Unwrapping: Secrets, Mysteries, and Spies - Oh My!

Do you love a good who-done-it? How about secret societies? Or secret agents? Well, then Regency Romance Novels might be just the reading genre for you.

Yes, Regency Romance is filled with elegant ladies and fine gentlemen, balls and proper etiquette but Regency Romance can also feed your desire for adventure, secrets and best of all - DANGER!

Imagine a castle along the coast that some believe is haunted. There are dark passageways and secret rooms. It's said the ghost of a lady haunts the many rooms and there's supposedly a curse on the entire line of succession to the Dukedom. Come on, you can't tell me that you're not a little interested. 

Well, a lot of Regency Romance Novels take the reader through many a landscape. The hero might be an agent of the King or a spy seeking information to thwart an impending attack by a foreign enemy. The heroine may be the key to a secret that would answer a question that's plagued many for far too long.

It's not all just parties and social graces or coming to the rescue of young ladies caught in the rain who stumble, fall and twist an ankle. It's more than that, much more. It's heroes who excel in martial arts, fisticuffs and weaponry.  It's about fighting off bullies and bad guys who desire to do great harm to the hero and heroine. It's about revenge or money but then most evil deeds have their basis in money, don't they? 

Reading Romance, perhaps you'll meet soldiers of fortune or agents of the King who live on the edge and must choose that life or one with someone they love. Perhaps you'll meet sea captains who sail to foreign countries only to return to find the one they love in the arms of an enemy.  Perhaps you'll become enbroiled in the secrets of Men's Clubs which are actually secret societies whose members are sworn to secrecy and bound to protect the interests of the crown even if it costs them the ultimate price - their lives.

I say, never a dull moment with some Regency Novels and why not? Look at the history of the time. The British were constantly warring with France. There were agents of the French infilitrating the British government and military so in return, the British sent their own spies to France in order to keep up. The Americans were still a thorn in the side of the British government and then there were always problems with the Irish and Scots. So much intrigue, so much unrest, it's no wonder that a sinister exploit was uncovered around nearly every corner.

I hope you'll come back Wednesday when we'll meet a hero who can boast secrets, mysteries and is a spy to boot ... not only that but he's a Duke.

Curiosity has me wondering:  if you were the heroine of a Romance Novel, which would you prefer:
- a stay at home lord who allows his bookkeepers to manage his estate while he leads a life of leisure,
- a military man who is always running off to fight some battle or sail the seas but comes back ready to be with only you,
- a man of action like an agent of the King whose life is always in danger,
- or would you prefer a gentleman who doesn't take his title too seriously but runs his businesses with intelligence and finesse but nevers walks away from a good fight,

- then would you rather live in a lovely peaceful estate in the country or an ancient castle with secret passages and history along the coast or on the moors? 

Please visit on Wednesday when we meet the hero of MY DANGEROUS DUKE by Gaelen Foley. This story has one of the best first lines: 

She was to be given to him as a gift--a plaything for some powerful, dark stranger.

Happy Reading Everyone!