Christi Caldwell is a MUST READ!! ~Mary Balogh, New York Times bestselling author And see why Tessa Dare says, “A Christi Caldwell book never fails to touch the heart.”In this spellbinding new Regency series by Christi Caldwell, The Heart of a Duke meets the Brethren of the Lords. The stakes are high and passions flare hot in Regency England! A widow with a past… The last thing Victoria Barrett, … last thing Victoria Barrett, the Viscountess Waters, has any interest in is romance. When the only man she’s ever loved was killed she endured an arranged marriage to a cruel man in order to survive. Now widowed, her only focus is on clearing her son’s name from the charge of murder. That is until the love of her life returns from the grave.
A leader of a once great agency… Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter head of the Crown’s elite organization, The Brethren, is back on British soil. Captured and tortured 20 years ago, he clung to memories of his first love until he could escape. Discovering she has married whilst he was captive, Nathaniel sets aside the distractions of love…until an unexpected case is thrust upon him– to solve the murder of the Viscount Waters. There is just one complication: the prime suspect’s mother is none other than Victoria, the woman he once loved with his very soul.
Secrets will be uncovered and passions rekindled. Victoria and Nathaniel must trust one another if they hope to start anew—in love and life. But will duty destroy their last chance?
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What’s not to love about a Christi Caldwell book? Once you read her, you will be hooked!
very enjoyable
The Spy Who Seduced Her is an outstanding historical romance by Christi Caldwell. Ms. Caldwell has given readers a well-written book populated with phenomenal characters. Nathaniel worked for the home office and was captured during a mission. When he returned he found the woman he wanted to marry had married another so he’s dedicated himself to the Brethren and climbed to the top of the agency. Victoria was pregnant and when Nathaniel didn’t return she knew he was dead and her father directed her to marry another. Nathaniel and Victoria’s story is packed with drama, humor, action, spice and suspense. I loved reading this book and look forward to reading more from Christi Caldwell in the future. The Spy Who Seduced Her is book 1 of The Brethren but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
His work with the Brethren came between their love and their future until her husband was murdered and suspicion came to her doorstep. Victoria was a strong woman who did what she needed to. I enjoyed the unconditional love for her children and complete belief in her son. Nathaniel survived a terrible fate but lost Victoria. He was so driven to seek out the truth of her husband’s death even through his hurt. I loved his willingness to look beyond the obvious to help Victoria. I cheered as things looked up for them. The narration by Tim Campbell held my interest while I traveled to and from work. I love listening to him.
This is my unsolicited review.
Wonderful! Life after 40 can be just as good as early 20s with the right partner! Thank you for this spectacular book.
Ms Caldwell’s new series is off to a wonderful start. Nathaniel Archer, spy for THE BRETHREN, is now Lord Exeter and Sovereign (its head). First introduced in LADY OF DECEPTION, Nathaniel has never stopped loving Lady Victoria, now the widow Viscountess Waters. Over 20 years ago, the two met and fell in love. It was always just one more mission for Nathaniel – and that last mission saw him captured and held prisoner, tortured, for 2 years. Victoria waited for him, but when she discovers she was with child, her father married her off to Viscount Waters. She endured 20 years of marriage to a cruel and abusive husband and adulterer. Now their paths cross once again as Andrew, Victoria’s son, is accused of murdering his father. Slowly, Victoria learns of the brutal torture Nathaniel endured and he learns the reason why Victoria married. He also discovers that Phoebe, Victoria’s first child, is his. Breaking every rule of his spy organization, Nathaniel and Victoria follow clues to discover the true murderer. A bittersweet romance where everything that could go wrong does, but true love never dies, and that love keeps both Victoria and Nathaniel alive with dreams from the past, never allowing life’s reality to change their nature. Beautiful love story for a world in desperate need!
I totally loved this story. It was filled with so much émotion! Victoria and Nathaniel will take us on a journey that will leave us breathless, frustrated, excited, scared but will also leave you happy and swooning.
What a lovely story! I really enjoyed these characters! Wonderful, moving story with a fabulous ending!!! Very talented author!
I don’t want to give away the entire story, but I will say that there is depth of the characters and their shared vs. separate stories that build on each other, as we learn what happened through their individual lives over many years. Our heroine married to give a legitimacy to her unborn love child, because the father never showed up and she thought he’d died. He never put two and two together and finding she had married, assumed that she was better off without knowing anything more about himself. The story could be almost like Romeo and Juliet, except no one really died. (You know, star-crossed lovers in a tragedy.) What makes this so different, is what happens to this couple so many years later. It is a touching and amazing love story in that they are no longer in their twenties, and she is in fact a grand-mother (a young grandmother) with adult children. Our hero is/was a lonely man living without a family. So it ends with the epilogue being a comical scene of condemnation by the adult children . . .which was absolutely precious. The time in which it took place allows for very interesting dynamics.
Long ago lovers reunited due to a murder, and working through the case apart and together while struggling to find a way together again.
While the plot itself was a little different, it seemed to take too long to divulge all the sufferings on both sides of the former couple. Once all the secrets were revealed, the plot moved along swimmingly with a satisfactory ending.
Love those strong women!
A wonderful book with a happy ending. There is always hope where there is love
A tragically sad story with a very happy ending
Question: Can the pieces of a forever love be picked up and put together twenty-four years later? Yes they can…but not without an extraordinary effort and true forgiveness.
As I read The Spy Who Seduced Her by Christi Caldwell I had mixed feelings. The first half of this well written and poignant tale was so very sad. I felt so sorry for Victoria and Nathaniel. Their emotions felt palatable and real. Then just past the half-way mark the story made a positive turn and hope began to shine forth. As I finished this book, which included an epilogue, I was smiling because of the overdue joy for the entire family.
Note to author: Great cover. I love it when the cover is accurate to the characters.
Content alert: There is some mild swearing and one mildly described sexually intimate scene.
Good read, liked the story
Good book
Well written.
Nice to read an Autumn Romance, that makes you feel like spring
I am amazed when an author can tell a story so well that I feel a part of their lives
In this hero falls in love again with the widowed heroine, the plot to find a murderer is nicely balanced with the romance of the hero and heroine.