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Her Majesty's Secret Servants #2
Outrageously Yours
The Sutherland sisters lead ordinary lives—until their childhood friend, now Queen of England, seeks their assistance in matters requiring the utmost discretion. Then they must become...
Her Majesty's Secret Servants
A rare stone gifted to Queen Victoria by her secret suitor, Albert of Saxe-Coburg, has been stolen, and possibly delivered into the hands of the Marquess of Harrow—a man whispered to be slightly mad. Her Majesty asks scholarly Ivy Sutherland to assume the role of science student "Ned Ivers," win the marquess's trust, and recover the stone before news of the theft ruins the royal courtship.
Since the death of his young wife, Simon de Burgh, Marquess of Harrow has dedicated himself to science. Finding an assistant whose intellect and passion match his own proves an unexpected boon, until he discovers that "Ned" is actually a woman. Simon is incensed...then intrigued. Unable to resist his growing desire for Ivy, which she undeniably returns, Simon knows he must end her charade before it leads to scandal. Instead, Ivy convinces Simon to work together to recover the stone...and unwittingly plunges them both into a more dangerous game. Now they're risking their lives...and their hearts...in a race to stop a sinister murderer before he kills again.
Her Majesty's Secret Servants
A rare stone gifted to Queen Victoria by her secret suitor, Albert of Saxe-Coburg, has been stolen, and possibly delivered into the hands of the Marquess of Harrow—a man whispered to be slightly mad. Her Majesty asks scholarly Ivy Sutherland to assume the role of science student "Ned Ivers," win the marquess's trust, and recover the stone before news of the theft ruins the royal courtship.
Since the death of his young wife, Simon de Burgh, Marquess of Harrow has dedicated himself to science. Finding an assistant whose intellect and passion match his own proves an unexpected boon, until he discovers that "Ned" is actually a woman. Simon is incensed...then intrigued. Unable to resist his growing desire for Ivy, which she undeniably returns, Simon knows he must end her charade before it leads to scandal. Instead, Ivy convinces Simon to work together to recover the stone...and unwittingly plunges them both into a more dangerous game. Now they're risking their lives...and their hearts...in a race to stop a sinister murderer before he kills again.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 26, 2010
About the author
Allison Chase
8 books52 followersAllison Chase enjoys a busy life in the South Florida sunshine with her husband of more than twenty-five years and their two wonderful and very talented daughters. Allison is a member of the RWA and the Florida Romance Writers, and in large part credits both organizations for her success as a romance author. Originally from New England, she grew up with a deep appreciation for the rich history of her surroundings, and admits that, If living in the past is a bad thing, then Ive been bad all my life! She and her family love to travel, especially throughout the British Isles and Ireland, and shes never happier than when exploring historic sites such as castle ruins, ancient abbeys, or the rambling gardens of old country manors. Readers can visit Allison at www.allisonchase.com."
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
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January 24, 2011When I first picked up this title, I though the premise just a bit too hokey for me to enjoy, but I was pleasantly surprised and charmed.
The “secret servant” selected for the mission is a very bookish and sensible young woman named Ivy Sutherland. Ivy is instructed to go under cover as a student of Natural Philosophies at the all male Cambridge University where she encounteres Simon de Burgh, Marquess of Harrow. Lord harrow is determined to find a laboratory assistant and presents a scientific challenge in order to select the student who will become his protégé. Ivy, passionate about the exciting fields that the Marquess is exploring in his cutting-edge work in electromagnetism, wins the challenge and becomes his assistant.
Although Ivy is masquerading as a boy, the chemistry between them is immediate and intense as they are thrown closely together in their work.
I found Simon to be a fascinating hero. While not fooled for more than a minute by Ivy’s disguise, he goes along with the charade just to give her a chance to explore the sciences, something that would never be permitted to a woman. As layer by layer is stripped away, Simon proves to be brilliant, passionate, compassionate, and intensely loyal to the memory of his dead wife. Understandably, the scholarly Ivy is drawn to him like a magnet to a lodestone!
“With a startled glance over her shoulder she discovered Lord Harrow staring across the way at her over a pair of gold rimmed spectacles perched halfway down the strong line of his nose. She hadn’t seen him wear spectacles before and found herself fascinated by the myriad contradictions they produced. He was at once scholarly and dashing, rakish and brilliant, a professor with the vigor and physique of a sportsman… " (the self-professed geek now fans herself.)
In addition to the wonderful characterizations and sexual magnetism between her hero and heroine, Ms. Chase has vividly brought to life the imagination and innovation of the Victorian period. While some of the scenes in this book are truly fantastical, they still bring to mind the wonderful discoveries and inventions that were born of the Victorian era.
While the premise of the book is supposed to be a mystery, I found this part to be the weakest. It was predictable, but the charming and emotionally compelling romance, seemed to make up for any failing in that area.
For me, the well-researched and unique scientific setting made OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS an "electrifying" read. 3.5 stars.
The “secret servant” selected for the mission is a very bookish and sensible young woman named Ivy Sutherland. Ivy is instructed to go under cover as a student of Natural Philosophies at the all male Cambridge University where she encounteres Simon de Burgh, Marquess of Harrow. Lord harrow is determined to find a laboratory assistant and presents a scientific challenge in order to select the student who will become his protégé. Ivy, passionate about the exciting fields that the Marquess is exploring in his cutting-edge work in electromagnetism, wins the challenge and becomes his assistant.
Although Ivy is masquerading as a boy, the chemistry between them is immediate and intense as they are thrown closely together in their work.
I found Simon to be a fascinating hero. While not fooled for more than a minute by Ivy’s disguise, he goes along with the charade just to give her a chance to explore the sciences, something that would never be permitted to a woman. As layer by layer is stripped away, Simon proves to be brilliant, passionate, compassionate, and intensely loyal to the memory of his dead wife. Understandably, the scholarly Ivy is drawn to him like a magnet to a lodestone!
“With a startled glance over her shoulder she discovered Lord Harrow staring across the way at her over a pair of gold rimmed spectacles perched halfway down the strong line of his nose. She hadn’t seen him wear spectacles before and found herself fascinated by the myriad contradictions they produced. He was at once scholarly and dashing, rakish and brilliant, a professor with the vigor and physique of a sportsman… " (the self-professed geek now fans herself.)
In addition to the wonderful characterizations and sexual magnetism between her hero and heroine, Ms. Chase has vividly brought to life the imagination and innovation of the Victorian period. While some of the scenes in this book are truly fantastical, they still bring to mind the wonderful discoveries and inventions that were born of the Victorian era.
While the premise of the book is supposed to be a mystery, I found this part to be the weakest. It was predictable, but the charming and emotionally compelling romance, seemed to make up for any failing in that area.
For me, the well-researched and unique scientific setting made OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS an "electrifying" read. 3.5 stars.
December 5, 2010
Outrageously Yours by Allison Chase
Historical Romance- Dec. 7th , 2010
4 ½ stars
In Outrageously Yours, Allison Chase continues her vastly enjoyable Her Majesty's Secret Servants series with Ivy Sutherland. Ivy is the 2nd of 4 young Sutherland sisters who pledged their services to the young Queen Victoria. (In the prior book, Most Eagerly Yours, Ivy's sister Laurel assisted the Queen on a dangerous mission.)
Ivy is the scientific 'nerd' of the sisters. Bookish, she is at 1st stunned that the Queen has a mission for her! Unfortunately, one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting stole a precious stone that her cousin Albert gifted to her, and Victoria is desperate to have it back before he realizes she has lost it. She commands Ivy to disguise herself as a young male student to become the assistant to the Mad Marquess (AKA Simon de Burgh), a revolutionary scientist who is the brother to the suspected thief. The Queen believes that he may possess the stone. Ivy, now known as 'Ned,' is successful at winning the position of the Mad Marquess's assistant. But what she doesn't know is that Simon soon realizes she is a woman and is drawn to her passion for science.
Simon lost his beloved wife and channels all his energy into science. But when he meets 'Ned,' her zeal and exuberance attracts him and fills the gap in his lonely life. It doesn't hurt that Ned is brilliant and makes him feel alive again. But will their growing admiration and budding affection withstand Ivy's deception?
This was a surprisingly involving book. The author's writing grabbed me from the first chapter. Once I started, I became so absorbed in the 2 main characters that I wanted to see how their relationship would progress, and I could not believe I finished it so quickly. The best thing about this story was how both of the main characters really like and respect each other. The mystery is secondary and is not that involving until the last 1/3 of the novel. Most of the story was spent on the tender and growing relationship between 2 people who never expected to find another person to love. Simon because he had shut himself off after losing his wife because he didn't want to experience the pain of losing another person he loved. And Ivy because she wants her independence and did not think she could enjoy that freedom if she were married. But their plans on life are derailed as they both cannot resist their attraction for each other. I loved Simon because he treated Ivy as an equal. He protects her because she is not as physically strong and he doesn’t want her to get hurt, but Simon never puts her down or bullies her like many historical heroes do. Ivy is bright and resourceful. Her independent spirit and thoughtful manner prevents her from finding herself in a 'contrived/compromised incident' that many authors add to their stories to force the 2 main characters together, which often feels unrealistic.
This is a fresh regency romance that is extremely entertaining. The author created 2 very original and 3 dimensional main characters that are easy to care for and admire. This is a series that I can't wait to continue and will certainly be reading more of!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Historical Romance- Dec. 7th , 2010
4 ½ stars
In Outrageously Yours, Allison Chase continues her vastly enjoyable Her Majesty's Secret Servants series with Ivy Sutherland. Ivy is the 2nd of 4 young Sutherland sisters who pledged their services to the young Queen Victoria. (In the prior book, Most Eagerly Yours, Ivy's sister Laurel assisted the Queen on a dangerous mission.)
Ivy is the scientific 'nerd' of the sisters. Bookish, she is at 1st stunned that the Queen has a mission for her! Unfortunately, one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting stole a precious stone that her cousin Albert gifted to her, and Victoria is desperate to have it back before he realizes she has lost it. She commands Ivy to disguise herself as a young male student to become the assistant to the Mad Marquess (AKA Simon de Burgh), a revolutionary scientist who is the brother to the suspected thief. The Queen believes that he may possess the stone. Ivy, now known as 'Ned,' is successful at winning the position of the Mad Marquess's assistant. But what she doesn't know is that Simon soon realizes she is a woman and is drawn to her passion for science.
Simon lost his beloved wife and channels all his energy into science. But when he meets 'Ned,' her zeal and exuberance attracts him and fills the gap in his lonely life. It doesn't hurt that Ned is brilliant and makes him feel alive again. But will their growing admiration and budding affection withstand Ivy's deception?
This was a surprisingly involving book. The author's writing grabbed me from the first chapter. Once I started, I became so absorbed in the 2 main characters that I wanted to see how their relationship would progress, and I could not believe I finished it so quickly. The best thing about this story was how both of the main characters really like and respect each other. The mystery is secondary and is not that involving until the last 1/3 of the novel. Most of the story was spent on the tender and growing relationship between 2 people who never expected to find another person to love. Simon because he had shut himself off after losing his wife because he didn't want to experience the pain of losing another person he loved. And Ivy because she wants her independence and did not think she could enjoy that freedom if she were married. But their plans on life are derailed as they both cannot resist their attraction for each other. I loved Simon because he treated Ivy as an equal. He protects her because she is not as physically strong and he doesn’t want her to get hurt, but Simon never puts her down or bullies her like many historical heroes do. Ivy is bright and resourceful. Her independent spirit and thoughtful manner prevents her from finding herself in a 'contrived/compromised incident' that many authors add to their stories to force the 2 main characters together, which often feels unrealistic.
This is a fresh regency romance that is extremely entertaining. The author created 2 very original and 3 dimensional main characters that are easy to care for and admire. This is a series that I can't wait to continue and will certainly be reading more of!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
October 26, 2011
Loved this book. First of all, the Victorian setting really drew me in. And the science aspect made this stand out from other Historical romances. And the intrigue angle of the sisters working for Queen Victoria was totally unique. And the romance - well, steamy and satisfying. I recommend this book.
Read
August 26, 2012When I first picked up this title, I though the premise just a bit too hokey for me to enjoy, but I was pleasantly surprised and charmed.
The ���secret servant��� selected for the mission is a very bookish and sensible young woman named Ivy Sutherland. Ivy is instructed to go under cover as a student of Natural Philosophies at the all male Cambridge University where she encounteres Simon de Burgh, Marquess of Harrow. Lord harrow is determined to find a laboratory assistant and presents a scientific challenge in order to select the student who will become his prot��g��. Ivy, passionate about the exciting fields that the Marquess is exploring in his cutting-edge work in electromagnetism, wins the challenge and becomes his assistant.
Although Ivy is masquerading as a boy, the chemistry between them is immediate and intense as they are thrown closely together in their work.
I found Simon to be a fascinating hero. While not fooled for more than a minute by Ivy���s disguise, he goes along with the charade just to give her a chance to explore the sciences, something that would never be permitted to a woman. As layer by layer is stripped away, Simon proves to be brilliant, passionate, compassionate, and intensely loyal to the memory of his dead wife. Understandably, the scholarly Ivy is drawn to him like a magnet to a lodestone!
���With a startled glance over her shoulder she discovered Lord Harrow staring across the way at her over a pair of gold rimmed spectacles perched halfway down the strong line of his nose. She hadn���t seen him wear spectacles before and found herself fascinated by the myriad contradictions they produced. He was at once scholarly and dashing, rakish and brilliant, a professor with the vigor and physique of a sportsman��� " (the self-professed geek now fans herself.)
In addition to the wonderful characterizations and sexual magnetism between her hero and heroine, Ms. Chase has vividly brought to life the imagination and innovation of the Victorian period. While some of the scenes in this book are truly fantastical, they still bring to mind the wonderful discoveries and inventions that were born of the Victorian era.
While the premise of the book is supposed to be a mystery, I found this part to be the weakest. It was predictable, but the charming and emotionally compelling romance, seemed to make up for any failing in that area.
For me, the well-researched and unique scientific setting made OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS an "electrifying" read. 3.5 stars.
The ���secret servant��� selected for the mission is a very bookish and sensible young woman named Ivy Sutherland. Ivy is instructed to go under cover as a student of Natural Philosophies at the all male Cambridge University where she encounteres Simon de Burgh, Marquess of Harrow. Lord harrow is determined to find a laboratory assistant and presents a scientific challenge in order to select the student who will become his prot��g��. Ivy, passionate about the exciting fields that the Marquess is exploring in his cutting-edge work in electromagnetism, wins the challenge and becomes his assistant.
Although Ivy is masquerading as a boy, the chemistry between them is immediate and intense as they are thrown closely together in their work.
I found Simon to be a fascinating hero. While not fooled for more than a minute by Ivy���s disguise, he goes along with the charade just to give her a chance to explore the sciences, something that would never be permitted to a woman. As layer by layer is stripped away, Simon proves to be brilliant, passionate, compassionate, and intensely loyal to the memory of his dead wife. Understandably, the scholarly Ivy is drawn to him like a magnet to a lodestone!
���With a startled glance over her shoulder she discovered Lord Harrow staring across the way at her over a pair of gold rimmed spectacles perched halfway down the strong line of his nose. She hadn���t seen him wear spectacles before and found herself fascinated by the myriad contradictions they produced. He was at once scholarly and dashing, rakish and brilliant, a professor with the vigor and physique of a sportsman��� " (the self-professed geek now fans herself.)
In addition to the wonderful characterizations and sexual magnetism between her hero and heroine, Ms. Chase has vividly brought to life the imagination and innovation of the Victorian period. While some of the scenes in this book are truly fantastical, they still bring to mind the wonderful discoveries and inventions that were born of the Victorian era.
While the premise of the book is supposed to be a mystery, I found this part to be the weakest. It was predictable, but the charming and emotionally compelling romance, seemed to make up for any failing in that area.
For me, the well-researched and unique scientific setting made OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS an "electrifying" read. 3.5 stars.
December 4, 2013
3.5 Stars! I was eager to continue the series after reading Most Eagerly Yours, I liked the premise of the sisters having their secret friendship with, and secret missions for the queen. And of course, the mystery of their origin and family tragedy in their past that left them orphaned. The digging into that mystery started in book one, and I was hoping it'd be dealt with more in this one. It wasn't though, so it's still a mystery. Hoping to figure out more with book three. I did like this one quite well though. The hero being a scientist, a bit of a 'mad' one at that, was a great change of pace. Sure, Simon was still wealthy and titled, but there were no balls or propriety-filled outings to put up with. The heroine disguising herself as a guy is not so new, but I liked how it was handled, and how Ivy dealt with it without being all modern-day nonchalant about it. It seemed like there was more focus on the romance and relations in this one than the last one, but it could just be my foggy memory. I kinda liked how they tried to do the 'right' thing and not give in to their passion totally, though I did think they got emotionally attached to each other a bit quickly, like within a couple days of meeting. I rolled with it though, because I was eager to see when they would find the queen's stone, where it, and the hero's sister, would turn up. The villain took me by surprise a little. He was someone I hadn't really given much thought to throughout the book. It was interesting though, and where he had Gwen. Especially fun was his demise though, it was unexpected, and different for a historical. The science played a huge part, and I really enjoyed seeing ideas of how electric and steam and machines may have been dealt with by scientists back then. It was neat, and different from the norm. I also liked how Ivy was into it too, a perfect match for Simon. I can see them getting into all kinds of stuff in the lab in the future. I'm eager to get book three, can't wait to see what's next.
January 10, 2012
First Line: "Ivy Sutherland slapped the morning edition of the Times onto the counter in front of her."
Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. I think I had a hard time falling into the standard suspension of disbelief that is required for these types of stories. By these types of stories, I mean stories that feature a heroine stepping far beyond what would be allowed by her station. Now, I do know that there were many women who dressed as men for one reason or another through history and I usually really enjoy this storyline (Gentle Rogue is one of my all-time favorite romances). I think what through me a bit was having Queen Victoria as a character. I rarely enjoy reading characterizations of famous historical figures. I simply had a hard time buying into the fact that the queen came to visit our heroine and asked her to dress as a man and find a missing rock. This bothered me the entire story, I think.
I did appreciate that Simone, the hero, was not fooled by Ivy's masculine clothes for long. The story was thus able to move more quickly into more realistic problems, i.e. his fear of losing Ivy due to the unexpected loss of his first wife. I don't usually enjoy stories that feature a widow or widower either, so I think this colored my overall reading (I think it is because I tend to imagine myself as the dead spouse rather than the new love interest).
Overall the story did not flow well for me or draw me in, although I think it was mostly due to personal mood and preference rather than anything specific about the writing.
Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. I think I had a hard time falling into the standard suspension of disbelief that is required for these types of stories. By these types of stories, I mean stories that feature a heroine stepping far beyond what would be allowed by her station. Now, I do know that there were many women who dressed as men for one reason or another through history and I usually really enjoy this storyline (Gentle Rogue is one of my all-time favorite romances). I think what through me a bit was having Queen Victoria as a character. I rarely enjoy reading characterizations of famous historical figures. I simply had a hard time buying into the fact that the queen came to visit our heroine and asked her to dress as a man and find a missing rock. This bothered me the entire story, I think.
I did appreciate that Simone, the hero, was not fooled by Ivy's masculine clothes for long. The story was thus able to move more quickly into more realistic problems, i.e. his fear of losing Ivy due to the unexpected loss of his first wife. I don't usually enjoy stories that feature a widow or widower either, so I think this colored my overall reading (I think it is because I tend to imagine myself as the dead spouse rather than the new love interest).
Overall the story did not flow well for me or draw me in, although I think it was mostly due to personal mood and preference rather than anything specific about the writing.
March 29, 2016
Prelim Review: In the first book, MOST EAGERLY YOURS, I remarked how sad Queen Victoria seemed. It was just at the beginning of her reign and she was so desperately alone. Calling upon the Sutherland sisters, childhood friends of hers she trusted implicitly, didn't seem reckless so much as not exactly reasonable given what she wanted of them.
OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS kind of pumps this up a little more with her request to Ivy to pretend to be a man and ingratiate herself with a rumored to be quite mad scientist. All for what amounts to a rock. You know what though? Less then a third of a way into the book I didn't really care that it was ridiculous and implausible. I wasn't reading historical fiction about the Queen--I was reading a romance that used her as a plot device, much like the Regency Romances tended to use the Prince Regent as a plot device.
I do have to wonder though if Victoria wasn't also trying to run a peer of the realm match-making business on the side because its extraordinary that she's 2 for 2 on matching her old childhood friends with peers of the realm who fit them perfectly. Unintended side effect maybe?
Full review to be posted at Romance Reader at Heart
OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS kind of pumps this up a little more with her request to Ivy to pretend to be a man and ingratiate herself with a rumored to be quite mad scientist. All for what amounts to a rock. You know what though? Less then a third of a way into the book I didn't really care that it was ridiculous and implausible. I wasn't reading historical fiction about the Queen--I was reading a romance that used her as a plot device, much like the Regency Romances tended to use the Prince Regent as a plot device.
I do have to wonder though if Victoria wasn't also trying to run a peer of the realm match-making business on the side because its extraordinary that she's 2 for 2 on matching her old childhood friends with peers of the realm who fit them perfectly. Unintended side effect maybe?
Full review to be posted at Romance Reader at Heart
January 25, 2012
In this second of the Her Majesty’s Secret Servants series, it’s Ivy Sutherland’s turn to go undercover for Queen Victoria to recover a stolen electromagnetic rock which was a gift from the Queen’s secret suitor. Ivy disguises herself as a young male student in order to win the coveted spot of lab assistant to the brilliant Simon de Burgh, Marquess of Harrow, also known around Cambridge as the Mad Marquess. It doesn’t take Simon long to see through Ivy’s disguise, but he’s intrigued by her knowledge and passion for science, so he lets her deception continue. As Ivy and Simon work together, they grow closer and she is exhilarated by the freedom her impersonation affords her. I thought it was interesting to see what early scientists went through in their research and it made a great setting for this romantic adventure. I wasn’t able to predict the culmination of the search for the stone and the dastardly person behind events, and that added to my enjoyment. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, to see what predicaments the next sister gets into.
December 9, 2010
I liked this one much better than the first book in this series. Simon and Ivey were both great characters, their romance was well done and the ending was great. The science and supense was also well-written and really added to the plot. I still have trouble with the whole Queen Victoria sending the sisters on "secret missions" story thread. Victoria is neither likeable or credible, both "secret missions" were lame and the whole premise is simply silly. I think the books would have been better without this particular plot device.
September 7, 2012
I think this series (or at least this book) would fall into an interesting subgenre that I'd call "cerebral historical romance". I like reading about smart characters, and this book is all about smart. I'll admit it did seem to drag a little bit for me here & there, but overall it was an excellent addition to the series.
January 25, 2011
Very little focus on the underlying mystery, which was somewhat disappointing. Not a bad story, but definitely a bit of disconnect from the first book. I'm looking forward to the third though, as we see one of the supporting cast brought into the role of hero.
November 30, 2010
I thought it was a good book - made me want to read the first.
August 28, 2011
secret mission, set in victorian times.
November 18, 2011
Rated 3.5
December 4, 2011
Good book, but forwarded.
May 12, 2013
I liked the first one but so far this one is my favorite!!
February 8, 2014
This was a pretty good book with an interesting premise. It did seem to drag in sections and the plot resolution was quite obvious early in the book, but I still liked it.
August 23, 2015
Really liked the characters, but somehow could not swallow the gonzo science. (the irony in this is quite amusing to me!) Finished it and want to see what else happens to these four sisters.
January 1, 2019
I thought it was a good book - made me want to read the first.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews