Upcoming Release and Giveaway: Maid of Secrets (Maids of Honor, #1) by Jennifer McGowan



Maids of Secrets (Maids of Honor, #1) by Jennifer McGowan
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Expected Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Amazon / B&N / Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Meg Fellowes is a wry, resourceful thief forced to join an elite group of female spies in Queen Elizabeth’s Court. There she must solve a murder, save the Crown, and resist the one thing that will become her greatest freedom–and her deadliest peril.
For Meg and her fellow spies are not alone in their pursuit of the murderer who stalks Windsor Castle.
A young, mysterious Spanish courtier, Count Rafe de Martine, appears at every turn in the dark and scandal-filled corridors of the Queen’s summer palace. And though secrets and danger are Meg’s stock-in-trade, she’s never bargained on falling in love...

My Thoughts:
Being a huge fan of historical fiction, I knew instantly I had to read Maid of Secrets. The cover alone made me curious about the secrets held within the pages.

“I had no way of knowing his smile would be my undoing.”

Meg Fellows was one of many in the Golden Rose acting troupe. They weren’t just your average acting group, they were street thieves. I felt sorry for Meg, the protagonist. The only possessions she owned were a slim book of verse and a set of golden pinlocks her grandfather had given her on his deathbed. The small group relied on one another for survival. An unexpected coin exchange landed Meg inside of Windsor Castle (Windsor, England). Expecting to be thrown in the gallows, Meg finds herself at a table with an offer. If she did as asked to do, complete assignments and act as a spy for the Queen, then maybe eventually she would be free to live her own life.

  Within the walls of Windsor Castle, there is deception at every turn. Meg, the smart girl that she was, questioned everything. Her remarkable ability to remember conversations helped her in her obligations. Meg was one of four other Maids of Honor, Queen Elizabeth’s secret society of protectors. These Maids were all very different and each held their own special talent. Beatrice Knowleshad the uncanny ability to get any male to do her bidding, and got my blood boiling. She was rude and quite bitter towards Meg. Jane was tough, sneaky and blended in among the shadows. Anna Burgher was scholarly, sweet and kind. Sophia Dee was the youngest of the bunch who sat beside the Queen but was also part of the group.

They were under the supervision of Cecil, who I wasn’t fond of. He was rough and expected these ladies to do some difficult tasks. Meg learns that she was actually replacing a maid that was murdered. Besides her teachings and assignments, Meg was determined to find out who the killer of this maid was.

  This story is packed full of secrets and suspicious characters! I couldn’t wrap my brain around the network of spies and secrets these people had. Just wait until you meet Rafe Luis Medina Count deMartine! This man is swoony and infuriating at the same time!! He has his own agenda and secrets as well, but when his character is around Meg, the temperature elevates.

I was shocked by all the craziness this book has to offer. One second I thought I knew who was behind the plot to remove the Queen, and then something else pops up and I was totally thrown into limbo. I really enjoyed Maid of Secrets. This story was beautifully written. I look forward to the next installment. Adventure, Romance, and a jungle of plotting, this story is one you should give a try.

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