What do you think?
Rate this book
WWII #2
Courting the Enemy
Mission Irresistable
His assignment: woo the beautiful widow. Savannah Elliott's father is a suspected Nazi sympathizer. Gaining her confidence could help undercover agent Trent Mueller derail a plot to sabotage the U.S. war machine. With so many lives at stake, the undercover agent can't afford to feel guilt at his deception. Nor should he find himself captivated by Savannah when her very allegiance is in question…
In war, trust is a luxury. Yet Savannah is appalled to learn that her own father is a suspected traitor. By working with Trent to discover the truth, Savannah hopes to prove her father's innocence. But if Trent's hunch is right, can love withstand the ultimate test of loyalty?
His assignment: woo the beautiful widow. Savannah Elliott's father is a suspected Nazi sympathizer. Gaining her confidence could help undercover agent Trent Mueller derail a plot to sabotage the U.S. war machine. With so many lives at stake, the undercover agent can't afford to feel guilt at his deception. Nor should he find himself captivated by Savannah when her very allegiance is in question…
In war, trust is a luxury. Yet Savannah is appalled to learn that her own father is a suspected traitor. By working with Trent to discover the truth, Savannah hopes to prove her father's innocence. But if Trent's hunch is right, can love withstand the ultimate test of loyalty?
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Renee Ryan
62 books709 followersRenee Ryan grew up in a small Florida beach town. Surfing didn’t work for her, but that didn’t keep her from watching others tackle the waves. To entertain herself during those countless hours of “laying-out”, she read many of the classics. It wasn’t until the summer between her sophomore and junior years at Florida State University that she read her first romance novel. Hooked from page one, she spent hours consuming one book after another while working on the best (and last!) tan of her life.
Two years later, armed with a degree in Economics and Religion, she explored various career opportunities, including stints at a Florida theme park, a modeling agency, and a cosmetic conglomerate. She went on to teach high school Economics, American Government and Latin in between coaching award-winning cheerleading teams. Several years later, with an eclectic cast of characters swimming around in her head, she began seriously pursuing a writing career. What better excuse to avoid housework and ignore clocks?
Two years later, armed with a degree in Economics and Religion, she explored various career opportunities, including stints at a Florida theme park, a modeling agency, and a cosmetic conglomerate. She went on to teach high school Economics, American Government and Latin in between coaching award-winning cheerleading teams. Several years later, with an eclectic cast of characters swimming around in her head, she began seriously pursuing a writing career. What better excuse to avoid housework and ignore clocks?
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 19, 2011
Provided to me by the author.
I really enjoyed Ms Ryan's last WW2 historical but for me, this story was a bit of a disappointment. All the elements of a thoroughly intriguing story were there but there was just no chemistry between Savannah and Trent. Hopefully her next book will be more entertaining for me.
I really enjoyed Ms Ryan's last WW2 historical but for me, this story was a bit of a disappointment. All the elements of a thoroughly intriguing story were there but there was just no chemistry between Savannah and Trent. Hopefully her next book will be more entertaining for me.
July 25, 2016
Another great WW2 book by Renee Ryan! I hope she writes more. Even though there was a happy ending for the hero and heroine, I still found part of it sad. Also, she did a stupid move towards the end that made me grit my teeth hard. Not as good as the first one but still a great book!
September 9, 2011
3 1/2, actually - a good story.
September 2, 2011
Courting the Enemy by Renee Ryan ISBN:978-0-373-82883-8
The setting is June 1943 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Savannah Klein Elliot had been betrayed by her husband and then he died. She returned to her parents and now they were throwing her a party at the Country Club. How could people celebrate when there was a war going on? It seemed they removed themselves from it just because it was not happening here on their soil. She was also uncomfortable because this group knew when Johnny died in a car crash and he was not alone in the car.
She was planning on leaving when her father requested she at least dance one time, unfortunately he wanted her to dance with Peter Sorensen, her father's assistant who she did not trust one lick. William Klein had changed the last few years under Peter's influence. She did dance with Peter and then with a new arrival, Trent Mueller.
Trent Mueller, a spy for the US, has come to gain Savannah's trust. She was suspected as a sympathizer as her father was. They knew there was a plan to destroy several businesses in this area that were important for the war against Hitler. Savannah worked at one of the shipyards, a job her father got for her, most likely to help in their plans to destroy it. When Savannah's friend and Trent's partner, Kate, pointed out his query while they danced, Trent thought she was one of the most beautiful women ever, still she was just part of his mission, nothing else. He kept trying to convince himself of that as he danced the next waltz with Savannah.
Savannah knew after Johnny's betrayal she should not trust a handsome, smooth talking man but she could not help but be drawn to Trent. He seemed to be hiding something but she kept setting it aside as the cynical person she became since the accident six months ago. Within a few days she was already falling in love with him despite all her warnings to herself.
Trent continually reminded himself of his mission and that he still did not know if Savannah was innocent or not. Within war times trust was a tough commodity.
Operation Pastorius was a real plan to sabotage key targets in the US in WWII. Two of the men involved were Americans who sympathized with Hitler. Their plans failed.
Book received through NetGalley for review.
The setting is June 1943 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Savannah Klein Elliot had been betrayed by her husband and then he died. She returned to her parents and now they were throwing her a party at the Country Club. How could people celebrate when there was a war going on? It seemed they removed themselves from it just because it was not happening here on their soil. She was also uncomfortable because this group knew when Johnny died in a car crash and he was not alone in the car.
She was planning on leaving when her father requested she at least dance one time, unfortunately he wanted her to dance with Peter Sorensen, her father's assistant who she did not trust one lick. William Klein had changed the last few years under Peter's influence. She did dance with Peter and then with a new arrival, Trent Mueller.
Trent Mueller, a spy for the US, has come to gain Savannah's trust. She was suspected as a sympathizer as her father was. They knew there was a plan to destroy several businesses in this area that were important for the war against Hitler. Savannah worked at one of the shipyards, a job her father got for her, most likely to help in their plans to destroy it. When Savannah's friend and Trent's partner, Kate, pointed out his query while they danced, Trent thought she was one of the most beautiful women ever, still she was just part of his mission, nothing else. He kept trying to convince himself of that as he danced the next waltz with Savannah.
Savannah knew after Johnny's betrayal she should not trust a handsome, smooth talking man but she could not help but be drawn to Trent. He seemed to be hiding something but she kept setting it aside as the cynical person she became since the accident six months ago. Within a few days she was already falling in love with him despite all her warnings to herself.
Trent continually reminded himself of his mission and that he still did not know if Savannah was innocent or not. Within war times trust was a tough commodity.
Operation Pastorius was a real plan to sabotage key targets in the US in WWII. Two of the men involved were Americans who sympathized with Hitler. Their plans failed.
Book received through NetGalley for review.
October 27, 2011
Savannah Elliott is a beautiful widow – and Trent Mueller’s next assignment. Her father is a suspected Nazi sympathizer, and through his relationship with her, he is hoping to gain the information he needs to help derail a Nazi plot to attack the U.S. With the safety of America on the line, he must stay focused on the mission. However, he is not prepared to deal with the attraction that overwhelms him, especially when he isn’t sure if she is involved.
Having been betrayed by her late husband, trust does not come easy to Savannah. But despite her past, and her nagging doubts that something isn’t as it seems, Savannah quickly finds herself falling for the handsome Mr. Mueller. As she asks Trent for help in proving her suspicions about her father’s shady assistant, is she also incriminating her father?
Let me first say, the story line is was interesting. I’ve never read a WWII romance, and I loved all the intrigue. The mystery and suspense did drive the story along – unfortunately, that was the only thing that did drive it. The story’s pace was severely hampered by excessive inner dialogue. I felt that the story would have benefited from more action and dialogue that represented what was going on in their head, instead of just reading about how they felt. This would have also let us connect with the characters more. Trent and Savannah are likeable, but despite knowing everything they felt, you never really get a sense of knowing them – their quirks, their habits, their mannerisms. They never had that “real” feeling.
For an inspirational romance, I didn’t get an overall message from the story. Scripture and Christian references are interjected throughout the story, but no overall message is implied.
Overall, I would have to give this only 2 stars – a great book to check out from the library, but not a book to add to your shelf.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25. Cover photo obtained from author’s website.
Having been betrayed by her late husband, trust does not come easy to Savannah. But despite her past, and her nagging doubts that something isn’t as it seems, Savannah quickly finds herself falling for the handsome Mr. Mueller. As she asks Trent for help in proving her suspicions about her father’s shady assistant, is she also incriminating her father?
Let me first say, the story line is was interesting. I’ve never read a WWII romance, and I loved all the intrigue. The mystery and suspense did drive the story along – unfortunately, that was the only thing that did drive it. The story’s pace was severely hampered by excessive inner dialogue. I felt that the story would have benefited from more action and dialogue that represented what was going on in their head, instead of just reading about how they felt. This would have also let us connect with the characters more. Trent and Savannah are likeable, but despite knowing everything they felt, you never really get a sense of knowing them – their quirks, their habits, their mannerisms. They never had that “real” feeling.
For an inspirational romance, I didn’t get an overall message from the story. Scripture and Christian references are interjected throughout the story, but no overall message is implied.
Overall, I would have to give this only 2 stars – a great book to check out from the library, but not a book to add to your shelf.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25. Cover photo obtained from author’s website.
August 16, 2011
Books to film are coming out in large numbers these days. But I have found a book evoking the films of old - when banter between men and women was more sizzling than showing skin, the stakes were high, and romance moved at a faster pace. Renee Ryan’s second World War II romance, Courting the Enemy, reads like a combination of Casablanca and An Affair to Remember. Inspired by a real incident during the war, not only does the story of spy Trent Mueller and his assignment Savannah Elliott pay homage to the past but it is also contemporary in this age of homegrown terrorists and worries on American soil.
Trent Mueller, a reformed playboy now spy, plans to block a plot to stop US ship production during the early days of WWII. A professional in every sense of the word, he wants to get in, get out, and move on to the next assignment - until he meets Savannah Elliott, the daughter of a suspected Nazi sympathizer. Savannah seems too beautiful, too innocent to be part of the scheme. But is this Trent’s attraction talking?
The interactions between Savannah and Trent are crisply written and sigh worthy. Trent’s constant battling with his feelings for Savannah is engaging. Savannah’s own battle to be a person of worth and discover the truth about her father has the reader encouraging her all the way. Both characters carry baggage from their past and must face hard truths about themselves and others. In addition to being a lively and suspenseful romance, Courting the Enemy offers a lesson in doing what is best for one’s country, facing the truth about one’s family, and acknowledging the difficulty of living one’s faith in troubled times. Here is hoping secondary character, spy and socialite Kate, gets her own story quickly!
Trent Mueller, a reformed playboy now spy, plans to block a plot to stop US ship production during the early days of WWII. A professional in every sense of the word, he wants to get in, get out, and move on to the next assignment - until he meets Savannah Elliott, the daughter of a suspected Nazi sympathizer. Savannah seems too beautiful, too innocent to be part of the scheme. But is this Trent’s attraction talking?
The interactions between Savannah and Trent are crisply written and sigh worthy. Trent’s constant battling with his feelings for Savannah is engaging. Savannah’s own battle to be a person of worth and discover the truth about her father has the reader encouraging her all the way. Both characters carry baggage from their past and must face hard truths about themselves and others. In addition to being a lively and suspenseful romance, Courting the Enemy offers a lesson in doing what is best for one’s country, facing the truth about one’s family, and acknowledging the difficulty of living one’s faith in troubled times. Here is hoping secondary character, spy and socialite Kate, gets her own story quickly!
January 22, 2016
I have to say, I LOVE reading Renee Ryan. Courting the Enemy is her second Love Inspired Historical I've read, set during World War II. I'm fascinated by that period of history and because of the prevalent Nazi threat we knew (or learned of) so well, the story has instant suspense. In this particular story, OSS agent Trent Mueller's mission is to discover the US industrial target of a Nazi attack. In order to do so, he must stay close to a known sympathizer--by courting his recently widowed daughter.
Renee Ryan's male characters are such HUNKS. Kind, sensitive, gentlemanly--and before this sounds too womanly--strong, untouchable so they fall in love hard, intelligent, driven...the list goes on. I want to be the heroine in this book! Her female leads aren't half bad either. They have their own inner strength, and they're not flighty or just plain dumb.
Ms. Ryan keeps the hero and the heroine together often, exploring each others' strengths and vulnerabilities, allowing the characters--and the readers--to know one another. You are drawn in immediately and you are invested in the lives of her characters. I could read romance novels set in this time period all day long. Her story is loosely based on real-life events--and that is an incredible piece of history. I can't wait for her next WWII romance!
Renee Ryan's male characters are such HUNKS. Kind, sensitive, gentlemanly--and before this sounds too womanly--strong, untouchable so they fall in love hard, intelligent, driven...the list goes on. I want to be the heroine in this book! Her female leads aren't half bad either. They have their own inner strength, and they're not flighty or just plain dumb.
Ms. Ryan keeps the hero and the heroine together often, exploring each others' strengths and vulnerabilities, allowing the characters--and the readers--to know one another. You are drawn in immediately and you are invested in the lives of her characters. I could read romance novels set in this time period all day long. Her story is loosely based on real-life events--and that is an incredible piece of history. I can't wait for her next WWII romance!
December 2, 2011
Renee did it again!!! I AM in ABSOLUTE LOVE with Trent Mueller!!! ~Sigh~ Trent Mueller and Burke Hannigan! My 2 FAVORITE new LI HEROES!!! Where was Renee when I was in school?! LOL!!! I'm telling ya,... I would've ENJOYED HISTORY in school if I'd had Renee Ryan, or Jillian Hart's Historical romances to read ;-) I enjoyed learning about WW11, A HORRIFIC time in our history! and (the period of History around where my Grandma & Grandpa woul've been born around (39 and 40 respectively.)...I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Trent (moreso, than Savannah. LOVE the name! Which, as a women, I guess I'm supposed to anyway, LOL!) I just LOVED EVERYTHING about him!!!! COULD NOT STAND Peter!!! CREEPY, EVIL from the beginning! And kept cheering Trent on to take down the bad guy! Savannah's father, was a hrader one, even though he was a BAD GUY! His LOVE for his Daughter was obvious. And at the end I felt for Savannah and her Mom!....EXCELLENT BOOK!!! If you like Renee Ryan, if you like LI Historicals, or if you just like LI, or just a GOOD romance with a good dose of DRAMA mixed in, I HIGHLY recommend this book!
September 17, 2011
Renee Ryan has done it again! This one is full of heartbreak, intrigue, betrayal, historical details and settings, and, of course, romance. I can't imagine being faced with some of the decisions that Savannah had to make regarding who, or what, to be loyal to, and how much different types of betrayal hurt. How we deal with that is a very individual thing, and I admired Savannah's courage and strength of character. Learning a little bit more about the history of WW II and a tense, pivotal time when the Nazi's tried to bring the war to American soil was never as enjoyable as reading this fictional tale based on a real life event. The research seems flawless, and the characters seem to react as you would expect someone involved in espionage or spying would do. Writing exciting historical fiction seems easy for Renee Ryan, as it is obvious she enjoys the history herself.
December 18, 2015
I loved this book!!! I have never read any during the World War 2 era from Love Inspired. I thought it was a lovely change!
This was a great read, I was immediately sucked into the story, and I thought the characters were top notch. Loved Savannah's strength. There were a few moments in the book where she could have been the whiny, annoying female character I come to dread, but Renee wrote a girl after my own heart. Tender, yet strong. :)
Just solidified why I always choose to read this particular Love Inspired author. She never lets me down! :)
This was a great read, I was immediately sucked into the story, and I thought the characters were top notch. Loved Savannah's strength. There were a few moments in the book where she could have been the whiny, annoying female character I come to dread, but Renee wrote a girl after my own heart. Tender, yet strong. :)
Just solidified why I always choose to read this particular Love Inspired author. She never lets me down! :)
November 22, 2011
The story is a little too bland to my taste as it was about how Trent trying to court Savannah with an ulterior motive; to get close to her for information about the betrayal of her father against the country. The story plot was so so only and the reason why i stick on till the end is because i thought the ending would be better but sadly, it was not.
November 19, 2016
Wow! This book has it all: gorgeous, strong, intelligent hero, romance, suspense. Very, very well written. I only put it down when I absolutely had to and then picked it up again as soon as possible.
October 18, 2011
I loved the setting and the premise, but wasn't as engaged in the love story as I should have. A nice story, my detailed review will be posted soon.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
August 28, 2012
Loved it!!!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews