Lord Ashley’s Beautiful Alibi (Scarlett Affairs 1 )by Cerise Deland-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 21, 2024

He pretended he was her lover. She became his alibi…and his only love.

Augustine Bolton lives amid the social whirl and treachery of the stylish court of Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte. When Gus’s dearest friend, Amber, disappears, Gus must find her before the deputy chief of police finds Amber and carts her off to his bed—or to la Force.

But Gus’s means are few and her own duties as an agent in Amber’s network mean she is also suspect. Gus needs help.

Kane Whittington is just the man for the job.

He has worked for London merchant-cum-spymaster Scarlett Hawthorne for years and welcomes Scarlett’s call to build a large espionage network in Europe. His first task is to find the missing head of Scarlett’s espionage network.

The best person to help him is the lady’s best friend whom he’s never met. But when he sets eyes on ravishing Augustine Bolton in Josephine’s salon, Kane recognizes the black-haired beauty as the one he kissed years ago on the road to Malmaison during a botched abduction of Bonaparte.

Kane must persuade the beautiful Gus to allow him to help her. He suggests the cover for their escapade is simple: They show the gossipy Parisian court they enjoy a mad love affair. Thus, Gus gains an ally—and Kane acquires an alibi.

But Gus’s ally is a darling man whose kindness thrills her. His alibi is a brave, beautiful woman he cannot give up. Can they find a way to fulfill their missions—and join together to claim their love for a lifetime?

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REVIEW:I’ve only ever read one of this authors books before and I throughly enjoyed it.
So as this is a new series (one book so far, but lots more promised) I thought I’d give it a go…

Kane needs a way into a spy network, and by finding the head of the network will get him where he needs to be. But finding her proves tricky, he needs a cover story……

Augustine (or Gus to her friends) needs to find and rescue her best friend before she becomes a target of the chief of police (he’s got more than his eye on her friend!!) the help she needs requires stealth and guile. But where will she find the help she needs?

Their first meeting was years ago, a stolen kiss and a fond memory of one another. But they need to work together to find Amber, and get her back. But chemistry and sneaky looks at one another soon have the mission hanging in the balance! They are only suppose to play at being in love, it’s only suppose to be a cover! Try telling that to Gus and Kane 😝

An action/adventure story set in the past with a romance thrown in for good measure. A fast paced book that had me reading late into the night, couldn’t put it down! I needed to know what went on next…

Lots of twists and turns, with a few double deals and betrayals thrown in as well. Can Gus and Kane really trust one another? Or are they the only ones they can trust?

Liked how the author spent time on details. Set just before the Napoleonic war. The couple have to decide on wether they can trust one another. Kane is thinking of using Gus to extract the information he needs. It’s nothing personal at first. But spending more and more time with her, Kane struggles with his conscience and his growing admiration and affection for this young woman who isn’t afraid of going against society.

I did like Gus. Her attitude although in the past was very modern in those times. Marriage was basically slavey for the women. And powerful men could do what they liked! So marriage was never going to be on the cards for her.

History mixed with fiction, spies and intrigue. Lots of detail. Beautifully written and well thought out.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B 🦋