A bluestocking with a secret nom de plume and a dashing spy compete to uncover a scandal – and their undeniable attraction puts all their secrets at risk.Lady Anthea Balfour has never had much luck with eligible gentlemen – and she’d have even less if they knew she was the infamous Lady X behind London’s most popular newspaper column. When not one but two wealthy earls suddenly insist on courting … earls suddenly insist on courting her, all her investigative instincts are on high alert. Something is amiss, and Lady X will be the first to expose the scandal.
The last thing she needs is a third earl’s attention distracting her from her task. Even if he happens to be the charming, handsome and mysterious Lord Streatham…
George Bonneville, Earl of Streatham, cannot afford any distractions from his secret mission for the Crown. His work as a spy is dark, dangerous, and leaves no room for romance. But when he meets the alluringly outspoken Anthea, their magnetic connection overturns all his plans.
George soon finds himself locked in a deadly game between three powerful lords. The winner will take Anthea’s hand – but only George can offer her the passion she deserves.
Fortunately, he is accustomed to winning. At any cost.
Now, if only he could discover the identity of that pesky Lady X who’s been slandering his name in the papers…
This is the second book in the series The Impossible Balfours. You do not have to read the other books to enjoy this one, but there are some connections between the books which will reward readers of the whole series.
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Sometimes you really can tell a book by its cover. That’s certainly the case with Gemma Blackwood’s The Last Earl Standing (The Impossible Balfours, Book 2). The cover is gorgeous and the book is actually even better. Frankly I loved the first The Impossible Balfours book, A Duke She Can’t Refuse (separately reviewed) so much that I would have purchased this one anyway, but still! I mean c’mon, a bluestocking with a secret nom de plume (she’s the Lady X who publishes the “must read” London gossip) and a dashing nobleman spy in a tale that’s actually Regency Period appropriate? That’s like catnip to me. That this tale is deliciously plotted and perfectly written – and has a perfect cast from Lady Anthea Balfour and George Bonneville, Earl of Streatham, on down – makes it all but irresistible, and easy to highly recommend.
Lady Anthea Balfour has never had much luck with eligible gentlemen – and she’d have even less if they knew she was the infamous Lady X behind London’s most popular newspaper column. When not one but two wealthy earls suddenly insist on courting her, all her investigative instincts are on high alert. Something is amiss, and Lady X will be the first to expose the scandal.
The last thing she needs is a third earl’s attention distracting her from her task, even if he happens to be the charming, handsome and mysterious George Bonneville Earl of Streatham.
George cannot afford any distractions from his secret mission for the Crown. His work as a spy is dark, dangerous, and leaves no room for romance. But when he meets the alluringly outspoken Anthea, their magnetic connection overturns all his plans.
A charming engrossing read that held my interest all the way through. I loved both Anthea & George, there was an instant connection the first time they met & the attraction grew in leaps & bounds. Both were intelligent & complimented each other although sparks did fly at times. There was a villain, a theft & Lady X all to be resolved. I’m loving the Balfour siblings & look forward to all of them having their stories
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This story is about Anthea and George. Anthea is a duke’s sister who finds herself with 2 gentlemen trying to get her attention. She is not sure why they are interested in her. George is a secret agent for the Crown and is on an assignment investigating one of the men who is paying Anthea attention. So now George is an addition to one of Anthea gentlemen. This story has love and intrigue, it is a clean romance. It was a well written story which I enjoyed very much.
I received a free copy of this book from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you’re in the mood for a light romance with some humor with a wee bit of mystery, I can recommend this. It is short, has good dialog and had me grinning through most of it. The Balfours are not a dysfunctional family; the unmarried sisters take liberties wherever they can which makes for an entertaining story.
Why the sudden interest in Anthea? Much is not as it seems.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Throughout this story Lady Anthea and George work together to solve a mystery but what goes on between them while they do that is really amusing at times and at others it is intriguing and believable and these things make this stand-alone worth reading.
She is Lady X, the writer who finds out the most scandalous happenings and reveals them in her writings and George is a spy. Together they are a formidable pair.
I loved both of their personalities and their strengths and weaknesses are shown very clearly. Both have a passion for life and for correcting wrongs and the way in which they go about doing this is most entertaining and for these reasons I am recommending this story as a ‘must read’!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.