This is the third book in the Wicked Women of Whitechapel series, and you need to have read the previous two books to have any chance of following what is happening at the start of this one. The heroine, Jo Brown, is the knife thrower, Blade, in a female circus. She has spent most of her life on the run, working as a spy for whoever will pay. The enigmatic, violent and ruthless Blade has been employed to protect Marianne, the boxing baroness from book one, and as the book starts she is in France, killing villains on her way to save Marianne. She is accompanied by her pet raven, Angus, and Elliott, also a spy, but a respectable one who went to Eton and is the youngest son of an earl. The story flips back and forward in time, but most of it takes place at the same time as the second book, The Dueling Duchess.

This book is less successful than The Dueling Duchess. The plot is confusing; there are too many characters, particularly at the beginning; in order to become a romantic heroine Jo had to undergo quite a personality change.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC

Thanks NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC! There are no spoilers below for content, but I do mention tropes used (so avoid if you want them to be a surprise).

I was really excited for this book because Jo was really enigmatic in the first two. Unfortunately, it didn't quite do it for me. There are a few errors that I think the publisher will fix before publication, but those didn't impact my rating.

There was too much happening here - the book starts with basically a behind the scenes POV of what Jo and Elliott were doing during the other two books. Things don't really center on the plot of this book until the second half (or around there) and then it feels pretty rushed. I think I would have preferred if we know Jo and Elliott worked together, but if nothing had happened until this third book (they could have been thrown together again because of their shared professions). Instead it was a pretty cut-and-dry instant love story... which is not my thing.

Additionally, Jo's character development disappointed me. She seems like such a badass, but then she was kind of weak and whiny for most of this book. There are some cool moments and she is still a good spy, but then she would do something that (to me) really kind of made me question her strength and personality.

That said, the book is readable (I read it in basically one sitting) and it follows the general formula of the first two books, which makes it a nicely rounded out series. Curious if Helen will get a book next (she plants the seed).

I have recently been going through periods of reading regency romances and I’ve got to say this is up there on the list. The characters were likeable and I found the romance a little fast but very sweet. Angus was entertaining and a cute addition. I enjoyed Jo’s story and the plot was interesting but not overly complex. I struggled slightly with the names and getting mixed up but I think that was me to be honest.

Overall this was a very enjoyable read with a mix of characters and I would recommend it to anyone into regency books! Thanks netgalley for allowing me to read this before its release.

I love Minerva Spencer’s books, & especially loved the Dueling Duchess book preceding this one. Cutthroat Countess delivered on the expected of well crafted characters & a feminist lens romance. Because of the large amount of deletion over the plots of the books of this series I found this o e, the third time going over the same time period & scope of events, to be less engaging than book #1 delivered on. It was an interesting & novel approach to the series, rather than the typical approach of having each new addition immediately follow the previous, timeline-wise. I appreciated the attempt but didn’t find it as engaging as it might otherwise have been.

The third book in the Wicked Women of Whitehall series, TheCutthroatCountess, tells the story of Jo “Blade” Brown, the mysterious knife-thrower, who is another one of the star performers in Farnham's Fantastical Female Fayre; and Elliot Wingate, an agent for the Home Office.

Also back in supporting roles in this story are several characters from #TheBoxingBaroness and #TheDuelingDuches, including the former Marianne Simpson, now the Duchess of Staunton; St. John Powell, the Duke of Staunton; expert markswoman and French émigré Cecile Tremblay; and Guy Darlington, Staunton and Ellliot’s friend, and formerly the Duke of Fairhurst.

The story has two parts. The first takes place in France, where the Fayre has traveled at the “request” of the Duke of Staunton, hoping to find his brother, who was lost in the Napoleonic War. Jo ends up saving Elliott’s life when he is captured by a gang of thugs who are connected with Duke’s former friend, Dominick Strickland, who supposedly has information about the duke’s brother.

The second part of the story takes place in England, once Jo, Elliot and the rest of the group return home after foiling Strickland’s plans. There’s plenty of adventure but the real heart of the book is seeing Elliott and Jo--two people who have spent much of their lives keeping secrets--peel back the layers and learn to trust and care for each other.

As in the earlier books in the series, Jo and Elliot’s story has great dialogue, a wonderful H and h, and an interesting, well-paced story. This book can be read as a stand-alone but readers who have read all three will get the most out of the series.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for the ARC!

Firstly, Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Minerva Spencer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this final installment of the Wicked Women of Whitechapel series!

This book focuses on Josephine Brown a blade expert for Farnham's Fantastical Female Fayre, who has never stayed put for long, because of her side career as a spy for hire. In her last job to protect the “Boxing Baroness,” she meets the handsome and honorable Elliot Wingate (friend and confidant of both Sin & Guy from book 1&2)—who ferrets out secrets on behalf of the crown but winds up needing to be saved.

He’s fascinated and falls fast for Jo “Blade” Brown and her strange raven. They end up working together on an investigation that stirs up Jo’s deeply buried, extremely dangerous, and somewhat seedy secrets, where she will be faced with some hard decisions to trust this new enticing man she’s falling for or to cut and run again.

I was so looking forward to this book, because I had already fallen in love with Blade and Elliot in the last two books, and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. The chemistry was explosive, the romance was tension-filled but so sweet, and the mystery was page-turning. For that reason, I have to give it 5 stars, it was absolute candy to read, and I’d recommend it to anyone who was looking for a feminist adventure-filled romance.

All 3 books of this series are just so engaging and interesting, therefore, if you feel like scaping from your daily live this is it, look no further! The heroines are self-sufficient, smart and in love with danger, especially in this third book, The Cutthroat Countess. Even though, you could read each one as a standalone, it’s more enjoyable if you read them in order. All 3 of them happened at the same time but every book has some piece of the puzzle that makes the whole story complete. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This was my favorite book in the series yet. I was very much looking forward to Jo's and Elliott's story, and it did not disappoint. They are such great characters, separately and together, and this book provided all of the backstory. I also really appreciated how this book not only built on the others in the series, but filled in some of the details and perspectives we didn't receive in the earlier books (for good reason--the other characters couldn't have known what Jo and Elliott were doing). I really hated for this one to end, honestly--such a great story and a wonderful end to the series.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the overall feel for this book, it had everything that I was looking for when requesting this. The characters were what I needed and glad they felt like they belonged in the English setting. Minerva Spencer does everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed every bit of the journey.

3.5 stars: This was a satisfying conclusion to the series. I enjoyed learning more about both main characters since they were so private in the previous books. Angus, as always, was a delight. I'm sure I will read more of Spencer's work in the future.

The third (and presumably last) book in this series builds on the plots and characters of the previous two installments and gives the reader a much-wanted insight into both Jo and Elliot. Both are enigmatic characters with plenty of secrets and unusual skills, and while they might not fit any mould for the era, they certainly fit together very well. I enjoyed the opening section, which fills in a missing chunk of the action from the first book, and the way their relationship develops without excessive drama as befits their personalities. I have to admit that I worked out the villain of the piece far earlier than they did, but it was still interesting to see how it all played out. An excellent conclusion to the series.

An interesting story about an intelligent, resourceful spy and the man she rescues.

Jo is a wonderfully written character with lots of layers. And Elliot who is the kind of guy we all want by our side. I loved the intricate plot, it kept me hooked til the end. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good story of Spies and mystery. And I loved the awesome pet Raven.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, opinions are my own.

I love this book! I'm such a fan of Minerva Spencer, and this book is just another in a series of hers that I have loved. I love Jo and Elliot together, they are a great couple, and the plot is solid. The only thing that dings it down from 5 stars for me is the resolution. I would have liked more from that, because it feels like the big reveal creates issues for Jo that she never really resolves. Sure, she and Elliot work through things, but I don't know that she ever comes to be comfortable with her new lot in life. I would have liked a little more there. Jo does not like being a peer, and she is not thrilled about having to move in society, when she had about as much freedom as a woman could have in her time. I would have liked to see her reckon with her new status and either find peace with it, or come to a compromise she can live with.

Otherwise, this is a worthy addition to a great series! Jo might not dethrone Cecile as my favorite, but I love her too.

I liked everything about this book. It was very interesting and entertaining. I couldn't put it down and never wanted it to end!!

It doesn’t pay to get on her wrong side, because she is the angel of retribution. What an interesting book about a woman who is smart, skillful with the blade and a clever raven for a pet. He is protective and supportive and accepts her for what she is. Steamy, action packed with treason and spycraft blended in for good measure.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

The long awaited book about Jo. She was fantastic in the earlier books and I am so happy that this book gives us more about her. Her attraction with Elliot is explored further here... You read more about what happened with Marianne and Cecile as well.

As with all Minerva Spencer books, the characters are outstanding. They are layered, complicated and interesting. The wit is top-notched. The romance is swoony and touching. An entertaining book from first to last page.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.