This cannot be read as a stand-alone and since I really only read HR that caters to my favorite tropes, it’s unlikely I’ll get around to reading the first four books. Oh well.

Brazen in Blue is an enjoyable read. It was a little slow to start, but I absolutely LOVE Emmeline from the start. She's independent and has a good heart. She's not perfect, but that just makes her all the more endearing. The premise was definitely good - but I would have liked a little more balance between the intrigue of trying to complete the mission and the second chance at love Em and Adam get. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable read. ( )

Brazen in Blue by Rachael Miles
The Muses Salon #5

Second chances to get it right in love don’t come as often as we might like. Lady Emmeline Hartley is willing to try again and leave a man she admires, but does not love passionately, at the altar to pursue her true happiness while allowing Colin to do the same.

What I liked:
* Emmeline: a woman that overcame so much to become all that she did. Giving, kind, and true she does have injuries that impede her in some ways but don’t impinge on her ability to run her estate, provide for those that count on her and love truly and deeply. Her skill with voices is…interesting, too.
* Adam: a great man but I did get tired of his woes about station and not being good enough for Em. Otherwise he was charming, able, a chameleon, etc.
* Queen Bess & Persis: canines that added a great deal to the story
* Jeffreys: I good friend and mentor to Emmeline
* The sisters and cousins of Adam – I can see them starring in books of their own in perhaps a spin off series
* That Colin & Lucy get their HEA
* Wondering about Mr. James and Joe Pasten – wonder if more will come out about them in the future.
* The concept of the stories revolving around The Muses Salon but also dealing with Agents of the Home Office
* That the series is not over even though Emmeline and Adam have found their HEA.

What I did not like:
* Cousin Stella: spoiled rotten woman who was mean in the way spoiled stepsisters in fairy tales are. Would have loved to see her get her comeuppance and seen her reaction.
* Charters & Flute: evil men that were identified but not dealt with finally
* Having to wait for more books in the series.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars ( )

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Brazen in Blue by Rachel Miles is the fifth book in the authors The Muses Salon Series. I chose this book to read because of the cover; it’s gorgeous not realizing that it was the fifth book and while the author does do a reasonably good job of covering the backstory Ithink I would have enjoyed it more had I read the previous novels because there were a few times I felt just a bit confused. Lady Emmeline Hartley is about to get married to her best friend whom she loves but not in the right way when she decides that marrying without love would only lead to heartache for both of them especially when her betrothed will now have the opportunity to marry the woman he truly loves if she does not go through with the wedding.
She sends a note to home office agent Adam Montclair the man who broke her heart seeking a scoundrel to help her escape unnoticed. In a plot with lots of twists and turns where there are dastardly villains and even the good guys are not that trustworthy the only one Beth can count on is Adam but he’s been keeping secrets too. I enjoyed reading this book and now will have to go back and read the first four to answer the questions I still have. Medium Steam. Publishing Date: August 25, 2020. #BrazenInBlue #RachelMiles #KensingtonBooks #HistoricalRomance #bookstagram #bookstagramer ( )

Love is a Fool’s Game
Brazen in Blue is a delightful spy romance, with a runaway bride. Rachel Miles blends spirited characters with an entertaining adventure. Lady Emmeline Hartley (Em) has had a challenging past, and all she wants is a quiet life tending her estate. But as a woman of fortune, marriage is what is expected of her, and Lord Colin Somerville is a good man. When she has second thoughts, the only person who can help is the scoundrel spy Adam Montclair. He broke her heart once, and she refuses to repeat that mistake again. Covered in so many lies and aliases, Adam wants nothing more than to make things right with Em. Together they find a way to work through their pasts, and remember who they are. Em and Adam are well matched, have quite a few similar experiences, and love a lot of the same things. There are a few references to past events that are not reiterated. So, it takes a little bit to get oriented into this story if you have not read the previous The Muses’ Salon books. It also takes a while for them to tell each other their difficult secrets. A great romance about remembering, forgiving, and falling in love. ( )