3.5 stars. Never Gamble Your Heart is the second book in The Secret Society of Governess Spies series. This was my first time reading this historical romance author.

This one I kinda struggled with. While it had a lot of things I enjoy: historical romance, self made man (fish monger turned successful gaming hell owner), she’s a governess, secrets, gaming hell. I was really enjoying the first half, laughed out loud a couple times, was really into the characters and how smart she was with math and accidentally teaching his niece to count cards on her first day (lol when he realizes). But then somewhere around the middle/second half the story, it felt like there was maybe too much added in and nothing was given the time it probably should have had.

Jasper is a gaming hell owner who has suddenly become the guardian of his 15-year old niece (his late brother’s daughter). He’s in need of a governess for his niece and hires Frankie, who was sent over from a governess agency that is actually more than it seems… “The Dove” owns a governess agency and uses her governesses to spy on the ton to hold them accountable for their crimes and tip off the police. Frankie is one of those governesses and The Dove wants her to find out the identities of dowry thieves (men who purposefully compromise ladies to get access to their dowries) and in return, Frankie can find out more about her missing sister.

The first half of the story was solid, the second half lost my interest. So much started happening plot wise and I just wasn’t as invested in the plot points. I think more attention could have been spent on the couple and their romance. The cover is pretty, love the green dress!

This was my first foray into Historical Romance and i had a great time! This audiobook was fun, fast-paced, and easy to follow. The characters were interesting and the mystery/suspense element was JUICY. It kept me engaged the entire time. I can’t wait to read more by this author!

Thank you to Hachette and Forever for the ALC!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for eARC and Hachette Audio for the eALC.

This one was adorable and I listened to it all in about a day. Perfect accents, I couldn’t stop listening.

Frankie is the kind of heroine that I love. She’s smart, a little neurodivergent, but exceptionally loyal. Really, there was no way Jasper wouldn’t have fallen in love with her, she’s just that alluring (and yet, doesn’t know it).

I think my favorite part is Jasper wanting to admonish Frankie about teaching Cecilia how to count cards and he somehow agrees to host a party. He literally can’t say no to her, even at the beginning.

Fast paced, with a good overall mystery, nice amount of spice, and fun banter and dialogue, Never Gamble Your Heart was such a fun and cute listen and I can’t wait for the next in the series. That little sneak peak at the end has me 👀intrigued.👀

Female spies, mathematics genius governess, a gambling den owner, a matchmaking niece and a missing sister. A great combination to a fantastic read. Frankie and Jasper had the tension to burn the pages off my kindle.

This was my first historical romance by Lindsay Lovise and I loved it a lot!! Her last contemporary had me OBSESSED and this new dual POV, historical was easy to binge. The second in her Secret society of Governess spies book can definitely be read as a standalone and has a dual POV, guardian x nanny vibe with lots of forced proximity and a fun gambling/heist plot. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Amalie Howard or Erica Ridley. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Frankie Turner should be the perfect she’s genteelly born, impoverished, and owns a pair of ugly oversized spectacles. Now if only she didn’t have an alarming tendency to forget her charges while contemplating mathematics principles. When Frankie’s impulsive younger sister goes missing, Frankie has no idea where to begin the search to find her. But when she discovers hasty marriages materializing between “troublemaking” women and men who don’t deserve them—she knows her sister is somehow involved. The only thread connecting the groomsmen is a membership to Rockford’s, an exclusive gambling hell owned by the devilish Jasper Jones. And it just so happens that Jasper has recently become the guardian of a sullen fifteen-year-old. Jasper suspects his new governess has an ulterior motive for being in his household, but he can hardly find the time to uncover it when his life is in a constant uproar. First, Frankie teaches his niece how to count cards and then she tries to break into his study. When he finally learns Frankie’s true reason for being there, he agrees to help the brilliant mathematician find her missing sister
The first book I’ve read by the author & it won’t be the last. I was also lucky enough to get the audio book version too so I half listened & half read the book. I loved how the narrator brought the characters alive. An enjoyable book with strong characters & a fast paced story. I thoroughly enjoyed Jasper & Frankie’s journey to a HEA. I also enjoyed finding more out about The Dove & look forward to her story
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio & Lindsey Lovise for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I ate this up. Historical romance with MURDER. I'm not a murder girl. But I was here for the mystery, the propriety, the SMARTY PANTS WOMEN and the romance!

Sometimes I'm blessed with an ARC in a series and I read it as a standalone and carry on. But with this one, I'm going to go back and read book 1, for sure!

Loved the dual narration. Very well done.

I finished this book in a day! It's official-- I'm addicted to The Secret Society of Governess Spies. A rakish gaming hell owner and a neurodivergent governess spy? I ate it up. The pacing in this book was perfect and Lindsay Lovise never disappoints with the spice.

A witty, fun historical romance! It had me laughing, smiling and swooning throughout. This is my first by this author and it surely won't be my last, if you're new to historical romance or simply love the genre this is a must read.

Thank you to Forever, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for the advance reader and listener copies. These opinions are my own.

I am having such a great time with this series, The Secret Society of Governess Spies. They stand alone. In this second book, we focus on Frankie Turner. She is is a math prodigy who teachers her charge to count cards. And that's all I need to know to be all in.

Add to that Jasper, a hero who owns a gambling hell, and earned his way there from poor beginnings. Both are on the edge of ton society, and both are trying to improve the world.

His niece adds some hilarity to the story, especially when innuendo flies over her head. And as you can guess from the series title, there's a mystery requiring a spy. It's very feminist and includes queer characters. It's everything I enjoy in a historical romance.

The audio was well narrated and produced.

4.25 stars

Note: I did not realize this was the second book in a series when I requested to ARC read this. However, I do think it’s able to be read as a stand alone.
This was a cute period piece mystery with a smarty, funny FMC. The story was fun to follow and played out exactly as I expected it would. Would definitely recommend if you like mysteries and period pieces.

Another wonderful installment in the Secret Society of Governess Spies series! If there is a histrom with a governess or a gambling hell, count me in! Lovise weaves tales full of humor, swoon, and intrigue that keep the reader captivated and rooting for the characters from start to finish.

What I appreciate about Lovise’s histroms is how they are the perfect place for readers looking to venture into the dazzling world historical romance. They provide discussions on class, societal expectations and roles, as well as political intrigue. The dialogue is accessible and the writing is very engaging, so newer histrom readers are able to readily connect with the story.

The dual narration was an absolute delight! I was so glad to see Ella and Rupert were back to narrate the second installment in this series as they did such a superb job with the Never Blow a Kiss.

I’m looking forward to Ivy’s book and learning more about The Dove!

Frankie Turner is trying to find her little sister. She has gone missing. She has become a governess for Jasper Jones' niece. The dove has requested she look into the rakes books. He owns a gambling hall and they need to find out if he is involved with the dowry plot.

I really loved this book. Historical romance, mystery and spice. The narration was fantastic with two points of views of Frankie & Jasper. The writing hooked me right away and I had to finish the book immediately. I can't wait to see what else the author writes.

Thank you Forever Pub and Hachette Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored Never Blow a Kiss Last year so I was ecstatic to get my hands on Never Gamble Your Heart! I did a mix of audio and ebook and highly recommend both.

I just love the premise of this series- governess spies plus romance! Frankie is relatively new to being a governess. She’s trying to help earn money for her family after a few failed seasons. She takes on a new assignment from the Dove (who I really hope gets her own book!) Frankie becomes the governess to Celia, the niece of London’s most notorious hell owner. They believe Jasper might be connected to heiresses being put into compromising situations and then forced into marriage. Jasper knows immediately that Frankie isn’t a normal governess.

As Frankie attempts to uncover the truth she gets to know Frankie and his niece. This had a little bit of build up, but then I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t put it down! Frankie and Jasper get closer to each other as they attempt to find the ringleader. I loved Frankie and how smart she was. Frankie and Jasper had such a great connection and I really enjoyed how feelings blossomed there. I cannot wait for more books in this series!

I had a lot of fun reading this book. It's a really good, laugh out loud, historical romcom. Frankie was an amazing protagonist and her dynamic with Jasper was funny, delightful and steamy. I had a bit of issues with pacing and plot in the last third of the book. All the plot/mystery stuff got a bit too stressful after the lightheartednesss of the first parts of the book. It was one hell of a house party, though there were some good moments, Overall, perhaps not as good as Never Blow a Kiss but still a new favourite. And, of course, I can't wait for the next book.
The audiobook experience was great, I enjoyed both narrators' performances.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Delightful. This is the second in the Secret Society of Governess Spies series and I love the premise. The Dove, runs an employment agency for Governesses and she trains them as spies. She uses them and her network of servants to help gather information about corrupt or unscrupulous aristocrat’s. Feeding the information to the right authorities. I assume eventually we will get her story.

This book focuses on Frances “Frankie” Turner who goes to work for Jasper Jones. He needs a governess for his 15 year old niece after the death of her father. The Dove is interested in learning if he has any connection to what she calls the dowry thieves. Aristocratic men have been compromising wealthy young women forcing marriage. All of them are members of Jasper’s very prosperous gaming club. Frankie in return wants The Dove’s help to find her missing younger sister.

Frances is brilliant at math and uses her skills in everything from gambling with Jasper to helping solve a murder. She didn’t get the Dove’s training so she does make mistakes as she isn’t a skilled governess. But her bumbling adds to her allure. Jasper goes from being annoyed to being charmed with Frankie. He also goes from hard core businessman to thoughtful uncle and reformed rake. And I love that he falls first.

Frankie seems neurodivergent, although it would not be called that in Victorian England. She has trouble reading social cues, understanding sarcasm, and is unflinchingly honest. And you can’t help but feel for her after being raised to believe she must hide her true self. The niece also adds to the story. She is impulsive and asks blunt questions. But you want her happiness as well.

The mystery was well thought out and I love that it didn’t interfere with the romance. This can easily be read as a stand alone adventure but I am going to seek out the previous book, Never Blow a Kiss (Jan 2024). I was fortunate to receive both a digital copy and an audiobook, swiitching easily between formats. Thank you to Hachette Audio and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the copies via NetGalley and I am leaving an honest review. (4.5 Stars)

This is such a delight! A romantic, swoon-worthy, cheeky and witty romp of a book. It's my first but certainly not the last from this writer. And if you're what would've once Upon a time been called a bluestocking, this gem is for you and the rakey gentlemen who were born to cherish you!

Thank you Netgalley for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book 2 in the Secret Society of Governess Spies. Could be read as a stand alone, though there are characters that appear from Book 1. The Dove is the only character with a significant role in both books.

Frankie's sister has run away. In an effort to find her, Frankie makes a deal with The Dove. The Dove will hire detectives to find her if Frankie in turns helps figure out who is behind the chain of dowry thieves. She is placed as a governess for Jasper Jones's niece. Jasper is the only connection to the recently wed grooms. He owns a gambling hell and all the men are members. Upon meeting Jasper, Frankie thinks he is innocent- she just has to prove it.

I've enjoyed this series as it isn't your typical regency era romance. The characters are all ton-adjacent. Not members per se, but closely connected. This series also features strong, unique women and men who support them. It is a refreshing take and makes it more interesting.

Ella Lynch and Rupert Channing narrate. My only criticism is that lines of Rupert Channing's narration were rerecorded and dubbed in. It was very noticeable because it was only a random sentence here or there.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED the premise of this series not only is it female spies working as governesses but it gave me major Bridgerton feels, actually I think Victorian era element as a whole has grown on me which makes me enjoy such books, on that note I requested this book without realising it was part of a series so I'll definitely go back to the first one -- They can be read as standalones as each book follows different characters.

Plot follows: Frankie Turner, a fiercely intelligent governess who's also a mathematics genius. Her life gets turned upside down when her sister goes missing forcing her to enter the glamorous yet dangerous world of London's high society.
Then we have Jasper Jones; the owner of a high-stakes gambling den—and someone Frankie never expected to need. When the two are forced to work together to uncover a shady scheme ... oh my God guys the tension? Their chemistry? Ugh made me fall in love even more and there's a certain scene between them that once again brought Bridgerton feels to me. I couldn't get enough!

Now moving onto the narration, let's just say beautiful voices also play a part in enjoying a book as well as being fast paced of course everything was 😍🤌🏻
I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the third read.

Desperate to find her missing younger sister, Frankie finds herself working as an agent for the Dove: in exchange for help to find her sister, she ends up posing as a governess for the 15-year-old niece of gaming hell owner Jasper Jones, with the job to find out if he's involved in a scheme which sees impoverished gentlemen trapping wealthy women into marriage.

Just like Never Blow A Kiss, this was such a charming, fun read! I really liked the characters; Frankie was a terrific main character, and I absolutely adored her. The relationship between her and Jasper was definitely tension filled and very well crafted, and it was fun to watch unravel. I did find the pacing to be a bit weird at times, but it wasn't anything excessively off-putting, even though the ending did feel somewhat rushed, and a little anticlimactic. I listened to this one, and I absolutely loved the narration. It was really engaging, and it helped keeping me engaged even in the slowest bits. I love the dual narration, and both narrators did an incredible job.

This is the second book in the series, but it can be definitely read as a standalone, even though I would highly recommend the first one too!

Many thanks to Hachette Audio & NetGalley for the ALC.