The Secret Society of Governess Spies, #1
by Lindsay Lovise
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Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise is a historical romance and the first book in the Secret Society of Governess Spies series and the author’s debut.
A mysterious figure called The Dove uses her network of governess spies to hold citizens of the ton accountable for their crimes. Emily is a governess with a secret past who now works for The Dove. Zach is a former soldier who once came from nothing but became one of the wealthiest folks in London through gambling and good investments. He works for the city police department and is placed in charge of a case involving a serial murderer.
Firstly, I want to say that I was already hooked on the concept of this series so I was very excited going into the book. I really enjoyed the read, inhaling the last 75% in one day. The book is multi-POV, mostly shifting back and forth between Emily and Zach, but we do occasionally get a short POV from a side character.
I love a confident heroine, and I get that in spades with Emily. I felt like I knew and understood her better than I did Zach. He could have been fleshed out a bit more, so it would have been great to get more from his POV, especially regarding the main mystery of the book. It was great seeing two working class people at the forefront of a historical romance.
The handful of open-door steamy scenes were nice! I always appreciate authors who ensure their heroes ask for enthusiastic and explicit consent from their partners. Emily and Zach’s chemistry felt real to me and I greatly enjoyed their banter. None of the sexy scenes felt shoehorned into the plot; it all felt natural.
The hook for the next book in the series really got me, so I can’t wait for the next book in this series. This is a wonderful debut and I’m excited to read more from this author!
CW: murder, violence, child abuse (mentioned, in the past), spousal abuse
I received a copy of this book to review. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the complimentary eARC. All opinions contained herein are my own.
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