Facing the Enemy

Author: Paige Edwards
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Roxbury Heirs #1
Release Date: April 4, 2022

Lady Elise Henderson lives two separate lives. At home in Scotland, she’s the titled daughter of the Marquess of Roxbury, an heiress in her own right. In London, however, she’s Elise Taylor, a top MI6 operative for the “home office.” But when a devastating accident threatens to end her career, Elise is left with far too much time for self-reflection and the regret of a decision made long ago that features one man: fellow MI6 agent Harry Benson.

Harry Benson, the son of servants, has loved Elise for the better part of a decade. But life took them on separate journeys until their worlds converged once more. An immediate assignment to the Scottish Borders leaves Harry little time to make provisions for his small, rambunctious son, Sammy. Harry knows only one person he can rely on for the boy’s care—Elise. When Elise brings Sammy to her ancestral estate, she never imagines that a nemesis from her past looms in the shadows, hungry for revenge. Stalked at every turn, Elise and Harry discover that fighting their feelings for one another is futile, but can they survive long enough to get another shot at true love?

---

Reviewer: Amy Smelser

Facing the Enemy is a romantic suspense and spy thriller in one. Lady Elise and Harry Benson are MI6 agents helping one another on one of Harry's cases. They are also fighting their continued attraction to one another versus just wanting to give in to it.

Elise is a true-blue Lady of nobility, and Harry, her true love, is of the servant class. His parents worked for hers. They didn't think their relationship would work back then. Elise has been given some devastating news that will affect her as an agent for the rest of her life. She thought having a family was a natural course of events, but now it may be too late. She certainly can't saddle Harry to a life with her now.

Harry loves Elise. After his failed first marriage, he always has and does not want anyone else but her. But he is on a crucial undercover mission that not even his own familial emergencies can get him out of. He needs Elise to watch his young son, Sammy, who can be more than a handful.

The setting was fun, and their witty banter with one another in the Scottish dialect was very mood setting. Will these two ever see one another as the best decision for each other or keep going their separate unhappy ways? I liked the title of this story as there was more than just one enemy they had to face and overcome.

I received a copy of this novel from Covenant Communications through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

---

---

Reviewer: Nikita Wells

To coin a Scottish phrase, this book is "pure barry," meaning simply fantastic or brilliant! This is only the second Celtic-themed book I've had the pleasure of reading, but it is quite something. It was pretty slow to begin with, but once you get past the first few chapters, it's your typical suspense read speed- breakneck pace!

Scottish M16 agent Elise "Taylor" Henderson had been working in London on a case when she was in a horrifying crash that left her partner dead and sidelined her for months. She returns to Scotland to get a second opinion on her injury from the wreck that has left her emotionally battered and internally more fragile than she'd ever admit.

Another M16 agent and co-worker of Elise's and her former crush, Harry Benson, is investigating a case involving the theft of military munitions from a local army base. Who would be so bold as to steal from under the Army's nose?

When their paths cross again, Harry and Elise must find a way to work together despite their differences and personalities of fire and ice.

Meanwhile, an old enemy has a score to settle with an agent that ruined his career, life, family, and reputation. And he will stop at nothing to make that agent pay for what he's lost.

The romance in this book was clean. There was a fair bit of blood (not a problem for me if it's not overly excessive). A character or two is dispatched by the villain when their help is no longer needed, or they become a risk. The same villain also mentions human trafficking as one of his largest sources of income and plans for organ harvesting to be his next biggest project. This is not mentioned in detail, but it and trafficking may be a trigger for some.

There were only a couple things, in general, I didn't agree with.

One was that Elise considers teaching Harry's son Sammy about the water spirit horses or kelpies of Scottish folklore. They were rumored to lure children to the deceptively calm water, but Elise figures their parents made up the stories to keep the kids safe from the danger of the lochs (lakes).

While magical tales are a big part of Celt tradition and folklore, I personally don't want anything to do with the dark side of the spirit world. God's Spirit is the only one I need to follow.

Secondly, I hated that Harry settled for another woman he found out later really didn't care about him or their child, Sammy. This woman is assumed still living in the story, going about her own thing elsewhere after deserting her husband and child.

I would have loved to see him work out something with Elise's parents, and their love story blossomed sooner. They made a really nice couple, and I hated the unnecessary heartbreak they had to go through because of society and Regency-like ideals.

Also negative - Sammy is referred to as a hellion, blasted bairn (young child), and various other names. He's a feisty child but just needs someone to be with him and make him mind.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Interviews & Reviews for a free paperback copy of this book! I enjoyed it so much more than I expected when I first started reading it. The thoughts above are my own, and a positive review was not required.

---

---

Reviewer: Erin Stevenson

Facing the Enemy is the first book of the Roxbury Heirs series by a new-to-me author, Paige Edwards. Elise Taylor is both a top MI6 operative and the daughter of the Marquess of Roxbury. She and fellow MI6 agent Harry Benson have a personal and professional past, and all of that is about to collide in this riveting tale set in beautiful Scotland.
 
Honestly, I hardly know where to begin. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a book so much. While some of what I’ve read recently has been good, it’s not been unique. The characters, settings, and plots could basically be swapped out one for another within their genre. 

Not so this book. Edwards’ voice is strong and compelling. She crafted her characters in a way that made them come to life on the page, and it was easy to form a sympathetic bond with them. Her rich descriptions summoned all the senses and placed me right in the setting, whether it was a glittering ballroom, a stark military base, or a dense, lush forest. In the final scene with the antagonist, I wished for a weapon to join the fight! 

While I believed in my heart that Elise and Harry would find their happy ending, the masterful way in which Edwards spun out the plot made me despair for them. By the final pages, I was rooting for them in the face of all that seemed impossible and literally couldn’t put the book down!

5+ stars for sure! I can’t wait for the next installment of the Roxbury Heirs series and look forward to catching up on this most talented author’s previously published books.  

This book was provided courtesy of Covenant Communications through Interviews & Reviews.

---

---

Reviewer: Winnie Thomas

With plenty of action, suspense, adventure, and a dash of romance, Facing the Enemy checks all the boxes if you enjoy romantic suspense. Author Paige Edwards has created some courageous and engaging characters and plopped them down in some precarious situations. Lady Elise Henderson, aka top M16 operative Elise Taylor, is recovering from a traumatic accident. Harry Benson is also a top operative who still loves Elise after meeting her many years before. When they are thrown together again, will the sparks still be there?

"All of us have a past. Who you are now if far more important than who you used to be.”

One of the messages of this book is that our past doesn’t define us, that people can and do change—hopefully, for the better. This is an enjoyable, suspenseful second-chance contemporary story that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

I’ll admit that the cover threw me a little, as it has a more historical feel to it. It took me a few pages to realize that it’s actually a contemporary tale. I’m looking forward to more stories in this Roxbury Heirs series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Covenant Communications through Interviews and Reviews. All opinions are my own.

---