About the Book:

Protecting her was his duty. Falling for her was a risk he couldn’t afford—but couldn’t resist.

Lady Melody Lockwood deciphers enemy codes from the safety of her home. It is safe and predictable, allowing her to feel as though she is doing more than what is expected of a lady in High Society. However, when a leak at the agency suggests her cover may have been blown, she faces a danger she never expected.

Wesley Ainsworth, the Earl of Emberly, is tasked with protecting Lady Melody, a responsibility he takes very seriously—even when she insists she doesn’t need his help. Having already lost one agent under his watch, he is determined to do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

As the threat looms closer, Wesley and Melody are forced to work together to uncover the culprit that is lurking in the shadows of Brockhall Manor. Their partnership challenges them to balance duty with the desires of their hearts. Will they unravel the mystery in time, or will their guarded hearts keep them from working together and discovering the love they both deserve?

| Goodreads |

My Review:

A Shadowed Charade by Laura Beers
Rating: 3.5/5
Pages: 308
Published: March 4, 2025
Series: The Lookwood Family

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

*I read an early copy from the author. This does not affect my review and the thoughts are my own. This review is voluntary.*

A Shadowed Charade is the fourth book in this series, but can be read and understood on it’s own. While I know that reading them in order does add to the overall story, since we see a lot of reoccurring characters in these. That said, I ended up jumping in this new series here, and found this one to be an entertaining read.

The concept of spies and espionage aren’t new in Beers’ regency stories, but this one did have an interesting twist. What if, the act of being a spy itself wasn’t the focus, but having your cover possibly blown was? Now that’s an interesting twist, and I enjoyed seeing how these characters would deal with the problem. The reveal was also an interesting surprise!

Melody was a fun character, rather serious and practical. And for that, I found her to also be rather relatable which I liked. Still, it was when she was with her twin that her gifts truly shined. Well, that an when she was working to crack a code!

Wesley likewise is more the quiet and serious type. A fact that I found especially amusing when seeing how he handled Melody and Elodie’s sisterly twin antics. Those two, no matter how ‘serious’ Melody normally was, never failed to get themselves into some mischief or other, and their games kept things interesting throughout the story.

I also really enjoyed the parts with their brothers. The family dynamics in this one were one of my favorite parts of the story, and seeing them playing off each-other was a delightful experience! Overall, this was a fun read, and has me excited to read the rest of this series as well.

Other books in the series:
(Below is a list of the other books I’ve read & reviewed for this series)

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