An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason is a young adult historical fiction by Virginia Boecker. I loved this book. Honestly, it reminded me of all the reasons why I love a well crafted young adult historical fiction. This book was giving me major Cindy Antsy vibes, which is a huge compliment in my opinion, but with more adventure dashed in. I also really loved that this book is a standalone novel. An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason is a fun read full of shakespearean drama, spies, secrets and great characters.

An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason is told in multiple perspectives, which was a bit hard to follow at first, because there are so many characters, but once I met allt eh players so to speak, it was easier for me to keep track of everyone and of their points of view. I am not going to lie, one of the big immediate selling points for me is the fact that it takes place in Shakespeare’s London, which is always a huge plus for me. But on top of that, I really loved the two main characters- Katherine and Toby. They are so different, but at the same time they have a lot of similar qualities that I really admired about them. They are both survivors and both very plucky.

An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason does have a lot of danger woven into the plot. I mean, the story starts out with a murder and another one is plotted early on as well. But there is also a lot of romance woven in, which you all know is something I am drawn to. I really admired Virginia Boecker’s ability to include romance while still not compromising the seriousness of the danger present. The whole thing was really well done. I don’t feel like I have read this book before. It felt unique, and completely able to hold its’ own as a standalone novel. An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason is a really well done story that will keep you invested and interested right till the very end. Bravo, Virginia. I really enjoyed this novel.