The Lady Plays with Fire by Susanna Craig book review

I jumped right into book #2 of this series without realizing it. I was totally sucked into the book by the series title, Goode’s Guide to Misconduct. I mean, who wouldn’t like that in a historical romance? Our two main characters are Julia Addison, who is the daughter of a clergyman, a lady’s companion and an anonymous play reviewer in London. Graham McKay, Earl of Dunstan, aka Blackadder is a playwright. The Earl is a patron of plays and Blackadder write the plays. Blackadder is a harsh critic of people and the ton in his plays, but people pack the stands to see what outrageous things will happen on stage. The Earl delights in reading the reviews, until the one Julia writes in Mrs. Goode’s Magazine for Misses. 

Right away the reader can see that Julia and Graham are the perfect match because they are both writers and they enjoy theatre. They both have a lot of societal issues to deal with. And they both need to earn a living. Graham uses a pen name because members of the aristocracy are not supposed to work. Julia uses a pen name because women are not supposed to be writers. They are both intrigued by each other and little do they know they are trying to uncover each other’s secret identities. The Lady Plays with Fire is a well written historical romance with a fun plot and a sexy romance. The chemistry between the characters does not disappoint. There is some humor, some drama, good friendships and strong women. There is a lot of witty word play and a bit of a slow burn. But they definitely get to the spice. If you happen to be a theatre buff, you will love the story even more. This is a sexy enemies to lovers story. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!