Die schöne Spionin

Liar's Club #1

by Celeste Bradley

Um ihren Bruder unbehelligt in London suchen zu können, gibt sich die junge, temperamentvolle Agatha Cunnington als verheiratete Frau aus. Als Scheinehemann hat sie sich den attraktiven Simon Montague Rain ausgesucht. Doch sie ahnt nicht, dass auch Simon nicht der ist, für den er sich ausgibt. Er will Agatha ausspionieren, doch je näher er ihr kommt, umso mehr ist er von ihr hingerissen. Und auch Agathas Leidenschaft entflammt für den charmanten Schuft …

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

416 pages, Paperback

First published June 16, 2003

About the author

Visit me at www.CelesteBradley.com or facebook.com/CelesteBradleyAuthor :)
Go to CelesteBradley.com/newsletter for my Voice of Society newsletter.

Hi, my name is Celeste Bradley and I write "brain chocolate." That is, I write fun and sexy escapism is for hardworking women everywhere. We deserve a little man-candy, too!

Reviewers like to say I write about misfit heroines getting the man of their dreams. Maybe that's true, but don't we all feel like misfits sometimes? Even if the rest of the world thinks we have all our balls in the air, aren't we juggling like mad on the inside, desperately trying not to drop one?

I love this manic, scattered life I lead. I love to write, craft, garden, bake and mother, even if I don't always do it all perfectly. I love living in the Southwest, with its big sky and vast desert views. I love venturing out of my quiet life to meet readers and other writers, and then I love to come back to my haven, full of ideas and renewed passion and creativity.

Maybe one of those times I'll meet you!

Hugs,
and thanks for reading!

Reviews

[Suzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitap başta niye bilmiyorum kötüydü, birşeyler eksikti; çeviriden mi,yazarın kaleminden mi,editör kaynaklı mı emin değilim sonradan alıştım diline. Kurguda oturdu karakterlerde çok iyiydi 😊

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright. It didn't blow me away but it kept me entertained. I'll look for the other books in the Liar's Club and see if any of them do better for me.

I had a problem with Simon's spy business right away. He thought that Agatha was her brother's mistress (which I can believe) and that she might be a spy too. He kept remarking that she put everything together too well to be anything but a spy. I really started to doubt his intelligence. Agatha's logic didn't really strike me as anything special and it really made Simon seem incompetent when he kept being so impressed by her information.

I really liked the dynamic that Agatha and Simon had between them. I really felt their love and passion for each other. They seemed like they just fit. The scenes where Agatha keeps trying to seduce Simon and he keeps throwing her out made me laugh. I loved Agatha's determination to have Simon. Nothing I like better than a woman who knows her own mind. I did have a problem with her belief that it was okay to "steal" a baby from Simon and never let him know. That really dropped her character in my eyes.

I found it hard to believe that Agatha would be so naïve as to invite some random stranger to live with her for a couple weeks. It really made her seem stupid. Also, I know the fake husband thing gets used a lot in historical romance, but was it really all that common? Maybe I'm just critical of this trope because it has been done to death.

I found the ending with the Prince to be an eye rolling event. It all just seemed faintly unbelievable. I really did like the humor in this book though. The brother seemed interesting although his "whatever" attitude toward Agatha and Simon didn't ring true. I think that this author has the potential to be a keeper for me so I'm going to check out more of her work.

[kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha Cunnington needs to find her dumbass brother James, so she goes to town and sets herself up as Mrs. Mortimer Applequist. Simon Rain (aka "The Magician" I can't with these ridiculous monikers) is also looking for her dumbass brother James but because he, too, is a dumbass, he thinks Agatha is actually James's sex-friend. LITERALLY THE MOMENT HIS DICK GETS INSIDE HER, JAMES ARRIVES TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT and then we have angst and hijinks and nonsense. MOST OF IT IS ACTUALLY RATHER DELIGHTFUL.

1. This was just a romp. I enjoyed it quite a lot. Agatha is wry and funny and absolutely Too Perfect but in a way that I honestly didn't care because I was too delighted. Simon was Too Handsome with silly man pain but he was so helplessly enraptured by Agatha that I honestly didn't care. I believed in their match and their ability to work together as fantastic spies and solve mysteries and be badasses.

2. I usually complain about how bad romance-land spies are at spying. And I'm by no means saying that the spies in this book are FANTASTIC but they absolutely have moments of ACTUAL COMPETENCY. IT BOGGLED ME.

3. It's by no means perfect: Agatha totally assaults Simon in his sleep a bunch because he refuses to sleep with her, and there's some gross characterization of a female villain, and it did a little soapy, but those all felt like minor complaints in the face of my mirth at its sheer entertainment.

(ETA 4. The POV swaps were slightly disconcerting, I should add. A little too willy-nilly for my tastes.)

Ultimately: 3.5 stars, rounded up.

[Sombra · Rating 3 out of 5]

No ha sido un mal libro, pero algunas situaciones y el que por más que leyera parecía que no se acababa nunca han echo que mi puntuación se quede en un aprobado raspado.

La historia que nos presenta esta serie es muy prometedora. Para empezar tenemos un Club de espias al servicio de la corona cuya tapadera de actividades es nada más y nada menos que un Club de juego regentado por Simon, el protagonista. Simon no es el típico lord inglés podrido en dinero, sino que se crió en un barrio pobre como carterista, su madre era una mujer de moral distraída y hasta que salvó la vida de un lord fue entre otras muchas cosas deshollinador.

La historia comienza cuando Simon decide ir en busca y captura de su mejor amigo y mano derecha del Club de los mentirosos, James, del que se sospecha es un traidor a la corona y ha desaparecido del mapa sin dejar rastro. Es durante su investigación que conocerá a Agatha, la hermana de James y de la que comenzará a sospechar tan pronto como conoce que es ella la que maneja el dinero de su desertor amigo. Agatha también ha abandonado su hogar en el campo para buscar a James mediante una tapadera bastante original y cuando ve aparecer a Simon, ve en él la salvación a su misión sin saber que ella misma es una sospechosa de alta traición

Por lo que se inicia una relación entre ambos de interéses, mentiras y desconfianzas que poco a poco se irá solucionando a medida que todas las piezas del puzzle van encajando.

La trama está bastante bien hilada; sobre todo la relacionada con el espionaje y sobre la culpabilidad o inocencia de determinados personajes que van saliendo a lo largo del libro. Lo que no me ha terminado de cuajar muchas veces es el carácter de la protagonista y por ende su historia de amor con Simon, ya que había muchas situaciones inverosímiles.
Aunque la autora nos la presenta como una mujer decidida, inteligente y valiente, en ocasiones (muchas), más que decisión, yo veía puro egoísmo, sobre todo a medida que su amor por Simon iba siendo cada vez más obvio. Y cuando hacia la mitad del libro decide hacer un acto puramente egoista, me dejó de caer bien la pareja y me dio hasta pena el pobre de Simon.

Aún así, ha sido un buen comienzo de serie y casi segura que leeré el siguiente muy pronto.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I loved the banter between the couple! In fact, I loved Agatha's banter with almost everyone around her. She was different than most of the heroines you find in historical romances, because even though she wasn't worldly, she never missed a beat when confronted with a strange situation. She thrived on the adventure of being thrust into a world of espionage, and even surpassed two of the best spies in England when it came to fitting the pieces of the puzzle together. Even though she was constantly underestimated by both Simon and her brother, Agatha never whined or complained, she just used it to her advantage. She officially wins my 'Favorite Heroine in a Romance Novel' award. Don't laugh! In my mind, this is a very prestigious honor that I'm bestowing on the author. Ahem.

I'm afraid my love for Agatha puts Simon in a bad position. I wanted him to wake up and get over thinking that he was irreplaceable in his organization! Grrr. I could have shaken the snot out of him several times over the course of the book. Usually, I want to shake the silly woman for not realizing how perfect the guy is, so this was a nice change. Eventually, he realized that his duty to England would always be second to his love for her, but it sure took him long enough to get there! Idiot. Ok, ok. He was pretty cute, and I forgave him.

As a side note, I have to wonder about the author a little when it comes to the sex scenes. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of steam. Maybe too much steam for poor Simon, if you get my drift. *Wink Wink* Yeah... You know how we all read these things because we love the 'fantasy lover' aspect? Don't deny it. Historical romances are not educational. Sure, we all tell ourselves that we are learning about a different time period, but deep down we know the truth. We want the yummy sex. We want the fantasy lover. 'Fantasy' being the operative word. I don't want to fantasize about hairy backs, a tiny penis, or man-boobs. In my mind, this fantasy also includes lovers who do not climax after ten seconds. Hello? Am alone here? I doubt it. If I wanted to fantasize about that, all I'd need to do is dredge up the image of fumbling around in the backseat of my boyfriend's car in high school. Yee-haw. I hope this is not a running theme in Ms. Bradley's books, because I intend to read the next book in this series as soon as possible.

[Zoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book started great. The chimneysweep of a hero totally had my attention and I love Simon for a name for my hero, a close second to Harry, my all time favorite.

But I digress.

Then Agatha happened. Oh, overly bold, lying, plump, virgin-turned-harlot, love-being-on-top, Simon-jumping Agatha. Very early on in the book I realized that Agatha is what I know as........crazy.

Agatha's brother disappeared. She wanted to investigate, decided on a scheme and went to London. In from the back of the house, comes Simon, the God, who saved her from her lie. Then more lies about her marital status, outragerous lies too, then spy master schemes blah blah blah and then, they had sex.

I rolled my eyes and literally groaned (not the good kind) reading this novel. Agatha is outrageous. I believe some readers would like her. But she is too much for me. She is everywhere, with her lies, with Simon, with James, and everywhere. She has to be because oh she is so smart and has a mind of her own and no man can control her.

Simon is a much more likable character. I have to say him being jumped by Agatha multiple times in this book is a little pathetic but oh well, who am I to judge. I think 10% of the story had my full attention and it is usually when Simon and Agatha stole a few moments together knowing that they had no future. And it was all about Simon too. I cannot help but imagine Agatha as this danger-prone woman who sticks her head where it doesn't belong but gets offended when people tell her the fact to her face. Oh and did I mention that she is a country woman in London playing a married woman without a husband who attends social parties and volunteers at the hospital? All in all, I could work with Simon, but cannot stomach Agatha. I don't dislike her as a character but I find such heroines unattractive and annoying.

Then there is the writing. Sometimes I really wish I could write to these authors and ask them to please read what they wrote before they allow it to be turned into a book. Is this something that you would say to a man??? Woman is that is the case.....well..... I have nothing to say to you.......and that is woman to woman. Sometimes the conversations are so contrived and...I don't want to say idiotic, I guess it is probably......I don't know, I have no adjectives for it, pathetic? Honestly, is this how some women talk??

Then there are the secondary characters. Man there are so many of them. I lost count. Who is the butler? Who is the valet? Who is the butler's nephew? Who works at the club doing what? Then Lord someone who is the hero for another book in the series, then the nephew of the Lord. Why is it necessary to have all these people who are not relevant for the romance? The villain is unimpressive, the "intriguing mystery" not so intriguing. This book is a real mess, no clear plot line, annoying and unncessary characters The only good thing is Simon, who is also not a strong male lead. But I will stop here. How do you describe a mess?

[Em (semi-hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started with nothing but lust, panting, and poor decisions. The heroine threw herself at the hero so many times I nearly got secondhand embarrassment. I found the hero icky, selfish, and underwhelming. He was too caught up in his brooding to live up to either his job or the plot. Still, there were a few fun moments scattered in. The ending is HFN, but honestly, I was just glad it was over.

[Gilgamesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I loved Agatha...her character was whimsical, intelligent, pure, and very cunning and manipulative though completely harmless. I liked Simon too. The book was well written and the beginning was fresh and not att all contrived to fit the cliches of the genre....but midway through the writer I am assuming ran out of original ideas because she I guess inevitably gave in to pressures of using the same old boring plot lines of I can't marry her but let me enjoy my time etc etc and I love him therefore I must sacrifice everything for him blah blah....you get point. It was also a bit repetitive (I don't need it stated a million different ways that Agatha is looking for her brother) really how stupid do you think us readers are? To be reminded of the samething over and again in every chapter??? The novel is also very unrealistic and more theatrical and dramatic than necessary. But with a good editor it has a chance at redemption....if it ever is republished.

[daemyra, the realm's delight]

2025 Update: Adding this back to my shelves so I remember that I read this a few years ago. It was around the time I read her first novel, Fallen. I remember reading this and I think I deleted my review my accident when I was updating my bookshelves.

I can’t remember anything about this novel.

[Kristal Kitap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bebekli bir ablayı ziyaret etmenin ve bir kaç günü onda geçirmenin faydaları işte. Ablam dinlenirken bebekte ayakta sallanırken boş boş oturmamak adına yanıma kendimi pek kaptırmayacağımı düşündüğüm ve ıngalamaların arasında bile eğer okumak istersem şurasını anlamadım diye dert etmeyeceğim bir kitap seçip ziyaretimi gerçekleştirdim. Sonuç ise oldukça eğlenceli bir kitabın uzun süredir kitaplığımda 'aldım ama artık ilgimi çekmiyor' bölümünde beklediğini öğrenmiş oldum.

Kadın karakter çok enerjikti. Sürekli bir düşünce, sürekli bir hareket. Asla pes etmiyor ve istediğini alana kadar elinden geleni ardına koymuyor. Seviyorum böyle kadın karakterleri. :) Arada bir yazar işin dozunu kaçırmış gerçi. Eh buda bir kitap yani diyeceğiniz bir kaç sahne eklemiş fakat kitabın seyrini pek etkilemiyor. Genel olarak epey eğlendiren bir kitaptı benim için.

Erkek karakterimiz ise... Offf. Şimdi sevdim illaki sevmedim değil. Ama kendine acıyan erkekler pek tercihim değil. Okurken yine romantizmin dibine vuruyorsunuz ama eğlenceli veya baskın erkek karakterler daha ilgimi çekiyor. Kendisine acıyan ve geriye çekilen, sırf bu yüzden kıza da kendine de işkence eden erkek karakterleri bir güzel dövsek yeridir.

Tüm bunların haricinde ne ekleyebilirim başka? Hımm bakalım. Ah evet. Kesinlikle kitabın konusunu okumayın. Spoiler barındırıyormuş ben de sonradan fark ettim. Size şöyle özetleyecek olursam, Agatha'nın sevgili abisi bir süredir kayıp. Ve asker. Simon'un da adamları teker teker ortadan kaldırılıyor. Agatha abisini bulmak adına Londra'ya taşınıyor ve evli olduğunu söylüyor herkese. Simon'da Agatha'nın, adamlarını ortadan kaldırdığını şüphelendiği kişinin metresi olduğunu sanıyor. Halbuki abisi işte. Simon Agatha'yı araştırır, Agatha abisini. Yolları bir şekilde kesişir ve Agatha'nın türlü planlarıyla oldukça eğlenceli maceraların içine atılmaya başlarlar vs vs.. :)

Toparlayalım. Okunulası, eğlenceli, casuslu, içinde güçlü kadın karakter ve kendini ezikleyen bir hergele barındıran güzel bir kitaptı. Sosyete balolarıyla çok fazla içli dışlı olmuyorsunuz. Amaç zaten geçmişin o romantik anlarını size yaşatmak değil, aksiyon dolu ve tehlikeli hayatını gün yüzüne çıkarmak. Sıra ikinci kitapta. :)

[midnightfaerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story. Lots of fun. Loved the spy aspect of the plot. There were some near fatal misses in the water when a boat was sinking, which lasted longer than it needed to be and freaked me about a bit. It's one of my occurring nightmares, even though I'm a strong swimmer, I often dream about a car crash or running off the road and landing my car in water. Don't ask me why, no clue. Other than that, I loved it. Also irritated me how they kept underestimating Agatha and her intelligence, I felt, because she was a girl, but she got her come uppence in the end when she figured out the bad guys intention. All in all, I enjoyed it, and look forward to reading the second book in the series.

[Jess the Romanceaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

re-read July 2010

Oh how I love a good regency spy novel lol

This book was a true comedy of errors. Everyone has their own secrets and machinations and they all keep inadvertently mucking up everyone else's plans.

Simon and Agatha had such chemistry! Even when they were telling themselves to stay away from the other, the tension between the two simply sizzled.

A very light hearted, fun read with just enough angst to keep you from gagging ;)

5 Stars.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

77%. Meh. I got bored.

The writing is decent. The characters are decent. The storyline is decent. But I'm just over it. I think I'll try the author's newer stuff and see if it interests me more. There's definitely some dated stuff in here that irritates me, which is probably contributing to my lack of enthusiasm while reading.

I can't even be bothered to write a review.

Take this for what it's worth, because I remember really liking this series when I first read it several years ago.

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Another nice read by this author which was once again the heroine's show. She had spine, despite being abandoned by her brother, father she had not just flourished but made her estate even bigger and when her brother goes missing she has the courage to do what most men won't. I liked how ballsy she was and loyal. Even to the hero when he kept choosing his duty over her. I liked this.

[Funda41 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dik başlı güzel Agatha Cunnington kayıp kardeşi James'i aramak üzere taşradan Londra'ya gider. Elindeki tek ipucu Griffin imzasını taşıyan gizemli bir mektuptur. Ancak Agatha'nın amacı uğruna saygı duyulan evli bir bayanmış gibi sosyetede rahatça zaman geçirebilmesi için öncelikle bir kocaya ihtiyacı vardır... Simon Rain gibi uzun boylu, zarif ve gösterişli birine.

Sihirbaz olarak da bilinen Simon Rain Yalancılar Kulübü'nün bir üyesidir. Adamları birer birer komploya kurban gidince bunun sorumlusunu bulmaya çalışır ve ipuçları onu Griffin adlı kişiye götürür. Kılık değiştirerek Griffin'in metresi olduğuna inandığı Bayan Agatha Applequist'in evine girer ve çok geçmeden Yalancılar Kulübü'nün ilk kuralını ihlal ederek kendini bir anda genç kadının cazibesine kapılmış halde bulur.

[Szilvamag · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Mojca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss Agatha Cunnington is in dire need of a man. In search of her missing brother, James, she has ventured to London as Mrs. Applequist, but needless to say, her dear Mortimer does not exist. Now, with callers banging on her front door demanding to meet this elusive, adventurous Mortimer, Agatha snatches herself the first man available – a chimneysweep, Simon Rain. He’s an immediate success and the newlyweds promptly receive a pile of invitation for social gatherings.

Agatha has no intention of declining the invitations. She might learn something about her brother’s whereabouts from the military officers mingling among the ton and her uneducated, Cockney-accented, yet incredibly attractive chimneysweep will be her ticket. If she can teach him the intricate rules of the society, the right phrases to say and how to pronounce them, how to eat, and how to dance.

Little does she know her chimneysweep is in truth a master spy, Simon Montague Raines, working undercover to find a traitor in his organization, the Liar’s Club. Due to his abrupt disappearance, James is on the top of Simon’s list and Agatha, paying her bills from James Cunnington’s account, is suspected to being his accomplice… and mistress.

Simon, in order to get closer to her, agrees to the scam of posing as her husband, but soon discovers her to be a huge distraction for his mission.



The Pretender is the first in Ms. Bradley’s Liars’ Club series. I decided to pick this up after the great experience of To Wed A Scandalous Spy. I was slightly disappointed, but it was still a good read.

The main plot, the mystery / suspense, was slow throughout the story and only picked up pace in the last few chapters. Instead of building on the suspense, Ms. Bradley forsook the mystery and concentrated on the intricacies of the romance between the two leads. Don’t get me wrong, I so love the star-crossed-lovers ploy, but in my opinion that was laid a little too thick in this book.

The second bone to pick would be Agatha. I like the feisty, headstrong heroines that don’t let their “hero” trample all over them, but Agatha was a little too headstrong for my taste. She should be slapped regularly every two hours and there is no wonder she received so many marriage proposals. The blokes knew they had to save her from her own stupidity.
At times she also appeared extremely selfish and self-centered. Granted, she repented later on, but still, it’s the thought that counts.

What to say of Simon? Again, McDreamy, McSteamy, and McHorny combined. He’s a stuff of dreams, too good to be true. While Agatha was like an average woman, a little on the plumpish side, he was perfect. Ms. Bradley could’ve made him a little less mouth-watering, but she did give him pretty insurmountable mental hurdles. I understood his need for brooding, but again, it took too much space and time, and once again drew the focus off the plot, slowing it even more.
Also, for a super spy, he was a little thick and rather slow on the uptake.

In general, everybody in this book was a little slow. I figured out who the baddie was the instant the villain appeared in the book. Agatha took a little longer, and once again we proved the male species to be a little thick and (always) thinking with the wrong head!


Despite it all, The Pretender is a greatly entertaining book. While most books are driven by their plots and subplots, the thing keeping this book breathing are the characters, especially the supporting cast filling the gaps with their antics. Mostly, it’s an ode to love (brotherly and other) and patriotism.

[HÜLYA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitap Adı : Gönlünü Kimseye Kaptırma
Yazar : Celeste Bredley
Sayfa : 432
Yayın Evi : Epsilon Yayınları
Goodreads Puanı :5/4
Puanım :5/4



Celeste Bradley'in Gönlünü Kimseye Kaptıma romanını genel olarak çok beğendim..Yalancılar Kulübü Serisinin ilk romanı Yazarın kalemi biraz Amanda Quick biraz Stephanie Laurens biraz Liz Carlyle Biraz Andre Kane'i anımsattı bana.
Fakat Celeste Bradley'in kalemi mizahi olarak daha kuvvetli.Kısaca yazarı kalemini beğendimse de başlarda hikayenin içine giremedim ilk 50 sayfasında tutuktu hikaye..Sonradan açıldı aman ne açılış aktı hikaye..Hikayeden ve kitaptan başlardaki tutukluk ve koca şapkalı kadın kapak dışında çok memnun kaldım...Kitabı okurken bazen çok duygusallaşıp bazen de kahkahalar ile bazen de en sıkı casus hikayelerine nal toplatacak kurgu ile okuyorsunuz..Bir de bu Regency Dönemi yani 1813'lü yıllarda geçiyor..Hali hazırda Napolyon ile savaşlarının sürdüğü yıllarda..


Kısaca bence bu beş kitaplık seri sık sık arka arkaya çıkmalı.Umarım yayın evi serinin diğer kitaplarını çok geciktirmez..Serinin ikinci kitabı da çıkmış ama ilk kitap kadar çok beğenilmemiş..Aldığım bilgilere göre bu seri bağımsız olarak da okunabiliyormuş..Yine de seri okunmaya değer bir seri bence..Özellikler Historical severlerin çok beğeneceğinden eminim..Aşk,Macera,polisiye,casusluk,savaş temaları ile süslü bu kitabı bence kaçırmayın..

Serinin ikinci kitabı Hayallere Kapılma'yı da en kısa zaman da okumak istiyorum...


Konusuna Gelince :

Bu gerçekten bence iyi bir hikaye, iyi tempolu ile çekici karakter. Agatha ve Simon harika bir karışım alfa erkek ve yalancı hoşgörülü sevgilisi.

Romanın kadın kahramanı Agatha'yı sevdim..Cesur, iradeli!bir genç kadın Ancak, o saf değil kesinlikle ..İnatçı ,ne istediğini bilen kesinlikle kül yutmayan bir karakter.Erkekleri büyülemek , bilgi almak hamurunda var..Başının çaresine bakmayı da çok iyi biliyor..Kimseye de muhtaç değil kendilerine kalan mirası katlayarak zengin olmuş..Ama yüreği sevgi dolu ve sadık..Özellikle Ağabeyi James Cunnigton'a..ONdan uzun zaman haber alamayınca Londra kazan o kepçe ağabeyini aramaya başlıyor..Elindeki tek delil ağabeyinden son gelen mektu


Simon Rain ,gerçek ismi ile Simon Montague Raines atılgan bir kahraman. Bazen de bir odun..Sevgi nedir görmemiş..Çok kötü bir çocuklu geçirmiş. Aç kalmış..Fahişelik yapan annesinin hayat stili yüzünden sokaklarda perişan olmuş ..Sonunda kendini asilzade bir Lordun kanatları altında bulmuş..Ama sanıldığı gibi sevgi aile ortamında büyümemmiş aç kalmaktan kurtulmuş..O yüzden kendini kurtaran adamı hiç bilmediği,görmediği babası yerine koymuş..Fakat bu adam ondan bir casus çelik iradeli duygusal olmayan kelimenin tam anlamı ile görev adamı yaratmış..
Simon Fransız asıllı ama İngiltere hükümeti adına çalışıyor.Yalancılar Kulübu adı altındaki casus örgütünün beyni..Lakabı ''Sihirbaz''..Agatha'nın ağabeyi James'in amiri pozisyonunda..James'in kendilerine ihanet ettiğini düşünüyor..O yüzden onun tüm hayatını hesaplarını incelerken Agatha ile karşılaşıyor..Onun kim olduğunu bilmediği James'in dosyalarında da onunla ilgili bir bilgi olmadığı için AGatha'yı James'in metresi sanıyor...
Agatha onu baca tamircisi sanıyor ve işler karışıyor..Hem de fena halde..

Kısaca yazarı Historical ile polisiye ve macerayı sevenler bence epeyce sevecekler..Bence bu güzel kitabı kesinlikle kaçırmayın...

Liar's Club
1. The Pretender (2003) Gönlünü Kaptırma
2. The Impostor (2003) Hayallere Kapılma
3. The Spy (2004)
4. The Charmer (2004)
5. The Rogue (2005)
http://hulyami.blogspot.com/2013/08/c...

[Shellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 to 4 stars. Pretty good book so I’m leaning towards a 4. Fun with a lot of good banter and it sets the stage for future books. I own all five in this series so I’m going to read the next one. I liked the main characters H/ h and all of the supporting and secondary characters are pretty good too. Really liked the spy organization premis. You get the point of view from both the heroine and hero and I like that I like to know what the hero’s thinking as well. The ending was pretty good too. On to the Imposter!

[Elis Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon Montague is the leader of a secret society known as the Liar's Club. The members of this club are covert operatives for the crown, but more to the point, a lot of these guys have turned up dead in recent weeks. Near as I can tell, all the men in this club are also all extremely well-endowed .


Yeah, bummer.

The enemy appears to know too much about the Liars, and there's only one man besides Simon who could out them—that's James Cunnington, who has conveniently disappeared.

Last time Simon talked to James, James bragged about his mistress's acrobatics in the sack. Now, a large sum of money has turned up in James' account, and a lovely woman (obviously the mistress) is living in James' house. Simon needs to search the house, and find out what this woman knows.



Agatha Cunningham is desperate to find her brother James. It would ruin her if she came alone to London to search for him, so she married Mortimer Applequist. She and her brother invented Morty when they were kids, to take the blame for any hijinks that landed them in trouble. Now he's even more convenient—that is, until…

Lady Lavinia Winchell has expressed doubt of Mortimer's existence and more or less forced Aggie to produce him. So Aggie needs a man, and she recognizes raw material when she trips over it. Coal-covered he may be, but the brawny chimney sweep she bumps into is just the ticket. A bath, some diction and dancing lessons, and a decent valet—well, as long as he doesn't talk much, this Simon Raines should be convincing enough.

Meanwhile, James drifts in and out of a drugged stupor and a serpent asks him questions he knows he shouldn't answer.

I really liked this story, and I'm liking Celeste Bradley more and more, even if she does write Regencies (just shoot me now). She had me going, especially towards the end, when all the misconceptions and lies were exposed. I'm giving this one a 4.5—and that's Holy Grail territory, as far as my ratings go.

[grafikerebru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gönlünü Kimseye Kaptırma / Celeste Bradley(03.07.12)
Ah! Bu kitaba dolu dolu bir yorum yapmak istiyorum.Ama anlatılmaz okunur cinsinden bir kitap olduğu için fazla bir şey söylemek istemiyorum.Bu seneki favori 2. Hist. Kitabım oldu.Okurken çok eğlendim , her satır her cümle beni kahkahalara boğdu.Yazarın mizacı çok eğlenceliydi.Karakterlerini öyle güzel yaratmış ki kitabın konusunu kurguymuş gibi hissetmenizi imkansız kılıyor.Bir solukta bitebilecek bir kitap ama ben okurken gülmekten sürekli kitaptan koptum –tabi bununda ayrı bir tadı vardı- ama çok keyif alarak okudum.Simon’a bayıldım.Çok matrak bir karakterdi.Gerçi kitaptaki her karakter kendi adına çok eğlenceli bir kişiliğe sahipti.Ama Simon’un o vurdum duymaz halleri beni gülmekten kırdı geçirdi.Ama Agatha’yı da atlamamak lazım.Ayakta kırk yalan söyleyebilen ve söylediği yalanlara kendisi bile inan bir karakterdi! Simon’la çekişmelerine bayıldım.Adamı kılıktan kılığa sokması da cabasıydı.Ama en çok hayran kaldığım yönü Simon için bir an kocam derken bir an kocamın kardeşi diyebilecek kadar ince zekası oldu.Agatha’daki zekayla Simon’da başa çıkamayınca önünde saygıyla eğilir oldu.Ben çok eğlendim bu kitapta şiddetle de tavsiye ederim.

[Kusanagi · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'hésite à mettre même 4 ... y'a quand même un petit côté n'importe quoi même dans les péripéties qui me font hésiter....

Mais j'ai bien aimé. L'héroïne, Agatha est ... pleine d'entrain mais pas stupide. Et elle ne se laisse pas dicter sa conduite (et elle n'attend pas tant que ça qu'on la sauve ^^). Bon elle est un peu comme Loki dans Thor, elle se perd un peu dans ses plans, mais elle a quand même une sacré réactivité (et un don pour trouver des faux noms à la con.... n'est ce pas Simon "Mortimer Ethelbert" ... .XD)

Simon Rain est un héros un peu plus classique.... bon il n'est pas duc (déjà) même pas noble en fait.... mais il est espion. Après voilà, il est grand il est (très) beau.... non ce n'est pas Christian Grey, parce que lui il est fun, il fini par être blasé des invention de sa dulcinée ... mais voilà, il lui manque un petit truc pour être un héros ++

Après je me rends compte que c'est le premier livre de l'auteure (et ouais, pour une fois je commence par le début \o/ )donc ça laisse plutôt bien augurer pour la suite ^^

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

The Pretender started off really rocky, and I'll have to admit that there were moments in the beginning that I thought I'd end up frustrated with the book.  Our couple, as is typical of most romance novels, move from initial surprise meeting to insta-lust so quickly that I sort of got whiplash.  And then the lust continued to dominate most of their interactions and conversations and thoughts for a time.

Needless to say, I was definitely feeling a bit irritated with it.

But then, I can't quite pinpoint when, the story started getting interesting when things began to balance out.  Agatha started working with Simon in a strange little spy and investigation partnership rather than just issuing him his orders.  Simon started taking Agatha's abilities a little more seriously and the two sort of, unofficially accepted their strange partnership.

It was only all the more intriguing that Simon had false impressions about Agatha, and that Agatha was working under false impressions of Simon.

And while I would have loved for this weird tango of deceit and secrets to continue, I have to admit that the reveals and the twists in the middle of the book worked out quite well.  Nothing else seemed to change between the two save for a better understanding of each others' roles.

And as I was fully invested in both character's stories by then, I didn't care to nitpick too much more about the book as a whole.  Though I must admit that there were some moments (such as Agatha's multiple attempts to seduce Simon) that actually came out more comical, even in spite of the more serious tone of her own thought processes.  In creating these scenes however, I actually came to admire some of the more inelegant behaviors and actions of our two main characters (the scene where Agatha is unceremoniously thrust out of Simon's room in the nude is quite unforgettable, as I think about her having to make a stumbling sprint back to her own bedroom to avoid awkward discovery).

On a side note, Simon's attempts at evading seduction (a la the aforementioned scene where he extricates Agatha from his immediate quarters) were commendable.  But really, with Agatha's head-strong determination, the poor guy really didn't have a chance in the world of resistance.

I think this is what sort of made the book a bit more enticing to me--not the seduction process, no.  The characters were unique and interesting in their own ways, but their actions and antics were quite entertaining to follow.  Well, okay, it was really Agatha's antics I really enjoyed the most, what with her managing to make so much headway into ferreting out secrets and investigating her brother's disappearance within days, while Simon admits that it had taken him and his men much longer to even come up with some inkling of what might have happened to James Cunnington.

Agatha was a study in contradictions, really.  She believes herself to be ordinary and not a beauty.  But during her investigations, she tactfully uses her larger than average bosom size (a not so ordinary trait) to extract information from many of the salivating lords and gentlemen she interacts with.  She's written as a character who doesn't really have a deceitful bone in her body... and yet all of her behaviors are contradictory because she begins the book as a liar who creates a fake marriage and husband as part of her investigation strategy.

And yet, she's a readily likable character.  In contrast, Simon was rather ordinary and standard for a romance novel.

Other characters in The Pretender were also wonderfully crafted as well, and I can't wait to see if any of them play a role in following books.

Meanwhile, there were a few things about this book that didn't quite work out for me, thus the rather mediocre to blah rating.  But I can't deny that I enjoyed myself enough to want to continue on with the series.

The Pretender isn't the best book in the world, and definitely didn't start off all that well.  Others who would expect a great book within the first few chapters might get impatient, but I'm quite satisfied that it felt like our author seemed to find a direction and better footing in her writing process as the book itself progressed.  Though, to be honest, I can't help but note that the book DOES seem to feel like it could have been two, or maybe even three, different anecdotes when you get to the second half, even while the ending manages to tie things together well enough.


***


Booklikes-opoly

Roll #30:  "Read a book where a main character is in STEM, or where the author's first and last name contain all of the letters in 'Tesla'."

Authors first and last name = Celeste Bradley

Page Count:  384
Cash Award:  +$6.00

Updated Bank Balance:  $227.00

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A great book that I thoroughly enjoyed even though light romances are not really my kind of thing. Still, Bradley's humor works for me just right. Plus, I just adored the hero and heroine; they were perfect for each other and had great chemistry. And the secondary characters, from the buttler and the valet to the enigmatic lord Etheridge were all incredibly intriguing. Had me laughing and had me emotionally invested. What more could I ask?

Still, I had a problem near the ending that luckily,the writer soon twisted to my liking. So, everything's well that ends well:-) Heading straight for the second book since the hero is one of my favorite characters in this one.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this one. Both the hero and heroine are great, and I love that the heroine is the determined pursuer in the relationship. It makes a nice change in historical romances. The secondary characters are also well-balanced - they are introduced for the purposes of future books, but in a way which benefits this story without intruding in the central romance. The plot is also extremely exciting, without detracting from the saucy bits (I wouldn't describe them as steam precisely, but they are fun nonetheless) and builds up beautifully. Nicely done.

[Clarabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oui c'est sympa ... mais je m'attendais à mieux !
Cela m'a notamment paru assez bêta que l'espion ignore à ce point la situation familiale de son principal suspect - Agatha est sa sœur et non sa maîtresse - ça ne rend pas son pedigree hyper brillant car ça relève quand même du b.a-ba du métier.
Enfin, passons.
L'héroïne est une sacrée coquine aussi. Elle ment comme une arracheuse de dents et elle couche sans scrupule. Pourquoi pas ?
Mais toutes ces petites incohérences m'ont fait tiquer sur la durée. Je reprenais une romance A&P au bout d'une longue période de diète mais je n'ai pas décroché le pompon non plus. Je tente un autre titre bientôt, sait-on jamais.
*** 3.5 stars ***

[Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ha sido una lectura un poco rara. La historia de Simon y Agatha me ha gustado mucho. Ella con ese aire de inocencia y mujer de campo que hace creer a Simon lo que no es ha sido muy divertido. Su historia de amor es muy bonita e intensa y me ha tenido enganchada. Pero ha habido momentos en que se me ha atascado y no sé por qué. La historia es entretenida y la trama de espionaje también lo es, por eso digo que ha sido rara, no sé a qué se debe. Hay un personaje que se me ha atravesado y ese es Jamie, el hermano de Agatha y otro que es Dalton que me ha resultado interesante, su historia en la saga es la siguiente. De todas formas lo he disfrutado y me ha gustado 😍😍

[Viri · Rating 2 out of 5]

La verdad no sé si continue con esta serie porque francamente este libro no me gustó.

Al principio era divertido y tenía potencial pero nop, decae ESTREPITOSAMENTE JAJAJA Ni modo, ya qué.

Además no me llamó la atención ningún personaje y me pasé muchas cosas jaajjjaja

[Alina Acevlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stats

It wasn't that great but somehow entertaining. I like Agatha the heroine who is mature, intelligent and decisive while the Hero was not. I don't like the idea of duty first before love so I got annoyed. It has funny banters and situations which makes this light and easy read.

[ѕєяєηιтι · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eğlencesi aksiyonu bol bir kitap karakterleri konusuda çok hoş tam benlikti Hem romantizm hem macera olsun biraz da komik olsun diyorsanız buyrun