3 stars

Not really for me. Took a long time to get going. I found it incredulous that Queen Victoria is some sort of spymaster general. The heroine had a chip on her shoulder about being unable to read. It was fairly obvious her friend the constable was a wrong un and the hero was too perfect. The sex scenes started half way though the book and were well written though I personally get a bit jaded with lots of oral sex. I jumped into this series at book three in part to try this, to me new author, but I won't be continuing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions written are completely honest and my own.

I've never been a huge fan of historical romances as I found they tend to be very one dimensional.

This is not the case in The Confessions of a Lady. Here we have not a damsel, but a heroine with a mission.

I did not know there were 2 prior books in the series and only found out by looking up Darcy McGuire to get the names of her books to read. This book very much stands on its own.

Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in this series and my favourite so far. We follow Penny in this one, a maid who is tasked with spying on her employer. But, as with all best laid plans, this one doesn’t quite go to plan.

She’s trying to find secrets to feed to her friendly policeman in return for the reward money that will change her life for the better. Along the way, we meet some of the Deadly Damsels from the previous books who try to help but Penny is determined to do this for herself. As you can imagine, things turn ugly.

Well written and nowhere near as much sex education as the previous books, this one had my attention all the way through. After reading this one, I’ll pick up the next if the series continues.

I love a historical romance so this was the perfect read for me, it felt like a great blend of different elements whilst also keeping it exciting and romantic throughout.

I love a historical that is all about the aristocracy. I also love a woman undercover who is too smart for her own good.
It took a bit to connect to the story but I really loved the heroine.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the kickass maid heroine and her mission. I’m also happy to see class difference that’s a bit more grounded in reality and the problems that the heroine would have faced. Her spying mission and skills helps to even out their power imbalance.

Interesting premise: Penny is working for a constable she knew from prison to help gather evidence of human trafficking in the home of William, the Marquess of Renquist, who inherited his title upon the death of his older brother. Although illiterate, Penny can identify the seal of the traffickers, The Devil’s Sons, and is searching for documents bearing this said seal.

When she realises that the Marquess is working as an undercover agent for Queen Victoria on the same matter, they join forces and work together to bring the perpetrators to justice. It was a fun, easy read that kept me engaged.

There are previous books in this series, which I had not read before, but I was able to follow along quite well. I received an ARC from the publishers and NetGalley and submit my honest review voluntarily.

By the end I told myself to just think of this as a fairy tale and don't ask too many questions. Penny grew up in prison from babyhood due to the vagrancy laws Liam's father and now Liam voted for. With the help of a friendly police officer, she eventually left prison to become a maid. Now working in Liam's household, she's hoping to find proof he is part of the Devil's Sons to collect a reward and have her mother released from prison. Liam is secretly working for the Queen to infiltrate the kidnapping and sex trade organization to decimate it from the inside to atone for his father and brother's involvement. Illiterate Penny has an exceptional vocabulary and is incredibly well spoken. This is where the fairy tale aspect came in. There is a lot of talk of equality and autonomy for someone born and raised in the lowest of circumstance for the time. Liam falls hard for his maid and does all that he can to make her life easier which also benefits the other servants. He and the characters from the previous books are incredibly egalitarian for being part of the aristocracy. There was no indication how Penny becoming a Marchioness in the household she worked as the lowliest maid was resolved with the staff or Society. Again fairy tale. I enjoy the mystery and spying and am looking forward to the next book for the continuation of the destruction of the Devil's Sons.

This book was such a fun quick read, and a great palate cleanser.

We follow Penny, a maid on a mission to gather information about a sinister brotherhood the Devil's Sons. ; and Liam (Lord William Renquist) the Marquess of Stoneway and who is also a secret spy to Queen Victoria. Penny of course has no clue that Liam is working for the Queen and is determined to find evidence to prove his guilt and connection to the Devil’s sons.

I actually really enjoyed this book, I think it was just what I needed - a fun, quick read with a mystery element that was interesting albeit a little predictable. I enjoyed the cameos of the characters from the previous books in the series, but I definitely think the book could easily be read as a standalone too!

The book definitely has insta-lust for want of a better way to describe it but I feel that Penny’s internal conflict about her attraction to Liam made things a little more believable.

Overall a short and sweet read that I’d be happy to recommend to readers of the genre!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Confessions of a Lady

Rating 4.5/5 | Spice 4/5

I adored this book! I have not read many historical romances before this book but now I must read some more. I was also a new reader of this author and while this was a third book in a series, it most definitely can be read as a standalone. I will be checking out the two previous books!

The book contains an investigation done by a maid who quickly falls in love with the marquess she investigates and works for. The story is very Cinderella-like but still unique enough to not overshadow the plot of the book. The only ”problem” I had with the book is the timeframe during which Penny and Liam fall in love, that could maybe be rectified with more time jumps but considering the whole story needs to fit one book, I think the story is very enjoyable regardless. I would very much recommend this book to anyone who likes Bridgerton-like romance with a hint of Nancy Drew.

3.5/5 stars! 🌟

This is the first book I’ve read by Darcy McGuire, and I enjoyed it! It’s a really unique and gritty depiction of what life for maids was more realistically like, with Penny’s (the FMC) main motivation to earn enough money for her mother to be released from debtor’s prison. It also alluded to how the peerage would take advantage of their economic power over common fold in really dark ways (the main big bad the characters are working against is a human trafficking ring). All this to say, not topics I would usually see in a book with this cover, but not unwelcome!

Now for the romance: it read with the heat of a mafia novel for the first 40% which i loved!! It kinda turned into unsubstantiated insta-love at the end, which is not my fave….. there was miscommunication but not so much if it that i was annoyed.

TLDR; I liked the idea of it and found it super unpredictable (in a good way) and engaging, but the romance didn’t stick out to me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a cute historical romance. It was cheesy in a comforting way. I think it would appeal to people who liked Bridgeton. I liked Penny's emphasis on maintaining her independence. The author did a good job of writing modern values such as feminism into a historical story in a way that felt natural.

Liam was convinced that he was evil despite not doing anything particularly bad. Some people might find this irritating but I thought it was quite funny.

I think it a lot of the writing needed to be cut. The same plot points were repeated over and over. The main one being that Penny feels confused that Liam is supposed to be a member of an evil society but still treats her kindly. This is an issue with the editing. However, it didn't ruin the reading experience because it was such a quick and easy read.

The romance didn’t leave me feeling particularly attached to the characters but I didn’t dislike them either.

I enjoyed it so it gets three stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was my first Darcy McGuire book and I absolutely loved it! I always love a good historical romance and this did not disappoint. The writing style is phenomenal and I honestly did not see the twist coming at the end. I will be adding her other book to my TBR list and can’t wait to see what she writes next.

The Confessions of a Lady was a great read. it is also a great addition to the series. Could not finish it fast enough! :) Free ARC for review.

As a housemaid, spy Penny Smith has access to her employer’s home that will enable her to learn secrets better than most. Penny’s mother has been imprisoned and if she is successful in helping the Prime Minister bring down the evil group known as the Devil’s Sons. A group that has ties to the nobility and the Prime Minister believes that William Renquist, the Marquess of Stoneway is a member. Penny is placed in his home to find evidence of his participation, but the more she gets to know the marquess, the more she wonders if he is actually a member of the Devil’s Sons.

William “Liam” Renquist, the Marquess of Stoneway is not the degenerate that society believes him to be, he is actually a spy for Queen Victoria and is currently working to bring down the Devil’s Sons from within and in the process hopes to prove that he is an honorable man and has overcome the taint of his ancestors. He is making progress, but notices that his maid seems to keep turning up where she doesn’t belong. Once they realize they are on the same side, they will have to work together to bring down their shared enemy. As the attraction between them intensifies, it is clear that they belong together, but their class difference could make a HEA impossible.

This book was a bit more intense than the previous books, but sadly it lacked the chemistry and charm of those books. As much as I liked the idea of the story and enjoyed the intrigue, I was never sold on the romance between Penny and Liam, it just didn’t work for me. If you have been following the series, I was recommend reading this title, but it is not a book I would re-read. This is the third book in the series but could be read as a standalone title. Overall, I enjoyed parts of this book, but I didn’t like it as much as the previous titles in this series.

2.5 stars, rounded up

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this Arc of The Confessions of a Lady.

Penny isn't just a servant, she is an undercover spy trying to uncover the group The Devil's Sons who are stealing young women. She is placed into the home of Lord William Renquist, believing he is guilty, she starts to realise things are not as they seem. Finding themselves attracted to each other and not being able to stay away, they don't realise that they are fighting for the same cause.

I really love historical romance and was excited to step into this world. However I almost DNF'd so many time throughout the first 30% of the book. I found that the beginning was too much telling rather than showing and just a heap of information that I felt wasn't necessary. I skipped quite a few paragraphs to try and get to the point of the story.

Around the 50% I started to enjoy the story more and was a bit more gripped into the characters. At this point there was less random information dumping and I felt I could sink into the story more.

It was a fast read, and I did enjoy the ending. I am giving it 2 stars as I was so close to not finishing it.

This was a cute historical romance with mystery! I love a good historical romance that defies the social status and has a strong female lead. Working from two different sides of the justice system, these MCs have their sites set on taking out a criminal organization called the Devils Sons. The MCs are focused in seeking justification for their own personal reasons but when they meet are very clearly drawn to one another. It made for a quick, fun read but not sure if I will revisit the series

In the world of upstairs/downstairs, Housemaid Penny Smith anticipates her employer’s needs and blends into the background making her the perfect spy for the prime minister against a suspected member of the Devil’s Sons. There’s only one problem. When she meets the guilty marquess, his actions don’t match the evidence against him. Lord William Renquist defies her every expectation and sets her traitorous heart racing.

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 – to bring evil men to justice while atoning for the sins of his family, proving honour is stronger than tainted blood. There’s only one problem. A canny maid who is always in the right place at the wrong time and who deliciously challenges his every order. Liam and Penny are unknowingly playing a dangerous game from opposite sides of justice. And at a masked ball, forbidden attraction burns into something far more complex as their secrets spin into daring confessions. This battle against their enemy will only be won if Penny and Liam can work together

I totally loved this book. What a different take on historical romance! This was so much fun to see another time from a different perspective. Entertaining! I highly recommend this if you enjoy historical romances and are looking for something new! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I am enthralled with this series and the third book is fantastic! When so many historical romances focus on main characters that are part of the aristocracy, I appreciated that the author wrote a FMC that not only is not in the aristocracy, but is a housemaid - an illiterate one at that who has a mother in prison because of debts.. It really helps readers to understand the implications of laws that contributed to the oppression of poor people and women in the UK. It also created a lot of natural tension between the housemaid, Penny, and her love interest and MMC, Lord William Rehnquist, Marquess of Stoneway, who is also her boss.

The relationship between William and Penny is done well - it tackles the issue of an aristrocratic male engaging in a relationship with a servant - romantic or otherwise, but also just two people who are attracted to one another. While also not fully trusting each other.

I am enjoying the ongoing mystery aspect of this series that began in the first book and with each book, we get closer to finding all the answers. In this book, we see more of the dynamics between the men who are working for the Prime Minister, and those who are working for the Queen, and how they are really all on the same side.

This was a quick read, fun, and had me excited for book four!

Thanks to Boldwood Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

A historical romance with social commentary was not what I was expecting, but sign me right up! From the very beginning though, it was evident that this story would blend in social commentary pointing to the gender and socioeconomic inequities of Victorian England. The story follows Penny Smith, a maid spying on her employer, Lord Williams “Liam” Renquist, for information on a criminal secret organization. Both are attempting to bring down this organization but from different angles. Throughout the novel Penny finds it difficult to reconcile her suspicions with the kindness and gentleness that Lord Renquist displays to those in his employ.

The dialogue and inner monologues in this novel are just delightful. The humor sounds very British, which makes sense for the novel, and it’s also a little bit silly, but in a way that makes for an enjoyable read. You get to see both Penny and Liam’s thoughts as they’re verbally sparring. One thing I did find a bit off was the pacing with their romance. It required a little bit more suspension of belief than I am used to with romance novels, but given how fun the story was, it’s an issue I quickly glossed over.