4 stars easily!!! 
 As a huge fan of Georgette Heyer while growing up, I was really keen to start on this novel as it was based on the regency period. Once I got started, I was just swept away into the lush setting of the story and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed every written word. Cindy Anstey's flawless style of writing was very apt for the period. From the descriptions of the dresses, houses and the use of language, by the end, I was very glad to have picked up the book after all those fantasy reads. It was a pleasant respite for sure. 
 The MC Juliana Telford was a strong, independent young girl with a passion for lady beetles and natural sciences. She also appears to be very clumsy and gets herself into a series of unfortunate scrapes. However, I found her to be easily relatable. I liked that she had a mind of her own and was not caught up in the frivolities of the London Season but instead was focused on getting her research published. For women of that era, this was a bold move. I also found Mr. Northam to be a charming character. He was every bit a true gentleman and also quite handsome. The romance at the heart of the story was definitely swoon-worthy and a slow build. The interactions between Juliana and Spencer were so beautiful. I couldn't get enough of it. 
 The minor characters were equally endearing to the story. I liked how the author managed to give them side stories as well especially in the case of Miss Carrie Reeves and Bobbington. I felt that this elevated the novel and fleshed out the characters. It also lent the overall story more dimension and realism. 
 However, my only negative would be that the aspect of espionage that the novel was based on was severely underdeveloped. It was very hard to understand what Mr. Northam's role was at the War Office and the reason for his investigations. The revelations regarding this were mediocre at best and didn't really captivate me. I feel that since the author didn't approach the story from this angle and put more attention towards the budding romance between Ms. Telford and Mr. Northam, this part took a back seat. Thus, it felt like a side plot and reading those parts felt rather awkward and apart from the actual story. I felt it was just a page filler and nothing else. Hence, my reason for deducting a star. 
 Overall, I did enjoy the novel as a whole and would recommend the story if you need a break from all the contemporary YA stories out there. Also if you are a fan of historical fiction, then you might like it too if not for the spies then definitely for the romance.