This was such a run suspenseful caper of a novel! Ronan & Isabel are two thieves trying to stay afloat and unite together to take on their crimes. It had me gripping the edge of my seat. Perfect mix of regency vibes and romance, suspense, and intrigue: highly recommend if your looking for a great escapist novel

Many thanks to Aria and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

I am devasted if this is reall the last Katrina Kendrick book in this world. But damn, are we going out with fireworks! Seriously the flames errupt between Ronan and Isabel from the first chapter, and we get hot and heavy fast. But at the same time, it's actually over the course of over 2 years. This book spans the whole timeframe of the series in fact, and we get lots of cameos of previous characters (which was amazing).

This is probably the darkest, most raw, hottest, and most devastating book yet. Isabel has been so terribly abused before, and she has the literal scars to prove it. And we move from the cat and mouse game across continents to a forced proximity fake marriage to catch a dangerous man. The tension, the yearning, the FLAMES, and the banter are all exquisite. Tender moments mixed with punishing intimacy had me both fanning myself and wiping away tears.

These books have been utterly un-put-down-able. I think this one in particular would appeal to fans of Written on Your Skin by Meredith Duran. I'm seriously sad about not having more of these to look forward to, but I will always recommend this series and literally anything Elizabeth May ever writes.

I am a big fan of Elizabeth May so when I learned of her historical romance pen name, I knew that I had to read every single one!

A Lady's Handbook of Espionage is the fifth Katrina Kendrick book I have picked up and it had all the elements that I have come to love about her books. It was fast paced, suspenseful and full of sizzling romance that had me entranced.

Ronan and Isabel were such a joy to read about and I thought they were such well written characters. The romance was absolutely incredible and was definitely my favourite element of the book. The author does such a splendid job of detailing certain struggles and emotions during the era and you can tell that a lot of passion and research has gone into this story. The romance was absolutely incredible and was definitely my favourite element of the book.

A Lady's Handbook of Espionage is definitely in my top five favourite historical romance books!

I had such a good time with this book.
While it is historical, the story is more focused on the action / adventure and romance aspects of the story, which I really enjoyed. The pace is fast and I was hooked. I couldn’t put this book down and finished reading in less than 24 hours. It gave me so many tropes I love to see - fake relationship, one bed, touch her and I’ll kill you, hurt/comfort to name but a few!
I hadn’t read any Katrina Kendrick books prior to this, but I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series. I didn’t feel like I was missing out coming in to this one blind, I’m sure I’ve missed some aspects of the cameos without the relevant background stories, but nothing felt jarring or confusing.

5 stars

Great book, quite dark in places. Isabel is the sister of an earlier heroine from the series, Emma, book 0.5. Isabel was inviegled into the world of crime by a handsome villain. There are some amusing scenes with the hero, who is a bit James Bond ish, in that he's working for the government as a spy. There a quite a few encounters over a few years until Emma seeks to find Isabel.

Isabel is a thief with murderous skills which she uses to her advantage. There is some aspects which I think almost needs a warning of self harm but generally I loved this book and this series. Lots of passionate encounters. I'm sad to see it ending....what about the spymaster general did I miss his book?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I’m not really a fan of historical fiction books but this one blew me away
It follows Spectre the female spy Callaghan..(the British spy) is searching high and low worldwide for
They meet in various places and the sexual chemistry is off the page!! Katrina leaves nothing to to your imagination it’s all in there !!
The two are supposed to go looking for a sadistic killer named Faveraux he tortured her and beat her raped her and stabbed/.crossed her body with knife wounds and scars. Every inch of her body had a wound or scar on it from him she hated it
But Callaghan had kissed every bit of them and told her how beautiful they were and his body could almost match hers wit( all scars on his body
So they were a perfect match for each other
And the British government hired them to find Faveraux one way or another they wanted him dead or alive
But Faveraux wanted spectre alias Isabella Dunbaton desperately he wanted to destroy her one last time but Isabel wasn’t going to let this happen no way, he tied her up but this was under her control not his !!
Faveraux made his biggest mistake ever !
But did he realise ??.

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was different and a very fun read! Witty, funny, great setting of different countries in the 1800s, but mostly England.
Both main characters were great, so were the side characters, written using my kind of humour, greatly paced. When I first started this I did not expect to enjoy it this much. Would very gladly read a whole series of books about Isabel and Ronan.

Abuse, theft and violent murder.
The title of this book sounds lighthearted but in places it is gritty and violently dark. The head of The Syndicate is a monster and Isabel has been caught in his web for years. Known as Spectre, Isabel is an accomplished thief and assassin, a wanted woman on three continents. Tracked by Ronan Callaghan, an agent of the Crown, with a murky past, she taunts and evades him. However her attempt to leave her abuser sees her fighting for her life and eventually she has no choice but to turn herself in and exchange The Syndicate’s secrets for protection. But Favreau has plans to get his pet back,can he be foiled?
This reads a bit like a James Bond story rather than a historical but I found it an absorbing read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dark, raw, and utterly addictive, A Lady’s Handbook of Espionage delivers a scorching blend of high-stakes espionage, forced proximity tension, and heart-stopping romance.

Ronan Callahan, once a criminal, is now the Crown’s most lethal spy. His mission for years has been to capture the elusive thief known only as Spectre – the cunning mastermind who has danced circles around him across continents. That thief is Isabel Dumont, a woman who rose from the Parisian gutters to become the Syndicate’s most skilled operative… until betrayal made her their most wanted target.

Forced into an uneasy alliance, Ronan and Isabel enter a dangerous undercover mission that demands a fake marriage and complete trust in one another – a dangerous risk when loyalty can be fatal. With enemies closing in, their sharp-edged banter and undeniable chemistry ignite into passion that burns as hot as the peril they face.

This is Kendrick’s most intense book yet – a mix of brutal history, vulnerable tenderness, and searing heat. Isabel’s trauma and resilience are balanced with moments of aching intimacy, while the constant cat-and-mouse danger ensures the tension never lets go. Fans of dark historical romance with espionage, grit, and unforgettable yearning will devour every page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I had read one of the other books in the series and was happy to swipe into this one. Glad that I did. Really liked the beginning confrontations between our main characters. Katrina Kendrick doesn’t pull her punches through the rest of the book, in this very adult, dark, romance in an S&M way, that shows the scars, but lots of humour and banter to soften the blows (no pun intended, well maybe a little bit). We can hope for an happy ending. Isabel Dumont fell into the wrong hands early in life. Hands that marked her, abused her, scarred her physically and mentally. Hands that trained her to thieve and kill when necessary. Now running she meets Roman Callahan, probably fortuitously though she really doesn’t think so at the time. Then again if things were different she could really like this man. The books are all stand alone, as far as I know. So if you haven’t read any of the series your reading time for a little while is organised. Thank you to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

A book which takes you down some dark paths of the mind and how minds can be moulded by extreme behaviour. Be careful when reading it. If you can be triggered by violence then put it aside, but if you wish to learn more about the dark underbelly of society and the people who live there, then carry on.
It is a stark book. No gentle romance. But it is a romance. The story of how 2 people, ravaged by society and those who mentored them jnto their current and past careers, find each other, and fall in love.
I do hope that poor Mr Wentworth has his own love story, as he is much put upon by, notonly our 2 protagonists, but clearly others that he must manage.
My one real criticism is that I found it a trifle long. Some scenes could have been chopped I thought. But I admire the author tackling this difficult topic and finding hope in the end.

There was an excellent start to this book setting out the love hate relationship between the two main characters. As it unfolded, it revealed that Isabel was in the thrall of a vicious gang leader and was doing her utmost to escape. Her male lead was caught between a duty to catch her as an international criminal and his desire for her. The book reaches a conclusion that has some violence but their relationship blooms despite this. There is plenty of gritty reality to the story but it rema8ns an absorbing satisfying read

This is a fast-paced, heart-thumping end to a great series - and while you don’t absolutely have to read the previous instalments, you’ll get more from this if you at least read A Touch Wicked, which introduces Isabel and Ronan as side characters and contains some of the same events from a different perspective. The opening scenes are like something from a spy movie, with exotic locations and costumes and hidden agendas; yes, you have to suspend your disbelief, but it’s worth it to explore the developing relationship between two people who have dragged themselves out of horrendous circumstances and been left with both physical and mental scars. Outside the action and danger, this is a tale full of sharp banter interspersed with a dark, raw and surprisingly tender romance; I was rooting for Ronan and Isabel throughout and thoroughly satisfied with the conclusion to both book and series.

I was hooked from start with its beautifully layered characters, compelling plot and well-paced story. It was both action packed spy vs thief fun with fantastic banter and blistering chemistry, and a beautiful and tender romance featuring two physically and emotionally scarred characters.

I loved Ronan and Isabel and the way they can turn each other on (oh boy those spicy scenes were top notch), but their trauma also means they unknowingly rub each other's tender spots in the process of protecting their heart. They both recognise and admire the other's grit and determination to crawl out from cruel and impoverished circumstances, which Kendrick doesn’t shy away from. Both have been experienced sexual and physical violence while trying to survive, with Isobel still struggling to take control after years of coercion and control. Some of the most heartbreaking scenes were seeing independent Isobel reduced to a mess when Favreau finds her.

I couldn't put this book down. I would really love a series featuring Isobel and Ronan on missions together.

Thanks to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for the ARC.

Darker than your usual regency romance, this book was a gripping adventure. I loved that the romance didn't feel rushed, and although the plot lagged a little around the middle, I'm so pleased that I stuck with it.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

thrust right into wild rides and action from the beginning with this one.
lots of suspense,suspicion and heightened tension situation is what we find when we meet Ronan and Isabel and thats just between each other. they both come from different sides. but they might just need to join up to save all they hold dear and maybe themselves.
this book is regency, romance and spy jinks all mixed into one.
our pair are of course attracted to each other. but both have their reasons for not allowing anyone close. and it definitely wouldn't be smart to do so with each other.
but somehow these two are thrust together time and again. bad luck or fate? crime or cunning?
we did get all the fun parts, the high octane moments, but we also get to those deeper moments. those inner vulnerabilities that lead you to invest even more time into the cast and plot.
our pair both have so much to gain from each other but are scared of their scars and losing love might be too much for either of them to risk.
their banter is top notch and timed perfectly, their tender moments and brave moments are also really well written throughout the story. you really are taken on a roller coaster of emotions and thrills. their interactions are really well written. you could picture every part of the scenes, the setting, the feelings, the atmosphere.
this was a book written for the time but somehow hit home and was relatable to us all today too.v obviously not all of us are spies in danger of course, lol. but you know what i mean, humans are humans...
i was hooked to the characters and the plot all the way through. i didn't want to put it down until i knew how the plot would play out and more importantly how our pair would fair.
i was skipping through these pages and just wanted more and more pages to turn. a great read, and great time had with this book.

⭐️Spoiler Free Review ⭐️

Thanks to @netgalley, the author & publishers for the ARC.

This was a dark and addictive book that I couldn't put down. It was fast-paced throughout & the FMC & MMC were intriguing and deeply troubled in their own way. There are trigger warnings associated with this book. There's lots of suspense and tension throughout and it isn't like your usual Regency-era book.
I've not read any of the author's previous books as I didn't realise this was part of a series, but you don't have to read them to follow, and I'll definitely give them a go.