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Flawless
FLAWLESS by Jana Richards - Jewels of the Night Series
Jana Richards takes you to World War Two France, and a time of danger, betrayal and love.
France, 1942. The world is at war. The Nazis have stolen the infamous blue diamond, Le Coeur Bleu, intending to barter it for weapons that will destroy the Allies. Jewel thief Hunter Smith is given a choice: help the French Resistance steal back the diamond and avenge the death of his best friend, or stay locked up in an English prison. He chooses revenge.
Resistance fighter Madeleine Bertrand's husband died when he was betrayed by Hunter Smith. How can she now pretend to be married to the arrogant American? How can she betray Jean Philippe's memory by her passionate response to Hunter's kisses?
Neither is prepared for the maelstrom of attraction that erupts between them. To survive they must uncover the mysteries of the past and conquer the dangers of the present. But first Madeleine must decide whether her loyalties lie with her dead husband and the Resistance or with the greatest love of her life.
Learn more at www.JanaRichards.net
Jana Richards takes you to World War Two France, and a time of danger, betrayal and love.
France, 1942. The world is at war. The Nazis have stolen the infamous blue diamond, Le Coeur Bleu, intending to barter it for weapons that will destroy the Allies. Jewel thief Hunter Smith is given a choice: help the French Resistance steal back the diamond and avenge the death of his best friend, or stay locked up in an English prison. He chooses revenge.
Resistance fighter Madeleine Bertrand's husband died when he was betrayed by Hunter Smith. How can she now pretend to be married to the arrogant American? How can she betray Jean Philippe's memory by her passionate response to Hunter's kisses?
Neither is prepared for the maelstrom of attraction that erupts between them. To survive they must uncover the mysteries of the past and conquer the dangers of the present. But first Madeleine must decide whether her loyalties lie with her dead husband and the Resistance or with the greatest love of her life.
Learn more at www.JanaRichards.net
- GenresRomanceHistorical
ebook
First published January 4, 2011
2 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Jana Richards
33 books879 followersJana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there's nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.
When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies like golf (which she does very badly) and reading (which she does much better).
Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren.
Contact her at:
http://www.janarichards.com
http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsA...
https://www.janarichards.com/blog
https://www.instagram.com/janarichard...
When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies like golf (which she does very badly) and reading (which she does much better).
Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren.
Contact her at:
http://www.janarichards.com
http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsA...
https://www.janarichards.com/blog
https://www.instagram.com/janarichard...
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 25, 2017
In this World War II romantic suspense, the Nazis have stolen a large and expensive diamond. Their hopes: sell it to buy enough weapons to defeat the Allies. The French Resistance has a plan: steal back the diamond with the help of renowned jewel thief Hunter Smith. The only problem is that he's in an English prison. They convince him to team up with Madeleine Bertrand, pretending to be married to her and steal back the diamond. Madeleine can't forget or forgive Hunter for his part in her husband's death. But the more time they spend together, the more passionate the flames heat up between them. Will Hunter be successful in his mission and more importantly, can he keep his hands off of Madeleine? An exciting, romantic suspense with layers of espionage and war. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
My Rating: 5 stars
October 7, 2014
Flawless is an engaging little novella set in Occupied France in 1942.
American diamond-trader Hunter Smith has been imprisoned in London’s Pentonville Prison after being found guilty of jewel theft. When he is approached by the head of the SOE (the Special Operations Executive – the precursor of MI6) to steal a valuable diamond out from under the noses of the Nazis, he is dismissive – but when offered his freedom in exchange for his participation, it’s too good a deal to resist.
Following a few weeks of intensive training and briefing, Hunter is dropped into Northern France where he meets with his contacts from the French Resistance. Among them is Madeleine, who he is surprised to discover was married to his best friend, Jean Philippe Bertrand (whom Hunter refers to as JP). He and JP practically grew up together in France; Hunter is the son of a former American ambassador to the country, but his parents were too busy with their own lives to be bothered bringing up their son. So Hunter spent most of his time with Jean Philippe, whose mother Hélène practically raised him.
Madeleine is highly suspicious of Hunter for reasons of her own, but they have to work together on this mission, which is to locate and then steal Le Coeur Bleu (the Blue Heart), a fabulous diamond of unique quality, which the Nazis are believed to have hidden away at Chateau de Maisoneuve near Lille. The Resistance has discovered that General Dietrich plans to sell the diamond to a wealthy South-African businessman who is the one man prepared to sell the German army the equipment and materials needed to build plants for the manufacture of synthetic oil. Such plants could reduce the Germans’ reliance on oil from Eastern Europe and could fuel many more aircraft, tanks and missiles – which cannot be allowed to happen.
The book is slightly longer than a standard novella, and Ms Richards packs quite a lot into her story. It’s very well-paced, with the faster moving action sequences never allowed to force out the quieter, more introspective moments. The action takes place over a matter of days, so the romance that develops between Hunter and Madeleine does happen rather quickly, but in time of war when people never knew whether they’d be alive from one day to the next, I can buy that two people could form that deep a connection in such a short space of time.
I was caught up in the story and read it in one sitting. Ms Richards’ writing conveys a sense of real threat where necessary and although she paints her characters with fairly broad strokes, they are believable in their assigned roles. I do have one criticism – it seemed that the General was one step ahead of Hunter and Madeleine almost the whole time, as each time they were trying to make a search or an escape he was there to thwart them, and towards the end of the story, I found myself rolling my eyes and thinking “Oh, not him again!”
But other than that, Flawless is a well-written romantic adventure yarn, the central characters, while not perhaps fully developed, are nonetheless engaging, and all in all, it’s a very entertaining read.
American diamond-trader Hunter Smith has been imprisoned in London’s Pentonville Prison after being found guilty of jewel theft. When he is approached by the head of the SOE (the Special Operations Executive – the precursor of MI6) to steal a valuable diamond out from under the noses of the Nazis, he is dismissive – but when offered his freedom in exchange for his participation, it’s too good a deal to resist.
Following a few weeks of intensive training and briefing, Hunter is dropped into Northern France where he meets with his contacts from the French Resistance. Among them is Madeleine, who he is surprised to discover was married to his best friend, Jean Philippe Bertrand (whom Hunter refers to as JP). He and JP practically grew up together in France; Hunter is the son of a former American ambassador to the country, but his parents were too busy with their own lives to be bothered bringing up their son. So Hunter spent most of his time with Jean Philippe, whose mother Hélène practically raised him.
Madeleine is highly suspicious of Hunter for reasons of her own, but they have to work together on this mission, which is to locate and then steal Le Coeur Bleu (the Blue Heart), a fabulous diamond of unique quality, which the Nazis are believed to have hidden away at Chateau de Maisoneuve near Lille. The Resistance has discovered that General Dietrich plans to sell the diamond to a wealthy South-African businessman who is the one man prepared to sell the German army the equipment and materials needed to build plants for the manufacture of synthetic oil. Such plants could reduce the Germans’ reliance on oil from Eastern Europe and could fuel many more aircraft, tanks and missiles – which cannot be allowed to happen.
The book is slightly longer than a standard novella, and Ms Richards packs quite a lot into her story. It’s very well-paced, with the faster moving action sequences never allowed to force out the quieter, more introspective moments. The action takes place over a matter of days, so the romance that develops between Hunter and Madeleine does happen rather quickly, but in time of war when people never knew whether they’d be alive from one day to the next, I can buy that two people could form that deep a connection in such a short space of time.
I was caught up in the story and read it in one sitting. Ms Richards’ writing conveys a sense of real threat where necessary and although she paints her characters with fairly broad strokes, they are believable in their assigned roles. I do have one criticism – it seemed that the General was one step ahead of Hunter and Madeleine almost the whole time, as each time they were trying to make a search or an escape he was there to thwart them, and towards the end of the story, I found myself rolling my eyes and thinking “Oh, not him again!”
But other than that, Flawless is a well-written romantic adventure yarn, the central characters, while not perhaps fully developed, are nonetheless engaging, and all in all, it’s a very entertaining read.
July 12, 2023
A nice little story. Really enjoyed reading it.
December 10, 2016
“Flawless – Jewel of the Night” by Jana Richards was a great war time read. We follow Hunter Smith, an American imprisoned in Great Britain for jewel theft. Although the circumstances of his incarceration are suspect, he is bribed to get out of the prison by the SOE, an organization that sends operatives to France. There they make contact with the French Resistance to supply them with arms and radios in return for information on the Nazis and their movements in occupied France.
Hunter is a jewel merchant whose crime was actually putting jewels back that had be previously taken unlawfully. He was set up, caught and sentenced. He is also an expert safe-cracker. When a famous and extremely valuable diamond is taken by the Nazis from a friend of Hunters, who is subsequently killed, they are trying to make a deal with a Middle East nation for oil. The SOE wants that diamond, not only to help the British cause, but to thwart the Nazi scheme.
Hunter makes contact with the Resistance who have operatives in place at the Nazi headquarters in Lille. These operatives are ready to help Hunter, aka Jaques Lemay while in France. He meets the widow of his best friend and the operative who was killed for the diamond and will be working with her to accomplish the theft.
As always while reading a World War II spy novel, I am constantly on the edge of my seat waiting for something else to happen throughout the book. The plot opportunities are endless for an author writing about that time in history, especially if it is a work of historical fiction. I enjoyed this book and read it in two sittings.
You can find this review on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-oD, and other reviews on my blog at http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com.
Hunter is a jewel merchant whose crime was actually putting jewels back that had be previously taken unlawfully. He was set up, caught and sentenced. He is also an expert safe-cracker. When a famous and extremely valuable diamond is taken by the Nazis from a friend of Hunters, who is subsequently killed, they are trying to make a deal with a Middle East nation for oil. The SOE wants that diamond, not only to help the British cause, but to thwart the Nazi scheme.
Hunter makes contact with the Resistance who have operatives in place at the Nazi headquarters in Lille. These operatives are ready to help Hunter, aka Jaques Lemay while in France. He meets the widow of his best friend and the operative who was killed for the diamond and will be working with her to accomplish the theft.
As always while reading a World War II spy novel, I am constantly on the edge of my seat waiting for something else to happen throughout the book. The plot opportunities are endless for an author writing about that time in history, especially if it is a work of historical fiction. I enjoyed this book and read it in two sittings.
You can find this review on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-oD, and other reviews on my blog at http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com.
May 14, 2016
Set during the German occupation of France Jana Richards’ novel Flawless begins with Hunter Smith incarcerated in an English prison convicted of jewel theft. He is an expert in diamonds and is also the disowned son of an American Ambassador. He is visited in prison by a member of the SOE, an early form of MI6, and presented with an option of getting out only he must steal le Coeur Bleu. This is a priceless diamond in the possession of the Germans. With the help of French Resistance including the widow of Hunter’s best friend, Madeline Bertrand, a plan is made. Only Madeline believes that Hunter was responsible for her husband Jean Phillip’s death.
In a wonderful twisted way Richards’ continues the twisty romantic thriller. Can these people work together? Can they find and steal the diamond successfully before General Dietrick can sell it in return for oil the German Army need? Most importantly can they find love and forgiveness among the dangers?
Even though this is a short book, it still delivers. Richards develops the main characters so that you identify with them and their mission. It is still full of plot twists and turns. The book made an excellent weekend book to read.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Backlit PR in exchange for a fair and honest review
In a wonderful twisted way Richards’ continues the twisty romantic thriller. Can these people work together? Can they find and steal the diamond successfully before General Dietrick can sell it in return for oil the German Army need? Most importantly can they find love and forgiveness among the dangers?
Even though this is a short book, it still delivers. Richards develops the main characters so that you identify with them and their mission. It is still full of plot twists and turns. The book made an excellent weekend book to read.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Backlit PR in exchange for a fair and honest review
February 24, 2012
One of my favourite eras to read about is the time of the Great War, Between the Wars, and the Second World War. I know that sounds odd to say, as if I was glorying in wartime and its terrible deeds. In fact, it's the opposite. I think that was the last era, maybe, where real heroism and strength of will was to be found amongst ordinary folk.
The characters of Flawless are no exception. Despite the distraction of a few typos and anachronisms (not sure they drank tea from mugs back then), I really enjoyed diving into their story. The romance builds swiftly - yet there's no doubt that these two are meant for each other - and the action is quick and intriguing.
I was rooting for Madeleine and Hunter right from the start, and quite swept along by their plans for getting the better of the Nazi general occupying the local chateau. The author does a great job of handling the fact that Madeleine is widowed and still grieving her former husband, yet finds herself falling for Hunter. The conflicts and main plot are set up directly at the start, and the reader can concentrate on the romance, breathlessly waiting to see if Madeleine and Hunter can escape the dangers they face - together.
--Deniz, The One Hundred Romances Project
The characters of Flawless are no exception. Despite the distraction of a few typos and anachronisms (not sure they drank tea from mugs back then), I really enjoyed diving into their story. The romance builds swiftly - yet there's no doubt that these two are meant for each other - and the action is quick and intriguing.
I was rooting for Madeleine and Hunter right from the start, and quite swept along by their plans for getting the better of the Nazi general occupying the local chateau. The author does a great job of handling the fact that Madeleine is widowed and still grieving her former husband, yet finds herself falling for Hunter. The conflicts and main plot are set up directly at the start, and the reader can concentrate on the romance, breathlessly waiting to see if Madeleine and Hunter can escape the dangers they face - together.
--Deniz, The One Hundred Romances Project
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2016
Hunter is in an English prison in 1942 for a jewel robbery when he is visited by the head of the SOE with a proposition to get him released. ........He has to steal the most perfect diamond from the Nazis. The same diamond that got his best friend Jean Philippe killed.
Madeleine is part of the resistance in France trying to steal back the diamond before the Nazis use it to buy raw materials to help them win the war but she is not happy when Hunter appears. ....He is the man that set up her husband and got him killed! Can the two of them get over their differences and fight for the same side?
I really enjoyed this book, although it was very short, there was plenty of intrigue and lots of twists and turns to keep you interested and I always enjoy the books about the SOE
Madeleine is part of the resistance in France trying to steal back the diamond before the Nazis use it to buy raw materials to help them win the war but she is not happy when Hunter appears. ....He is the man that set up her husband and got him killed! Can the two of them get over their differences and fight for the same side?
I really enjoyed this book, although it was very short, there was plenty of intrigue and lots of twists and turns to keep you interested and I always enjoy the books about the SOE
July 13, 2011
I love WW2 stories about the French Resistence so I was very pleased to see that Flawless was about the French Resistence. Madeline and Hunter are a great heroine and hero. I loved how their love story unfolded amidst the brutality of the Nazi regime. When I got to the last few chapters, I couldn't stop reading. My pulse was racing. Just when I thought Madeline and Hunter would escape, the evil Colonel Dietrich was back. Flawless was flawlessly written, fast-paced and exciting.
January 15, 2011
I found the prose bland and boring, which kept the characters flat and uninteresting as well in spite of a lot of different events (some of them incredibly melodramatic and farfetched) happening throughout the plot. This particular authorial voice just isn't for me.
June 18, 2011
The romance is sweet and the mystery with lots of twists and turns kept me turning the pages.
June 26, 2016
A nice little story. Really enjoyed reading it.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews