The Lady Travelers Guide to Deception with an Unlikely Earl: A Novel (Lady Travelers Society, 3) Mass Market Paperback – November 20, 2018

Sidney is a woman who writes of adventures in Egypt. She has been writing fiction based on her grandmother's diaries. The newspaper which publishes her stories has encouraged the idea that all the stories are true and are based on the adventures of a fictitious woman.When her stories are described as poppycock by an unknown earl, a challenge is born.Sidney and the nephew of the earl will both go to Egypt and she will prove her abilities to be an adventurous woman.There are a few things wrong with the challenge. Sidney has never been out of England and the man who appears as the nephew Harry, is actually the earl.Then there is the fact that 3 elderly ladies who are friends of Sidney's and a reporter will be traveling with the party. Of course, everyone has their own agenda and no one is exactly as they appear. Ms Alexander has created an adventure for everyone involved.Sidney begins the journey with little confidence, but she is encouraged at every opportunity by the 3 elderly ladies. Soon, she has become the intrepid explorer she created. She is willing to step out of her comfort zone. She is filled with confidence in her ability to see the world. Sidney is an intelligent and brave woman. She has a well developed sense of humor as well as a very kind heart.Harry is attempting to disguise the fact that he has an extensive past in Egypt. He slowly emerges as the heroic figure every woman can admire. Because of events in his past and his new responsibilities as an earl, he has become stodgy and set in his ways. It is difficult for him to return to being the devil may care young man of his youth. But, when he gets inspired, he can be quite exciting.The character development is very well done. The reader sees Sidney and Harry as real people who must work hard to grow, just as we all must. Secondary characters add a great deal to the story.The plot moves along at a good pace and held my interest.This is a book which made me laugh out loud. Ms Alexander does that for me nearly every time I read one of her stories. I am a fan.I recommend this book to anyone who wants to laugh and at the same time admire the swoon worthy hero and the intrepid heroine.

This is one of the most amusing series I have ever read. I love the characters, especially the "old ladies", and the plot of this book. Looking forward to reading the next installment.

I was not sure when I began to read this book if I would like it, at first, with the Lady Travelers group as chaperone to Miss Sidney Honeywell and all the secrets from both parties, I wondered if it would not be too much, too many mysteries and too many protagonists but I was very wrong.Each one of the different characters surrounding the main couple added to the story, from the trio of ladies to the reporter and even the locals encountered.I loved Sidney and Harry, they were both genuine in their actions, even if there were deceptions in it, it was not voluntary and cherry on top, they were not people in their twenties, but really over their thirties and closer to forty for Harry.Sidney by trying to embellish daily life a bit, created a fictional character who at one time escaped from her hands and became all too real for her readers. Why she found herself in this situation, having to prove she is worth her writing.Harry spent a great deal of his time in Egypt, why when his work is denied publishing because of a Mrs Gordon’s romantic adventures stories, he went in crazy mode, wanting to confront this Mrs Gordon as a fraud.Then he meets finally Mrs Gordon, she is not what he expected, and the closer he gets to her, the more he falls for her.I do loved their bickering and banters, they were fun characters, attracted to another but trying also to prove it wrong. It was so entertaining to see them dealing with their growing feelings and their wager, with also the three ladies interfering and meddling.The ladies crash course lesson in sex was hilarious.« “I love you, Sidney Honeywell. Do not leave me at the mercy of those old ladies. Do me the very great honor of spending the rest of your life driving me mad. Be my obligation and my wife.” “I love you too, Harry Armstrong. Aside from that—” she grinned “—I’d prefer not to be at the mercy of those old ladies either and I would be if I said no. They would say I was a fool and they’d be right. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do for the rest of my life than drive you mad.” »So if you are looking for a crazy journey with annoying and matchmaking old ladies, a woman who is for the adventure of her life, the man who will see beyond the mask and accept her, this is your next stop.

I have enjoyed all of Ms. Alexander's novels in the Lady Travelers series, but this one is my favorite (so far). One of the aspects I enjoyed about this book is the setting of Egypt during the times when the archeology of the area became so important to historians and archeologists. // Harold Armstrong is now the new Earl of Benton and he finds himself annoyed that the woman known as Mrs. Gordon, and called by the reading public with the name of 'Queen of the Desert,' is writing about Egypt with such a romantic flair while his own writing is thought to be dry and stuffy. // Harry is hiding his identity from Sidney, and Sidney is hiding her identity from Harry, as they both set out for Egypt. // Sidney is convinced that life can be filled with romance, and Harry thinks that's all bunk. The themes of the book actually revolve around the ideas of romance: What is romance? How does romance manifest in our lives? Do we miss the romance of living by taking the beauty around us for granted? Can we discover romance when we least expect it to appear? Those are questions the book explores in the journey of revelations that Harry and Sidney take together. It's a fun, and witty, and lovely story of personal discovery with the 'romance' of Egypt added for good measure.

I am definitely a fan of this author, and this book was no exception. Appealing characters, laugh out loud humour, and with a smattering of education about Egypt.