Darcy McGuire’s The Confessions of a Lady is a smart, sensuous and scintillating Victorian historical romance that is so much fun!

Penny Smith might look like the perfect unobtrusive housemaid always willing to go the extra mile for her employer by catering to his every need. But she has a secret – she’s a spy sent by the prime minister to gather intel on a suspected member of the Devil’s Sons. Only when she meets the marquess in question, Lord William Renquist defies her every expectation – and sets her pulse racing in ways she never imagined! But little does Penny realise that William has secrets of his own…

Secret spy to Queen Victoria, Liam must infiltrate the Devil’s Sons and tear the brotherhood from the inside out. Bringing the evil men to justice will help atone for his family’s dark sins, however, he hadn’t counted on a housemaid who defies orders and who always seems to be in the right place at the wrong time!

As tensions rise and feelings escalate at a masked ball, Penny and Liam realise that the only way they can defeat their enemies is by working together, trusting one another and resisting temptation. But the latter soon proves to be easier said than done…

An upstairs/downstairs historical romance that sizzles with witty banter, incendiary chemistry and red-hot sensuality, The Confessions of a Lady by Darcy McGuire is a fast-paced and high stakes page-turner with a resourceful heroine readers will root for and a swoon-worthy hero they will fall head over heels in love with.

Darcy McGuire never fails to pen exquisite historical romances that leave readers with a massive grin on their faces and she has done it again with The Confessions of a Lady.

This was my first book from the author and I didn't realize it was the third one in a series. I quite enjoyed this! The chemistry and banter between Penny and Lord William was well executed. It took me a bit to read not because it was slow by any means but rather due to IRL events.

I must say, this is also the first time I've read a book in this setting, much like Bridgerton. The writing kept me engaged and I absolutely loved the visuals and the effort that was put into the details, making it easy for a first time reader of this era to get into the groove of the story and feel immersed. Moreover, I appreciate how well done the relationship between an aristocrat and commoner was handled although, I would have enjoyed more focus on how societal views played a role in their courting phase.

Otherwise, well done! I will be checking out the previous books in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

Okay, are they a little dramatic and overwrought? Yes. Did I also have a very good time? Also yes.

Penny is a really interesting, enjoyable protagonist with a lot of historical context, humor, and personality. I really, really liked her. Liam is mostly good, but you know what really does not do it for me? Smashing a lot of stuff up in a rage. That sort of cooled me on Liam to be honest. I could still root for them, but with a lot more hesitation than I had for a lot of the book.

These two are the definition of "I hate that I like you" and there is a lot of genuinely amusing banter, as well as funny quips in their respective heads. They are also total horndogs. After meeting twice, they're halfway to smooching. But, I love a good romance, and the book was enjoyable enough for me to just find it funny rather than annoying.

Overall, it's a really fun historical romp. I didn't realize it was part of a series, but it wasn't an issue (I also now definitely need to pick up the other books). Have a great few hours with some general enjoyment! Three and a half stars, rounded up to four for Goodreads.

I loved this book! It had a lot of plot lines I enjoy — enemies to lovers, mystery, etc., plus a really smart and independent FMC. I really enjoyed Penny (it took me longer to warm up to Liam, but still). I enjoy this historical romance genre, and this had more action and suspense than they normally do!

This was cute but wholly predictable. 100% predictable. If there was just something more original, I would've loved it.

First I want to thank NetGalley for the ARC of this book. While it took me forever to get to I am so happy I did.

The forbidden romance, the thrill of finding the Devil’s Sons bosses, the fun quippy wit between the main characters, this was a fantastic read! I found myself truly rooting for Penny, our maid. And loved seeing Lord William (Liam) come into his own. I highly recommend if you enjoy historical pieces.

📖 Genre: Historical Romance, Victorian Spy Thriller ⭐ Rating: 4/5

📚 Overview
The Confessions of a Lady is the third installment in Darcy McGuire's "Queen's Deadly Damsels" series. Set in Victorian England, the novel follows Penny Smith, an illiterate housemaid with a tumultuous past, who becomes an undercover agent for the Prime Minister. Tasked with infiltrating the household of Lord William Renquist, Marquess of Stoneway, suspected of involvement with the nefarious Devil's Sons, Penny navigates a world of espionage, danger, and unexpected romance.

🧐 What I Loved
✔ Unique Protagonist: Penny's background as a housemaid and her evolution into a spy offer a fresh perspective in the historical romance genre. Her resilience and resourcefulness make her a compelling character.

✔ Engaging Blend of Genres: The fusion of historical romance with spy thriller elements creates a dynamic and suspenseful narrative that keeps readers invested.

✔ Authentic Victorian Setting: McGuire's meticulous attention to historical detail immerses readers in the Victorian era, enhancing the story's authenticity.

🤔 What Could Be Better
🔹 Character Development: While Penny is well-developed, some secondary characters, including Lord Renquist, could benefit from deeper exploration to enrich the narrative.

🔹 Pacing Variations: Certain plot points progress rapidly, potentially leaving readers desiring more gradual development in the romance and espionage elements.

✨ Final Thoughts
The Confessions of a Lady is a captivating addition to the "Queen's Deadly Damsels" series, offering a unique blend of romance and espionage set against a richly depicted Victorian backdrop. Penny's journey from a humble maid to a daring spy is both inspiring and entertaining, making this novel a worthwhile read for fans of historical romance with a twist.

📌 Would I recommend it? Yes, especially for readers who enjoy historical romance intertwined with elements of intrigue and adventure.

What I really liked about this book was that I got exactly what I was expecting. I was expecting romance, spice, intrigue and mystery, and that's what I got. What really put the icing on the cake was the discussion/ fears and angst associated with marrying someone outside of your class. Sometimes these types of books make this trope feel just a little too easy but not this book and I loved it. I also really enjoyed the friendship and found family aspects. Realising that you don't have to do things alone and that you can ask for help is a fabulous life lesson for us all. I look forward to continuing to read this series and find out who is behind the devil's sons.

Big thanks to Netgalley and @authordarcymcguire for a copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC

The Confessions of a Lady is the third book in this series and they continue to entertain and impress. What I love about this novel is our FMC. She's a maid who falls for the marquess which she works for. Everyone knows the aristocraty looks down at class difference marriages theresfore it made it more intriguing and forbidden. I also liked reading about a heroine that wasn't born into status and money. The romance was really good, though a bit quick. Otherwise I enjoyed the mystery aspect and how fast it read. An enjoyable historical romance

Fun upstairs downstairs historical romance. The author displayed a lot of the harsh realities of a women from a lower class at the time with Penny. Liam finally has his privilege checked as a marquee by her. Was kind of surprised Penny wasn’t given an accent considering she was supposed to be from st guile’s. The plot with the devils son moves forward from the previous book but this could be read as a standalone.

Rating: 3.8 /5
This book is perfect for those readers that, like me, love to read forbidden romance in historical settings. The class division is always a hit and this was no exception! Penny and Liam know that the stakes are high, but they can’t help themselves to feel that attraction as well as that if-possibility that is so reminiscent of old fairy tales. However, Penny is no Cinderella, nor she wants to be, and Liam is no Prince Charming which is what made their characters so interesting: they felt like real people trying to navigate as best as they could the constrictions of the 19th century society. Their dynamic was just delightful to read and the mystery plot just added even more engagement to it. I recommend reading the first two books to better understand the events & all the characters involved (I was confused at first because I started reading it as a standalone). Oh, and there is a little bit of spice there to heat things up.

The Confessions of a Lady is the third book in The Queen's Deadly Damsels series by Darcy McGuire. If you haven't read the first two books, you should still be able to pick this one up with no issue but I would still recommend picking the others up. Not only because this book has characters that crossover from those books but also because there is a plotline that winds through all of the books linking the series.

In this installment, our fmc is Penny Smith, a housemaid who easily blends into the background which is helpful in her current mission as she has been tasked to find evidence that the Marquess of Stoneway is a member of the Devil's Sons and she is determined to do whatever it takes to do it if it means freedom for her mother. The problem is that when she meets the Marquess, his actions don't match anything she's been told (or the evidence she has found) against him and she can't help but be drawn to him, no matter what.

Lord William Renquist, Marquess of Stoneway and secret spy to Queen Victoria, must infiltrate the Devil’s Sons, tearing the brotherhood apart from the inside. His mission is to bring evil men to justice while atoning for the sins of his family, proving honor is stronger than tainted blood. The only problem is his maid. She challenges him at every turn and always seems to be in the right place at the wrong time - he knows she is up to something but he doesn't know what. And no matter her place in the world, he can't seem to help being attracted to her but he is determined to not be like his father so he tries to fight his feelings at every turn.

I enjoyed how McGuire built the relationship between these two characters and I thought it was well done in how the secondary characters were integrated into the story. It helped to tie Liam and Penny into the fold of the characters from the other books which was needed as the plotline around the Devil's Sons moved forward.

Overall, I enjoyed this installment and if you're looking for a new regency romance with a bit of mystery, I recommend you pick this one up. I'll definitely pick up more from McGuire in the future.

The writing was a little clunky, and the amount of repetition was tedious. The author did a lot of telling, but less showing. I did not find the story particularly engaging, and did not end up finishing.

This was such a fun read and the characters were lovely. Penny was such a resilient and thoughtful character that did her best to change her own biographical storyline while struggling with the sins of of her mother. A very fun read.

I'm not going to lie- the first chapter took me several tries to get through. Once I did though I enjoyed this romp quite a bit.. A quick read, not groundbreaking but worth taking a look at if the premise intrigues you or you've been reading the series.

I just couldn’t get into this story and stopped about 15% in. There was a lot of repetitive language that I just couldn’t get past and I won’t be reviewing this book on any other platforms.

I enjoyed the book very much. The attraction between Liam and Penny is explosive. Penny infiltrates the marquess' home looking for evidence of his participation with the Devil's Sons. Unbeknownst to Penny, he wants to infiltrate the Devil's Sons and destroy it from the inside. Liam wants to do it by himself, but he discovers there is nothing wrong with help from friends and the woman he loves.
An upstairs and downstairs romance mystery.
Explicit sex. Some violence.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from Booksprout.

3.5 stars rounded up and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

"I hate this man, he's evil, and vile. Oh he's hot? I forgive all his errors!"

The plot was interesting, a woman becomes a maid in some well-to-do lord's house to find out if he's a member of a sinister group selling women to the "flesh markets of Europe." Without fail, the man is not as she assumed and he's actually THE NICEST BOY EVER TO EVER NICE and how dare she think different.

Please, for the love of god, please use another word other than "cunny"

3.75 stars

I'm fairly new to reading historical fiction, but I did really enjoy this book! It was a bit too slow for my liking at certain parts of the story, then picked back up reeling me back in. I thought it was a well thought out story and I enjoyed that both MCs were on the same wavelength. Penny did not think she was better than Liam and Liam did not think he was better than Penny. Penny and Liam both were perfect for each other in so many ways. Will definitely look into reading others from this series!

What a delightful read. It hit all the good spots of historical period pieces but added a more modern element with the Queen's deadly damsels. Penny's character was fun to read and you found yourself rooting for her and her happy ending. I appreciated Liam's respect and caring for Penny's freedoms and decisions. This book also avoided many of the miscommunication tropes that can get overplayed with a storyline like the one in this book. While I have not read the first two in the series it did not seem fully necessary to follow the storyline.