The Queen and the Knave by Sarah M. Eden is the perfect conclusion to what has been a superior Historical Romantic Suspense series. Of the many things I will miss now that I have turned the final page in the final book, I will miss Eden’s outstandingly vibrant and unique characters the most. These fictional people have wheedle their way deep into my heart. I won’t soon forget any of them. In The Queen and the Knave, the star of the story is, hands down, Móirín (pronounced Maureen…at least that’s how I heard the cute, old Irish guy say it on YouTube). Oh my word, is she the BEST heroine ever. Móirín is one of the strongest women ever. She is so smart and so self-less. She never, ever wants recognition for all the good she does; in fact, she prefers to stick to the shadows of life. And Móirín is hilarious. She says some of the funniest things in this story. Which is good because there are some INTENSE moments in this book. I needed her comic relief. I also needed all the Fitzgerald Parkington I could get. What a hero! He is 100% the perfect match for Móirín, and I was cheering the whole journey for them to become more than just friends. What I love so much about Fitz is his fearlessness and his integrity. Fitz will do the right thing every single time no matter what, and he never runs from a fight. He also has a huge heart for the downtrodden, the most vulnerable, and those who cannot protect themselves. Yes, Fitz is a handsome gentleman, but what makes him swoony is his innate need to protect. Heroes like Fitz will always steal my heart! As far as the suspense goes, this story is utterly superb. Because this is book five, readers who have been following along since book one already knows the villain. But the journey to defeat the villain is harrowing. There were moments I didn’t see coming, there were moments I held my breath, and there were moments I cried. I cried a lot actually. I really love these characters and to not know what was happening to one of them, to several of them really, because of the villain had me so stressed. I actually had to put the book down a little more than my average read because I just could not handle potentially losing any of these endearing characters. Over five novels, they’ve all become like family to me. Because of this, I really do recommend not reading this series out of order. Sure, you could read each book as stand-alone, but I don’t recommend it. You would lose the family feeling and deep connections to the characters overall.

The Queen and the Knave is a fantastic Historical Romantic Suspense and the best ending to what has been one of my most favorite series ever. I cannot recommend this book enough. If you love highly engaging storylines filled with intense suspense, if you enjoy a well-written, clearly well-researched Historical story, and if you love strong and memorable and endearing characters then this is definitely the book for you. I loved every minute of this book, and I know you will too!

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.