Smexy Books

Romance and Urban Fantasy Reviews

  • Review Request
  • Contact
    • Smexy Reviewers Profiles
    • New Reviewer Application
    • Contact
  • Advertising
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • By Genre
      • BDSM
      • Contemporary
      • Erotic
      • Fantasy
      • F/F
      • Historical Romance
      • Historical PNR
      • LGBTQ+
      • M/M Romance
      • New Adult
      • Urban Fantasy
      • Paranormal Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Romantic Suspense
      • Young Adult
    • By Letter Grade Rating
      • A Reviews
      • B Reviews
      • C Reviews
      • D Reviews
      • DNF Reviews
  • Features
    • New Releases
    • Smexy Deals!
    • Retro Review
    • Weekly Wrap-Up
    • Blog Tour
    • Scenic Sunday
    • To Be Read
    • Guest Post
    • Top Ten/Happy Friday
    • Smex Scene Sunday
  • The Psy/Changeling Channel
You are here: Home / B Review / Review: Beauty and the Thief by Shana Galen

Review: Beauty and the Thief by Shana Galen

August 11, 2022 by Angela Leave a Comment

Beauty and the Thief by Shana Galen
The Royal Saboteurs #1
Historical Romance
August 9, 2022- Self Published
ARC

Review by Angela

I enjoyed this book so much! I thought I had read this author before, but according to Goodreads, I haven’t. Going in I had no idea what to expect other than the blurb mentioning a charming conman and the secretary for the leader of an organization called The Royal Saboteurs. I was pleasantly surprised when the excitement began literally from the first chapter.

Callahan Kelly is a conman. A very good conman who happens to owe money to quite a few people. He has a gambling problem… and a drinking problem… and a being an Irishman in London problem. But he receives an offer from a man one evening that will solve his money problems for now and get him out of the city.

Bridgit Murray is the secretary for the leader of a super secret spy organization in England. While at The Farm, she keeps everyone organized and on task, she also has a knack for code-breaking. The moment she meets Callahan Kelly, while he is running from a group of men and she is trying to get him on board a train bound for The Farm, she knows she can’t stand him or his too charming, up to no good ways.

Then they get sent on a mission together.

This book was just fun. Plain and simple fun. Cal is lighthearted and amusing, he knows his strengths and weaknesses and doesn’t pretend to be someone he isn’t. Bridgit is an organizer at heart, never without her trusty clipboard, and she takes exception to Cal’s teasing and what she perceives as insincerity. They are like oil and water, but share an attraction nonetheless.

When they get sent into Ireland tasked with infiltrating a group of Irish separatists, they must pretend to be husband and wife. Which will put them in close contact for an extended period of time and test the chemistry they share. It will also test Cal’s promises not to gamble or drink, two things he has an addiction to and is trying to refrain from.

I enjoyed watching Bridgit and Cal get to know each other and become closer, and eventually fall in love. Each has a difficult backstory, but for some reason, those backstories and even Cal’s struggle with his addictions do not change the tenor of this book. The action sucked me in in the first chapter, the characters and their chemistry kept me reading, and the ending left me with a smile on my face.

All in all an amusing, quick read for fans of historical romance. I am looking forward to the next book in the series so much.

Final grade- B+

Amazon * Goodreads

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • More
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Filed Under: B Review, Discussion, Historical Romance, Self Published, Shana Galen

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome to Smexy! If you are reader feel free to use our search feature to find a specific book or browse through our features to find Smexy Deals, New Releases, and book news!

As an Amazon Associate, we do earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn a small commission on affiliate links to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords,  Booksamillion, and Bookshop,org.

 

Shop our Affiliates!

Amazon

B&N

Apple

Smashwords

Booksamillion

Angela

Melanie

Jen

Kate

Iby

Kate H.

Sign Up for Daily Emails


Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Follow Us!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • Smexy Deals- Deals for books by Opal Wei, Hannah Bonam-Young, Maisey Yates, and more!
    Smexy Deals- Deals for books by Opal Wei, Hannah Bonam-Young, Maisey Yates, and more!
  • Review: The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
    Review: The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
  • Steamy Excerpt from Everything's Better With Lisa by Lucy Eden
    Steamy Excerpt from Everything's Better With Lisa by Lucy Eden
  • New Releases- Week of May 12-16, 2025
    New Releases- Week of May 12-16, 2025
  • Smexy’s Top Ten Favorite Sex Scenes of 2012
    Smexy’s Top Ten Favorite Sex Scenes of 2012
  • Review: Manacled by SenLinYu
    Review: Manacled by SenLinYu
  • Review: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
    Review: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
  • Review: The Finish Line by Kate Stewart
    Review: The Finish Line by Kate Stewart
  • Smex Scene Sunday....Where Mandi Is Still Obsessed with A Court of Mist and Fury
    Smex Scene Sunday....Where Mandi Is Still Obsessed with A Court of Mist and Fury
  • Review: Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger
    Review: Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger

Disclosure

The majority of the books reviewed at this site have been provided for free by publishers, authors, or other third parties like NetGalley or Edelweiss. Acceptance of a free copy does not guarantee a review or a positive review.

As an Amazon Associate, we do earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn a small commission on affiliate links to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Booksamillion.

Shop our Affiliates!

Amazon

B&N

Apple

Smashwords

Booksamillion

 

Find Our Reviewers

Angela @fv-angela.bsky.social l Goodreads

Melanie @melonreads.bsky.social l  Goodreads

Jen .@thebooknista l Goodreads

Kate  @kateminasian l Goodreads

Iby Instagram l Goodreads

Kate H. @Naranjadia l Goodreads

Copyright © 2025 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d