Raised above a brothel, Emily never expected her first adventure to involve espionage, scandal, and a dangerously charming spy with secrets to spare.

Now available! Seducing the Spy is the second book in the Spy Society series. 

Overview

Emily Taylor has spent her entire life above a brothel. Emily’s mother is the owner of the establishment and has been determined to shelter her daughter from the negative stigma. With a love for books and a thirst for adventure, Emily dreams of a life outside her sheltered existence. 

When a man lands on her balcony, moments from death, she jumps into action. Three days later, this mysterious man is off on his way, only to return with a proposition. He needs a date for a week-long party, or his cover is blown. Turns out she is going on an adventure greater than she thought possible. 

Positives 

A different side to Regency England that we usually see in historical romance. This book is complete with spice that I wasn’t expecting—a pleasant surprise. 

I also like how the characters are of the lower class. So often, especially with Regency era historical romance, we focus on the higher society. I know it's because we like the ritz and glam from high society at this time, but that was a small population. 

Emily's sheltered upbringing may give the impression that she’s naive. Still, her social skills and book reading have given her intellectual experience that she uses to compensate for any physical experience. I found this to be an interesting twist and a great way to show Emily’s creativity and resourcefulness. 

Negatives

This isn’t your standard “bit of light reading” historical romance. There is a lot of adult content. Not a bad thing, just a heads up. 

There are a few grammatical errors, but they don't significantly affect readability. The introduction also felt out of place. 

Recommendations

Seducing the Spy is a unique perspective. The romance is genuine with a lot of spice. I give it three stars. Good enough to curl up with a cup of tea and unwind.

Marcus aka Oliver has been working as a spy for the Crown.
His latest assignment lands him on Emily’s balcony.
Emily is the sheltered daughter of the brothel madam.
Marcus with his injured state and whiff of adventure is the adventure she has been yearning to take part in.
He takes her to a debauched house party to help him in his assignment.
Lots of steamy action with danger and romance.
Compelling read.

This is a page turner. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop! Oliver's character is so full and rich. The reader can feel his pain from his childhood and wants to cheer for him as his story progresses. Emily is a sweetheart. She is a deep individual with an unusual story. Her bravery and well by was to go along with Oliver is amazing. I greatly enjoyed this story!

She craved adventure, and he had nothing to lose...

Emily & Oliver
She’s the princess in the tower, the Queen of Covent Garden’s daughter who’s lived her entire life hidden away from the world and her mother’s lecherous customers. She may be an angelic looking dreamer, but growing up in a brothel taught her a thing or two, and her mind is just as sharp as his blades.
He’s the shadow prince, the back alley rat turned master spy for the Crown who crashed onto her balcony after some stealthy sleuthing ended in a rooftop brawl. He spent months on this case and refuses to accept his boss’s orders to give it up, rest and heal. He has a house party to attend – and the angle who saved him, might just be the perfect partner...

This book is a thrilling, fast-paced, action-packed and delectably steamy ride!
He’s scarred, strong, protective and brilliant at his job. She’s observant, clever, sensual and knows exactly how to play her cards – the perfect sidekick. She’s not as worldly as he assumed her to be, but to his delight, she’s a quick study. A bit of hands-on tutoring, a lot of instinct and some very quick thinking allow them to infiltrate and investigate. The close proximity and the ever-present danger turn their spark at first sight into a raging inferno laced with that perfect trim of tenderness and vulnerability.

I love the way this salacious house party was written, the intrigue, the subterfuge, his and hers jealous possessiveness, and I absolutely adored that she’s the one to seduce him!
There’s no mystery, the villain and his intentions are clear from the start, but it’s the way this story unfolds that completely sucked me in. The plot is strong, the mission and the romance are perfectly entwined, and the MCs hold their own.
An excellent enthralling read!

Love a swoon worthy lad from the streets. What a great change from him falling for a member of the Ton! Lots of heat with a mystery thrown in! Just a perfect steamy read.

100% YES! Suspense whether historical or contemporary is so my thing. This story had everything I like in a book. Suspense, yes. Spies, yes. Feisty woman, yes. Yummy guy, yes. Amazing story of their blossoming love including sacrifice, yes! Sometimes it teases and sometimes it is flat out in your face. I don’t normally say this, but Oliver and Emily have officially become of my favorite couples. Both are from the wrong side of the tracks and I ate it up. WOW, this story is chef’s kiss perfection. Way to go Kelsey.

Such a gorgeous book!!! I really ADORED the hero, so protective towards the heroine, so kind with her despite his past of violence, so vulnerable when love is involved.
And Emily is wonderful, a sensual virgin heroine who doesn’t hesitate to fight for the man she loves. I was also very intrigued by the spy story and the setting of the debauched house party, which was gorgeously written and fleshed out. This series is more and more interesting with each book and Swanson is a very talented author!

Saving the spy 4.5*.
Oliver Black crashes into Emily’s life literally. Daughter of a madam and having lived her entire life in a brothel, Emily is a curious mix of innocence (her mother keeps her out of the public side of the business) and worldliness learnt from the working girls and the brothel’s records of clients’ darkest desires. When Oliver requests her help on a spying mission she jumps at the chance for adventure and a reprieve from her humdrum life. Until she realises that the mission is deadly serious and the role she is to play is one she has no experience in…
I loved Oliver and how despite his upbringing and life experiences, he treated Emily with caring, respect and as an individual not a tool for his mission. Whilst Emily was quick witted, a fast learner and forever curious.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a regency era, very spicy for most of the regency era books I have read. It’s in third person. Follows the daughter of a madam and a spy forged from the wrong side of the tracks. Together they bring down a ring of criminals and fall madly in love.

It was a fun, quick read. With plenty of heart stopping moments, swoon by and oh so spicy.

I love this little book. A romantic suspense-spy novel? Yes please! Thank you, Ms. Swanson. Read it-you won't regret it!

This uses the spy element in a way that worked in the historical romance element of this book. I thought the overall feel worked so well in the environment and how I was expecting this to go in this world. It was a strong sequel in the Spy Society and left me wanting to read more in this series and from Kelsey Swanson. The characters were so well written and enjoyed how good everything was connected to this.