The Gentleman Spy; Serendipity & Secrets, Book 2
by Erica Vetch
(Kregel Publications)
An outspoken young woman who doesn’t fit in with the people she knows; who prefers books to society; who meets a handsome and mysterious peer and falls in love.
No, this is not Belle from “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.” This is Lady Charlotte, the heroine in The Gentleman Spy, Book Two in New York Times best-selling author, Erica Vetsch’s delightful and captivating Serendipity & Secrets series.
About The Gentleman Spy
Readers first meet Marcus Haverly in “The Lost Lieutenant.” The charming younger son of the Duke of Haverly, Marcus has reconciled himself to being second in his parents’ affections and interest. He shows up in the strangest places, asking unusual questions that no one challenges, or they simply chalk up to his being a peer.
The Gentleman Spy picks up several months after the conclusion of Book One. Both Marcus’ father and older brother died in a carriage accident and his sister-in-law gave birth to a daughter, which leaves Marcus as the new Duke of Haverly. Marcus is not happy with his new title and responsibilities, as they both get in the way of his secret life: being a spy for the Crown.
His mother is determined that Marcus marry soon and plans to introduce him to a cadre of respectable and wealthy young debutantes. While attending several social event as the new duke, he meets Lady Charlotte Tiptree, a wallflower in her third season who obviously is under the crushing thumb of her parents. To thwart the plans of his scheming mother, the duke proposes to Lady Charlotte. She accepts in the determination of getting away from her unloving parents; Marcus’ plans to send his new bride to his country estate and then get on with his clandestine life.
However, Lady Charlotte is not the meek and mild young woman her parents forced her to portray. Before Marcus’ eyes, his wallflower wife blossoms into a beauty with a brilliant mind, a kind heart, and a determined spirit to help those who are in need.
Marcus is torn between his responsibilities to the Crown and his growing love for his new bride. When his secrets are threatened with exposure, will his new wife be an asset or a liability?
I have been a fan of Regency romances for nearly 40 years, having read all of Jane Austen’s novels, along with Georgette Heyer, Joan Smith, and others, along with several non-fiction books on life in the Regency period. Having adapted three of Jane Austen’s books into stagy plays, I understand the research necessary to write about the era.
Erica Vetsch has done a marvelous job with her first foray into the world of Regency England. Her story swings between the opulent lifestyle of the wealthy ton to the backstreets of London, where lives the poor, the ne’er-do-wells, women of low morals, and men of evil intent. Her characters are fully fleshed and the dialogue natural to the time period. She did an excellent job weaving characters’ faith into the story, making it believable and not preachy.
The story moves along at a rapid and compelling pace; I finished the 304 pages in less than four days.
Erica Vetsch adds enough information to make The Gentleman Spystand on its own. However, I do recommend reading The Lost Lieutenant first. It is a wonderful book and gives readers a bit more background for some of the people and situations mentioned in The Gentleman Spy. I personally plan to keep an eye out for the upcoming third in the series, The Endebted Earl, when it releases.
Learn more about Erica at www.ericavetsch.com/
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