Blistering seduction meets international intrigue in the Highlands as a veteran spy infiltrates the court of Mary, Queen of Scots. There he matches wits against a tantalizing enemy: his new wife. Simon Marcheford wants nothing more than to settle down on the land bestowed upon him by the English crown. Queen Elizabeth, however, is not about to let her best spy retire so easily. Simon will have … Simon will have his reward, she decrees, after he completes one last mission in Scotland. But no sooner has he sussed out a diabolical plot up North than Queen Mary weds him to her cousin—an exquisite beauty with troubled, soulful eyes—and orders Simon to watch her every move.
Aimee de Verris is no spy. But her life may depend on becoming one. Banished from the French court by Catherine de Medici, Aimee finds herself tasked with reporting on Queen Mary’s activities in Scotland, where she’s unnerved by the frigid weather and brutish customs. Worst of all, Aimee’s been married off to a most uncouth lout. But when murder strikes, she learns to appreciate Simon’s talent for shielding her with every inch of his muscular frame. If Aimee desires her husband, perhaps she could trust him—or even love him.
Look for all of Sharon Cullen’s delightful historical romances:
The All the Queen’s Spies series: WED TO A SPY | BOUND TO A SPY
The Secrets & Seduction series: THE NOTORIOUS LADY ANNE | LOVING THE EARL | PLEASING THE PIRATE | HIS SAVING GRACE | SEBASTIAN’S LADY SPY | THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS
The Highland Pride series: SUTHERLAND’S SECRET | MACLEAN’S PASSION | CAMPBELL’S REDEMPTION
Praise for Wed to a Spy
“The characters in this book were interesting and intriguing. The story was well written and sucked me in from the first page.”—Book Binge
“A captivating launch to the series.”—Publishers Weekly
“The character development was skillfully done, and the slow and sensual attraction between Simon and Aimee was slowly built and cleverly worked to perfection as Aimee discovered the difference between infatuation and true love.”—Color Me Read
Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
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I love the Elizabethan era and was intrigued when I read the description of this book. Simon Marcheford and two fellow spies travel to Mary, Queen of Scots, court. This is Simon’s last mission for Queen Elizabeth and he longs to retire from service and living quietly with his younger sister on his country estate. This dream is foiled when Queen Mary decrees that he should marry Aimee de Verris, a young French nobleman who was sent to Mary’s court by the diabolical Catherine de Medici to spy on Mary. Simon and Aimee find themselves wed within 24 hours and neither one of them is happy. When Rizzio, Queen Mary’s trusted advisor, is murdered in front of them, they must run for the lives before they are implicated in the murder plot.
I enjoyed this story although I thought Aimee was a bit immature for a young woman of twenty-one. Having grown up in the French court, she should have been more savvy and especially about why Catherine had sent her to Mary’s court. Her constant pining for Pierre got a bit old. Simon, on the other hand, was the consummate hero. He was kind, generous and cunning. He would protect his wife with every resource he had. I can imagine enduring the horrific details and the subsequent run for their lives would bring Simon and Aimee closer. That part of the story was very believable. I loved all the historical details woven into the story and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
My Thoughts:
I loved this intriguing tale fraught with spies, murder, intrigue and love.
This Elizabethan Era tale encompasses the courts of Catherine de Medici, Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth the Virgin Queen.
It is filled with spies, both experienced and novice.
Aimee has been sent from the French Court to the Court of Mary Queen of Scots to spy. Aimee is not a very good spy.
Simon is a veteran spy from the Court of Elizabeth. He intends to retire, but Elizabeth insists he must complete this one last assignment for her. He has just ferreted out the information that Elizabeth wants when Mary decrees he must marry Aimee, his enemy.
Does Mary suspect both of these courtly visitors of something nefarious?
If she does, it may show when she declares them both to be enemies of her crown and puts them on a list of people she intends to have executed.
The only way out of these dire circumstances is to flee for England.
Will these two spying enemies turned spouses find their way to love and their own happily ever after in spite of the machinations of these three Queens?
I gave this book 4.75 of 5 stars for character development and storyline and a sensual rating of 4 of 5 flames.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.