“This regency spy romance is filled with intrigue, suspense, and a hero who could make the hardest of hearts swoon.” —InD’Tale Magazine“An incredibly satisfying read . . . highly recommend” —Readers’ Favorite ★★★★★“The swoon is strong with this one . . .”—Katie’s Clean Book CollectionA traitor with a deadly plan. Two agents sent to expose his identity before he strikes. But danger is closer … . .”—Katie’s Clean Book Collection
A traitor with a deadly plan. Two agents sent to expose his identity before he strikes. But danger is closer than they think . . .
Lord Christian Wolverton―known as Wolf in a covert group operating during the war against Napoleon―has been called home from his military duties. For the moment, his family responsibilities require him to suspend his more clandestine activities. But information falls into his hands that a traitor will soon try to tip the scales back into French favor and Christian doesn’t have much time to stop it from happening.
Going to the one person who can help him, the powerful Duke of Huntingdon, Christian comes face to face with Lady Alice. She’s a beautiful member of the ton with a very big secret―she’s also a trained agent and already on the case. Forced to partner with her to lure the traitor out of hiding, Christian wants to quickly close the case himself, before Lady Alice is more closely involved. But Lady Alice has ideas of her own and she’s going to prove her theories correct―with or without him.
Danger is closer than they think, however, and it’s a race against time to expose the traitor’s identity before British lives are endangered. Both Christian and Alice have strong opinions on who he is, but which one will be proven right?
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WHAT IT’S ABOUT
A traitor with a deadly plan. Two agents sent to expose his identity before he strikes. But danger is closer than they think . . .
MY TAKE
What a fun story! I’ve read several of Bellon’s contemporary military romantic suspense stories and really enjoyed them. This was the first historical of hers and wasn’t disappointed.
Lady Alice has decided she’s not interested in marrying. And once you realize she’s a trained spy, working under the order of her father (a duke), I understood. What man in her time would care for a wife as capable and intelligent as she, when all he’d want is a nice dowry and a pretty (and quiet) lady on his arm.
So you can understand why Christian, recently home from the war and having lost his older brother and should have inherited the title. When he first enters society upon his return, he’s faced with a very inquisitive woman. He warns her to take care when she follows a man she wishes to question. Then someone takes a shot at her. Or is it him?
A wonderful mystery ensues with both Alice and Christian working together … and falling in love.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job!
A little mystery, some clean romance, a dashing hero, and a spunky heroine…If you want to escape to another world for a few hours, this book is perfect for you. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Lady Alice was quite gutsy for the time period; spending time with men who could be traitors and murders, being shot at, chasing after threatening men with knives, escaping bonds her kidnappers tied her up with, and fighting in hand to hand combat to save the lives of her fellow secret agents. At first Christian Wolverton doesn’t believe she’s capable until he sees her in action. There was plenty of suspense as they work together to figure out who is trying to sell a list of secret British spies before it happens and without getting caught. I loved that Christian respected her work and despite his growing romantic feelings for her didn’t try to make her give it up. He was a swoon worthy hero and she was a strong heroine.
I loved the British Audible narrator with her English pronunciations of the words. She added plenty of drama and intensity in her tone with voice changes for the different characters that had me listening in at times with bated breath until the end.
“The Marquess Meets His Match” By: Julie Coulter Bellon Narrated by: Jessica Elisa Boyd
I found this to be a fun audio-book read. Not sure why I did not get totally caught up in this story. That said, I did enjoy trying to figure out the who that would be the real villain of the piece. But isn’t that the point of a suspense story, and then there was the romance side and the question of whether it would grow or die on the vine, so to speak. If the description caught your eye. Then I do believe you will enjoy this clean romance and suspense story. Happy Reading ! !
Note: I received a free download code from the author, with the hope I would write an honest review in return. And, this is my honest review.
This was a fun book to read and listen too. I read a lot of regency but this one had the suspense and action that made it unique. I very much enjoyed it and look forward to more in the series.
Story: 5 stars
Delightful, as long as you aren’t a Regency purist. (Would a Duke actually allow his daughter to train with knives and be a part of a group of spies? I find doubtful, but no less fun!) This is Ms. Bellon’s first Regency book that I’ve read and I truly enjoyed the strong heroine and the hero who isn’t threatened by a strong woman. Interesting interactions between the characters and it really is difficult to figure out who the villain truly is.
Narration: 4.5 stars
I love Jessica Elisa Boyd’s narrations. I’ve heard her narrate a number of books and I enjoy her every time. She has enough ‘voices’ in her repertoire to add variation to the narration and her male voices are low enough to sound male. She has good cadence and expression and is a joy to listen to!
*poor, **ok, ***good, ****very good, *****something special
Known for her military suspense with a touch a romance, Julie Coulter Bellon has turned her skills toward Regency romance! Such a fun romance set in the Regency era, with plenty of spy drama and action, and awesome chemistry to boot.
This book was a lot of fun to read. It is a Regency Romance with intrigue. A spy group is in danger of being exposed to the French. Two agents join forces to find the traitor who plans to sell them out. Of course, the agents are a man and a woman. It was great to see their interplay, growth of their relationship, and the general misunderstandings and mayhem that ensued.
The characters were wonderful. Alice is a poised Lady and uses her position to gather information that leaves the interrogated unaware of what they have revealed. It is truly a pleasure to see her at work. Her partner is “Wolf” an agent who served during the war and is known for his tracking ability. The two of them are talented and work well together. I loved the romantic tension between.
I am looking forward to reading more Regency novels from Julie Coulter Bellon!
The book contains mild kissing and non-graphic violence.
What a fun romp this book is! There is mystery, intrigue, danger and yes, a growing romance. Lady Alice is fantastic- a trained secret agent with plenty of moxie. She is strong, brave and smart but also very feminine and classy. She felt like the perfect heroine to me. I love how she stands her ground with Lord Wolverton and how much he grows to respect and enjoy that. 😉
The story was entertaining, the plot moved at a great pace and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.
Content: mild peril, mild violence, kissing
I loved this book! I was dragged into the story from the very beginning. And I didn’t want to stop reading. I was able to start and finish this one the very same day. It’s just so engaging!
Lady Alice is a great character. I loved how she was just gifted as a spy. She was a bit reckless, that just added to her charm. Who doesn’t want to imagine that they are a member of the ton, get to wear fancy dresses and be a spy on top of that?! I loved being able to see things through her eyes.
Then there’s Lord Wolverton or Christian. I liked that he was constantly watching out for Lady Alice, even when she didn’t need it. He was smart, he figures things out on his own at the end of the book. Even before it’s revealed to the reader. I loved that! It’s always nice to get points of view from the hero as well as the heroine. And I love when they kind of match in skill. That’s the case in this one.
If you like Regency books, you’ll love this one with the spy and romance twist! I loved it!
A wonderful storyline with a female spy playing an integral part. The story drew me in, and I didn’t want to put it down. The characters were wonderful and realistic. Includes a little romance to spice up the story.
Lady Alice Huntingdon is a member of her father’s group of spies, know as the Falcon Group. Lord Christian Wolverton (the Wolf) is too, and they are paired together to stop a traitor from turning secrets over to the French at the Huntingdon family’s house party.
I liked the book overall. Julie’s writing style is easy to follow, not overwrought but just descriptive enough. If you’re paying attention, the bad guy becomes obvious fairly quickly, but you keep wondering until the end if you’ve gotten it right. I liked how the two of them learn to get along and respect each other’s abilities. There’s a bit of humor in their banter too. It’s not Agatha Christie, but it is and enjoyable and quick read. Any book that leaves me with a smile on my face is a good book to have in my library.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes I hold a story to high standards and expect it to be realistic. However, this book, with a lady of the ton who is also a spy in the Regency times, was the perfect element of fiction to top off a wonderfully delicious tale.
Alice is a delightful character. Under the tutelage of her father, she’s the perfect spy to infiltrate the organization to unearth the traitor in their midst. She’s sweet; she’s tough; she’s demure, with near perfect manners, and she’s terribly good at what she does. When “The Wolf,” otherwise known as Christian, comes into the scene, well…the match has been met and the sparks fly in all the ways imaginable.
The adventure, danger, romance, and mystery were wrapped up in an entertaining plot that sucked me right in and I couldn’t put it down. The swoon is strong with this one, and there were times when I couldn’t help but to smile, laugh, and squirm in some of the uncomfortable situations. I’m looking forward to the next book!
Content: mild romance; mild violence/moments of danger
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
I love this book. The main characters were strong and likeable. The mystery was, well, mysterious and kept me wondering. And the romance was just perfect. I received this book for free for an honest review but don’t let that fool you. I cannot be bought and I don’t give great reviews to just anyone so pick it up and settle back. I’m certain you’ll like it.
The Marquess Meets His Match is a fun read! Yes, I had to look past the unlikelihood of a member of the ton being a spy; but it was so worth it. The characters are very likable. Julie Coulter Bellon draws them so well that it’s easy to get pulled into the story and feel the characters’ emotions. The plot had some twists and turns and moves along at a good pace. There’s some subtle humor in the book and a perfect HEA. I plan to read the next book that’s about the heroine’s best friend. I would recommend this to clean/wholesome Regency romance readers and to romantic suspense readers. I received an ARC. I chose to write a review and share my opinion of this delightful tale.
A fantastic read. This read grabs you right from the first page to the last. She is a trained agent on assignment. Can she solve the problem. This is a very well written story that just jumps off the pages. Its a real page turner, that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I definitely recommend this read.
Shauna Joesten
Brilliant story. Julian Coulter Bellon is one of my favorite authors. His is my first audiobook with Jessica Elise Boyd narrating and she does a phenomenal job with all the characters. The characters are very well constructed and the have depth and chemistry. There are many twists and turns to this historical story with action and adventure. This has a great plot and I enjoyed it very much. I was given a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Honor and duty compel the marquees to succeed in his mission to reveal a traitor to the crown. Alice is efficient and charming in her character. This story has undeniable passion between the marquees and Alice together they are clever and formidable. The story has an interesting plot line of war and it’s after effects. This is a thought provoking inspiring tale to read and re-read.
This was a very enjoyable romantic mystery. Christian and Alice were intriguing from the start, both being secret agents for the crown. Alice was everything a refined lady should be with her secret well hidden from everyone. Christian, having returned from war in France after the death of his brother is now the rightful heir and his father is nearing death. Both of them are caught up in a mystery that must quickly be solved. The romantic tension between them builds quickly but sweetly amidst the growing mystery.
I very much enjoyed this story…the first one I have read by this author — and I definitely hope to read the next one in the series which includes a character we have met in this book. Perhaps there will also be some updates on Christian and Alice.
Absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. Julie is a true gifted writer who creates characters the are unforgettable!