I am enjoying this series very much as they are such fun and in this one we find housemaid Penny Smith who makes the perfect spy for her employer. And then there is Lord William Renquist, Marquess of Stoneway and secret spy to Queen Victoria. So when these two meet under these circumstances what cold possibly happen?

This is a great historical romance that kept me reading, turning each page to see what was going to happen next. I love the characters and the relationships, the spying and investigating and the mystery. The story had depth, mystery, romance and so much more, It kept me interested and invested and I loved it. Now to start on the next instalment.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I enjoyed the book very much. The attraction between Liam and Penny is explosive. I really loved Liam's realizations about the disadvantages and hardships his servants faced, and the frustration he felt with himself each time for not realizing or doing something about it sooner. The writing in this novel was very well detailed, following both Penny and Liam's POVs. The story and plot were absolutely captivating!

at first, I was a little uncomfy at the fact that she's a maid and he's high up in the world - a truly huge power dynamic. but also, this is a victorian historical romance, and it feels incredibly unfair to judge a book by modern standards. there is quite a deal of intrigue in this, but i will admit that i preferred darcy's other books in this series - just found them easier to get into, especially given we have evil lurking in this book, and. that evil is much more present and prominent than in the other novels it feels like.

This book was an absolute delight! A perfect blend of historical romance and espionage, The Confessions of a Lady delivers a gripping story with a heroine you can’t help but root for. Penny is clever, determined, and refreshingly different from your typical Regency lead. The slow-burn romance with Liam kept me hooked, and the mystery added just the right amount of suspense. Darcy McGuire masterfully weaves class tension, hidden agendas, and emotional depth into a story that feels both empowering and heartfelt. Highly recommend to fans of smart heroines, high-stakes secrets, and swoon-worthy romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review. This is book three in The Queen's Deadly Damsels series, and while it can be read as a standalone, I think it would be beneficial to read the books in order as I feel it might have helped if I'd had just a bit more background going in to this one. Overall, I enjoyed this story very much. It was kind of upstairs/downstairs, but with spies. Each of our main characters is trying to get to the bottom of a criminal conspiracy for the queen, though neither know about the other's true involvement. And being a romance, they fall for each other along the way. My only issue with this was the rush of the relationship between the two. It felt too fast and too forced with an almost power dynamic ick quality with her being his maid. I just couldn't buy into the love match. I did enjoy the story and if this had been a straight up spy thriller with no real romance, I'd give more stars. As is, this a solid three star for me. Great story, but too hard to buy the romantic chemistry. I will still be checking out the other books in this series.

This review is being posted as part of the The Confessions of a Lady blog tour hosted by Rachel’s Random Resources.

The Confessions Of A Lady is the latest historical romance from author Darcy McGuire and the third instalment of her series The Queen's Deadly Damsels. This is another brilliant spicy Victorian romance with a fantastic crime element to it too.

Darcy McGuire has quickly become one of my favourite historical fiction authors as she has an incredible storytelling ability and always crafts a perfectly paced narrative which beautifully blends romantic moments with the high tension crime elements that are also central to the plot.

At the heart of this series is really strong female characters and Penny was no exception. She was a total badass and I really liked the choice to make her illiterate because she was really smart and this really showed that there’s so much more to intelligence than literacy. The scene where Penny demands that Liam treat her as his equal – far from the norm in Victorian society – was particularly impactful and showed beautifully how much she grew in the novel into an even stronger woman who really understood her own value.

I’ve said it before but the absolute feminist icon that is Lady Philippa Winterbourne, the mentor to all of the Queen’s deadly damsels, is one of my favourite strong female characters to have ever graced the pages of a historical fiction novel. I didn’t think it was possible but I fell in love with her even more in this novel. Although this book works well as a standalone story, I’d recommend also reading the rest of the The Queen's Deadly Damsels series as the protagonists from both earlier books feature heavily within this one and I personally really enjoyed being familiar with them prior to reading this book.

Liam was also a brilliant MMC, who I challenge any reader not to fall completely in love with particularly if you’re a fellow sucker for the ‘touch her and you die’ trope.

Penny and Liam had brilliant chemistry and there was a great dynamic between the two of them. I’ve not read anything focusing on this upstairs/downstairs trope before but found it really interesting and it worked really well in the context of this book.

We have several brilliant spicy scenes and they navigated the contrast of experience between Penny as a virgin FMC and Liam as a more experienced and older MMC very well. I particularly enjoyed the emphasis on consent, which was great to see within a historical romance and very important given the power imbalance that naturally existed with Liam being Penny’s employer.

Overall, this is yet another incredible historical romance novel from Darcy McGuire and a must read for fans of the historical romance and historical crime genres alike, particularly if you’re after something with an overall really feminist feel.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Level: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ / 5 (Explicit Open Door)

I have posted an extended review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published are completely honest and my own, and are in no way influenced by the gifting opportunity. Thank you to Darcy McGuire, Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books and NetGalley.

Enjoyed it, and enjoying the series overall. This was more slow burn lust in the beginning, but ultimately segued into romance/love. Quite fun to watch unfold.

I loved this. So much so that I immediately borrowed the first two books by this author. While at its heart this is absolutely a romance, the story itself had so much substance and reflected a lot of wider social issues from the time. I adored the heroine. She was so capable and intelligent. There was a twist that I absolutely did not see coming, that hit me on an emotional level. Such a great read for lovers of historical romance.

Penny Smith is a maid working in the house of Lord William Renquist. She isn’t just working for him, however, but she is working with a local police constable to expose him as a member of the Devil’s Sons, a group of men committing unspeakable crimes. On the other hand, William, or Liam as he prefers to be known, is also working to expose the Devil’s Sons for the awful they are doing.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

The Confessions of a Lady is the third book in the Queen’s Deadly Damsels series by Darcy McGuire. Set during the reign of Queen Victoria, this book is about a lot more than just attending social functions and finding a husband. A group of unscrupulous nobles, known as The Devil’s Sons, are suspected of kidnapping and trafficking young women. Penny Smith, who appeared in the previous book, has been placed as a servant in the household of Lord William Renquist. His brother was a member of this group, but he intends to infiltrate and destroy it from within. Unfortunately, Penny believes he belongs to the group and sets about finding evidence. She believes she will earn a reward which she needs to facilitate the release of her mother from prison, but is troubled by the discrepancy between Liam’s thoughtful behaviour and bad reputation.
While the idea of female agents working for the queen, and others on behalf of the prime minister, may sound a bit far fetched, this is a very enjoyable series if you are prepared to suspend disbelief. It brings together all the main characters from previous books who are on opposing sides but working towards the same goal.
We get both points of view, and witty banter where Penny gives as good as she gets, but perhaps too many inner monologues which at times become a bit repetitive. The chemistry between Penny and Liam is strong, and they are from very different worlds, but the author takes a serious look at the difficulties they face if they want to be together. If you enjoy historical romance with added spies and intrigue then this is for you. Although you could probably read this as a standalone, I think it would make a lot more sense if you read them in order. This series features strong female characters and I look forward to reading the next the book, A Most Unlikely Lady, which tells Ivy’s story. Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

This is the third book in the series.

There is the perfect mix of romance, humour and mystery in this story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next book!

Thanks must go to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this story in exchange for my review.

The third part in The Queen’s Deadly Damsels series does not disappoint.

In this class difference historical romance we follow Penny’s story. She is a maid and in order to safe her mother she is “forced” into investigating Marquess of Stoneway. She has to find a proof that he is involved with Devil’s Sons, a group that is responsible for missing maids in the city. The problem is that he doesn’t seem like a person that would be able of such a horrible things.

It is a very well done romance. You feel for Penny and her struggles, you want her to get her happy ending. Liam is such a good, good character. I really enjoyed reading this story.

Absolutely loved this, I’ve really enjoyed every book in this series and can’t wait for the next one!

In the latest novel featuring the Queen’s Deadly Damsels, readers follow housemaid Penny Smith as she fades into the background at Lord William Renquist’s city home, as she is here to investigate his involvement with the Devil’s Sons. However, the mission doesn’t line up with the reality because William Renquist is also a spy for the queen whose mission is to infiltrate the Devil’s Sons, and Penny’s habit of always being in the right place just doesn’t make sense. Constantly bumping into each other, working on different sides, and dealing with ever-increasing chemistry, Penny and Liam have their work cut out for them during this investigation. Entertaining and with some serious high stakes in this battle of upstairs-downstairs espionage, readers will love the spicy chemistry between the two protagonists and the unique investigation they are both on. The characters are, of course, the stars of the novel, and readers will love Penny’s strengths and her skills, while her backstory is particularly interesting and period-typical. The historical context and the class divide adds another level to their relationship, while the forbidden nature of their relationship will really draw in the romance fans. Well-written, detailed, and tropey, readers will love the latest novel in this series.

I really enjoyed this book - the whole series has been brilliant. I love a strong female character in a time when women had very little rights and the open-minded men who adore them. I loved Pennys fire and seeing Liam soften for her.

The third book of the Queen's Deadly Damsels series and this one has to be my favourite! There is nothing like a sassy, no-nonsense heroine that speaks her truth and is a survivor of old. Pair her with a man who thinks he is the devil with evil running through his veins and nothing to lose, and you definitely have sparks.

The spice was quite different in the way that Penny was a straight talker and very open about both her pure state and her curious desires. Penny knew her role in life and never imagined she would be anything more important that a maid and didn't have grand expectations above those thoughts.

Add in the cast of characters from the first 2 books and the plot involving missing girls, which has run through all the books, gets a little more understood. Some on the side of the Queen and some the prime minister, both hunting the bad guys. I really like that the characters reappear in the books and can't wait to see what they are are all like in the next installment.

My thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood for bringing another fantastic ARC to my hot little hands. All opinions are my own.

DNF @ 38%

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one at around the 38% mark. I was initially intrigued by the premise and the historical setting, but I found myself struggling to stay engaged with the story. The pacing felt a bit too slow for my taste, and I had trouble connecting with the characters. I kept waiting for something to hook me, but it just didn’t happen.

I also wasn’t aware that this was part of a series when I picked it up, which definitely played a role in my decision to stop reading. I felt like I was missing some background or emotional buildup that might’ve been covered in earlier books, and I’d prefer to start from the beginning of the series before diving back in.

Maybe I'll pick it up again in the future! This is definitely a soft DNF :)

absolutely loved reading everything from this author, would highly recommend all readers to try her books!

Nothing beats bridgerton meets nancy drew
these books are quick and fun and excatly what i need mid bookish slump

I am fast becoming a darcie mcquire stan and this book was everything

The Confessions of a Lady is the third book in the Deadly Damsels series by Darcy McGuire, a Victorian spy thriller/spicy romance. I know that sounds like a really strange combination, but in this series it works so perfectly. In this story, the ‘Lady’ in question is Penny Smith, an illiterate housemaid who grew up in and out of prison with her mother.

Penny is such a wonderful character, feisty and fearless, with an intrepid spirit and some brass knuckles in her pocket, she has had a tough upbringing that has prepared her perfectly for the live of a spy working hard to find links to the Devil’s Sons traffickers, and with her employer Liam, her prime suspect.

I loved the chemistry that Penny and Liam had, and there were some wonderfully spicy moments for them as their romance progressed. It was a real Cinderella story with the maid and the Marquess being unable to resist the attraction between them. There was even a masked ball where Penny was able to wear a beautiful dress and a mask and dance with Liam.

The rapidly rising tension in the hunt for the Devil’s Sons really makes this book a page turner, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

The combination of historical romance with spy thriller really ticks two of my favourite genres, it works so well and it creates a really entertaining read.

They're both keeping secrets and seem to be on opposing teams but with the same ultimate goal, can they work together to bring the dastardly Devil's Sons to justice? A historical romance filled with spies and mystery, this book is perfect for fans of India Holton.

I adored the upstairs/downstairs dynamic to their relationship, both romantically and professionally. Protagonists Penny and Liam have everything against them, but both determined to rise above their familial situations and strive to be honorable and right the wrongs of others which makes them so easy to root for. While the plot full of mystery and adventure and moving at a brisk pace, unfortunately for me the romance moved just as briskly and it took me such a long time to get into the flow of this book that it hindered my enjoyment of it.

Although the books of The Queen's Deadly Damsels can supposedly be read as standalone titles, it was clear that I definitely missed some Easter Eggs by not reading A Lady's Lesson in Scandal first and I would highly picking these books up sequentially.