Fresh off of the success of solving their first case, Iris and Gwen, owners and operators of the right sort marriage bureau are thrown into a new case, this time featuring British royalty. Gwen receives a request from her cousin, Lady Matheson, to investigate the background of one of Princess Elizabeth's potential suitors, Prince Phillip. As the pair begins investigating, the case takes some dark turns and a man is murdered. Their investigation lands them not only at the British intelligence agency, but also has them trekking through the Greek community in London. Most surprising of all, they manage to make a successful match in the middle of the investigation.
The second in the Right Sort Marriage Bureau mystery is a wild, twisty ride from start to finish. Our intrepid heroines are authentic, intelligent and scrappy, determined to make a future for themselves in post war London. The historical backdrop was expertly done, with plenty of fascinating historical facts woven in the plot. The dual narrative allows readers to get to know and understand the motives of each main character and leads to further revelations regarding their pasts. Iris and Gwen's smart, snappy dialogue was refreshing and kept the story moving at a swift pace. The mystery itself was complex with plenty of twists and turns however the ending was a bit difficult to make out. Overall this was a highly enjoyable historical cozy mystery that I recommend to those with an interest in post WWII London.

A great follow up to the first in a series featuring a marriage bureau run by two women post WWII. Sparks and Bainbridge come from very different backgrounds, but work together in their own business, rare for the times. They are hired by someone from the royal family to investigate a possible future husband for he Princess. What follows is all kinds of mayhem and murder, with humor as well. I recommend this series, and thank Netgalley for the ARC.

I read the Right Sort of Man and enjoyed it, so I was excited to see the series continue. The Right Sort of Man was heavy on backstory and character development, and A Royal affair is more of a straight mystery. There may be details in this second book that will puzzle readers unfamiliar with the first, but the plot is largely independent. The Right Sort of Man established the characters of the two strong, but very different female leads, and at times a felt a bit slow. A Royal Affair jumps right into the mystery, keeps a steady pace, and doesn’t do much to further the personal stories of the main characters. The plot is complex, and at some points I was a bit confused about where it was leading, and by the multiple characters and their affiliations, but that’s often the case with mysteries featuring a political or spy element, so I stuck with it and thought it was tied up satisfactorily in the end. A Royal Affair is a solid, historical mystery that will appeal to fans of Susan Elia MacNeal and Jacqueline Winspeare.

This is a perfect escape for those of us who enjoy historical fiction with unbelievably intrepid heroines who have brains, a sense of humor and more than a little bit of luck. This novel is for the reader (like me) who is totally willing to suspend their disbelief in the service of entertainment.

A Royal Affair was a great escape during a period when we are confined to home, with no escape in sight. I loved every minute I spent with the two protagonists and look forward to more adventures with them.

NetGalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review. I had not read The Right Sort of Man, the first book in this series, but I don't think it was a huge issue. There were references to the previous story, but this book stood alone pretty well. A Royal Affair follows matchmakers Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge as they are pulled into a mystery involving rumors of Prince Phillip's legitimacy. It was a very well written book with strong, smart, brave female leads. It is historical fiction, but featured very witty and sometimes modern dialogue. In general, I found myself liking the characters and enjoying their banter but not being truly drawn into the story. The resolution to the mystery was a little murky and not entirely satisfying.

This book is available July 2020.

An interesting premise with real life characters of our present Queen and her husband.
However, I couldn’t really get into the story and couldn’t connect with the characters.

Another fun addition to this series. The whole thing was a bit complicated and I could not have figured it out on my own, but for me, part of the fun is the 'aha!' of reading the ending. I've already been recommending this series to my customers and they can't wait to get their hands on this title.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was so excited to read the second. We find Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge fresh off of the publicity surrounding their success of solving a murder case while running their matchmaking business. They receive a call from one of Princess Elizabeth’s staff to ask for help with vetting one of the Princess’ suitors, Prince Phillip. Naturally, things become more complicated, when one of their contacts is murdered, a gangster, Iris has to ask for help from her former boss, oh and they actually make a successful match in the midst of it all. Per usual, the ladies take us on quite a twisted ride to find the answers to the mystery. I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well developed and evolve throughout the story. Gwen is regaining her confidence and strength after spending time in a sanitarium after the death of her husband in the Great War. Iris is still adjusting to life after being a spy durning the war. Despite their differences, Iris a Cambridge grad, and Gwen a debutante, they have become the best of friends and colleagues. This book will not be out until July 28, but in the mean time, I suggest reading the first book in the series, “The Right Sort of Man”. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

I am really enjoying the Sparks and Bainbridge books. Even thought at first I rolled my eyes at the royal connection of the mystery, I soon got in to it. A few things I enjoy:

I love the friendship between the ladies. They both have such different backgrounds, they have different things to offer, and they both need each other to get over their war traumas.

I like how intelligent the ladies are. They aren't blindly stumbling into clues and solving mysteries, they are researching and using their brains to figure things out.

I like the cast of characters being assembled in the series so far, especially the playwright muscle (is his name Sally?).

I will definitely keep reading this series as it continues to unfold and recommend it to the historical mystery lovers out there.

An absolutely wonderful second story in this new series featuring two young women in post WWII Britain, Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. This sounds sufficiently charming and possibly lighthearted, but the backstory is quite serious, and the subjects are blackmail and murder. Montclair is able to bring postwar social issues, PSTD, and international intrigue to the forefront while giving readers an action-filled and well developed plot. The Queen is tangentially involved in this second episode, as Sparks and Bainbridge set out to vet the future husband of Princess Elizabeth. Blackmail, murder, and government espionage are all deftly woven into this highly recommended novel.

.Loved! Strong on character and tone, and set in bomb-ravaged, post-war London, A Royal Affair is a particularly delicious treat for fans of Netflix' The Crown. In their second outing, Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, proprietors of the newly-formed Right Sort Marriage Bureau, are back and even more engaging as business partners and would-be sleuths. As they delve into Prince Philip's mysterious back story, Iris and Gwen continue to delight with equal parts courage and witty repartee. Highly recommended addition to a much-welcomed fresh, new mystery series.