​The six Mitford sisters are a force to be reckoned with in England's social scene during the 1930's.  The three older sisters, Diana, Unity and Nancy take interesting and different paths as different political factions arise.  Diana causes an uproar as she divorces her wealthy husband in order to pursue a relationship with the married leader of the British fascist movement, Oswald Mosley.  Diana works relentlessly to pull in money and support for the fascist movement and works closely with her sister, Unity to pull support from Germany.  Unity pushes her parents to send her to boarding school in Germany so she can become close to her idol, Hitler.  By following his schedule closely, Unity is able to fall into Hitler's inner circle.  Nancy realizes that neither Mosley or Hitler are moving in the right direction.  Nancy writes fiction novels that show her feelings.  She also keeps in touch with Diana and Unity, despite their differences in opinion.  As war looms, the sisters have difficult decisions to make.  

The Mitford family was a very real family from England whose lives made an impact in different areas during the interwar period.  While this deeply emotional historical fiction story focuses on Nancy, Diana and Unity, each sibling lived a unique experience.  The writing shows the intricacies of what happens when politics and family dynamics collide in the Mitford family.  Written from alternating points of view of the very fully formed and different characters of Diana, Unity and Nancy, I was constantly amazed at how far the sister's love for one another extended even when their beliefs were at odds.  I could feel Diana and Unity's passion towards the powerful, charismatic, yet dangerous men that they pursued and how they poured their energy and worth into Mosley and Hitler's campaigns while being aware of the risks.  Nancy's bravery shines through as she uses her pen to try to show the world and her sisters the error of their ways while being incredibly tolerable of their actions towards their faces and actively fighting against them in the background. Overall,  The Mitford Affair is a suspenseful and heartfelt look at the intersection of family and politics. 

​Rachel Gomez is a 17 year old Jewish woman living in New York City during the American Revolution.  She is a staunch believer in American freedom and believes that the Jewish people will not have religious freedom under a monarch.  Rachel's father sends her to live with her aunt and uncle in Philadelphia when the British Invasion creeps closer.  With British officers around town, Rachel's good friend, Alexander Hamilton asks Rachel to use her feminine touch to spy for him.  Rachel finds a target in Captain John André and is able to help the Americans; however, as Rachel and John spend more and more time together, she may have to make a choice between love and her country. 

The Spymaster's Mistress is an intriguing and heartfelt novel of the American Revolution. Told through alternating points of view of Rachel and her cousin, David, aide to Benedict Arnold, many views of the war are explored.  From the beginning, I was pulled in by Rachel's fervor for fighting against the British.  David's point of view was equally as intriguing as he gave insight into Benedict Arnold's actions and state of mind as he went from hero to traitor.  The writing pulled me into the time period as well as the stark differences between the British occupation in Philadelphia and the battlefields.  From the time Rachel and John's flirtation began, I knew they would be a wonderful couple despite their many differences and loyalties.  It was interesting to watch Rachel's internal battle as she began to fall in love with John but still wanted to gather helpful intelligence for the Americans.  Alternatively, David tries to reconcile his feelings as his cousin marries an British Captain and Arnold seems to be falling apart.  Engrossing and genuine The Spymaster's Mistress is an amazing story of the American Revolution. 

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.