I love the premise of this book. The Princess of Chanay is in the running to be the new Queen of Belgium, but she's fallen suddenly ill so her long-lost cousin, the French actress Monique who bears a striking resemblance to the real princess, is called upon to take the princess's place... Ooh, intrigue! The potential for mistaken identities to wreak havoc! My catnip. :)

I liked Monique a lot. She's such a strong woman, as well as caring so much for her grandmother. I do love a feisty leading lady, and I love the way she repeatedly challenges Gregory. Him, I had more problems with, but I appreciate the growth he goes through as he realizes that by shutting his emotions away to avoid painful memories, he is also shutting out the positive emotions like joy and love. Both of them let their own pride, insecurity, and fear get in the way of what they both really want, and there were a few moments that my heart positively ached for these somewhat star-crossed lovers. I also really liked the inclusion of Lady Ursula and her situation, as you don't often see many [spoilers removed] in Regency romances.

There was a section of this book where Gregory kept calling Monique "my sweet" in every dang sentence, which was like nails on a chalkboard to me for some reason. Ugh. For the most part, though, this book kept me enthralled and I hated to put it down, and I now must immediately go read the first four books in the series.

This is the fifth book in the series, but can be read as a stand alone. Characters from the previous books are minor side characters in this one, and the only real benefit to reading the other books first would be so you're not horribly confused about all these established couples chattering about. The epilogue also sets up a bit the idea that the sixth book will be about Gregory's friend Hart.

I enjoyed this read and am glad that I took a chance on an author who is new to me. I liked the chemistry between the h and H. The mystery behind the assassination attempts was interesting as well. This was a read I enjoyed and would recommend.

Publisher's Description:

“Quick pacing, witty dialogue, and charmingly original characters set Jeffries’ books apart” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), and The Secret of Flirting is the next thrilling romance in the bestselling Sinful Suitors series!

The moment spymaster Baron Fulkham meets the stunning Princess Aurore of Chanay, he's positive her royal persona is a ruse and that she's actually Monique Servais, the mysterious actress he met three years before in Dieppe. But as he pursues his suspicions, he uncovers a plot of attempted assassination and betrayal that could very well destroy his career, expose his own secrets...and ruin the woman he's rapidly coming to love.

The Secret of Flirting is a sizzling historical romance filled with fast-paced storytelling, an enchanting heroine, and a sexy hero, perfect for fans of Regency romance.

My Thoughts:
Sabrina Jeffries always manages to captivate me with her well written and witty romance novels.
This one is no exception.
This is book #5 of The Sinful Suitors series with a couple of novellas thrown in for good measure.

We have another Spymaster and a stunning Princess he is certain is not a Princess at all.
Is she in fact Monique Servais, the mysterious actress he met three years before or is he mistaken?
Will his pursuit of his suspicions lead to his own destruction and reveal his own secrets, plus destroy this woman he is coming to love?
This book and the others in this series are not to be missed. Ms. Jeffries creates a well written story with engaging characters, snappy dialog and a plot that will hold your interest.
There is at least one more title, a novella to come; The Risk of Rogues, A Sinful Suitors Novella, Book 5.5, Available July 2, 2018. I look forward to reading it also. I try to be on the lookout for anything upcoming by this author and subscribe to her newsletter. I have been reading her books since before I knew what an E-Book was.

I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 3.75 of 5.0 flames. These stories aren't bedroom romps but they do include some sexy scenarios.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this title via NetGalley from the publisher to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Most of the character, were introduced in earlier books, including Gregory Vyse, Baron of Fulkham and a spymaster for Britain, the Hero of this book. The story begins, before the previous books, on a night that will come back to haunt him. While meeting his brother's friend, Lord Hartley Corry to recruit him in a bit of espionage, he meets an actress, Monique Servais, and learns his younger brother, John, has been murdered. Several years later he sees Monique again, but now she claims that she is Princess Aurore of Chanay, one of the candidates to rule Belgium. His attraction to the actress has not diminished, but his career comes first and he is going to get to the bottom of this mystery. Lots of intrigue, attempted murders, blackmail, sizzling attractions all woven together with interesting and well developed characters, researched and rich history and beautifully described settings. A lovely addition to the series.

This was an excellent, well-written historical romance. Spymaster Baron Fulkham is introduced to the Princess Anne of Chanay and he is immediately sure it is really Monique Servais, an actress he met three years previously. The story was fast-paced, the heroine and hero were wonderful, the dialogue was witty and the chemistry was sizzling. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Monique is a successful actress in France who is working hard to take care of her ailing grandmother when a long lost uncle shows up on their door. He has a proposal for her, successfully impersonate her Princess cousin who is vying to be Queen of Belgium and he will take her and her grandmother back into their family that her grandmother was kicked out of when she chose to marry an actor. Monique is surprised when she sees how much she does look like her cousins Aurore. The only thing that stands in her way, Gregory Faulkham, a very handsome and smart man who saw her in a play in France and the man who will help decide Princess Aurore's future. Will she be able to convince him that she is not the actress Monique? Or even more importantly, will she be able to resist the attraction she has for him?

Once again Ms. Jeffries does not disappoint. The characters our so dimensional and it is so easy to fall in love with them. I cannot wait for her next book!

I just adore Sabrina Jeffries' books. They always provide great characters, a great story, great humor and this book is no exception.

Monique Servais is an actress in Dieppe and lives with her grandmother, who has developed dementia and it is getting harder to look after her while she has to work. Her grand-maman was born into royalty, but left that life to marry her true love and thus was cut off from her family. Now years later, the Count de Beaumonde, grand-maman's brother-in-law. was looking for Monique's help. He would like Monique to pretend to be Aurore, the reigning Princess de Chanay. If she could pull it off, he would take care of her grand-maman the rest of her life. The real princess is ill but she needs to be in London because she is the front-runner to becoming the Queen of Belgium, which is seeking its independence from the Netherlands. It would only be for a short time, and really what could go wrong! ;)

What Monique did not count on while she was pretending to be Princess Aurore was to run into Gregory Vyse, Baron Fulkham, whom she met three years earlier and has not been able to forget. Right away Lord Fulkham realized that it was Monique, but she kept denying it. Now the game was on. As Gregory and Monique spend more time together, their feelings for each other grow. When an attempt on their lives happen, secrets start to unravel and Gregory and Monique have an even bigger issue on their hand. Together they have to work to figure out who is behind all their issues and how they are going to solve their problems.

I loved these two characters. Gregory's life has always been all about work. Monique's life has been all about work and taking care of her Grand-maman. Together these two find something wonderful that they were missing in their lives. The mystery that they had to figure out to get to their happy ending was so fun and enjoyable. It kept me constantly guessing at the end results. Overall, I just adored this book and I highly recommend it.

I always enjoy reading Sabrina Jeffries stories. This one was no exception. Must say I was giggling thru most of it. Better settle in for fun reading session.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Not a dreadful story although not terribly original either. A nice read even if it was very predictable, the sort of book to read when you know exactly what you want from a historical romance. I do enjoy Sabrina Jeffries' writing though and I really hope that the next book will be about Lord Hartley! 3 stars.

When Gregory is in France and meets actress Monique, he is immediately attracted to her beauty but also her wit and personality.

Three years later when he is introduced to Princess Aurore in Britain, he is certain this is actually Monique impersonating a Princess.

The Princess is in the running to become the ruler of newly formed Belgium. There is an international conference to determine the outcome. The strongest competition is from Prince Leopold. Gregory is the British man who is in charge of the conference and who has a great deal of influence over who becomes the ruler.

Gregory tries to make Monique/Aurore admit who she is. Monique is quick witted and strongly tries to maintain her persona as the princess. Their sparring is not only entertaining but also humorous.

Monique is a strong young woman who has had to overcome a great deal in order to become a success on the stage. She cares for her ill grandmother and that care is costing more and more money that Monique does not have.

Gregory is a powerful man in government who has become so controlled he shows little or no emotion. He has good friends and a mother but he does not allow himself to be truly close to anyone. He even distances himself from his mother and his home.

As always, Ms Jeffries has created characters who are well developed, likable, intelligent, interesting and humorous. Both Monique and Gregory are terrific leading characters. Their back stories explain who they really are as well as why they behave as they do. The reader is comfortable with both characters and wanting the best for both of them.

For me, the plot was slow for about the first 1/3 of the book. Then it picked up, the action became quicker and all the excitement kept me turning pages. I believe the first third of the book was developed slowly in order create the atmosphere of the conference and the subsequent political intrigue.

It becomes obvious that there is an assassination plot. And the assassin seems very devoted to his task. At the same time, keeping secrets and determining who is who makes the story not only exciting but also interesting.

Ms Jeffries is known for creating stories which are more historically accurate than some historical reads. This book is no exception.

I have been reading books by Ms Jeffries for quite some time and I have never been disappointed.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

This was a delightful read that occurs slightly outside the usual regency romance boundries. The match of wits and repartee between Fulkham & Monique was fun and the mystery regarding the assassination attempts interesting and well done. Fulkham was in the prior books of the series, always cool, aloof and in control so seeing him get frustrated, flustered and that legendary control slipping was quite enjoyable. While some events and the quickness of the romance was a little of a stretch at times, you couldn't help but care and root for a couple that felt to be a perfect match for each other in the long run. While watching them attempt to thwart each other was enjoyable I appreciated that it was drug out too long as they worked even better together. While prior couples make a brief appearances in the story this stands well as a stand-a-lone book.

I really enjoyed the characters and the mysteries of the story. Many plots and twists throughout. It took me a bit to get into the story but once I was I couldn't put it down. Sabrina Jeffries is one of my all time favorites and once again she doesn't disappoint.

Wow. What a fun Regency romance filled with lots of sexual chemistry between the hero and heroine, love (of course), royalty (like the glamorous haute ton of London wasn't enough), and a mystery that the hero, Gregory Vyse, Baron of Fulkham was more that happy to solve. I especially loved how Gregory was a gentleman but he just couldn't stop swearing in from of the ladies, and a princess no less. I found him so entertaining and endearing when you read about his past. And the heroine, Monique Servais was so wonderfully independent and smart. Together they made a great team. I couldn't put this book down. I really enjoyed this story and was so happy they were able to achieve their HEA.

*I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book*

I enjoyed this installment in Sabrina Jeffries’ Sinful Suitors series. Even though it is the 5th book, it can easily be read as a stand alone.

This follows the same formula as most historical romances: the couple meets, falls in love, some sort of conflict occurs to keep them apart, and the conflict is resolved. However, Jeffries does an excellent job of weaving in historical accuracy and political details of the time so well. The characters also are all very fleshed out, and have flaws that give them depth and keep the reader rooting for them throughout the story. I also enjoyed the secondary storyline with Lady Ursula. Even though it was a minor part of the story, there was a twist there that I wasn’t expecting, and I definitely enjoyed that.

All in all, this was a great book to escape into, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good historical romance.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of this book.

Monique is an actress who loves her job but then a sudden encounter with her uncle from the royalty of Chanay changes her destiny. She has to pretend to be the Princess of Chanay but she has a nemesis in form of Baron Fulkham. Baron immediately recognizes her due to one past meeting. None of them can stop either the politics around them or the attraction budding between them . So, then began the story of saving Monique from death and both the characters falling for each other. The story and characters are well developed and likable. I recommend this book to everyone. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Spymaster Gregory Vyse, Baron of Fulkham, cannot forget the impudent actress he met three years ago in France. He accepts the assignment to protect the Princess of Chanay during her stay in England. Something about the foreign princess reminds Gregory of the French actress Monique Servais. He intends to discover why she insists on posing as Belgium’s reclusive princess. When an assassin targets her, Gregory risks his career to protect Monique despite her secrets. Will Gregory give up his political career for Monique? Or will he allow their different stations to separate them permanently?
Actress Monique Servais is the only granddaughter of an exiled Belgium princess and an actor. She agrees to impersonate her royal second-cousin to insure her grandmother’s future care. While in England, Monique encounters the one man who can threaten her masquerade. She must convince Gregory to promote her second-cousin’s bid as Belgium’s next ruler. When her life is threatened, Monique and Gregory discover her true standing in the de Chanay family line. Can Monique trust Gregory with her secrets? Or is their budding romance doomed from the beginning?
Gregory is everything that I anticipated. I suspected there was more to the spymaster than what the prior books depicted. He is a practical man haunted by his late father’s abuse. Gregory may be reticent, however, that does not stop him from doing what he must to protect the women under his care. I love how Monique ruffles his feathers, influencing him to act on his emotions instead of behaving so taciturn and reserved. But, what I like the most about Gregory is his tenacious determination to find a loophole, so he and Monique can marry.
Monique proves continuously that she is the overconfident spymaster’s perfect match. I like how she encourages Gregory to take risks and to live in the moment. I adore the lengths Monique is willing to go through to ensure her grandmother’s future care and happiness. However, that does not include submitting to her royal family’s mandates for her future. But, what I like most about Monique is her wiliness to abandon her masquerade to preserve Gregory’s reputation.
THE SECRET OF FLIRTING is book five in Sabrina Jeffries’ historical-romance series, SINFUL SUITORS. The story can be read as a stand-alone; however, couples from the previous books do make appearances. There is something about Sabrina Jeffries storytelling that is engaging and enjoyable.
THE SECRET OF FLIRTING is a charming tale full of dangerous intrigue which causes two people to sacrifice almost everything to be with each other. I am sad that this is the conclusion to the series, but I cannot wait for any future books the author plans to write.

Monique Servais knows who she is. She's a woman trying to put together a good life for the grandmother who raised her; the grandmother whose mental health is slipping away. She also knows she's a damn fine actress. So when an overbearing pair of gentleman push their way into her dressing room one night and one insults her, she's not taking any bull from him.

Gregory Fulkham is immediately to this actress and also immediately irritated by his attraction. But he sure as heck remembers her, even three years later when she's being passed off as a Belgian princess. Yes, it's a "Prince and the Pauper" type situation (but with more intrigue) and Gregory is Not Amused. But he's still attracted. And he's super-pissed that someone is taking potshots at the Monique, whether she's a fake or not.

This was an okay book but not as good as others in the series. This book also suffered from a surfeit of trying to introduce/catch up with other couples in the series.



Three stars

This book comes out March 27

Follows The Pleasures of Passion

You know when a secondary character catches your attention and you just need to have more of him/her in a book. That is Gregory for me. He is mysterious and I love spies. This story had a bit more suspense in it and had me guessing who the villain was until the end. There are secrets galore in the story – who is the cat and who is the mouse? And the sexual tension…kept me reading well into the night. This is a fresh story that I really enjoyed. Another reviewer stated that Sabrina’s writing is like comfort food – I whole-heartedly agree.

It took about halfway through the book for this story to catch my interest. It wasn't a bad first half but nothing in the story reached out to grab me to make me want to keep reading. I like the characters in the book and it is interesting to me that the author based it in part on history of England at that time and of course includes a sexy alpha male hero and charming, beautiful, female with royal side players and and endearing grandmother. I do not have that much to say about it so that in itself describes my feelings about the story. It was okay just not great. The author writes well and the characters have depth but it still isn't a book that was memorable to me or evoked any kind of emotion from me.