Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen

I received a review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks. This in no way affected my opinions.


A very entertaining book full of romance, action, suspense and mystery.

Lord and Lady Smythe are both spies, but neither knows the other one is! Once Napoleon is captured, their services are no longer needed and they both reluctantly go back to 'normal' life. Problem is, the two are practically strangers, even after being married for a few years.

The two discover the secret identity of the other after being summoned by the prime minister to help discover who murdered his half-brother. The reward? Whoever finds the murderer gets to go back to spying full time, something the both of them want... desperately. Do they two work together or against each other?

Through the course of the investigation, the two get to know each other, in more ways than one. The dialogue was hilarious and witty, as the two argued over whose method to use. The two have very different strategies when it comes to investigations, and the two must learn to trust the other.

Lady Smythe was quite the awesome character, if I do say so myself. She needed no protecting, and no one could order her around, not even her husband. In fact, at one point, she practically laughed in his face when he 'ordered' her to do something. Of course, what impressed me the most was how skilled she was in fighting and wielding a knife. This was no simpering miss!

I would guess that this will be a series by the way the book ended. I sure hope so, this book was a lot of fun!

The Making of a Gentleman by Shana Galen

Book #2 in The Sons of the Revolution trilogy by Shana Galen. I loved the first one and this was another gem.

In the previous installment, the Duc de Valere, had rescued his brother Armand from a Paris prison where he had been held for 12 years. Now, in The Making of a Gentleman, Armand must learn to be around people again and to speak.

The family hires a tutor, a Miss Felicity Bennett, to help Armand. Felicity, the daughter of a vicar is harboring a little secret, a secret that leaves her no choice but to accept the position of tutor for a grown man, when she thought she was going to be governess to a small boy.

However, Armand is harboring a secret himself, but his is not so small. And this secret has found it's way to his family's front door as two men are seen sneaking around the residence, digging around in the garden and throwing bricks through windows. What do these men want? What is Armand hiding?

All eventually comes to a head, as does Armand and Felicity's love for each other. They find themselves in Paris and Armand has returned to the cell that was his home for 12 years in order to end this secret once and for all.

Like The Making of a Duchess, The Making of a Gentleman was a clever and evenly paced historical romance, dashed with some fast paced adventure. I enjoyed every word and can not wait for the third and final chapter in this intense saga.

The Making of a Duchess by Shana Galen

I received a review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks. This in no way affected my opinions.

The first book in a new series from Shana Galen and it was marvelous!

I was enraptured from the first page: 1789, French aristocrats fleeing from their home that has been set on fire.

Julien Harcourt, Duc de Valère was 13 years old when he escaped with his mother to England. His father was sent to the guillotine and his twin brothers thought dead. In the year 1801, Julien is 25 and has received word from a former servant that his brother Armand is still alive and plans immediately to to head to France to find him, risking his own life if caught.

Sarah Smith, an orphaned governess is summoned by her employer to work as a spy in the household of a former French aristocrat who is believed to be a traitor. She has two days to become Serafina, the daughter of French aristocrats who had mysteriously disappeared years before. Julien's mother is planning a match between Serafina and her son.

Once Sarah is embedded in the Harcourt household, she knows she's way over her head, but her employer has threatened to throw her out on the street if she didn't comply. She has no idea what she is doing, but begins to search for anything that can prove that the Duc is a traitor so she can get out and back to her charges, but she soon finds herself in the midst of an adventure she's not sure she wants to be in. However, it soon leads to finding out who she really is and finding out what is in the depths of her heart.

The Making of a Duchess was a fast read for me; I could not put it down. It has just the right amount of romance mixed with face-paced adventure that makes you hold your breath. I eagerly await the next book in the series!

Read an excerpt.