The Gentleman's Daughter

by Bianca M. Schwarz

Overview

This is the second book in the popular Gentleman Spy Mysteries — read this as a standalone or look for the first book, The Innkeeper's Daughter!

Sir Henry, secret agent to the crown, must marry a lady above reproach to afford his illegitimate daughter entrance into society. After narrowly escaping marriage to a highborn bigot, he takes an assignment in Brighton, leading him to an abandoned abbey full of dark whispers, and a sinister secret society, the very one Henry has been investigating for three years.

Isabella is as beautiful as she is talented, but falling in love isn't part of her plans. She only wants to paint, forget her painful past, and keep her overbearing mother at bay. But gaining one's independence isn't easy for a woman in 1823, so Isabella embarks on a fake courtship with Sir Henry. Soon, love and a painting career no longer seem so utterly incompatible.

But when the man Isabella fears most kidnaps her, all appears lost. Realizing the kidnapper is part of the same organization he is investigating, Henry chases after them. Entrapped in a web of secrets, both Henry and Isabella must face old enemies, and fight for their happily ever after.

The third book in the The Gentleman Spy Mysteries, The Memory of Her, is coming in April 2022.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771682404
Publisher:	Central Avenue Publishing
Publication date:	07/06/2021
Series:	The Gentleman Spy Mysteries , #2
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	426,878
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 2.10(d)

About the Author

Bianca M. Schwarz was born in Germany, spent her formative years in London, and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and teenage son. She has been telling stories all her life and holds a degree in English literature. She is the author behind the successful Regency romantic mystery series, The Gentleman Spy Mysteries.

Editorial Reviews

05/24/2021

Schwarz’s enjoyable if unusual second Gentleman Spy Regency romance follows Sir Henry March, secret agent to the crown, on his quest for matrimony. Henry, also the hero of The Innkeeper’s Daughter, has let his mistress, Eliza, go as he searches for an upstanding wife to lend legitimacy to his daughter during her first season. Having been spoiled by his relationship with Eliza, he refuses to settle for anything less than a love match. Enter heroine Isabella Chancellor, a free-spirited painter. She’s set against marriage, but when she meets Henry, she can’t help but reconsider. Still, she fears she will be rejected if it comes out that she’s no longer a virgin because of a rape she suffered before her first season. With the danger and intrigue of Henry’s job looming, can their mutual love prevail? Though the central couple is solid, fans of book one may be disappointed to see Henry’s relationship with Eliza so casually discarded, an unexpected move for a romance series. The supporting cast becomes difficult to track, with characters who feel extraneous to the story, but after a slow start, the novel picks up toward the end, building to a fast-paced climax with a sweet finish. The result is a bit bloated but endearing nonetheless. Agent: Linda Migalti, Susan Schulman Literary. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Enjoyable ... unusual ... endearing.” – Publishers Weekly

"The chemistry between the charming Sir Henry and independent Isabella is delectable, and the intrigue is woven in perfectly to round out a thoroughly enthralling historic romantic mystery.” – Kelly Cain, author of An Acquired Taste

"A complete master of storytelling, nobody combines intrigue and historical romance with more brilliance than Bianca Schwarz. Filled with twists and turns, Sir Henry and Isabella’s story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.”–C.H. Armstrong, author of The Edge of Nowhere

“Returning to the world of Sir Henry March and the gentleman spies was all at once comforting and thrilling. Balls, gowns, art, witty humor, and impeccable historical dialogue and detail set the backdrop, but I was never left wanting for a hint of danger and intrigue. I cannot wait for book number three!” – Amanda Linsmeier, author

"The Gentleman’s Daughter is an escapist romance novel whose pleasures and terrors culminate in a hopeful, restorative ending." – Foreword Reviews

From the Publisher

"Historically well researched with enthralling characters and excellent storytelling. Absolutely wonderful.

C. H. Armstrong, author of The Edge of Nowhere - C. H. Armstrong

Sir Henry March, agent to the crown, returns in The Gentleman’s Daughter, Bianca M. Schwarz’s gritty romance sequel set in the 1820s, when Henry encounters unexpected love.

Henry is determined to find a respectable bride to ensure that his illegitimate daughter, Emily, will enter high society without trouble. Meanwhile, an enemy plots revenge for earlier events, all related to Henry’s investigation into an ancient men’s society that was known for its sadistic practices, and which now roils over a changing of the guard.

When Henry follows a lead to Brighton, he meets Isabella, a captivating painter whose traumas prevent her from growing closer to him. These twin, charged plots converge when Isabella is kidnapped by a member of the society, culminating in a rescue in which the men defend their loved ones, and Isabella confronts her fear and finds redemption.

With elements of a mannered Regency romance, erotica, and suspense, the mercurial plot alternates between Henry and Isabella’s lively meetings at social events, and as she paints en plein air; inquiries about the society; and brushes with peril, often surrounding the harm that befalls women. The survival of rape is a potent, dark theme that is complicated by characters who participate in the society’s sexual brutality. Heightened allusions to background treacheries among the elite also tease at future entanglements.

Though Henry’s spy work is subtle amid his domestic concerns, his character is an intriguing blend of a dashing rogue and a protective gentleman. Isabella’s art is also appealing proof of her single-minded determination, despite the limitations for women of her time.

The Gentleman’s Daughter is an escapist romance novel whose pleasures and terrors culminate in a hopeful,
restorative ending.

Foreword Reviews - Karen Rigby

From the brutal opening pages, to the tenderest of love scenes, The Innkeeper's Daughter took me on a ride of contradictory emotions. Sadistic villians paired with beautiful regency details made this story unforgettable, but it is truly the characters who steal the show. Eliza is delightful, Sir Henry March has my heart, and our author, Bianca M. Schwarz, has me eagerly awaiting the next book."

Amanda Linsmeier, author - Amanda Linsmeier

"A gritty, steamy series opener full of dark twists and hot trysts.

Grace Burrowes, New York Times bestselling author - Grace Burrowes