Scan barcode
A review by cakt1991
Confessions of Lady Grace by Rachel Ann Smith
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a fair review. All opinions are my own.
To start off, I just wanted to offer a disclaimer that Confessions of Lady Grace is the first full-length book in the Agents of the Home Office I’ve read. I did read the introductory novel, Desires of Lady Elise, and do now own the rest of the series, but did not have time to read in order prior to picking up this one, due to my pressing reading schedule, with other ARCs and such, and did not want to neglect it solely for that reason, as I did take on the book in good faith.
I feel my reading experience did suffer for it, and will hopefully be able to do a reread and review of this once I’ve read the other books. I feel a character guide would have helped a newer reader, and while some of the “in-world” concepts could be grasped eventually, I feel there would have been more nuance if I were in on the overall arc of the series.
That said, the story is still fairly compelling, and the setup with Grace agreeing to marry the enemy’s son in exchange for saving Matthew was fresh and original, providing for a conflict unlike any I had seen before due to the uniquely specific stakes, and how both have complex issues with the other that aren’t just simple misunderstandings they let fester.
I’m curious as to what my thoughts will be once I have read it again, but thus far, I feel this is a fairly interesting story, and this series could be a new read for those who historical “secret agent” romances.
To start off, I just wanted to offer a disclaimer that Confessions of Lady Grace is the first full-length book in the Agents of the Home Office I’ve read. I did read the introductory novel, Desires of Lady Elise, and do now own the rest of the series, but did not have time to read in order prior to picking up this one, due to my pressing reading schedule, with other ARCs and such, and did not want to neglect it solely for that reason, as I did take on the book in good faith.
I feel my reading experience did suffer for it, and will hopefully be able to do a reread and review of this once I’ve read the other books. I feel a character guide would have helped a newer reader, and while some of the “in-world” concepts could be grasped eventually, I feel there would have been more nuance if I were in on the overall arc of the series.
That said, the story is still fairly compelling, and the setup with Grace agreeing to marry the enemy’s son in exchange for saving Matthew was fresh and original, providing for a conflict unlike any I had seen before due to the uniquely specific stakes, and how both have complex issues with the other that aren’t just simple misunderstandings they let fester.
I’m curious as to what my thoughts will be once I have read it again, but thus far, I feel this is a fairly interesting story, and this series could be a new read for those who historical “secret agent” romances.