Racing with the Wind (Agents of the Crown, #1)

by Regan Walker

[kimbacaffeinate]

It’s no secret that I love a good historical fiction and when Racing with the Wind came on tour, I jumped at the chance to review it. Regan Walker offers a delightful Regency romance filled with wonderful characters, spies, mystery and adventure. I became caught up in the tale and it kept me enthralled to the last page.

The tale begins when we meet Lady Mary Campbell “the Swan”. Much to her disliking she is having her first season, since her tactics to delay it yet again are refused. She must begin to attend social events and begin accepting gentleman callers. She would much rather go on adventures with her Uncle and ride her beloved stallion. At her first appearance, she sees Huge Redgrave, the Marquess of Ormond “the Nighthawk” and is intrigued. He spies the lady as well and is curious about the beautiful and alluring hellion. When he is called to business at the home of Mary’s Uncle, he is stunned and enthralled to see Mary riding astride, in men’s clothing a monster of a black stallion. He momentarily panics as he recalls a tragic accident that he holds himself responsible for. The tale that unfolds is hilarious and sweet. It is full of mystery, danger and a delicious romance.

Walker created the perfect recipe that I love for my characters. She takes a feisty, head-strong, independent adventurer and introduces her to a deliciously handsome, flawed rake. I loved Mary and found her to be a breath of fresh air. While she seeks adventure, she thinks things through and is rather clever. Hugh is handsome, caring and thinks he knows it all. He is flawed and blames himself for a past tragedy. He is dedicated to his country, and has no intentions of settling down, despite his responsibilities. When the two of these headstrong, opinionate, secure people meet..Wow. I love the interaction between them, and seeing this heroic man stumble. They are both quite taken aback by the effect the other has on them and it was hilarious to watch. The romance was sweet, intense and completely delightful to watch unfold. Other characters added to the tale, and I am hoping a few will return in the next book.

I love the world building, Walker included a lot of historical figures into this tale and it was delightful. I love the spies for the crown and the roles our characters portrayed. While at its heart this is a romance, I love all the mystery and suspense surrounding them. I found the characters to be well developed and connected with them. I loved the mischievous actions of those around the main characters and found myself giggling. From the prince to the Prussian spies this tale provided a wonderful escape from the world around me for a few hours. I will definitely continue on with this series.

I recommend Racing with the Wind to fans of historical regency romances, strong characters and mystery. This was a delightful tale that kept me on edge, laughing and swept up in the romance. I have added Regan Walker to my authors to watch list.

I want to thank Innovative Online Blog Tours for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer