Customer Reviews

To Wed a Scandalous Spy (Royal Four, Book 1)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Celeste Bradley begins a new series (the Royal Four or the Quatre Royale) with "To Wed a Scandalous Spy," dealing with spying and intrigue in Regency-era England. This series features four intrepid heroes, all of noble, aristocratic blood, all committed to protecting the realm no matter the cost. "To Wed a Scandalous Spy" features the head of the Royal Four as hero, who bears the codename Cobra, and who is in reality Nathaniel Stonewall, the Earl of Reardon.

Readers were introduced to Reardon in "The Impostor" (Bradley's other Regency-spy series, the Liar's Club). In that book, Reardon had posed as a selfish, dissolute lord in order to infiltrate a group of French sympathisers, the Knights of the Lily. But that operation had left Reardon tarnished with the reputation of a traitor, and it was assumed by one and all (even his family) that the only reason he was never prosecuted for treason was because of his title. Ostracised and shunned, Reardon hasn't allowed the past to affect his work, even if he has been hurt by the reaction of family and one time friends. And now it looks as if one of the ex-members of the Knights, Forster, is back in England, bent of wreaking havoc again. But on the way to intercept and capture Forster, Reardon is felled in a country lane by a young lady with a slingshot. Trying to make up for her mistake, Miss Willa Trent, spends the night caring for a concussed Reardon, only to be discovered in the morning by her guardian. The upshot is that Reardon finds himself married to Willa. All at once, Reardon's life has become quite complicated, for not only is he a spy on a mission, but now he's also a spy with a wife he finds quite delectable -- a wife he'd like to appear a hero to, instead of the treasonous snake everyone assumes him to be! But can the Cobra afford to let go of the callous persona he has created?

While I enjoyed "To Wed a Scandalous Spy" on several levels, certain aspects of this novel (mostly the way things were tied up in the end) gave me pause. The book started off well, and Celeste Bradley did a good job of keeping things humming on an even and interesting vein. And then of course came that fatal last chapter in which certain things about Willa's family and past were revealed, and without going into plot-spoilers, all I can say is all those revelations just made no sense. For if they were true, than Willa's guardians behaved in a manner that could be termed as being completely irresponsible. That niggle aside, "To Wed a Scandalous Spy" was an entertaining read: the story was an interesting one, the hero was a fine and noble one, and the heroine, while a little scatty at first, will win approval because of her steadfast belief in Reardon. On the whole, an entertaining 3 1/2 star read.

(NOTE: I would recommend reading Celeste Bradley's Liar's Club books before this one b/c some of the supporting characters play an important role in this one, and the hero in this one plays important supporting roles in those as well.)

Ok, so Celeste Bradley novels aren't for everyone (I realized this when I notice only one or 2 of her books are stocked in B&N or not at all.) but I would recommend her at least ONCE (book 2 of the Liar's Club The Impostor is my favorite so far and on my DIK list). Her books are NOT easy breezy reads to just skim through - the plot and action is very rich and a very integral part of the novel - not just a setting for a romance.

Plot: Layered so well that it's easy to get sucked into it. The first 120 pages are about how the hero and heroine meet and they ride to his home while he's trying to spy on a villain. There are also two major plot twists near the 2nd half of the book that are related to the Liar's Club books, and I'd imagine that a reader couldn't fully appreciate them if they haven't read the Liar's books first....I was VERY excited when those twists happened, but I don't want to spoil it. I love spy romances like this for all the dangerous elements that add to the story - not just a heroine wondering, "oh, does he love me?" And I'll always declare that Celeste Bradley writes the BEST flashback scenes I've ever read in romances - I feel like I get transported back in time whereas with other novels reading a flashback scene can feel like the plot is stumbling blindly through the pages....

Characters: One thing I LOVE about Bradley's romances is that no two characters are the same - I distinctly remember the differences and personalities of EVERY character I've read in her books so far....Another thing - they don't ALWAYS get a long and live as one happy family - the way they intertwine reminds me of Kleypas' books only more clever - not all of the heroines are trusting friends right away when they first meet - and sure some of the heroes from previous books might be a bit jealous of the other heroes for certain reasons but not one of her characters is completely perfect and paragon w/ out a fault - they are VERY human and full of life and when I read about them I get totally drawn into her books. The heroine in this one seems a little scatter-brained but she's VERY smart with animals and biology. The hero (who has the spy alias "cobra") is told by the heroine that he is "just like a cobra" and at first he panics thinking that she's figured out his secret - but she explains to him that he's just sensitive and he'll puff-up if he's cornered but normally he just prefers a cool distance and he's rather harmless and reserved. I love the Great Aunt and the dress maid Lily that helps Willa prepare for Kitty's party - (I wish I had a "Lily" to help me with wardrobe!) Oh yeah - and all the villain's get their due punishment! :)

Final Grade: A very high B+ to a low A-
This one isn't on my Desert Island Keeper list but I keep all of Celeste Bradley's books anyway b/c of the smart writing and the rich plots and character development. If you enjoy Celeste Bradley's books or if you want a good regency spy romance - this one can't be missed!

This book was amazing. I really enjoy reading each one of her books for the simple fact that each character is unique to that book. So many authers get into rut where each character seems more like the last. Not with Bradley, she always weaves very intersting character with their own unique quirks. I loved how Willa had such a flighty nature and Nate so wanted to be the hero to her. Even the sex scenes were unique to this book and very steamy. While the plot line was a little unbelievable it still was so much fun to read I didn't mind. I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit. Bradley always delivers great characters, great dialoge and great fun. This book really lived up to her other ones.

I was thoroughly delighted and entertained by this novel. I've only read one other Bradley romance and don't remember much, other than that I was impressed that her heroine was more than just a brainless ninny.

I found the character of Willa to be so utterly enchanting. I laughed out loud many, many times while reading this novel. It was the perfect companion while stuck at home, ill in bed...even if the laughing out loud did sometimes bring on a coughing fit. While the novel's most basic plot (wounded man healed by love of a good woman) is pretty common, I find that some type of barebones plot is shared by almost all romances (perhaps one of the reasons i don't read them so much). However, i thought Bradley's dialogue was thoroughly engaging, and her characters were very amusing. Highly enjoyable mind candy.

This story grabbed my attention right away. It wasn't a real intense book but it was very enjoyable AND interesting enough that I read just about every line there was to read. (I tend to skim thru alot of books) There certainly was a great amount of humor which I loved and Willa was so cleverly funny that I found myself chuckling quite a bit throughout the book. Not an easy feat for someone hard to please. I am looking forward to the next installment...THE ROGUE. Sounds like another winner. This book(SPY) got me out of the reading doldrums. I've been following Ms. Bradley since her first book FALLEN, which I loved. I have not liked all of hers as much but reading TO WED A SCANDALOUS SPY was truly a delight!

I've decided to forgo a lengthy synopsis (which would eventually tell the major plot points of the story) and just write my opinions.

After a long awaited sitting with this book,(for I had several other books just waiting to be read) I finally got to it and without regret! The wait just made the story more enjoyable. One would assume that following his introduction and eventual downfall in The Imposter, Reardon's story would basically start off somber, with a down and out hero; of course, in essence, that is what he is but doesn't entirely play to that stereotype. Thankfully, Bradley didn't engulf the story with that problem and focused a bit more on the relationship between Reardon and Willa. Although his ostracized state was a character,a driving force if you will, in several instances, it didn't dampen the story. Their conversations, especially Willa's openness, definitely brought a lot of laughs and made the book more light-hearted. That's not to say that the books lacked any serious scenes; rather, it's more accurate to say that there was a combination of both.

I enjoyed this story through and through, hopefully the upcoming three will be just as entertaining.

because it seemed like a run of the mill regency. You know, the undercover patriot trying to protect the king, etc...and the ditzy miss. Well, the story isn't unique BUT the dialogue is the best I've read in a long time. It is very witty!! Willa, our orphaned miss, is really quick on the uptake. Not so usual in the 18th century. It compensated for any story flaws I contemplated. For a fun read, likeable characters, and many smiles, take a read. It's a keeper just for the writing. I gather ms bradley must be quite a spitfire herself to come up with willa and nathaniels' dialogue.

So, this author and series is AMAZING! This is the first book in The Royal Four series. I love the time period it is set in and the writing is fantastic. Granted the "romance" scenes are some of the most numerous in a single book that I have ever read, they are far from mundane and boring.

The characters captivate the readers throughout the book and their interactions range from cringe-worthy awkward to laugh-out-loud hysterical. Sometimes the reader wants to punch out Lord Reardon while other times you nearly wish to cry for his agonizing pain and forced decision between life and country. The dialogue is amazingly witty and entirely believeable. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone interested in delightfully witty, sexy, and relatable plotlines as well as characters.

This is the first book of the Royal Four a spinoff from the author's series the Liar's Club. Lord Nathanial Reardon, "Lord Treason", is the member of the Royal Four known as the Cobra. He let the ton believe he is a traitor to the crown to protect his mission to uncover a plot against his country. While in a small village chasing one of the real traitors, Nathanial is thrown from his horse after a hornets nest hit by Willa Trent's slingshot hits his horse. When he wakes up it is to find the young Miss has spent the entire night by his side and there is nothing to do but marry her. Of course, it isn't binding as a member of the ton must go through the reading of the banns or special license to marry. However, Nathanial is willing to do that. He can never have a real marriage and children anyway because they would be labeled as the family of a traitor. On their trip back to London, Nathanial finds he really likes Willa, she is intelligent and quite humorous and he is amused at her belief that she is a jinx to all her suitors. When Willa's attempts to bed her "husband" are refused, he reveals to her how the ton sees him as a traitor and that he will never allow the marriage to be real. Willa is outraged, she knows there is no way her husband is a traitor. Even after encountering the abuse the ton throws his way, she just becomes more and more in love with him every day. Before long, they are indeed romantically involved and when it becomes apparent that her husband is involved in something far more important than society's to-do's she is determined to reverse the ton's views on her husband.

I really enjoyed this story. It was never boring, always interesting and the characters are fun and believable. I also liked the way the author allowed Nathanial to show his emotions and his feelings for his family and how Willa grows to love him watching the emotional charades he goes through for the sake of country. Excellent start and I look forward to the rest of the series.

Although there were a few minor irritations, they had more to do with leftovers from The Charmer than with this book. So without that, I have to give this book 4 & 1/2 - 5 stars. I have long waited for Lord Reardon's story, and I was not disappointed -- a fact for which I am exceedingly glad after the low point of The Charmer.

Reardon (Nathaniel) and Willa are terrific individually and awesome together. The way their relationship started had me wondering, but Bradley pulled it out beautifully. Wit, plenty of emotion, exquisite romance, very sensual love scenes, and thrilling intrigue combine to make this book a splendid way to continue the characters and world begun with the Liars Club series and to initiate the Royal Four series. I am thrilled that Ethan Damont (the best character from The Charmer) is up in the next book.

So glad I bought this book. Happy reader, here.