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Kiss Trilogy #2
To Kiss a Spy
Simmering with danger, alight with humor, and always ablaze with passion, Jane Feather’s novels have made her one of today’s most beloved romance authors. Now, the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow’s Kiss returns with the unforgettable story of a daring young widow driven by a single burning obsession...and the brazen master spy who vows to lay bare her secrets...body and soul...
One moment Lady Pen Bryanston was recklessly rifling through her mother-in-law’s ledgers searching for clues; the next she was matching wits with an elegant, arrogant stranger who had caught her in the act. He said that he’d followed her. He claimed that he wanted her. Yet when he took her in his arms, an astonished Pen could only laugh. Owen d’Arcy was a sophisticated spy whose notoriously lethal charms had never failed him–until now.
Sent by the French ambassador to seduce the lovely confidante of the cousin of the Holy Roman Emperor, Owen had entertained no doubts he would succeed in capturing both the lady and her royal secrets. But when he swept Pen Bryanston into his embrace, hoping to throw her into confusion, he found himself unexpectedly disarmed, nonplussed and outmaneuvered by a rank amateur. Here was a woman who did not melt at his pretty words and smoldering glances, a woman who in fact found amusement in his advances! Clearly, a woman with hidden depths that begged to be explored...
Pen sensed from the first that Owen d’Arcy was an infinitely dangerous man. What she couldn’t comprehend was why a man of his ilk, a man who moved through the courtier’s world withsupreme confidence–a man whose skill with a rapier was that of a trained assassin–would be interested in her. Yet the thought of it sent shivers of excitement coursing through her. And then, in a heartbeat, Pen realized that Chevalier d’Arcy was exactly the man she needed, the one man who could help her solve the mystery that had tormented her for too long.
But when Pen seeks to recruit him, he proffers a deal she cannot If she agrees to divulge any information that might be of interest to him, Owen will help unearth the truth behind her own haunting secret–one in which innocence, birth, loss, and deception collide. A secret that may mean Pen has more to live for than just memories of the past and the beloved husband who was taken from her too soon. It is a devil’s bargain, but Pen has no choice. And now, as she turns spy and Owen turns detective, both will find themselves drawn into more peril than either imagined...as they battle enemies known and unknown, as they struggle to weave their way through a serpentine world of lies–and as they fight to resist the untamed passion that ignites between them....
One moment Lady Pen Bryanston was recklessly rifling through her mother-in-law’s ledgers searching for clues; the next she was matching wits with an elegant, arrogant stranger who had caught her in the act. He said that he’d followed her. He claimed that he wanted her. Yet when he took her in his arms, an astonished Pen could only laugh. Owen d’Arcy was a sophisticated spy whose notoriously lethal charms had never failed him–until now.
Sent by the French ambassador to seduce the lovely confidante of the cousin of the Holy Roman Emperor, Owen had entertained no doubts he would succeed in capturing both the lady and her royal secrets. But when he swept Pen Bryanston into his embrace, hoping to throw her into confusion, he found himself unexpectedly disarmed, nonplussed and outmaneuvered by a rank amateur. Here was a woman who did not melt at his pretty words and smoldering glances, a woman who in fact found amusement in his advances! Clearly, a woman with hidden depths that begged to be explored...
Pen sensed from the first that Owen d’Arcy was an infinitely dangerous man. What she couldn’t comprehend was why a man of his ilk, a man who moved through the courtier’s world withsupreme confidence–a man whose skill with a rapier was that of a trained assassin–would be interested in her. Yet the thought of it sent shivers of excitement coursing through her. And then, in a heartbeat, Pen realized that Chevalier d’Arcy was exactly the man she needed, the one man who could help her solve the mystery that had tormented her for too long.
But when Pen seeks to recruit him, he proffers a deal she cannot If she agrees to divulge any information that might be of interest to him, Owen will help unearth the truth behind her own haunting secret–one in which innocence, birth, loss, and deception collide. A secret that may mean Pen has more to live for than just memories of the past and the beloved husband who was taken from her too soon. It is a devil’s bargain, but Pen has no choice. And now, as she turns spy and Owen turns detective, both will find themselves drawn into more peril than either imagined...as they battle enemies known and unknown, as they struggle to weave their way through a serpentine world of lies–and as they fight to resist the untamed passion that ignites between them....
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
51 people are currently reading
502 people want to read
About the author
Jane Feather
170 books629 followersJane Feather (born Jane Robotham) is a popular British–American writer of historical romance novels. In 1984 she wrote five contemporary romances under the pseudonym Claudia Bishop. She is a New York Times-bestselling, award–winning writer, and has more than ten million romance novels in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
January 14, 2024
Lady Pen Bryantson had been caught red-handed looking for clues among her mother-in-law’s papers. But the mystery she sought to uncover only deepened with the sudden appearance of a man whose mere presence sent shivers of excitement coursing through her. A fun romp set during the short reign of Edward Tudor.
February 16, 2017
Lady Penelope Bryanston tidak percaya bhw anak yg dilahirkannya scr prematur mati setelah dilahirkan. Sbg janda seorang earl dan "bermusuhan" dgn ibu mertuanya dan iparnya, Pen makin meyakini kecurigaan sabotase bayi yg dilahirkannya. Namun Pen tidak punya pilihan lain utk mengungkapkan rahasia busuk mereka, selain menanti dan menjadi lady in waiting Princess Mary.
Owen D'Arcy, chevalier dan spion dari Perancis membutuhkan Pen utk kepentingan Perancis. Pen mengajukan "pertukaran" bhw dia akan membantu Owen dan setelahnya Owen hrs membantu dirinya menemukan putranya yg hilang. Setelah misi mereka kelar, ternyata mereka tidak bisa keluar begitu saja dari pusaran konspirasi dan intrik di seputar istana ini. Nyawa Princess Mary terancam, sedangkan raja yang sakit keras sudah menetapkan putri yg lain utk menggantikan takhtanya. Berhasilkah mereka menyelamatkan Princess Mary dan kedudukan takhta yg sebenarnya miliknya?
Dengan setting semasa Dinasti Tudor, di masa akhir pemerintahan Edward VI, kita dibawa ke suasana menegangkan saat Princess Mary diburu para konspirator yg tidak menghendaki dirinya utk menduduki takhta. Author dgn cerdas memasukkan tokoh Lady Pen yg tegas dan pemberani ini sbg sosok pengawal Princess Mary. Saya suka karakter Pen yg seperti induk betina singa yg bakal meraung dan rela mencakar siapapun demi melindungi anaknya. Karakter Owen yg layaknya ksatria yg selalu melindungi dan menjaga Pen, memiliki akal bulus yg banyak sangat membantu dlm petualangan mereka utk menemukan anak Pen di daerah pelacuran.
Saya memang agak memberikan rating kelewat tinggi utk buku ini. Walaupun masih banyak angst dan repetisi (terjemahannya juga masih agak kurang tapi lumayan lah, gak sampai bikin kepala pening). Saya lihat setting yg pas dgn sejarah pada masanya. Dan saya suka para tokoh antagonist mendapatkan ganjaran yg setimpal. Saya juga ikut merinding dgn nasib Jane Grey yg hanya menjadi Ratu selama 9 hari sbg korban ambisi orangtuanya. Saya rasa novel ini memberikan rasa yang pas utk arti karma. Romance di buku ini juga lumayan dan masuk logika saya.
Yang mau belajar sejarah Tudor sekaligus ada romance-nya, buku ini layak dibaca.
Owen D'Arcy, chevalier dan spion dari Perancis membutuhkan Pen utk kepentingan Perancis. Pen mengajukan "pertukaran" bhw dia akan membantu Owen dan setelahnya Owen hrs membantu dirinya menemukan putranya yg hilang. Setelah misi mereka kelar, ternyata mereka tidak bisa keluar begitu saja dari pusaran konspirasi dan intrik di seputar istana ini. Nyawa Princess Mary terancam, sedangkan raja yang sakit keras sudah menetapkan putri yg lain utk menggantikan takhtanya. Berhasilkah mereka menyelamatkan Princess Mary dan kedudukan takhta yg sebenarnya miliknya?
Dengan setting semasa Dinasti Tudor, di masa akhir pemerintahan Edward VI, kita dibawa ke suasana menegangkan saat Princess Mary diburu para konspirator yg tidak menghendaki dirinya utk menduduki takhta. Author dgn cerdas memasukkan tokoh Lady Pen yg tegas dan pemberani ini sbg sosok pengawal Princess Mary. Saya suka karakter Pen yg seperti induk betina singa yg bakal meraung dan rela mencakar siapapun demi melindungi anaknya. Karakter Owen yg layaknya ksatria yg selalu melindungi dan menjaga Pen, memiliki akal bulus yg banyak sangat membantu dlm petualangan mereka utk menemukan anak Pen di daerah pelacuran.
Saya memang agak memberikan rating kelewat tinggi utk buku ini. Walaupun masih banyak angst dan repetisi (terjemahannya juga masih agak kurang tapi lumayan lah, gak sampai bikin kepala pening). Saya lihat setting yg pas dgn sejarah pada masanya. Dan saya suka para tokoh antagonist mendapatkan ganjaran yg setimpal. Saya juga ikut merinding dgn nasib Jane Grey yg hanya menjadi Ratu selama 9 hari sbg korban ambisi orangtuanya. Saya rasa novel ini memberikan rasa yang pas utk arti karma. Romance di buku ini juga lumayan dan masuk logika saya.
Yang mau belajar sejarah Tudor sekaligus ada romance-nya, buku ini layak dibaca.
October 25, 2018
Cuando lo leí no tenía ni idea de que era la continuación de El beso de la viuda. Me ha gustado mucho porque la cuestión histórica (los problemas en la sucesión de Enrique VIII) es muy esclarecedora para los que no conocemos ese periodo histórico. Además, es un pequeño descanso de la Regencia. Por otro lado, esta autora es bastante irregular y aunque el libro no es malo, tampoco es de los que quedan en la memoria.
November 27, 2013
I think this second book is the most interesting story than the other in "kiss" trilogy. Love both characters of the hero and the heroine.
June 15, 2022
Read this around October 2016. It's an intriguing romance set in the time of King Edward and Princess Mary.
February 28, 2025
This really worked for me on multiple levels. The mystery with her missing son, aided by a French spy, along with political intrigue, and they fall in love?!? I can absolutely get on board with that. Also, the fact that this set in the Tudor era made everything so much more dramatic and romantic, I loved it. This is my first Jane Feather book and I will definitely be back for more.
January 3, 2015
My favorite of Jane Feather's Tudor-era "Kiss" trilogy, and an intelligent example of historical romantic fiction. An adult love story between two complicated, likable and ultimately heroic people dealing with the unforgiving intricacies of court life at a time when a frail king lies dying and the conniving Duke of Northumberland is contriving to prevent Princess Mary from inheriting the crown... Knowing the outcome of Northumberland's manipulations, and Mary's eventual fate, I didn't expect to feel suspense. But Feather does a masterful job of conveying the tension of the court, the relative powerlessness of the princess and even the sickly king himself, and the terror all involved might have felt with the looming threat of the Tower dungeons awaiting those who chose the wrong side. Edward's courtiers, after all, had only recently lived through the bloody reign of Henry VIII, and with a line now drawn between the interests of Protestants and illegal Catholics, those who wobbled a bit on the political tightrope knew their heads would be on the block.... Lady Pen, a nobly bred young widow in service to Mary and loyal to the princess, is approached by Owen D'Arcy who wants her to become his spy on behalf of the French Ambassador. He had planned to use a sexual seduction to gain the lady's cooperation (naturally, he's supposed to be a master at seduction; they don't pick schlumps for this job) and is both surprised and bemused when the quiet widow actually laughs at his attempt. She's intrigued, though; it's been two years since her husband's untimely death, and Pen can't deny the attraction she feels, or the flattery of having been singled out for D'Arcy's attention when most men at court are drawn to her more fun-loving, flirtatious sister... D'Arcy befriends Pen, gains her trust, and she confides in him about something that everyone else in her life considers an unhealthy obsession: Pen believes, without a shred of proof, that the baby she gave birth to after her husband's death wasn't stillborn as she was told. She remembers hearing the baby cry, and is convonced that he was born alive and either murdered or hidden away someplace by Pen's hateful mother-in-law, who wanted her malleable younger son to inherit the earldom... When Pen asks for D'Arcy's help in learning her baby's fate, he sees it as a way to gain her cooperation as his spy. He offers her a bargain, knowing she may hate him for using her tragedy to his advantage, and Pen angrily accepts. She reluctantly betrays an important confidence from Princess Mary, having only D'Arcy's word that the French want Mary on the throne and won't use the information to bring about her downfall... Now Pen demands that Owen D'Arcy fulfill his half of their bargain, and makes it clear that there can be nothing between them beyond this arrangement except distrust... If you're expecting this to be the set-up for one of those I-hate-you romances that turn heroines into harpies and heroes into bullies, you'll be happily wrong. What develops between the widow and the spy really is romantic, in a grown-up way, as each learns to accept the other's flaws and the risks of an unguarded heart. I liked them both, and wanted a happy ending for them, including justice for Pen, and an end to D'Arcy's self imposed isolation. On their behalf, I wanted things to end well for Princess Mary, too - if only so that Pen wouldn't hate herself for trading Mary's secrets on a chance to find her son... FYI, This is the second book in a series that began with The Widow's Kiss, the story of Pen's mother. I don't think it matters much whether you read the first and second in sequence, although you might enjoy the cast of continuing characters more if you do. SPOILER AHEAD: The third in the trilogy, Kissed By Shadows, made me nothing but angry and disgusted. It's the story of Pen's vivacious younger sister Pippa, and opens with the utterly repugnant rape of an unconscious woman, in which the "hero" is accomplice (for God and country, don't you know; it's a royal rape in case Mary and her husband need an heir). If you like Pippa as I did in the first two books, give Kissed By Shadows a miss.
July 2, 2012
The Setting: England. Edward VI is king, but gravely ill.
Heroine: Lady Penelope (Pen) Bryanston, the daughter of Guinevere in WIDOWS KISS. She married a young earl who died suddenly, leaving her with child. She went into premature labor before her family could attend her and was told that she gave birth to a stillborn son, but she's sure she heard the baby cry. Nobody in her own family will believe her and in fact they do their best to discourage her from thinking of or speaking about her child. Supposedly this is done in her best interests, though I can't for the life of me see how that was supposed to work. Instead what it did was leave her alone and desperate. It made me think a great deal less of the lot of them and I really wanted her to be angry with them. Seriously, as it turned out both she and her son went through three years of hell that they might have avoided if her family had shown her the least little bit of respect and loyalty.
Hero: Owen d'Arcy, a spy who is assigned by his master to seduce Pen, as she is a confidante of Princess Mary. Word of Edward's illness is causing speculation about succession and Mary seems a likely heir. France wants to know her plans. A bonus is Pen's close relationship to her stepbrother Robin, who is a known cohort of John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, one of the power brokers of the English court.
Pen is frustrated by her family's refusal to believe her doubts about her baby's death, and she's trying to investigate. She manages to get hold of a page from her in-laws' ledger from the day of her child's birth and is hoping that someone who was paid that day might tell her something. Owen discovers her sneaking about and later saves her from brigands. During the course of that evening he learns about her concerns and what she plans. He is going to use her quest to gain her cooperation in his own.
Pen is initially attracted to Owen, but then he offers to help her learn the truth about her son--if she will give him intel about Mary. She's hurt and repulsed by the fact that he would use her desperation and grief, but she IS desperate, so she agrees.
The truth as it turns out is worse than expected, and the story all ties in with the intrigues surrounding Edward's death and the succession, with characters in the story playing key roles in Mary's evasion of the plot to arrest her to secure the succession of Lady Jane Grey.
As always, good history, good adventure, and while this story didn't tear me up the way the first in the series did, Feather does provide us with two villains that you hate from the first pages of the story.
Heroine: Lady Penelope (Pen) Bryanston, the daughter of Guinevere in WIDOWS KISS. She married a young earl who died suddenly, leaving her with child. She went into premature labor before her family could attend her and was told that she gave birth to a stillborn son, but she's sure she heard the baby cry. Nobody in her own family will believe her and in fact they do their best to discourage her from thinking of or speaking about her child. Supposedly this is done in her best interests, though I can't for the life of me see how that was supposed to work. Instead what it did was leave her alone and desperate. It made me think a great deal less of the lot of them and I really wanted her to be angry with them. Seriously, as it turned out both she and her son went through three years of hell that they might have avoided if her family had shown her the least little bit of respect and loyalty.
Hero: Owen d'Arcy, a spy who is assigned by his master to seduce Pen, as she is a confidante of Princess Mary. Word of Edward's illness is causing speculation about succession and Mary seems a likely heir. France wants to know her plans. A bonus is Pen's close relationship to her stepbrother Robin, who is a known cohort of John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, one of the power brokers of the English court.
Pen is frustrated by her family's refusal to believe her doubts about her baby's death, and she's trying to investigate. She manages to get hold of a page from her in-laws' ledger from the day of her child's birth and is hoping that someone who was paid that day might tell her something. Owen discovers her sneaking about and later saves her from brigands. During the course of that evening he learns about her concerns and what she plans. He is going to use her quest to gain her cooperation in his own.
Pen is initially attracted to Owen, but then he offers to help her learn the truth about her son--if she will give him intel about Mary. She's hurt and repulsed by the fact that he would use her desperation and grief, but she IS desperate, so she agrees.
The truth as it turns out is worse than expected, and the story all ties in with the intrigues surrounding Edward's death and the succession, with characters in the story playing key roles in Mary's evasion of the plot to arrest her to secure the succession of Lady Jane Grey.
As always, good history, good adventure, and while this story didn't tear me up the way the first in the series did, Feather does provide us with two villains that you hate from the first pages of the story.
March 11, 2020
Oh it was an enjoyable book. Even though I hadn't read the first book, it seemed almost unnecessary to have done so.
A good historical romance centered around the waning days of King Edward and shortly before the reign of Queen Mary. And it was all about Pen, Mary's favorite, and her undying love for a son she was told she lost but in the end that wasn't the case. And it was about her deal with a French spy named Owen to find her lost child who was an important piece of the royal heritage.
While reading the book you never knew whether Pen and Owen were a match made in heaven or if they really did not trust each other. We do get an answer to the question at the end There were a few steamy scenes and a decent amount of adventure.
But the part that keeps standing out to me for some reason was a short scene where a young girl in a brothel kept saying "Them's me charges." I kept saying that line over and over even after finishing the book. One never really knows how a book with hit you.
A good historical romance centered around the waning days of King Edward and shortly before the reign of Queen Mary. And it was all about Pen, Mary's favorite, and her undying love for a son she was told she lost but in the end that wasn't the case. And it was about her deal with a French spy named Owen to find her lost child who was an important piece of the royal heritage.
While reading the book you never knew whether Pen and Owen were a match made in heaven or if they really did not trust each other. We do get an answer to the question at the end There were a few steamy scenes and a decent amount of adventure.
But the part that keeps standing out to me for some reason was a short scene where a young girl in a brothel kept saying "Them's me charges." I kept saying that line over and over even after finishing the book. One never really knows how a book with hit you.
October 3, 2011
Jane Feather is a delight to read. She has a mystery to unravel and a couple to bring together. This is a medieval escape for a long bubble bath.
November 20, 2023
What drew me into the first few chapters, was the writing — when Penn first meets Owen the author writes ‘he held himself very still and yet she could feel a surge of energy around him’. Such an excellent description of a MC hero. It’s exactly the kind of strong, quiet, minicing hero we want in our books.
I liked their back and forth dialog but I wish there was more of it and also that the author had paid attention to pacing. The first quarter of the book just seems to keep running around in circles. I started to lose interest and just skipped to the end which seemed like a sweet conclusion. But I am glad I didn’t waist my time digging in.
I liked their back and forth dialog but I wish there was more of it and also that the author had paid attention to pacing. The first quarter of the book just seems to keep running around in circles. I started to lose interest and just skipped to the end which seemed like a sweet conclusion. But I am glad I didn’t waist my time digging in.
March 25, 2018
Fantastic book, made me want to read the others in the series. The characters were incredibly likable and there was plenty of intrigue. You never knew whether or not the story would end up the way you wanted it to and the characters were developed and had interesting backstories. The historical setting was well-done and fairly accurate.
November 25, 2019
Feathers writing is beautiful work. The storyline pulled at my heart and the romance was enjoyable. This book didn’t keep me coming back time and again, pulled to continue reading but it is well planned and executed. If you like historical romance and a women who bounces between custom and knowing herself, you will love this book
July 20, 2019
Again a very entertaining story with history as backdrop. So ral events and characters appear and interact wth fictional ones as well as descriptions of places, customs, etc.
A thriller, and a romance in te times of the Tudor Court.
Very well performed by Jenny Sterlin.
A thriller, and a romance in te times of the Tudor Court.
Very well performed by Jenny Sterlin.
January 4, 2017
I love this series. Great intrigue - light on the sex - but makes you want to read the next chapter. Couldn't put it down!
January 17, 2019
I really enjoyed this book, had a hard time putting it down.
Read
July 18, 2019Owen, French spy in England. P Philip's widow
January 13, 2025
I just didn't like either of the main characters or actually want them to be together.
Read
November 16, 2009It has been quite some time since I picked up one a Jane Feather romance novel. I started borrowing them from my mother's shelf at quite a young age (*cough*), and still have a sentimental attachment. When I was between books--by which I mean there was a book upstairs that I meant to start, but I was downstairs--I saw one on the paperback shelf, yielded to my old impulses, and picked it up. To Kiss a Spy is, unlike some of the other Feather series I have read, set in the reign of Edward Tudor, and involves a great deal of intrigue about the succession. Lady Penelope "Pen" Bryanston is Mary Tudor's closest confidante, but she is haunted by the loss of her child under mysterious circumstances. Owen D'Arcy is the premier spy for the French in the English court. They strike a bargain: she will give him information about Mary if he helps her find her child. Result: love. (Surprise!) Apparently this is the second book of a trilogy. It was a quick and pleasant read, although Feather really didn't do much to make her villains anything more than one-dimensional, and the outcome was--of course--never in doubt.
February 9, 2017
I am not a fan of the romantic genre, and the reason why I picked up this book was the word 'spy'. But I have to admit that the love story in this novel moved me and was a kind of an escape for me from the headaches of the day. It is love that was born and raised in the royal court of 16th century England. It flourished against a backdrop of political turmoil and personal tragedy. The characters were gracefully developed, the plot is intriguing without being stressful, description of places and backgrounds is vivid, and sensuality is tactfully employed.
February 27, 2014
Well, dari empat buku yang kubeli dengan harga kurang dari 11ribu, aku beruntung karena buku ini adalah yang terakhir kubaca, karena menurutku buku ini lebih rame dari pada tiga buku sebelumnya.
Stars: 3,8
Sebenarnya dari awal aku lihat novel ini aku sudah tertarik, dan yah ternyata memang lumayan. Dengan baca novel ini pun aku menyadari kalau aku lebih suka dengan cerita berkisar bangsawan-bangsawan dan sesekali intrik-intrik seperti novel ini.
Yah, cerita yang lumayan walau aku agak kecewa
Yang so sweet itu, salah satunya, ketika Owen ngajak Pen untuk mendatangi ibu Owen untuk mencari tahu kebenaran dari masa lalu Owen yang tidak diketahui oleh siapapun kecuali Owen, ibunya dan mantan istrinya.
Stars: 3,8
Sebenarnya dari awal aku lihat novel ini aku sudah tertarik, dan yah ternyata memang lumayan. Dengan baca novel ini pun aku menyadari kalau aku lebih suka dengan cerita berkisar bangsawan-bangsawan dan sesekali intrik-intrik seperti novel ini.
Yah, cerita yang lumayan walau aku agak kecewa
Yang so sweet itu, salah satunya, ketika Owen ngajak Pen untuk mendatangi ibu Owen untuk mencari tahu kebenaran dari masa lalu Owen yang tidak diketahui oleh siapapun kecuali Owen, ibunya dan mantan istrinya.
January 12, 2013
This novel takes place in 17th century England amidst the succession turmoil involving Mary and Jane Gray.
The main character is a widow who suffered from her in-law's devious machinations and now the political intrigue that involves Mary whom she serves as a lady-in-waiting. The first portion of the novel deals with Pen, Owen and her potentially missing son whom would have been stolen or killed due to her mother-in-law's scheming. The latter part of the novel deals with the danger of Northumberland's power grab as he attempts to arrest Mary.
There was some development in Owen and Pen's relationship but the adventure and intrigue both with Pen's personal story and Mary's story were very compelling and I couldn't put the book down, wanting to know what happened even though I knew enough about British history to already know the outcome.
The main character is a widow who suffered from her in-law's devious machinations and now the political intrigue that involves Mary whom she serves as a lady-in-waiting. The first portion of the novel deals with Pen, Owen and her potentially missing son whom would have been stolen or killed due to her mother-in-law's scheming. The latter part of the novel deals with the danger of Northumberland's power grab as he attempts to arrest Mary.
There was some development in Owen and Pen's relationship but the adventure and intrigue both with Pen's personal story and Mary's story were very compelling and I couldn't put the book down, wanting to know what happened even though I knew enough about British history to already know the outcome.
August 30, 2015
It took me a long time to get into this book, To me it didn't get interesting until near the end.
Pen is very head-strong and determined, determined to find a child everyone believed was stillborn.
She lives the court life just going day to day until she meets Owen. Owen is a spy, sent to cozy up to Pen and get info.
I did like how the author kept to the historical facts with this story. That was fascinating, and then adding in the fictional storyline.
I just felt like a lot of the book was drug out, some of the minor things could have been omitted. And I did not need to know every time someone ate and what they were eating. And since the sex scenes were minimum and with absolutely little detail they could probably have been omitted as well.
There are 2 more books in this series; but at this moment, I am not the least bit interested in reading them.
Pen is very head-strong and determined, determined to find a child everyone believed was stillborn.
She lives the court life just going day to day until she meets Owen. Owen is a spy, sent to cozy up to Pen and get info.
I did like how the author kept to the historical facts with this story. That was fascinating, and then adding in the fictional storyline.
I just felt like a lot of the book was drug out, some of the minor things could have been omitted. And I did not need to know every time someone ate and what they were eating. And since the sex scenes were minimum and with absolutely little detail they could probably have been omitted as well.
There are 2 more books in this series; but at this moment, I am not the least bit interested in reading them.
April 3, 2016
To Kiss a Spy is a dramatic, exciting love story that unfolds against the backdrop of a power struggle for the British throne in the mid-1500's. Lady Penelope Bryanston is a widow haunted by the deaths of her husband and stillborn son. She remembers hearing a baby cry before passing out from the difficult, premature delivery. But her mother-in-law insists that she was hallucinating and even her own friends and family doubt her story. Owen d'Arcy is a French spy who has been instructed to seduce Pen because she is a lady-in-waiting to the Princess Mary. Pen agrees to help him if he will assist in her search for the truth. It is a dangerous path that these two tread and their love is threatened by the lack of trust in this relationship. To Kiss a Spy is a fast, thrilling romance that I devoured in 24 hours. Jane Feather sure can write a compelling book that is near impossible to put down.
November 24, 2012
This is another of my favorites from Jane Feather. It takes place in England during the reign of King Edward. Lady Pen Bryantson is the daughter of Guinevere (#1 Kiss, A Widow's Kiss.) She was recently married to Phillip, who died suddenly after being in good health. He left Lady Pen with child, living with the "evil" mother-in-law. Upon an early labor, her child is stillborn and swept away before Lady Pen can hold him and grieve. She is possessed with finding her baby boy, whom she feels is still alive. She is caught searching library documents by a French spy, Owen D'Arcy and they make a deal. This is their story.
The story does not lack for action and is quick moving. Characters are well developed. I look forward to reading the finale of the Kiss trilogy, Kissed by Shadows.
The story does not lack for action and is quick moving. Characters are well developed. I look forward to reading the finale of the Kiss trilogy, Kissed by Shadows.
January 24, 2012
pake error segala, jadi diulang deh.
Pen, anaknya Guinevere di buku pertama, ditinggal mati sama suaminya, trus pas lg ngelahirin bayinya dibuang sama ibu mertuanya, trus dikasi tau klo uda mati. Pen ga percaya soalnya dia denger tangisan bayi. Abis pesta natal, Pen pulang sendirian mau dipalak gt deh, eh ditolong sama Owen, mata2 dr Prancis. Trus Pen minta bantuan Owen buat nyari anaknya.
Di buku ini lebih banyak intrik2nya daripada buku pertama, apalagi mertua sama adik iparnya Pen bikin sebel banget hahaha...
Pen, anaknya Guinevere di buku pertama, ditinggal mati sama suaminya, trus pas lg ngelahirin bayinya dibuang sama ibu mertuanya, trus dikasi tau klo uda mati. Pen ga percaya soalnya dia denger tangisan bayi. Abis pesta natal, Pen pulang sendirian mau dipalak gt deh, eh ditolong sama Owen, mata2 dr Prancis. Trus Pen minta bantuan Owen buat nyari anaknya.
Di buku ini lebih banyak intrik2nya daripada buku pertama, apalagi mertua sama adik iparnya Pen bikin sebel banget hahaha...
July 9, 2010
I enjoyed the read. I liked how the romance was a very important part of the story but with everything else going on around them the romance almost seemed not important but by having that love between the two main characters it tied up all the loose ends not only in their lives but the other supporting character's lives.
July 20, 2011
It was surprisingly not as bad as I had thought when I grabbed it quickly off the library shelf while my daughter was screaming. The end was a bit of a let down. It seemed like the author just had to finish the book at that time, or ran out of alloted pages, because a lot of info that should have been covered was just glossed over. Overall though, I was fairly entertained.
June 5, 2013
I prefer the story of Lady Guineveire, the mother of the heroine here, in the previous spy trilogy book.
But here, it gave more details of the historical plot. About Princess Mary, and the other important members of the Tudor regency.
Once or twice a technique how to be a good spy was given. When it comes to the practise, of course, you could pretend that you are the spy itself. Not too bad..
But here, it gave more details of the historical plot. About Princess Mary, and the other important members of the Tudor regency.
Once or twice a technique how to be a good spy was given. When it comes to the practise, of course, you could pretend that you are the spy itself. Not too bad..
July 28, 2015
An averagely entertaining romance. While it had solidly written scenes and a solid plot line, there was just something about the hero that fell flat. His character never communicated "Alpha" the way it should have, especially considering he was a very dangerous spy. I loved the heroine though! I think the two were just not an explosive match.
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