Game of Spies

Game of Spies by Pamela Mingle
Spies in Love #2

Gavin Cade is at loose ends and looking for “more” when Ryder approaches him with an opportunity to spy on Mary, Queen of Scots. He thinks a bit and knowing what he knows decides to take the offer. He is on the spot when Isabel Tait arrives as Mary’s new lady in waiting. Isabel is eager to be away from home and thus didn’t hesitate to take the position when it was offered. At 25 years of age she is “on the shelf” and a “burden” to her mother. Gavin, a widow who was cuckolded then lost his wife in childbirth, is not willing to trust again but interested in helping his country root out treason.

This book has intrigue, plots aplenty, attempted murder, accomplished murder, romance and more. I enjoyed the book and feel it was a bit more believable than the first book in the series. This book was based in fact and informative. I look forward to reading book three when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing-Amara for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

Sometimes You Can Judge a Book by the Cover

I had a sense, before I even cracked open the book, that something would not be not quite right with it. Unfortunately, I was correct. What tipped me off was the cover that clearly shows a woman in Victorian dress… yet the book is supposed to take place in Elizabethan England and Scotland. Within minutes of starting reading, I was a bit turned off by the use of modern phrases. While I don’t expect historical fiction to strictly adhere to the language of the times, it should at least not be riddled with so much modern phrasing. I never felt like I connected with the characters, and subsequently, I couldn’t come to care about what happened to them. They often seemed willful in the extreme, the heroine clinging to her naivete despite being supposedly very smart and the hero remaining married to his wrongheaded ideas even when consistently being shown where he erred. Neither of these characters seemed to be prepared (or even adequate) for the world in which they found themselves—the world of courtly intrigue—and watching them continually falter became tedious.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

The last thing Isabel wanted to do was marry, but she knew that was her only option since her mother was getting married again and did not seem to want her around. In an unexpected happening, she was asked to be a lady in waiting for Mary Queen of Scots. It seemed like a good idea and would save her from having to choose a husband! Isabel had never ventured anywhere, having lived a very shelted life so she was in for an adventure but it maybe not of the best sort!
Gavin Cade was ready for a change and when he was approached to spy on the Queen, he readily took up the mission. But he had to find a lady close to her and who should almost fall into his arms but the perfect woman, Isabel! Now he just had to get close to her and see if he could find out information that would prove the Queen did not have England’s best interest while visiting.
The author brings this period of history alive and leaving you with a lot of thoughts about the Queen. Isabel is so naive that it is painful at times, while Gavin is set to charm her and she begins to have feelings for him. The adventure begins as intrigue, murder plots and even an attempted kidnapping keep the story exciting.
Prepare to be entertained from the first page to the last and be left waiting for the next story in this series! Well done!

This is the second book in the series and more intense and complicated than the first. This book was much longer and had you guessing and waiting to see who the bad guys are. I enjoyed how Queen Mary was portrayed. The hero was very sweet with a big heart that had been hurt but realized he could have love again. Isabel also had her own struggles with her traumatic past and it was lovely how the two characters came together and found love. There were many characters to keep you reading. Well worth the read if you enjoy history and the story of Mary Queen of Scots. I received this book as an ARC.

When Isabel Tait is offered a position as a lady in waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots, it seems like a good opportunity for her to avoid a marriage she doesn’t want or being forced to live with a mother who doesn’t want her around. But life at court is nothing like she expected and Isabel has lived such a sheltered life that she’s inept at social maneuvering. The other ladies are immediately catty and when one man, Gavin, is kind to her, she finds herself drawn to him and noticing him in a physical sense as well. Isabel doesn’t know how to do anything the other ladies do and this, along with her unusual knowledge of languages and literature ensure she doesn’t fit in. Nothing is what she expected, including Gavin, to whom she finds herself growing ever closer in the lonely new world in which she finds herself.

Gavin Cade, with his Scottish mother and English father, can easily fit in on either side of the border. He’s been charged with covertly spying on Mary for Queen Elizabeth and believes shy, naive Isabel could be a great help to him. She seems just as susceptible to his charms as the other ladies have been, but soon his flirtation with her starts becoming all too real. Gavin begins to believe Isabel could be the one to restore him to his former self, the man he was before his late wife’s infidelities. But Isabel is a distraction from his true purpose and one he can ill afford.

This was my first read from this author and it took me awhile to get used to the writing style and forms of address used. The writing itself was fine, but the pacing was a bit slow. I had trouble getting into this one and staying interested enough to finish it. It annoyed me that Isabel’s intelligence is lauded repeatedly and yet she was completely clueless as to Gavin’s true purpose and failed to make sense of observations and information that was readily available to her, despite the fact that she’s also repeatedly described as being super observant. I can also see why she was hesitant around Gavin given how wishy-washy he was with her. Despite her tragic backstory, I still couldn’t bring myself to like Isabel. Her sheltered and yet also very intelligent persona just wasn’t working for me and her insistence on hanging on to her naive viewpoints, along with all the intrigue, got a bit tedious for me. Usually it’s mostly the heroine who gets on my nerves if I find a character annoying, but this hero irked me too. Both main characters were stubborn and self-focused, typical human flaws that should’ve just made them more genuine, but eventually both went to far to be believable for me: Gavin with his inability to trust his own feelings or judgments and Isabel with her willful naivete.

The plot was strong in potential but I found the pacing just didn’t quite hold my attention and I didn’t care for the main characters. Overall, this one was just okay for me, but I’ll still check out other works from this author.

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

I really enjoyed how this author put her own spin on Mary Queen of Scots’ story while she was imprisoned in various castles by her cousin Queen Elizabeth.

Isabel Tait finds herself as the new lady-in-waiting to Mary and feels much sympathy for the imprisoned queen. She also vows never to betray her or repeat anything told to her in confidence. Sadly, she is not treated very well by the other ladies-in-waiting and they take every opportunity to try to shame her. They soon find out that the “little mouse” can roar like a lion when pushed far enough!!

Gavin Cade has been sent to join Mary’s entourage to spy on her and try t get the proof that she is part of a plan to assassinate Queen Elizabeth! He notices that the new girl, Isabel, is being picked on by the other ladies so he makes up for it by being nice to her, even teaching her how to dance. He’s also hoping Isabel will relay what Mary tells her in confidence….THAT does not go well with Isabel!!!

This story is filled with intrigue, twists and turns, danger and love. I do highly recommend this book. I was given a copy of this book and am voluntarily giving my honest review.