The painter & the spy – an unappreciated artiste and her scarred muse

After mastering landscapes, still life, light and shadow, Lady Evelyn is looking to improve her portrait painting skills. But neither society nor her family takes her passion seriously – because she’s not a man, ugh – and apparently accosting strangers to sit for her is not done.
Desperate times call for desperate measures; an anonymous advertisement it is.
Recovering from his final secret mission for the Crown – a hellish nightmare he barely survived – has plummeted Richard into mind-numbing dullness. The social whirl holds no appeal, and managing his estates no challenge. He is, however, a pro at sitting for hours on end; he might as well do it elsewhere and help out a struggling artist.

She’s looking for a clean slate – no names, no details, no history – and he’s willing to oblige.
It will come as no surprise that many hours together alone in her studio lead to so much more than they both bargained for...
Bohemian secrecy has its thrill, but will their love survive the real world – and his title?

Whilst taking place in London with the season in full swing and her boisterous clan around, this story felt wonderfully intimate and small. It’s magical to observe two perceptive MCs slowly unveil the other’s true nature, dreams and insecurities – and of course fall irrevocably in love along the way.
It’s enthralling, a little scandalous and delectably naughty with a nice splash of steam. There’s no real drama, just a giant looming pothole that is expertly fixed with an exquisitely dry heart-to-heart between sisters.
And if you haven’t read the six previous books in the series, no worries, it stands on its own – but I would definitely recommend them if you’re looking for a delightful, witty, lighthearted distraction!

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

I have loved every book I have read so far about the entertaining & eccentric Chance family, but An Eye for the Chance has to be my favorite by far. I was completely entranced by the delightful romance between Evelyn Chance & Richard Semphill. They are both wonderful characters, with richly detailed personalities. Evelyn a brilliant female artist in a time when only male artists were considered socially acceptable. Richard a former spy for the Crown, scarred and haunted by his experiences, uncertain of his place in Society or if he even wants to assume a place as a titled lord.

Evelyn & Richard meet in the most charming of ways, he answers Evelyn's ad for a model for her to paint. Their connection is undeniable and grows from there. There is some angst because Richard does not tell Evelyn he is Viscount Semphill, though to be fair Evelyn told him she didn't want to know any details that could impact how she painted him! They do work it out of course, this is a romance novel after all and go on to have their happily ever after. Their story was so sweet and winsome, it put a smile on my face. It would be a great book to read if you need a mood pick-me-up.

I'm looking forward to reading more about the Chance family. They are so much fun!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

this was pretty good actually. it's a bit difficult to get into initially but very good once you dig deep. i loved the author's writing style and would be interested to read more! the relationship and artistic exploration was well done and the characters were unique!

Evelyn and Richard nestled themselves into a little corner of my heart, and I think they’ll stay forever. Admittedly, I wanted a bit more insight into Richard’s past, but that’s simply a personal preference. Evelyn’s artistic dreams truly warmed my heart, and I saw so much of myself in her that it seemed like I was looking in a proverbial mirror for a long time. I’ll absolutely read more from this author! Highly recommend this gem of a book.

Secrets, Sizzle and Love!

This has to be my favourite story from the Chance family.

I loved Richard and Evelyn’s love story, their characters, the secrecy between them, the passion and chemistry oozing from the pages!
Evelyn was portrayed with a wild and free personality and the man who would claim her would have to be an exceptional understanding and loving person.

Each Chance family member has their own quirky character and Evelyn a budding artist in a time when female artists were not known is one to remember.

Richard was her perfect person, a former spy with issues of his own but together they could take on the world! Add in some super witty moments and you have a page-turning entertaining read you won’t want to put down!

The Spy and the Lady
This is a delightfully captivating story with very charismatic characters that took me into the world of a budding artist.
I liked both characters. Evelyn an unknown artist that craves recognition but needs more practice on certain elements and Richard
a viscount with nothing to do accepts the role of modeling for the artist.
The two take us on romantic adventure ride that is filled with surprises, underlying emotions, growing passion, which leads to a very happy ending.
I truly enjoyed this whimsical story. He took a Chance and found the love of his life
Adult Advisory 2/5

Chance family are not your typical members of society but they are the family I have come to love. Evelyn is the strong willed daughter of an Earl and I absolutely loved her. Richard is perfect for her and their start was a little unorthodox but perfect for a Chance. The story is well written and very entertaining. It was definitely worth reading. I can’t wait to see what Leopold gets into in the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and are voluntarily leaving a review.

Evelyn is another one in the ever expanding Chance family.
While her parents want her married and settled, she only wishes to expand her horizons and become a truly great artist.
She is always asking others to sit for her when she finally decides to place an ad.
Richard is bored from the war and his terrible experiences in France.
He answers the ad fascinated by the idea and begins to sit for Evelyn while she sketches and paints him.
He keeps his title a secret as well as other secrets from his past.
Developing feelings and misunderstandings cloud their relationship.
Enjoyable read and series.

Although this is book 18 of the series it is the first one that I've read. And if all the rest are as good as this one then I have a lot of catching up. Lady Evelyn and Richard are very likable characters and the story keeps you interested. I highly recommend. Now on to the other 17 books in the series.

Of the Chance series books I have read, I have to say, I have fallen deeply in love with Richard and Evelyn. She is an artist who loses herself in her art. He is a Viscount returning from France after a harrowing life there. His boredom was not unexpected ,as he led quite an eventful life. Finding Evelyn as he did was a beautiful meet-cute and their adventure was sublime! I could not quite understand her being so angry at him as she was the one that said what not to share, but the climax was absolutely charming. The characters are so well developed, you feel like you are living in their pockets and the chemistry just oozed off the page. The writer’s depiction of the beauty Evelyn sees in the mundane makes me wonder if she, herself , is a bit of an artist. I am NOT an artist, so reading that showed me what I have missed in my life. I will be looking at paintings very differently now! A truly amazing story, one I did not want to end.

I received this story for free and these are my own opinions

Evelyn just wants to paint. She puts out an ad for a male to model for her. Richard, a scarred war hero, is bored and decides to answer the ad. Though he knows she's a single lady, Evelyn only wants to know him as Richard. They become close during their painting sessions. Everything changes when Evelyn realizes Richard is part of her world. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

I always have a great time with Emily Murdoch's books and An Eye for the Chance was no exception.

I really thought the plot was unique, especially for a historical romance. I liked the secret/hidden identity trope and thought it was executed well. I liked that Evelyn was an artist devoted to her craft too. We don't see many artist heroines in historical romances so that was neat. Plus there's the scandalous male model stuff going on too. I liked Richard too. He has his own reasons for becoming Evelyn's model and I thought they made sense. These two had a good dynamic and the secret identity plot kept me invested.

The chemistry between Evelyn and Richard is steaming. I enjoyed watching the heat between these two simmer. Plus the added tension of her drawing him was so good. The steamy scenes were well done too.

A great addition to the series but can be read on its own. Can't wait for the next one.