, maar niemand uit de hogere elite mag dat weten. En dan is er nog haar baan bij de Aviary (Volière), een onderzoeksbureau volledig gerund door vrouwen en gespecialiseerd in het opgraven van schandalen en louche zaken van machtige mannen.
Wanneer Izzy betrokken raakt bij een zaak die gaslighting, chantage en vermiste juwelen omvat, én de hertog die haar hart gestolen heeft, doet ze er alles aan om met haar vrienden het web van geheimen en leugens te ontrafelen. Kan ze de waarheid onthullen en de onschuldigen beschermen? En gaat ze de hertog óóit vertellen wat ze voor hem voelt?
The Agency for Scandal - Geheimen en schandalen is het eerste deel in deze heerlijke YA-serie van auteur Laura Wood, boordevol female empowerment, baljurken en schurken, voor lezers vanaf vijftien jaar. Perfect voor liefhebbers van de Netflix-serie Bridgerton. Deze serie is ook goed los te lezen.
**
Lees
A Season for Scandal - Vermissingen en schandalen
Wanneer Izzy betrokken raakt bij een zaak die gaslighting, chantage en vermiste juwelen omvat, én de hertog die haar hart gestolen heeft, doet ze er alles aan om met haar vrienden het web van geheimen en leugens te ontrafelen. Kan ze de waarheid onthullen en de onschuldigen beschermen? En gaat ze de hertog óóit vertellen wat ze voor hem voelt?
The Agency for Scandal - Geheimen en schandalen is het eerste deel in deze heerlijke YA-serie van auteur Laura Wood, boordevol female empowerment, baljurken en schurken, voor lezers vanaf vijftien jaar. Perfect voor liefhebbers van de Netflix-serie Bridgerton. Deze serie is ook goed los te lezen.
**
Lees
A Season for Scandal - Vermissingen en schandalen
Audible Audio
First published January 5, 2023
149 people are currently reading
7493 people want to read
About the author
Laura Wood
21 books1,351 followersLaura Wood is the winner of the Montegrappa Scholastic Prize for New Children's Writing and the author of the 'Poppy Pym' and 'Vote for Effie' middle-grade series and YA novels, A Sky Painted Gold and Under a Dancing Star.
She loves Georgette Heyer novels, Fred Astaire films, travelling to far flung places, recipe books, Jilly Cooper, poetry, cosy woollen jumpers, Edith Nesbit, crisp autumn leaves, Jack Gilbert, new stationery, sensation fiction, salted caramel, feminism, Rufus Sewell's cheek-bones, dogs, and drinking lashings of ginger beer.
She loves Georgette Heyer novels, Fred Astaire films, travelling to far flung places, recipe books, Jilly Cooper, poetry, cosy woollen jumpers, Edith Nesbit, crisp autumn leaves, Jack Gilbert, new stationery, sensation fiction, salted caramel, feminism, Rufus Sewell's cheek-bones, dogs, and drinking lashings of ginger beer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 843 reviews
January 7, 2023
Love love love me a Victorian all-female underground spy and revenge agency diamond heist romance novel
March 19, 2023
COUP DE CŒUR. C’était vraiment incroyable : l’ambiance entre Bridgerton et Enola Holmes, avec beaucoup d’action, de rebondissements, des personnages hyper badass, une vibes féministe juste parfaite et la romance comme ça 🤌 j’ai adoré ! Comme les autres romans de l’autrice, c’est assez lent quand tu analyses, mais c’est malgré tout HYPER addictif et je recommande a fond 😍😍😍
on-pause-for-now
July 12, 2023Putting this on pause @ 30%
This is totally not the book's fault- in fact, I was actually really liking it so far. It's a super fun historical romance/ secret agency book and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I was just really not in the mood for it and trying to force myself through it was just putting me in a slump 😬😬
In short, it's me, hi, I'm the problem it's me 🙃
I would love to give this another try at some point but for now I'm putting it down & moving onto something else! 💘💘
This is totally not the book's fault- in fact, I was actually really liking it so far. It's a super fun historical romance/ secret agency book and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I was just really not in the mood for it and trying to force myself through it was just putting me in a slump 😬😬
In short, it's me, hi, I'm the problem it's me 🙃
I would love to give this another try at some point but for now I'm putting it down & moving onto something else! 💘💘
October 12, 2024
це хороша янґ-едалтова книжка (давайте все ж не зводити янґ-едалт виключно до погано написаних книг про фейрі) про жіночу агенцію спеціальних послуг в Лондоні кінця дев'ятнадцятого століття.
головна героїня Іззі така собі wallflower, непримітна юна леді, що досі носить траур за батьком, не звертає на себе багато уваги і взагалі нікому нецікава. звісно, це все образ, бо насправді Іззі - одна з дівчат, що працюють на Авіарій, куди приходять жінки в скрутному становищі: комусь треба спіймати чоловіка на зраді, комусь втекти з невдалого шлюбу, хтось помітив, що чоловік намагається програти маєток у карти тощо.
власне, вся ця книжка про одне розслідування Авіарію, де нам зустрінуться сейфи, загадкова брошка, владний негідник, маскарад, шпигунські ігри і, звісно, романтична історія з герцогом. історія ця доволі мила, молодий герцог - приємна людина, хоча у порівнянні з Іззі він не дуже bright, без неї його б уже давно вбили.
у цій книжці Іззі кілька разів намагалася герцогу пояснити, що ні, жінки не можуть просто піти в суд і вирішити свої проблеми законним чином, бо закон жінок не захищає, тому вона і звертаються в Авіарій. це доволі реалістично, що герцогу, як дуже привілейованому чоловіку, що знаходиться на вершині системи, знадобилося більше одного пояснення, але якби це не був янґ-едалт, то навряд чи він так легко з цим змирився б.
тут можна найти недоліки, але я не хочу їх шукати, бо мені цю книжку читати було легко і приємно.
головна героїня Іззі така собі wallflower, непримітна юна леді, що досі носить траур за батьком, не звертає на себе багато уваги і взагалі нікому нецікава. звісно, це все образ, бо насправді Іззі - одна з дівчат, що працюють на Авіарій, куди приходять жінки в скрутному становищі: комусь треба спіймати чоловіка на зраді, комусь втекти з невдалого шлюбу, хтось помітив, що чоловік намагається програти маєток у карти тощо.
власне, вся ця книжка про одне розслідування Авіарію, де нам зустрінуться сейфи, загадкова брошка, владний негідник, маскарад, шпигунські ігри і, звісно, романтична історія з герцогом. історія ця доволі мила, молодий герцог - приємна людина, хоча у порівнянні з Іззі він не дуже bright, без неї його б уже давно вбили.
у цій книжці Іззі кілька разів намагалася герцогу пояснити, що ні, жінки не можуть просто піти в суд і вирішити свої проблеми законним чином, бо закон жінок не захищає, тому вона і звертаються в Авіарій. це доволі реалістично, що герцогу, як дуже привілейованому чоловіку, що знаходиться на вершині системи, знадобилося більше одного пояснення, але якби це не був янґ-едалт, то навряд чи він так легко з цим змирився б.
тут можна найти недоліки, але я не хочу їх шукати, бо мені цю книжку читати було легко і приємно.
January 4, 2023
This is my first book by Laura Wood but it certainly won’t be my last, this was an absolutely incredible read that I devoured in one five hour sitting. Izzy was such a fantastic character and I enjoyed seeing her character development unfold throughout the book, but Max? Oh sweet baby Max how I ADORED him and how he showed Izzy so much respect throughout the story. I think the romance was done perfectly for a historical fiction book and this definitely gave Enola Holmes vibes (it also made me want to rewatch the films again). If you want a book with a kick ass heroine and swoon worthy love interest then definitely pick this one up!
Thank you so much to Scholastic for sending me an early copy of this book, I can’t wait to go and read Laura’s other works.
Thank you so much to Scholastic for sending me an early copy of this book, I can’t wait to go and read Laura’s other works.
January 22, 2024
YA (really, trust me on this), female empowerment historical action adventure story. Female Charlie's Angels (kind of) in Victorian England. Lots of diversity rep and modern social sensibilities, with a few speeches and all, but hey, with a duke as a love interest just the same and excuses for ball gowns. And not just a duke, but a , and yeah it is that kind of book.
The point of the story is well, self insert, material and reading about super-competent girls, and in this case one gets her romance and I expect from the profusion of good looking young males (just wait, young single earl around, you think the author is going to waste him?) and all, there will spin-offs. There is no character growth (well, not that it is needed, Izzy is kind of perfect already right?), and the romance is my least favorite type, where one side of it is basically a trophy which just happens, for no discernible reason (she was keeping her perfectness under wraps) and without much personality.
Plot is frankly a mess, a way to insert as many tropes, even one I hate and throw our main characters together as much as possible. The agency makes no sense, financial or not, the duke is a duke but he seems to be much more vulnerable to plot events than his position would imply, and is very "disconnected" somehow, and timelines are sketchy , people jump to correct conclusions to move plot along, and it is all just propelled along unconvincingly as some kind of competence heroic teen girl fantasy.
Lots of diversity representation, but in a way that feels almost checklist, sometimes all spelled out even if it does not make sense but those are just marginal characters, not the characters which get their story told, or do things. Exception maybe, with some more role, a biracial bitchy queen bee, who still felt a bit stereotyped. You know those instagram posts with bookcovers and arrows pointing at tropes and ingredients to sell books? This felt almost as if it were written to be marketed like that - tropes and tropes and ingredients, all thrown together and blended.
I heard to the audiobook, narrated by Harrie Dobby who did it very pleasantly - her natural voice is light and girly, so I thought her male voices were a bit laringitis, as often common with female narrators. But that is natural range, nobody does all kinds of voices perfectly.
The writing felt professional, well paced and a good sense of when to put a one liner. I am not touching the rest of the (presumably to follow, if this sells well I guess) series.
Me and YA books, right now, we are kind of parting ways.
The point of the story is well, self insert, material and reading about super-competent girls, and in this case one gets her romance and I expect from the profusion of good looking young males (just wait, young single earl around, you think the author is going to waste him?) and all, there will spin-offs. There is no character growth (well, not that it is needed, Izzy is kind of perfect already right?), and the romance is my least favorite type, where one side of it is basically a trophy which just happens, for no discernible reason (she was keeping her perfectness under wraps) and without much personality.
Plot is frankly a mess, a way to insert as many tropes, even one I hate and throw our main characters together as much as possible. The agency makes no sense, financial or not, the duke is a duke but he seems to be much more vulnerable to plot events than his position would imply, and is very "disconnected" somehow, and timelines are sketchy , people jump to correct conclusions to move plot along, and it is all just propelled along unconvincingly as some kind of competence heroic teen girl fantasy.
Lots of diversity representation, but in a way that feels almost checklist, sometimes all spelled out even if it does not make sense but those are just marginal characters, not the characters which get their story told, or do things. Exception maybe, with some more role, a biracial bitchy queen bee, who still felt a bit stereotyped. You know those instagram posts with bookcovers and arrows pointing at tropes and ingredients to sell books? This felt almost as if it were written to be marketed like that - tropes and tropes and ingredients, all thrown together and blended.
I heard to the audiobook, narrated by Harrie Dobby who did it very pleasantly - her natural voice is light and girly, so I thought her male voices were a bit laringitis, as often common with female narrators. But that is natural range, nobody does all kinds of voices perfectly.
The writing felt professional, well paced and a good sense of when to put a one liner. I am not touching the rest of the (presumably to follow, if this sells well I guess) series.
Me and YA books, right now, we are kind of parting ways.
January 22, 2023
*Thank you to Scholastic for giving me an early copy of this to review!*
If I had to describe this book in a single word it would be ‘fun’. I was immediately drawn in by the charm of Woods’ writing and the bizarre nature of the plot; it didn’t take itself too seriously which made for a really enjoyable reading experience. It’s a very light and easy read, and if you’re looking for some tongue-in-cheek historical chaos with a whole host of great female protagonists, this is a great choice!
This book was fairly simple in terms of plot and ‘world building’ for lack of better terminology, but it worked well. It was so easy to dive in, the quick pacing made it easy to fly through and it was consistently really engaging. The crime fighting and investigative aspects added a really fun dynamic, even if I did have to suspend my disbelief for a while. It had enough mystery to keep a reader guessing, but not confused. One thing I could never grasp was the believability of our main character never being recognised by the love interest in terrible disguises. It was fun though.
The romance is quite a big subplot of the book and I think it was honestly really well done. Both characters were individually wonderful so as a couple they worked perfectly. They had brilliant chemistry on page and the author barely had to work to make us root for them - it was so easy. I loved their communication and they had amazing flirtatious banter which always had me on my knees. They were so cute I loved watching the development of their relationship through the book. He was so ridiculously charming, I was swooning.
Would highly recommend this, I enjoyed it.
If I had to describe this book in a single word it would be ‘fun’. I was immediately drawn in by the charm of Woods’ writing and the bizarre nature of the plot; it didn’t take itself too seriously which made for a really enjoyable reading experience. It’s a very light and easy read, and if you’re looking for some tongue-in-cheek historical chaos with a whole host of great female protagonists, this is a great choice!
This book was fairly simple in terms of plot and ‘world building’ for lack of better terminology, but it worked well. It was so easy to dive in, the quick pacing made it easy to fly through and it was consistently really engaging. The crime fighting and investigative aspects added a really fun dynamic, even if I did have to suspend my disbelief for a while. It had enough mystery to keep a reader guessing, but not confused. One thing I could never grasp was the believability of our main character never being recognised by the love interest in terrible disguises. It was fun though.
The romance is quite a big subplot of the book and I think it was honestly really well done. Both characters were individually wonderful so as a couple they worked perfectly. They had brilliant chemistry on page and the author barely had to work to make us root for them - it was so easy. I loved their communication and they had amazing flirtatious banter which always had me on my knees. They were so cute I loved watching the development of their relationship through the book. He was so ridiculously charming, I was swooning.
Would highly recommend this, I enjoyed it.
February 2, 2023
I wasn't expecting much from The Agency for Scandal. After reading a few books similar to it and I was disappointed but it took my breath away.
It was a fun and charming book about a group of women helping women in need when nobody would stand by them. I enjoyed the action, mystery and romance, Laura Wood managed to keep the plot interesting and gripping.
This book was great for anyone who was looking for something light and cozy with abit of humor thrown into it.
It was a fun and charming book about a group of women helping women in need when nobody would stand by them. I enjoyed the action, mystery and romance, Laura Wood managed to keep the plot interesting and gripping.
This book was great for anyone who was looking for something light and cozy with abit of humor thrown into it.
May 16, 2023
4.35⭐️
J’ai TROP aimé ma lecture ohlalala
Imaginez un univers qui mélange les Bridgerton au film Kingsman… Une agence secrète de défense des femmes, des aristocrates prêtes à tout pour protéger leurs paires mais aussi les personnes les plus pauvres, des femmes ingénues aux multiples talents qui mettent à mal les hommes les plus puissants d’Angleterre… c’est tout l’univers de The Agency for Scandal.
J’ai tout de suite accroché au roman, dès la première page. J’ai beaucoup aimé le personnage principal mais également toute son équipe de petites spy. Spécial coup de cœur pour Sylla qui m’a beaucoup fait pensé à Zoya du Grishaverse.
Le roman est plein de facilités mais honnêtement ça ne m’a pas empêché de passer un super moment de lecture.
J’espère vraiment de tout mon cœur que l’autrice va dédier un tome à ma go sure Sylla mais j’y crois moyen.
En tout cas foncez si vous souhaitez lire un roman ambiance Bridgerton mais plein d’aventures !
J’ai TROP aimé ma lecture ohlalala
Imaginez un univers qui mélange les Bridgerton au film Kingsman… Une agence secrète de défense des femmes, des aristocrates prêtes à tout pour protéger leurs paires mais aussi les personnes les plus pauvres, des femmes ingénues aux multiples talents qui mettent à mal les hommes les plus puissants d’Angleterre… c’est tout l’univers de The Agency for Scandal.
J’ai tout de suite accroché au roman, dès la première page. J’ai beaucoup aimé le personnage principal mais également toute son équipe de petites spy. Spécial coup de cœur pour Sylla qui m’a beaucoup fait pensé à Zoya du Grishaverse.
Le roman est plein de facilités mais honnêtement ça ne m’a pas empêché de passer un super moment de lecture.
J’espère vraiment de tout mon cœur que l’autrice va dédier un tome à ma go sure Sylla mais j’y crois moyen.
En tout cas foncez si vous souhaitez lire un roman ambiance Bridgerton mais plein d’aventures !
February 17, 2024
This was so fun and comforting!!! Amazing platonic friendships, strong women, an adorable cinnamon roll love interest… it had everything I needed. Like a warm hug, so cute.
July 26, 2024
Überraschend fesselnde Story und liebenswerte, starke Protagonist:innen.
In einer Zeit, wo Frauen nur möglichst schnell und vorteilhaft heiraten, ihrem Mann jede Menge Erben zur Welt bringen sollen und ansonsten nichts zu sagen haben, gibt es eine kleine rebellische Gruppe von Ladys, die sich für die Belange genau dieser Frauen einsetzen.
Und eine davon ist Izzy. Mauerblümchen bei Tag, Superspionin im Kampf für die Gerechtigkeit in der Nacht😄
Ich habe dieses Buch so gern gelesen. Es ist der Inbegriff von Cosy - so wundersüß und kuschelig wie Katzenbabys😍
Obwohl schon ein paar Dinge ungeklärt bleiben, deren Auflösung ich mir gewünscht hätte, hat dieses Buch einfach Spaß gemacht, also hab ich der Logik manchmal nicht zu viel Wert beigemessen😉 Dafür musste ich ein paar Mal herzhaft lachen und freue mich wirklich auf den Folgeband🥰
In einer Zeit, wo Frauen nur möglichst schnell und vorteilhaft heiraten, ihrem Mann jede Menge Erben zur Welt bringen sollen und ansonsten nichts zu sagen haben, gibt es eine kleine rebellische Gruppe von Ladys, die sich für die Belange genau dieser Frauen einsetzen.
Und eine davon ist Izzy. Mauerblümchen bei Tag, Superspionin im Kampf für die Gerechtigkeit in der Nacht😄
Ich habe dieses Buch so gern gelesen. Es ist der Inbegriff von Cosy - so wundersüß und kuschelig wie Katzenbabys😍
Obwohl schon ein paar Dinge ungeklärt bleiben, deren Auflösung ich mir gewünscht hätte, hat dieses Buch einfach Spaß gemacht, also hab ich der Logik manchmal nicht zu viel Wert beigemessen😉 Dafür musste ich ein paar Mal herzhaft lachen und freue mich wirklich auf den Folgeband🥰
April 14, 2025
3,5
Lectura ligerita y divertida.
Una novela juvenil con un toque muy actual, de estas historias sencillas con misterio y romance para pasárselo bien, lo mejor sin duda para mi "la pajarera", necesito saber más de este grupo de mujeres!
February 20, 2023
Super fun! My first impression on finishing this YA spy/adventure/romance novel is that it’s a mix between Katherine Woodfine’s delightful eight-book middle grade series that starts with The Clockwork Sparrow (fighting against an arch-enemy who belongs in society but has far-reaching contacts and an evil, power-hungry plan) and A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver (a romance between a spunky lock pick and an aristocratic man who lives by the rules and has a stern countenance with hidden depths). I adored all of the above books, so I’m absolutely on board with a mashup style story. At the heart of the story is The Aviary with its network of women fighting injustice.
Intrigued yet? 😜 More to come on this review.
Intrigued yet? 😜 More to come on this review.
September 24, 2024
XIX- wieczny Londyn, agencja detektywistyczna, humor, romans i silne kobiety, które biorą sprawy w swoje ręce. To była naprawdę fantastyczna rozrywka. Polubiłam główną bohaterkę, a inne poboczne postacie kobiece także są bardzo interesujące. Autorka świetnie przedstawiła kobiecą przyjaźń. Nie zabrakło humorystycznych scen i zagadki kryminalnej, na pewno nie da się nudzić przy tej książce.
December 31, 2024
4,5 ster
2024 sluiten we af met een knaller. Wat een fantastisch boek vol sterke vrouwen, geheimen en intriges. Het vervolgdeel wordt meteen mijn eerste boek van 2025. I'm obsessed!
Ps. Netflix lezen jullie mee? Dit zou zo'n toffe serie zijn!
Gehele review binnenkort op mijn blog: https://jenniferleest.wordpress.com
2024 sluiten we af met een knaller. Wat een fantastisch boek vol sterke vrouwen, geheimen en intriges. Het vervolgdeel wordt meteen mijn eerste boek van 2025. I'm obsessed!
Ps. Netflix lezen jullie mee? Dit zou zo'n toffe serie zijn!
Gehele review binnenkort op mijn blog: https://jenniferleest.wordpress.com
December 16, 2024
Dit boek is oprecht een heerlijke mix tussen Bridgerton, Gossip Girl, Sherlock Holmes en A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Ik vind Izzy zo’n badass en alle andere karakters worden zo goed neergezet. Je krijgt helemaal een beeld bij iedereen en dat is zo super.
Ik heb me echt vermaakt met dit boek. Sowieso alle gebeurtenissen in de community, Lady Whistledown anyone?! Ik heb gegrinnikt en uitgebreid gelachen. Dit boek had echt oprecht alles wat ik leuk vind aan tv series, dus mijn geluk kwam niet op hihi
Dit boek is zeker een aanrader!
Ik heb me echt vermaakt met dit boek. Sowieso alle gebeurtenissen in de community, Lady Whistledown anyone?! Ik heb gegrinnikt en uitgebreid gelachen. Dit boek had echt oprecht alles wat ik leuk vind aan tv series, dus mijn geluk kwam niet op hihi
Dit boek is zeker een aanrader!
January 3, 2023
Oh my gosh! This book was an absolute delight. Laura Wood’s historical romances never let me down and I loved the added element of The Aviary in this one. The Aviary gang were amazing and I loved them all - badass women fighting to help other women in a society that is ruled by men, what more could you want?
This book was full of adventure and had me hooked from the outside. I loved Izzy and her backstory, plus the others in her charm. The concept was so clever and I loved how the story developed. Max was absolutely wonderful and I adored him! He was so sweet and respected Izzy’s wishes and thoughts throughout the book. The adventure and romance aspects worked perfectly together!
I also loved seeing some cameos of Iris and Nick, from A single thread of moonlight, which is set two years after this one! An amazing read and I definitely recommend this and all of Laura’s YA historical romances!
This book was full of adventure and had me hooked from the outside. I loved Izzy and her backstory, plus the others in her charm. The concept was so clever and I loved how the story developed. Max was absolutely wonderful and I adored him! He was so sweet and respected Izzy’s wishes and thoughts throughout the book. The adventure and romance aspects worked perfectly together!
I also loved seeing some cameos of Iris and Nick, from A single thread of moonlight, which is set two years after this one! An amazing read and I definitely recommend this and all of Laura’s YA historical romances!
July 25, 2024
YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM
Evidentemente, esperaba que este libro me gustara, pero no tantísimo como lo ha hecho al final. Por una vez, me parece que la estrategia de venta de compararlo con un cruce entre Enola Holmes y los Bridgerton (o bueno, en realidad más bien con cualquier romance de época) es muy acertada, porque esas son exactamente las vibes que da (dentro de que está un poco en medio de esas otras dos obras en el sentido de que ni es middle-grade ni adulto, sino juvenil).
Laura Wood ha sabido combinar divinamente la trama de misterio (predecible quizá en algunos puntos, pero para mí eso no ha restado disfrute), la dosis de aventuras y riesgo, el romance tan tierno y bonito entre Izzy y Max y, en general los personajes (tanto los protagónicos como algunos más secundarios) y sus dinámicas.
Además, es un libro en el que el protagonismo de las mujeres es prevalente, y me encanta cómo enfoca su lucha y la defensa de sus derechos a través de esa agencia de espías con talentos de lo más variopintos, el hecho de que actúen en grupos cuyos integrantes aportan un talento en concreto, cómo se cubren unas a otras y trabajan en equipo...
La autora tiene un estilo cercano y fluido que provocó que me bebiera 350 páginas del tirón. Es lo primero que leo de ella pero, sin duda, no será lo último.
Evidentemente, esperaba que este libro me gustara, pero no tantísimo como lo ha hecho al final. Por una vez, me parece que la estrategia de venta de compararlo con un cruce entre Enola Holmes y los Bridgerton (o bueno, en realidad más bien con cualquier romance de época) es muy acertada, porque esas son exactamente las vibes que da (dentro de que está un poco en medio de esas otras dos obras en el sentido de que ni es middle-grade ni adulto, sino juvenil).
Laura Wood ha sabido combinar divinamente la trama de misterio (predecible quizá en algunos puntos, pero para mí eso no ha restado disfrute), la dosis de aventuras y riesgo, el romance tan tierno y bonito entre Izzy y Max y, en general los personajes (tanto los protagónicos como algunos más secundarios) y sus dinámicas.
Además, es un libro en el que el protagonismo de las mujeres es prevalente, y me encanta cómo enfoca su lucha y la defensa de sus derechos a través de esa agencia de espías con talentos de lo más variopintos, el hecho de que actúen en grupos cuyos integrantes aportan un talento en concreto, cómo se cubren unas a otras y trabajan en equipo...
La autora tiene un estilo cercano y fluido que provocó que me bebiera 350 páginas del tirón. Es lo primero que leo de ella pero, sin duda, no será lo último.
March 1, 2025
Una novela de época con ideas muy modernas que combina con acierto romance y misterio. Echa mano de varias situaciones muy familiares ya dentro del género pero que siguen funcionando y gustando dando como resultado una historia amena y ligera, descripción que también se ajusta a la pluma de la autora.
El romance me pareció un poco anodino y falto de química, si bien Isobel me convenció porque llevaba tiempo enamorada de él y contamos con su pov, Max pasó de la indiferencia al enamoramiento en poquísimo tiempo y me costó creérmelo. El misterio me gustó más a pesar de lo predecible que puede ser. Ambas tramas son muy simples realmente pero la combinación consigue ser agradable y entretenida, una lectura sin complicaciones si no se es muy quisquilloso con lo inverosímil, eso sí.
Hace hincapié en el empoderamiento femenino, la sororidad y otros temas similares, lo malo es que exagera un poco haciéndolo sentir forzado. Es posible transmitir el mismo mensaje con naturalidad, lo he visto en otros libros, y no intentar meterlo a la fuerza, máxime tratándose de una novela ambientada en otra época.
En general, este primer libro cumple. No es un imprescindible pero, para un rato de relax puede venir muy bien y eso no se desdeña. Quedo con ganas de leer el siguiente porque es la historia de Oliver y es muy mi tipo 😏.
El romance me pareció un poco anodino y falto de química, si bien Isobel me convenció porque llevaba tiempo enamorada de él y contamos con su pov, Max pasó de la indiferencia al enamoramiento en poquísimo tiempo y me costó creérmelo. El misterio me gustó más a pesar de lo predecible que puede ser. Ambas tramas son muy simples realmente pero la combinación consigue ser agradable y entretenida, una lectura sin complicaciones si no se es muy quisquilloso con lo inverosímil, eso sí.
Hace hincapié en el empoderamiento femenino, la sororidad y otros temas similares, lo malo es que exagera un poco haciéndolo sentir forzado. Es posible transmitir el mismo mensaje con naturalidad, lo he visto en otros libros, y no intentar meterlo a la fuerza, máxime tratándose de una novela ambientada en otra época.
En general, este primer libro cumple. No es un imprescindible pero, para un rato de relax puede venir muy bien y eso no se desdeña. Quedo con ganas de leer el siguiente porque es la historia de Oliver y es muy mi tipo 😏.
February 9, 2025
Ik snap de hype zeker! Benieuwd naar het tweede boek in deze serie
March 8, 2025
Ein wirklich, wirklich gutes für romantische Menschen ab 14 Jahren!
Die historische Story hält alles bereit, um gut zu unterhalten.....die Lovestory ist glaubwürdig, die Spannung hält bis zum Schluss...!
Absolut lesenswert!
Die historische Story hält alles bereit, um gut zu unterhalten.....die Lovestory ist glaubwürdig, die Spannung hält bis zum Schluss...!
Absolut lesenswert!
January 8, 2023
FANTASTIC. So, so good.
I loved everything about this. It's Bridgerton but if all the women in it were spies that help other women in society.
Great pace, great characters, great tropes, great storyline. And Max is a cinnamon roll ❤️
This was my first read of 2023 and it was the best choice! Highly, highly recommend this.
I loved everything about this. It's Bridgerton but if all the women in it were spies that help other women in society.
Great pace, great characters, great tropes, great storyline. And Max is a cinnamon roll ❤️
This was my first read of 2023 and it was the best choice! Highly, highly recommend this.
July 10, 2024
mais quel plaisir de lire une histoire avec des femmes fortes qui crachent sur le patriarcat avec brio et intelligence 🙂↔️
j’ai beaucoup apprécié ma lecture et notamment les personnages qui l’habite ! Isobel est une jeune femme que j’ai adoré suivre et voir évoluer au fil des pages ; de nature plutôt discrète, elle se révèle être courageuse et intrépide grâce à son travail d’agente secrète, tout en essayant de ménager sa mère malade. j’ai apprécié sa psychologie : sa façon de voir la vie, mais aussi et surtout les relations amoureuses et le mariage en tant que femme était intéressant et logique vis à vis de son vécu. tout comme le sujet de l’anxiété qui apparaît et qui était très bien traité, sans pour autant être omniprésent.
son crush sur le duc de Roxton était à la fois drôle et attendrissant, sans pour autant être tout much. la romance était douce, mais pas forcément au centre de l’histoire comme je le pensais, ce qui j’avoue m’a un chouïa déçue oupsi 🫣 pour autant on retrouve des tropes très bien exécutés tels que la proximité forcé ou du fake dating 😎 et j’ai tout de même niaisé plus d’une fois, i’m juste a girl ok ?
l’intrigue est prenante, avec cette organisation secrète de femmes qui viennent en aide à d’autres femmes pour faire chuter des hommes puissants. c’est du girl power comme on les aime avec des sujets pertinents, dénonçant encore une fois les avantages à être un homme dans cette société. j’ai complètement été embarqué dans l’enquête et j’ai stressée plus d’une fois pour nos espionnes 🫠
encore une fois, Laura Wood ne m’a pas déçue en écrivant des femmes fortes qui ne se laissent pas faire, des hommes qui savent écouter et prendre du recul, une romance cute, tout en faisant un énorme fuck à cette société patriarcale 💅🏻
j’ai beaucoup apprécié ma lecture et notamment les personnages qui l’habite ! Isobel est une jeune femme que j’ai adoré suivre et voir évoluer au fil des pages ; de nature plutôt discrète, elle se révèle être courageuse et intrépide grâce à son travail d’agente secrète, tout en essayant de ménager sa mère malade. j’ai apprécié sa psychologie : sa façon de voir la vie, mais aussi et surtout les relations amoureuses et le mariage en tant que femme était intéressant et logique vis à vis de son vécu. tout comme le sujet de l’anxiété qui apparaît et qui était très bien traité, sans pour autant être omniprésent.
son crush sur le duc de Roxton était à la fois drôle et attendrissant, sans pour autant être tout much. la romance était douce, mais pas forcément au centre de l’histoire comme je le pensais, ce qui j’avoue m’a un chouïa déçue oupsi 🫣 pour autant on retrouve des tropes très bien exécutés tels que la proximité forcé ou du fake dating 😎 et j’ai tout de même niaisé plus d’une fois, i’m juste a girl ok ?
l’intrigue est prenante, avec cette organisation secrète de femmes qui viennent en aide à d’autres femmes pour faire chuter des hommes puissants. c’est du girl power comme on les aime avec des sujets pertinents, dénonçant encore une fois les avantages à être un homme dans cette société. j’ai complètement été embarqué dans l’enquête et j’ai stressée plus d’une fois pour nos espionnes 🫠
encore une fois, Laura Wood ne m’a pas déçue en écrivant des femmes fortes qui ne se laissent pas faire, des hommes qui savent écouter et prendre du recul, une romance cute, tout en faisant un énorme fuck à cette société patriarcale 💅🏻
November 24, 2024
This was so much fun!! Izzy ist die coolste, es gibt so diverse Charaktere und Izzy und Max sind richtig niedlich!
February 21, 2023
Isobel Stanhope realised that life was short and full of bad turns. When her father died, leaving the family destitute, she had to do whatever it took to keep the truth from her young brother, and her mother, and return the family to its former standing. Joining the Aviary, and finding a place for herself in the world which doesn't respect her, was the dream, but even so, it's dangerous. Soon she finds herself embroiled in a scandal, and needs to work with the handsome Max Vane, Duke of Roxton. As they discover more about the villain, they find they are drawn to one another, and will risk it all to save each other. But can it work out, or is their case too much to handle?
I simply love Regency/Victorian stories, and there's very few YA ones. So as soon as I heard about The Agency for Scandal I knew it was a book I needed. From the very first page, I was hooked. Izzy was an amazing main character, and her growth over the course of the book was immense. She was out, and taking part in the Season, but because of her family situation, she didn't expect that marriage was in her cards. Especially not with what she had seen in some of her cases. Being beholden to a man, who could literally be your ruin, or your death, is abhorrent to her, and she would never want to find herself in a similar situation. I liked how Max was so oblivious to start off with, though he was a spy, to the wider world. He blindly followed his mentor, and had to be forced to see the truth. He had also been keeping a close eye on Izzy, though didn't even want to admit it to himself. The time the pair spent in Yorkshire was hilarious, and I loved that they were able to be honest and open to each other. I know this book is a standalone, but I really hope that Laura will delve into this world, and these characters, again!
I simply love Regency/Victorian stories, and there's very few YA ones. So as soon as I heard about The Agency for Scandal I knew it was a book I needed. From the very first page, I was hooked. Izzy was an amazing main character, and her growth over the course of the book was immense. She was out, and taking part in the Season, but because of her family situation, she didn't expect that marriage was in her cards. Especially not with what she had seen in some of her cases. Being beholden to a man, who could literally be your ruin, or your death, is abhorrent to her, and she would never want to find herself in a similar situation. I liked how Max was so oblivious to start off with, though he was a spy, to the wider world. He blindly followed his mentor, and had to be forced to see the truth. He had also been keeping a close eye on Izzy, though didn't even want to admit it to himself. The time the pair spent in Yorkshire was hilarious, and I loved that they were able to be honest and open to each other. I know this book is a standalone, but I really hope that Laura will delve into this world, and these characters, again!
November 10, 2024
This was so much fun!! I like the plot, the wide range of characters, the humour, the diversity, oof. Such fun.
June 8, 2025
4.5
(only thing missing was a plot twist in the end, but the cosy crime vibe was perfection)
(only thing missing was a plot twist in the end, but the cosy crime vibe was perfection)
November 26, 2024
Review after book club (spoiler, loved it)
April 8, 2025
4.5 🌟
April 6, 2025
I have always loved British historic children's and YA novels set about 100-150 years ago, so it was only a matter of time before I picked this book up, of course.
The title is a tad misleading, if you ask me. Since this book was clearly set during the Victorian era, with the London Season in full swing every year, the debutantes coming out and all kinds of scandals in the high society, I was expecting something more of an agency that really was about... upper-class scandals, you know? And that clearly isn't the case. So I got a bit miffed about that.
But never fear, the story itself remained as entertaining as I'd wished. The pacing was great, the plot was thrilling and there is a lot going on, all the time. I was sitting on the edge of my seat as the book evolved.
There is a clear feminist point of view present, but it became a bit too much to stay entirely realistic at times. I mean, apart from Max and James, is there one male character who isn't an idiot and/or asshole? Especially in the beginning, it felt as if all women are great and all men are not. I am all in favour of equality, but this just felt a bit over the top, in my opinion.
The characters themselves were fantastic, though. Izzy steals the show, of course, and I was going to say that it's a bit odd that, after a while, she completely discards her role as Kes - but now I am wondering if that is some kind of sign from Wood that she doesn't need or want to hide anymore, since everyone who is of importance already knows her secret anyway and since she just feels more secure about herself. Whatever the answer, there is a clear evolution in her character, and she definitely made me laugh out loud a couple of times.
I would have loved seeing a bit more of Sylla, Maud and Winnie, but even though they weren't present as much as Izzy, they still felt like very well-defined characters, each with their own quirks and traits. Maybe Sylla could have been a tad nicer - fine, she has her own behaviour of course, but it would have been nice to see her open up once or twice more, because we don't get anything until the ending. She made me laugh often enough, with her sarcastic comments.
Max was fun to read about as well, and he also definitely undergoes some character development. All in all, his ideas seem pretty spot-on at first for that time period, but he changes for the better. I loved all the banter between him and Izzy.
Talking about Sylla, though... This story is set in 1879. I am absolutely in no doubt at all that there would have been Indians walking about in London. And I should immediately add that I am in no way an expert in London society, especially not of that time. But it seemed very unrealistic to me that someone of Indian descent could become one of the most well-known socialites back then. That just felt... off.
All in all, the book reminded me a bit of Katherine Woodfine's Taylor & Rose books (which is a compliment, Wood, don't worry). The setting, the mood... I loved it!
8.1/10
The title is a tad misleading, if you ask me. Since this book was clearly set during the Victorian era, with the London Season in full swing every year, the debutantes coming out and all kinds of scandals in the high society, I was expecting something more of an agency that really was about... upper-class scandals, you know? And that clearly isn't the case. So I got a bit miffed about that.
But never fear, the story itself remained as entertaining as I'd wished. The pacing was great, the plot was thrilling and there is a lot going on, all the time. I was sitting on the edge of my seat as the book evolved.
There is a clear feminist point of view present, but it became a bit too much to stay entirely realistic at times. I mean, apart from Max and James, is there one male character who isn't an idiot and/or asshole? Especially in the beginning, it felt as if all women are great and all men are not. I am all in favour of equality, but this just felt a bit over the top, in my opinion.
The characters themselves were fantastic, though. Izzy steals the show, of course, and I was going to say that it's a bit odd that, after a while, she completely discards her role as Kes - but now I am wondering if that is some kind of sign from Wood that she doesn't need or want to hide anymore, since everyone who is of importance already knows her secret anyway and since she just feels more secure about herself. Whatever the answer, there is a clear evolution in her character, and she definitely made me laugh out loud a couple of times.
I would have loved seeing a bit more of Sylla, Maud and Winnie, but even though they weren't present as much as Izzy, they still felt like very well-defined characters, each with their own quirks and traits. Maybe Sylla could have been a tad nicer - fine, she has her own behaviour of course, but it would have been nice to see her open up once or twice more, because we don't get anything until the ending. She made me laugh often enough, with her sarcastic comments.
Max was fun to read about as well, and he also definitely undergoes some character development. All in all, his ideas seem pretty spot-on at first for that time period, but he changes for the better. I loved all the banter between him and Izzy.
Talking about Sylla, though... This story is set in 1879. I am absolutely in no doubt at all that there would have been Indians walking about in London. And I should immediately add that I am in no way an expert in London society, especially not of that time. But it seemed very unrealistic to me that someone of Indian descent could become one of the most well-known socialites back then. That just felt... off.
All in all, the book reminded me a bit of Katherine Woodfine's Taylor & Rose books (which is a compliment, Wood, don't worry). The setting, the mood... I loved it!
8.1/10
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