A Page Turner Bookshop
Series: The Willowbrook Series #2
Author: Laura Landon
Published April 14th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
Will the queen’s assassin ultimately obey her, or listen to the earnest plea of his own heart?

ETHAN ESSEX is Queen Victoria’s most discreet assassin. Before he will be allowed to leave her employ and retire to the bookshop he’s built in Willowbrook, he must complete one more assignment for her—eliminate the man who is stealing from the Crown’s treasury.

When LADY PAULINE DEARBOURNE befriends Ethan, their common love of books swiftly grows more intimate, until her father forbids her to pursue this relationship with a commoner. But it’s too late, and Polly is now caught in the middle between the father she loves and her sweetheart who has been tasked with killing him.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Ethan Essex has found his happiness in his newly founded bookstore in the small town of Willowbrook. Most people in the town know him as an amiable gentleman, who fought in the war with the Duke's grandson, but very few know he is an agent of the Queen's, completing missions on her behalf to eliminate Britain's enemies. Ethan is ready to settle down, however, and promises the Queen that his latest mission will be his last. But he could never imagine how tough it could be. Meeting the beautiful Lady Pauline in his store, he finds himself wanting more than his station would allow, and when he discovers that her father is his target, can he complete the Queen's request, or will he be harmed in the process?

I'm so happy we get to see Ethan happy in this book. When we met him in book 1, it was clear that he was getting ready to hang up his gun, and settle down to life in Willowbrook, without the danger around every corner. He's happy in his business, but meeting Polly sets his heart ablaze, and he finds himself wanting to see her more and more. When he realised that Polly's father was his target, he forced himself to hurt Polly enough to stay away, while also trying to find the evidence to prove the Marquess wasn't the villain. I loved how Ethan brought Polly into the investigation, and though he was worried about her, he knew how strong she was, and didn't mollycoddle her. The marquess was annoying, especially after everything Polly and Ethan did to prove his innocence, and he was still against the match; luckily Victoria came through to save the day!

Dates Read:
August 9-10, 2023

Rating
3 Stars