'Daring' Do and Intelligence gathering in Regency times, with a difference!
A Lady Never Tells (Women of Daring #1) by Lynn Winchester
Oh my! Just into the first few pages and I was already heavily engaged. I'd spotted a whole family of interesting siblings who must have their own story coming. The Daring siblings! From an early age they have been steeped in various Chinese martial arts styles, amongst other skills, that could only be found in the Far East. Together their list of abilities are formidable.
Their father, Devon Daring, the Earl of Gadstoke, has been the ambassador to the Orient for twenty-five years. The Darings are part of a secret organization of the Prince Regent's to combat would be enemies of the crown. Now it's 1817 and they have returned from Zhejiang, China to London and are tasked to carry out matters of Imperial espionage.
Victoria Daring's mission for the Home Office, as part of Operation Imperial Twilight, is to search the home of Malcolm Egerdon, the Earl of Banebridge. That's when she's interrupted by Richard Downing, Viscount Ganwyd. The viscount is bored and when he stumbled upon an out-of-place maid at Banbridge's Spring Ball he's intrigued. The spark of attraction between these two will propel them together into interesting times.
I was excited by the premise of this new series. There were some highly thrilling moments but the story ended with way too many questions, including my uneasy feelings and dislike of Miles Leigh, Earl of Leavenson, the Daring family’s only direct connection through the Home Office intelligence network and the Prince.
Apart from that there were moments when the writing dipped, and didn't stay on par.
I wonder if having to use Victoria's exploits to set the scene for future events, meant her story lost some of its initial oomph. Somewhere some of the energy of the opening scenes that so captured me dissipated.
Still I'm hooked on the series and what the future holds for the Daring menagerie.
An Entangled Pub. ARC via NetGalley
*** 1/2
Their father, Devon Daring, the Earl of Gadstoke, has been the ambassador to the Orient for twenty-five years. The Darings are part of a secret organization of the Prince Regent's to combat would be enemies of the crown. Now it's 1817 and they have returned from Zhejiang, China to London and are tasked to carry out matters of Imperial espionage.
Victoria Daring's mission for the Home Office, as part of Operation Imperial Twilight, is to search the home of Malcolm Egerdon, the Earl of Banebridge. That's when she's interrupted by Richard Downing, Viscount Ganwyd. The viscount is bored and when he stumbled upon an out-of-place maid at Banbridge's Spring Ball he's intrigued. The spark of attraction between these two will propel them together into interesting times.
I was excited by the premise of this new series. There were some highly thrilling moments but the story ended with way too many questions, including my uneasy feelings and dislike of Miles Leigh, Earl of Leavenson, the Daring family’s only direct connection through the Home Office intelligence network and the Prince.
Apart from that there were moments when the writing dipped, and didn't stay on par.
I wonder if having to use Victoria's exploits to set the scene for future events, meant her story lost some of its initial oomph. Somewhere some of the energy of the opening scenes that so captured me dissipated.
Still I'm hooked on the series and what the future holds for the Daring menagerie.
An Entangled Pub. ARC via NetGalley
*** 1/2
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