Reviewer: Tracy Wed to a Spy by Sharon Cullen
Series: All the Queen's Spies #1
Also in this series: Bound to a Spy, Lost to a Spy (All the Queen's Spies #3)
Publisher: Loveswept
Publication Date: May 23rd 2017
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Series Rating:
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 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.
Simon is an English spy in Queen Mary’s court in Scotland via his assignment in Spain. He’s asked by the Queen to keep an eye on Aimee de Verris as Mary believes her to be a spy. While Simon thinks that Aimee’s beautiful he has no true interest in her – nor her in him. That doesn’t stop Queen Mary from ordering them to get married. What? Yep, the next day they’re married and neither is happy about it.
Aimee was raised by her aunt, Catherine de Medici, in the French court. She fell in love with a man but when they were caught in an embrace Catherine sent Aimee to Scotland. Catherine told Aimee that she needed to spy and if she succeeds then Catherine would let Aimee and her man be together. Of course because Aimee believes herself to be in love with a man in France the last thing she wants to do is marry someone else. Though she fights it she ends up marrying Simon. She likes the man but the thought of being married to anyone but her love and an Englishman to boot is horrible.
Aimee and Simon try to deal with their marriage as best they can but when someone is killed in Queen Mary’s court they have to hide and then escape to save their own lives. While in this dire situation they get to know each other and realize that maybe they can learn to love each other.
While this book blurb was based on two spies coming together we soon learned that Aimee wasn’t anywhere near being a spy. She was just a young girl who had been played by her aunt. I felt horrible for her for being so used by both Catherine and in the end, Queen Mary. She had just wanted to be left alone to be with her man, Pierre. I was happy that she soon realized that what she thought was love with Pierre was just an infatuation and that Simon was a man she could love – and then fell in love with him.
Simon was a great guy who just wanted to be left alone to raise his young sister in the country. His Queen had tasked him with one last mission and he never imagined where it would lead him – into matrimony. The more time he spent with Aimee the more he liked her and soon found himself in love. He was a good man and I was thrilled that he found love with Aimee, even if it was unexpected.
The characters in this book were interesting and intriguing. The story was well written and sucked me in from the first page. My one issue with the story is that the falling in love happened really quickly. I loved that they fell in love I just wish it would have happened a bit slower – a minor issue, really.
Overall I enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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