A Captivatingly Spicy and Thrilling Historical Romance!
The Secret Life of a Lady
Historical Romance, Victorian Romance, Historical Mystery Romance
Boldwood Books
June 14, 2024
ebook, paperback, audiobook
278
The first in a BRAND NEW spicy historical romance series, featuring a cast of deadly damsels!
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!
‘All creatures deserve love, Hannah. And no woman should feel shame for her desires. Men certainly don’t.’
I could not put down The Secret Life of a Lady— a new release from Darcy McGuire. Equal parts historical romance and romantic suspense, The Secret Life of a Lady follows Hannah Simmons, a wallflower by day and the Queen’s investigator by night, as she races Robert Killian, a Duke of the peerage, to find the killer behind a string of dead women in caskets.
David Clode via Unsplash
Hannah is a unique woman. Under the patronage of a Duchess, Hannah has been trained in the arts of hand-to-hand combat as well as the use of knives, pistols, and the use of force by any means necessary. All of which comes in handy for her investigations. What Hannah doesn’t count on is that Robert Killian is also assigned this same case by the Prime Minister. Determined to outwit Killian, Hannah is relentless, showing up at every turn and causing Killian countless sleepless nights.
A woman steeped in her own darkness might understand his.
Unused to being thwarted in his own investigation, Killian is equally determined to come out on top. Driven by an unhealthy need for perfection, Killian is haunted by his past as part of the military. He also sees that working together with Hannah could be as effective—even if he is inexplicably drawn to the foul-mouthed wallflower.
Victorian Couple gif via Tenor
When Hannah and Killian (reluctantly on her part) team up, The Secret Life of a Lady truly begins to hit its stride. I truly felt for Hannah, because for as much as she’s been trained as an effective femme fatale, she’s woefully resigned to being a lowly wallflower for the rest of her days: no husband, no prospects, and dowdy dresses for the unforeseeable future. Of course, she cannot resist Killian, nor can he resist Hannah. Their fake relationship for the benefit of the investigation is threatened by each of them catching real feelings. And what fake relationship would be complete without some lessons in the bedroom? *swoon*
‘I would rather be destroyed by her than live with anyone else.’
The Secret Life of a Lady is completely unputdownable. Once the investigation plot reached its pinnacle, I could not read fast enough. Darcy McGuire’s storytelling is fast paced, brilliantly quippy, and effortlessly addicting. I adored getting to know the back stories of both Hannah and Killian and equally loved how they so carefully cherished the hurt that the other shared. The Secret Life of a Lady is an exquisite historical romance and one I whole-heartedly recommend!
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.
