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Liar's Club #3
The Spy
RULE #3: NEVER SURRENDER YOUR WILL ...
By day, he is a gentleman with a notorious fondness for games of seduction. By night, he is one of the most skilled saboteurs in the Liar's Club --- a secret group of renegades dedicated to serving the Crow. And while he is willing to risks his life for the good of England, he vows never to put his heart in harm's way ...
THE SPY
James Cunnington has a pressing mission at hand: He must find the daughter of a missing code breaker for the Liar's Club, a man suspected of turning traitor for Napoleon. Time is of the utmost concern. While it is evident that his ward's new tutor has something to hide, James is unaware that the woman he seeks now resides under his very roof ...
Desperate and near destitute, Phillipa Atwater must don gentlemen's clothing to pass herself off as a scholarly young tutor. Her clever --- if itchy --- disguise allows her time to pursue her quest to find her father, ruthlessly abducted by French spies. Closely guarding the cryptic notebook he entrusted to her care, she senses danger all around her --- even in the home of her roguishly handsome new employer, James Cunnington. Now Phillipa is about to discover that desire can be as lethal as a well-aimed bullet ...
By day, he is a gentleman with a notorious fondness for games of seduction. By night, he is one of the most skilled saboteurs in the Liar's Club --- a secret group of renegades dedicated to serving the Crow. And while he is willing to risks his life for the good of England, he vows never to put his heart in harm's way ...
THE SPY
James Cunnington has a pressing mission at hand: He must find the daughter of a missing code breaker for the Liar's Club, a man suspected of turning traitor for Napoleon. Time is of the utmost concern. While it is evident that his ward's new tutor has something to hide, James is unaware that the woman he seeks now resides under his very roof ...
Desperate and near destitute, Phillipa Atwater must don gentlemen's clothing to pass herself off as a scholarly young tutor. Her clever --- if itchy --- disguise allows her time to pursue her quest to find her father, ruthlessly abducted by French spies. Closely guarding the cryptic notebook he entrusted to her care, she senses danger all around her --- even in the home of her roguishly handsome new employer, James Cunnington. Now Phillipa is about to discover that desire can be as lethal as a well-aimed bullet ...
372 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 16, 2004
39 people are currently reading
748 people want to read
About the author
Celeste Bradley
51books1,805followersVisit me at or :)
Go to for my Voice of Society newsletter.
Hi, my name is Celeste Bradley and I write "brain chocolate." That is, I write fun and sexy escapism is for hardworking women everywhere. We deserve a little man-candy, too!
Reviewers like to say I write about misfit heroines getting the man of their dreams. Maybe that's true, but don't we all feel like misfits sometimes? Even if the rest of the world thinks we have all our balls in the air, aren't we juggling like mad on the inside, desperately trying not to drop one?
I love this manic, scattered life I lead. I love to write, craft, garden, bake and mother, even if I don't always do it all perfectly. I love living in the Southwest, with its big sky and vast desert views. I love venturing out of my quiet life to meet readers and other writers, and then I love to come back to my haven, full of ideas and renewed passion and creativity.
Maybe one of those times I'll meet you!
Hugs,
and thanks for reading!
Go to for my Voice of Society newsletter.
Hi, my name is Celeste Bradley and I write "brain chocolate." That is, I write fun and sexy escapism is for hardworking women everywhere. We deserve a little man-candy, too!
Reviewers like to say I write about misfit heroines getting the man of their dreams. Maybe that's true, but don't we all feel like misfits sometimes? Even if the rest of the world thinks we have all our balls in the air, aren't we juggling like mad on the inside, desperately trying not to drop one?
I love this manic, scattered life I lead. I love to write, craft, garden, bake and mother, even if I don't always do it all perfectly. I love living in the Southwest, with its big sky and vast desert views. I love venturing out of my quiet life to meet readers and other writers, and then I love to come back to my haven, full of ideas and renewed passion and creativity.
Maybe one of those times I'll meet you!
Hugs,
and thanks for reading!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
August 22, 2018
James Cunnington, aka The Griffin, is trying to get his ex-girlfriend tried for treason so excuse him very much for not noticing that his adopted son's new tutor Phillip A. Walters is actually Phillipa Atwater, the missing daughter of the missing codebreaker of his spy club! BREAKUPS ARE HARD DON'T JUDGE. Phillipa, meanwhile, is trying to determine how to rescue her dad from Napoleon while also keeping her hands to herself because James is just so fine.
1. Not super thrilled by the return of Lady Lavinia.
2. The whole premise is based on the fact that James doesn't realize that Phillipa is a woman. This is a ridiculous premise, made more so by the fact that nearly every other character—including a 9 year old boy—figure it out moments after laying eyes on her. I'm slightly OK with overlooking it because it is a romance staple for a reason but it's really kind of ridiculous.
3. Don't try and sell me on the bullshit idea that Phillipa saw an hour of a sensual scarf dance in the ~wilds of """Arabia""" one time and is now completely competent at it. That is some white girl romance shit right there and it needs to STOP.
4. WHAT ELSE: not certain how to feel about the Ren plotline. It'll probably resurface but for James to just kind of shrug his shoulders at Ren's disappearance felt pretty lamesauce. Another thing that was just a little too underdeveloped.
5. In the eternal words of Chastity, I was feeling rather whelmed by the whole thing? TOO BAD I HAVE ALREADY STARTED BOOK #4 WHY YES I DO HATE MYSELF!!
1. Not super thrilled by the return of Lady Lavinia.
2. The whole premise is based on the fact that James doesn't realize that Phillipa is a woman. This is a ridiculous premise, made more so by the fact that nearly every other character—including a 9 year old boy—figure it out moments after laying eyes on her. I'm slightly OK with overlooking it because it is a romance staple for a reason but it's really kind of ridiculous.
3. Don't try and sell me on the bullshit idea that Phillipa saw an hour of a sensual scarf dance in the ~wilds of """Arabia""" one time and is now completely competent at it. That is some white girl romance shit right there and it needs to STOP.
4. WHAT ELSE: not certain how to feel about the Ren plotline. It'll probably resurface but for James to just kind of shrug his shoulders at Ren's disappearance felt pretty lamesauce. Another thing that was just a little too underdeveloped.
5. In the eternal words of Chastity, I was feeling rather whelmed by the whole thing? TOO BAD I HAVE ALREADY STARTED BOOK #4 WHY YES I DO HATE MYSELF!!
December 16, 2014
Kaç gündür üst üste casus kitapları okuyunca insan rüyasında da casuslardan kaçabiliyormuş efendim. Kitapların seviyeleri gittikçe düşüp beni sıksada, gecem oldukça maceralı geçti. :D Bir önceki kitaba 4'mü versem 3'mü diye çok kararsız kalmıştım ama bu kitap 3'ten fazlasını hak etmiyor.
James en merak ettiğim karakterlerden biriydi ve kitabının da güzel olmasını istiyordum. Sayfaları ve paragrafları atlaya atlaya bitirdim kitabı. Yine temponun yükseldiği anlar oldu fakat yeterli değildi. Bir yükseldi bir düştü. Arada kalamadı bir türlü. Sanki kitabı iki kişi birden yazıyormuş gibiydi. Yada... Temponun düştüğü yerler sadece kitap yazmak adına yazılmış da, tempo yükseldiği anda yazara ilham gelmiş gibi. Evet bu benzetme daha iyi oldu.
Yazarın favori casus işi kılık degiştirmek. Bir gözlük takıp, farklı kıyafetler giyince bir anda değişiveriyorsun. :) Yada saçlar kesilince vs... Birde koskoca İngiltere'nin casusları hiç bir işe yaramıyor. Yani 3 kitaptır olayların kilit noktasını hep hatunlar buldu ve durumu kurtarmaya çalıştı. Gönlünü Kimseye Kaptırmayı okurken bu durumdan şikayetçi değildim. Ah ne güzel zeki bir kadın. Macera ruhlu diye sevinmiştim. Ama karakterler temcit pilavı gibi önüme sürüldükçe şikayetçi olmaya başladım. Kadın karakterlerde bir değişiklik yok. Hepsi aynı tarz. Hareketli, maceracı, zeki, lafını esirgemeyen tipler. Değişiklik sadece erkeklerde oluyor.
James'te çok, nasıl desem.... Anlamsız bir karakterdi. Duygusuzdu biraz. Birde kadın ruhundan hiç anlamıyor. Hatta tam bir odundu. James'ten daha fazla beklentim vardı. Ne yazık ki karşılayamadı. Asla Pişman Olmayla birlikte yazara karşı olan beklentimde düştü. Artık 4. kitabın en vasat kitap olacağını düşünüyorum. Eğer oldur da çıkarsa, market indirimlerinde veya ikinci ellerde denk gelmedikçe almayı da düşünmüyorum.
James en merak ettiğim karakterlerden biriydi ve kitabının da güzel olmasını istiyordum. Sayfaları ve paragrafları atlaya atlaya bitirdim kitabı. Yine temponun yükseldiği anlar oldu fakat yeterli değildi. Bir yükseldi bir düştü. Arada kalamadı bir türlü. Sanki kitabı iki kişi birden yazıyormuş gibiydi. Yada... Temponun düştüğü yerler sadece kitap yazmak adına yazılmış da, tempo yükseldiği anda yazara ilham gelmiş gibi. Evet bu benzetme daha iyi oldu.
Yazarın favori casus işi kılık degiştirmek. Bir gözlük takıp, farklı kıyafetler giyince bir anda değişiveriyorsun. :) Yada saçlar kesilince vs... Birde koskoca İngiltere'nin casusları hiç bir işe yaramıyor. Yani 3 kitaptır olayların kilit noktasını hep hatunlar buldu ve durumu kurtarmaya çalıştı. Gönlünü Kimseye Kaptırmayı okurken bu durumdan şikayetçi değildim. Ah ne güzel zeki bir kadın. Macera ruhlu diye sevinmiştim. Ama karakterler temcit pilavı gibi önüme sürüldükçe şikayetçi olmaya başladım. Kadın karakterlerde bir değişiklik yok. Hepsi aynı tarz. Hareketli, maceracı, zeki, lafını esirgemeyen tipler. Değişiklik sadece erkeklerde oluyor.
James'te çok, nasıl desem.... Anlamsız bir karakterdi. Duygusuzdu biraz. Birde kadın ruhundan hiç anlamıyor. Hatta tam bir odundu. James'ten daha fazla beklentim vardı. Ne yazık ki karşılayamadı. Asla Pişman Olmayla birlikte yazara karşı olan beklentimde düştü. Artık 4. kitabın en vasat kitap olacağını düşünüyorum. Eğer oldur da çıkarsa, market indirimlerinde veya ikinci ellerde denk gelmedikçe almayı da düşünmüyorum.
October 8, 2013
James Cunnington is not a happy man.
A couple books ago, he had a beautiful mistress who was six kinds of inventive in the sack, and he was wildly happy. But the beyotch talked him into trying drugs (that were supposed to make "the experience" that much more amazing). Then she'd ask questions about his colleagues in the Liar's Club (a secret fraternity of spies, saboteurs, assassins, etc., for the Crown). Eventually he was mugged and taken captive, kept drugged and questioned unmercifully. Then, when he escaped, he ended up being shot by the beyotch, who was aiming for the Prime Minister. His shoulder hasn't been the same since.
Worse, during his "stay" with his abductors, he gave up some of the names of his comrades, and they're all dead now. Well, all but two who are vegetative at the moment.
So James no longer trusts women, love, or even himself. All he can do is find some way to make up for his mistakes. No marriage and children for him—he adopts a street kid who helped save his sister to be his heir, and he spends all his time either at the club or trying to find proof against his former mistress, who is in the Tower, but not for long unless it can be proven that she is in fact a traitor and/or that she was actually aiming for the PM and not, as she claims, her lover who jilted her. His drug-fogged memories aren't proof enough, you see.
Phillippa Atwater is the daughter of a former Liar, a code expert, who left the Club when her mum got sick. He took his dying wife all over the world looking for a cure. They ended up in Spain, where Napoleon's people came for her father. There was just enough time to hide Phillippa and a bag of goodies. He never came back. Remembering her father's instructions to go to England and find a certain man, she worked her way—alone—across the Continent, only to find that her father's friend is dead. She's out of money and hasn't eaten much, and she's pretty sure someone is stalking her. The only other name she knows is a name scrawled in one of her father's books—James Cunnington.
Turns out James is seeking a tutor for his adopted son. Unsure whether he can be trusted, Phillippa cuts her hair, dons male clothing, and turns up as a young man applying for the position. It's a solution to her problems, in that she'll have a place to live, and be harder to track as a male, and she can observe this James Cunnington and decide whether to trust him.
Meanwhile, the Liars have realized that Atwater is writing code for the French. They suspect him of treason, and James is tasked to track down his daughter.
The mix of subterfuge, danger, and romance is just right in this one. I'll give it 4.5 stars.
A couple books ago, he had a beautiful mistress who was six kinds of inventive in the sack, and he was wildly happy. But the beyotch talked him into trying drugs (that were supposed to make "the experience" that much more amazing). Then she'd ask questions about his colleagues in the Liar's Club (a secret fraternity of spies, saboteurs, assassins, etc., for the Crown). Eventually he was mugged and taken captive, kept drugged and questioned unmercifully. Then, when he escaped, he ended up being shot by the beyotch, who was aiming for the Prime Minister. His shoulder hasn't been the same since.
Worse, during his "stay" with his abductors, he gave up some of the names of his comrades, and they're all dead now. Well, all but two who are vegetative at the moment.
So James no longer trusts women, love, or even himself. All he can do is find some way to make up for his mistakes. No marriage and children for him—he adopts a street kid who helped save his sister to be his heir, and he spends all his time either at the club or trying to find proof against his former mistress, who is in the Tower, but not for long unless it can be proven that she is in fact a traitor and/or that she was actually aiming for the PM and not, as she claims, her lover who jilted her. His drug-fogged memories aren't proof enough, you see.
Phillippa Atwater is the daughter of a former Liar, a code expert, who left the Club when her mum got sick. He took his dying wife all over the world looking for a cure. They ended up in Spain, where Napoleon's people came for her father. There was just enough time to hide Phillippa and a bag of goodies. He never came back. Remembering her father's instructions to go to England and find a certain man, she worked her way—alone—across the Continent, only to find that her father's friend is dead. She's out of money and hasn't eaten much, and she's pretty sure someone is stalking her. The only other name she knows is a name scrawled in one of her father's books—James Cunnington.
Turns out James is seeking a tutor for his adopted son. Unsure whether he can be trusted, Phillippa cuts her hair, dons male clothing, and turns up as a young man applying for the position. It's a solution to her problems, in that she'll have a place to live, and be harder to track as a male, and she can observe this James Cunnington and decide whether to trust him.
Meanwhile, the Liars have realized that Atwater is writing code for the French. They suspect him of treason, and James is tasked to track down his daughter.
The mix of subterfuge, danger, and romance is just right in this one. I'll give it 4.5 stars.
February 21, 2009
The books in The Liar's Club series are enjoyable reads with humor and light intrigue. They have strong heroes who are intelligent and patriotic, and strong heroines who are intelligent and resourceful, but the men seem to bungle their jobs until the women set them on the right track. There are some really great secondary characters, such as Feebles the pickpocket, Button the very sartorial valet, and Robbie the chimneysweep. The books had only a few 'suspend-disbelief' moments, (such as a supposedly very observant spy who has no clue that the young man living in his house for a month is really a woman in disguise!). They're quick, fun reads, but not keepers for me.
September 6, 2015
OK I think I have had enough of the Liar's Club.
This is the 2nd book from the series I read and I think The Spy is an improvement from the first one in the series [The Pretender]. I like Philippa better than the meddlesom Agatha.
I cannot say that I like Celeste Bradley's style. The relationship feels rushed and the proclaimation of love forced, sex sceces uncomfortable, characterization on the shallow side. The spying element is played up in this series, too much for my taste.
I finished the book with a lot of skim-reading. I might try her other books but no more Liar's Club.
This is the 2nd book from the series I read and I think The Spy is an improvement from the first one in the series [The Pretender]. I like Philippa better than the meddlesom Agatha.
I cannot say that I like Celeste Bradley's style. The relationship feels rushed and the proclaimation of love forced, sex sceces uncomfortable, characterization on the shallow side. The spying element is played up in this series, too much for my taste.
I finished the book with a lot of skim-reading. I might try her other books but no more Liar's Club.
June 12, 2019
3.25 stars
This was way less enjoyable than the others because call it a personal preference but I don't like hero's exes or past sex life being a major part of a romance between the H/h, and in this it really is. We know the hero was kidnapped and rescued in the first book in the series and they are having a hard time proving his mistress' guilt but I didn't like reading about how sexually free he was with her, or his anger/disgust. The heroine is in disguise for a large part of the book. I did like the romance but again my personal preference made me dock the rating.
This was way less enjoyable than the others because call it a personal preference but I don't like hero's exes or past sex life being a major part of a romance between the H/h, and in this it really is. We know the hero was kidnapped and rescued in the first book in the series and they are having a hard time proving his mistress' guilt but I didn't like reading about how sexually free he was with her, or his anger/disgust. The heroine is in disguise for a large part of the book. I did like the romance but again my personal preference made me dock the rating.
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April 11, 2018Kesinlikle devamının gelmesi gereken bir seri...
September 3, 2008
Fleeing Napoleon's spies that kidnapped, and possibly murdered, her father, Phillipa Atwater doesn't know where to turn. Almost destitute and with nowhere to go, she finally gets a break when she spots an add for a tutor.
The only problem is, the tutor is supposed to be a man.
So she cuts and dies her hair, "borrow" some man's clothing and presents herself as Phillip A. Walters in the house of Mr. James Cunnington, the man whose name is scrawled in the margin of her father's mysterious notebook.
James Cunnington is a man with three missions: find proof to condemn his ex-lover and French spy Lavinia Winchell, find a tutor for his adopted son Robbie, and find the daughter of a missing code-breaker that's suddenly working for Napoleon.
Little does he know that the pale, almost starved-to-death boy applying for the tutoring job will help him solve all three. And free his soul from the dark hell of guilt and remorse.
As is customary in the Liar's Club series, this book looked quite promising at the beginning. I was intrigued with the notion of a politely-bred Regency woman posing as a man. And I was looking forward to the knots the chit would tie herself - and the hero - in.
But, as is also customary in the Liar's Club series, the plot soon pulled the breaks to the point where everything almost came to a standstill.
Of course, toward the end - and after the big revelation - the story picked up pace once more, leading to a pretty satisfying end, but it would have been really nice if the plot flowed effortlessly throughout the book.
I liked Phillipa. She had spunk. For someone who shuddered at the thought of spitting, she quickly accustomed herself to her new "circumstances", taking up boxing and cursing a blue streak in her native tongue and not just Russian.
Robbie was a real gem, a scarred, old soul in a young boys body. But despite the hardships he's obviously been through, he could still be a child.
The nag this time is with the hero. Sure, James is what we'd all want in a man. Strong, handsome, explosively sexy, with a protective streak a mile wide, but some aspects of his personality put me off.
While his need for vengeance was quite understandable, the means he was prepared to take and what it made him do, how it made him act with those around him, sure didn't warm me up to the man. And his obstinate pursuit of someone he perceived as traitor (despite no obvious proof) was quite hypocritical since he's been in that same exact position not long before the events of the book (read: ). Lucky for him he had people around him that had no qualms in putting him in his place.
Also, For a spy, he was incredibly unobservant, both Robbie and Button immediately knew the tutor was a woman, while the "experienced womanizer" that was James was completely blind.
And as in all romances worth their salt, it took love and more than 300 pages for the hero to realize just how wrong he's been and live happily-ever-after with his heroine.
Despite it's slowness, though, this is still a charming read, once you get stubborn and decide not to put the book down until you finish it. ;)
P.S. And finally we've banished the saccharine, flowery nicknames.
The only problem is, the tutor is supposed to be a man.
So she cuts and dies her hair, "borrow" some man's clothing and presents herself as Phillip A. Walters in the house of Mr. James Cunnington, the man whose name is scrawled in the margin of her father's mysterious notebook.
James Cunnington is a man with three missions: find proof to condemn his ex-lover and French spy Lavinia Winchell, find a tutor for his adopted son Robbie, and find the daughter of a missing code-breaker that's suddenly working for Napoleon.
Little does he know that the pale, almost starved-to-death boy applying for the tutoring job will help him solve all three. And free his soul from the dark hell of guilt and remorse.
As is customary in the Liar's Club series, this book looked quite promising at the beginning. I was intrigued with the notion of a politely-bred Regency woman posing as a man. And I was looking forward to the knots the chit would tie herself - and the hero - in.
But, as is also customary in the Liar's Club series, the plot soon pulled the breaks to the point where everything almost came to a standstill.
Of course, toward the end - and after the big revelation - the story picked up pace once more, leading to a pretty satisfying end, but it would have been really nice if the plot flowed effortlessly throughout the book.
I liked Phillipa. She had spunk. For someone who shuddered at the thought of spitting, she quickly accustomed herself to her new "circumstances", taking up boxing and cursing a blue streak in her native tongue and not just Russian.
Robbie was a real gem, a scarred, old soul in a young boys body. But despite the hardships he's obviously been through, he could still be a child.
The nag this time is with the hero. Sure, James is what we'd all want in a man. Strong, handsome, explosively sexy, with a protective streak a mile wide, but some aspects of his personality put me off.
While his need for vengeance was quite understandable, the means he was prepared to take and what it made him do, how it made him act with those around him, sure didn't warm me up to the man. And his obstinate pursuit of someone he perceived as traitor (despite no obvious proof) was quite hypocritical since he's been in that same exact position not long before the events of the book (read: ). Lucky for him he had people around him that had no qualms in putting him in his place.
Also, For a spy, he was incredibly unobservant, both Robbie and Button immediately knew the tutor was a woman, while the "experienced womanizer" that was James was completely blind.
And as in all romances worth their salt, it took love and more than 300 pages for the hero to realize just how wrong he's been and live happily-ever-after with his heroine.
Despite it's slowness, though, this is still a charming read, once you get stubborn and decide not to put the book down until you finish it. ;)
P.S. And finally we've banished the saccharine, flowery nicknames.
June 14, 2022
3.75 stars because I liked this one a little more than book 2, I thought it was good. To be honest I wasn’t sure I was going to like it as well because the trope of the heroine cutting off all her hair and dressing as a man/boy is one of my least favorites. Actually it didn’t bother me too much here it was well done and I liked the heroine. I really had to wonder though that the hero didn’t catch on when even a child did. The storyline/ plot was good and it carried on one of storylines from the previous book. I liked the H/h and secondary characters, we saw a little of the 2 previous books main characters as well. Now it’s on to book 4 as I have all 5 in the series. I hope I’ll like it, Collis is my least favorite male lead so far. Good thing books 3-5 are from the local used bookstore so I can trade those back as I doubt I will reread any of the ones I’ve read so far. That’s not to say this series isn’t ok/good. I do like the whole Liar’s Club concept that’s been fun and I think it’s worth a read if you like a little spy action.
April 22, 2020
2nd reading (or maybe third):
Oh, I do love reading Celeste Bradley. A lovely story as always. I love the part when Phillipa transforming into a male, wearing trousers, especially when she was on the floor showing her rear.
One of my favourite series too. 5�
Oh, I do love reading Celeste Bradley. A lovely story as always. I love the part when Phillipa transforming into a male, wearing trousers, especially when she was on the floor showing her rear.
One of my favourite series too. 5�
September 28, 2019
YALANCILAR KULÜBÜ
KURAL-3 : Asla Pişman Olma
James Cunnington’ın önünde acil bir görev vardı: Yalancılar Kulübü’nün kayıp şifre kırıcısı olan ve Napolyon’la işbirliği yaparak ihanet ettiğinden şüphelenilen adamın kızını bulmak zorundaydı.
En büyük sorunuysa zamandı.
James, bakımını üstlendiği çocuğun yeni öğretmeninin bir şeyler sakladığına emin olmasına rağmen aramakta olduğu kadınla aynı evde yaşadığından tam anlamıyla habersizdi.
Çaresiz ve açlıktan ölmek üzere olan Phillipa Atwater ise bilgili, genç öğretmen kılığına girmek için erkek kıyafetleri giymek zorundaydı. Neyse ki bu zeki ve rahatsız edici gizlilik, Fransız casuslar tarafından acımasızca kaçırılan babasını aramak için zaman kazanmasını sağlayacaktı.
Babasının emanet ettiği gizemli not defterini dikkatlice koruyan Phillipa, her yanı tehlikelerle dolu gibi hissediyordu. Yakışıklı yeni patronu James Cunnington’ın evinde bile güvende değildi. Phillipa, arzunun hedefe doğrultulmuş bir kurşun kadar ölümcül olabileceğini keşfetmek üzereydi.
KURAL-3 : Asla Pişman Olma
James Cunnington’ın önünde acil bir görev vardı: Yalancılar Kulübü’nün kayıp şifre kırıcısı olan ve Napolyon’la işbirliği yaparak ihanet ettiğinden şüphelenilen adamın kızını bulmak zorundaydı.
En büyük sorunuysa zamandı.
James, bakımını üstlendiği çocuğun yeni öğretmeninin bir şeyler sakladığına emin olmasına rağmen aramakta olduğu kadınla aynı evde yaşadığından tam anlamıyla habersizdi.
Çaresiz ve açlıktan ölmek üzere olan Phillipa Atwater ise bilgili, genç öğretmen kılığına girmek için erkek kıyafetleri giymek zorundaydı. Neyse ki bu zeki ve rahatsız edici gizlilik, Fransız casuslar tarafından acımasızca kaçırılan babasını aramak için zaman kazanmasını sağlayacaktı.
Babasının emanet ettiği gizemli not defterini dikkatlice koruyan Phillipa, her yanı tehlikelerle dolu gibi hissediyordu. Yakışıklı yeni patronu James Cunnington’ın evinde bile güvende değildi. Phillipa, arzunun hedefe doğrultulmuş bir kurşun kadar ölümcül olabileceğini keşfetmek üzereydi.
August 27, 2018
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
I really liked this one, and there were some things that would have given it a higher rating, if only there weren't other things that kind of deducted points.
Review to come soon.
I really liked this one, and there were some things that would have given it a higher rating, if only there weren't other things that kind of deducted points.
Review to come soon.
February 15, 2015
Ahhh the third book of the Liar's Club with the handsome brother of Agatha who surprised me a lot =)
Phillipa has big problems: as her father was kidnapped by the French, she is forced to flee to England to get help from an old friend of her father. Unfortunately, once there she discovered he's dead and Phillipa, having no one to whom turned, decides to dress up as a man to be employed by James Cunnington, a man her father seemed to know ... But if James is more than charming , Phillipa don't know if she can trust him or even if she wants it ...
I really enjoy seeing our favorite characters in this book again =)
The plot here is still exciting (ahhh Lady Winchell, I love this villain =D) and I must admit that I have become quite addicted to the gentlemen of the Liar's Club =)
The author's style is very nice and even though I prefer the "flirt but not yet lovers" part of the book (which is in my opinion the most interesting and best written part), this book was overall great =)
I realize that what I like most in this series are the heroines (which is rare !! Usually I find them really silly and I always wonder how heroes can fall in love with them ...). But in these books, they are bold, courageous, endearing, very human (one can easily identify with them !!), a little crazy and so much fun =) It's really refreshing =D
In short, I'm looking forward to read the next one =D
Phillipa has big problems: as her father was kidnapped by the French, she is forced to flee to England to get help from an old friend of her father. Unfortunately, once there she discovered he's dead and Phillipa, having no one to whom turned, decides to dress up as a man to be employed by James Cunnington, a man her father seemed to know ... But if James is more than charming , Phillipa don't know if she can trust him or even if she wants it ...
I really enjoy seeing our favorite characters in this book again =)
The plot here is still exciting (ahhh Lady Winchell, I love this villain =D) and I must admit that I have become quite addicted to the gentlemen of the Liar's Club =)
The author's style is very nice and even though I prefer the "flirt but not yet lovers" part of the book (which is in my opinion the most interesting and best written part), this book was overall great =)
I realize that what I like most in this series are the heroines (which is rare !! Usually I find them really silly and I always wonder how heroes can fall in love with them ...). But in these books, they are bold, courageous, endearing, very human (one can easily identify with them !!), a little crazy and so much fun =) It's really refreshing =D
In short, I'm looking forward to read the next one =D
November 22, 2012
I enjoyed the story and the characters in this gender-bender tale of intrigue. However, there are a few glaring details that you need to be able to overlook in order to enjoy the story.
One, that our hero, the main character who is supposed to be a seasoned spy, doesn't notice that Flip is a a woman but Robbie his 9 year old ward and everyone else wasn't fooled. It's really hard to swallow especially since he's also the spymaster of the Liar's Club. It just seemed like he's too dumb and unhinged due to a previous perceived betrayal.
And as a spymaster, he was also too reckless in hiring Flip and not keeping his other life separate. All these little things just made it hard to believe that he's capable of being the spymaster in charge.
However, if you can overlook these things, the story is pretty engrossing. The characters do a depth to the story but the storyline drives itself.
One, that our hero, the main character who is supposed to be a seasoned spy, doesn't notice that Flip is a a woman but Robbie his 9 year old ward and everyone else wasn't fooled. It's really hard to swallow especially since he's also the spymaster of the Liar's Club. It just seemed like he's too dumb and unhinged due to a previous perceived betrayal.
And as a spymaster, he was also too reckless in hiring Flip and not keeping his other life separate. All these little things just made it hard to believe that he's capable of being the spymaster in charge.
However, if you can overlook these things, the story is pretty engrossing. The characters do a depth to the story but the storyline drives itself.
July 19, 2010
This one uses the old heroine-dressed-as-man thing, but it's really enjoyable and not stale. I particularly like the hero's efforts to make a man of the reluctant heroine. The story moves fast, with several twists and the hero and heroine are both very likeable and interesting. Some parts are less than believable, although not in an irritating, "oh, pl-eeze" kind of way, the love scenes are lovely and the heroine is suitably reckless and determined. I would suggest that you need to read the preceeding books in the series though, or the details won't make sense.
January 11, 2020
1.5 stars
Two things...
1. James is one dumb mf-er. I wouldn't choose him to be on my team in a family fun game night of Charades. Thus, he would not be a leading figure in my Spy Club. (The poor imaginery Brits)
2. I did not find it appealing for the woman to sexually assault a non-consenting, sleeping man.
I only made it to the end to see how it would unravel. Skimmed the strange sex scenes.
Two things...
1. James is one dumb mf-er. I wouldn't choose him to be on my team in a family fun game night of Charades. Thus, he would not be a leading figure in my Spy Club. (The poor imaginery Brits)
2. I did not find it appealing for the woman to sexually assault a non-consenting, sleeping man.
I only made it to the end to see how it would unravel. Skimmed the strange sex scenes.
February 3, 2012
I don't know how I feel about this book. It was a good read, better than some of the drivel I've ever read. But I don't know if I'm sold on the whole girl being a boy, boy being completely unable to see that he's really a she, when everyone else can, plot technique. I'll give that plot another go, but after that, these books might be auto-no's.
July 7, 2011
This book just never drew me in. It was slow, nearly to the point of boring and the story line just never seemed even remotely believable. More romance might have salvaged it, but the emotional aspect was also missing.
Read
February 10, 2025I bought a bundle of paperbacks from this author secondhand and because of the similar sounding titles I assumed which books went together and ended up reading many in the wrong order. I thought this book belonged to the next series and I didn't figure out that the 2 series were related to each other until I read To Wed a Scandalous Spy.
Anyway I have mixed feelings about this book and I didn't know how to rate it for a while.
On the one hand I enjoyed the story a lot. It was engaging and kept me interested and I didn't find myself bored or drifting off at any point. I liked many of the side characters (crossing my fingers that Kitty and Bitty have their own books) and even though I have been reading the books out of order I was able to follow what was going on.
I really liked Flip and the heroines from book 1 and 2 (not the "heroes") as well as Kitty and Bitty.
The problem was James. Due to his former mistress doing horrible things to him the book wants us to feel bad for him and think of him as someone with trust issues. Honestly I had no sympathy for him when it comes to how awfully he treated Flip, basically thinking of her at Lavinia 2.0 despite all all evidence pointing to the contrary. In fact he was suspecting her motives all the way through the book, with no evidence, until the end even after she had been exonerated. Until he suddenly didn't. I guess I just didn't buy it.
Also the Arabian dance bit was so cringeworthy it made me think of a an old Hollywood movie with the fake flute music. However I guess it gets a pass since it was published over 20 years ago.
3 stars.
Anyway I have mixed feelings about this book and I didn't know how to rate it for a while.
On the one hand I enjoyed the story a lot. It was engaging and kept me interested and I didn't find myself bored or drifting off at any point. I liked many of the side characters (crossing my fingers that Kitty and Bitty have their own books) and even though I have been reading the books out of order I was able to follow what was going on.
I really liked Flip and the heroines from book 1 and 2 (not the "heroes") as well as Kitty and Bitty.
The problem was James. Due to his former mistress doing horrible things to him the book wants us to feel bad for him and think of him as someone with trust issues. Honestly I had no sympathy for him when it comes to how awfully he treated Flip, basically thinking of her at Lavinia 2.0 despite all all evidence pointing to the contrary. In fact he was suspecting her motives all the way through the book, with no evidence, until the end even after she had been exonerated. Until he suddenly didn't. I guess I just didn't buy it.
Also the Arabian dance bit was so cringeworthy it made me think of a an old Hollywood movie with the fake flute music. However I guess it gets a pass since it was published over 20 years ago.
3 stars.
October 9, 2017
Already 66% into the book. She's slept with him under the guise of a stereotypical Egyptian exotic dancer. He doesn't know she is Phillip still. Simultaneously, he crushes on the red head and dancer, which are both Phillipa of course. But it feels like he's unfaithful nevertheless. Wish she was revealed earlier. Before they slept with each other.
It doesn't even feel like a spy story. Her goal was to seduce the info out of him as an exotic dancer, but she abandons that in favor of sex and pleasure with him.what the heck.
It doesn't even feel like a spy story. Her goal was to seduce the info out of him as an exotic dancer, but she abandons that in favor of sex and pleasure with him.what the heck.
December 28, 2017
the first two were a ridiculous good time. this one tried to be more serious in tone but instead just ended up being kinda racist. there was this whole weird thing about sexy harem girls in barbarian outfits and the heroine once spent one night spying on beduoins in the deserts of turkey (???) and now she can do dirty talk in arabic (?????) and also bellydance. not great!!
August 12, 2019
1. olvasás DNR 30%
2. olvasás:
A sorozat második kötete vagy annak brilliáns magyar fordítása mindig arra ösztönöz, hogy megpróbáljam ezt a kötetet is, de az előző részhez képest hatalmas csalódás :'(
2. olvasás:
A sorozat második kötete vagy annak brilliáns magyar fordítása mindig arra ösztönöz, hogy megpróbáljam ezt a kötetet is, de az előző részhez képest hatalmas csalódás :'(
September 7, 2020
Not my favorite of the series, but I do love the continuation of the mystery and intrigue, and I'm definitely a fan of Philipa Atwater. 3/5
Find out more on my blog review:
Find out more on my blog review:
August 8, 2021
I really enjoy these books and the author in general. The heroes are good guys and the heroine's are strong, capable women. The suspense plots are complicated and the side characters who flow from book to book are well drawn and act consistently.
November 5, 2022
It was something but not all that. James was feeling nothing until the end. Not even desire. The only thing the book talked about was the Liar's Club and how hard they worked to solve a mystery which was not one in my eyes. So nope, the good rating was only because Flip had danced so beautifully.
November 19, 2017
This is a fun series. This one dragged a little in the middle but then picked up again. Loved the heroine.
July 6, 2018
Merci J'ai Lu d'avoir enfin réédité cette très bonne série. J'ai lu et aimé les 2 premiers tomes il y a quelques années. Je n'ai pas été déçue par la suite.
December 31, 2019
Amazing
This was a great continuation of the series! I love the way the characters just comes to life in the story. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
This was a great continuation of the series! I love the way the characters just comes to life in the story. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
January 22, 2020
Good romance
It was a fun read with quality writing. I would recommend for a quick, light read. It was a nice mix of romance and action.
It was a fun read with quality writing. I would recommend for a quick, light read. It was a nice mix of romance and action.
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