“I believe it was fate that brought me to you that first day all those months ago. How else could I explain being so inextricably drawn to you? The light caught your eyes as they fell in my direction, and I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.”–Rebecca Connolly, The Lady and the Gent
Margaret Easton is twenty two, is in her third season, and is still very much unattached. Her parents are beginning to pressure her into finding a husband and soon. Her parents love the continent and try to steer Margaret that direction in her search, but Margaret loves England and would prefer to marry an Englishman. For several months, she has come across a man nearly every day. She has no idea who he is but those ten seconds each day become something she looks forward to and she begins to feel a bond with him. He’s handsome but not in her social sphere, so despite her thoughts being drawn constantly to him, she needs to look in another direction for a husband. When she finds herself unexpectedly in his care, things become extremely complicated.
Who is the mystery man? Rafe Thornton, aka “The Gent” is an operative for the Crown and like Margaret, he looks forward to their daily ten seconds together. The Gent is an enigma–someone everyone knows of but few actually know who he is. He has a network of street children who assist him and that he protects. When Margaret stumbles into his world of espionage, the results are disastrous and he must figure out which he loves more–Margaret or the Crown.
I enjoyed this book by Rebecca Connolly and was drawn into the world of Rafe and Margaret. This is the first of six books in The London League series and there is also a companion series, Agents of the Convent, where the operatives are women. I have read both series and highly recommend them. If you like espionage and clean romance, these books will be right up your alley.
Content Advisory: Shaming, emotional abuse