Review: A Royal Affair by Allison Montclair
ARC provided by the publisher. Book out July, 28th 2020.
I really really really love this series. It is just really fun. I laughed out loud, far too loudly quite often.
So you and Sparks work in the same office, do you?”
“We do.”
“Lucky boss to have a pair of lookers like the two of you coming in every day,” he said. “Wouldn’t mind being in his shoes, I must say.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” said Gwen sweetly. “Which boss would that be?”
“Why, your boss. You know, the fellow you two work for.”
“There is no fellow we work for.”
“Now I’m the one who doesn’t understand,” he said.
“The two of us own the business,” said Gwen. “The two of us run the business. You are now addressing a boss.”
“How very novel,” he said. “I have gone and put my foot in it, haven’t I?”
“Both, I would say.”
“I’ll just slink away and lick my wounds, then,” he said. “Cheers.”
“We have an opening for a secretary if you’re interested in applying,” she called after him. “Do you type?”
He moved as far from her as the crowd and the size of the room would permit.
Mrs. Bainbridge and Miss Sparks, fresh from solving a murder in the previous novel, are now tasked with vetting Prince Phillip, who seems to be about to propose to Princess Elizabeth. There is a years-old mystery, lots of blackmail, some crime, crime-adjacent activity, east London gangsters, Greek royalty, and it is full to the brim with hilarity.
I was slightly iffy on the plot being so entangled with real people; this is oft an issue in historical fiction though I did not expect it from this series in reading the first book. But, and without spoiling anything, I think the real people are handled excellently here. I can say no more without spoiling anything.
The plot is fast-paced and well constructed. It is an excellent gentle laying of all the puzzle pieces until the culmination at the end. I will say that this book does do some of the thing where the characters have information about a big reveal and the reader is left in the dark for dramatic effect, this is a very common plot thing that I tend to be bothered by, but it was also well done, and I flew through the reveal so I cannot hold it against the book. I liked the balance of the series-wide story elements with the mystery of this novel in particular. I thought it was excellently done.
I am still massively in love with the characters of this world. Sparks is still an excellent spit-fire of a human, and Gwen is moral and hilarious. My heart continues to belong to Sally, who is an excellent character who I want nothing but happiness for. Every time Sally is even slightly saddened, I am heartbroken for him. I demand happiness for Sally by the end of the series. I really like Spark’s love interest, he is such a fun character, and I am very much looking forward to seeing more of him. I hope he sticks around for the rest of the series.
This is a hilarious, feminist, historical mystery series that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I am committed to staying on this ride until the series ends. Which I hope is never.
I have the book 5 stars on Goodreads.
