The Secret Service of Tea and Treason Review

 Hello, all!

You all know how much I love the Dangerous Damsels series by India Holton (you can see my review of the last book here), so needless to say, The Secret Service of Tea and Treason was one of my most anticipated releases for this year.

Pub Date: 4-18-23
Adult - Historical Fantasy

Alice Dearlove, also known as Agent A, is the top operative at a secret government organization known as the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, or A.U.N.T. Alice's job at A.U.N.T is to gather intelligence on everyone from witches and pirates to the boring beau monde. Her steely disposition, a compulsion for keeping things tidy, and her ability to flip a man twice her size over her head make her the perfect person for any job. So when a new assignment pops up to stop an assassination attempt on the Queen's life, Alice is eager to take it on.

Unfortunately for loner Alice, this isn't a single-person mission. Much to her annoyance, Alice is paired with Daniel Bixby, a.k.a Agent B, a.k.a her professional rival. The pair's mission is to infiltrate a pirate house party and recover a dangerous weapon, which sounds easy enough, but there's a catch: they also have to pretend to be married. The stoic agents are determined to fulfill every aspect of their mission to the best of their abilities, and if that means doing all the things married couples do--holding hands, quoting literature in times of passion, and foiling dastardly plans--then so be it.

Holton is one of those authors whose work gets better and better with each book. I'm obsessed with the way she crafts stories. I'm convinced the word "romp" was created just for her books. You know you're in for a wild, bonkers ride whenever you pick one up, and I can't get enough. I've loved the whole series, and this latest installment was no exception. I thought the spy angle was so fun, and I loved the new spin on the fake dating/marriage trope. Alice and Daniel were everything to me. The banter! The chemistry! The pining! It was all too good. Watching them navigate their relationship while trying to complete their mission was so entertaining. This book is chock full of hilarious hijinks, emotional moments, flying houses, undercover maids, and pirates playing rooftop tennis with grenades; I mean, what more could you want? I'm sad to see this series end, but I'm thrilled to see what Holton comes out with next.

Rating: 4/5