Plots, Schemes, and Scandalous Means

by Becca Fogg

The guillotine doesn't care whose neck rests on its block. Four worlds collide in this 18+ fantasy romance novel. In a realm on the brink of collapse, the Thief is the Queen's sword and shield to protect her from her enemies. The Rabble is a revolutionary, serving the Duke's desire to overthrow his betrothed. When the Thief and the Rabble intersect on equal opposite missions, the result is an outcome no one anticipated.

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In a mere two weeks, the Queen and the Duke are arranged to be married, even if he secretly intends to replace her by force.

The Thief ◆ The Queen cannot do the things that need to be done, so I do them instead—by whatever means necessary. I've never let a bit of fun distract from my goals, until now.

The Rabble ◆ The Queen must be stopped. She may call me usurper, but I am a revolutionary seeking the betterment of my neighbors. It's not until I'm confronted with the Queen's right-hand woman that I question whether the ends justify my means.

The Queen ◆ My priority is the Realm, and I will protect it with whatever means available. My commitment to the Crown is paramount to all else, especially my betrothal to the rakish Duke.

The Duke ◆ I've assessed the Queen's rule and found it wanting. Only I have the means to right the ship, and set the Realm back on its course. My arranged betrothal is a small piece of this plan—one I intend to manipulate to the fullest.

If you enjoy sneaking in the shadows, devious plots, court intrigue, and spicy enemies-to-lovers/enemies-with-benefits romances, then this book is for you. Detailed warnings can be found on the author's website.

NOTE: The World of Weyvar books are standalones and can be read in any order. They are all set in the same world, but the stories otherwise do not cross aside from passing mentions.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Ebooks, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Fiction

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 11, 2022

Reviews

[Penélope Albornoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐

Un poco largo y pesado, pero me entretuvo.
Escenas 🌶️ bien escritas.

[Jessica Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first, this book took me a bit to get into and it had nothing to do with the writing. I wasn't quite sure what I expected but it wasn't the glorious story-telling or twists and turns that I uncovered after finally getting into this book.

From the very beginning the main characters are thoughtfully written it's clear that they hold specific roles in not only the storyline but also in their individual stories. There is one over arching storyline in this book, one thing that ties all of them together but when you're in each person's chapter and really listening to their internal thought process and conversations you can truly see the built in narrative.

Can't wait to read the second one in this series and see where Becca takes us next time.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Gabrielle Betters · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me eons to get through this book. It felt like I was dropped into the second half of a story, and I just wanted it to be done

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The title is dead on accurate on what you will experience while reading through this adventure of court intrigue, espionage, spies, seduction, barbs, witty humor, love, and who is the real enemy or friend. I always love a book that makes me think I know what’s happening but then second guess myself, which happened multiple times. This was a pleasure and hit all the fun and spicy reading marks.

[Lilja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably closer to a 3.5. Some really good bits. Loved the ending. There were some bits that were a little slow. But all up and enjoyable read

[Ren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly difficult to get into

Overall, not a bad story. The world itself is quite interesting, and I ended up being most interested in the politicking and world building aspects rather than the characters, which felt a bit flat in comparison

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a book I got free on kindle I wasn't hoping for much. But I actually had a good time with this book.

Had a nice balance of actual plot and court intrigue, and spice.

[clem · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

so it’s basically just a miraculous ladybug fanfiction?

i’m really sorry but i just found the plot sooo boring

and also… there is no one i can stand less than beathan (baethan?) whatever.

i know a lot of his women can’t rule stuff wasn’t actually his opinion but he said stuff like that SO much. “when she gets pregnant she won’t want to rule anymore” “once i’m king and steal her crown i’ll fix everything the measley women on the throne who didn’t do shit fucked up” (meanwhile she’s devouring running a CUNTry) like he was SOO annoying.

plus his whole lie at the end where he thought he would just fix everything and undermine the fact that she never even did anything wrong and he would get the credit? goddamn.

i was really excited for this book, i feel like there was so much room for exploration around where she did mess up, what the rebellion got right and wrong, how they could work together.

i felt like this whole outside force messing everything up was not needed and undermined both party’s goals. plus, i saw that coming from page 10.

i’ll be honest, i was pretty into the first 50 pages, but it all went downhill from there.

and a lot of the characters were not fleshed out at all.

also… her punching him in the epilogue??? excuse me??? why are we letting this slide i don’t care that it’s “funny” or that it’s their personalities or whatever it’s fucking WEIRD and so unnecessary.

also the last 100 pages of this book just being “oh no he lied” “oh now he loves me” “oh no that was a lie” “no it wasn’t” “yes it was” got really repetitive really fast. once was more than enough thank you very much.

the only reason i didnt dnf this book was dalia bc she served cunt every step of the way
ate down
she is so hot

also i was fucking with the rabble/thief parts in the beginning too.

i know this all sounds really depressing but it’s so hard for me to give bad ratings to books that i finish and were somewhat interesting at some point so that’s where the 2.5 comes from plus i want to make it clear that these are all just my opinion and a lot of people seem to enjoy this book so i don’t want to discourage anyone from reading!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four characters, the Shadow, the Rabble, the Queen, and the Duke, come into each other’s lives, complicating not only their own and each other’s lives, but the future of the country as a whole. While the Shadow and the Duke lead an ongoing battle against each other at night, stealing information to benefit opposite sides of political conflict, the Queen and Duke are engaged publicly, but split against each other behind closed doors. And all four of them will do whatever necessary to achieve their goals.

This is a book with a very apt title that gives you a pretty good preview of what the plot contains. The story is twisty, steamy, and an overall good time. The banter was witty and the court intrigue was complex, which made this book easy to get engrossed in. It did also make it a little easy to get confused if you weren’t paying close attention, as there is a large cast of characters with motives and loyalties that shift throughout. The plot threads were tied up well, if a little conveniently, and I really enjoyed the ending of this book.

This book is described as an enemies-with-benefits romance, and I really liked that aspect of it even if it was a little baffling at times. Without getting into spoilers, I liked the interactions that the main characters had with each other a lot, but felt that side characters could have been a little more developed or important to the plot in general. That said, this is a romance book, and the romance was good. The conflicts faced between the romantic leads made sense for the characters and never came across to me as forced. Highly recommended for fans of intrigue and enemies to lovers.

4/5 A romance with a dash of court politics and espionage.

[Sarah Jayn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen Dalia Emile Sencha-Rune had been raised and trained to both rule her parents country and to fight to protect it. When council and nobles call for her to marry so they may have a king, she is determined to prove she does not need a man to help her rule or to get in the way of her rule.
The Duke comes to the capitol to win the Queen's hand, she offers him a marriage contract which he accepts. What the Queen doesn't know is that he is leading the rebellion against her and can't wait to overthrow her!
The Shadow does the Queen's bidding, even burning down nobles houses and warehouses to make a point.
The Rabble does the rebellions dirty work, even stealing holdings paperwork from the nobles to get them to join the rebellion.

'The woman's spine is supported by the ice in her veins.' - the Duke
'If I see you in my city again, I will kill you on the spot.' - the Queen

This story was cruel! I loved the girl power Dalia instills in her companions and those around her who truly know her. But I also enjoyed shaking my head and smirking at the stupidity of the ego possessed by the Duke.
I loved the heartbreak, the sass, the freedom, the ice queen, and even the dirty rabble.
Yet another one of Fogg's books completely taking over my music mood!

If you want to listen to the songs that remind me of this story they are:
Read the Room by ELIO | Goddess by Jaira Burns | Figure You Out by VOILA | Boys Are From Mars by Princess Nokia, Baby Tate | B.O.M.B by emlyn

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[OldBird · Rating 3 out of 5]

First things first: I'm not here for the steam, I just like a good story. A bit of silly escapist fantasy with interesting characters and situations. This book is definitely that. Plus if you are here for the steam, there are indeed interesting situations.

Plots, Schemes and Scandalous Means gets referred to as an "enemies with benefits" romantasy, and that's precisely what it is. Characters who can't stand each other, work against each other, undermines each other... And are frustratingly attracted to one another. It's very trope heavy, slightly silly, and a lot of *ahem* action-packed fun.

Take a badass queen struggling to rule a country rumbling with discontent, add a bad-boy duke who is only semi-secretly working against her whilst also her fiancee, combine with a sneaky thief and a distractingly sexy rebel trying to do their part for their own side while trying very hard not to get distracted...

You like enemies to lovers and the tropes that come with it? This story has enough little twists to make it original, whether you see them coming or not. It's all very ~adult lady fantasy~, but that doesn't need to be a bad thing. I found it an amusing read, even if extra spicy ain't my jam.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book purely because of the title, and as the name suggests, it had all - plots, schemes and scandals. I love books with the 'hidden identities' trope, so I enjoyed this very much. The writing style was great, and apart from a few minor errors, it flowed well.

I liked the way all the female characters were portrayed in the book. Dalia was strong and brave, Andra was level-headed, and Zana was loyal. Together they made a great team. However, the male characters could have been better as they came across as indecisive most of the times.

The romance and the intimate scenes were great. There was a good balance in the writing. I especially liked the interactions between the thief and the rabble.

I guessed the true indentities and motives of the characters early on, and while one of the revelations was interesting, the others seemed abrupt. These scenes could have been explored in more detail especially the ending. Still, the book had enough action and conflict to keep things interesting.

I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers who enjoy spicy romance, hidden identities/motives trope, action, politics and strong female heroines.

[Sandra Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
This review contains spoilers.


This book started off slow for me, I almost DNF'd at 20% but it finally picked up around 35-40% for me. The overall story was cute, and I loved the balance between romance and spice and the overall plot of the story, the world building, and the politics of the realm.
I disliked that even after the rabble's and the thief's identities were discovered and confirmed canonically in the book, there were still chapters separated as the thief, the Queen, the rabble, the Duke. The storyline wasn't even kept separate in that we were reading from a chapter labeled the thief, but it was still discussing things from the Queens POV. I wished that it would have only been separated by the Duke or the Queen after their identities were revealed.
I also disliked the rushed feeling of the end. We get this letter from Gio essentially admitting defeat only for him to show up at the wedding and in the span of a few pages attempt to over throw the crown and kill the Queen only to be killed himself. It felt rushed and incomplete to me.

[Jess | dapper.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read! It’s told in a multiple POV format and it’s done in an intriguing way. There are plenty of characters to follow and each of their stories in interesting! I wish we could get more from this group - I’m obsessed!

I love the way this story wraps up before the epilogue. It’s not forced, it’s not overly rushed and that leaves the epilogue to actually be an epilogue- not a rushed wrap up to the entire story in 10 pages like I’ve seen a lot lately.

This is a story that’s easy to binge. It’s a quick read, solid story, well written spice and interesting chapters through the multiple POVs. I’d recommend this to anyone that like a solid plot line with their spice, those that enjoy stories including royalty and action scenes (both spicy and otherwise).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lives up to it's title!

Do you ever read a book that hooks you so thoroughly that you can't bear to take the time to actually read the story because you are so impatient to find out what happens next? But you also can't bear to miss a single word because there's hints of plots and schemes and scandalous means soaked into every single part of it? (See what I did there?). This was one of those books that had my heart racing at every twist and turn, and then you think you have it figured out but you don't. You see the characters stepping towards a precipice and actually scream at them to not do it. I cannot recommend this book enough to those of you who love scandal and action with some spice added to the intricacies.

[Berry★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 4.5/5

I absolutely loved the way the different perspectives were incorporated making it seem at first that we were looking at four different people when really it was two (proud to say i guessed this plot twist pretty early so I was satisfied with myself).

I absolutely love unknown identity romances! Tension b/w the queen and the duke but no tension b/w the shadow and rabble. No complaints

My one thing is that the resolution of the main problem felt somehow a but rushed? To me it seemed a bit inconclusive. Other than that, I really enjoyed it and will be adding it to my physical library

[Leslie D Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've never read fantasy romance & need a book to start with, this book is perfect & will convert you! If you love fantasy/historical/royalty romance, then add this to your TBR! This was so beautifully written & had such an amazing plot & storyline. There's political intrigue, secret identities, enemies to lovers, one bed trope, & a thrilling who-dun-it. It's action packed & you won't be able to put it down!

[Jacqulin Gipson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a first for me from this author. I liked the writing style. The world building is fantastic especially since this is a fantasy book. The characters keep you on your toes as does the story. It was a nice surprise that I didn't guess what was going to happen. The title says it all, with all the ploting and scheming going on from moment to moment things change and you really aren't sure who is the friend or enemy. Great story! I'd definitely recommend.

[brooke_and_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was completely and totally phenomenal!!! There was definitely plots and schemes all through this book and I could not get enough of it!!!!

The characters and the world building was exceptional and thrilling! I was anxious trying to figure everything out but a good kind of anxious!

The SPICE! Lort have mercy it was amazing, the spicy scenes in this book were off the charts good.

Highly recommend All of Becca Fogg’s books!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, the way the duel POV continued the main storyline whilst giving you glimpse into the individual characters own storylines and watching them grow through and merge together was fantastic.

It’s filled with humour, wit, intrigue, political undertones but some in a way it’s enjoyable to read, the various people vying for power, plenty of spice and characters that have you rooting for them all at different times.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. I loved the characters, the world building, and the plot. Ugh the dynamic between Roscoe and Dalia is so incredible. I was hooked in from the first chapter. Such a good thread of tension between them the entire time - The Rabble and The Shadow? UGH STOP I CANNOT WITH THESE TWO. That first meeting had me squealing out loud with how perfect it was.
I wish I’d written this book, but I would settle for writing something half as good!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a whole I liked the plot. It was pretty spicy 🌶️ and the journey was fun. The writing was a little weak, for instance the first chapter from the thief’s POV takes almost the entire chapter to establish that the character is a woman, but not as a literary device. There were also typos (including at one point a characters’s name randomly spelled different from previous in the book) which kept distracting me. Overall it needed some more editing to polish it up, but still fun.

[Cindy Champagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this book I was very spectacle that I would finish it. However, I kept going and soon I couldn’t stop reading it!!! I loved it - the different POVs and then the realization about who certain people are!! When the main characters finally get together and I was so happy! Then for there to be plot twist and then another and then clarity!!! I was literally giggling out loud and couldn’t stop smiling!!! So happy I read this story!!!

[AshReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becca is an amazing writer. I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this book and I loved it. The tension between the couples was palpable. The banter between characters and the “body” language was hilarious and had me dying of laughter. This book was amazing funny and hot. I definitely recommend you check this book out.

[Mary E. Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly Adventurous

This was an action packed multiple pov story with lots of courtly intrigue. I loved the ins and outs of the Royals and there was just enough spice to keep my interest. It has a feel like the palace job but with the flare of a bodice ripper. Definitely a fun read.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow Burn to Sizzle 🔥

This was a rollercoaster read. I got it because of the beautiful cover, then almost DNF’d it by the time I was 20% in, it was just too slow and seemed to overly describe everything other than the plot. But once it picked up, I was hooked and loved the next 75%. Not at all how I expected it to end and loved the surprise relationship!

[Ashton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was a DNF for me. Right off the bat I felt like I was missing something. It was very hard to follow all the different POV's and the heavy political talk right away when we barely have an idea of the world they are in or all these places & people they are talking about within the first 2 chapters. I tried my best to push through, I gave it about 100 pages and then I gave up. Not for me!

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books Ive secured on stuff your kindle day have historically not been very good, which is a shame. This one was actually quite good; the plot was interesting, the twists were given just the right amount of hints ahead of time.

It probably could have gone through another round or two of edits, but it was generally well done.

[Sabrina]

4.5**

Fun romp!
Love a strong FMC with an attitude.
Sort of a steam punk feel. Some technology but corsets and carriages as well.
There were some unanswered questions that a have left me curious.
I will probably read the next book, but since this is very much a standalone, I don't think I will get my answers.

[Mary Lear-Wroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this book from start to finish. The twists and turns with all their schemes and as the title says... it was definitely scandalous! Love the spice and the fire between the main characters. It just shows... No one is what they seem. Definitely going to dive into the next book in this world!