Thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this one. I am absolutely shocked by how much I enjoyed this! I grabbed it based on the princess-y cover but stayed for the absolutely hilarious banter, the unique story-line & the fast-paced romance and mystery.

“There are things a man’s can do to make a woman limp with pleasure, and it would be an honor to do those things with you.”

I was not prepared for how fun AND SPICY 🌶️ this book would be. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would highly recommend.

Never Blow a Kiss was a fun, original romance that grabbed my attention from the start and held it to the end. Emily and Zach both exist within the ton and outside of it: Emily because of her employment as a governess and the secrets she keeps regarding her origins and Zach because his origins gave him the honest appreciation for hard work and self-determination so often under-valued by those born to their soft lives of privilege. It is Emily's own drive, determination, and quick-wittedness that hold Zach's attention, but it was the kiss she blew him in passing at a party that caught it in the first place. That kiss and others that follow stir a passion that refuses to die, even as a serial killer haunts London and threatens their confidence in each other and their very lives. I thoroughly enjoyed Never Blow a Kiss and look forward to more from Lindsay Lovise.

Never Blow a Kiss" by Lindsay Lovise is a beautiful tale of small-town secrets and an unexpected romance. In Theo small, photo-worthy village, Lily discovers old mysteries, friendship and love. .

Lovise's writing is engaging and though provoking, while drawing readers into the picturesque setting and the lives of its charming townsfolk. The mystery is invoked is a perfect manner in order to keep readers guessing until the very end. The romantic plot adds a touching and sweet feeling to the story.

As someone who loves both mysteries and romances and when they come together this novel is a near perfect combination of both.

What sets "Never Blow a Kiss" apart is its endearing cast of characters. From the quirky villagers to the enigmatic love interest, each character is fully fleshed out and memorable, adding depth and authenticity to the narrative.

I loved this!! I loved the intrigue and the charm. I loved the banter and the flirting and the all around story. I was hooked from the beginning and I loved every page of this book!!!! I need more like this!!!! Love love love!!!
I just reviewed Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise. #NeverBlowaKiss #NetGalley
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"Never Blow a Kiss" by Lindsay Lovise is a delightful romp through the world of small-town secrets and unexpected romance. Set against the backdrop of a picturesque village, the story follows protagonist Lily as she uncovers long-buried mysteries while navigating the complexities of love and friendship.

Lovise's writing is engaging and evocative, drawing readers into the quaint setting and the lives of its charming inhabitants. The mystery elements are well-crafted, keeping readers guessing until the very end, while the romantic subplot adds an extra layer of sweetness to the story.

What sets "Never Blow a Kiss" apart is its endearing cast of characters. From the quirky villagers to the enigmatic love interest, each character is fully fleshed out and memorable, adding depth and authenticity to the narrative.

I love me a good historical romance, and I have my tried & true favorite authors. But I'm also always open to trying someone new. The premise and description of this one caught my interest so I gave it a try, and I'm glad I did. This was a nice mix of romance and mystery with interesting characters and a mysterious woman known as "The Dove", who recruits for and runs the Secret Society of Governess Spies. It held my interest throughout, and while there were times I thought I'd figured out whodunnit (in this case, who was killing "women of ill repute") - in the end I was wrong. Overall it was a fun and engaging read, and I'll be on the lookout for the next installment of this series from Lindsay Lovise.
Thanks to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

This book was fun, if not a little predictable. I enjoyed it but I definitely felt like the twists in the mystery were mostly very predictable. I did really enjoy Emily as a character and her strong will was something I loved about this story. Overall this was a fun read with a strong female main character and a male main character that I also liked. The plot of finding a killer was also a fun mystery to solve, even if I myself found it a little predictable.

Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise is a historical romance and the first book in the Secret Society of Governess Spies series and the author's debut.

A mysterious figure called The Dove uses her network of governess spies to hold citizens of the ton accountable for their crimes. Emily is a governess with a secret past who now works for The Dove. Zach is a former soldier who once came from nothing but became one of the wealthiest folks in London through gambling and good investments. He works for the city police department and is placed in charge of a case involving a serial murderer.

Firstly, I want to say that I was already hooked on the concept of this series so I was very excited going into the book. I really enjoyed the read, inhaling the last 75% in one day. The book is multi-POV, mostly shifting back and forth between Emily and Zach, but we do occasionally get a short POV from a side character.

I love a confident heroine, and I get that in spades with Emily. I felt like I knew and understood her better than I did Zach. He could have been fleshed out a bit more, so it would have been great to get more from his POV, especially regarding the main mystery of the book. It was great seeing two working class people at the forefront of a historical romance.

The handful of open-door steamy scenes were nice! I always appreciate authors who ensure their heroes ask for enthusiastic and explicit consent from their partners. Emily and Zach's chemistry felt real to me and I greatly enjoyed their banter. None of the sexy scenes felt shoehorned into the plot; it all felt natural.

The hook for the next book in the series really got me, so I can't wait for the next book in this series. This is a wonderful debut and I'm excited to read more from this author!

Lots of suspense and adventure in this romance set in late 1800s New York, and the chemistry between Emily and Zack is hot. It's a fast-paced read, I enjoyed the New York scene in this one. Plus the cover is too beautiful to ignore!
Also perhaps due to the ending, there is a second book to come.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this arc.

The beginning of this book worked for me. I was interested in governesses being spies and a solid mystery plot. And then around 50% I just lost interest and it never returned.

I felt like this author was trying to mimic Sarah MacLean (which valid bc she is great), but the Hell's Belles series works so well bc the women are on page together. Also Sarah has been writing for a long time so she can pull off complex plots. I thought this book took on wayyyy too much for it being a debut novel. There are so many plots and Emily's past was so dark and yet the book keeps it pretty surface level which was kind of like whiplash.

The pacing was also off for me. We wrapped up one of the conflicts at 80% and then have a whole other conflict that while hinted at was not super present most of the book. And then it was all wrapped up way too quickly.

Zach was just an okay love interest and the relationship was pretty boring to me. If the relationship had been a bit more of a slow burn I think I would've liked it more because I needed a bit more development. Also the pet name of Noodles ruined a lot for me and I don't usually get bothered by nicknames. (My last read had a dog with that name so)

I probably should have DNF'd this one, but since I enjoyed the beginning I kept hoping for things to get better...but they did not!

I do think this author's next books will be better and I am curious to see The Dove and Frankie on page so we shall see!

This is the first book Secret Society of Governess Spies series. I mean, that is quite the hook right there! Emily Leverton is the female main character and she has just started a new job as a governess, with a bit of spying on the side. She is worried about the governess part of the job because she does not have the best education herself and she has to wing things a bit. She is bold one evening and blows a kiss towards Zachariah Denholm, a ex-solider turned railroad magnate. To be fair, Emily did not know who he was, just that he was handsome (how fun is that?). Turns out that Emily caught Zach’s eye and he tracked her down. The conversation between them is just really funny and I caught myself laughing out loud a few times. Later, Emily finds herself in a dangerous situation and it just happens that Zach is there. As a part time investigator, he turns up a lot. The flirting between them is just delightful and the chemistry is scorching. Oh man! It was sooooo hot. As the story goes on we start to find out that Emily has a bit of trauma in her life and Zach is working really hard to get past her defenses. They write letters to each other that are a hoot to read.
As a mystery begins to unfold, Emily and Zach work together because of mutual interests. Of course, their feelings start to develop and as they find themselves alone together and the physical attraction is explored. ;) This is a funny, well written book that was just a lot of fun to read. It was one of those that sucked me in and I could not stop until I was finished. I love how these two characters are not born into the ton, but they make their way into society because of their cleverness and their business smarts. The cover art is beautiful. I love when ballgowns are incorporated into the cover. This book came out in January and it is totally worth buying yourself a copy. It is a delight to read!

This was a fun, spicy historical fiction that is completely binge able. Loveable characters and a fast paced plot, I had so much fun with this one.

This book grabbed me from the beginning and was such a fun read. I love how strong Emily was and the whole spy element of the story. When she started her relationship with Zach, I knew her secret had to be big, and the reveal did not disappoint. This book kept me reading and having fun the whole time. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

This was SO good! Fresh and exciting, with a great spin on what we expect from a historical romance. Are there ballrooms and the ton? Yes. Along with mystery, a serial killer, and two characters that are so good together. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

loved this romance and how the characters changed through the story. also loved the friends and all of the interesting things that happened during the story. loved the growth of the main character and all of her trials .

Thank you to Forever for the gifted eARC through NetGalley to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this historical murder mystery with a governess playing sly and the Detective Constable who falls for her. The banter and relationship between Emily and Zach was fantastic, and I laughed so many times at their interactions and notes. It was the perfect light contrast to the serial killer plot line, and I liked the way the author was able to balance the mystery with the romance. I liked that Emily and Zach talked to each other, and I also liked the chemistry between them. There was some light spice and it was written well.
Emily was a good character even if she was a bit frustrating at times. She kept referring to her Big Secret, and she couldn’t believe in anything being possible for her and Zach because of it. I like how things played out when secrets were finally revealed. The tension was high, and I flew through the book especially the last 30%. There were some twists and revelations and I enjoyed trying to piece things together with the characters.
This was a really fun historical mystery, and I will definitely be reading the next book in this series!

CWs: serial killer who targets prostitutes, mention of affairs, violence, death (stabbing, hanging - mentioned but no detail)

Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise has a great premise, but it fails to deliver. A heroine that is part of a governess spy network. A self-made hero (via wise investments) that works as a detective rather then spend his riches. The opening chapters are great - you wonder who the Dove, the mastermind behind the governess network is (and when she'll be revealed). Plus the mysteries that need to be solve hook you right in. However shortly after these chapters, you lose the excitement and the book peters out to being just okay. Also, I figured out who the Evangelist was, even though I couldn't figure out the motives. I still don't understand the motives. Would have liked an update on what happened to the Evangelist's family after the Evangelist's capture. It seems the book is like we are going to forget they existed and jump to the HEA.

I did enjoy this novel enough to read more of this series when it's released, and see how the author hopefully grows in her writing.

I was interested in this one from the jump because of its premise — a secret organization of female spies is never not going to be catnip to me — but the actual plot seemed to be trying to do way too many things at once, between Emily's secret past, an abusive ex-husband, a serial killer, and various other threats to our main couple's HEA. Emily and Zach's chemistry was delightful to read along with, and I found myself wishing they were collaborating together on more of the murder investigation, but it was hilarious every time they ended up getting very distracted by how into each other they were. That said, the plot could have taken at least one of its storylines out of the equation and it would have felt a little more cohesive. (There was also a brief reference to sex workers having "diseases" in a way that felt unconsciously disparaging to people with STIs, and not even from a villainous character, which I really think the book could have done without.)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a great read!! The Inter-workings of the plot and story are just top notch. I usually figure these things out but this one stumped me till the end. The ending is also amazing!! Very good read!!

I went into this thinking it was more of a romance than it seems to be, and the subject matter gets a little heavier than I expected, what with the focus on the murders of sex workers and Emily's past with her husband.

Oddly, the tone of the novel is quite breezy and light and doesn't really fit with the subject matter. The writing is also not the best. I know it's a debut novel, but there were so many times where the wording was just clumsy and took me out of the story. The one that sticks out most in my memory is the phrase "fingers of rage tapped the backs of Zach's eyeballs."

I had been really trying to give it a good go despite the awkward writing, but that phrase was the last straw for me. Phrasing that is that clumsy and awkward is something I absolutely cannot handle.

I will say that if readers who don't mind awkward phrasing like that and are aware of the heavier themes, might really enjoy this one.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Forever, and Hachette Audio for providing an early copy and audio copy for review.