I loved Cindy Anstey‘s Love, Lies and Spies ($11.50, Raincoast Books, Swoon Reads) about Juliana Telford, a 19th century woman who is more interested in publishing her research on ladybugs than in marriage until she meets Spencer Northam, a gentleman, and a spy.

Both characters are wonderful.

I love that Juliana Telford speaks her mind and does what she wants, albeit sometimes in secret. Spencer Northam is also an amazing character, who you wish/hope existed in that time and, perhaps more importantly, still exists.

I was a little sad when the book ended, but excited as well because I read Love, Lies and Spies just before starting up the Nova Scotia author’s second book Duels & Deceptions.

Book Time, book reviews, author question and answer, Cindy Anstey, Raincoast Books, Swoon Reads, Canadian author, Regency period, strong women
Duels and Deception

I started reading Duels & Deceptions without reading the back of the book or any information about it and I will confess, I was disappointed.

I thought I was going to another book with Telford and Northam in it.

Duels & Deceptions ($15.99, Raincoast Books, Swoon Reads) is a completely new story with more another strong women in it.

Duels & Deceptions is the story of Lydia Whitfield, who has her entire future planned out. She will run the family’s estate until she marries the man of her dead father’s choosing and life will continue. But then Lydia meets Robert Newton, the law clerk tasked with drawing up the marriage contracts, among others, and things changed.

Both these characters are fabulous. The story has lots of action – at least the part I got to – but I have stopped reading the book. Lydia, although wonderful, is not Juliana, nor is Robert Spencer.

I will definitely go back to Lydia’s story, but I need to get Juliana’s out of my head first.

Read my interview with Cindy Anstey here.

A copy of this book was provided by Raincoast Books for a honest review.