#BlogTour #Review – The Secret Life of a Lady by Darcy McGuire @rararesources #20booksofsummer24 (1/20)

Thanks for stopping by! I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for The Secret Life of a Lady by Darcy McGuire and sharing my review today. With thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invite to join the tour. Also thank you to the publisher and author for my copy via Netgalley. First things first let’s take a look at the description for the book…

Never Underestimate a wallflower!

Lady Hannah Simmons is a quintessential wallflower, unassuming, dowdy yet ignored by most. But underneath her plain exterior, Hannah is hiding a thrilling secret! Unbeknownst to the rest of the ton, she is Queen Victoria’s leading femme fatale, slipping unnoticed through the streets of London and listening to scandalous whispers from lords and ladies. But with daggers in her stockings and pistols in her pockets, Hannah’s mission is to apprehend a deadly killer.

Private Investigator to the Prime Minister, damaged, yet devastatingly handsome ex-war hero Duke Robert Killian always puts duty first. However, when he finds himself competing with the intriguing Lady Hannah on the same daring task, his blood boils with frustration – and desire! Is it possible to seduce this vexing woman whose not afraid to put herself in danger and achieve the upper hand?

Hannah enjoys Killian’s attempts to distract and tempt her, but she has never faced an adversary she couldn’t overthrow. And Killian has never met a challenge he couldn’t conquer…until now. The gauntlet has been thrown, can they finish their jobs and resist the temptation?

Keep your friends close…and your enemies even closer!

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/thesecretlifesocial

MY REVIEW

The premise for The Secret Life of a Lady had me intrigued and I couldn’t wait to start reading. So what did I think…

Well, first of all this book was fun! It was also intriguing and had a great, spicy romance at its heart. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, Hannah and Killian. They had a lot on their plate as they investigated a crime, were on the trail of a murderer and as they tried to ignore their fiery chemistry. There was just something about this pair that worked well.

Hannah is a great character, she is strong willed and knows her own mind. All of her interactions with Killian were entertaining from their very first meeting to all the verbal sparring that followed. They were well matched and both had pasts that had left marks. Killian made a strong hero, he’s determined but had a softer side that I thought was brought out with care. Let’s just say that I couldn’t help but root for them!

The plot itself moved at a good pace and for me the balance of the mystery and the romance was just right. I was invested in both aspects of the story but I have to say I found myself smiling at both Hannah and Killian often. At times I did want to shake my head at them but it all added an extra layer of tension and entertainment while reading. The minor characters also brought something to the story whether it was friendship or an element of suspicion.

All in all The Secret Life of a Lady was a wonderful story that had a little bit of everything. There was romance, spice and secrets. I really enjoyed it!

Author Bio

Darcy McGuire is an award-winning New Zealand-born writer now living in the Pacific Northwest. She will write a five-part Victorian romance series for Boldwood, focused on a group of ‘Deadly Damsels’. 

Social Media Links

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