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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Loved the characters!!! Hopefully the series will continue. Wonderful read!!!
It was a very captivating story. This is one tremendously enjoyable story keeps you wanting to read more with all the twists and turns abound, unexpected circumstances, unpredictable surprises.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Strong minded heroine and a good humored lord with a happy ending love story and a criminal to catch.
A book to read after heavy day at the office and one just want to sit back with some light reading and let the happiness return.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lady Anthea Balfour has never had much luck with eligible gentlemen. What’s more if they knew of her secret identity as a columnist they would not care for her at all. When something is amiss, Lady X will be the first to expose the scandal. She is outspoken and never makes that a secret but Lady X can not be exposed or more than sparks will fly.
George Bonneville, Earl of Streatham, cannot afford any distractions from his mission for the Crown. His work as a spy is dark, dangerous, and leaves no room for romance. George soon finds himself locked in a deadly game between three powerful lords. The winner will take Anthea’s hand. Fortunately, he is accustomed to coming out the winner at all costs.
This book contains danger and intrigue and a duel. Will George win Anthea’s hand or will one of the other pears come out the winner?
This is an entertaining read. I liked it from the first chapter. I would give this book 4.25 of 5.0 stars. I find Gemma Blackwood stories to be good but not excellent.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. This in no way affected my opinion of this read. I am voluntarily leaving a review and all thoughts are my own.
George, the Earl of Streatham found himself in some sticky situations as a spy, but Lady Anthea Balfour was just as bad in her search for stories for her secret gossip column. I thought she was foolish and stubborn at times. He came off as foolish at times too, but that was an act. There were several funny and intriguing moments in this Regency romance.
Lady Anthea Balfour has a secret, she is the mysterious newspaper writer, Lady X, who writes juicy tidbits about the Ton, anonymously…
When two different earls start to court her, though she is beautiful, charming, and a very good marital catch, she feels something is fishy…they don’t seem to be sincere. She decides to figure it out herself, when a third Earl, George Bonneville, Earl of Streathham, comes into the picture, things get complicated! Handsome, intelligent, eminently suitable, and secretly, an agent for the Crown, he is conducting an investigation which involves one of the other earls! I won’t give away any more, but being a huge fan of Regency tales, I enjoyed this book very much. Smartly written, with engaging characters, and spice and fun, you’ll be transported to London and the bright glitter of society of the time, and darkness hidden in plain sight, with a happy ending! I always love Gemma Blackwood books!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The second book in The Impossible Balfours series a well written story that kept me turning pages. This is Lady Anthea Balfour/Lady X who gets herself into trouble,and George Bonneville, Earl of Streatham who is there for her. There is suspense, drama, danger, villains,twists, turns, duels, and love. I enjoyed reading and want to read the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Intrigue, love, drama and bad breath! Toothbrushes anyone? A journalist and a super secret spy working to bring the same bad guy down but in their own way. But is kissing part of the job? Ha!
A wonderful story where the daughter/sister of a duke has three Earls all pursuing her at the same time. Each has their own motive, and love may not be there for any of them. However, could love develop? Could she learn to love any of the suitors? Would her brother allow any of them? And what of each motive? Can she uncover what is hidden while she protects her own lies?
Blackwood has masterfully written this spell-binding Regency Romance Spy thriller. George and Anthea both have secrets they dare not share, but their undeniable attraction puts it all at risk. Anthea is a brilliant well-read lady who intimidates most gentlemen and doesn’t really care, but once she meets her intellectual match she starts to realize there are more forces in play then she knew. George cultivates the his playboy Earl persona, but he has hidden depths; his work as a spy requires focus and routine risk-taking. Anthea barely tolerates her beaus, while secretly despising them, only to learn they are also playing deadly games. There are lots of twists and turns. The Last Earl Standing is a great read but be warned–don’t start reading it until you have several hours available because you will find it hard to put down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What happens when you cross a spy with a secretive lady who writes a popular column for the newspaper about the scandalous ton happenings? An explosive combination!
She is being wooed by two gentlemen which is a total surprise and is determined to find out why. He is on a mission and does not need a distraction, but as he finds her in danger, he is determined to protect and win her.
This story has everything you want to keep you entertained. Suspense, humor, villains, strong attraction and a journey to an happy ending not soon forgotten!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you enjoyed the first Balfour book “A Duke She Can’t Refuse” , you will love the continuation of the Balfour sibling’s stories. The plot was engaging from the first until a surprise at the end. Both George and Anthea are delightful characters and the villain is truly detestable. This is a perfect read on a cold winter night. While “The Last Earl Standing” can be read as a stand-alone book it is much more enjoyable to know the background by reading the first book. I loved both books and look forward to reading the stories of the other three sisters.
I received a free copy of this book from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Enjoyed this book greatly. Did not want to put it down until I finished it. Highly recommend taking the time to read about George and Anthena.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Anthea and George’s story was so entertaining.
A lady with a secret occupation sets out to find the truth to a puzzle and perhaps be placing herself in a great deal of trouble. Then a crown spy may need to find a way to help this lady. You will find all of this with-in this charming tale. Anthea and George’s story was so entertaining with a cast of characters that blended so well together you will be enjoying your visit to Merry Old England. It is a quick read and I highly recommend it as it is one of the better regency spy tale I have read. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
I loved, loved, loved Gemma Blackwood’s “The Last Earl Standing!” It is well written, an easy read, and keeps your interest. Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. While I wanted to go to the back of the book to see how it ended (yes, I am THAT kind of reader ), I resisted, and I am so glad I did as I was really surprised at how the plot unfolded. I liked how the author developed the personalities of the characters, and I hope to see the other Balfour sisters as the lead character in other books. I highly recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Clean, sweet, happily ever after. This is the second book in this series, and I enjoyed this one as much as the first. Well-written with just enough intrigue. Relationships progress a bit quickly for reality, but this doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the story. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this series and this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout in exchange for leaving an honest review. Thank you Gemma Blackwood.
This book was an excellent story, with intrigue, spies and plenty of romance it kept me interested from start to finish!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lady Anthea Balfour has a secret identity, one as the extremely popular columnist Lady X. Anthea has never had much luck with a suitor, gentlemen didn’t appreciate a Lady who spoke her mind after all, so when she not only has one but two Earl’s wanting to court her, she knows something is amiss. And it is up to Lady X to ferret out the scandal for her column.
George Bonneville, the Earl of Streatham, is on a mission for the Crown. The last thing he needs to distract him from his mission is Lady Anthea, although he is captivated by her and finds that he seeks her company more and more. When Anthea finds herself in danger after a column Lady X had written, George willingly steps in to protect her and is determined to win Anthea’s heart for his very own.
But as George’s mission turns deadly, will he survive to claim Anthea’s hand? And Anthea will stop at nothing to protect George from her own poor decision.
Really enjoyed this second book in The Impossible Balfours series and look forward to the next!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Last Earl Standing
Good characters and their very eventful story that causes lots of emotions as you follow along with them as they battle to find the truth and their heart’s desire
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Fun enjoyable read. Loved Anthea. Smart, funny, and intuitive. Anthea’s family is wonderful. She and her sisters are funny and smart, not the typical regency English misses. Anthea secretly writes a popular column in the paper about the aristocracy. She recently has two suitors who won’t take no. They have both proposed and she has turned them down but they keep courting her. Both have an agenda, but one is being watched by several undercover agents, both peers of the realm. And one of them George, the Earl of Streatham, suddenly sees Anthea at a ball and is smitten. By courting her he is killing two birds with one stone. Keeping an eye on Lord Wetherton, and keeping him away from Anthea. But what happens when Anthea and George find out they have been keeping secrets from each other? I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.