Ladies Unlaced Books in Order

The Ladies Unlaced books are historical romances about smart women doing work that gives them unusual freedom, and often puts them in unusual danger. The series circles around the Evensong Agency, a discreet operation that finds servants, solves awkward problems, and quietly helps the British upper classes manage the kinds of situations they would never discuss in public. That setup gives Robinson a great excuse to mix romance with schemes, disguises, and a steady stream of improper complications. (penguinrandomhouse.com)

Jobs open doors that rank alone would keep shut. (penguinrandomhouse.com)

The women at the center of these books are especially fun because they are not idle society ornaments. Louisa Stratton in In the Arms of the Heiress needs a fake husband and hires former soldier Charles Cooper to play the role. Mary Evensong in In the Heart of the Highlander has been posing as the agency's older proprietor and heads to Scotland on a dangerous bit of theater. Eliza Lawrence in The Reluctant Governess is pushed into caring for a child in a household full of trouble. Harriet Benson in The Unsuitable Secretary takes a part-time post that quickly becomes more personal, and more hazardous, than she expected. (penguinrandomhouse.com)

What links the series is competence. Robinson clearly enjoys heroines who can think on their feet, earn trust, and keep moving when plans fall apart. The men may be lairds, employers, soldiers, or scandal-marked gentlemen, but the women are never just along for the ride. They are the people making things happen, often while everyone around them is underestimating them. (penguinrandomhouse.com)

The settings help too. These books move from country houses to offices to the Scottish Highlands, and the atmosphere is lighter on its feet than in darker historical romance. There is attraction, of course, but also hidden identities, professional duties, family obligations, near disasters, and the constant pressure of keeping up appearances. Even when the plot turns suspenseful, the tone stays friendly and brisk. (penguinrandomhouse.com)

Expect witty dialogue, romantic suspense, and heroines who are very good at their jobs even when the job description gets ridiculous. If you like stories where working women outmatch the rules around them and still get their happy endings, Ladies Unlaced is one of Maggie Robinson's most satisfying series. (penguinrandomhouse.com)