Madeleine Vernon’s dreams should be filled with elegant gowns and marriageable men. Instead, she dreams of avenging her brother’s death. Then she’s captured by the queen’s men & forced to become a spy by her mysterious yet undeniably attractive captor. After years of working for his father in Queen Elizabeth’s service, Nicholas Ryder is close to going his own way. But now he’s got a feisty beauty he must protect or risk her execution as a traitor to the crown. It is Nicholas’s job to foil plots against Elizabeth, and he sends Maddy into a household of suspected traitors to garner what information she can.
I’ve read the author’s regency novels & didn't realise when I received this book from NetGalley that it was an Elizabethan novel – which isn't my favourite period. That said I sat down to read & five hours later I'd finished it, it totally captivated me the story was fast paced, the characters had depth & were likeable but the icing on the cake was it was set in Northumberland around Carlisle & as I often travel to Brampton I could actually visualise the locations which brought the book alive to me. There are twists, turns, secrets & surprises along the way to Maddy & Nicholas' HEA. There’s also Useless & especially Daniel who steal the book

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

It's an absolutely amazing book full of mystery, romance, and thrill. I loved both Maddy and Nicholas. They're perfect together, both reluctant spies working to uncover traitors to the crown.
After her brother died, Madeleine only thought about getting revenge. Unfortunately, she was captured and faced trial. Only when she thought all hope was lost, she was given a choice. Die as a traitor or become a spy. She chose to live. Her mission is not as simple as it sounds. There will be danger and it might not end well for her. But she is willing to make an effort and so her best. Her future is uncertain but for now she is working with Nicholas to make things right.
Nicholas Ryder does not enjoy working in Queen Elizabeth’s service but when his father needs him, he doesn't have much of a choice. He also dislikes putting Madeleine in danger but this is the only way for her to earn her freedom. So, together they must find all the information needed in order to put an end to any plot against Queen Elizabeth, that maybe brewing in the north.
It's a very well-written book. I especially enjoyed the action packed ending. It's an interesting spy story set in Queen Elizabeth’s time when Mary Queen of Scots was thought to be plotting against her, and laying claim to the British throne. I don't know much about historic facts but the story had me intrigued from the very beginning. I enjoyed it a lot and would recommend to all historical fiction fans.

Mistress Spy by Pam Mingle
This is my first book by this author.
I enjoyed this historical story of the many plots planned to interfere with Queen Elizabeth’s imprisonment and custody of Queen Mary of Scots. Queen Elizabeth’s Agents are tasked with recruiting and placing spy’s to uncover any plots or plans of murder or kidnapping Queen Mary or her son, before they could be carried out. The exploits used to recruit the heroine to spy, was interesting.
The storyline is well written with creative characters surrounded by lots of adventure, mystery, danger, intrigue, and a slow burn romantic attraction.
What I didn’t like about the story was I felt there was a huge difference in the heroine’s character, integrity, and mannerisms from the bold and angry blood revenge seeking vigilante who charged into a losing battle to kill a man to avenge the life her brother lost, then to a meek and highly judgmental woman who possibly wouldn’t be able to forgive her brother for an act that she didn’t recall she herself attempted. Her big character change just didn’t mesh for me.
I would recommend this book to those, like myself, who enjoys a good well rounded historical romance that includes angst, and some dark and moderate sexual content. I look forward to reading more novels from this author! Happy reading.

I really enjoyed Madeleine and Nicholas' story!

Attempting to avenge her brother's death, Madeleine joins the rebels, only to be caught by the Queen's men. Nicholas has been given charge of Madeleine and decides to place her in a home posing as a secretary to gather intel. They start as enemies but as they start to spend time together, the lines begin to blur.

I really enjoyed watching these two get to know one another and see that what they originally thought each other was like be proved wrong. Another great story from Mingle!!

Threatened with hanging for her part in a 1569 rebellion against Queen Elizabeth, Madeleine Vernon chooses the alternative: placement as personal secretary and companion to Lady Dacre in Lanercost Priory, in Cumbria, near the Scottish border. Maddy deals with the question of the Dacres loyalty to the queen, the uncertainty of her own fate during and after the completion of her assignment and her wildly ambivalent feelings towards her “handler,” Nicholas Ryder.
Despite her tribulations, Maddy manages to maintain her sanity, courage and dignity. Most of the action takes place in the Priory and the author skillfully conveys a feeling for daily life there along with the danger involved.

The following is excerpted from my full review, which has been posted to my blog (link provided):

My Rating: 4 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library historical romance ebook collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: A bit faster than slow burn, not quite insta-love

Relationship dynamics: The Queen’s Spymaster with an Orphaned Ward/Captor (H); The Unwilling Spy/Captive (h)

Sexual content: Some. Romantic, “onscreen,” and explicit (but not overly so)

Triggers: Some violence against h (not by H); some “offscreen” violence against women (not by H)

Grammar/Editing: I found a lone typo. As this is an ARC, it will hopefully be corrected in the final, published version.

Review: This book is well-paced and fairly well-written, although it contains some repetition of details and a fair amount of reminiscent summary of the plot. In fairness, there are a lot of details for the reader to remember, so some readers may appreciate these periodic recaps. The action involves and follows the movements of well-known historical figures and ostensibly takes place during historically verifiable events. The author takes some literary license with the actual historical timeline (which I’ll admit I had to look up!), but is consistent in her execution of the details and inserts her characters into the timeline in an entirely plausible way, which should satisfy even the purists.

Maddy and Nicholas are lovely protagonists. They are relatable, honourable, and their romance, although fraught with obstacles as you would expect, is quite sweet and progresses in a fairly natural, if slightly modern-feeling, way. Character investment happened almost immediately for me, which is the mark of great early character development. That investment then grew over the course of the book, which is just as it should be. Supporting characters are generally sufficiently developed, particularly Daniel (Nicholas’s ward). However, some seem a bit more two-dimensional than others. That is, they are introduced as far as necessary for the plot, but not beyond that.

Overall, a quick and satisfying read.

Floral version: Mistress Spy is, without a doubt, a hardy rose. While not without its thorns and not necessarily the showiest variety, it is nevertheless a pleasure to have among my perennials. I will definitely be bringing other varieties from this cultivator into my Kindle garden.

Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A good spy plot with the requisite intrigue and machinations. There are a lot of shuffling cards in the deck and that keeps the reader guessing. Sometimes there is a lag in the pace but it doesn’t take very long to pick right back up. My very favorite character was Daniel followed of course by Useless.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, thank you! All opinions are my own.

I love a good spy story - and I also like romance mixed with a hint of adventure. Mistress Spy is an excellent example for this, I loved the setting and the plot has an exciting flow to it. Madeleine and Nicholas are a wonderful couple, I really enjoyed reading their story.

Madeleine Vernon is a heartbroken sister. Her brother was hung for being a traitor. She has joined a group of rebels fighting against the Queen's army to get revenge for his death. She gets caught and is imprisoned for treason. Nicholas Ryder is in service to the Queen under the guidance of his father, who is ruthless when it comes to following the rules of the Crown. He does what his father wants despite not agreeing with him on many matters. When he meets Madeline, there is attraction between them but it can never be. Nicholas is tired of working for his father but he is not free to do as he wishes. Since Madeline can read and write, she is placed in household to spy on the occupants as they are suspected to be traitors. She is to get as much information as possible and turn it in to Nicholas. While in the house, she meets someone she knows who is using an alias. Will this man reveal her secret of will she reveals his? Who are the traitors? Will Maddie get caught and killed? Will Nicholas escape his father's hold? This book is an action packed story full of mystery, adventure and love. As the story progresses, you don't know who to believe or trust. I was so invested in this book, the story and the characters that I stayed up all night to finish it. I highly recommend it. I received this book from Net Galley and Entangled Publishing for a honest review and no compensation otherwise. 5+ stars

A fast paced story with lots of action,intrigue and romance! Loved the story and characters! Perfect if you love historical fiction!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋
This is a book I am very pleased to give top marks to .
It’s descriptive, emotional, breathtaking, has you on the edge of your seat , and really there’s no where else you want to be once you start it .
The characters have such chemistry that your cheering for them to achieve their goals , stay together, overcome any obstacles or just plain get to their destination.
It’s a book I would gladly read again and have no problem recommending to other readers .
I received an advance copy of this book and chose to submit a review