Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise
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Never Blow a Kiss

by

Lindsay Lovise

(Author)

4.3

-

242 ratings


In this delightfully witty Victorian romance, a governess spy running away from her past falls for an ex-soldier turned railroad magnate—perfect for fans of Manda Collins and Bridgerton!

The utterly charming Emily Leverton has a dark past and is determined to leave it behind in her respectable new role as a governess. But when she is recruited by a secret network of governesses who spy on the ton, it may just be a way to redeem the dark secrets of her past.

Straddling the worlds of the ton and the working class, as an ex-solider turned railroad magnate, Zach hunts killers for the Metropolitan Police by day and dutifully attends balls at night. In neither world has he met a woman with the brazenness to mock him. So when a saucy governess blows him a kiss he is determined to catch her, never expecting that when he does he will find an intelligent, quirky woman hiding more than her true name. As Zach peels back the layers of Emily’s lies, he falls for the street-wise woman who handles a dagger like a pro and kisses like a mistress. But when his affair with Emily intertwines with his hunt for a killer, he discovers Emily is hiding an explosive secret—one that could destroy them both.

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ISBN-10

1538740532

ISBN-13

978-1538740538

Print length

368 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Forever

Publication date

January 06, 2025

Dimensions

4.19 x 0.92 x 6.75 inches

Item weight

1.11 pounds


Product details

ASIN :

B0C3ZPK8PT

File size :

1187 KB

Text-to-speech :

Enabled

Screen reader :

Supported

Enhanced typesetting :

Enabled

X-Ray :

Not Enabled

Word wise :

Enabled


Editorial reviews

"Lovise writes with a spritely pen, her story bursting with cheek and humor while also remaining unrelenting in its twists and turns. An extremely promising debut, one that blends the best hallmarks of each of its genres...we can’t wait to see what’s next."―Entertainment Weekly

"Edgy and enticing...Lovise is sure to win fans with this."―Publishers Weekly, Starred review

“The kind of fast-paced, sexy historical romance I love to lose myself in.”―Manda Collins, bestselling author of A Governess's Guide to Passion and Peril

“Gripping and fresh...Will have you hooked until the last page!” - ―Amalie Howard, USA Today bestselling author of Never Met a Duke Like You.

"A strong historical romance debut, for fans of Sarah MacLean and Erica Ridley." ―Kirkus


Sample

Chapter 1

May 1838

Emily Leverton was a hopeless governess. She played the pianoforte with the grace of an elephant, her arithmetic was appalling, and the last time she’d read A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Manners her eyes had nearly crossed with boredom. The only thing at which she excelled was something no gently bred woman should know.

Alas, Emily was no gently bred woman.

Emily handed her youngest pupil a sheet of stationery. Although it was true that Emily’s ability to teach accomplishments such as needlework and dancing was nearly nonexistent, she was an expert in deceit.

“The first rule of spying,” she instructed, “is to act as if you are entirely uninterested in the conversation around you. Jot that down, Morris. You will never best your twin sisters if you do not take this seriously.”

The seven-year-old neatly wrote the first rule at the top of the stationery. Late-afternoon sunlight slanted through the schoolroom window and caught in his hair as if it were a halo and he an angel. Morris truly was the dearest child, which made him an easy target for his conniving older sisters. Fortunately, Emily’s true talents were… unconventional.

When he finished, he lifted earnest brown eyes. “What is rule number two, Miss Leverton?”

Emily crouched beside him and touched his shoulder. “Rule number two is that you must never base your worth on what others think of you. None of us are perfect. Some of us are not even what we seem.”

The dinner gong rang, and Morris smiled shyly before tucking the paper in his trouser pocket. “Thank you, Miss Leverton.”

“We will finish tomorrow!” she called at his departing back.

Emily spent a few minutes tidying the schoolroom before she set off for the Mottersheads’ library. As the governess of the house she was neither servant nor nobility, which made dinner arrangements awkward. She had solved the problem early in her assignment by retreating to the library until the Mottersheads had finished their repast, and then taking her supper alone in the breakfast room.

Emily stilled in the hallway and cocked her head, her baser instincts buzzing. Had she heard a sound? Everyone should be dressing for dinner, including the latest addition to the household—the children’s uncle, the Viscount Charlsburn. The tyrant had arrived the week before, and his sour demeanor had the entire estate on edge. Unhappy with everything from the state of the silverware to the architecture of the stables, he lorded over the house as if he owned it himself, his hooked nose sniffing out Cook’s imperfections and his crafty eyes appraising the value of each object. No anomaly escaped his scrutiny, and that included Emily.

Satisfied she was alone, Emily continued toward the library. She rounded the corner and shrieked with dismay when she nearly collided with the viscount, who had to have been walking silently on purpose.

“What is the hurry, Miss Leverton?” he asked, his fingers clawing into her upper arms even though she was in no danger of falling. His oily voice reminded her of her former husband’s.

“No hurry.” Emily’s tone was light as she stepped back, forcing him to release her. “Is there something I can help you with, my lord?”

Shrewd gray eyes fell on her mouth. “Indeed. Remind me from where you hail, Miss Leverton?”

“Monmouth.”

“Yes, that is what I thought. I have a dear friend in Monmouth. I wrote to him within a few days of my arrival. To his knowledge, no Leverton family resides in the township. Odd, would you not say?”

Emily had suspected Charlsburn knew she was not what she seemed, and this confirmed it. She was experienced enough to know when a con had gone south.

It was time to move on.

He closed the distance between them and reached for a dark curl that had fallen from her pins. Emily dodged his hand, but he advanced again. “Stay still, my pet. Do you know how I have dreamt of this moment?”

Emily’s stomach clenched. With a smattering of unfashionable freckles and hair so curly it disobeyed pins on the regular, she’d considered herself neither pretty enough to draw attention nor ugly enough to do the same. She was ordinary. Plain. And aside from her rough hands and sunburnt nose, she’d thought she’d successfully pulled off the role of respectable governess. Even her imitation of the upper class’s posh accent was spot-on.

The viscount had clearly seen past her act. Had she aroused his suspicion with the watercolor incident? He’d recently come across her teaching the girls to paint a watercolor of the horses in the field, except the art session had taken a cheek-reddening turn into a lesson on reproduction. How was she to have known the mares were in heat? Surely any governess could have made that mistake.

“You must excuse me, my lord,” Emily said, pressing her hand to her stomach. “I am not feeling well. You had best move before I—” She retched. Violently.

Lord Charlsburn paled.

“I believe I ate some poor fish,” Emily continued, and covered her mouth just in time to muffle a loud belch.

Charlsburn took a hurried step back. “You must return to your chamber at once! A more unladylike display I have never witnessed.”

Emily nodded in agreement, but rather than turning away she stumbled toward him and gagged. With horror etched on his face the viscount scurried off, muttering about filthy servants and the plague.

Once he was out of sight, Emily resumed her walk to the library, her footsteps lighter than before. Yes, she was going to have to skip town and find a new situation, but repelling the viscount had been immensely satisfying. Besides, she still had her forged letter of recommendation from the baroness, Lady Rosigan, who’d once spit on her in the street.

Emily entered the library, confident it would be empty. Her employer, Mr. Mottershead, was a genteelly impoverished man who squandered most of his income on items that made him appear wealthier than he was. This extended to the library, a sweeping room of rich woods accompanied by the scents of lemon polish and dust, the shelves stacked to the ceiling with classics and fashionable volumes that had never been cracked.

It was Emily’s favorite place. Although she lacked knowledge in nearly every subject a governess ought to be versed in—mathematics, world geography, history, and classical music—her literacy and imagination were unparalleled. As a child she’d read a filched copy of Prometheus Unbound to shreds, and with it had discovered an escape from her dreary world.

The orange glow of sunset seeped through the open drapes, catching floating dust motes with its light and warming the library to a cozy temperature. To save on overhead, the Mottersheads had been cutting back on staff, letting their gardener go months before and several maids since. That meant the only time the library was entered, other than by Emily, was when it was stocked with new books or dusted once a month.

She leisurely browsed the shelf of Mr. Mottershead’s newest acquisitions, running her fingertips over the leather spines and settling on the one she’d most anticipated seeing: The Pickwick Papers.

With the evening stretching before her, Emily sank into her favorite chair, the one that faced the wild tangle of orange, white, and violet blooms that lined the flagstone pathway in the garden, and bent to sniff the book. It smelled of leather and fresh ink.

She sighed contentedly. Her time with the Mottersheads was rapidly approaching an end, but Emily had learned to slow down and bask in the good moments while they lasted.

When she flipped open the front cover, the spine cracked and a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Emily untucked her legs and plucked it from the carpet. She could tell it was a note by the slanted, neat script. She shouldn’t read it; it was obviously intended for Mr. Mottershead.

Feeling virtuous, she was about to slip the note back into the book when she spotted the name Esther through the back of the paper.

Her real name.

With numb fingers, Emily unfolded the paper. Her eyes raced across the text.

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About the authors

Lindsay Lovise

Lindsay Lovise

Lindsay writes historical and paranormal romances with brave heroines, along with the occasional creepy YA. When she's not writing, Lindsay is reading, drinking coffee, and avoiding laundry.

Although she lives in New York, she was born and raised in Maine, where the winters make for perfect reading weather.

For more information, please visit her website.

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Reviews

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

242 global ratings

Concetta Clark

Concetta Clark

5

Amazing debut!

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2024

Verified Purchase

Historical romance has never been my preferred genre, but I was intrigued by the mystery element of Never Blow a Kiss, and I was not disappointed! I must admit that I fell for a couple of red herrings along the way and was certain I knew who the Evangelist was when I was half way through the book, but I was wrong. Lovise's debut novel is filled with beautiful language, intriguing characters, and enough mystery to keep me turning the pages until I reached the very satisfying conclusion. I look forward to the next book in The Secret Society of Governess Spies series!

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KelseyreadsHR

KelseyreadsHR

5

Wonderful start to series

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2024

Never Blow a Kiss is the first book in the Secret Society of Governess Spies series.

Emily Leverton has endured a lot in her 24 years and just when she thinks she’ll need to find a new position, Emily finds herself recruited by The Dove to spy on ton families while working as a governess. Zach is a self-made man and military veteran who would rather work as the Detective Constable for the Metropolitan Police than live as a man of leisure. He’s the head of the task force to bring down The Evangelist, the nickname for the person behind a recent series of murders. Emily and Zach have a memorable first meeting when they come across one another one evening when Emily brings a forgotten reticule to her employer’s oldest daughter at a ball. While they’re not working together, they continue to run into one another because of either their investigations or her work as a governess. As attraction builds and Zach falls first and falls hard will it be enough to overcome not only Emily’s past but her Big Secret too? Plus, bringing the culprit to justice.

It was about a fifth of the way in when it’s mentioned that the FMC has a shameful secret beyond just her secret past and I was anxious about what the secret would be. At this point I was well invested in the characters and worried that once the secret was revealed that it would end up not being that big of deal. It’s happened too many times in HR I’ve read and made me wary. I’m so glad that it was not the case for this story and could understand why Emily kept it secret for so long. The author also did a great job of keeping the identity of the villain secret until the end. I loved Zach’s and Emily’s story and with the author justifiably creating a legit Big Secret and enough twists to keep the reader guessing on the villain is why this was a five star read. I liked Zach in that he was from a similar background as Emily and allowed her the space and freedom to take care of things she was capable of. Emily has a lifetime of not being able to trust people and her journey to trusting Zach is a bit slower. The epilogue sets up book two nicely and am excited to read it when it comes out.

There are three and a half encounters that are on the upper side of mid-steam.

This book contains reference to spousal abuse and murder.

Advanced ecopy of the book provided by Net Galley and Forever publishing for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Amazon Customer

Amazon Customer

5

Must Read

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024

Verified Purchase

Never Blow a Kiss has a strong plot which keeps the reader engaged from cover to cover. This book has it all, a sizzling romance, a clever mystery, and an incredibly captivating secret that does not disappoint! This book is well balanced alternating between romance and mystery themes while maintaining historical accuracy. The secret governess society is shrouded in mystery and intrigue and the reader is left wanting to know more about “The Dove”. This immersive society perfectly lays the foundation for the series and I am looking forward to the next book!

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