The Prince of Spies by Elizabeth Camden

The Prince of Spies (Hope and Glory, #3)

by Elizabeth Camden

2022 Carol Award Winner

Luke Delacroix has long had a reputation of being an impulsive adventurer, the wild son of one of Gilded Age Washington's most prominent families. In reality, he has been secretly carrying out an ambitious agenda in Congress. His current mission: to thwart the reelection of Congressman Clyde Magruder, his only real enemy in the world.

Trouble begins when Luke meets Marianne Magruder, the congressman's only daughter. Luke is fascinated by the vibrant Marianne and her daring work as a government photographer, leading them into a forbidden romance. Now they must embark on a dangerous gamble to reconcile their growing feelings with Luke's driving passion for vital reforms in Congress.

Can their newfound love survive a political firestorm, or will three generations of family rivalry drive them apart forever?

"This is a well-written, captivating romance that is rich with history. . . . The characters are all superbly developed and interesting, and the reader will want to know more about this time period and this series. Highly recommended."--Historical Novels Review

Praise for the Hope and Glory series
"A Gilded Lady is filled with mystery, romance, richly drawn characters and fascinating American history. I would recommend it to anyone."--All About Romance

"In this second installment of the Hope and Glory series Camden takes readers to the McKinley White House for a captivating romance. . . . This will be a hit with series fans."--Publishers Weekly

"Christy Award winner Camden presents another fabulous love story wrapped around compelling historical events."--Booklist

"An adventuresome, entertaining romance that blends themes of betrayal and forgiveness."--
Foreword Reviews

Reviewed by ladygrey on

3 of 5 stars

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By the third book, I'm pretty familiar with Camden's style. It's a bit dry for my tastes but not bad. A bit formal but that's possibly due to the time period. What I like is that though the romance is central to the story, it's not the actual story. Both characters have other goals and pursuits. Luke probably has the best character arc. Marianne's arc is told a lot more than shown, but Luke gets concrete turning points that make sense. 

And these stories are always a little surprising. Camden skims over the things I expect her to dive into or what I think are going to be major plot points are brushed aside in a quick “four months later” paragraph. That leaves room for other parts of the story to come to the forefront so a lot of plot happens.

My one complaint with this book is that it's the most repetitive of the three. And it's not that bad but Marianne's inner monologue never seems to stop saying how loyal she is to her family and how she must be grateful to them always for taking her in. It becomes a refrain and might be part of her lack of growth as a character. She thinks the same thing again and again for ages and then her turn is abrupt. Not that she doesn't have her reasons but she had tons of reasons before and then all the sudden she just pivots.

Other than that, though this is a perfectly decent book and a mildly enjoyable read. Nothing dramatically compelling or engaging. But also nothing worth complaining about.

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Reading updates

  • 23 February, 2021: Started reading
  • 23 February, 2021: on page 0 out of 352 0%
  • 28 February, 2021: Finished reading
  • 28 February, 2021: Reviewed