I always promise a fair and honest review for any ARC i am given. Two spies and an assassin. All come together in this well written story.

Title and author: An Affair with a Spare by Shana Galen
Series: Survivors - Book 3
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Releases: July 3, 2018
Purchase: https://tinyurl.com/yb8qshho
Genre: Historical
Author website: http://shanagalen.com/
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Situations that arise in the third book of the Survivors series are constantly emotional plus very engaging. With instances where two people have difficulty trusting each other to moments filled with conflict and confusion, the story is a bumpy journey of self-discovery and lots of challenges. Shana Galen does not spare her romantic couple when it comes to life experiences, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing what the main characters would do during every incident which develops. AN AFFAIR WITH A SPARE enthralls with imaginative escapades and plenty of surprises.

When England was fighting Napoleon, many of the assignments undertaken by Rafe Beaumont had him getting information from women residing in France, as his likable personality made it easy for him to seduce any female who knew vital secrets. Though the war is now over, there are still situations where his talent comes in handy, and Rafe has been handed a new mission. It has been reported that a French woman who is really Collette Fortier is in London, and her father was an assassin during the war. Rafe must get close to her and discover what the daughter of a notorious enemy is doing in England. But neither are prepared for what happens after he approaches Collette with an offer to just be her friend.

The period following the Napoleonic era comes alive in AN AFFAIR WITH A SPARE, as details depicting this time in English history are colorful. While the actual fighting may have stopped, the war still impacts the lives of individuals in various ways, and it definitely affects Rafe and Collette after they meet. The French woman must gather needed information or she plus her father may be doomed, and his job is to uncover what she is after. As they work to keep each other from being successful, their feelings become involved and decisions are much harder to make. I loved watching these two try to best one another, especially when how they truly feel clashes with their goals. Although Rafe has women often falling all over him for attention, Collette ignores him at first. But as their relationship goes through changes, so does their opinions. There may be many verbal battles between them, yet there is also caring and desire.

Shana Galen portrays the early 1800’s in London with realism, thus causing me to believe that Rafe and Collette could have in fact existed as their adventures seemed so conceivable. The men with whom he associates at his club were responsible for numerous witty conversations, and I repeatedly laughed at their clever retorts. These war heroes are very interesting, and the author has made each of their stories a standalone. The next one about Jasper is highly anticipated.

I voluntarily reviewed the book from the publisher via NetGalley, and all comments are my honest opinion

Dull, inescapably dull. I was hoping for some serious intrigue, some head whipping twist, and instead I felt like I spent the entire book searching for something that didn't come. It was sedate, predictable, and frankly Colette was so annoying I wanted to off her myself a few times. While contextually her "brilliant mind" would have been for the time, as a modern reader it was insipid and annoying. As with this type of book the ending was rather predictable, but that's why we read this sort of thing - for the inevitable happy ending.

What a great series this is! During the war with France, a group of 3rd sons were recruited for what we would call a special ops unit. Some of them survived and created the Survivors’ Club. Most of them still have nightmares.

Lt. Rafe Beaumont, aka The Seducer, is a very handsome man and his specialty was getting information from women during the Napoleonic wars. The youngest of 8 children whose mother ran off when he was 4, he doesn’t trust women. He has been ordered to befriend a Frenchwoman in London as his superior, Lt. Col. Draven, thinks she is up to no good. Rafe’s problem is she seems to be the first woman not attracted to him.

Collette Fortier is using an alias, Fournay, as she tries to get codes from the British Foreign Office to free her father from a French prison. She is attracted to Rafe but her father comes first. As he pretends to court her, real feelings interfere with his mission. Collette receives a letter that truly scares her, and she tells him her dilemma. Rafe decides to help her knowing it will harm him.

The rest of spy versus spy is for you to read as I won’t spoil this wonderful book! It’s complex and very well written. I can’t wait for more of this excellent series!

An Affair with a Spare is the third installment in Shana Galen's Survivors series which features a group of former soldiers who have returned from the Napoleonic wars. These soldiers were part of a secret group who were assigned some of the most dangerous missions. Out of the thirty members of this elite group, only twelve survived, but life after the traumas of war isn't proving easy.

Even though An Affair with a Spare is third in a series, it stands perfectly well on its own. Characters from the previous two books play small parts in this story, but it's not necessary to have a full understanding of who they are and what part they play in the grand scheme of things.

Rafe Beaumont is the fifth son of an earl, and although he gets along reasonably well with his father, stepmother, and siblings, he's never felt they understand who he is as a person. In fact, he firmly believes that only the men who fought beside him in the war really know him. Rafe is an exceedingly handsome man, and he's learned to use his good looks to his benefit. In fact, his friends call him The Seducer, since his main job during the war was to seduce the wives of various Frenchmen in order to learn their secrets. Now, his former commanding officer has a similar job for Rafe in England; he’s required to learn the whereabouts of a French assassin by seducing the man’s beautiful daughter.

Collette Fortier never wanted to spy for the French, but her father's life is on the line, and she'll literally do anything to keep him alive. So, she journeys to London under an assumed name and does her best to get her hands on an extremely important British code. Unfortunately, she's not all that adept at spying, and it soon becomes clear that she needs help, but she's not sure who to trust.

When Collette and Rafe meet, neither is sure what to make of the other. Rafe is used to women everywhere falling at his feet, but Collette seems completely impervious to his charms. For her part, Collette has never met a man like Rafe before. He seems exactly the type of person who could be helpful in her quest to obtain the British codes, but she gets the distinct impression that he's untrustworthy. After all, she's not the least bit interested in anything even resembling a romantic entanglement, and that seems to be the only thing on Rafe's mind.

As time passes and Rafe is no closer to uncovering the secrets he's sure Collette is hiding, he becomes convinced that he needs to employ a new approach to get her to lower her guard. He decides to offer her friendship rather than a romantic relationship, and Collette slowly begins to succumb. Suddenly, everything Rafe thought he knew about himself and his relationship to his country is called into question. Will he be able to sacrifice the love he's started to feel for Collette while at the same time fulfilling his mission?

Rafe turned out to be a difficult hero for me to warm up to. I liked him well enough as a supporting character in previous books, but I found myself irritated with him quite a bit of the time here. He initially comes off as a very vain and shallow individual, something that doesn't work well for me; I like my heroes to have some depth. Fortunately, it becomes clear that there is more to Rafe than it at first seemed, and that in some ways, he's actually a very insecure man who wonders if anyone will ever love him for anything beyond his personal appearance. This bit of vulnerability made it easier for me to warm to him.

As I previously stated, spying is not Collette's strong suit. She knows what she needs to do, but she doesn't seem capable of pulling it off. It's not that she's unintelligent, but the kind of intrigue she's embroiled in requires a very specific skill set that she simply doesn't have. As one might imagine, she doesn't always make the best decisions, and I found myself a little frustrated with her at times. Her loyalty to her father is quite admirable though, and I was able to cut her some slack for that reason.

Collette and Rafe have great chemistry, and I loved watching them negotiate their feelings for one another. The conflict between them feels completely authentic, and I did wonder if they would be able to overcome the obstacles in their path and claim their HEA. Luckily, both are willing to compromise, a fact that made me smile since this isn't always the case in many of today's romances.

An Affair with a Spare is a strong, if imperfect, addition to a series I really enjoy. My favorite entry is still No Earls Allowed, but this one definitely has a great deal to recommend it.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

An Affair with a Spare by Shana Galen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has a nice twist. This survivor spent his time seducing secrets from the local women while his squad mates fought. Rafe is a great character. He is so charming that no one takes him seriously. Enter Collette Fortie, a French woman on a quest. Everything changes as Rafe first sees her as a job and then gets drawn into more danger than he ever faced during the war. This has great characters an interesting plot, a unexpected romance and a surprise ending. Another survivor finds his HEA but there are still more who need their story told.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

This book is filled with spies, assassins, danger, trickery, betrayal, and yes, love and lust. The writing is excellent, the plots well thought-out and executed and the characters are very relatable and likable. The series focuses on the few survivors of a suicide team from the Napoleonic wars – they were spare heirs whose lives were expendable and they took on the most dangerous secret missions of the war. Most didn’t make it back, but these are the stories of the few who did survive. Rafe Beaumont is one of those survivors and you just always knew there had to be more to him than was apparent and that there was a story buried deep within him. I certainly loved learning what that story was.

Rafe Beaumont, the fifth son of an earl, is seen by everyone as a fribble, a seducer, someone with no real substance. The truth is, he isn’t a seducer – those women chase him with one purpose – being seduced. He’s drop-dead gorgeous, a skilled lover and the most charming man anyone would want to meet. Everybody loves him. Rafe is one of the survivors and he’s always been a little resentful that he was never given the dangerous, exciting missions. His missions were always about seducing information from the wife or lover of someone who held knowledge of French war strategies, etc. Those were easy tasks for Rafe because he never got attached to anyone – he never had a problem walking away. As a matter of fact, he always did the walking away. He’d never give anybody the chance to make him care and then walk away from him.

Imagine Rafe’s total shock when, after being given an assignment, the lady in question seems totally immune to his charms. She’s just not interested. That is just not possible. Is he losing his touch? He’s never actually had to pursue anyone, so he’s not sure how to proceed. Can he figure it out and complete his mission?

Collette Fortier is the daughter of Napoleon’s most successful assassin. The wars are over, but the English would love to get their hands on him. Actually, the English aren’t the only ones. The French royalists have already taken him prisoner and are forcing Collette to spy for them. Her mission – to obtain the codes England uses in its communications. If she doesn’t succeed, her father doesn’t survive. It is just that simple. So, Collette absolutely cannot allow her attraction to Rafe Beaumont to show or to act upon it in any way.

Collette’s ‘cousin’ in England, Lady Ravensgate, is actually no relation at all. Collette had never met the woman before. However, this 'cousin' now holds the future of both Collette and her father in her hands. She sees that Collette gets to all of the important social functions that would allow Collette to collect information and meet the people who can lead her to the codes she needs. Collette is focused on Lieutenant Colonel Draven, but she cannot get her to engage with her – and then, suddenly, Rafe Beaumont is paying her attention. When he can’t seduce her, he offers to be her friend. Can she be friends with him and not let her attraction show? Is he really offering friendship or does he have ulterior motives? Can she use him to get the information she needs?

There is always an element of humor involved in these books – and this one is no exception. Collette used a natural history volume on hedgehogs in order to learn English. So, when she is nervous – quotes from the manual escape her mouth. It is totally entertaining and smile-worthy to see where and when these quotes pop out of her mouth.
"During courting rituals the hedgehog sow continually rejects the boar, turning to give him her
blank."
"The majority of snorting during hedgehog courtship originates from the sow."

Epilogues are one of my favorite things in a book, and this one had a lovely one. However, I would have liked the epilogue to either be longer – or for the epilogue to have an epilogue – something. I wanted to know more about the trip, what happened at the end, how they survived with no money, etc. I just wanted more. Since the end seemed rushed, I really did want more substantive answers to my questions.

Now, to begin my impatient wait for the next book which will feature Jasper.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

Lt. Rafe Beaumont, a member of the Draven Club was tasked to investigate a french spy.
Collette Fournay is in England to try to save her father from certain death in prison in France. She's been told the only way is to get an important code. Her best chance seems to be Lt. Col.Draven, but she can't get near him....however Rafe Beaumont is everywhere she looks.
Rafe and Collette are thrown together frequently as each strives for their own goal, but the strong attraction they feel for each other complicates things.
Each of their secrets come out and they end up working on a plan for each to accomplish what they need to. This regency historical is complicated with a bit of mystery.
I requested this on NetGalley and offer my opinion freely.

I voluntarily borrowered and read this book. My opinions are my own. This is a story about Rafe and Collette who have competing national goals and tactics although the war with France and England is over. Collette's father is being held by the new French government so she must get British codes to save her father. Rafe is a rake who used seducto on during the war. He is told to sort out Collette's motives. There is intense attraction between them which slowly develops into love. Rafe is unwilling to form a long-term relationship because of the way he was deserted by his mother at a young age. Collette has her own issues with trust. I like this author very much but would have preferred that Rafe and Collette had a much deeper conversation of their motives and explain their actions. I felt many things were left hanging.

I loved Rafe and Collette's story from the very first page. The attraction between Rafe and Collette creates sparks on the page. Ms. Galen continues to keep this reader engaged every step of the book.

Interesting storyline.
Rafe Beaumont is tasked by his old commanding officer to ascertain whether Miss Fournay is in fact Collette Fortier, and if she is in London spying. If she is, he is to discover what secrets she hopes to unearth and then kill her. Rafe is a lover, not a fighter but he has never had to work at it before; women tend to throw themselves at him and he doesn’t know what to do with a woman who blushes and is tongue tied in his presence (except when talking about the mating habits of hedgehogs!) I loved this story, the characters and the satisfying ending.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An Affair with a Spare by Shana Galen was an OK story. It did not enrapture me in the story but I did find some of it interesting. I have not read the first 2 books in the series but I do like the premise so I will read them. I would still recommend the story and there was spying involved and wonderful secondary characters. They are keeping me interested. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing the book.

An Affair with a Spare is the third in Ms Galen's The Survivor's series. I enjoyed the book but not as much as I did the first two in the series. I felt it moved too slowly and did not delve very deeply into the backgrounds or character of our hero, Rafe, and heroine, Collette. In fact, I actually found myself disliking them for most of the book. Their motives and actions were never fully explained and both of them came across, at least to me, as shallow and devoid of any redeeming qualities. It was only in the last few chapters that I began to root for them and hope they succeeded in the quest to free her father and help them flee to America. Even though I had issues with the characters I still thoroughly enjoyed the book, just not as much as I did the first two. Still anxiously waiting for the t=next one though! Jasper is an extremely interesting character and I think his book will be as enjoyable as the first two, and this one to an extent, were.

Shan Galen has turned into an automatic buy for me and I have to thank Page Habit for that! They were the first books I got when I tried out their book subscription box. And now, every time I see Shana Galen’s name I buy the book. No questions asked. When I read romance I usually steer clear of regency romances, I’m more of a fantasy/sci-fi romance person, but Galen is able to draw me into these stories easily. And An Affair with A Spare was no different. This was just as much fun to read as her other two books in the series. It contains all of her usual wit, humor, and steamy situations.

The reason I loved this book so much was because of the character development. It was so well done and believable. Sometimes romances can just skip over all the growing pains of character development and go straight to the happily-ever-after. Galen does not do that. She makes Rafe go through the confusion and what-the-hell-is-happening-to-me with no mercy. And it is hilarious. Especially when Rafe if begging his friends for help, these situations made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. Rafe may be my favorite male lead in this series so far, although, Jasper may top him. Rafe was just everything I thought he would be and more. His character arc was bumpy and funny and so puzzling to him, you just had to feel just a little bit bad for the poor guy.

And Collette, she was nothing close to what I expected from the female lead! She was so much better than I could have hoped for. Her love and dedication to her father was admirable and her struggle between loving her father and loving Rafe was strong. She was just trying to be happy- that’s all she wanted. And it was so relatable. Her and Rafe’s interactions were the best! She did not take his shit at all. Of course she was attracted to him but she did not let that stop her from helping her father and Rafe just could not wrap his head around the fact that a woman did not fall at his feet. Yes, Collette was the girl that was different but she wasn’t trying to. And that’s what I liked most about her and this story. Galen beautifully danced around that trope.

Although I did love this book and the characters the ending felt a little unfinished to me. But this series is supposed to be rather large with 13 or so books in it so I’m hoping we will see Rafe and Collette again. They were just such a fun couple- I want to see them again and I want to see them interact with the rest of the guys.
If you’ve never read Shana Galen before or if you have but haven’t read this series yet, do so- NOW! Galen has become a go to read for me. Her books just bring so much joy to me. I love the way she writes and is able to bring her character to life with such mastery. Even if you are not a regency romance person, like me, you will love these books! An Affair with A Spare comes out on July 3rd but if you need a fix read the first two books again or one of Galen’s other regency books. So GOOOD!!!!!

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. An Affair with a Spare was a 3.33 star read for me which rounds down to 3. I liked the story and characters, but found it difficult to get into the story at first which is one reason I didn't rate this a four; once I did get into the book, it was very enjoyable. Collette Fortier is the daughter of one of Napoleon's best assassins who finds herself in England trying to obtain British codes to help prove her father was an assassin under duress. Living with her "cousin" Collete is frantic to help her father, but struggling to make the social connections needed to obtain the codes. Rafe Beaumont, a member of Draven's troop, spent the Napoleonic wars helping seduce French wives, sisters, and daughters to help gather information the troop needed to help carryout their missions. Rafe saw mainly indirect action, and seems to carry some guilt over that. His former commander Draven seeks Rafe's help to charm/seduce Collete into revealing her plans. Rafe is drawn to Collete as soon as they meet and she blurts out facts about hedgehog mating habits in her nervousness. I really enjoyed Collete - she was strong, level headed, and pragmatic about Rafe and their relationship's potential for a future. Rafe could be frustrating with his attitude toward relationships, but the reason for his behaviour was heart breaking once revealed. Interesting secondary characters and a happily ever round out the story. I liked the ending and am looking forward to the next title in the serious.

The third story in the Survivors series, An Affair with a Spare was a little different than the first two because it involved a somewhat devious french spy, Collette Fortier, and the son of an earl and war hero, Rafe Beaumont. Collette seemed like an unlikely match for Rafe and it took me a while to warm up to her. The more I learned about her situation - that she was being forced to spy by people who were holding her father hostage, the more I could sympathize with her. Not only was her father everything to her, but she was also pretty incompetent as a spy. Rafe was a bit annoying with his womanizing ways and his somewhat callousness in regards to women, but since his past had affected his ability to trust them, his actions were a bit more understandable. I liked when the story really got going, as they put their plan into action and events started to unfold as they should. Rafe was a bit thickheaded though and I was happy he finally came to his senses, although I kept wanting to yell at him to stop at the bank for goodness sake - he was a very poor planner as far as the future goes. I’m very curious to hear how things go for this couple, I hope we hear more about them in the next book to come.

Another great delivery for this series: For two books, we've been waiting to know about Rafe and his story and the book does not disappoint! We follow him in a mission for Draven that ends up being more than he bargained for when he has to spy on the daughter of a former French assassin. Soon he'll find himself dealing with feelings more than missions.
Action paced, wonderful angsty and longing moments and a happy ending delivered!

What I love about this book?
- Rafe's backstory and the glimpse into how he really felt and how he dealt with abandonement
- Rafe's stepmother and her role in the story
- Draven's confession when he send Rafe to follow Collete
- Jasper's more ´predominance in this story - a probably set up for his own love story
- the real ending of the book: there is no magical fix to everything, but a real conclusion to a situation that was really messy

I look forward to the next book and I do hope we get Draven's story as well!
*I was given an ARC copy in NetGalley*

An entertaining love story full of intrigue, suspense, and lots of passion. Can Rafe, a rogue and an irresistible playboy, learn to love and trust in love? Can Collette, a spy, save her father and learn to love and trust her enemy? This author pulls you into the story from beginning to end; painting a picture full of believable, fully fleshed out characters, intense action and steamy romance. This is a happily ever after, standalone, romance with characters primed for her next novel (I can’t wait for Jasper’s story).
I received a copy of this story through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for a fair review. An Affair With A Spare by Shana Galen is the 3rd book in her Survivor series. This book could be read as a stand-alone but I think you will enjoy it even more if you have read the first two books as they are both excellent as well. Collette Fortier is in England pretending to be a sweet young debutante in order to obtain codes used by the British during secret correspondence. Her father is being held captive in a French prison to ensure her compliance. Rafe Beaumont one of the Survivors aka The Seducer has been assigned the task of discovering just who Collette is and preventing her from obtaining what she seeks. What he thought was an easy assignment ... seduce the girl get her secrets ... eliminate her if necessary turns out to be not so easy when she turns him down flat ... something that has never happened to him before. If you like a bit of adventure, mystery and danger with your romance then you will most likely enjoy this book as much as I did. Quite steamy. Publishing Date July 3, 2018 #NetGalley
#AnAffairWithASpare

This book was quite slow and uninteresting the first part and a lot of fun in the second one.
On a general level the book is well written and the historical setting well researched.
It would have been five stars but the first part bored me and I was thinking of not finishing the book.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for this ARC