All the Queen's Spies #3, Yay, it's Tristan! I was looking forward to finding out who would be a match for the closed off Tristan. I was very excited to get this one. I love the series even though I usually try not to read historical romance with real historical figures as secondary characters. Not much of this one actually take place in the Scottish Court but in Tristan's print shop and the streets of Edinburgh. Tristan's job is to use the print shop to influence what the common people of Scotland think of Queen Mary and to turn them against her insuring that Queen Elizabeth remains in power of England and soon Scotland. Lady Emma has been friends with Queen Mary since she found out of the gross mistreatment done to Emma by her dead husband. Mary took Emma in so she would have a place to live and replaced all her inheritance that her husband squandered away. Mary has earned Emma's loyalty.
Lady Emma is waking home with her ladies maid after a dinner with a friend, as cold as it is she soon regrets not taking them up on their offer to ready the coach for her. When they are almost home something happens and Emma really regrets not taking that coach now. There was an explosion and Emma got caught in the blast. Tristan after hearing the noise rushes to where the commotion is and finds an unconscious Lady Emma. Not knowing who she is or if she had any part in this mess he thinks it best he takes her with him so the royal guard doesn't just arrest her because it is said that the King died in the explosion. When Emma finally comes to she has no idea where she is, Tristan explains what happened and that it's best if she stays where she is until she's better. In there time together Emma has never felt more comfortable talking to someone and being with someone. During her somewhat brief marriage she was verbally and physically abused she never thought she could trust another man, but Tristan makes her want to feel again. Tristan never thought he could fall in love, after his failed marriage he thought he would be a spy for life, Emma makes him want more but he feels he isn't good enough for her because after all is said and done he is still just a stable master's son and she is connected to two of the most powerful families in Scotland. It isn't until after she seduces him that she realizes he is a spy for Elizabeth and he's been spreading the flyers speaking out against Mary. Her time with Tristan opened her eyes and she sees for more than she did in court than she ever did before. She realizes it's not safe anymore and with the death of the King and Mary in turmoil and the people speaking out against her and her adviser, Emma must pick between her loyalties and her heart.
Overall, this was such a good read. The romance between Emma and Tristan is easy and even with the whole he's a spy thing their romance is pretty smooth and well Tristan shows her what it's really like to make love. The majority of the book is them getting to know each other and falling in love and Tristan opening Emma's eyes up to the possibility that things are not what they seem at the palace. The whole spy plot and internal struggle of power within Mary's court is such a tangled web, I can't wait for what I think is the conclusion with Lagrange (finally) and Lady Margaret who has had small parts in all the books.
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