Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey ~ Blog Tour + Review

Love, Lies and Spies is a YA historical novel published on April 19th 2016 by Swoon Reads. And I am thrilled to be a part of it's blog tour!

Read on to learn more about this thrilling new book + don't forget to check out Xpresso Book Tours' fantastic giveaway (US/CAN only) at the bottom of this post.

Juliana Telford is not your average nineteenth-century young lady. She’s much more interested in researching ladybugs than marriage, fashionable dresses, or dances. So when her father sends her to London for a season, she’s determined not to form any attachments. Instead, she plans to secretly publish their research.


Spencer Northam is not the average young gentleman of leisure he appears. He is actually a spy for the War Office, and is more focused on acing his first mission than meeting eligible ladies. Fortunately, Juliana feels the same, and they agree to pretend to fall for each other. Spencer can finally focus, until he is tasked with observing Juliana’s traveling companions . . . and Juliana herself.

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My thoughts on the book: Love, Lies and Spies is everything I could have asked for in a historical fiction novel. Deliciously romantic, with a streak of adventure and espionage, it provides readers with page after page of entertainment and an exciting world which one could quite happily live in!

Cindy Anstey gives enough details about her 19th century world to keep readers informed and intrigued, whilst delivering them in an artful style that commands the reader's attention. Unlike many historical novels that give you loads of historical context and long-winded and pompous sounding names, Love, Lies and Spies never once leaves your bored, lost, or whining like Scarlett O'Hara:

My favourite aspect of the book was the relationship between Juliana Telford and Spencer Northam. At first, I was a little wary of it - I expected it to be very cliche and very straight forward. But there is so much complexity to the way they interact with one another. There are not only layers of friendship and mutual respect, but also of suspicion, romantic tension, and fear. 

And just when Juliana and Spencer think they fully understand one another, everything they know gets turned on its head time and time again...until they begin to realise that they may be more alike than they originally thought.

The idea of having them pretend to fall for one another is genius, because it provides so much entertainment. I loved their banter and the way they can convey so many emotions through a single glance, touch, or word. They become such great comrades, and as that friendship begins to blossom into something more it becomes a romance that adds to the storyline rather than one that outshines it.

Both parties must work together whilst questioning one another's motives, in a novel that will leave you wanting for more!

Fave quote:

"The game cannot be won."

"Some games are worth more in the playing than in the winning."

She has lived on three continents, had a monkey in her yard and a scorpion under her sink, dwelt among castles and canals, enjoyed the jazz of Beale St and attempted to speak French.

Cindy loves history, mystery and… a chocolate Labrador called Chester. Love, Lies and Spies is her debut novel.

Connect with Cindy via her:

Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Tour-wide giveaway (US/CAN)

• A print copy of Love, Lies and Spies

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Although I was provided with a review copy by the author and/or publisher, all opinions expressed in this post are purely my own. To find out more, please visit my disclaimer page.