The widowed Lady Syndey Rowland has years' worth of secrets--the most important of which is her young son, spirited away from her care in infancy. Captain Nathaniel Reed suspects that Sydney's mysterious dealings have run her afoul with Scepter, an organization intent on overthrowing the government. Though she's technically innocent, he nonetheless can't stop thinking about her--and his predicament doesn't get any easier when Sydney turns to him for help.

As Sydney and Nathaniel work together to keep not only her but her child safe, their attraction threatens to derail everything he's been working towards...

So here's the good stuff:

A) A heroine who has A Past, which does include a Secret Baby but not the hero's secret baby. This is established pretty quickly, and I so appreciate it. I do like that Harrington seems determined to present heroines that aren't virgins in both of the books I've read by her, and Sydney's past is dealt with much more sensitively than that of the heroine in the previous book I read. It's very much a reality that aristocratic women occasionally gave birth to children that did not belong to their husbands, and those children were basically whisked away to be taken care of by others. I would love more books that feature heroines who've gone through what must have been an incredibly traumatic, intense experience. I want happy endings for them.

B) Sydney isn't just a cut and dry tragic good girl. She has wants and needs and resentments and issues. She was my favorite part of the novel.

C) Harrington writes a hot sex scene. It must be said. Hat tipped.

Where this falls flat is in the espionage, and I don't know that this is her fault as an author at all. Espionage books may just... not be my thing. I recently went through and re-shelved all of my romance reads, and I noticed that I typically give espionage romances something of a low rating--though I did read one I loved recently. I tend to feel like the subplot of trying to save the crown just... wasn't my thing. And it is a big subplot. If you're into that, then you will probably love this book. Just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean that it's a bad story; I truly this was a "it's not you, it's me" situation.

If you enjoy a hero who's ready to be the FATHER THAT STEPPED UP, then you'll enjoy Nathaniel. If you'd like your heroines to be a bit more complicated and less virginal, then you'll love Sydney. I wish I'd loved it more, but I don't think we were a match.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this in exchange for a review!
Generally, I enjoyed the next installment of this series. There were secrets (even though I figured some of them out!), romance, and I loved the parallels between Sydney's and Nate's backstories.

I think the pacing was a bit off for me -- most of the action happened in the last 1/3 of the the book, and was wrapped up in just a few chapters. The reveal at the end was a nice touch but again, because of how late it happened, it lacked the emotional punch I am truly looking for.

Not sure how I feel about this bit yet, but again, at the end, there is a discussion of revolution vs reform, and it felt a bit like getting whacked on the head with the point. There's a lot to be said for the modern historical reflecting our current world, and while I usually love those parallels, this one just didn't do it for me.

All that to say, I'm invested in Scepter and hoping we finally get some answers and pay off in the next book!

*Received a copy for review.*
Nate is determined to find the head of scepter and cut it off. He’s tired of chasing shadows and wants this secretive business done.
Baroness Sydney Rowland is determined to do as her blackmailer demands to protect her son.
These two clash from the start. Nate expects Sydney to either be a black widow seeking to damn men or a woman who will be excited for his assistance. She is neither.
I love a story with experienced characters. Both have lived and lost and have no desire to give in to anyone. This book was an easy read with interesting characters.