A Most Unlikely Lady, the fourth story in The Queen’s Deadly Damsels series, is set in Victorian London. The story pairs Lady Ivy Cavendale, the new headmistress of All Souls Orphanage, and Commissioner Edward Worthington, Duke of Landbourne, in a battle to save London’s orphans from a perfidious child smuggling ring called the Devil’s Sons. Ivy has always been a wallflower, preferring to exist in the shadows of society rather than seeking marriage as is expected of a young lady of quality. Ivy’s deceased father spent her formative years tormenting her with lurid stories of the things her future husband would do to her and she now fears intimacy as a result. Edward is also reluctant to enter into a relationship as he feels he is unworthy, having had a hand in driving hius younger sister Liza to kill herself years earlier. Despite their backstory, these two feel an instant strong attraction and as their story unfolds and the sexual tension increases, they learn to trust each other. They’re strong characters and easy to like as are their group of close friends, who assist in setting out to trap the leaders of the Devil’s Sons. The plot is engaging and for the most part believable, though I wasn’t entirely convinced by the behaviour of one or two characters at the end of the story. That aside, this has been an entertaining read.

First I need to thank the publishers and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book!

I LOVED this installment of the series. These characters are so fun and the way they work together to better the community from the Devil’s Sons is terrific. I loved seeing Ivy grow and develop into a strong woman stepping into her strength.

Thank you netgalley and Boldwood books, for this arc.
This book is my second Darc Mcguire book. I loved it just as much as I loved, book 3 "the confessions of a lady".
The setting, was top notch.
The mystery was unpredictable and fast paced.
The romance storyline was utter perfection.
There was lines of dialouge that I will quote unntil my daying day. " Did you have a reason for coming in here other to annoy me, Reading?" page 103, Being one of them.
I wonder if Reading will get a novella of his own.
Anyway. I loved every single word of this book.
I have zero complaints.
This book is realised jjune 6th. run to the store and preorder or get it from your local library.

This is a story of two completely opposite people who are brought together during trying circumstances. On one hand the main characters have a lot of chemistry. On the other hand the leading man has an almost obsession with the leading lady. It hits the wrong notes a few times especially because the leading lady had past trauma.

“A Most Unlikely Lady” by Darcy McGuire was probably my favourite of the Deadly Damsels series. The really loved Edward Worthington’s story of redemption and how he manages to win over Ivy all while convincing himself he will keep his vow to remain single. He was so gentle with Ivy as she found her strength after having survived an abusive father. I loved seeing Ivy come into her own and discover her power and it was neat to see Edward help her there.

Ivy takes a position as the headmistress of an orphanage at her friend’s request but Phillipa her friend and self defence teacher as well as a spy for the queen does not trust her other friend’s motive. After Ivy shoots an intruder, Edward poses as a servant to help protect the house and brings Ivy on his investigations to help ID the man. The forced proximity leads to Edward starting to loose control of his vow not to love and for Ivy to start loosing her fear of men with Edward. The chemistry heats up near the end and so to does the action! A great book from start to finish and such a great series so far!

Mystery, Romance, Spies and Spice set in Regency England.

Ivy Cavendale, a wallflower & Edward Worthington, a dashing Duke and Scotland Yard Commissioner have an undeniable attraction, but can they overcome their tortured pasts and give into temptation?

This was a fun read with the two main characters, Ivy and Edward, and a return of the supporting cast from the first three books.

Darcy McGuire definitely knows how to keep your interest in the fourth book of the “Deadly Damsels” series. This could be read as a stand alone, however each book builds on the previous and adds to the enjoyment.

Thank you to Boldwood Books & NetGalley for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely adored this book! The author did a perfect job of balancing the mystery, the romance, and the main characters backstory. I loved Ivy so much, loved Edward, and adored them together. The mystery was a fun twist. Highly recommend this one!

Darcy Macguire writes such fantastic historical romances, so I was super excited to get an ARC of A Most Unlikely Lady. It was such a good story! I loved the main characters, the romance, the children, and the mystery.

Edward and Ivy have a swoon-worthy romance! Filled with angst and longing and spice, their love story is a great blend of sweet, sexy, and funny. I love their banter and the way their feelings for each other grow. They are definitely a well-matched pair, and their romance contrasts with some of the darker elements of the story well. The children are another bright spot in the story, as are the many comical scenes. There are a few scenes with laugh-out-loud moments that I just loved.

The author also sheds light on the social inequities of the time while also creating a unique and mysterious story that kept me guessing. I love a little suspense with my romance! There is some violence inflicted on the MMC toward the end of the book that felt completely unjustified and actually brought my rating down. Other than that, I really enjoyed the story!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

The mystery was engaging as was the romance. What I liked best of all was the healing process and character development for the female lead character. It was a journey I was happy to go on.

4 out of 5 stars

I picked up A Most Unlikely Lady thinking I'd just read a couple of chapters before bed... and suddenly it's 2 AM, I'm emotionally compromised, and I’m ready to throw hands for Ivy Cavendale.

So here's the tea: this isn’t your usual balls-and-bonnets historical romance. Nope. It’s got trauma, spies, fake names, an actual orphanage (!!), and a broody duke who low-key moonlights as Queen Victoria’s secret agent. Wild, right?

Ivy..daughter of a disgraced duke, now headmistress of an orphanages swore off men forever (understandable, considering her father was the worst). But then this random man breaks into her school and she straight-up shoots him. Turns out he's tangled in the same creepy child-trafficking ring she’s unknowingly standing in the middle of. And boom, in walks Edward, the undercover commissioner/duke/guilt-ridden softie who’s supposed to keep an eye on her. Cue sparks, secrets, and slow-burn healing that had me feeling things.

What I loved most? Their chemistry simmers but never overshadows the bigger plot. It’s slow-burn but delicious. The action scenes weren’t fluff – they actually mattered. And Edward? A man who listens, respects boundaries, and isn’t afraid to confront his own ghosts. More of that in fiction, please.

The mystery wasn’t shocking, I’ll admit – kind of guessed it early on – but honestly? I didn’t care. I was in it for the emotional payoff, and this book delivered.

#AMostUnlikelyLady #NetGalley

an unlikely book to love. nope. a likely joy of a read. correct.
this book was a great addition to the series and also held its own perfectly.
the characters the plot, premise and pace was all done in a way that kept you learning, then excited, then steady and then tense. it has it all this book. and so much more. i love it when you come across books you like the look of but give you so much more besides.
this book gives us Ivy. she has been through enough. her family left her feeling like she just wanted peace. or to be left alone by people that would betray her. she is now coming into her own in the role of headmistress of All Souls Orphanage. she is determined to put her life into something meaningful. but when one night there is an intruder she knows she will do what it take to protect those in her care. because there are dark things happening out there. especially to young girls who are being bought and sold across countries. so Ivy shoot the intruder and calls for help.
this starts of a chain of events and fantastic read to come.
told to head the case is Edward Worthington the Duke. he is the queens friend and undercover agent. but he has his own troubles and pain he also carries. and so this is a job and job only and he will do it with the directness yet detachment it deserves. right???
but as Ivy and Edward work together they both see more in eachother. they both heal more than they thought possible. they both find something so much more than they thought they could be given.
the story starts us off with a bang and carries on throughout. i loved what Darcy gives us in the character of Ivy. she is a heroin we all want to read about.
and Edward too is so much more than your average. his depth is both heartening and intriguing. and then together then two are a fab duo.
this book is packed with everything you could want from the cover onwards.

A Most Unlikely Lady by Darcy McGuire has a lot of charm, but as the fourth book in a series, it didn’t entirely work for me as a standalone.

Commissioner Edward is all in immediately, and while I usually enjoy a good instalove story, it felt a bit rushed here—like I missed some key context or development from earlier books. His attraction and devotion are sweet, but without the emotional groundwork, I found it hard to fully connect with the romance.

The heroine is interesting and complex, and I appreciated the contrast in their personalities. There’s a nice tension between propriety and passion, and McGuire’s writing has an elegance that suits the genre well. At its best, it recalls Sarah MacClean—her earlier work in some of the longing (in particular, a moment with ungloved hands touching) and her more recent work (in moments where the women are working together.)

That said, I think readers who are already invested in the series will likely enjoy this one more than I did. The emotional stakes probably hit harder if you’re familiar with the returning characters and their arcs.

All in all, a pleasant historical romance with some strong elements—but I’d recommend starting from book one to get the full effect.

A Most Unlikely Lady” was a good read overall, but there were a few things that kept me from really loving it.. The connection between Ivy and Edward was definitely a plus. I liked seeing how they bonded and helped each other work through their past traumas.

However, I did find myself struggling with some of the dialogue. At times, it felt a little forced or unnatural, especially when the characters were trying to be witty or funny. It just didn't always land quite right for me and pulled me out of the story a little.

If you love historical romance with a focus on character development and mystery this could be a good fit. Thank you so much for the advanced copy!

Oh my goodness, this book was so good! I loved Ivy and Edward and their chemistry was great. Looking forward to more from McGuire!

When Ivy Cavendale takes up a position of headmistress of an orphanage, she does not expect to have to deal with a potential kidnapper on her first night. Nor does she realise it was a nefarious group of lords behind the escapade seeking to exploit young children for their own gain. She is thrown together with the commissioner of the metropolitan police as they seek to protect her charges and detect who threatens them. The novel is as much about their relationship as the plot to kidnap children. It describes well how both characters are healed through their romance from past traumas. This part of the book is excellent. Not quite so good is the plot which was easy to pick holes in. For example, would a prominent lord seek to kidnap personally two children from a fundraising ball when there were 25 of their contemporaries left in the orphanage with less protection than usual? Despite this the book remains a thoroughly enjoyable read.

the overall story is genuinely awesome, even if the dialogue is a hair weak at points, the plotting was pretty good and characters were generally kinda interesting. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

A Most Unlikely Lady is book 4 in Darcy McGuire's series, the Queen's Deadly Damsels.

Despite the full title of this book indicating it is a regency era novel (the full title on GoodReads is A Most Unlikely Lady: A breathlessly romantic regency read from Darcy McGuire) the book actually takes place in the Victorian era.

The main character, Ivy, suffered abuse at the hands of her father, and is now terrified of men. She has taken a post as the headmistress of an orphanage, and takes her duties caring for the children very seriously, and is content with her spinster life. Until she is forced into closer proximity with Edward Worthington, Duke of Landbourne, and the Commissioner of Scotland Yard.

Ivy and Edward team up to identify members of a group of depraved men who are preying on orphans, after one of the men breaks into the orphanage where Ivy is working, and tries to kidnap one of the children there.

I quite enjoyed this book although at times I found the dialogue a bit stilted and unnatural, especially when the characters were attempting to be humorous. It just felt cringey to me.

As Edward and Ivy got closer, there were a few steamy scenes between the two of them. I liked the relationship between the two of them, and how they helped each other to get past some of the traumas they experienced earlier in their lives.

I found the other characters interesting and I would be interested in reading earlier books in the series, to read about the other members of the Queen's Deadly Damsels.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Miss Ivy Cavendale takes up the role of headmistress at an orphanage, hoping to keep a low profile. But beneath her delicate appearance lies a woman trained and prepared for danger. When a mysterious intruder breaks in, Ivy reacts with unexpected precision. It becomes clear that she and the children are targets of the notorious Devil’s Sons.
Commissioner Edward Worthington, indebted to the head of The Queen’s Deadly Damsels, is tasked with watching over Ivy. He assumes the shy new protégé will be easy to oversee—until he discovers her hidden strength and intriguing contradictions. As their paths intertwine, Ivy—still burdened by secrets and past trauma—finds herself drawn to Edward’s steady presence.
When Edward enlists her help to uncover a threat at The Widow’s Ball, Ivy reluctantly agrees. Though she trusts few, something tells her Edward may be the one person worthy of her trust—and possibly her heart.
A Most Unlikely Lady is the fourth book in Darcy McGuire’s The Queens Deadly Damsels series. The books are interlinked and Ivy obviously does have a tragic backstory which is explored in previous books. I have not read the previous books but I am curious enough to go back and read the other books in the series. Other than that, I did not find it hard to keep up with the story.
I really enjoyed this story. It is really well paced and the story and investigation flows well along with the romance. I am not a huge fan of the secret spy trope and was actually pleasantly surprised that that the romance was not overshadowed here. Ivy and Edward are extremely likeable characters. I loved that Ivy was shy but grew in confidence. She had real issues stemming from her horrific father but with Edward’s patience and encouragement she blossomed. I loved that despite appearances she was no damsel in distress.
Edward was just fantastic. He was smitten from the very beginning and I loved his internal monologues. He was so understanding and genuinely empowered Ivy – his respect for all women really shone through. He also had a traumatic past and has spent most of his life blaming himself for a tragic event which has shaped the man he is. Ivy was just as good for him as he was for Ivy and their love was believable and satisfying to witness.
I loved the banter between Edward and his secretary, and the secondary characters are all very well fleshed out. There is a loose end left at the end of the book and you have a pretty good idea where the next book will take you. Four stars and an extra just for Edward! I received an advance review copy from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A Most Unlikely Lady by Dacy McGuire is the fourth installment of The Queen's Deadly Damsels series and if you haven't picked these books up yet, you definitely should.

In this book, our fmc is Miss Ivy Cavendale. If you've read these books, the name will be familiar. She's Millie's best friend but also the daughter and sister of some men taken down as part of the Devil's Sons. That said, she has done what she can to survive and she is now the headmistress at an orphanage. When an intruder breaks in one night she is quick to defend her charges but she is pulled into the investigation and with the help of the Commisioner, realizes that she and other orphanage children are in more danger than anyone thought. They are the next target of The Devil's Sons.

Commissioner Edward Worthington owes the Duchess of Dorsett (the head of the Damsels) a debt so he's keeping an eye on her new protege - Miss Cavendale. When he is pulled into the intruder investigation, he is intrigued and he finds himself fascinated by her. He can't seem to stay away from her.

As Edward and Ivy become closer, it's clear that Edward has to take things slowly with Ivy. He knows she has had some trauma during her time with her father. That said, he also has secrets and burdens in his past and believes that no matter how things proceed with Ivy, she deserves more than what he can (and should) give her. He doesn't deserve to be happy but if he can help Ivy and give her a bit of happiness in the short term, he will do whatever he can for her.

I loved these two characters and it was great to see these two characters overcome their pasts. I also loved that we finally got to learn more about Phillipa and Edward's background. It explained a lot and I hope we get to see Phillipa's story in the next book. We also get more on the Devil's Sons and it will be good when we see the last arm of this group brought down. If you're looking for a new historical romance that has great characters, a bit of mystery, romance and sexy times, consider picking this one up. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Adult spicy fun crime thriller series with women who find they have more gumption and nerve than they believed, and find more fun in the bedroom than they ever expected.
Queen Victoria’s secret Deadly Damsels continue to try and bring down the villainous Lords who are kidnapping young women. But their catch might once again involve snaring another, respectable, love lorn Lord too.
Ivy’s life has left her demure and frightened. But she’s found some Lady friends who are opinionated, and able to stand up for themselves. When confronted by an intruder at an orphanage Ivy steps up and defends the children. So starts a possibility of recovery, and love that she desperately needs. Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.