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The Carstairs Affairs #2
Midnight Flit
Miles Siward and Briers Allerdale return for another thrilling Jazz Age adventure .
“Silk stockings on expenses.”
Miles’s aristocratic mother has information of importance to the British Government and he must escort her home from Bucharest immediately, but their plans go violently awry and Miles and Lady Siward find themselves on a train to Belgrade - where Miles’s lover is posted. Since their pursuers are looking for a man and a woman, might two women slip past them unnoticed?
"Is anyone on this train who they say they are?"
Briers doesn’t know whether to kiss Miles or punch him but is delighted to accompany him and his mother on their journey. All he has to do is keep an eye open for their enemies - but who exactly are they; the enormous Russian, the sinister priest, the handsome jazz pianist, or maybe the winsome young movie star? And his mother-in-law might just be the most terrifying of all!
All aboard for the ride of a lifetime, with a cast of characters you'll never forget!
“Silk stockings on expenses.”
Miles’s aristocratic mother has information of importance to the British Government and he must escort her home from Bucharest immediately, but their plans go violently awry and Miles and Lady Siward find themselves on a train to Belgrade - where Miles’s lover is posted. Since their pursuers are looking for a man and a woman, might two women slip past them unnoticed?
"Is anyone on this train who they say they are?"
Briers doesn’t know whether to kiss Miles or punch him but is delighted to accompany him and his mother on their journey. All he has to do is keep an eye open for their enemies - but who exactly are they; the enormous Russian, the sinister priest, the handsome jazz pianist, or maybe the winsome young movie star? And his mother-in-law might just be the most terrifying of all!
All aboard for the ride of a lifetime, with a cast of characters you'll never forget!
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2019
4 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
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March 16, 2019Briers and Miles (and Millie) are back! I loved Eleventh Hour, a late 20s John Buchan styled spy romp with hard bitten spy Briers meeting pint sized cipher clerk Miles, cross dressing as Millie for work and, once he lets go, personal satisfaction.
In this instalment we're a few years on. Miles's diplomat father is in Eastern Europe, his mother has discovered some important secret information, and Miles must accompany her on a flight home. Needless to say things don't go to plan, leading to explosions, a terrific car chase, disguises, escapes, more explosions, a fantastic valet, the Orient Express, jazz pianists and Hollywood stars, multiple bits of Europe whizzed through at speed, grand hotels, somebody called ffoulkes, and all the fun of the 1930s fair.
It's also a lovely deeply felt romance. We see how much Miles and Briers have come to mean to one another, and the depth of unspoken feeling. I also really like the way Miles's cross dressing is very much his gender identity, not a kink--Briers is turned on by him in women's clothing; Miles knows that and still declines to play because it's not right for him; Briers respects that. (While in no way being a 2019 transplant: Miles has to call him out for his old fashioned attitudes more than once.)
The joy of this is definitely in the characters (a large and well drawn cast): the spy plot is fairly loose and more of a structure on which to hang the interactions. Luckily, those are brilliant. The writing is lovely, assured, often funny and very moving in the love scenes. It did need a proofread, a statement I have to make about far too many books from publishers.
In this instalment we're a few years on. Miles's diplomat father is in Eastern Europe, his mother has discovered some important secret information, and Miles must accompany her on a flight home. Needless to say things don't go to plan, leading to explosions, a terrific car chase, disguises, escapes, more explosions, a fantastic valet, the Orient Express, jazz pianists and Hollywood stars, multiple bits of Europe whizzed through at speed, grand hotels, somebody called ffoulkes, and all the fun of the 1930s fair.
It's also a lovely deeply felt romance. We see how much Miles and Briers have come to mean to one another, and the depth of unspoken feeling. I also really like the way Miles's cross dressing is very much his gender identity, not a kink--Briers is turned on by him in women's clothing; Miles knows that and still declines to play because it's not right for him; Briers respects that. (While in no way being a 2019 transplant: Miles has to call him out for his old fashioned attitudes more than once.)
The joy of this is definitely in the characters (a large and well drawn cast): the spy plot is fairly loose and more of a structure on which to hang the interactions. Luckily, those are brilliant. The writing is lovely, assured, often funny and very moving in the love scenes. It did need a proofread, a statement I have to make about far too many books from publishers.
March 8, 2019
Simply brilliant. This is everything I want in a historical novel. It draws you into the time period perfectly, bringing a real sense of the start of the madness leading up to the Second World War.
Here we're only just into the 1930s but there're enough tensions for a modern reader to see where this time period is eventually going and Elin lays it all down with a deft touch.
I cannot wax lyrical enough about how much I love Millie Carstairs, the alter ego of cypher clerk Miles Siward, and here she's on top form as a rescue mission to bring Miles' beloved mother home to Blighty goes wrong from the moment they leave the Embassy in Bucharest.
This series needs to be turned into a TV show, its utterly compelling and superb settings just lend themselves to be adapted.
It's daring do of the highest quality and reminds me a great deal of the wonderful Tommy and Tuppence Beresford from that master craftswoman Agatha Christie.
I'm intrigued by Falk, the German assassin who keeps popping up in the series, he needs his own book!
And Elin really threw me for a loop with one of the things which happened in this book. I wasn't expecting it at all and was made very sad but it works so well to bring a real sense of the dangers of the world that Briers and Miles move in :(
There're some delicious plot elements left open for book three and another new character introduced who isn't all he seems to be either.
Reading this just took me right back to the Saturday morning black & white weekly adventure shows of my childhood and I can't wait for more.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Here we're only just into the 1930s but there're enough tensions for a modern reader to see where this time period is eventually going and Elin lays it all down with a deft touch.
I cannot wax lyrical enough about how much I love Millie Carstairs, the alter ego of cypher clerk Miles Siward, and here she's on top form as a rescue mission to bring Miles' beloved mother home to Blighty goes wrong from the moment they leave the Embassy in Bucharest.
This series needs to be turned into a TV show, its utterly compelling and superb settings just lend themselves to be adapted.
It's daring do of the highest quality and reminds me a great deal of the wonderful Tommy and Tuppence Beresford from that master craftswoman Agatha Christie.
I'm intrigued by Falk, the German assassin who keeps popping up in the series, he needs his own book!
And Elin really threw me for a loop with one of the things which happened in this book. I wasn't expecting it at all and was made very sad but it works so well to bring a real sense of the dangers of the world that Briers and Miles move in :(
There're some delicious plot elements left open for book three and another new character introduced who isn't all he seems to be either.
Reading this just took me right back to the Saturday morning black & white weekly adventure shows of my childhood and I can't wait for more.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
November 12, 2020
2.5 stars
The plot was very thin and all over the place, relying on real historical events for the only parts of the story that had some substance. I got the impression that it was a deliberate choice on the author’s part, the focus was on the characters and the way they interacted with each other and reacted to outside events, the plot felt more like a backdrop against which a colorful and varied cast of characters was supposed to shine. I guess it worked, if you cared for them and the writing style. Sadly, that wasn’t the case for me. There wasn’t anything obviously wrong with it, it was just one of those times when I can’t connect to the writing. I was told a character was going through something incredibly distressing and I just couldn’t feel it, he didn’t come across as distressed or desperate, he just said he was and I had to take his word for it.
That made very difficult for me to stay interested in a story that didn’t have a firmly structured plot. Things just happened and new secondary characters popped out one after the other and, aside from a couple of scenes, I found everything a little tedious and at times unnecessarily repetitive.
Everybody else seems to love this book and this series, so it’s probably just me.
What wasn’t me was the lack of proofreading, especially in the last part. I spotted a lot of cases of misplaced or wrong punctuation and some typos and wrong words, frankly too much not to wonder why the publisher dropped the ball on the editing and too much to round up despite how little I enjoyed reading this, a possibility that I would’ve considered otherwise.
The plot was very thin and all over the place, relying on real historical events for the only parts of the story that had some substance. I got the impression that it was a deliberate choice on the author’s part, the focus was on the characters and the way they interacted with each other and reacted to outside events, the plot felt more like a backdrop against which a colorful and varied cast of characters was supposed to shine. I guess it worked, if you cared for them and the writing style. Sadly, that wasn’t the case for me. There wasn’t anything obviously wrong with it, it was just one of those times when I can’t connect to the writing. I was told a character was going through something incredibly distressing and I just couldn’t feel it, he didn’t come across as distressed or desperate, he just said he was and I had to take his word for it.
That made very difficult for me to stay interested in a story that didn’t have a firmly structured plot. Things just happened and new secondary characters popped out one after the other and, aside from a couple of scenes, I found everything a little tedious and at times unnecessarily repetitive.
Everybody else seems to love this book and this series, so it’s probably just me.
What wasn’t me was the lack of proofreading, especially in the last part. I spotted a lot of cases of misplaced or wrong punctuation and some typos and wrong words, frankly too much not to wonder why the publisher dropped the ball on the editing and too much to round up despite how little I enjoyed reading this, a possibility that I would’ve considered otherwise.
April 22, 2019
This was a wonderful sequel, bringing back Miles and Briers in a new adventure. Miles's mother is in Romania with her ambassador husband when she comes into possession of a piece of information that is a very hot potato indeed. Agents of other countries may want her silence or her information, and she needs to be whisked out of danger back to England. Who better to do the job than her son, whose talents extend beyond his file clerk routine?
But when Miles arrives, extracting his mother turns out to be fraught with difficulty and violence, and only a quick change to Millie saves their lives. From there, it's a harrowing journey by train to find Briers and enlist his help in getting Lady Siward back safely to England. But even with Briers' help, the job is anything but simple. Their train is full of unknown characters who may be enemies, friends, or just acquaintances, and there are many long miles to go.
I enjoyed catching up with several secondary characters, especially Pritchard, and appreciated the strong female characters. I also like that Millie has nothing to do with Miles's sex life, and everything to do with his personality. The plot was a bit less cohesive than in the first book, but still a lot of fun, and the ending pretty clearly sets up another story, which I will be waiting eagerly to read.
But when Miles arrives, extracting his mother turns out to be fraught with difficulty and violence, and only a quick change to Millie saves their lives. From there, it's a harrowing journey by train to find Briers and enlist his help in getting Lady Siward back safely to England. But even with Briers' help, the job is anything but simple. Their train is full of unknown characters who may be enemies, friends, or just acquaintances, and there are many long miles to go.
I enjoyed catching up with several secondary characters, especially Pritchard, and appreciated the strong female characters. I also like that Millie has nothing to do with Miles's sex life, and everything to do with his personality. The plot was a bit less cohesive than in the first book, but still a lot of fun, and the ending pretty clearly sets up another story, which I will be waiting eagerly to read.
November 14, 2020
2.5 stars
This started stronger than it finished, and in fact, I was so impatient near the end that I skimmed a few paragraphs here and there in the last chapter.
For a high-stakes spy mission, this started off with some tense scenes and everything was going great until our characters landed in Belgrade, where the action ground to a halt and this became a weird sort of vacation/shopping montage. Like, what? And unfortunately, the story never recovered after that, though there was an attempt. The various miscellaneous characters who are introduced here, while delightful and interesting, just bog down the story in extraneous details that don't really have anything at all to do with the plot, and by the time we finally do get to the point, I was reminded that, oh yes, we actually were told what the secret was in the beginning. Well, there was another secret, that perhaps sets up another book, so there's that.
And for going all over the Balkans in 1931, there was very little feel for place. There were lines here and there that hint at the Big Bad to come, but we're in and out of some locations so quickly that there's no time to really experience it, until they get to Belgrade, where the story slowed down needlessly. The sole female agent was bad at her job, and the twist at the end felt like it came out of nowhere. Add on top of that the many, many typos and this was a disappointment.
I still loved Miles/Millie, Briers and Pritchard, and I enjoyed getting to know Emily. Falk wasn't in it as much as I'd expected, unfortunately, and I really loved the gangly Russian ex-ballet dancer, Nik. They really carried this story and kept my interest more than the "plot" did. If there ever is a third book, I'm still interested enough in the characters and time period to want to read it.
This started stronger than it finished, and in fact, I was so impatient near the end that I skimmed a few paragraphs here and there in the last chapter.
For a high-stakes spy mission, this started off with some tense scenes and everything was going great until our characters landed in Belgrade, where the action ground to a halt and this became a weird sort of vacation/shopping montage. Like, what? And unfortunately, the story never recovered after that, though there was an attempt. The various miscellaneous characters who are introduced here, while delightful and interesting, just bog down the story in extraneous details that don't really have anything at all to do with the plot, and by the time we finally do get to the point, I was reminded that, oh yes, we actually were told what the secret was in the beginning. Well, there was another secret, that perhaps sets up another book, so there's that.
And for going all over the Balkans in 1931, there was very little feel for place. There were lines here and there that hint at the Big Bad to come, but we're in and out of some locations so quickly that there's no time to really experience it, until they get to Belgrade, where the story slowed down needlessly. The sole female agent was bad at her job, and the twist at the end felt like it came out of nowhere. Add on top of that the many, many typos and this was a disappointment.
I still loved Miles/Millie, Briers and Pritchard, and I enjoyed getting to know Emily. Falk wasn't in it as much as I'd expected, unfortunately, and I really loved the gangly Russian ex-ballet dancer, Nik. They really carried this story and kept my interest more than the "plot" did. If there ever is a third book, I'm still interested enough in the characters and time period to want to read it.
March 16, 2019
Well worth the 3 year wait Elin 💜🧡💛💚💙.
Miles...or should I say Millie, and Briers return in another rip-roaring adventure, this time set in the Balkans area of Europe and featuring an extremely frightening ride on the Orient Express as well as murders, shootings, American film stars and double agents. Miles mum, Emily, was a superb character as was Diana. Not that impressed by Smethwick I have to say but given what had happened to him in 1915, I did cut him some slack. Loved catching up with Pritchard and Falk of course, although the cryptic ending was rather worrying 😲...which can only mean that there will be at least one more story [she says hopefully...].
Loved the mentions of the Grand Hotel in Budapest. Why?? Well, I stayed there a few weeks ago on a little trip to see Buda and Pest for the first time. Of course, the hotel is now known as the Corinthia, but still as glamorous and civilised as ever. You get the chance to go to Budapest, take it. It's a beautiful city.
Miles...or should I say Millie, and Briers return in another rip-roaring adventure, this time set in the Balkans area of Europe and featuring an extremely frightening ride on the Orient Express as well as murders, shootings, American film stars and double agents. Miles mum, Emily, was a superb character as was Diana. Not that impressed by Smethwick I have to say but given what had happened to him in 1915, I did cut him some slack. Loved catching up with Pritchard and Falk of course, although the cryptic ending was rather worrying 😲...which can only mean that there will be at least one more story [she says hopefully...].
Loved the mentions of the Grand Hotel in Budapest. Why?? Well, I stayed there a few weeks ago on a little trip to see Buda and Pest for the first time. Of course, the hotel is now known as the Corinthia, but still as glamorous and civilised as ever. You get the chance to go to Budapest, take it. It's a beautiful city.
March 18, 2019
Great things happen on steam trains. Murders, stolen diamonds, revolutions, spies… there’s a long-standing British literary and cinema tradition featuring moody shots (filmed in black and white, natch) of a locomotive venting steam at night against a faint halo of light from a distant lamp in some johnny-foreigner-sort of Belle-Epoque railway station where agents of a foreign power lurk in the shadows threatening the beautiful heroine and handsome, clean-cut hero. Think Richard Hannay fleeing London on the Flying Scotsman, or Miss Marple on the 4.50 from Paddington, or Miss Froy thwarting foreign agents in The Lady Vanishes. There’s a jolly good reason why the Hogwarts Express is steam and not a high-speed bullet train. We Brits don’t see the romance of bullet trains, but steam locos pull at our heartstrings and fire the imagination.
Just a glimpse of that puff of steam and we know we’re in for a treat. We know there’ll be spies and beautiful girls, unexplained corpses and creepy, louche characters wearing soft hats and belted raincoats and probably played on screen by Peter Lorre. There will be upright ex-soldiers, and international agents working for murky Bureaux d’Intelligence in even murkier East European capitals. There will be actresses and sirens, matrons and (probably) nuns. There will be drama, and guns and bombs and possibly a communist uprising. And in the background, one can almost hear the noise of the slow rise of Germany and the coming of the Second World War.
Elin Gregory is one of the best historical novelists I’ve read. She grounds this second adventure of Briers Allerdale and Miles Siward in the frenetic days of the early thirties, when the world was slowly realising that it wasn’t living through a well-earned peace, but merely the respite between two devastating wars. And she has all this—all the scheming and heroism, principle and immorality, duplicity and danger—and she has it down *pat*. And, bless her, she nods to Hannay et al and sets this wonderful adventure on a steam train scudding across central Europe in the middle of the night. What’s more, she manages all this without hitting her reader over the head with historical facts and figures, yet still makes this world work so well and feel so real and have the authentic 1930s flavour.
I won’t say much to spoil the plot, except that it involves Briers and Miles in their alter egos of Brian and Millie Carstairs, Miles Siward’s wonderful mother and his even more wonderful manservant, plus assorted other characters, doing a midnight flit from one of those murky east European capitals. And a midnight flit on a steam train, with almost every single character and situation I mentioned up above.
Except perhaps for the nuns. I missed the nuns.
The relationship between Briers and Miles is sensuous and sweet (rarely explicit, but it doesn’t need to be), against a backdrop where danger lurks at every railway signal box en route. The pacing of the book is excellent. The last third goes with a bang and is just not-put-downable-AT-ALL, and the quirky twist at the end… well, let’s just say that Le Carre would be delighted with the way this book ends and the promise it holds out for book 3.
Because there has to be a Book 3. And the sooner the better.
Highly recommended. Because… well, bliss, and trains, and spies, and high-heels, and steam, and guns, and bangs, and loving relationships. Hannay would be proud.
(I was given an ARC by the publisher for an honest review, and that's what you've got).
Just a glimpse of that puff of steam and we know we’re in for a treat. We know there’ll be spies and beautiful girls, unexplained corpses and creepy, louche characters wearing soft hats and belted raincoats and probably played on screen by Peter Lorre. There will be upright ex-soldiers, and international agents working for murky Bureaux d’Intelligence in even murkier East European capitals. There will be actresses and sirens, matrons and (probably) nuns. There will be drama, and guns and bombs and possibly a communist uprising. And in the background, one can almost hear the noise of the slow rise of Germany and the coming of the Second World War.
Elin Gregory is one of the best historical novelists I’ve read. She grounds this second adventure of Briers Allerdale and Miles Siward in the frenetic days of the early thirties, when the world was slowly realising that it wasn’t living through a well-earned peace, but merely the respite between two devastating wars. And she has all this—all the scheming and heroism, principle and immorality, duplicity and danger—and she has it down *pat*. And, bless her, she nods to Hannay et al and sets this wonderful adventure on a steam train scudding across central Europe in the middle of the night. What’s more, she manages all this without hitting her reader over the head with historical facts and figures, yet still makes this world work so well and feel so real and have the authentic 1930s flavour.
I won’t say much to spoil the plot, except that it involves Briers and Miles in their alter egos of Brian and Millie Carstairs, Miles Siward’s wonderful mother and his even more wonderful manservant, plus assorted other characters, doing a midnight flit from one of those murky east European capitals. And a midnight flit on a steam train, with almost every single character and situation I mentioned up above.
Except perhaps for the nuns. I missed the nuns.
The relationship between Briers and Miles is sensuous and sweet (rarely explicit, but it doesn’t need to be), against a backdrop where danger lurks at every railway signal box en route. The pacing of the book is excellent. The last third goes with a bang and is just not-put-downable-AT-ALL, and the quirky twist at the end… well, let’s just say that Le Carre would be delighted with the way this book ends and the promise it holds out for book 3.
Because there has to be a Book 3. And the sooner the better.
Highly recommended. Because… well, bliss, and trains, and spies, and high-heels, and steam, and guns, and bangs, and loving relationships. Hannay would be proud.
(I was given an ARC by the publisher for an honest review, and that's what you've got).
April 7, 2019
Another rollicking adventure, with lots to love - and that's no surprise, with this storyteller, and particularly with these characters! Elin Gregory writes the secret intelligence service so well that I am convinced it was thus, or should have been. Excellent stuff.
September 23, 2024
I liked this one very much too, but the "mystery" lost me a bit at the end... I didn't mind though and I hope the author comes back to these two characters. I'm intrigued which one of the explanations we got at the end about we learnt in regards of the situation is the real one... Because some of them opened disturbing possibilities...
Again is a delight following Miles and Briers, this time all around Europe in convulted times. I liked the cast of secondary characters too, specially Pritchard, who has a special place in my heart since book 1.
Again is a delight following Miles and Briers, this time all around Europe in convulted times. I liked the cast of secondary characters too, specially Pritchard, who has a special place in my heart since book 1.
June 26, 2019
Very enjoyable sequel to Eleventh Hour. Highly recommended!
April 24, 2020
Title/Author: Midnight Flit by Elin Gregory
Series/Standalone: The Carstairs Affairs #2
Genre/Sub-Genre: Historical Spy Thriller/MM Romance
Book Format: ebook
Length: 210 pages
LGBTQ+ Orientation: Gay, Miles likes to dress as a woman, Millie, on occasion, but is not transgender.
HEA/HFN: Yes
Violence: Yes
Ratio of Sex/Plot: Heavy on the plot.
Well Written/Editor Needed: Well written
Would I Re-Read?: Yes
Personal Thoughts: Note that while this follows the first book, the bad guys here are not the same as those who escaped at the end of book one! I do hope those folks get their comeuppance one day, but it is not this day, sadly.
Okay, so I'm a tiny bit conflicted about this one. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED it to pieces, mostly because I love the characters so much! This was really hard to put down between all the action and the sweet romance going on. As this is the second book in the series, we know that Miles and Briers are together and aren't going to split up any time soon. Sometimes a sweet established relationship is just a really heartwarming thing to read during rough times. I absolutely loved how they took care of and joked with each other. Also, Pritchard is my next favorite character in this series. He's awesome and amazing, always coming through for them just when they need him most. I appreciate his backstory that keeps him realistic. And Miles' mother, Emily, is also a top notch character and fun to read about. Even though she's a bit well-to-do, she cares for everyone, and isn't afraid to get her hands a little dirty now and then.
On the other hand, while the plot was madcap with action and adventure and I really enjoyed it, there were some points where I questioned the character's decisions. Miles is trying to get his mother safely back to London. He's given her a fake name to use and there are people trying to kill her! Even so, the SIS decide to have them stay at the fanciest hotel where you know she'll run into people she knows. This seems rather counter-intuitive to me. And later on I felt the spying was taken much more seriously in the first book. Maybe it wasn't as serious here just to ramp up the action, give some good humor, and help with the plot points, I don't know, but these two points stuck out like sore thumbs to me.
But please, as I said, I still LOVED this book. I am sure I'll read it again sometime. I adore Miles/Millie and Briers and Pritchard so much! These books are great comfort reads that keep you on the edge of your seat for sure, as odd as that sounds. lol.
Series/Standalone: The Carstairs Affairs #2
Genre/Sub-Genre: Historical Spy Thriller/MM Romance
Book Format: ebook
Length: 210 pages
LGBTQ+ Orientation: Gay, Miles likes to dress as a woman, Millie, on occasion, but is not transgender.
HEA/HFN: Yes
Violence: Yes
Ratio of Sex/Plot: Heavy on the plot.
Well Written/Editor Needed: Well written
Would I Re-Read?: Yes
Personal Thoughts: Note that while this follows the first book, the bad guys here are not the same as those who escaped at the end of book one! I do hope those folks get their comeuppance one day, but it is not this day, sadly.
Okay, so I'm a tiny bit conflicted about this one. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED it to pieces, mostly because I love the characters so much! This was really hard to put down between all the action and the sweet romance going on. As this is the second book in the series, we know that Miles and Briers are together and aren't going to split up any time soon. Sometimes a sweet established relationship is just a really heartwarming thing to read during rough times. I absolutely loved how they took care of and joked with each other. Also, Pritchard is my next favorite character in this series. He's awesome and amazing, always coming through for them just when they need him most. I appreciate his backstory that keeps him realistic. And Miles' mother, Emily, is also a top notch character and fun to read about. Even though she's a bit well-to-do, she cares for everyone, and isn't afraid to get her hands a little dirty now and then.
On the other hand, while the plot was madcap with action and adventure and I really enjoyed it, there were some points where I questioned the character's decisions. Miles is trying to get his mother safely back to London. He's given her a fake name to use and there are people trying to kill her! Even so, the SIS decide to have them stay at the fanciest hotel where you know she'll run into people she knows. This seems rather counter-intuitive to me. And later on I felt the spying was taken much more seriously in the first book. Maybe it wasn't as serious here just to ramp up the action, give some good humor, and help with the plot points, I don't know, but these two points stuck out like sore thumbs to me.
But please, as I said, I still LOVED this book. I am sure I'll read it again sometime. I adore Miles/Millie and Briers and Pritchard so much! These books are great comfort reads that keep you on the edge of your seat for sure, as odd as that sounds. lol.
May 18, 2019
A wonderful spy romp. I loved it! I adored the first book and this one is just as awesome. Miles and Briers are fantastic characters, and I loved seeing how their relationship has developed. I was also quite pleased to see the enigmatic Falk return, as he was one of my favourites from the first book. This book felt so cinematic and it's very vivid visually. It really conjured the spirit of a thriller movie from the 1930s. This was a really excellent adventure. Dare I hope there will be another book in this fantastic series?
March 22, 2019
Another lovely look at Miles’ and Briers’ adventures. Once again, I really liked Miles/Millie in this outing. Tough as nails, but showing a loving caring relationship with his mother. Lady Siward is another feisty lady, and I enjoyed her interaction with Briers.
The love between Miles and Briers is refreshing. It's obvious that they care for each other deeply, but they're not above poking at each other, which is realistic and fun to read.
The love between Miles and Briers is refreshing. It's obvious that they care for each other deeply, but they're not above poking at each other, which is realistic and fun to read.
March 29, 2019
I adored this adventure through 1930s Eastern Europe, with Miles and Briers (and Millie!).
The follow up to the wonderful 'Eleventh Hour', this is a real romantic romp that sees our protagonists fighting off enemy agents on a wild dash across Europe--and coming to some conclusions about their own relationship, too.
The book ends with a hint of more, so I'm crossing my fingers for book three!
The follow up to the wonderful 'Eleventh Hour', this is a real romantic romp that sees our protagonists fighting off enemy agents on a wild dash across Europe--and coming to some conclusions about their own relationship, too.
The book ends with a hint of more, so I'm crossing my fingers for book three!
March 17, 2019
4.5 stars
The continuation of Miles and Briers' romance was a fun romp! Really enjoyed the Eastern European setting which we don't see enough in historical m/m. A third book was definitely set up here ... but, let's hope she doesn't make us wait too long!
The continuation of Miles and Briers' romance was a fun romp! Really enjoyed the Eastern European setting which we don't see enough in historical m/m. A third book was definitely set up here ... but, let's hope she doesn't make us wait too long!
October 1, 2024
It was wonderful to see how sweet and loving Miles and Briers are with each other.
February 20, 2021
It's been a few years since I first met MCs Miles Siward and Briers Allerdale (agents with the British SS) and it was nice to embark with them on yet another adventure on trains, planes and automobiles. The high drama is evident early on, ratcheting up and down consistently throughout as Miles (posing as a female character yet again) endeavors to steer his mother safely away from hostile enemy forces/agents through an increasingly politically unstable 1920's Balkan SE-Europe. All manner of diverting secondary characters appear as fellow travelers ... some with more to hide than others. It was also nice to see some familiar faces e.g. the slightly menacing and enigmatic Falk, Miles' parents, extremely capable man's man Pritchard.
The titular reference of a midnight flit (i.e. intentionally running away without paying up for services rendered) rather puzzled me at first but all became revealed late in the day ... and not related to our MCs even! The reference of writing on foolscap also amused me (somewhat nostalgically), especially as I possess the remnants of a pad of such paper LOL! I enjoyed this slightly madcap escapade with Miles, Briers and crew via Bucharest, Belgrade and Budapest ... with a disastrous Orient Express ride toward the supposed 'safety of home' in London; I fervently hope their next adventure will not be too long in coming from Ms Gregory's pen. 3.5 stars overall.
The titular reference of a midnight flit (i.e. intentionally running away without paying up for services rendered) rather puzzled me at first but all became revealed late in the day ... and not related to our MCs even! The reference of writing on foolscap also amused me (somewhat nostalgically), especially as I possess the remnants of a pad of such paper LOL! I enjoyed this slightly madcap escapade with Miles, Briers and crew via Bucharest, Belgrade and Budapest ... with a disastrous Orient Express ride toward the supposed 'safety of home' in London; I fervently hope their next adventure will not be too long in coming from Ms Gregory's pen. 3.5 stars overall.
Want to read
March 22, 20203/22/20
Elin Gregory is so talented, and writes such wonderful historical romances! Right now, you can snap up almost all her titles for $2.99 (or less)! https://www.amazon.com/Elin-Gregory/e...
Elin Gregory is so talented, and writes such wonderful historical romances! Right now, you can snap up almost all her titles for $2.99 (or less)! https://www.amazon.com/Elin-Gregory/e...
May 9, 2019
Perfection.
May 14, 2019
Review to come!
May 15, 2019
This was such a beautiful, joyous read. I loved returning to this world, with it's tangible atmosphere and sense of place, of spy shenanigans and glamorous voyages, with actors and musicians and spies and diplomats. A fun romp with some real bite.
Returning to Briars, Miles and Millie was so wonderful. We see how their relationship developed over the years, and the yearning and love they share. I just kept thinking how tender it was. When Briars thinks Miles died, his anguish was palpable and in that moment I truly it was real. I loved that they knew how to just exist around each other in peace without constantly needing to jump each other's bones. It's so beautiful.
This book's main strength is it's characters, and they are magnificent. Special mentions go to Miles' mother, who is absolutely amazing, strong, funny and charming (we all know where Millie comes from, now) and Falk the ever-changing, charming, frenemy spy. The rest of the newly introduced characters were wonderful too.
I also love that Briars, good old fashioned Briars, does fuck up. It takes him some time to realize that to Miles, cross-dressing is part of his identity, not a kink for Briars to get horny over, and he fucks up. But then he listens, and changes his behavior and treats Miles and Millie with the respect they deserve. I love when characters aren't perfect, but they learn. Speaking of Miles and Millie, they always give me what I can only explain as "gender feels", but they are there and they are strong. I love them.
I adore how Elin Gregory writes. She has such a strong grasp on the period between the wars and almost effortlessly sketches it out for the readers. The details, the technology, the transport... everything. I adore it. Her books have such a unique atmosphere, compared to most other historical romances.
Returning to Briars, Miles and Millie was so wonderful. We see how their relationship developed over the years, and the yearning and love they share. I just kept thinking how tender it was. When Briars thinks Miles died, his anguish was palpable and in that moment I truly it was real. I loved that they knew how to just exist around each other in peace without constantly needing to jump each other's bones. It's so beautiful.
This book's main strength is it's characters, and they are magnificent. Special mentions go to Miles' mother, who is absolutely amazing, strong, funny and charming (we all know where Millie comes from, now) and Falk the ever-changing, charming, frenemy spy. The rest of the newly introduced characters were wonderful too.
I also love that Briars, good old fashioned Briars, does fuck up. It takes him some time to realize that to Miles, cross-dressing is part of his identity, not a kink for Briars to get horny over, and he fucks up. But then he listens, and changes his behavior and treats Miles and Millie with the respect they deserve. I love when characters aren't perfect, but they learn. Speaking of Miles and Millie, they always give me what I can only explain as "gender feels", but they are there and they are strong. I love them.
I adore how Elin Gregory writes. She has such a strong grasp on the period between the wars and almost effortlessly sketches it out for the readers. The details, the technology, the transport... everything. I adore it. Her books have such a unique atmosphere, compared to most other historical romances.
September 25, 2024
I really, really wanted to like this book more - it has a lot of good stuff in it that I did like a lot! Lots of funny lines, sparkling character notes, a really star turn from Lady Siward, who is Miles Siward's incorrigible diplomat mother and worth the price of admission. But a few other things let it down. The structure is loose enough to be unsatisfying - at one point I was just wondering if things were happening in random order as they occurred to the author - and I respect that not everything has to be explained, but this book has both an unexplained murder and an unexplained terrorist attack in it. The romance can't save it from this criticism because it, too, is not really structured: it's made harder by the fact it's an established relationship, but even given that, it doesn't have any kind of internal conflict or arc save coitus interruptus. And - this is not the author's fault, which makes it worse - it hasn't been proofread. Stray commas and capital letters abound, which is really irritating in a book that hasn't been self-published.
March 15, 2019
Briers and Miles/Millie are off on another adventure. This time its to rescue Miles mother. She has important information that the British government desperately wants. Millie is once again pressed into service as Briers wife. The danger follows them all the way home.
This book had a movie serial feel. Characters jumping off the page, good guys, bad guys, villains (who in my book are the worst kind of bad guys). Heroes, heroines, (which makes Miles/Millie just a little more of both). Knowing that the world is on the brink of something (it is the 1930’s) but not what it is. Secrets everywhere, just waiting to be discovered.
I enjoyed this story so much. Pulled me in right from the beginning. Great characters and a really nice love story. I’m hoping we will get more of Briers and his Miles/Millie. A little more of Miles Ma and Falk the spy would be good too.
Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.
This book had a movie serial feel. Characters jumping off the page, good guys, bad guys, villains (who in my book are the worst kind of bad guys). Heroes, heroines, (which makes Miles/Millie just a little more of both). Knowing that the world is on the brink of something (it is the 1930’s) but not what it is. Secrets everywhere, just waiting to be discovered.
I enjoyed this story so much. Pulled me in right from the beginning. Great characters and a really nice love story. I’m hoping we will get more of Briers and his Miles/Millie. A little more of Miles Ma and Falk the spy would be good too.
Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.
March 20, 2019
4.5 stars
Lovely follow up to the Eleventh Hour. It was great to see Miles and Briers again, even as the spectre of WW2 hangs even more menacingly.
I loved seeing their relationship develop, and I look forward to seeing more (it seems that this will be a series, and I couldn't be more pleased!)
Would have liked a bit more sex given all the teasing!! but completely understandable they were a bit busy doing their jobs and all ;)
Lovely follow up to the Eleventh Hour. It was great to see Miles and Briers again, even as the spectre of WW2 hangs even more menacingly.
I loved seeing their relationship develop, and I look forward to seeing more (it seems that this will be a series, and I couldn't be more pleased!)
Would have liked a bit more sex given all the teasing!! but completely understandable they were a bit busy doing their jobs and all ;)
November 9, 2025
So much fun. Miles's mother has heard state secrets in the course of her duties as Ambassador's wife and needs Milly, Briars and a snowballing cast of characters to get her back to London to report.
Read
March 19, 2019Loved it :) Some great female characters, one of whom almost shone brighter than Millie ;)
Quick paced with compelling characters, Millie being a bright star among them.
Quick paced with compelling characters, Millie being a bright star among them.
March 29, 2019
Stellar spy romp.
Read
April 23, 2019Now who was the murdered person in Miles's clothes at the beginning? And who murdered him, and why? I must have missed a major plot point.
December 24, 2024
A veritable romp. I could read ten books with these two.
October 29, 2021
Just as much fun as the first. I still want a Falk prequel.
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