The Counterfeit Scoundrel is the first book in The Chessmen series by Lorraine Heath and I'm here for it.

Our main characters are Daisy and Bishop. Both are well developed and I loved how their relationship was built and then progressed. Daisy is from an aristocratic family but has always wanted to be an investigator and her current case has her working in the household of her client's wife's lover to obtain evidence that she is cheating on her husband. The last thing she expected was to be attracted to her mark.

Bishop has his own secrets and they revolve around the ladies he is rumored to be having affairs with. He can't let anyone know what he's really up to but when he finds himself attracted to the maid he's tempted to share his secrets. As he figures out just what Daisy is up to, he realizes that he'll keep his secrets and use her to help push things along.

When one of Bishop's love interests husbands turns up dead and he is accused of the murder, he turns to Daisy for help. She is more than interested in finding out the truth and proving his innocence but what they end up finding at the end isn't what was expected. Both the culprits and the desire they have for each other.

I loved how the relationship was developed between these characters - there's a definite enemies to lovers vibe here as they start out with opposing objectives but quickly recognize that they are made for each other. There are some twists and turns along the way that kept me turning the pages and I definitely recommend picking this book up. It's a quick and engaging read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.