Secrets of Lady Lucy

(Agents Of The Home Office #1)

Rachel Ann Smith

Blake Gower, Earl of Devonton/Lady Lucy Stanford

secretsofladylucy-ras-1 — **Published:** September 18, 2019

My Rating: 5/5

BookBlurb

It’s never easy keeping secrets…

Only her desire to crush the Crown’s enemies could induce Lady Lucy Stanford to endure another Season. For years she has worked secretly for the Home Office, and she has come to London with one purpose: foil the attempted kidnapping of a highly valuable target, identity unknown. Inconveniently, Lord Harrington—Lucy’s brother and guardian—has other plans. He won’t be satisfied until she is at long last married.

He never forgets a face…

After years on the Continent, Blake Gower, Earl of Devonton, returns to England in need of a wife. He should not be surprised when his best friend Harrington’s sister recaptures his attention. But there’s more to the woman Lady Lucy has become than the delightful girl Blake remembers. When she takes an unexpected jaunt to the country during the height of the Season, Blake is determined to know why—and to discover all Lady Lucy’s secrets.

Unwilling to give up her patriotic mission for marriage, Lucy is conflicted when she meets the enigmatic Lord Devonton. She never expected to feel this way about a man again.

When the ransom demand comes due—will it be for Lady Lucy’s heart?

Review_RmA

Secrets of Lady Lucy is the first book in author Rachel Ann Smith’s debut series, Agents of The Home Office. It was an absolutely fantastic start and I look forward to more from this author and series!

Lady Lucy Stanford does have a secret… She’s a secret agent for the home office and assists them in creating and decoding messages. Blake Gower, Earl of Devonton is also an agent, but for the Foreign Office. He’s traveled the world and is relied upon for his cartography skills.

What a wonderful book to start out this series! Lucy is just twenty-two but considers herself practically on the shelf. After the death of her fiancé in the war, she hasn’t had to deal with the season and has avoided being pressured to marry. But her twin brother Matthew has decided she needs a husband this season. Unfortunately, no man has interested her since her fiancé. Then she meets Blake… I loved Blake! Blake has been infatuated with Lucy ever since he spent the holidays with her brother Matthew and family when he was just thirteen years old. Although they haven’t seen each other since that time, Matthew has had feelings for her ever since.

I really liked this couple! Lucy struggles with her reactions to Blake and the fact that she’s drawn to him. She’s not used to the feelings he provokes and finds herself thinking of him frequently. The banter and the chemistry between them was fun to watch as they get to know each other. Of course, besides the growing romance, we also have the fact that both Blake and Lucy along with several other characters are Agents for the Home Office and Foreign Office. The added mystery along with the fascinating secondary characters made this a fabulous read.

I really enjoyed Lucy & Blake’s story and was happy to see them finally get their HEA. This story had some fabulous secondary characters that I would love to see in future books. I definitely am looking forward to the next book and hoping to catch up with some of my favorite characters! Overall a great start to this new series!