An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason by Virginia Boecker

A Kirkus 2018 Best Book of the Year! Shakespeare in Love meets Philippa Gregory in this witty and thrilling story of star-crossed assassins in Elizabeth England, perfect for fans of My Lady Jane and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue! When Lady Katherine's father is killed for being an illegally practicing Catholic, she discovers treason wasn't the only secret he's been hiding -- he was also involved in a murder plot against the reigning Queen Elizabeth I. With nothing left to lose, Katherine disguises herself as a boy and travels to London to fulfill her father's mission, and to take it one step further -- kill the queen herself. Katherine's opportunity comes in the form of William Shakespeare's newest play, which is to be performed in front of Her Majesty. But what she doesn't know is that the play is not just a play. It's a plot to root out insurrectionists and destroy the rebellion once and for all. The mastermind behind this ruse is Toby Ellis, a young spy for the queen with secrets of his own. When Toby and Katherine are cast opposite each other as the play's leads, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But the closer they grow, the more precarious their positions become. And soon they learn that star-crossed love, mistaken identity, and betrayal are far more dangerous off the stage than on.

i love bisexual legend toby ellis

Some YA books speak to a wider audience than teenagers and new adults; this isn't one of them. There is just too much adolescent wish fulfillment going on, requiring a suspension of disbelief that I couldn't quite summon. The heroine, Kit, a sheltered 17 year old girl from Cornwall, learns almost overnight how to navigate the rough streets of London disguised as a boy and manages to get herself hired as the lead in the debut production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. She also singlehandedly convinces a group of adult conspirators to let her take the lead in a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth, despite the fact that she has no experience in subterfuge or fighting. Then she falls magically in love with the hero, Toby, who is the Queen's spy and also an amazing actor as well as the guy who helps Shakespeare correct the weaknesses in one of his best plays. Sorry, couldn't buy it, and the resolution was especially incredible (not in a good way). On the plus side, Boecker is a strong writer and I enjoyed the spirited (albeit anachronistic) dialogue between Kit and Toby. I'm sure if I were 17 I would have loved this book but unfortunately I'm about 40 years too late.