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The Spare and The Spy
by Kyra Gregory
Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?
A warrior spy forced into an arranged marriage with a paranoid prince, navigating assassins and foreign courts while trying not to fall for each other -- the yearning and reversed gender dynamics are compelling
Synopsis
Mira has only ever had one to keep the kingdom she now calls home from ending up like her last. After leaving the horrors of Solesta behind her and washing up on the shores of Estera, Mira has spent her life a servant to the crown. A soldier, a spy, an errand girl, or a messenger, she has been whatever the kingdom has needed her to be. She simply never expected it to make her a wife. Eric, Prince of Estera, remains the king and queen’s spare until they have a second child. Spare or not, his proximity to the crown has meant attempt after attempt on his life. While his only desire is to keep himself alive, the king and queen have other infiltrate the court of Adrethia, married to a woman who is more weapon than wife. To Mira, Eric is simply her way in—the key to acquiring Adrethian secrets, and to reuniting her with the family she lost. To Eric, Mira is the blade at his throat that sleeps in his bed—the death of him as soon as his own usefulness runs out. Faced with months in foreign court, playing their roles as husband and wife to keep from getting caught, their trust in one another might be all they have to get them home safely, and preserve their kingdom’s peace. But trust is fragile, and they just might get each other killed first. The Spare & The Spy is a slow-burn, arranged marriage story about a prince and a spy who are forced to work together to survive in a foreign court. Readers who love heart-pounding, forbidden romance stories with plenty of yearning will adore the first instalment in this series.
At a Glance
3.63 ★ GoodreadsTop TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
Book Details
Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.
3.63 ★
Page CountHow long the commitment is.
650 pages
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.
2025
Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?
Fantasy Romance
PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.
M/F
POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).
Dual POV
Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.
Slow Burn
CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.
spoiler
AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
No
TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
Mood & Vibe
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
FMC: spy/thief sign in to unlock
tension / anticipation focus sign in to unlock
high fantasy sign in to unlock
the angst delivered sign in to unlock
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