Love is an Adventure

Susanna Craig is back with the second adventure in her wonderful Love and Let Spy series. As a widowed Countess, Amanda is not given the freedom of an exciting life, but a single book can change that. Langley, aka the Magpie, is driven by his job and this particular one is complicated by a charming lady. When the missing book unearths a traitor, they both must work together to find a missing spy and protect Amanda’s family. There is no question both Amanda and Langley are suited for each other. Amanda is exceedingly understanding about Langley’s profession, and finds a stable ground in which Langley can find a safe retirement. Langley is entirely a gentleman throughout this book. He quickly defers to Amanda’s judgment regarding her two kids, and is determined to help her regain control of her life on her terms. I especially like the addition of Langley needing glasses, which adds a humanizing quality to Susanna Craig’s books. As well as emphasize that not all romances are love at first sight. Susanna Craig's writing is enjoyable to read, and this is a well-paced book. With plenty of steamy romance, and Jane Austen like flair. I appreciate that the standard romance genre “misunderstanding” was mild, and easily resolved by mutual empathy. General Scott is still up to his matchmaking mischief, and I look forward to the hunt for Lady Sterling. ( )

One Thing Leads to a Lover by Susanna Craig
Love and Let Spy #2

Wonderful way to escape! Thoroughly enjoyed this book that might not be very realistic but was definitely a fun and engaging read!

What I liked:
* Amanda: good mother, good wife-widowed, good daughter, complies with societal rules, non-assertive, bored, wants “more” – ripe for…what is coming her way.
* Magpie: major, spy, knight, mimic, good with disguises, more than he appears to be, interesting past, carrying heavy guilt, a good man – deserving of so much more.
* Major Zebadiah Scott: spymaster, matchmaker, interesting, good man, looks out for his operatives, likable.
* Jamie and Philip: Amanda’s sons, loving, intelligent, opposites, added something special to the story
* Mrs. West: Amanda’s mother, caring, overprotective, controlling, loving, put society before her daughter’s wellbeing (in my opinion)
* The plot, writing, and series
* The romance as it grew between the main characters…so much fun! Both Amanda and Langley were matched well, both said what they thought and acted assertively to achieve their goals in life and in their relationship.
* That neither of the main characters were easily cowed by the other
* The growth in both characters
* It made me smile and care and hope there would be a happy ending for everyone
* Hearing about the other spies and people working with The Magpie…wondering about them, would Hopkins be okay, Fanny, Collins, Jeremy, and others – hope to hear about them in the future.
* The intriguing snippet that is a lead into the next book
* That this book stands alone and is not a cliffhanger
* The smile it left on my face when I finished the book.
* All of it except…

What I didn’t like:
* Those I was meant not to like…they were easy to dislike and wish the worst upon

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Lyrical for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. One Thing Leads to A Lover is the second book in Susanna Craig’s engaging Love and Let Spy series. When one of his fellow agents is compromised, Sir Langley Stanhope, aka Magpie, is sent to retrieve a codebook that the agent passed to an unsuspecting Amanda Bartlett, Countess of Kingston, to avoid it falling into enemy hands. What should have been a simple exchange becomes complicated, and in order to protect Amanda and her family, Major Stanhope becomes part of the household. I enjoyed this story and its twists and turns. While the Amanda, at the beginning of the book, was a passive creature allowing others to walk all over her and control her life, she grew into a much stronger character over the story's arc, as did Sir Langley.
Steam Level: Medium Publishing Date: April 6, 2020. #OneThingLeadsToALover #SusannaCraig #KensingtonBooks #LyricalPress #HistoricalRomance #bookstagram #bookstagramer #HistoricalMystery ( )