"One of Buzzfeed's Romance Books To Look Out For In 2023!

Two rival spies must brave pirates, witches, and fake matrimony to save the Queen.

Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice's capabilities. She has a steely composure and a plan always up her sleeve (alongside a dagger and an embroidered handkerchief). So when rumors of an assassination plot begin to circulate, she's immediately assigned to the case.

But she's not working alone. Daniel Bixby, otherwise known as Agent B and Alice's greatest rival, is given the most challenging undercover assignment of his life - pretending to be Alice's husband. Together they will assume the identity of a married couple, infiltrate a pirate house party, and foil their unpatriotic plans.

Determined to remain consummate professionals, Alice and Daniel must ignore the growing attraction between them, especially since acting on it might prove more dangerous than their target."

A pirate house party!?!

This was a fun adventure mystery. Features a fake relationship between Alice and Bixby. They’re the top two spies who must work together as a married couple to infiltrate a private party and foil their plot.

This was funny and the interactions between Alice and Bixby were charged with tension. They supported each other and antagonized each other.

I was also fun to see them interact with the pirates when they were undercover.

I really liked to see the romance process. It was very sweet.

Definitely recommend. (And the audiobook was really good).

India Holton does a great job in tell a good romance novel, I was invested in the characters and their romance. It worked well overall and the time-period felt like it worked with the story. I enjoyed every part of the journey and it was what I was looking for. I can't wait to read more from India Holton as I enjoyed this.

"Charlotte Pettifer stepped forward. Dressed in black shirt, black trousers, and tall studded black boots, her strawberry blonde hair tied back to fall in a rippling stream almost to her waist, she looked like a wicked witch—exactly what she was. She gave him a look that suggested far more danger than any her brawny pirate husband with his passel of deadly weapons could supply. Daniel knew that, with one murmured word, she could have him out the window and broken on the ground far below."

The latest entry in Holton's Dangerous Damsels series the novel focuses on Alice Dearlove and Daniel Bixby, servants and spies in service to A.U.N.T. (a poorly named government agency). Alice and Daniel are the agency's most competent agents and are assigned to infiltrate a house party (also being infiltrated by lady scoundrels) to find a weapon and stop an assassination. However, to do this job the two must pose as a married couple. And there is only one bed. Hijinks, romance, tragic backstories, and an adorable baby ensue.

This book is hilarious and it was fun to see Bixby (who featured heavily in The League of Gentlewomen Witches as Alex's unflappable butler) get his own story. Alice is also an amazing character she's basically Amelia Bedelia if Amelia Bedelia was a spy and knew how to kill a man. This book also addressed some heavier issues and it was interesting to learn about Daniel and Alice's childhoods and backgrounds (though definitely heartbreaking). The romance aspect was also really cute and the two of them learning to trust and care for each other was definitely a highlight.

I'm not sure if this is the end of the Dangerous Damsels series or if there will be another book in the series but I had so much fun reading about witches, lady scoundrels, pirates, ghosts, and spies. I highly recommend it.

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

Read if you like:
☕️ Rivals/enemies to Lovers
🏴‍☠️ Pirates
💍 Marriages of convenience
😆 Laughing out Loud
❤️ Historical Romances

This one was truly laugh out loud funny and had so many of my favorite things within one book with enemies to lovers, rivals, fake marriages/marriages of convenience and steamy chemistry amongst the main characters!

If you are looking for a historical romance with some unique twists to stand out from others in this category I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this one!

Thank you to Berkley Romance for my ARC of this one in exchange for my review!

urban-fantasy, historical-fiction, romance, magic, witches, pirates, espionage, punny, snarky, disguises, unputdownable, laugh-riot, laugh-out-loud, New Zealand-author*****

Between the publisher's blurb and the Table Of Significant Characters, it was obvious that this was going to be a Great Fun Read. And so it is! There is fantastic wordplay of all sorts, terrific world building, the zaniest characters ever, and a real plot! LOVED IT!
I requested and received an e-book copy from Berkley Publishing Group/Berkley/ courtesy of NetGalley. Thank you!

Two rival intelligence agents, Alice and Daniel, get paired up to help thwart an assassination attempt in this latest fantastical, out of this world paranormal/historical romance from India Holton.

I seriously can't get enough of this quirky, hilarious and heartfelt series of books! India has the most absurd stories and they just work for me on all the levels! These two characters bond over a shared love of literature (so many great book references) and their sense of adventure and similar orphanage upbringings.

Full of steam, antics and cameos featuring some of the pirates and witches from past books. I couldn't put this down and it was also great on audio narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden! Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary audio copy and NetGalley and Berkley for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was just as whimsical and bonkers as the first two in the series. Can India Holton write in this universe forever because I would absolutely read them!

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and exchange for an honest review.

I am obsessed! I have enjoyed each book of this trilogy, and for the first time, I have actually found the last book in a trilogy to be my favorite. I love our neurodivergent main characters, I love all the references to classic literature and I love that we get to see all of the main characters from books one and two together with these characters(Daniel and Alice). Is the ending predictable? sure, most romance is. But the journey to get to that ending was so fun! I wish we lived in a society like this world. With pirates flying houses, Secret Service servants and witches, who are NOT witches, I beg your pardon! This book was exactly what I needed to get out of my reading, some from reading books that were just very heavy in the subject matter. I already want to re-read this series to catch more glimpses of Daniel and Alice in the first two books. I’ve already told so many people about this book and I have no intention of stopping! I loved every second!

I have ANOTHER confession, similar to the one in my last post. 😂 I haven’t read the first two books in this series.🙈 BUT, I am planning on changing that soon!

Now, book friends you don’t necessarily need to read these in order! That’s the beauty of this book (and probably this series). There might be a few spoiler-ish points, but this book feels like it can stand alone on its own two beautifully humorous feet.

Friends, I adored this book! I haven’t laughed so hard where my other half is looking at me asking if I’m going to be okay.😂🤣

There was something so refreshing about this deliciously crafted novel, about two orphans who are recruited into the secret service at a very young age and grow into adults who yearn for something more than the robotic muscle memory of their day-to-day 007 lives.

With neurodivergent representation, there’s only one bed trope, grumpy plus grumpy (which I LOVE), fake marriage, plus belly laugh moments that will have you rolling off your couch, readers will thoroughly enjoy Holton’s third novel in her Dangerous Damsels Series starting on page one.

Go pre-order this one!

Happy Reading ~ Cece

Alice, also known as Agent A, has been an undercover spy for years. She's worked as a lady's maid to deceptive witches and dangerous pirates. Her latest mission is going to be even more demanding. She's not working alone. She's been assigned a husband, Agent B, aka Daniel Bixby to be her partner at a pirate house party. They have to find the dangerous new weapon, rescue the Queen and even worse participate in the conversations and games.

Why I started this book: Requested this title from Netgalley because I had enjoyed the first two books of the series.

Why I finished it: I found myself cackling out loud with true glee at the witty ridiculousness. It was delightful to slip into something this light and silly. Perfect February read, when the weather is bleak and you need the dialog to sparkle.

Fun quotes:
"Don't mind the mistress," Pleasance whispered loudly to Alice. '"She's one of them feminininists. While I agree that women suffer and we <i>should</i> rage about it-"
"Suffrage," Cecilia corrected her gently.
Pleasance shrugged with all the carelessness of a woman who has to tidy away her employer's voting rights pamphlets at the end of the day.

The third novel in India Holton’s Dangerous Damsels, couldn’t have been more perfect. Everything I enjoyed about her first two novels continues with more fantastic adventures including her cast of characters. From witty humour to the undeniable romance that sparks between Bixby and Alice. It is never a dull moment as two rival spies pose as husband and wife to infiltrate the Wisteria Society.
With cameos from past characters with super cute moments, this story overall made my heart whole and as a trilogy, I will be gravitating toward these books in the future.

Another delightful (and maybe my favorite) addition to the Dangerous Damsels series. India Holton manages to find the perfect combination of charm, romance, action, and fun. Bixby (so excited that he starred) and Alice are competitive secret agents who have been assigned to pretend to be a married couple at a pirate house party (which is a very different Victorian house party than I would have ever pictured). As expected, nothing goes to plan and the reader has a great time finding out why. The appearances of our favorite couples from previous books was the whipped cream on top!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The third book in the series with slight spoilers for the earlier books it can be enjoyed entirely as a standalone

CW: corporal punishment as a child (past), orphanage (past), violence

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f historical romance
-fake marriage
-pirate house party
-forbidden relationship
-horny sexual tension
-sexy spy talk
-two grumpy spies

GAHHHH I adore this series. It is just so original, just the right level of bonkers and just hilarious. Because in the world of flying houses, pirates and witches of course there is a secret spy society that goes undercover to thwart them. Everything about this book pulled me in, the amazing setting which just created all these delicious forced proximity scenarios with the house party, the fake marriage. But Alice and Daniel just had my heart.

Two people committed to their careers, Alice and Daniel then commit to their fake marriage with some fake kissing, so much sexual tension, gosh it was delicious, and just a whole lot of denial as these two slowly realized and even more slowly accepted they were falling for the other. The way they danced around each other, the flirting, the action. Alice was hard, obsessed with books and just demanding in the best way, she had standards, adored her job and expected the world.

And Daniel just wanted to give it to her. I love how he just became so soft for her. These two were such a match for each other. Honestly just a swoony read that had me cackling. I would read anything India Holton writes. Anything.

Steam: 2.75

Love this series! Every book is great, Wonderfully clever dialogue, charming characters and flying houses. I really want want to join the Wisteria Society, I think I could be an excellent Lady Scoundrel. Besides, who doesn't want a flying house.?

This series is growing on me! I enjoyed the previous books, but this one is something special. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time, and a few chapters later, I was dabbing my tears. Can something be outstandingly hilarious and extremely sentimental at the same time?

My favorite tropes, fake wedding and enemies to lovers, worked so well in this paranormal/historical romance that includes flying houses, scheming shenanigans, word games, and smart literary references.

The witty banter between the characters, their complex relationships, sizzling chemistry, and angsty moments hooked me, making me turn the pages faster.

The plot revolves around Agent A, Alice, who works for a government agency with the weirdest name, and Agent B, Daniel Bixby, her greatest rival. They find themselves working together as an undercover married couple for a very dangerous assignment to prevent an assassination plot by infiltrating a pirate house party to save the queen!

The involvement of the other book's protagonists in the story makes you cheer up as if you are lucky to meet your oldest friends again. Developing the story around neurodiverse characters is an absolutely nice touch to the entire execution.

The last third made my heart ache, and the conclusion was absolutely sweet and satisfying. I am addicted to this smart, laugh-out-loud, paranormal, highly enjoyable series! Alice and Daniel might be my favorite characters the author has ever created! I highly recommend that you go in blind and enjoy each book of the series!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this wonderful book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

✨IF I LOVED IT LESS I MIGHT BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT MORE 😭😭😭 IM SPEECHLESS✨

I mean it I’m utterly speechless and I truly don’t know how to talk about how wonderful and clever and emotionally fulfilling this book was without pulling out a thesaurus and whacking you over the head with it. If my love was a highlighter, this book would be visible from outer space. Given the 178 times I bookmarked my next favorite quote, I think it’s fairly obvious that the entire book is my favorite quote.

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason was the perfect conclusion to the series and such a wonderful beginning for Alice and Bixby. The euphemisms were absolutely out of pocket and the fake marriage was better than I could have ever imagined. The third act was perfect and heart-wrenching, while the epilogue gave me everything I needed to make peace with the series being over.

Shame on me as I should have known it would be a treat, but I didn’t expect it to be as charming, as fun, as HILARIOUS as it was. I think Bixby was pretty unassuming in book two and we had only a mere glimpse of Alice, so while I knew I could anticipate a good time, I didn’t expect to be so in love with those two people.

My only critique was that Alice seemed to have more POV sections than Bixby. I wouldn’t want to cut anything we got, so I maybe just wanted a few more extra chapters from Bixby’s POV because I’m a greedy bridge troll. I did also anticipate the villain, but that was so low on my priority list of things in this book to care about and didn’t impact my enjoyment. Maybe I just want to brag because I finally caught on for once.

As a whole, The Secret Service of Tea and Treason could go ten rounds with the best of them aka books one and two. And I think it could win??? I thought book two would stay my favorite but I know nothing anymore!! I’ve already preordered and I can’t wait to A. give this book a hug B. reread via the audiobook and C. get my hands on any bonus chapters India releases. You’ll be charmed, disarmed, and thoroughly smitten.

To make it clear, I have given all the books in the series five stars. Each one has the same ingredients—bonkers adventure, sweeping romance, entirely lovable characters—but the recipe is different and delicious every time. Stripped of everything chaotic and fantastical, however, the heart of each book is how the little things of loving someone become everything.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️.25*/5

*I think we got twoish scenes??? I don’t come to these books for steam but the way I get so emotionally invested in the secret glances and veiled threats. PEAK EROTICISM.

Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

<b>”You know when you open a new book and realize it’s going to be perfect?” He whispered. “Yes,” Alice said. “That’s how I feel when I look at you.“ <b>

Alice & Daniel. The lady’s maid & butler. Or are they?! India Hilton’s novels = jolly good stuff! Please do read! Top-notch! 👌🏼 highly recommend!

✨ THINGS AND STUFF ✨
-infamous pirates & witches
-master of disguise
-fake marriage
-rivals: loathe to love
-a mission
-en garde! ⚔️ hi-yah! 👊🏼
-a ball. I do not dance. But you did the conga the other night. Under duress!
-pistols & bombs
-idioms & books
-gothic castle featuring resident attic lunatic
-a spot of hot pursuit
-burglary
-#IsThisAKissingBook: open door. “Kissing on the street in daylight is scandalous behavior,” Charlotte said. “They just beat up more than a dozen men, darling,” Alex pointed out. “I think they’re beyond scandal now.”

Thank you Berkley Romance for an advanced copy!

🎶Song: Come Away With Me by VSQ 🎶

Whimsy! Dry humor! Literary references! I loved the previous two books in this series and this was no exception. You probably don't need to read those previous two books to enjoy this one but you will enjoy it so much more if you do. Alice and Daniel are a competent and deadly delight and their journey to find happiness was heart warming and very entertaining.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing!
A wonderful continuation of the series. If you love historical romance and fake marriage, this series is for you. Two rival spies must work together and save the queen. This book was full of humor and quick jokes, which made it extremely fun to read. The romance was extremely well done and a bit chaotic, which I loved.