Review: Little Bo Sneak

Little Bo Sneak by Abigail Manning is the second book in the Once Upon a Rhyme series, which takes old nursery rhymes and converts them into sweeping fantasy adventure stories. I loved the first book from this series as well as the last two, so I wanted to keep going with it. This book is about Evie, a character I wanted to read more about ever since her introduction in The Itsy Bitsy Liar. It's set in the same world as the other books with similar themes, but this one is more of a spy romance in the vein of Mr. and Mrs. Smith with a touch of Ella Enchanted.

Lady Genevieve, or Evie, as she prefers, is a noble lady who was hired at a young age to be a spy and perform tasks for her kingdom. When she gets a new partner to track down some enchanted wool cloaks, the only way to convince her family to let her go on the mission is by claiming that Shephard is courting her. This book masterfully weaves the "fake dating" trope into a dangerous fantasy world fraught with magic, espionage, and nobility. Evie falls for Shephard almost immediately and has a hard time determining whether his devotion to her is really an act. Things get more complicated when secrets from his dark past come to light and interfere with their mission.

This book has a little bit of everything in it, from a swoony fairytale romance to action, curses, magic, and adventure. Evie is a perfect blend of femininity and feminism as she uses her ladylike charms to subvert expectations and complete her tasks. Shephard is extremely protective of her from the start, but the reveal of his curse creates complications that place both of them in danger. The twist around him is similar to other books from this series. Their romance happens a bit fast, but they still are a fun couple to root for and make a great team.

The other thing I loved about this book was all the references to "Little Bo Peep." Abigail Manning did a fantastic job of tying pieces of the nursery rhyme into the story in a new way that adds a sense of whimsy and wonder to all the danger and espionage. For instance, the mission letters to Evie come from a fake shop called "Little Bows," and Shep has a special attack move called the "no peep." The enchanted cloaks are a metaphor for sheep, and Shep gives her an alias with the last name "Herder." The references are so much fun and add a unique twist to the spy romance genre.

Little Bo Sneak fits well with the other books in Once Upon a Rhyme and incorporates many of the clever twists and nuances that Abigail Manning excels at in her writing. It has the perfect balance of fairytale romance, action, adventure, and magic. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a good time with a fun story that contains high stakes without getting too heavy. It works well as a standalone, but also contains some fun references to other books in the series.