The Spy Who Seduced Her (The Brethren Book 1)

I preordered as I love this author. I could finish this book as it made no sense to me and I did not like anyone in the first 5 chapters. Very disappointed and it is do strange that my experience is so different than you that gave it a 5.

Christi Caldwell is hands down at her best in her tales of wounded warriors. Have I said that before? I KNOW I’ve said that before. I intend to keep on saying it. The Brethren of the Lords has long been a group that fascinated me, and I cannot help but be thrilled with this new series. The Brethren have their day at last! Not a moment too soon, I say!

I fell in love with Nathaniel Archer forever ago. He was absolutely wonderful in Adam and Georgie’s book, and he was no less wonderful in his own. This guy! *sigh* What an amazing hero. He is strong, he is patient, he is determined and compassionate. Nathaniel is everything a man ought to be.

This book, like all by Christi, reaches far beyond the traditional norms of the Regency genre. Instead of an eighteen year old in the first blush of youth, our heroine is a mature woman in her 40s. She has suffered through a terrible marriage for twenty some years, and is now a widow, grandmother, and still the amazing woman we’ve come to love through the books about her daughters. Phoebe and Justina’s books each gave us enough insight into Victoria’s character to hope she would get her happily ever after. We’ve loved her every bit as much as we’ve hated the Viscount Waters. (Who, by the way, got EXACTLY the end deserved).

Our devotion was (as ever) completely justified. Victoria Barrett is a stronger woman than even I gave her credit for. She is the ultimate example of making the best of a terrible situation. She raised three wonderful children, protecting them from the cruelties of society and their father. She is the hero of her story. She had me in tears, she had me cheering for her, she had me wishing I could hug her more times than I can express.

These are some of Christi’s absolute best characters, and that is saying quite a lot as all of Christi’s characters are phenomenal. This book had so many cameos that made me happy. We catch up with Adam and Georgie, get a peek at Phoebe and Edmund’s life, check in with Justina and Nicky (As we die hard fans have come to call him), and best of all, get some major insight into Andrew’s character. I cannot even put in words how excited I am for Andrew’s book. (Squeal).

This book is amazing. It truly has everything. Sexy spy, brokenhearted widow, love lost and regained, overprotective offspring, intrigue, seduction, I could go on forever, but I will refrain. You will definitely be missing the best book of 2017 if you do not get your hands on The Spy Who Seduced Her.

I fell in love with Nathaniel Archer three years ago in My lady of Deception and have shamelessly begged for his story over the years. My wish was granted was finally granted with The Spy Who Seduced her.

I admit that is was nervous because of my high expectations for Archer's HEA, however I should have never doubted Ms. Caldwell. The story she wrote for Archer exceeded any expectations that I had and gave one of my favorite hero's the story he deserved.

Archer and Victoria are two people who desperately loved each other but lost it all through the folly of youth. They are finally reunited after over 20 years apart but their reunion is not under happy circumstances. Both carry guilt and bitterness over what happen to them in the past and they both blame each other how their lives turned out.

Archer and Victoria story will pull at your heartstrings as you learn about how they lost love and spent years suffering at the hands of others. Archer story just broke my heart and I wanted to to jump through the pages and give him a hug for all that he suffered. Victoria proved herself a survivor, though she my not have always made the best decisions in her life, she owned them all. This allowed her to not play the victim but to find the best in any situation and refused to allow the darkness to consume her.

Ms. Caldwell once again hits it out of the park with the Spy Who Seduced her. This story is shows you that the path of love is not always easy and sometimes two people have to go through some pain and heartbreak before they can finally find their happiness.

*********Author provided me a review copy********

Christi Caldwell brings the vulnerability of lost love to the forefront and fills the void with renewed hope. She had the capacity to wring emotions out of you and leaves you with a brilliant book hangover.

Ms. Caldwell gives us a mature couple who have pasts and life experiences that are missing in the traditional historical romance with debutants in their early seasons on the marriage mart. She allows these to add a depth to the characters that makes me relate in a new way with the hero and heroine. She includes, with tenderness and sensitivity, the insecurities brought on by the changes in a woman’s body with years and childbirth during a touching love scene that made Nathaniel my hero for life. Well done! She also approaches the trauma Nathaniel faced in captivity with grace allowing Victoria to help Nathaniel start to come to terms with his past and move forward.

As the first book in a new series, but with some characters returning from other series, we are given an excellent background for the Brethren. Secondary characters have been fleshed out enough to leave you hoping they get their own HEA. These characters bring their own humor, intelligence and histories to add depth to Victoria and Nathaniel and their HEA. Ms. Caldwell once again brings her gift for dialogue and tension to new heights. The twists, turns, high and lows keep you turning the pages. This is one of my favorite books of hers to date.

I gave this 4.5 stars.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

5*
I love love love this book!!! Christi Caldwell has written a amazing second chance love story that filled me with such happiness at the end. Nathaniel and Victoria were young lovers with such hope for the future. Nathaniel always promised to return from his work with the Brethren until the one day he did not. Unknown to Victoria he's taken captive. Months later and with nowhere else to turn she's married off to save her from scandal. Two years later Nathaniel returned to find his only savor married with children and all is lost. Nathaniel leads a solitary life and dedicates his soul to the Brethren. Then the worst happens and Victoria's husband is murdered and the implications land on her family. Nathaniel will not allow anyone but him to find the one responsible and save Victoria.
The years that have passed have not deadened the love they have for each other but misunderstanding and suspicion of the past and future could destroy it all.
This book,is full of twists and turns, longing for time lost and hope for what can be.
I can not wait to read the next book, I want Andrew to have a HEA!

Victoria Barrett is a widow with a hidden and tortured past. She survived a cruel marriage only to now face the horror of having her son accused of murdering her husband. Nathanial Archer, the Earl of Exeter, has a hidden and tortured past too, bur he buried himself in work and is now the head of the Crown's elite organization. When he hears about the murder case he decides to become the lead investigator. Why? Because he knew Victoria many years ago. Could it be that he still loves her? What will she think when she discovers Nathanial is on the case? Will sparks fly or will disaster occur?

This is a story of love lost, and it is very well written with a complex story and wonderful characters. I laughed. I cried. I cringed, after all it is a murder story too. I was riveted by the story from start to finish. It has got suspense, drama, humor and romance and it moves at a very nice pace. It is an older couple romance, and it is an excellent read. Loved this book so much! Christi never disappoints me. Highly recommended!

Christi Caldwell know how to captive her readers with mystery, adventure and murder all tied around a love that is as old as time. Victoria said good bye to the only man she ever loved the day he was killed. Many years have come and past with a few mistakes and lots of heartache. Having to marry a man she never love who was cruel and hurtful in so many ways. Now he is dead well murdered she cannot find it in herself to feel sorry, who wouldn’t be happy to see that man take his last breath. She has turned the last page in that book it is closed but now she must help her son clear his name and prove he didn’t do it. Just when she thinks she might get her life in order and clear her son she get slapped in the face coming face to face with the only man she ever love. Can this be real? Is this some kind of cruel joke? Is he really alive? What does this mean? Could he be so cruel as to let her think he was dead? So many thoughts going through her mind, lost love, how she mourned him and the whole time he was alive and well leaving her to face the fallout from their love. He abandoned her when she needed him the most. She had been so sure of his love and that he would come for her only to have him die but now face to face she finds she is reliving her nightmare all over again.

Nathaniel is a very bitter man and has been a very for years he thought she betrayed their love casting him aside and moving on to live a life of pleasure why he was taken and tortured. The only thing that kept him going was her. The thought of her waiting for him and his returning to clam what was his only to find she took another in his place. He left a very bitter man as he walked right out of her life. Now he comes face to face with her vowing to find the truth to her husband death. He thought he could deal with it that the need for her would be over he finds he is so wrong. He has a job to do, will the love he has for her get in the way? With the passion stronger than it ever was they both fight the feeling but love must come through which turns their world upside down.

These two were meant to be together as the story unfolds you fall so in love with them. Their passion is so real it holds the reader spellbound. What a wonderful exciting and thrilling story of second chance love. Nathaniel and Victoria deserve to break out of the prison they have both been in they deserve this second chance to find happiness. The author gives you a wonderful plot with characters that become very real to the reader. I found myself talking to them begging them to give it another try they deserve happiness after going through so much. I loved the fact that the romance was built around an older couple. Ones who made mistakes but never gave up on their love no matter how bad things got their memories kept the other going putting one foot in front of the other until they could have the happy ever after they deserved. The author gives the read the hope that there is true love it never fails but lives on and grows stronger each day. The author has a talent giving the readers a compelling story that pulls them in, making you want to cry, cheering the characters on. You forget you are reading as these characters become real they are like family to you. I loved the plot, characters and the ending was just delightful. I can’t wait to see where this new series will go and meet all the new characters we will come to love.
*********************
Book Obsessed Chicks Review

It seems like in most romances the couples are very young, yet the average romance reader is in their 40s. As I become more “mature”, it’s refreshing to read a romance with more mature characters. They’re definitely more relatable for me. Those characters have lived long enough to have hopes and fears that younger characters just don’t have. It opens up amazing backstory possibilities. Those life experiences deepen and enrich the characters and the story. Romance becomes more than sex. More complex, mature, and sensual. Just because you need reading glasses and have some new aches and pains doesn’t mean you can’t still experience the thrill, excitement, passion, and all those feelings that come with romance. In Christi Caldwell’s The Spy Who Seduced Her, our characters find it’s never too late to find love.

Nathaniel Archer, Earl of Exeter had been part of the Brethren, the crown’s secret elite organization. He “had made but one misstep in his career. It had been a careless one, only a rash man of 20, drunk with his own self-confidence and sense of prowess could make. And that misstep had cost him everything.” He had been captured and tortured for 2 years. He escaped only to find the woman he loved had married. “He’d faced death many times, but the heartbreak was greater than any blades and bullets he’d taken.” She had been the dream he’d clung to through his horrible imprisonment yet she’d given her heart to another. Nathaniel fled to the continent, taking up missions on the other side of the world to escape her. Deliberately avoiding mention of her or the man she’d married. In the following years, he’d devoted himself to the Brethren as their leader and lost himself in his work, thus forcing down all memories of her. But when an unexpected case falls into his lap, those memories come flooding back. The murder of Viscount Waters. The prime suspect is the viscount’s son. And the mother of the suspect? Victoria Barrett, the only woman Nathaniel had ever loved.
Victoria had been a spirited young woman completely in love and dreaming of her future with Nathaniel. He had stolen her heart.” But with his absence and ultimate death, he had promptly shattered it.” She’d been left desperate and pregnant. To hide the scandal his daughter would have brought down on the family, her father had made a formal arrangement with Chester Barrett, Viscount Waters, a faithless, drunken, and cruel man. “Her marriage had been a cold, empty, ruthless one.” Only her children had sustained her and given her purpose through the misery of her marriage. Thinking of Nathaniel was something she’d refrained from, pushing those memories back that still had the power to gut her. Now her wastrel husband was dead. Murdered. Though she was relieved to be rid of him, her own son was now the prime suspect in the murder. His perceived guilt was all Polite Society talked about. And though he seemed determined to follow his father’s footsteps, Victoria knew the goodness of his heart and was certain of his innocence.
When Nathaniel arrived to interview the family, Victoria was certain she was seeing a ghost. “It couldn’t be that she’d spent years mourning a man who’d been very much alive but who’d simply failed to return.” She’d tortured herself thinking of how he might have suffered, so sure nothing would have kept him from her. But he’d abandoned her. She hated him and loved him at the same time. Nathaniel had felt bitter that he’d lost his future and yet Victoria had gone on with her life. But in taking the case, he was given a glimpse into Victoria’s marriage, family, and her life as it had existed without him. He learned the truth of what kind of man her husband had been. “He’d wanted to carry out the investigation with the greatest integrity and accuracy. Had fooled himself in thinking the sight of her wouldn’t rekindle all those old feelings.” Victoria had told herself she was content with her life. She had her children and needed nothing more. Then Nathaniel returned. And the feelings between them had returned even stronger. They’d thought the passion from long ago had been buried with their memories, but they’d been wrong. But Nathaniel’s absence and her son’s investigation were still between them. Even now, after all these years, Nathaniel couldn’t separate himself from the Brethren. Would they be reunited again only to find that duty would still keep them apart? Or could this be a new beginning?

What a beautiful story of a second chance at love. If anyone ever deserved a happily ever after, it was Nathaniel and Victoria. They’d both made mistakes and had been imprisoned as a result. Nathaniel when he’d been captured and tortured, and then in the life he’d devoted himself to. And Victoria’s choices had led to a marriage that had become a prison. Never getting to experience the life she’d dreamed of. Memories of each other had sustained them. As I read this story, the song Days In The Sun kept playing through my mind. “All those days in the sun. What I’d give to relive just one. Undo what’s done. And bring back the light. Days in the sun will return. We must believe as lovers do that days in the sun will come shining through.” With memories from the past interwoven into the present, Christi Caldwell weaves a story that is nothing short of magical. This fast-paced, sensual, emotionally charged romance draws you in till you almost become the characters. The road to true love isn’t easy but it ends up being these characters’ salvation. A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection.

Author Christi Caldwell never fails to immerse this reader in her carefully woven web of tales. This time however, Ms. Caldwell slays me with this book. This book is SUPERB! Be prepared to cry. A wonderful first in an exciting series, I cannot wait for more of The Brethren!

Nathaniel Archer has been an essential part of The Brethren for decades. The spy turned leader has lost so much in his 45 years, that the only thing he has is his work and the memories of the one and only love he lost. When after 20 years a case comes up involving his lost love, Nathaniel tosses caution aside to solve the mystery and reconnect with his past, good or bad.

Victoria Barret, the Viscountess Waters has not had an easy life. Married to a cruel reprobate in order to give her baby a name, Victoria has suffered much in her life. Someone has murdered the Viscount and now Victoria's son, Andrew is the prime suspect. While mourning Viscount Waters isn't one of this family's priorities, saving Andrew from himself is paramount. Enter Nathaniel Archer, Earl of Exeter, whom Victoria believed dead. For both Victoria and Nathaniel, facing their pasts is gut-wrenching. Both believe the other moved on without second thoughts, but the reality of it is that the struggle to carry on caused such deep seeded heartache that it inexorably transforms both parties.

Nothing is more important to Victoria than her children's happiness, but maybe it's time for her to actually live, maybe it's time for her to grasp onto the one person who can give her that happiness. Nathaniel has been with the Brethren so long that one wonders if he can put it behind him to take on the spitfire named Victoria. Find out by reading the fabulous, THE SPY WHO SEDUCED HER by the indomitable Christi Caldwell...

Another favorite! Another amazing tale of love lost then found. Tears and laughter. Anger and Joy. so many emotions expressed as well as felt in this story. a breath of fresh air from the every day romance story. Christi Caldwell writes of an older couple who fell in love 23 years ago. He was a spy and she, the daughter of a gambler and reprobate. He was captured, tortured, rescued, and healed. By the time he returned it was too late. She was left alone and felt abandoned. She made a choice to marry because circumstances required it and she thought he was dead. 23 years later, he has arisen from the ashes to investigate her son for the murder of her husband. The main characters are emotionally and physically wounded. They have endured hell and more but have survived and thrived. The secondary characters are well know from previous books and are just delightful now as they were then. The plot is unique and not one you find often especially with the main characters being in their early 40's.

I wasn't sure if I would be able to get into this story. I had my doubts because they are an older couple but I was entranced from beginning to end. I could not put it down. I cried tears of anger and Joy. I laughed with utter delight and steamed with complete disgust. The perfect mix of emotions for a perfectly written story

Can they reclaim their lost love or has too much time passed? Will he find the evidence to convict her son or set him free? Will their secrets bring them together or tear them apart? So many questions to ask, to find answers to. You will only find them by reading the story. It's totally worth it

The Spy Who Seduced Her ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️by Christi Caldwell

Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter, the Sovereign leader of the Brethren a spy ring for the Crown has come across a very interesting case. Nathaniel long ago stopped investigating individual cases. It this case involves the family of his long lost love Victoria Barrett, Viscountess Waters.

Nathaniel had been and still harbors deep love for this woman. It was 23 years ago he went on a mission never to return to his love. He was captured and tortured for two years by rebels and suffered mental and emotionally from this episode.

It appears Viscount Waters, Victoria's husband was brutally murdered in a seedy part of London.
Victoria's son Andrew is the prime suspect.

The book is a culmination of mystery and love lost. These two people upon seeing each other have a strong connection their love is palpable and sexual. The fact that they are now in their forties and still so attracted to each other is a boon. It might be true love is lost on the young. This is a refreshing look at romance. I also have to say the author had her two characters meet and discuss their pasts and their reasons for decisions that were made. There was no beating around the busy all cards were on the table. To continue to describe this classic story would spoil the readers enjoyment. Miss Caldwell is quite astute with all her characters which makes her a great author. I absolutely loved this novel.
A Book Obsessed Review Team

Christi Caldwell never ceases to amaze me. Her writing is so masterful that I find myself drawn inside each of her stories as if I am the one experiencing the happiness, sadness, anger, etc., and The Spy Who Seduced Her is no different. It had me hooked from chapter one. It gives you everything: suspense, intrigue, emotion and best of all second chance love.

If you have any doubts about the characters being older, please do not let that stop you from getting this book. I am confident that you will love Victoria and Nathaniel as much as I do. They are two imperfect people who made choices, some right and some wrong, that allowed them to survive awful situations, and I think everyone can relate to having to make tough choices at times. How relatable the characters are is what I love most about Ms. Caldwell's books.

I also enjoyed getting to see characters from the Heart of a Duke series and My Lady of Deception, and I can't wait to find out how she is going to redeem Tennyson. I love how in one book you can hate a character so much, but Caldwell gives you a glimpse into their back story in the next book, and you realize there are so many layers to her characters that maybe your first impression was wrong. There is no doubt that she does redemption stories better than any other author I have ever read.

So whether you begin with this book, which can be stand alone, or start with the Heart of a Duke series to get the back stories, don't hesitate to pick up a Christi Caldwell book today. I know you will become as lost in the world she creates as all of us that found this fabulous author years ago. So don't delay; get this book today!

I was provided an ARC for an honest review.

he Spy Who Seduced Her' by Christi Caldwell is the First Book in the New Series called "The Brethren" series. This is the story of Victoria Barrett and Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter . Victoria and Nathaniel who feel in love about 23 years ago but when Nathaniel had to go on assignment as a spy was captured and torched for years before he got away. When he did he heard that Victoria was married with children. So Nathaniel went on with dedicating his life to the elite spying organization. Victoria had no choice but to marry after Nathaniel didn't come back. Sadly she married a man who abused her but now he is dead. Victoria's husband was a gambler, cheat and womanizer and ended up murdered. But the prime suspect is Victoria's son. Nathaniel sees the case and takes it upon himself to look into what actually happened. Victoria had thought that Nathaniel was dead and to her surprise she finds out he is alive and now looking into her son's case. Victoria goes into Mother Protection Mode and tries to fight her feelings for Nathaniel. When you read Ms. Caldwell's book be prepared to got through allot of emotions! I think she is the Queen of bring people into the stories of her characters and making you feel what they are going through. Love her writing and books!*A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team

The Spy Who Seduced Her by Christi Caldwell
The Brethren Series Book One
Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter and Sovereign of the Brethren has lived a hard life. He had loved and lost that love and so much more. After that loss—he everything he had to the Brethren. Taking dangerous missions, after all, what did he have left to lose? Nothing.

Lady Victoria Barrett, Viscountess Waters loved her children and grandchildren. She had once know love but to the man she had married—she only knew hate. She didn't mourn him when he was murdered...only the fact that her son was being blamed for the murder.

A really good story with some surprising twists. Nathaniel, as Sovereign, usually stays in the office but when this case crosses his desk...he's determined to get to the bottom of who killed Viscount Waters. As always with Christi Caldwell's books, I'm looking forward to the next book in this new series. My Lady of Deception takes place about twenty years before and has some connections to this book.
**Sexual content

Christi Caldwell know how to captive her readers with mystery, adventure and murder all tied around a love that is as old as time. Victoria said good bye to the only man she ever loved the day he was killed. Many years have come and past with a few mistakes and lots of heartache. Having to marry a man she never love who was cruel and hurtful in so many ways. Now he is dead well murdered she cannot find it in herself to feel sorry, who wouldn’t be happy to see that man take his last breath. She has turned the last page in that book it is closed but now she must help her son clear his name and prove he didn’t do it. Just when she thinks she might get her life in order and clear her son she get slapped in the face coming face to face with the only man she ever love. Can this be real? Is this some kind of cruel joke? Is he really alive? What does this mean? Could he be so cruel as to let her think he was dead? So many thoughts going through her mind, lost love, how she mourned him and the whole time he was alive and well leaving her to face the fallout from their love. He abandoned her when she needed him the most. She had been so sure of his love and that he would come for her only to have him die but now face to face she finds she is reliving her nightmare all over again.

Nathaniel is a very bitter man and has been a very for years he thought she betrayed their love casting him aside and moving on to live a life of pleasure why he was taken and tortured. The only thing that kept him going was her. The thought of her waiting for him and his returning to clam what was his only to find she took another in his place. He left a very bitter man as he walked right out of her life. Now he comes face to face with her vowing to find the truth to her husband death. He thought he could deal with it that the need for her would be over he finds he is so wrong. He has a job to do, will the love he has for her get in the way? With the passion stronger than it ever was they both fight the feeling but love must come through which turns their world upside down.

These two were meant to be together as the story unfolds you fall so in love with them. Their passion is so real it holds the reader spellbound. What a wonderful exciting and thrilling story of second chance love. Nathaniel and Victoria deserve to break out of the prison they have both been in they deserve this second chance to find happiness. The author gives you a wonderful plot with characters that become very real to the reader. I found myself talking to them begging them to give it another try they deserve happiness after going through so much. I loved the fact that the romance was built around an older couple. Ones who made mistakes but never gave up on their love no matter how bad things got their memories kept the other going putting one foot in front of the other until they could have the happy ever after they deserved. The author gives the read the hope that there is true love it never fails but lives on and grows stronger each day. The author has a talent giving the readers a compelling story that pulls them in, making you want to cry, cheering the characters on. You forget you are reading as these characters become real they are like family to you. I loved the plot, characters and the ending was just delightful. I can’t wait to see where this new series will go and meet all the new characters we will come to love.
*********************
Book Obsessed Chicks Review

It seems like in most romances the couples are very young, yet the average romance reader is in their 40s. As I become more “mature”, it’s refreshing to read a romance with more mature characters. They’re definitely more relatable for me. Those characters have lived long enough to have hopes and fears that younger characters just don’t have. It opens up amazing backstory possibilities. Those life experiences deepen and enrich the characters and the story. Romance becomes more than sex. More complex, mature, and sensual. Just because you need reading glasses and have some new aches and pains doesn’t mean you can’t still experience the thrill, excitement, passion, and all those feelings that come with romance. In Christi Caldwell’s The Spy Who Seduced Her, our characters find it’s never too late to find love.

Nathaniel Archer, Earl of Exeter had been part of the Brethren, the crown’s secret elite organization. He “had made but one misstep in his career. It had been a careless one, only a rash man of 20, drunk with his own self-confidence and sense of prowess could make. And that misstep had cost him everything.” He had been captured and tortured for 2 years. He escaped only to find the woman he loved had married. “He’d faced death many times, but the heartbreak was greater than any blades and bullets he’d taken.” She had been the dream he’d clung to through his horrible imprisonment yet she’d given her heart to another. Nathaniel fled to the continent, taking up missions on the other side of the world to escape her. Deliberately avoiding mention of her or the man she’d married. In the following years, he’d devoted himself to the Brethren as their leader and lost himself in his work, thus forcing down all memories of her. But when an unexpected case falls into his lap, those memories come flooding back. The murder of Viscount Waters. The prime suspect is the viscount’s son. And the mother of the suspect? Victoria Barrett, the only woman Nathaniel had ever loved.
Victoria had been a spirited young woman completely in love and dreaming of her future with Nathaniel. He had stolen her heart.” But with his absence and ultimate death, he had promptly shattered it.” She’d been left desperate and pregnant. To hide the scandal his daughter would have brought down on the family, her father had made a formal arrangement with Chester Barrett, Viscount Waters, a faithless, drunken, and cruel man. “Her marriage had been a cold, empty, ruthless one.” Only her children had sustained her and given her purpose through the misery of her marriage. Thinking of Nathaniel was something she’d refrained from, pushing those memories back that still had the power to gut her. Now her wastrel husband was dead. Murdered. Though she was relieved to be rid of him, her own son was now the prime suspect in the murder. His perceived guilt was all Polite Society talked about. And though he seemed determined to follow his father’s footsteps, Victoria knew the goodness of his heart and was certain of his innocence.
When Nathaniel arrived to interview the family, Victoria was certain she was seeing a ghost. “It couldn’t be that she’d spent years mourning a man who’d been very much alive but who’d simply failed to return.” She’d tortured herself thinking of how he might have suffered, so sure nothing would have kept him from her. But he’d abandoned her. She hated him and loved him at the same time. Nathaniel had felt bitter that he’d lost his future and yet Victoria had gone on with her life. But in taking the case, he was given a glimpse into Victoria’s marriage, family, and her life as it had existed without him. He learned the truth of what kind of man her husband had been. “He’d wanted to carry out the investigation with the greatest integrity and accuracy. Had fooled himself in thinking the sight of her wouldn’t rekindle all those old feelings.” Victoria had told herself she was content with her life. She had her children and needed nothing more. Then Nathaniel returned. And the feelings between them had returned even stronger. They’d thought the passion from long ago had been buried with their memories, but they’d been wrong. But Nathaniel’s absence and her son’s investigation were still between them. Even now, after all these years, Nathaniel couldn’t separate himself from the Brethren. Would they be reunited again only to find that duty would still keep them apart? Or could this be a new beginning?

What a beautiful story of a second chance at love. If anyone ever deserved a happily ever after, it was Nathaniel and Victoria. They’d both made mistakes and had been imprisoned as a result. Nathaniel when he’d been captured and tortured, and then in the life he’d devoted himself to. And Victoria’s choices had led to a marriage that had become a prison. Never getting to experience the life she’d dreamed of. Memories of each other had sustained them. As I read this story, the song Days In The Sun kept playing through my mind. “All those days in the sun. What I’d give to relive just one. Undo what’s done. And bring back the light. Days in the sun will return. We must believe as lovers do that days in the sun will come shining through.” With memories from the past interwoven into the present, Christi Caldwell weaves a story that is nothing short of magical. This fast-paced, sensual, emotionally charged romance draws you in till you almost become the characters. The road to true love isn’t easy but it ends up being these characters’ salvation. A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection.

Author Christi Caldwell never fails to immerse this reader in her carefully woven web of tales. This time however, Ms. Caldwell slays me with this book. This book is SUPERB! Be prepared to cry. A wonderful first in an exciting series, I cannot wait for more of The Brethren!

Nathaniel Archer has been an essential part of The Brethren for decades. The spy turned leader has lost so much in his 45 years, that the only thing he has is his work and the memories of the one and only love he lost. When after 20 years a case comes up involving his lost love, Nathaniel tosses caution aside to solve the mystery and reconnect with his past, good or bad.

Victoria Barret, the Viscountess Waters has not had an easy life. Married to a cruel reprobate in order to give her baby a name, Victoria has suffered much in her life. Someone has murdered the Viscount and now Victoria's son, Andrew is the prime suspect. While mourning Viscount Waters isn't one of this family's priorities, saving Andrew from himself is paramount. Enter Nathaniel Archer, Earl of Exeter, whom Victoria believed dead. For both Victoria and Nathaniel, facing their pasts is gut-wrenching. Both believe the other moved on without second thoughts, but the reality of it is that the struggle to carry on caused such deep seeded heartache that it inexorably transforms both parties.

Nothing is more important to Victoria than her children's happiness, but maybe it's time for her to actually live, maybe it's time for her to grasp onto the one person who can give her that happiness. Nathaniel has been with the Brethren so long that one wonders if he can put it behind him to take on the spitfire named Victoria. Find out by reading the fabulous, THE SPY WHO SEDUCED HER by the indomitable Christi Caldwell...

Another favorite! Another amazing tale of love lost then found. Tears and laughter. Anger and Joy. so many emotions expressed as well as felt in this story. a breath of fresh air from the every day romance story. Christi Caldwell writes of an older couple who fell in love 23 years ago. He was a spy and she, the daughter of a gambler and reprobate. He was captured, tortured, rescued, and healed. By the time he returned it was too late. She was left alone and felt abandoned. She made a choice to marry because circumstances required it and she thought he was dead. 23 years later, he has arisen from the ashes to investigate her son for the murder of her husband. The main characters are emotionally and physically wounded. They have endured hell and more but have survived and thrived. The secondary characters are well know from previous books and are just delightful now as they were then. The plot is unique and not one you find often especially with the main characters being in their early 40's.

I wasn't sure if I would be able to get into this story. I had my doubts because they are an older couple but I was entranced from beginning to end. I could not put it down. I cried tears of anger and Joy. I laughed with utter delight and steamed with complete disgust. The perfect mix of emotions for a perfectly written story

Can they reclaim their lost love or has too much time passed? Will he find the evidence to convict her son or set him free? Will their secrets bring them together or tear them apart? So many questions to ask, to find answers to. You will only find them by reading the story. It's totally worth it

The Spy Who Seduced Her ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️by Christi Caldwell

Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter, the Sovereign leader of the Brethren a spy ring for the Crown has come across a very interesting case. Nathaniel long ago stopped investigating individual cases. It this case involves the family of his long lost love Victoria Barrett, Viscountess Waters.

Nathaniel had been and still harbors deep love for this woman. It was 23 years ago he went on a mission never to return to his love. He was captured and tortured for two years by rebels and suffered mental and emotionally from this episode.

It appears Viscount Waters, Victoria's husband was brutally murdered in a seedy part of London.
Victoria's son Andrew is the prime suspect.

The book is a culmination of mystery and love lost. These two people upon seeing each other have a strong connection their love is palpable and sexual. The fact that they are now in their forties and still so attracted to each other is a boon. It might be true love is lost on the young. This is a refreshing look at romance. I also have to say the author had her two characters meet and discuss their pasts and their reasons for decisions that were made. There was no beating around the busy all cards were on the table. To continue to describe this classic story would spoil the readers enjoyment. Miss Caldwell is quite astute with all her characters which makes her a great author. I absolutely loved this novel.
A Book Obsessed Review Team

Christi Caldwell never ceases to amaze me. Her writing is so masterful that I find myself drawn inside each of her stories as if I am the one experiencing the happiness, sadness, anger, etc., and The Spy Who Seduced Her is no different. It had me hooked from chapter one. It gives you everything: suspense, intrigue, emotion and best of all second chance love.

If you have any doubts about the characters being older, please do not let that stop you from getting this book. I am confident that you will love Victoria and Nathaniel as much as I do. They are two imperfect people who made choices, some right and some wrong, that allowed them to survive awful situations, and I think everyone can relate to having to make tough choices at times. How relatable the characters are is what I love most about Ms. Caldwell's books.

I also enjoyed getting to see characters from the Heart of a Duke series and My Lady of Deception, and I can't wait to find out how she is going to redeem Tennyson. I love how in one book you can hate a character so much, but Caldwell gives you a glimpse into their back story in the next book, and you realize there are so many layers to her characters that maybe your first impression was wrong. There is no doubt that she does redemption stories better than any other author I have ever read.

So whether you begin with this book, which can be stand alone, or start with the Heart of a Duke series to get the back stories, don't hesitate to pick up a Christi Caldwell book today. I know you will become as lost in the world she creates as all of us that found this fabulous author years ago. So don't delay; get this book today!

I was provided an ARC for an honest review.

he Spy Who Seduced Her' by Christi Caldwell is the First Book in the New Series called "The Brethren" series. This is the story of Victoria Barrett and Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter . Victoria and Nathaniel who feel in love about 23 years ago but when Nathaniel had to go on assignment as a spy was captured and torched for years before he got away. When he did he heard that Victoria was married with children. So Nathaniel went on with dedicating his life to the elite spying organization. Victoria had no choice but to marry after Nathaniel didn't come back. Sadly she married a man who abused her but now he is dead. Victoria's husband was a gambler, cheat and womanizer and ended up murdered. But the prime suspect is Victoria's son. Nathaniel sees the case and takes it upon himself to look into what actually happened. Victoria had thought that Nathaniel was dead and to her surprise she finds out he is alive and now looking into her son's case. Victoria goes into Mother Protection Mode and tries to fight her feelings for Nathaniel. When you read Ms. Caldwell's book be prepared to got through allot of emotions! I think she is the Queen of bring people into the stories of her characters and making you feel what they are going through. Love her writing and books!*A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team

The Spy Who Seduced Her by Christi Caldwell
The Brethren Series Book One
Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter and Sovereign of the Brethren has lived a hard life. He had loved and lost that love and so much more. After that loss—he everything he had to the Brethren. Taking dangerous missions, after all, what did he have left to lose? Nothing.

Lady Victoria Barrett, Viscountess Waters loved her children and grandchildren. She had once know love but to the man she had married—she only knew hate. She didn't mourn him when he was murdered...only the fact that her son was being blamed for the murder.

A really good story with some surprising twists. Nathaniel, as Sovereign, usually stays in the office but when this case crosses his desk...he's determined to get to the bottom of who killed Viscount Waters. As always with Christi Caldwell's books, I'm looking forward to the next book in this new series. My Lady of Deception takes place about twenty years before and has some connections to this book.
**Sexual content

Christi Caldwell has a way with words. This book has to be one of my favorites because it was about two people in their forties.

Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter has devoted his life to the Brethren of Lords. He is now the leader and that suits him. He fell in love young, was imprisioned and returned to find that she had moved on.

Lady Victoria Barrett, Viscountess Waters fell in love young, lost her love and had to marry. She is now a widow after the murder of her husband. She was in a miserable marriage and the only light in her life was her children and grandchildren. When her son is accused of murdering her husband, her lost love returns.

This story will pull at your heart and make you want to root for the two main characters. Your heart breaks for the pain caused by missed moments and decisions made in the past. If you want a book that makes you feel all the feels then this is a great one to read.

I received a gifted copy to read and review.

The first in Ms. Caldwell's The Brethren series. We've seen Lady Victoria Tremaine Barrett's daughter's, Phoebe and Justina get their HEA. After 20 some years of a horrible marriage, now widowed Victoria gets her HEA that she should have had 23 years earlier. I loved that Ms. Caldwell gave Victoria, a 43 year old mother of twenty-something children. A grandmother. A HEA. I don't often see that done in the books I read. It was a nice change. And being in the same age group made the heroine even more relatable to me. Emotional. Heartwarming. Ms. Caldwell always writes an emotional story but I don't think I've cried so much with one book, in a while. I literally had goosebumps when Victoria finally confessed the secret she kept for 23 years.
I was gifted a copy for an honest review.

Where to start?

I loved this book! Christi Caldwell gets better and better with every book, and this one definitely holds a spot at the top of my favourites list! It's a little different from a lot of her others in that both the hero and heroine are in their forties. They've both been through difficult journeys and, as a long time Christi fan, I've waited several years for both of them to get their Happily Ever After.

This story certainly does not disappoint. It was everything I was hoping for - and more.

The book would certainly stand alone, but knowing the backstory of several of the secondary characters makes it so much better! I loved the reunions we, as readers, had with the Markhams, Rutland and Phoebe and Nick and Justina.

All in all a fabulous read, and another long list of wonderful characters I'm rooting for a happily ever after for!

Loved it. It made me cry especially Nathaniel's reaction with he discovered the truth of why she married another man. This story is about an older couple, 45 for the H and 43 for the h. One of the few romance story that features an older couple.

Another amazing story from my favorite author, Ms. Caldwell. It's about Nathaniel and Victoria. The leads in this story are a bit older than what we normally see but no less passionate.

What I like about the story is its fast pace without losing the emotional details of the scene. The flow of the story invites you in and keeps you. I read the entire story in 1 sitting (as I mostly do with her other books).

It also shows a great deal of sacrifices mothers/fathers made for their children as well as those made by a man in love. I love how it deals with real issues face by many of us in relationships, be that of families or lover.

I highly recommend this story from Ms. Caldwell. It's prefect if you're looking for something to lift up your spirits. You can't go wrong with any of Christi Caldwell's books.

I received an advance copy for my honest review.

Where to start?

I loved this book! Christi Caldwell gets better and better with every book, and this one definitely holds a spot at the top of my favourites list! It's a little different from a lot of her others in that both the hero and heroine are in their forties. They've both been through difficult journeys and, as a long time Christi fan, I've waited several years for both of them to get their Happily Ever After.

This story certainly does not disappoint. It was everything I was hoping for - and more.

The book would certainly stand alone, but knowing the backstory of several of the secondary characters makes it so much better! I loved the reunions we, as readers, had with the Markhams, Rutland and Phoebe and Nick and Justina.

All in all a fabulous read, and another long list of wonderful characters I'm rooting for a happily ever after for!

Another lovely story from my go to author Christi Caldwell. I love her writing and her bringing back lesser characters to give them their own story. What I enjoy also is the Hero and Heroine are more mature and have gone through a good many things in their life and have a history. Victoria and Nathaniel were separated 2 decades because of his disappearing to do spying for England. He never came back and left Victoria feeling deserted and in turn she is forced to do her duty and marry someone else. The book begins with a murder, widowhood and saving a beloved son from the gallows. The reappearance of her long lost love is a blessing and a curse, stirring old feelings. I love the process they go through sorting out resentments and their renewed feelings for one another. I don’t like to give away the story so you just have to read it for yourself. If you love Christi’s writing and family or good friends sagas you will enjoy this new series. Can’t wait to read the next two in the series.