Unfortunately, this novel fell short for me. I never really felt the connection between the hero and heroine as the story progressed. The writing was a little flat, and I wish there had been more danger or excitement.

Rose Turner is a lady in Mary, Queen of Scots’ court. She comes from a border clan and much prefers being outdoors and spending time with animals over sitting inside sewing and gossiping. Will Sheffield is an English spy keeping an eye on the Scottish court for Queen Elizabeth. They each overhear a plot to murder the king, and Will needs to keep Rose safe since others may know she overheard. But as they spend more time together, they begin to fall in love, which shouldn’t be in the cards for either of them.

This was enjoyable to read. The historical fiction aspect was nice, and I enjoyed the blossoming romance. However, a bit too much romance bloomed and I had to skim over several overly descriptive sex scenes, so I didn’t like that. Then I started noticing character inconsistencies that bugged me. For instance, Will insists they can never have a sexual rendezvous again lest he completely deflowers Rose... and then less than an hour or two later, he’s leading her to an abandoned part of the castle with a bottle of wine, and guess what happens? And the one that really bugged me was that it was mentioned several times that Rose was a fighter, she learned how to fight growing up with a bunch of brothers, she blackened the eye of the same brother who taught her how to hit... and yet when she’s in a situation where these skills would come in handy, she just kind of stands there shocked as she’s repeatedly backhanded across the face. The girl described throughout the book would have punched him right back, but no, she just stood there getting beaten as though she didn’t know what else to do. This is probably 2 1/2 stars, but I bumped it down to a 2 for fooling me into thinking it was a relatively clean book until it was suddenly very R-rated. Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.

I loved this book!

I m a sucker for historical romance and this was EVERYTHING I wanted it to be! It had some real history mixed in with fictional characters. Both of whom I really liked reading about, Rose was interesting but not too much of a different then every other woman character. Will wasn't as well developed in my mind but honestly I still loved him too. There was a great villain and the plot stayed exciting the whole way through. I just kept wanting to pick this one up, between the easy to read writing style and the interesting plot I just needed to know the ending.

What a book! We all are familiar with Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, but this book takes us into the scenes beyond with a powerful story filled with mistrust, lies, secrets, plots and more important for the readers, a steaming impossible romance. I recommend.

Spies, intrigue, danger, all mixed with romance. These are my favorite things in a book. Bound to a Spy is book two in the All the Queen`s Spies. It very nicely continues the tale of the English Queen Elizabeth`s spies in the Scottish Queen Mary`s court. Will Sheffield is listening at doors to a plot to kill the Scottish king. He can recognize some of the voices but must be patient to reveal just who is involved. Unfortunately, Rose Turner chooses that time to come from the outside and overhear the murder discussion. She leaves just before one of the plotters leaves the room. Unfortunately, she dropped her shawl and he finds it. Will he be able to identify who the shawl belongs to? Does Rose have a moral dilemma after hearing this assassination plot, since the king is not a nice person? How much danger does this knowledge put her in? What does Will do, will he protect her or just consider her a mission casualty. This is a great read, it is fast paced with lots of intrigue and danger. Loved it. I need to read the next book in the series soon. There are some unresolved issues that I hope are addressed in Lost to a Spy.

Sharon Cullen’s Bound To A Spy is a fast paced storyline with secret plots to murder the King of Scotland. Will is a professional spy for Queen Elizabeth sent to keep an eye on Queen Mary of Scott’s court. Rose Turner unfortunately over heard the secret plot to murder the King, and she was seen there by Will, but he wasn’t the only one who knew she was there too. It was an adventurous read full of mystery, danger, and a passionate love that could not be ignored. The characters kept my interest going to the end. There were good solid setups that heighten the dangers to come, but I’m thinking they will be incorporated into the next story.

An exciting read! With so many dignitaries about and not knowing who to trust made for a page-turner. The best part was Rose, the red head that lived true to the stereotype. That headstrong, stubborn streak leant for some interesting situations. Will was her perfect match and protector. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series. This was my first novel by this author, so the first novel wasn’t necessary to read this. Book provided by NetGalley.

While the synopsis made this book out to be THE book to read, it fell so far off the mark that it is embarrassing. I've read previous books by Sharon Cullen, some I liked, some I didn't. For me, this was by far the worst book I've read by her.

Disliked:
1. The synopsis alludes to Rose being a "Highland Lass", but throughout the book we're reminded she's from the boarder clans, essentially a Lowlander.

2. Rose. All gunpowder and lead one minute and then a brainless child the next.

3. The writing style. It went back and forth between the author explaining every little detail to us, to the author sounding like a teenage girl writing out a love story for her favorite fanfiction. (No offense to the fanfic community, because you guys knew about Jon Snow before Jon did!)

4. The ending. We're left with so many questions and no answers. Were they able to get married? Did Queen Mary seek out Rose? Were there no consequences for killing 6 Royal guards, a driver, and a Notoriously wealthy nobleman? Did Elizabeth allow Will to retire? How was all of this kept quiet from Mary? Stay turned as the next book has absolutely nothing to do with Rose and Will!

I love historical romances and this book definitely didn't disappoint! It was a quick and very sexy read and I enjoyed it very much! I would highly recommend it!

Author Sharon Cullen tells an interesting tale of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the court intrigue involving her husband Lord Darnley. A young Scottish lady who accidentally hears a plot to kill the queen's husband. Also there to hear the threat is Will, a young English lord and a spy for Elizabeth, Queen of England. Trying to remain in the background to gather data for the English Queen, Will finds himself involved in trying to keep safe the young Scottish lady and not revealing himself. The goings on of the Scottish court is interesting, but much more interesting is the romance of Will and Rose (the Scottish lady) and her family dynamic. The ending is fast paced and exciting.

Very interesting book, I loved the intrigue, romance and suspense.

So much intrigue and potential treason and spying and switching sides in the royal court, that I was exhausted. It took away from the story for me.

This was a good look at the intrigue of court life. I really liked the characters and the plot. It was a good slice of that life.

Book Talk…12/1/17
Traci Kenworth

Bound to a Spy by Sharon Cullen. Netgalley. Random House. Loveswept 2017.

A fierce Highland lass puts her life—and her heart—in the hands of a dashing British spy in this exhilarating romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Wed to a Spy.

Rose Turner’s mother sent her to the court of Mary, Queen of Scots, to give her a better life. Raised with rowdy brothers in a notorious border clan, Rose has plenty of experience fighting and thieving—and practically none when it comes to matters of decorum and discretion. Without a single ally, she has little hope of making a good marriage to salvage her family’s reputation. But after overhearing several influential lords plotting to murder the King of Scotland, Rose meets a man after all: a handsome spy trying to shield her from danger.

As one of the Queen Elizabeth’s top agents, Will Sheffield has come up north to keep a close eye on the goings-on at Mary’s court. A consummate professional, Will notices Rose’s presence at the secret meeting . . . and he’s not the only one. The wild, naïve beauty has made a fearsome enemy—and only Will can keep her safe. But after an attempt on Rose’s life pulls them tantalizingly close, Will faces an agonizing choice between professional loyalty or powerful passion.

Scottish, Rose Turner accidently overhears plotting to kill the King while coming back from a walk. Hidden in the shadows, Lord Sheffield, a spy for Elizabeth, sees her and seeks her out afterward in order to protect her. He doesn’t mention he knows she was there, he just befriends her. Rose is attracted to Lord Sheffield but knows her mother would never let her marry an Englishman. She is there to make a match, though she’d prefer not to be. Another man attempts to get to know her as well, though she is unaware that he is in on the plot to kill the king. Rose worries she should report what she overheard but is held back by the attentions from King Durnley who tries to compromise her. As she hides from the king, she finds an ally in Sheffield.
Time is running out for Rose though and when she at last brings herself to confide in Queen Mary, things go from bad to worse. Who should she turn to? Who can she trust?

I found this a charming read. Lord Sheffield and Rose are a perfect match, but their romance is hindered by the plot and Rose’s determined mother. Sharon Cullen’s spy series is truly enchanting, and I can’t wait to read the last one!

*****

There is plenty of intrigue, danger, and royalty in these pages. I liked Rose's love for the outdoors and her acceptance of who she and her family are. The honesty was refreshing. It took me a bit to warm up to Will because of his secrets and ability to close himself off. It was fun watching him thaw by being around Rose. I enjoyed this story and recommend it.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

I received this copy from NettGalley for a honest review. I just love this story.Love highland stories and this one is no exception, can't wait for her next book

Rose Turner had been sent to the court of Mary Queen of Scots in order to marry well. She, unfortunately, overhears men plotting to murder Mary's husband, as does the English spy Will Sheffield that Elizabeth had sent to Mary's court. As much as Will knows there are always sacrifices and casualties, he can't leave Rose alone at court.

This is the second novel in the "All The Queen's Spies" series, so it does mention a few characters from the prior book in the series. It's not necessary to have read Wed to a Spy, not to worry.

Rose is a very likable character, and she is very proactive even within the constraints of propriety and her time. It's very clear who the heroes of the story are, as well as the villains, so the suspense is less like a mystery but more a question of when the villainous characters will get their comeuppance. I cheered her on throughout the entire book and enjoyed the fact that her friends and family all rallied around her when it counted.

Will is almost too kind to be a spy, given that he feels sorry for Rose right away and tries to help her however he can. That sets him up as a good romantic hero, so it works out for the story very well. Overall, this was a fun and quick read.

Loved it! Can't wait for the third installment to come out

This dramatic delightful historical romance is full of mystery and intrigue. A Highland lass puts her life and her heart in the hands of a dashing British spy. Rose Turner’s mother sent her to the court of Mary, Queen of Scots, to give her a better life. Rose was raised with rowdy brothers in a notorious border clan, She has plenty of experience fighting and thieving, but practically none with decorum and discretion. She has little hope of making a good marriage to salvage her family’s reputation. Then she overhears several influential lords plotting to murder the King of Scotland and meets a handsome spy trying to shield her from danger. Will Sheffield is one of Queen Elizabeth’s top agents and has come north to keep a close eye on Mary’s court. As a professional, Will notices Rose’s presence at the secret meeting, and he’s not the only one. Rose has made a fearsome enemy. Only Will can keep her safe. After an attempt on Rose’s life, Will faces making a choice. Will he chose professional loyalty or powerful passion?

Book two was an adventurous passion filled story of intrigue, murder plots, passions denied, and feelings hidden. Rose doesn’t fit in at court but she feels bound to give it her all to satisfy her mother’s desire for her to earn an advantageous marriage. Will is an English spy who prefers to be alone, likes what he does for a living, and doesn’t have time to protect naïve women who walk in on things they shouldn’t overhear and not smart enough to leave before it is too late. He tells himself that she will just be another casualty and that she isn’t his problem, but the more time he spends with Rose the harder it is for him to turn a blind eye to the danger she is in. She is so refreshing, strong, outspoken, independent, and stubborn and he can’t get enough of her company or her kisses. She sees in Will an interesting and honorable man who doesn’t behave like the other courtiers, and when she speaks he actually listens to her and cares about her opinion. As the murder plot thickens and the culprits zero in on Rose as an obstacle, Will does everything within his power to save her, but when she is taken he finally realizes that he loves her and it won’t be easy to walk away from her at the end of his mission, as he has continually stated to Rose. He isn’t interested in marriage and has no intention to ever marry and Rose seems ok with that decision until she doesn’t get a chance to say goodbye and worries about whether she will ever see him again. I loved the story. It was so easy to get into and fall in love with the characters and the plot. Rose is such a vibrant character on the page that it is easy to see what and how Will could be drawn to her from the very start. I loved it and can't wait to see how Tristen falls in love.