With Cap in hand...
Malcolm Colerain, Earl of Montgomery, needs a wife. He has four children, a peerage, and a demanding secret occupation as a member of the London League; all of which give him a fulfilling life, so a proper marriage of convenience is all he seeks. But when he meets Elizabeth Owens, things begin to change. Distance becomes difficult, convenience becomes rather inconvenient, and his exciting life as a spy turns on its head.
…Love comes to call...
Beth Owens seizes the chance to marry the handsome and striking Earl of Montgomery, marriage of convenience or not. Her heart is his for the taking, and she is determined that he eventually will. But the more she learns about her husband, the more he puzzles her. He has secrets, she is well aware, but just how many and how deeply do they run? And when she finds a few secrets of her own, will they ever have a chance at love?
A Tip of the Cap (London League #3)
Read & Download A Tip of the Cap (London League #3)
3.5
I liked this one, good characters and storyline. I picked this one up without reading the synopsis which was great, I liked the surprises along the way and watching things play out. This is book three in the Longon League series, but stood well on its own. I liked Malcome and Beth, both were likable characters and a good fit for each other. I found Beth to be a little too perfect at times. I liked their realationship and how it evolves.
Content: Clean. Closed door intimacy between married couple. Very mild moments of peril and suspence. No language.
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299 This was a satisfying read for me. I am enjoying the London League books. Each tells a story of a member of the League, a group of titled gentlemen who spy for their country.
This is a book of a marriage of convenience that becomes inconvenient when the characters develop feelings for each other. I loved the characters. My heart was really taken by the adorable children, particularly the little girls who are trying to become fairies. 299 I loved the complicated dynamics of Malcolm and Beth as they yearn for each other and struggle with their feelings. Malcolm is especially angst-ridden as he still grieves for his first wife and finds himself falling for Beth. She is perfect for him and his children, and she is patient as she works to discover the hidden layers of Malcolm. His secret life as an agent provides him an escape and distraction from his familial circumstances and often runs when Beth gets too close. I liked seeing the other members of the League call him on it and encourage him to focus on his most important priorities. It was gratifying when Malcolm and Beth finally overcome the issues and allow themselves to fully enjoy their relationship. Of course, danger is always looming for the London League and a dramatic revelation of the treasonous suspect brings an exciting climax to the plot. Another fabulous addition to the series, I'm hoping that Rook's story will be next!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions expressed in this review are my own) 299 Oh! this book was like eating a big piece of Chocolate cake with raspberry sauce dripped all over. A cake that has no calories and leaves you feeling light and fluffy and happy. I love arraigned marriage stories and this one was so fun to read. Cap thought he had it all figured out until Beth comes along and shakes his whole world. I loved these two characters and enjoyed there love story so much. They go threw so difficult things that tugged at my heart. Beth is one of my favorite leading ladies, I loved how she played with the children and taught them to trust again. This was a great story with great characters. Sweet proper romance with a hint of danger, this one had less spying and more of a regency feel to it. The first two in the series were a little more focused on the spying. I gotta give props to authors who write these kinds of books. The main character has at least 5 names! Cap, Monty, Malcolm, Earl of Montgomery, he could be called my Lord or Montgomery or Monty for short. Good heavens! Lots of names and depending on how close you were to him or if you were a peer of the realm or a servant he had to be called by different names. Props to Authors who keep all this stuff correct. 299 Malcolm Colerain, Earl of Montgomery (Monty to his friends), Cap to the members of the London League needs to find a wife. Not because he wants one, but for the sake of his four young children; they need a mother. Although it's been more than two years since his wife Caroline died, he's still not ready to move on. Every day felt as painful as the first, and for a man accustomed to such self-control, it was too much. That sentence tells us so much about this man.
Beth Owens is the youngest of 10 children, with no prospects for marriage. She plans to find a job as a governess, even though she doesn't think she'll make a very good one, although she is wonderful with children--patient and kind, and children seem to love her.
When Monty proposes to Beth he envisions a marriage of convenience in the strictest sense. He's still mourning his deceased wife, but his children will have a mother, his home will have a mistress to run it and he can focus on his secret work with the London League and not feel guilty being away from his children. I think we all know how this situation will end.
I loved the banter between Cap and Beth from their very first conversation. I LOVED the scene when Rogue and Rook were fighting and Beth took control of the situation. “Thank you,” Beth said with a smile and a nod. “Now, if you would remove your hands from his person, I think his cravat may be trying to strangle him with your help.” Beth was ready to give her heart and soul to Cap if he would just allow her in. I liked the advice her friend Lily gave her--to visit Caroline's grave and talk to her about Cap. I loved how Beth treated the children and played games with them. They were back to being happy children again. I liked seeing how Beth was breaking through the wall Cap had put around his heart to protect himself. He cared for Beth but didn't want to ever go through the pain of losing someone else again--it hurt too much.
This is the third book in the London League series, but the first I've read in this series. The author does a good job referring to the characters from the previous two books so I wasn't lost--I could put the pieces together, but I really want to read the first two books The Lady and the Gent and A Rogue About Town. 299
Whew! Don’t mind me. I’m still fanning over here from the sizzling chemistry & passion between Malcolm and Beth. I so adore marriage-of-convenience stories (when done right) because there is all this delicious tension and longing that is only staying bottled up because of agreements made for a ‘name-only’ relationship at the outset, agreements that become tenuous at best once they are in close quarters and growing to know one another better. And then when that tension and longing can’t be ignored any longer… goodness gracious, bring on the fainting couches because I’m all a’swoon.
Beth is an absolutely delightful heroine, not a ‘typical’ countess to be sure, and that’s what makes her so lovable. Malcolm takes a while to figure this out fully, but he does know right away that she’s something special. The way she interacts with his kids, with his staff, with him (in spite of his initial distance), and even with the memory of his late wife completely endeared her to me. Malcolm has intrigued me from the beginning of the series, and while I think this could be read as a standalone I also think it’s better to do what I did & grab the first two London League books before you start on this third one. (Plus you really must meet Gent) I loved watching his transformation in this book as Beth worked her magic on the whole grieving family, and seeing him fall hard in love had my heart all twitterpated.
The intrigue in this series adds to the romantic tension, but in this book it doesn’t take center stage as much as it does in the others. All 3 books get a little heavy on narrative from time to time – long pages with nothing but explanation of what was happening or had happened … or perhaps the character’s thoughts or reasoning on some matter. This slows the pace a bit, but overall it’s easily forgiven once the romance really takes hold. Another thing that slowed my reading on occasion was the references to events that seemed to have taken place in another story but I can’t find that they did. Maybe the author is writing another series that will cover some of these ‘off camera’ moments – I hope so because I’d love to read about them!
Bottom Line: A Tip of the Cap is a swoony marriage-of-convenience story between two fabulously drawn characters – with some adorable children to boot. Readers will fall in love with Beth immediately and be invested in her throughout. And when Malcolm turns on the charm and romance? Heaven help us all. The spy side of the story is intriguing and draws you in but doesn’t overpower the story or the characters. This league of London with its hodgepodge of covert operatives is one you’ll want to infiltrate to be sure.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower 299 LOVED IT!!! I can’t wait for the next one 😍
A perfect blend of suspense & intrigue - with both the romance & the mystery!
I loved the fact that characters from the other stories in this series as well as from the authors other books crossed over into this story. It makes me want to read & in quite a few cases re-read them all over again! But most particularly the other books from the London League series. I definitely recommend you read them!! I have fallen in love with all of Rebecca’s characters (except for the villains of course) & can’t wait to read more about them! 299 Love it!
I love all the wonderful characters of the London League. I was pleased by the patience and care shown by both our hero and heroine. Their marriage only suffered on the few occasions that they were less than honest about their feelings. Perhaps a lesson or two is there for us all. I can’t wait for the next book! 299 Another FANTASTIC book in this series!!
Wow- the author once again outdid herself with this newest addition to the London League series. Seriously, I finished this book in one day, and I still want to re-read favorite parts.
Beth and Malcom or “Cap” as he is known in the first two books, have such a unique story. They marry based solely on the fact that Malcom needs someone to care for his mother-less children, and Beth chooses this life over that of a governess. Beth was an absolute favorite from the start. She is spunky, kind, fantastic with children, and has courage in spades. She is exactly what Cap and his kids needs, although he doesn’t know it and doesn’t want to acknowledge it.
Malcom was a great swoon-worthy hero, but not in the traditional sense. Watching him mourn his first love and late wife, agonize over developing feelings for Beth, worry over his agents in the London League, and learn to truly love and play with his children again was fascinating. He is so likable because he is so real, faults and all. The way he takes care of Beth had me melting into a puddle, especially after a certain turning point in the story.
I did feel that this book focused much more on Malcom and his family rather than the intrigue and suspense of the London League, but it was still woven into the background of this story.
This was truly a delightful read, and of course now I simply CANNOT wait for the next book in the series! 299 4.5 stars for this third installment in the London League series by Rebecca Connolly! I did not read the first two books so it took me a bit of time to sort out all the secondary characters but it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. The writing is easy to follow, the dialogue between the characters is witty and fun, the plot is quite interesting with a dash of intrigue, and the characters are endearing. If you enjoy a fun historical romance set in 1820s London, you will enjoy this book.
The main characters Beth and Malcolm are so lovable, as are his four children. Beth is sunshine, optimism, tender love, and spunk all rolled into one. Malcolm is in a dark place when he meets Beth, still suffering from his wife’s death two years prior. He works as a spy for England so his life is already shrouded in secrets and it takes all Beth has and then some to pull Malcolm out from the darkness so that he can be his thoughtful, loving, tender, compassionate, and amazing self again. There is a bit more implied physical affection than I am used to in the story but it’s still a clean read. The romance between Beth and Malcolm is slow and sweet. The intrigue involving Malcolm’s group of spies called the London League helps the plot to move along and adds another layer of fun into the story.
I received a copy of the book from the author/publisher via Singing Librarian Book Tour and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own. 299