How I loved this book! And this entire series! The writing is gorgeous, the characters so alive, the plot captivating and everything contributed to a gorgeous reading experience. I adored Jeremy, the quiet and shy code breaker who hides a passionate soul and a dark secret. Cinnamon rolls are not usually my kind of heroes, but I can make exceptions for intriguing spies! And Laura is really my kind of heroine, bold and unafraid to get what she wants in life and love. I’m not missing a book by Susanna Craig ever again! (I also recommend the audiobook, because the narrator is very, very good!)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Really loved this book!

It’s original, fresh and fun!

I really like how strong the heroine is in this story. The plot moves quickly and keeps the reader engaged.

If you love Regency romance, this one is not to be missed!

Cute and sexy, and very easy read. I was excited to read another book by this author and they've kept the same style and tone as from the other book I've read. It's fun and sparky which is exactly what I wanted to read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

If you want a lighthearted trope-fest of a book, this one's for you. We've got a matchmaking superior officer, spies & codebreakers, a vigilante woman, a pretend marriage with ONLY ONE BED, a reluctant viscount (oh, who's also a virgin), great banter, and some carriage action. There's probably more but honestly, do you really need it? I flew through this book. Super fun, moderately sexy, and did we say virgin hero? YEP!

Laine: Spy in his first field assignment must track down batman-for-women. A series of coincidences leads to them faking marriage in the enemy's house.

Meg: A series of coincidences leads to true love. That’s true love with your alter ego’s virgin spy hero of a husband, mind you.

I loved the story, it was something unexpected and very entertaining. Lord and “Lady” Sterling had a great chemistry and it was quite fun to see the story play out.
Definitely a recommendation!

A fun historical romance involving secret identities and hidden schemes. The "spy" aspect of the novel was a little light, but I enjoyed watching the two main characters interact with each other.

3/5 stars

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Susanna Craig’s Better Off Wed is a captivating tale liberally spiced with intrigue, drama, emotion and sensuality historical romance readers are simply going to lap up.

A husband is the very last thing Miss Laura Hopkins wants or needs. The beautiful and intelligent Miss Hopkins is a woman of means and is in possession of a great fortune, but she prefers to use her charms for good and having adopted the sobriquet of Lady Sterling, she helps young women from the servant classes who have been mistreated and compromised by their employers to get the justice they deserve, but which has been denied to them. As Lady Sterling, Laura has found herself backed into many a tight spot, but her most dangerous mission might just be her latest one: masquerading as Captain Jeremy Addison, Viscount Sterling’s wife!

As a spy for the Crown, Jeremy doesn’t usually balk from terrifying situations. He’s had many a challenging assignment but pretending to be married to a complete stranger – whom he cannot help but feel drawn to – might just prove to be his undoing! Jeremy is intent on focusing on his mission and on keeping things professional with Laura. However, that proves rather difficult as fate seems intent on throwing them together at every turn – leaving them with no choice but to succumb to temptation and give in to their attraction for one another!

The stakes have never been higher for Laura and Jeremy, but will this dangerous masquerade lead to a love that will last a lifetime? Or will this unpredictable assignment end up putting paid to any hope they might have had of a future together?

A sensuous, seductive and spellbinding historical romance where the pages will just turn themselves, Susanna Craig’s Better Off Wed is a witty, intense and passionate tale packed with tension, danger and desire that is hard to put down and even harder to resist. In Laura and Jeremy, Susanna Craig has created two intelligent, loyal, flawed and layered characters it is absolutely impossible not to care about and fall head over heels in love with. Their romance is tempestuous, compelling and guaranteed to touch every reader’s heart.

A must-read for fans of historical romance, Susanna Craig’s immensely enjoyable Better Off Wed is not to be missed.

I really enjoyed Laura and Jeremy's story. It was fun watching these two together and how they navigate her "Lady Sterling" personality.

The h has dedicated her life to helping others, so she takes on an assumed name never expecting the real man by that name to come waltzing in her life. There is plenty of action, humor, and chemistry. Overall, this is a really good book!

If you are a fan of both regency and spy genres then Better Off Wed is a book you need to read. It blends both genres seamlessly, creating a fun, romantic and intense read.

Nice try to add the spicy of a spy story to a regency romance
nevertheless the plot has hole and jumps from here to there
the writing needed more revision and the credibility of her freedom is a not sustainable
Nice banter between H and h
not smitten with this one :(
Better Off Wed by Susanna Craig. #BetterOffWed #NetGalley

I absolutely loved all the excitement and adventures of the romance with Laura and Jeremy. I thought the action was moderate and very entertaining. The characters are charming and funny. The romance was kind, sweet and very intimate.

This was a more successful version of the avenging angel trope than Bombshell by Sarah Maclean. I liked the code cracking hero too. It wasn't anything amazing but I continue to enjoy this series.

This historical spy series is just tons of fun. I particularly enjoyed this installment, following Lady Sterling in her quest to right wrongs. There were multiple tropes at play in a really fun way.

This unconventional story about an unconventional woman of that era was refreshing! Lady Sterling was a heroine at her time for defending women who cannot defend themselves from their abusive employers. After a few success, she met the real Lord Sterling, since Lady Sterling was an assumed name. I was amazed on how the author got the idea and entwined her story, but it did made me made time to read the romance amidst my packed schedule. Can't wait for the next in the series!

No one in Laura's life knows she is the infamous Lady Sterling. Women, often those in servant positions, write to her about mistreatment from men in their life, often their employers. Usually these women are pregnant as a result of this mistreatment. As Lady Sterling, Laura dons disguises and steals an item of value from these men so she can send the women off with something monetary to improve their lives and the lives of their children. Laura also leaves her calling card and an implication of some sort to alert the man in question that she has dirt on him that she can release if he retaliates in any way.


Jeremy is a spy for the British army. His general's curiosity is peaked by Lady Sterling, who possibly could make an excellent spy - or a feared enemy. He instructs Jeremy, who also so happens to possess the title of Lord Sterling, to find Lady Sterling and bring her in. Jeremy finds himself on Lady Sterling's trail, and a clue puts him on to the fact that Laura is the person he's looking for. When he can't help himself and murmurs her pseudonym in front of her next target, Laura pretends to be Jeremy's run-away bride. His shared title is a fortuitous coincidence.


The two spend the next days in the household of Laura's target as she recovers from an injury caused in a carriage accident. There, Jeremy can't help but become involved in Laura's work as she is too injured to go about it herself and he's been sent to gather information on her anyway. Jeremy and Laura deduce that the man she is spying on is committing treason. In their act, the chemistry is undeniable. But while the two fall in love, danger follows them at every corner.


This was a sweet and steamy romance with a ton of slow burn. I appreciated that the hero and heroine are both virgins but also very sex positive. While we don't get the "major" love scene until the last few chapters, there are plenty of steamy moments after the 50% mark. I also feel this is my most feminist read from Craig yet. I really loved the ending and how Laura and Jeremy continue to work to help women and veterans. This was a 4 star read for me and I look forward to book four in the series. Craig always teases the premise in her epilog and it sounds so promising!

I had a difficult time getting into this book. There was nothing interesting about the characters. They were quite dull and boring. The plot had a lot of holes in it that made the story feel very far fetched.

This is the third book in a series. The tropes are Spies, Forced proximity, Only one bed and Fake relationship. This was a light hearted, easy read with a beta hero and a strong heroine. Jeremy was an interesting, multilayered hero, sand his personality came off as very gentle and definitely more of a beta hero, but also had a strength and competence to him that was endlessly endearing. He was a celibate, almost virginal hero, which made for an interesting read. Laura was an intelligent, independent heroine, who knows her own mind but is never shrewish or hateful to the hero.

A cute story but it didn’t work for me . I anticipate others will quite enjoy it, how we mystery with regency romance doesn’t seem to be my thing tbh

Disappointing read, I just could not get into it. I got less than 20% in and just lost interest in story and the characters. Surprising as I enjoyed the previous instalments in the series.