The Heroine
Jessamine was in love with a man her parents didn't approve of, so they paid him to go away, leaving Jess devastated and angry. She vowed never to marry to spit her parents. So she devoted herself to the prospect of spinsterhood and avoided all the men her mother pushed at her. Jess is very smart and stumbled upon an opportunity to decode messages which led to her being asked to assist the Foreign Office in a case that involved secret, coded messages. But being partnered with Dougal is rattling her and pretending marriage is all too easy and real. She starts to realize that maybe she would be lonely in her spinsterhood and that she has some pretty strong feelings for Dougal.

I liked Jess quite a bit, however I was a little frustrated at her drive to be a spinster, even with Dougal since she was clearly attracted to him, he was a kind man, and she had been attracted to him for years. I was hoping she wouldn't resist as much as she did.

The Hero
Dougal MacNair has been serving the Foreign Office for years, but, with the death of his brother, he will need to step down from serving and become the Viscount Fallin. The prospect of that is not appealing in the least and he is angry about it, sad about the death of his brother and battling two failed missions. Dougal has always completed his missions alone, but having to work with the beautiful Jess isn't so bad until he can't stop thinking about her. He never planned on getting married, but with becoming the heir, he will need to marry and produce an heir.

The Plot
Neither Jess nor Dougal planned or even wanted to get married, but pretending to be a married couple comes to easily as does their attraction to each other. I was disappointed that their mission only lasted a few days and small part of the story. I was hoping it would be a bit more of an adventure, but it started and stopped abruptly without any real drama. I kept thinking they were going to find something or get caught or that Jess would have reason to suspect Dougal of being a double agent. But, alas, nothing. When they got back to London, I again thought maybe, maybe, someone they knew was the bad guy, someone I would never suspect. Or that Jess would be kidnapped by the couple they were investigating or the real double agent. But no. So although the romance and the plot were fine and I enjoyed it, I was bummed that there wasn't more adventure! More danger!

Tropes
Historical Romance, Georgian Era, Country Life, Season/Marriage Mart, Beta Hero, Detective/Agents to the Crown, Illegitimate Hero, Soldier/War Hero, Titled Hero, Detective Heroine, Spinster Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Fake Relationship, Workplace Romance, Forced Proximity, Sudden Nobility/Rags to Riches, Suspense/Danger/Murder ( )

Irresistible by Darcy Burke
The Phoenix Club #6

Spying, deciphering secret messages, pretend-marriage, and romance abound in this story of two people sent on a mission to determine whether or not treason is in play and if so, who the culprits might be.

What I liked:
* Returning to the world that centers around the Phoenix club
* Jess: a spinster wannabe, unwilling to marry as her parents wish her to do, great puzzle solver, seeks adventure, a bit of a bluestocking, and more beautiful than she thinks, she is rather taken with Dougal
* Dougal: spy for his government, loves his family – all of them, wears more than one hat-identify, plays parts well, rather taken with Jess, wants to find out why his last two missions went wrong
* Getting to see Evie and Lucien and finding out they have upcoming stories of their own to look forward to.
* The Chessmores: a delightful, quirky, amorous, and welcoming couple who were there for the “Smythes”
* The Smythes: two people playing a part that fall for one another…against their better judgements
* Dougal’s relatives Robbie and Robbie’s family – wonder if there could be a spinoff series for them?
* Dougal’s father: a good man that I would have liked to know more about
* Lady Pickering and Lord Kent/Torrance: rather in the background but intriguing people
* What Jess found in the translation of the Chessmores’ letters
* Wondering if Kat will show up in a future book
* That Dougal and Jess did eventually manage their HEA
* Knowing that there are at least two more books to look forward to in this series

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like…but for the most part this was an easy feel-good story

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

Lord Dougal MacNair has spent his adulthood in service to his country. First, as a member of the Black Watch during the wars with Napoleon, then as an agent of the Home Office. Now, his life has been turned upside down with the death of his older brother Alistair. Dougal had played so many roles that he didn’t know who he was any longer. He didn’t deal with emotions, he just pushed them down deep and assumed whatever role he was playing at the moment. With Alistair’s passing, Dougal has to assume yet another role – that of Viscount Fallin, heir to the Earl of Stirling.

Jessamine Goodfellow has spent the last six seasons avoiding marriage. She’s happily looking forward to becoming an independent spinster. Not only is Jessamine lovely, but she is also an amazing cryptographer and the Home Office wants to use her skills. However, as a young, genteel, lady, she can’t just flit around the country to decrypt messages. Working from home works well – until they need her to go on a very important mission. As an inexperienced agent, she needed a partner – and not only that – the partner agent was a male whom she also had to investigate. Oh! What tangled webs we weave.

Dougal has never worked with a partner before and he doesn’t want one now – not for what will most likely be his last mission. He also doesn’t want to leave London at the moment because he wants to finish his investigation into what went wrong with his last two missions.

I liked Dougal and Jessamine, but the supporting characters were my favorites – especially Gil and Mary who are definitely originals. I thought the author did a nice job of presenting a story where a mixed-race (black/white) man would become an Earl during the Regency period.

This story was slower-paced than some in the series – definitely no exciting chases across the countryside. However, while it drags a bit in spots, it was a nice steamy read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )