In a need of a cosy historical fiction read to go with that tea or coffee you’re having? Rebel Spy has you covered. Set in the American Revolutionary War, it is filled with a little romance, camaraderie, and not least of all… spies! So this book is sure to satisfy that cosy need!
In this book, we meet Frannie, who somewhat finds herself on a ship away from her step-father, Sewel, who sounded rather nasty and abusive. Frannie is relieved to be away from her step-father, however we quickly find out that she’s about to trade her life away in order to be able to gain passage to the ship’s destination: New York. The crew mistake her for the rich Emmeline, who was thought to be rather well mannered and lady-like, things that Frannie is not.
I liked that the book has a comparison between what Frannie was before the ship, and after, given that the social classes are vastly different to each other. I also enjoyed the character development of Frannie throughout, as she was trying to figure out how to fit into this new, extraordinary life. I believe that this was super important to have in the book to give the reader a greater sense of context.
Although this is driven by the research done on the mysterious real-life spy 355, I felt that the spy aspect (including the spy ring) didn’t take the forefront in the story. Whilst I appreciate that it was hard to incorporate the spy aspect with the already double life, I would’ve loved to see a lot more of it as the story progressed. Whilst spying in this context sounded super risky, I was also rather sympathetic to Frannie as she was trying to battle who she was on top of being a spy.
Whereas the focus was more on Frannie and her status in society, I did like how romance and love (or lack thereof in some cases) was incorporated throughout as a key theme. We had the abuse of her stepfather telling her that she wouldn’t find anyone to marry, to potentially finding someone in high society. Whilst the latter was kind of flowery, there was a bit of tension between Frannie and Asa Lane (or is it Asa Latimer? Time will surely tell…) If only Asa had more page time as he was honestly my favourite character, even though he tried to pretend that Frannie is too good for him. To me, Asa and Frannie gave me the same vibe as the early Bella and Edward from Twilight (if you get what I mean, with Edward being super cold at the start.).
I also enjoyed the writing style, full of prose and historical terms that made me delve right into the past mindset, trying to figure out how everything fit within the United States at the time. The book was slow to start with while we familiarised ourselves with Frannie, however, I really felt like the book really did pick up pace when we hit New York, on the boat. Imagine that… fleeing from the Bahamas to New York by boat, when a flight is only two and a half hours long now! The pace towards the end of the book was perfect for me to keep going and not stop, something I often look for in a book that sounds (and looks) so good!
Overall, if you’re looking for a cosy read and historical fiction is your jam, this book might be what you’ve been missing. Definitely fill that hole by reading this one when it comes out!
Rebel Spy is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 23rd 2020!
Will you be picking up Rebel Spy? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A reimagining of the story behind Agent 355–a New York society girl and spy for George Washington during the Revolutionary War–perfect for fans of Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key and the novels of Julie Berry.
Rebellious Frannie Tasker knows little about the war between England and its thirteen colonies in 1776, until a shipwreck off her home in Grand Bahama Island presents an unthinkable opportunity. The body of a young woman floating in the sea gives Frannie the chance to escape her brutal stepfather–and she takes it.
Assuming the identity of the drowned Emmeline Coates, Frannie is rescued by a British merchant ship and sails with the crew to New York. For the next three years, Frannie lives a lie as Miss Coates, swept up in a courtship by a dashing British lieutenant. But after witnessing the darker side of the war, she realizes that her position gives her power. Soon she finds herself eavesdropping on British officers, risking everything to pass information on to George Washington’s Culper spy ring as agent 355. Frannie believes in the fight for American liberty–but what will it cost her? Inspired by the true “355” and rich in historical detail and intrigue, this is the story of an unlikely New York society girl turned an even unlikelier spy.
