The Secret Service of Tea and Treason
India Holton’s third entry in her Dangerous Damsels series continues to deliver silly house-escapades led by lady pirates and witches, but this installment focuses on the spies that watch the pirates and witches.
Alice Dearlove and Daniel Bixby are rival agents for A.U.N.T., a secret organization that’s infiltrated the likes of the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels and The League of Gentlewomen Witches. An unusual assignment forces the pair to work together as a married couple to recover a potentially powerful weapon at an upcoming gathering for the Wisteria Society. An assignment that both rivals would rather do alone.
However, persist as a pair they do, for love and for country. Alice and Daniel seem clueless that their cover is blown nearly the moment they enter, in large part because the Wisteria Society humors them at nearly every step of the way. Devious or not, the pirate society provides plenty of room for love to blossom between Alice and Daniel.
The book is chock full of literary nudges and winks to the reader, and all sorts of double entendres filling in alongside the action.
The book works well as a comedic romance, and I felt that the literary references were a love letter to books on Holton’s part. The innuendo was kind-hearted to the heroes, often portraying them as delightfully clueless or innocent, depending on how you wish to approach matters.
I recommend it.