A Spy's Devotion

The Regency Spies of London, Book 1

By: Melanie Dickerson

Narrated by: Anna Parker-Naples

Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

In England's Regency era, manners and elegance reign in public life - but behind closed doors treason and deception thrive. Nicholas Langdon is no stranger to reserved civility or bloody barbarity. After suffering a battlefield injury, the wealthy, well-connected British officer returns home to heal - and to fulfill a dying soldier's last wish by delivering his coded diary.

At the home of the Wilherns, one of England's most powerful families, Langdon attends a lavish ball where he meets their beautiful and intelligent ward, Julia Grey. Determined to maintain propriety, he keeps his distance - until the diary is stolen and all clues lead to Julia's guardian. As Langdon traces an evil plot that could be the nation's undoing, he grows ever more intrigued by the lovely young woman. And when Julia realizes that England - and the man she is falling in love with - need her help, she finds herself caught in the fray. Will the two succumb to their attraction while fighting to save their country?

©2016 Melanie Dickerson (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

A good spy story to keep you guessing

I quite enjoyed this book. I struggled a little at the beginning as the narrator is different to others I listen to but it was a very satisfying listen overall.

This could have been exciting, but...

... I can't stand repetitive angst. Every time I began to be happy with Julia's rising resistance and caught up in the excitement, she went back into the mental hand wringing, saying things that had been said multiple times before. Probably the writer wanted to keep her in period, and to build the pressure of the suffocating limitations on a woman of the time, but surely there were better ways than repetitive internal dialog and prayer.

It is a difficult task to create an exciting spy thriller that remains faithful to regency period realities for women. Even while I rooted for Julia to figure out how to save the day, and believed she could, I couldn't help checking frequently to see just how much time was left before the book would end. Had I been reading this in print, I would have skimmed past quite a bit of detail.

loved it

a most enjoyable story. And the narrator did well to convey the feelings suspense and pace of the story. Uplifting and being to a suspenseful story

One of my favorites by Melanie Dickerson

I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. It was definitely one of my favorites. I looked forward to my daily walks each morning so that I could listen and before I knew it I had walked 3 miles and wanted to keep going. I would definitely recommend it.

Romance and mystery

What did you love best about A Spy's Devotion?

I am not usually a romance reader but this was an enjoyable fun book, and I did like reading about the time period

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Spy's Devotion?

When Julia stood her ground against her awful uncle

What three words best describe Anna Parker-Naples’s performance?

unfortunately it was a very good narration but none of the characters had sounded like they were from England , so much was lost there , from accents of the poorer characters to the wealthy, I kept forgetting it took place in England, because of this not sure I would want to listen to the next book.

sweet story

sweet story, a bit sappy but kept me interested. narrator did a really nice job

Kept waiting for the story to get good

As a long time fan of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately it failed to capture my attention.

great clean book...

I really enjoyed this book. I was not so sure at first...but as the story progressed, I felt it got better. I appreciated that it was a good clean book.. I think I have discovered a new to me author.

Good - not amazing, but enjoyable.

This book was a relaxing read with a few moments of light suspense. It was clean and wholesome. The narrator did a well done job of differentiating who was who with her voice.

Don't be put off by the picture on the cover...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it is a wonderful, wholesome spy/romance. Nothing sleazy or embarrassing. It is quite refreshing in this day and age.

What about Anna Parker-Naples’s performance did you like?

Her performance was awesome! She made the book even better! I could listen to her night and day and never get tired of hearing her remarkable voice.

Any additional comments?

It is so refreshing to hear a book with such high moral standards, and in no way is nasty and distasteful. I will definitely listen to more books by Melanie Dickerson. I just love the historical context of the storyline also. Bravo!