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Article Title

Love, Lies and Spies

Authors

Lisi Hong

Keywords

Dependable, Young Adult, Cindy Anstey, Romance, Love, 19th Century, Spies, Espionage

Document Type

Book Review

Abstract

Traveling to London for the Season, a time dedicated to finding love, seems like a great way for Juliana to publish her and her father’s research on ladybugs, and she is determined to remain single and very much not in love. But when a handsome, blue-eyed gentleman rescues her from falling off a cliff, her plans begin to change. Spencer, the mysterious man on the cliff, also plans to not fall in love and focus only on his latest spy assignment. When the two team up to help Spencer’s friend win over the heart of Juliana’s traveling companion by pretending to be in love, they agree to just be friends, as neither is particularly interested in marriage. As the two face the challenges of London during the Season, they find success in their goals and the love they never thought they wanted. Love, Lies and Spies is an innocent love story with a hint of a “you-can-do-anything-you-put-your-mind-to” message. The story rotates between Juliana’s and Spencer’s perspective and shows how both of them struggle with accomplishing their goals while unintentionally falling in love. Their love story shows girls that they don’t have to fit the societal norms to find happiness. Juliana never hides that she is smart, motivated, and proud of her research, while other female characters in the book fit the mold of a traditional nineteenth-century woman. More importantly Juliana never loses sight of her goals. She is an example of a hard-working, confident woman who doesn’t change her goals when she falls in love with a boy. In fact, Juliana’s “quirks” are what Spencer falls in love with, proving that girls don’t need to change who they are in order to impress a boy. *Contains mild violence and sexual content.

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