The Gentleman Spy By Erica Vetsch

The Gentleman Spy
by Erica Vetsch
Publisher: Kregel
ISBN: 9780825446184

After having been on the tour for The Lost Lieutenant I had my fingers crossed that I'd be able to be on the tour for book 2 in the series and HERE I am!! I received my book from I Read With Audra for review.

Summary:

He only wanted a duchess for a day--but she's determined to make it a marriage for life

When his father and older brother suddenly pass away, the new Duke of Haverly is saddled with a title he never expected to bear. To thwart the plans of his scheming family, the duke impulsively marries a wallflower. After all, she's meek and mild; it should be easy to sequester her in the country and get on with his life--as a secret agent for the Crown.

But his bride has other ideas. She's determined to take her place not only as his duchess but as his wife. As a duchess, she can use her position to help the lowest of society--the women forced into prostitution because they have no skills or hope. Her endeavors are not met favorably in society, nor by her husband who wishes she'd remain in the background as he ordered.

Can the duke succeed in relegating her to the sidelines of his life? When his secrets are threatened with exposure, will his new wife be an asset or a liability?

My Review:

After having met Marcus in The Lost Lieutenant, I was excited for him to have his own story in The Gentleman Spy. Not only was it great to learn more about Marcus, it was fun getting to visit with Evan and Diana again.

Let's talk about the characters first off. Whew, where to start though! Marcus. He's an interesting fellow. Being the "spare, not the heir" he had a lot of liberty with how he lived his life. Having to take over being a Duke seemed to be a bit of a challenge to his natural bent in life... that of being a spy! Then there's Charlotte. Goodness it was easy to like her. Her parents, not so much. Insufferable. Her father, despicable. I loved how Charlotte called him out! You go girl! Speaking of parents, Marcus' mom is long suffering in seemingly every way when it comes to Marcus and then Charlotte. I would've sent her on to the other home as soon as I was married if I'd have been Marcus. HA!

One of my favorite characters is Aunt Dolly! She has great insight, and well she should. She's seen and done a lot in her life. Aunt Dolly sees Charlotte's desire to help others and beings her into the fold. I do have to say, in the summary above it mentions that "her endeavors aren't met favorably in society, nor by her husband..." and I have to disagree. I think he wishes she would've stayed in the background because of his spy work, but he was very proud of her work with the women. He even goes so far as to stand up for her to his m!om. I just don't want Marcus to seem like a cad. :)

I could appreciate the struggle Marcus had to keep the different roles he plays in life compartmentalized. Doing that wasn't as easy as he thought. It's a little hard to do that when one actually finds themselves attracted to one's spouse. I also liked that the people around him tried to encourage him in regards to his relationship with Charlotte.

Charlotte's care for others, when her parents seem as cold as ice, turned out to be a big part of who she is. It doesn't surprise me that she winds up married to Marcus, but I'm glad that she's not satisfied with just being a piece of eye candy for whenever he needed. I liked her because she didn't fit into the society she was born into. She speaks her mind, which Marcus appreciates and she helps women whom society turns away from... including a woman who has a huge impact on Charlotte's life.

I enjoyed everything about this story and you don't want to miss it nor the first one! That being said, be sure to enter this amazing giveaway below! I'm already looking forward to Sophia's story.

About the Author:

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.  

Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. 

A self-described history geek, she has been planning her first research trip to England. 

Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@EricaVetschAuthor), Twitter (@EricaVetsch), Instagram (@EricaVetsch) and Pinterest (Erica Vetsch).