The Liar's Club series by Celeste Bradley

I'm not an avid romance reader. I went through a phase in high school and college where I took up reading books that were considered romantic suspense and historical romance. I was in it for the mystery and anything whodunnit related. I had branched from my Nancy Drew days into my Mary Higgins Clark moments and over into Celeste Bradley's world. Her covers indicated that there would be some naughty inclusions as well as the hint of spies and intrigue during the conflict with Napoleon and the War of 1812 picking up pace.

However, the consideration of romantic entanglements didn't intice me as much as the secrecy and enigma of a spy ring under the command of the King. So, I readily picked up the first book and dove into the story. Before I give an overview of the books and my love for their characters, I'll share a bit about the author who created these worlds revolving around secret agents.

To learn more about Celeste Bradley, you can visit her Amazon site or her Author Website. Below is an excerpt from her Author Profile on Amazon: 

Visit me at CelesteBradley.com or fb.com/CelesteBradleyAuthor :)

Go to CelesteBradley.com/newsletter 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!

Celeste

"Prior to giving writing a try, New York Times bestselling author Celeste Bradley was a professional artist. Believing that storytelling is as much of an art form she applies those skills to writing.

She is a two-time RITA Nominee and winner of the prestigious Historical Storyteller of the Year from Romantic Times Book Reviews. Southern-born Celeste lives in the Southwest. Her hobbies include gardening, jewelry making and collage." ~CelesteBradley.com

The Liars' Club includes five books in the series. These books coincide with Bradley's The Royal Four series. Below is a visual snapshot with a synopsis of each book as seen on Amazon:

    

The Pretender is book one in The Liar's Club.

"Rule #1: Never fall in love.

She had a secret she'd do anything to hide.

Agatha Cunnington, a headstrong beauty from the country, has come to London in search of her missing brother James. The only clue she has is a cryptic letter signed The Griffin. Agatha decides to disguise herself as a respectable married woman so that she can go about the city unnoticed. But for her charade to work she needs a suitable "husband," preferably someone tall, elegant, and rakish-someone like Simon Montague Rain.

He had a secret he'd do anything to hide.

Simon Montague Rain, also known as The Magician, is a member of The Liar's Club, a renegade group of rogues and thieves in the service of the Crown. When someone begins murdering members of the undercover cabal one by one, Simon is given the mission to bring in The Griffin, one of his comrades who is suspected of betraying his brothers. Simon goes undercover and infiltrates the home of "Mrs." Agatha Applequist who he believes is the Griffin's mistress. Before Simon knows what's happened, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Agatha's soft, feminine charms-and he is tempted beyond reason to break the first rule of The Liar's Club: never fall in love." ~Amazon

The Imposter is book two in The Liar's Club.  

"It isn't easy moving about Society dressed like a dandy-especially when one is a ruthless spy. But that's precisely the latest mission for Liar's Club agent Dalton Montmorecy. Dalton is posing as Sir Thorogood, the elusive cartoonist whose scathing political caricatures have all of London abuzz. The true identity of Sir Thorogood is a mystery, and Dalton hopes that impersonating him will flush out the real menace before his cartoons do further damage to the Crown. Now, if Dalton could only find a way to get the irksome, yet oddly appealing widow, Clara Simpson, off his trail...

When Clara meets Sir Thorogood at a ball, she's certain he is an impostor-because she's the true Sir Thorogood. Secretly penning the cartoons under the frothy nom de plume, Clara hopes to save enough money so that she can leave her in-laws and find a new residence. Now she is determined to reveal an imposter's identity-and that means doing some undercover work herself. But pretending to be someone you're not has a funny way of making a woman do things she wouldn't ordinarily dream of-even if it drives her straight into the arms of her devilishly handsome adversary!" ~Amazon

The Spy is book three in The Liar's Club.  

"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 in unaware that the woman he seeks now resides under his very roof...

Desperate and near destitute, Philippa Atwater must don gentleman'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 sense danger all around her--even in the home of her roguishly handsome new employer, James Cunnington. Now Philippa is about to discover that the desire can be as lethal as a well-aimed bullet..." ~Amazon

The Charmer is book four in The Liar's Club.  

"Collis Tremayne could make any female swoon; yet no one would guess the hidden desperation that drove him to become the most skilled spy in service to the Crown. All that stands in his way...is Rose Lacey, a confounding chit who manages to outsmart him with cunning and courage. She is the only woman he cannot melt with his smile. With every breath, he wishes he never laid eyes on her. And with every flash of her green eyes, he craves to possess her...

Rose Lacey fought hard to meet the challenge of becoming a spy for the infamous Liars Club. And if it weren't for Collis Tremayne, who manages to make her blood boil with his arrogance, and leave her breathless with white hot longing, she'd achieve her dream. Now, they must work together on a secret mission to uncover a dangerous plot-one in which the very safety of England hangs in the balance. Armed with wit and wiles, they must face deadly intrigue, clever enemies, and-if they can manage not to murder one another-the intoxicating lure of

unbidden passion..." ~Amazon

The Rogue is book five in The Liar's Club.  

"Ethan Damont's legendary gambling skills have earned him a place at the gaming tables of London's most exclusive homes. He has used his dubious place in Society to aid The Liar's Club. But his latest favor to the group has not only put his life in danger-it has thrown him together with the woman who tempts him to forgo his rakish ways. Lady Jane Pennington is the ravishing niece of a suspected traitor. Now it's Ethan's job to discover if the woman he finds irresistible is naïve to her uncle's deceit-or guilty of treason against the Crown...

Jane can barely wait for the Season to end-until she meets Ethan Damont. After a humiliating first encounter, Jane expects a scoundrel like Ethan to joke at her expense. Instead, he behaves like a perfect gentleman. But just as Jane finds herself overcome by her desire for Ethan, he takes her captive. Suddenly, she is pulled into a dangerous world where it's impossible to know who is friend-and who is foe. Will Ethan prove to be her undoing...or the love she has always longed for?" ~Amazon

Numeric Breakdown:
1: didn't like it
2: it was okay
3. liked it
4. really liked it
5. it was amazing


1. Writing Style: 4/5

Celeste Bradley utilizes elusive characters, red-herrings, third person narratives, multiple points of view, and secrets to drive her writing forward. She's a subscriber of the boy likes girl or girl likes boy motif in which the characters have to go through a series of escapades in order to find out the true meaning of honesty and love. 

Each book is a fun take on this type of scenario. The best parts include the hidden truths behind the alibis, pseudonyms, and bad guy plans. The stories interweave to give hints and clues within each book. All of the clues lead them to the assassins, criminals, and evil-doers. Bradley certainly gives us a wide variety of baddies to keep us guessing. 

Romance is certainly a part of the prescription, and as a result, Bradley gives us a whole story where the main characters fall in love, usually over a mistake or error in the details, after being thrown together for the majority of the book. Although, each story has its own tale that pits the female and male character together, the usual romantic tropes apply. In part, the romantic trysts annoy me a little, but that's just me and a personal opinion, but I do enjoy the intelligence and creativity Bradley imbues her characters with as well as their family-oriented spy ring. 

For me, the intimate scenes cause me to lose a bit of momentum with the whodunnit side, but the comedy and senses of humor give a lovely counterbalance. This is why, on average, my vote for each story's writing style hovers around the 3/5 or 4/5 mark. The intrigue of an unsolved mystery stretched across the series definitely weighs favor on the pro-side, and rounds up to a more understandable overall 4/5 ranking. 

2. Overall Content: 4/5
The stories hold their own allure. If you love romance and the building of a relationship throughout the pages, then Bradley won't disappoint you. She brings in mistaken identity and undercover spying as well as a strong female character searching for her brother in the first book, The Pretender. The loyalty, introduction of the spy club, and the inclusion of the loveable dresser, Button, are a few of my favorite parts of this first book. It sets the mood with a kidnapping, escape, lies, and more. 3.5/5

The Imposter delivers its own chuckles. Clara is the cartoonist of political caricatures which hit too close to home, and with a secret identity, she doesn't find it too funny when a man shows up on the scene pretending to be her. Dalton gives us a pomp and ceremony portrayal of what he assumes this male cartoonist might embody. The laughs are there as Clara and Dalton shuffle around each other trying to find out what the other one has to do with Sir Thoroughgood. 4/5

In The Spy, we find ourselves reintroduced to James Cunnington. He was one of our main characters in book one, and we see what he's been up to since that time. His kidnapping has preyed on his mind and prejudiced him against the female world. Enter Philippa Atwater, whose father is missing, donning men's clothes and searching for her father with a scrap of paper that houses James's name. Now, the comedy is continued, the depth of mystery is present, and the daring of a clever female protagonist is engaging. However, I'd say this isn't my favorite of the series, even if Philippa's disguise lends its own humorous fun. 3/5

I'm not into the storylines that pit a male and female character against each other, and then by the end of the novel, they somehow fall in love. I'm not really sure how that works out in reality, and for me, it falls a little flat as a routine romance literary device. However, I've got to say the back and forth of Collis and Rose in The Charmer didn't immediately turn me off. I think it's because I enjoyed the characters on their own - already mentioned in previous books, appreciated their background stories, and could see the truces they set for each other building bridges. I, still, wouldn't call this my favorite plot to read, but I appreciated how Bradley handled it and incorporated humor, conflict, and an amusing tone to get you through. 4/5

The last book in the series is actually my favorite. The Rogue gives us an unexpected hero and introduces us to our first spy heroine. I loved the mixture of sass and sensibility between the characters. Their unconventional first meeting, their unanticipated connection, and every diverting get-together they portray. There was something about the aimless, ne'er do well with his penchant for gambling - and cheating, who doesn't want to be the good guy but feels it's forced upon him when he has to help rescue the girl he stuck in the madhouse, that is endearing. Ethan ends up taking on more responsibility than he bargained for, and Jane proves to be a powerful attraction to the side of good. The two battle for the fate of their world and make a great team while they do it. It's a perfect combination of impertinence, comic relief, dashing hero-in-the-making, and a female spy who's never adopted the motto of "just give up." I think it's the best of the series, but I suppose it would have to end on a high note. Despite the usual naughty scenes that I don't subscribe to, personally, I still give this a 5/5. 

3. Hooks/Attention-kept: 4/5
The double-spies, spying in general, and secret identities kept the hooks and attention 100% You definitely want to find out whodunnit, and it gives you a great feeling when you finally do. The fact that this coincides with The Royal Four series gives it a lot of room to bounce back and forth from as well as more characters to learn about and love. 


4. Overall enjoyment of the story based on the genre: 4/5
I think it's no surprise that the general plot held great enjoyment. For a series based in the romance genre, these are books that have more to them than boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl or vice versa. The genre gives a variety of historical embellishments as well as regency flavor mixed with light suspense and comical characters. Even if it isn't a genre I turn to frequently, this series still holds a high rank for me and is a firm reread option whenever I need to spice things up a bit. 


5. Overall enjoyment of the story based on the content: 4/5
The characters always sell the book for me, and I enjoyed all of the characters within the stories. Some of the plots were more favored than others, but overall, the content spoke of mischievous personalities, undercover agents, witty characters, and intelligent mysteries. It was a win/win situation. 


6. Overall Story Rating: 4/5

This series would have definitely been a 5/5 if not for the steamy content. I think a couple of the scenarios within the books were a bit hard to grasp in terms of realistic enjoyment, but it's more about personal opinion and enjoyment than the author's ability to give a satisfying read. 

Celeste Bradley delivers on a thrilling, funny, and enjoyable read with each book. I'm sure there will be those who are ecstatic over the full-package that Bradley achieves in her writing, and the theme of never judging a book by its cover is certainly present with these beautiful characters. 

Thanks for joining me, and as always, Happy Reading!! :)

~Rebecca Reddell