I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Spitfire is the fifth and final installment in Christi Caldwell’s Wicked Wallflowers series and it is an absolutely delicious treat! And guess what? It can totally be read as a standalone! I know this comes as a surprise because most of Caldwell’s books are so intricately connected with one another that they usually can’t be read as standalone. But this one can definitely be read as a standalone! And you’re lucky because, in my humble opinion, The Spitfire is by far the best book in this series. In fact, I will go so far as to declare that The Spitfire is probably my favourite historical romance released in 2019 and that’s saying a lot coming from me.

The Spitfire is one of the most emotionally intense books I’ve read, but it is not devoid of humour. In fact, Caldwell masters the perfect blend of emotional intensity, humour, and steam in The Spitfire. This book is steamier than the previous books in the series and it also carries the kind of emotional intensity that I usually only find in Meredith Duran and Sherry Thomas books, maybe a few Lisa Kleypas and Kerrigan Byrne books. And by emotional intensity, I don’t necessarily mean angst. I mean, the kind of love story that punches you in the gut, sweeps you off your feet, and consumes your every thought and emotion. The kind of book that you don’t want to finish reading because you don’t want to let go of the characters. The kind of love story that you love with every fibre of your being. Well, at least, that's how it was for me.

Clara is a former courtesan and madam who has worked hard to start anew and build a theatre in the Dials, along with her business partner (the heroine from The Governess). Her life is temporarily thrown upside down when she saves an injured man from the streets and nurses him back to health. The two connect with each other in an authentic way and strike up an unlikely friendship, even though the man, Henry, is a nobleman. Months later, Clara receives a cease and desist that puts a halt to her theatre's opening. Imagine her fury and disappointment when she finds out that Henry, the Earl of Waterson, is the one who’s directly responsible for the cease and desist. And Henry is about to learn that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. I know that my little summary here is making Henry seem like the enemy, but there’s a lot more to the story that I’m keeping out because I don’t want to ruin it for everyone.

My God. The anticipation level in this book was just off the charts. I was literally dying for Clara and Henry to meet again after she saved his life. The fucking chemistry was electrifying. Clara and Henry are such vivid characters – they leaped off the pages and grabbed hold of my heart and haven’t quite let go of me. Henry is by all means a stuffy, prim, and proper lord (she calls him Lord Proper lol). Meanwhile, Clara is a passionate, fierce, and unstoppable woman. When these two clash, Clara is determined to make the proper lord lose his cool and the tension between them is just sizzling. And the best thing about Henry and Clara is that they are both so darn likable. They are also pretty unconventional for a historical romance hero and heroine: Henry is almost 42 years old, while Clara herself is not only a former courtesan, but 33 years old at that. Henry is genuinely honourable and I empathized when he found himself in a difficult and impossible political situation, even if he did make some wrong choices. Clara is such an admirable heroine and I couldn’t help but appreciate her strength and determination to achieve her dreams. If you read a lot historical romance like I do, then you know that the businesswoman trope that has taken over this genre is not always well executed. But this trope works so damn well in The Spitfire. The author authentically depicts the struggles and challenges women like Clara face when they try to rise and lead a different path in life. These challenges are true to Clara’s station, to the women who are just like her, and to her time period. This is no 21st century woman wearing period clothes who’s stuck in a wallpaper historical romance.

I loved everything about this book. Caldwell did a fantastic job bringing these two characters together, no matter how unconventional it is to pair up a former courtesan with a proper Earl. The ending is a bit rushed and the mystery is rather conveniently solved, but the romance in itself is satisfying. An epilogue is not needed, but I would love one regardless because I just love Henry and Clara so much. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to move on to another book.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Caldwell is known for her writing of classy, slow burn historical romances this was no exception. She brings us right into the action with Henry's attack and rescue. We are taken on an adventure as Clara nurses him back to health while sharing her life and hopes with him despite her misgivings about his nobility. He demonstrats his understanding of the needs of the lower class and rises to the task of righting wrongs in spite of the consequences. The romance is light but the journey is well travelled.

What a wonderful story

This opposite side of the tracks love story was full of romance, intrigue, and suspense. Henry and Clara were as opposite as they come. Henry an Earl, Clara a former courtesan; thrown together after Clara finds Henry after being attacked and nurses him back to health. Little did they know that one chance meeting would irrevocably change their lives.

I liked watching Henry change, I felt that of all the characters his was the one that went through the most significant growth. Clara was more stubborn to change, but when she finally opened her heart...Henry was there to slide in. This was definitely a different take on historical romances that I have read, never before have I had the courtesan and the Earl come together so well. My only issue was there was no epilogue. I would have liked to have a few more answers. This was a great read that once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. I definitely recommend reading Henry and Clara's story!

This is by far my favorite in the series!

Christi Caldwell ends her Wicked Wallflowers series with an unexpected treasure. In The Spitfire, the hero and heroine are a bit older. While Clara Winters has seen a lot of pain and torment in her 30 years, Henry, Earl of Waterson has lead a calm, dutiful life.
They meet by accident when she finds him near dead in the streeets of Seven Dials. She takes him home and cares for his wounds. This is the first he's seen of how the other half lives. After taking care of him she is shocked when a ceast and desist order comes to shut down her soon to be opened Dance Hall and the name of the complainant is the Earl of Waterson.
This strangers, to friends, to lovers, to enemies and finally back to lovers story is happy and sad - sometimes at the same time.Will Henry put aside what he considers his duty for love? Will Clara let someone help her pursue her dream?
Before the Happily Ever After, true evil makes itself known and helps cement the relationship between the two.
I received an advanced copy of this book

Christi Caldwell is a hit or miss for me; she’s the type of author who throws everything but the kitchen sink into her books—tons of plot, tons of characters, etc. This sometimes makes her books too busy for me, but The Spitfire was an exception. I am surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The main characters were wonderful, and I was touched by their love story.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars
Absolutely loved the book. I have been a fan of the author’s books for a few years now and never thought strait-laced Henry would be paired with Spitfire Clara. Though they seemed like oil and water, Christi was able to bring them together in such a way that they seemed more like jigsaw pieces falling in place.
The love story was sweet and sensual but what I liked the most was their unlikely friendship. The only thing missing for me was an epilogue. But all in all, a definite read for historical regency lovers.

Received an ARC from Netgally for an honest opinion.

Glad Christi decided to write Clara’s story, it was a nice addition to this serie and actually one of my favorite heroine. Clara is a strong woman who rose above her difficult beginnings. Henry, the hero, is a straight, honest man who can even be considered stodgy. I really enjoyed their story and the attraction was quite obvious and understandable. It was an interesting twist that he was the virgin in this relationship