The Innkeeper's Daughter (The Gentleman Spy Mysteries #1) by Bianca M. Schwarz
Publisher: Central Avenue Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers | Romance
Release Date: January 12, 2021

The Innkeeper's Daughter is the first book in The Gentleman Spy Mysteries by Bianca M. Schwarz. I don't usually read historical fiction, but this one is filled with so much intrigue, suspense, and adventure that I couldn't put it down!

This book was so intense with wonderful characters and an incredible storyline. I loved the mystery and intrigue throughout the story. There was so much about this book that I really enjoyed!

I'm so grateful to Bianca M. Schwarz, Central Avenue Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think if the pace was a little faster on this one, I would have rated it a lot higher. I loved the mystery and intrigue. I loved trying to figure out who was running this sex trafficing ring in the early 1800s?! Like, what? I never would have considered that existed then, but I'm sure it did.

I also loved the budding romance between Eliza and Henry. I just hated being reminded over and over that she was from a lower class and could never be together forever. It made me so sad!

There were parts of the story I feel were unnecessary - I won't say what because spoilers. But I feel if a few things had been left out and the pace was a little better, this might have been one of my favorite books of the year.

It was...okay. I found myself falling out of this book multiple times and lost interest in it. Crime added nothing to it and the romance part was either too slow or too fast. Blah,

In the btwilight of a November evening, Sir Henry, a man of wealth and charm, comes across a badly beaten Eliza desperate to escape her cruel step-father. Realising she had nowhere to go, Sir Henry takes her to his home in Mayfair. As she recovers, Sir Henry introduces her to a world of art and literature she never knew existed. But Eliza's brutal world follows her to London, where the salons of the aristocratic elite co-exist with the back alley's of the criminal underworld.

TRIGGER WARNING; There is sexual violence and rape. The villian in this book is a man they call De Sade Anglais. De Sade had been a french soldier aand writer whose descriptions of sexual perversion gave rise to the term 'sadism'.
we follow he story of Eliza and Sir Henry who had rescued her. The story is not what i expected it to be.
sir Henry is a spy and together they unmask the criminals and save women from this terrible fate. This is an intriguing story but it is brutal in places. There is a lot of characters and the pace is slow to begin with. Eliza turns out to be an equal match for Sir Henry in bith their work and love life.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #CentralAvenuePublishing and the author #BiancaMSchwarz for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an adventure. Lots of mystery, cloak and dagger, fast carriages, fights, beautiful costumes and a growing romance. An amazing front cover too. Very eye catching.

Includes strong sexual content such as abuse so may not be suitable for some.

Eliza is a strong, graceful young woman. Full of bravery and with a sharp mind. Sir Henry is her dashing rescuer, with a strong sense of fairness and a very loyal team by his side.
This is a story that follows a predictable pattern but in a comforting way. You can sit back, relax and enjoy and just really get stuck in and escape for a few hours. You know what you're going to get and I loved it for that. It's the first in a series, so I will definitely be looking out for book number 2.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

One on hand, I really loved this book. It was a fascinating and multi-layered mystery that wasn't solved in a few chapters. I think Schwarz did a wonderful job of building suspense and bringing you into the case. I've not seen many mysteries that get into the grittier side of life in the nineteenth century, and this one didn't shy away from it.
This leads to my "other hand"- I am quite squeamish, and found several parts very difficult to read. That is more on me than it is on anyone else, but a little bit of a warning would have helped. I also have a pet peeve about dialects; I'm really not a fan of when dialects are written out. It was a little distracting, and didn't add to the story at all.

Thank you to NetGallery and Central Avenue Publishing for this ARC copy. This book will be published January 12, 2021

Brief Synopsis:

After being beaten by her cruel stepfather, Eliza is rescued by a wealthy and handsome man on the side of the road, Sir Henry March. He takes her to his home to recover and shows her a life of culture, art and fashion. Meanwhile, there are still some evil men after Eliza, which exposes a world of sex trafficking and a secret society who are all to eager to take part in it. Time is running out to save other woman from this horrible society and Eliza and Henry must work together to stop them.

I'm going to be honest & say I have a few mixed thoughts about this one. I enjoyed the beginning and watching Eliza and Henry's relationship unfold. It was unexpectedly steamy in some parts & let's just say he shows her a LOT more than the average hospitality one would probably get.
But...the sadistic sex trafficking scenes & the violence/rape towards some of the women, just made me a tad uncomfortable to read. If you're sensitive to scenes like that then this maybe wouldn't be the book for you! It made me shudder to think about some of the things that were done to some of the women they talked about. Also, Eliza was way younger than I thought as the book progressed which made Henry seem a bit creepy at times, but guess that was the way things were back then.

This book is apparently going to be a series, which does intrigue me but 'm sure the sex trafficking would be a main theme again & that alone makes me hesitant to continue reading. If it comes my way, I'll read it but I don't think I'll be going out of my way for it. 3 stars for me with this one!

What I have to say is quite simple. This book was although on the longer side,  BRILLIANT! Entertaining and tense until the very end. It had me in its grip throughout the whole story.

Dark meets light, tender love against people trafficking, including BSDM. The awful laws of England at the beginning of the 19th century versus fighting for justice.

I loved both main characters because they just made this story a brilliant one. Political influences and intrigues mixed with espionage and the truth revealed at the very end just kept me excited and sitting on pins and needles to finally learn who was pulling the strings all the time and why.

And the best? There will be another book in this series. I am truly excited about it because I've wished this book NOT to end at all.

So this was unexpectedly delightful! I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting from this but the blurb stuck out to me and it was so addicting and good! I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Arc via Netgalley
2.5 stars. I was expecting this to read like "stalking jack the ripper", but instead it was a mediocre historical romance with a bit of crime. This isn't necessarily bad, but there wasn't anything special about it either, and it dragged a bit longer than it should.

While there were many aspects of this historical fiction that I enjoyed, there was also a long list of things that took away from the story, and definitely lowered my enjoyment and my rating.

Eliza Broad has been dealt a sorry hand in life - the death of her father left her and her mother running their inn in early 19th century England alone. When her mother remarries, Eliza's stepfather quickly shows his true, abusive colours. When Eliza's mother dies at the hands of this brute, she finds herself at his mercy. When he sells her to a friend for marriage as a virgin, Eliza decides she needs to look out for herself, and escapes the inn. Found on the side of the road beaten half to death, Sir Henry March takes Eliza into his care, and discovers who is to blame for her injuries. Taking her to his home to heal, March realizes that Eliza narrowly escaping being sold into sex slavery, and vows to take out the men responsible for spoiling so many innocent ladies. While a romance brews between Sir Henry March and Eliza, the two of them work together, with some trusted men of March's to navigate the brutal underground sex trade and take down some rather big targets.

While the premise of this story promised excitement, the main character really made it difficult for me to enjoy the story. With the times and Eliza's age and innocence, it is obvious she would be naive to many things in life. However, I found this naivety was severely overplayed by the author. Sir Henry March was also not what I expected - with being given the persona of wealthy playboy, March is too sensitive and unrealistic for an aristocratic bachelor of the times. The story of March's mistresses was also off-putting, albeit realistic - using them until he is bored, and then they are passed off to the next wealthy bachelor. While the villains they chase are truly horrifying, especially for early 19th century England, the author potentially takes the story too far, almost shaming people who enjoy a healthy sexual lifestyle including fetishes or BDSM. The ending was abrupt, and the resolution for Eliza was unsatisfying. Instead of having an independent life as the proprietor of an inn, she decides to continue being Sir Henry's mistress "until he finds a wife to settle down with" and the reader is supposed to be satisfied with this.

Overall, I did enjoy the story enough to finish this book, but there were so many reasons for me to dislike it as well.

2.75 stars

[Trigger warning at end of review]

Luck and fortitude save Eliza Broad’s life when she is found beaten and half dead while on the run from her step-father.

The former Innkeeper’s daughter soon finds herself living a life vastly removed from the one she knew. Now under the protection of Sir Henry March, her erstwhile saviour, she is now living in his London townhouse, wearing fancy gowns and attending entertainments as his guest.

But all that glitters is not gold! She is not safe, and when Sir Henry needs to rescue Eliza again, now from one of London infamous pimps, they find themselves embroiled in a scheme much bigger and darker than forced prostitution…

Together with some of Sir Henry’s friends and former service men, they start to investigate the dark world of sadistic sex trafficking and espionage!

This book really threw me for a loop! Wow- that got dark fast! I hadn’t read the synopsis again before reading this book. I feel like I would have been better prepared for what was to come.

Though this story was not your typical glittering historical romance, the characters and the intrigue were very compelling, leaving me up late reading in hopes of reaching their HEA. And loo and behold Sir Henry and Eliza come to terms with their class differences and create an HFN (happy for now) that they can both be content with after risking life and limb to get the bad guy.

This was good read that was captivating for both its similarities to a typical historical romance and its differences! I highly recommend this book for the HR fan looking for an edgier read.

The Innkeepers Daughter by Bianca M. Schwarz is scheduled to release January 12th, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Central Avenue Publishing via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Trigger warning:
-Family abuse
-Brutal beatings and torture to females
-Forced prostitution discussed
-Sadistic rape/ torture

#TheInnkeepersDaughter #BiancaMSchwarz #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

This novel is Pretty Woman x James Bond x (non-consensual) 50 Shades of Gray that I didn’t know I wanted or needed.

(Once my personal trauma and triggers were overcome, the 50 shades was a necessary part of the story to me.)

I enjoyed it so much more than I expected and I am legit stoked that this is going to be a series!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of this ARC

I loved this historical fiction novel that left me wanting more with thrilling twists and turns that carry this suspense story forward. Our female protagonist, Eliza works hard to grow into the strong and independant woman that she is by the end of the book through learning skills from the people she meets over the course of her journey with Henry. The relationship she shares with Henry is one that blossoms from friendship and the high regard they both hold for each other, especially with Eliza continuously surprising Henry and his circle with her courage and wit. This same strength is what enables her to uncover a sex trafficking ring, thus saving the lives of numerous woman. The ending was surprising and left way for a second book as the adventure continues for the fierce Eliza and charming Henry.

This was a good read! I was not expecting it to be as dark and as steamy as it was, but I think that added such dimension to the storyline.

** spoiler alert ** 4.5 stars
THIS BOOK DIDN'T DISAPPOINT.
Right from the first lines of this book, I knew I would love it. I had to pace myself otherwise I would've done nothing but sit by the fire and read this book. I'd like to say thank you to Net Galley and Central Avenue Publishing for allowing to read this book. It has become one of my favourite and I will buy it once it is published.

I would like to begin this review by mentioning how author's writing style made is so easy to read but the words plays like a live movie in your heard when you are reading it. However, I someone found it more difficult to read the conversations between some characters as it reflects how the characters used to speak during that time. It didn't made it impossible to read, it was just more difficult for me to follow as English is not my first language. Although it was a more difficult to read, I also found it more realistic and a nice added touch to the historical aspect of the book.

I loved the relationship of Eliza and Sir Henry. All throughout the book, I wished they would end up together, but the author never once mentioned in the inner thoughts of the characters that would like to pursue something more through their relationship and I guess that's why, by the end of the book, I liked more their relationship without all the romantic aspects. They are great lovers and partners, but their respect and mutual understanding for each other is much more important. I'm not gonna lie... I do ship Eliza more with Allen than I shipped her with Sir Henry. I do hope they they get their happily ever after. I wished we could've have seen more of Daisie's and William's relationship though.

Also, historical romances can be difficult to write about because it requires so much work and research to be able to make it real and Schwarz did a good job in that aspect.

I'm looking forward (in fact, I am super excited) to read the next book, The Gentleman's Daughter.

I love historical romances greatly, but after 25% this book was not gripping me. I found it very simplistic and frankly dull. I fear it needed a few more rounds of revisions.

3.5 stars

I am sorry, but I need to vent. At least a bit. But mind me, I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t so bad, and I liked Henry and Eliza. They are such a nice pair! And Henry is a hell of a character. He is one of the most caring and attentive and thoughtful men ever! It was a nice change, and I enjoyed it a lot.
But to truly enjoy this book you need to suspend your disbelief. Quite a lot.

We have Eliza, our MC, and damsel in distress. She is not a noblewoman, she was raised in an inn and till her father was alive, the inn was quite a respectable place to grow up in, but once her father died and her stepfather stepped in, all went to hell. Quite literally. So she is not the pure dove, completely naive and unknown of the ways of the world. But she is quite sheltered, in some ways, and not yet shrewd (if I can say so) and yet… Yet in her relationship with Henry, there are quite some… Strange things, things that sound a bit not quite right.
For example, she is talking with Sir Henry (who, don’t forget it, is a man of a higher station. He is a nobleman) and she said something on the line of “I want that bastard to pay”. This is not a literal quote, it is just the gist of it, but she say “bastard” while speaking with him, without a trace of embarrassment or any trace of apology. And maybe this is a thing that I am misjudging, being English not my first language and being the curses and cussing a very cultural thing. But I think that this wasn’t really the way between a woman of the lower station and a man of the higher one. Even if they are quite informal.


And there are a lot of things like that. Mainly, they talk a lot about sex and things related to it without any hint or trace of discomfort or embarrassment. And on one hand, it was even refreshing because we have a scene in which, for example, Eliza and Henry talk about her period. And it was glorious. Really. But this kind of brazenness is, sadly, hard to find even in the present days, let alone in the past. On one hand, as I was saying, it was all enjoyable and a pleasant change of pace, but on the other sometimes it sounded more like sci-fi (or wishful thinking) because really, he was not so credible or realistic. And this was the thing that really bothered me.
At the beginning, it was just a really minor thing, but going on with the reading we get more and more of it, and in the end, it buggered me a little.

Again, I am not saying that this book is bad. It is not. I enjoyed the time I spent with it, and it has also a very pleasant Christmas vibe to it since this is the period in which the story takes place. And, again, Henry and Eliza are charming and, together, they are sweet! And we have some interesting secondary characters too! Henry’s friends are amazing, but again… They are way too comfortable around women and women matters. Not in the sense that they are libertines (well, they are, but this is not the point) but in the sense that they are way too much modern in their approach to all women things. And if it is hard to find a boy/man so comfortable today, let us imagine how easy could have been to find a bunch of them at that time. But they are rascally good, and I think that we would get more of them in the next books.

But here we have another issue of mine. Would I continue this series? Hmmm… Never say never and all that, but probably not. There are a couple of things more that made me pause at the idea of going on with this series. One of them is strictly linked with what I was saying before. Henry and his friends are spies and similar, and they enlist Eliza to help them out, and it was all good and interesting but… But again, it is like all the constriction due to society and to the times simply vanish. There are plenty of books out there that take place in this historical period and who have a female lead who team up with others to spy/fight the evil/etcetera… But usually, they find a way to go around society and what propriety dictates. The rules and the customs are there, and they feel constricted by it. And fight them, to achieve more freedom or equal rights. But in there is like all these barriers are simply not there. Again, it was unrealistic to me.

The last thing I have to say is linked with the mystery part of the book. I am not really complaining about it, because it was intriguing and it wasn’t boring, really. The problem here was solely based on personal taste. The point is that we have a lot of erotism, sex, and such linked with the plot and the mystery. It was a tad too much, for me. And it seems like we would follow the same trend in the sequels. I was hoping for more mystery things on this part. But this is really a minor thing, and if this works for you then you would enjoy this one (and probably the sequels) all the more!

I was in need to vent a bit because the book was so enjoyable and the characters were pleasant, I really enjoyed the reading. But it could have been way better, in some respects and this is a bit of a shame. But, again, it is a fast and enjoyable book, with good characters, some drama, some fun, and some very hot scenes. And action and mystery too. And the parts are well balanced. Even if there were some things that rubbed me the wrong way, I had a good time with it and I was always interested in what was happening between the pages!

4/5 stars. Thank you to netgalley for sending me this arc in exchange of a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The innkeeper’s daughter by Bianca M. Schwarz is a historical fiction and mysterious story. The characters are strong and well developed and I found myself enjoying this story a lot.

The story begins with our protagonist Eliza who is beaten and abused by her father. When Eliza is running away from her arranged marriage she gets saved by and rich and handsome nobleman, enter our second protagonist, Henry.

Schwarz did well with her development and building of the characters and I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought they were well done. We see Eliza, the once naive girl heal and become someone stronger who now learns more about arts and books.

This book was entertaining, well written and developed with fun and enjoyable characters and an excellent plot.

Thank you to netgalley and Central avenue Publishing for sending me this arc in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
Very steamy and pretty dark!
This starts out pretty brutal. There’s no buildup to action, it begins right away.
At first I was thrown by immediately being dropped in the story, but I did get on with it and started to enjoy it. A lot of historical fiction stories tend to be a bit slower, so if that’s isn’t your jam, this certainly could be.
I also liked Eliza’s growth throughout the book. She starts as a damsel in distress, but soon comes to her hold her own.
When jumping into this, the romance seemed to be a bit insta lovey at first. Thankfully, it ended up not playing out that way and the romance took its time.
One thing that took me out of the story was some of the language. Some of it was too modern for the time period and threw me off.

Be wanted; there are some rather dark themes in this novel.
This is historical fiction mixed with romance and a bit of mystery/thriller. I rather enjoyed it!