Confessions of a Viscount by Shirley Karr

The Naked Truth . . .

Alistair, Viscount Moncreiffe, must confess: He is thoroughly bored with the proper ladies of the ton. The rogue longs for an adventurous beauty who will make his world more . . . interesting. So Alistair is delighted when fiery, fearless Charlotte Parnell literally drops into his arms—and he's quick to tender a marriage proposal when they are discovered in this scandalous position.

Better a Spy Than a Bride . . .

Charlotte wishes to continue spying for the Crown alongside her brother, who thinks she should marry instead. Now she's determined to solve a most important and dangerous case before he does. But a misstep on a London rooftop has landed her in Viscount Moncreiffe's embrace—and she is intrigued by the handsome rake's offer of matrimony. With a fiancé by her side, she'll arouse fewer suspicions—and she'll end the engagement once her mission is completed. But will Alistair's disarming passion inspire Charlotte to uncover the most astonishing secret of all: the love hidden deep in her heart?

This is the third Shirley Karr book that I have read, the other two being What an Earl Wants and Kiss from a Rogue.

Once again, this was an enjoyable historical romance. We first met Alistair in Kiss from a Rogue, where he was featured as one of the friends of Tony Sinclair.
Alistair's prime method of enjoying himself seems to be to spend time watching the stars. Having slipped away during a ball to star gaze, he suddenly finds his arms full of the lovely Charlotte Parnell. Unfortunately, he is caught in this seemingly indecent position (although nothing had happened) by his father, and it seems there is no option but to become engaged.

For Charlotte, having a fiance should make it easier to be able to go out and about without nosy chaperones, especially when the said fiance is prepared to become involved in her adventures. For Charlotte is determined to prove to her spy brother and his boss that she has what it takes to become a top spy on her own merits. She has no intention of actually going through with the marriage to Alistair, so it is very inconvenient when she starts having feelings for him.

For the most part, this was a very entertaining tale, and interesting in that it was Charlotte who was the spy as opposed to Alistair. There were times when the speculation about who had the snuff box that she was supposed to be recovering got a bit much, because if the snuff box fell into the wrong hands then it could be diplomatically disastrous for both then English royals and those of a fictional country the name of which escapes me right now!

Alistair was lovely - a man who was prepared to stand by his woman, no matter what hare brained scheme she was involved in. Charlotte was pretty spunky, although at times she did do some silly things in the name of spying, but in the end I suppose that was supposed to be part of her charm.

I am now all caught up with the released by this author I think. If I see something about a new book from her, I will be at least interested enough to take a look at it!

Rating 3.5/5