Member Reviews

Olga Novikov is a princess without a throne. Her fiancé and her family slain in the revolution, she flees Russia and finds herself working as the head of housekeeping at London’s luxurious Grand Russe Hotel. It’s a far cry from the glamour of her former life, but she’s grateful for the job—until a guest forces her to question where her loyalty lies. The charming nobleman challenges her at every turn—and arouses dreams of romance she thought she’d abandoned forever. Douglas “Glass” Childers is living a double life. On the surface, he’s the indolent Viscount Walling, but in truth he’s an intelligence agent searching for a Bolshevik weapons master. The coolly beautiful and headstrong housekeeper is a distraction he doesn’t need—unless she’s the key piece in the puzzle he must solve. Trusting her could be dangerous—but loving her is an undeniable temptation.
This was a pretty good book that was a quick read. I really liked the premise and storyline. Something I don’t get to read enough of. I really felt for Olga and everything she was going through. I was a little iffy on Douglas between his fake character and his real feelings. It was still very much enjoyable. I look forward to reading more from this author.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

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I really enjoyed Olga and Douglas's story!

Olga is a Russian princess that has fled to England after her fiance and family were slain. She finds work at the Grand Russe Hotel, which is owned by a family friend. She meets Douglas when he is at the hotel investigating the Russians staying at the hotel and in particular a man that has been setting off bombs around the city.

When Olga learns that it is her cousin that Douglas is after, she is determined to help save him. But as she gets closer with Douglas, she finds herself conflicted. Can she help the man she is falling in love with, bring down the only family member she has left?

This is not the time period of most of the books that I read, but I have really enjoyed all of Hiestand's book that have been written for it!

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Lady Be Good is book three in Heather Hiestand's The Grand Russe Hotel series. We finally get Olga's story, we knew from the first book that she was a princess, several generations removed from the Royal family but still a decedent nonetheless. We learn in this book how she got to be where she is now, after her fiance was murdered she separated from her sister and was picked up and brought to England with the Grand Duchess, but it soon became evident that she wouldn't be welcome for long and never one for charity looked up an old friend, Peter Eyre, she then went to work with his sister in her hotel in Bath where she trained to be a chambermaid. Peter brought her to The Grand Russe to be the manager in charge of housecleaning but Olga isn't happy now unless she's doing something.
Douglas Childers was the youngest of four boys to a Duke unfortunately his older brothers all died in the war, Douglas' father is now after him to settle down and give him an heir. Douglas however in knees deep in the investigation of the Russian uprise and is currently trying to discover the location of the Russian bomber Konstantin who previously set off a bomb in the Grand Russe Hotel and spy on the Russian delegation that has been staying at the hotel too.

Peter put Olga in charge of an art exhibit in the hotel spotlighting some of the art they have at the hotel. One of the painting she wants is in Childers' room hiding the spy equipment that is what first brings Olga and Douglas together. Douglas is immediately taken with the statuesque beauty of Olga and then he finds out her last name is the same as Konstantin. Douglas decides it's beneficial to find out as much as he can about Olga, really he just needed an excuse. He enjoys his time with her and he wants her to trust him even though he's not being truthful to her until it is absolutely necessary. Olga and Konstantin are cousins but it's not a healthy relationship. Olga is loyal to a fault and foolishly believes he can change but when he gets mean and violent with her she finally tells Douglas everything and after Konstantin blows up another location Douglas finally reveals why he's really at the hotel.

Olga agrees to go under Douglas' protection, she is falling in love with him and him with her, she's met his father and his father approves of the match. But when more of Douglas' secrets come out Olga starts to doubt him and his motives and when it all goes down Olga is left feeling betrayed and she doesn't know if she can marry Douglas after all. Even before it all went down Douglas knows unequivocally that he loves her, and the thought of losing her cuts him deep.

Overall, it was a good read. Olga broke my heart a little bit there at the end. I really hope Peter's story is next, it is revealed (I don't remember if it said previously) is part of the Redcake family, a tie in to her other series. I can just picture Olga's newly returned sister going head to head with Emmaline. (makes me giddy)

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I couldn't finish this book so i can't really rate and review.

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Set in London, 1925, this story revolves around master spy Douglas Childers, a member of the English aristocracy and Russian princess, Serene Highness Olga Novikov who had to flee her homeland in the wake of the Bolsheviks taking over and overthrowing the Russian Imperial family earlier in the previous decade.

Olga finds herself working as the head of housekeeping in the exclusive Grand Russe Hotel, which is not at all the future that she had envisaged for herself growing up. Douglas is an intelligence agent working to discover the Bolsheviks bomb making expert who is causing mayhem around the country. Their paths cross and attraction is instant even though it holds certain dangers for both of them in their own way. Douglas is spying on Russian thugs who inhabit the suite next door to the one he has taken, breaking up violence against women and learning a smattering of Russian as he goes. Olga works hard as the head of housekeeping but the inherent regalness cannot help but show through her demeanour, appealing to Douglas. The other issue that could cause trouble in any potential relationship between the couple is that Olga’s cousin Konstantin is the criminal that Douglas and his team are trying to catch. Olga is being extorted by her cousin and yet at the same time feels a certain level of kinship with him as he is the only relative left alive from her family causing her to make decisions that are questionable to say the least.

This is a romance story with a small dose of mystery thrown in, but you certainly won’t read it as a cosy mystery. This is an easy enough story to read although the sex scenes sound hollow and are written in a very old fashioned manner with expressions such as “spreading her inner petals” being used. This very much reads like it is part of an ongoing series that has other characters main storylines in other books.

Likeable enough, but not enough in the actual story to make reading the previous books vital.

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Lady Be Good, Heather Hiestand

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance

I really wanted to like this book, its a fascinating time in history and the exiled Russians struggled with a complete lifestyle change. 

I admired Olga, she was willing to work, to make her own way, not live off charity, though it doesn't really look as if she had that option either. She did have connections with Russian ex-royals, but it doesn't seem like they wanted her with them for long.
She was so loyal to her cousin, but I felt she was incredibly naive. 
Douglas - double agent in the finest of the tradition, not for him the life of luxury, but a secret one behind it working in intelligence, something he's got the sharp mind for.
I struggled though with the romance between him and Olga, I can see why she liked him, he paid her attention, flattered her, took her out and especially helped her with her art. He respected her and her need to earn her way, and that meant so much to her.
Its a struggle though knowing that at first he's only staying close because of her connection to Konstatin, her shared name that makes him suspect she may be involved. I know things like this happen, are necessary even now, but I just find them particularly callous, and didn't really feel that transition where he began to love her, to want her for herself, and that was sad, as she was so in love with him.

Still, that's just me and my perceptions, others will feel very differently. Maybe its that fact of how he begins with her, how he's using her that just puts me off him and makes me feel she deserves better.  I know he's a good man, just didn't feel that he really did love her. 
 
Stars: 2.5/3, a decent read but which didn't really work well for me. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

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