The Loving Daylights

B.L.I.S.S. #3

by Lynsay Sands

Shy Jane Spyrus loves gadgets. She can build anything B.L.I.S.S. needs in the international organization's fight against crime—although its agents aren't exactly lining up at her door. Some of them think her inventions are a little too... well, innovative. Like her shrink-wrap prophylactic constraints or her spray-on truth serum.

Of course, you can't use wacky inventions to fix all your problems; Jane knows that better than anyone. Her neighbor has been kidnapped, driving that point home. She will have to team up with another human being—and Abel Andretti arrives just in time. He will help Jane find her neighbor, stop a villain, and, most of all, he will show Jane how to love the daylights out of something without batteries.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Humor, Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Fiction

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

About the author

LYNSAY SANDS is the nationally bestselling author who is known for her hysterical historicals as well as the popular Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series. With her witty and charming personality, Sands describes books as, “Waking dreams or stories, tales to amuse, entertain and distract us from everyday life.” She’s been writing stories since grade school and considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to make a career out of it. Her hope is that readers can get away from their everyday stress through her stories, and if there are occasional uncontrollable fits of laughter, that’s just a big bonus. Visit her official website at www.lynsaysands.net.

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining, well-written, steamy contemporary romance novel. It is a spy spoof with a likeable female protagonist, a fast paced, engaging plot, humor, many laugh out loud moments, and a happily ever after ending. I listened to the audio book, and the narrator, Krista Lally, has a lovely voice and does an excellent job depicting the characters and their personalities.

[Izy · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC generously provided by the publisher vie Edelwesis in exchange for an honest review

Rating~ 3.5 stars

Jane’s whole family has been in the spy business and she is no different. Jane Spyrus is a developer for B.L.I.SS, she makes all the spy gadgets that the agents can use. Her inventions are mostly for women agents.

The blurb describes her as shy, I don’t think she was at all shy, she was insecure about herself which I think came across as reservedness. She’s very quirky, highly intelligent if a slightly crazy developer and a strong independent woman.

Abel Andretti is an accountant. He came home to Canada for a job interview from UK so he could be closer to his family.

I thought he was sweet, protective, caring and understood and appreciated Jane for the woman she was. He was more like a beta hero than alpha one but it suited the book.

Jane and Abel along with Jane’s Gran and former field agent Maggie go to save Edie Andretti, Abel’s sister who has been kidnapped by her boss because she was getting suspicious of his behavior.

I liked Jane and Abel together. They didn’t have a explosive chemistry but more of sweeter and softer connection which again suited the book. They both have many things in common such as their weird food choices and I liked that both understood each other so well even though they hadn’t known each other very long.

With these kind of books, you have keep your mind open a bit since a lot of it is unrealistic like most romantic comedies but if that’s your thing I think you will definitely enjoy this one.

Quibbles: I did not understand Jane’s attraction Dirk it made no sense. I would liked if some parts of the book hadn’t been so easy; like fighting with the bad guys and the super spy stuff that Jane did quite efficiently especially since she no field training at all. I also thought they moved really fast with the marriage, they only met a week ago.

Overall, it was a cute, quirky and funny story that makes for a good light read. Happy Reading!

[Dani C. (Polly's Place) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Ms. Sands’ Argeneau series. I get my hands on those books as soon as I can, I enjoy them so much. So I thought it would be a no brainer that I would love this book. I am sad to say I was very wrong.

This is supposed to be a romantic comedy. It started out that way, sort of. Then it ended up being ridiculous and even gross at times. I didn’t feel anything real between Jane and Abel but then the whole story was just flat so I really didn’t feel anything except bored. And gross. I just can’t over that part…

Now The Loving Daylights is the third book in the B.L.I.S.S. series. I have not read either of the first books and I know for sure that I won’t. Will this stop me from reading the Argeneau series? NO! Like I said I enjoy that series so I am hopeful that this book was just a fluke.

[Rachel-RN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane is a genius and kicks ass at her job in research and development. She's also pretty and self-conscious about her body. She comes from a family that were all spies in BLISS, a CIA-like organization. She lives with and helps care for her grandma (who was paralyzed while on the job). She comes up with some interesting gadgets (vibrators that are missiles, condoms that shrink, etc).
So when she realizes her next door neighbor, who also happens to be a close friend, is kidnapped, she goes into action- with her grandma and Edie's brother Abel (who is currently working in the UK, but in town for a visit). This was fun and didn't take itself too seriously.
I read this for Romance-opoly Flirts Corner sun track

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book provided, unsolicited, by publisher for review purposes. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinion presented herein is my own except as noted.

THE LOVING DAYLIGHTS: Lynsay Sands Spoofs Bond

Original post April 1, 2015 http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...

At times this book felt really silly, with its Bond movie names and female slant on the whole hot guy-spy thing. Other ties, under the nonsense there was a story about the lengths we go to out of loyalty, told with a real sense of humor and, most definitely, tongue in cheek.

I enjoyed trying to imagine all the characters as they are presented in their more or less ridiculous tableaux. I am sure there are a good many spy gadgets on the market and Lynsay has the humorous idea to make them look like sex toys and feminine hygiene products.

Until I realized the story was intended as a strictly comedic spoof on Bond, I was appalled that Sands would sink to such lows as giving the characters such ridiculous names; homonymic: Jane Spyrus (Spy-r-us) Dirk Ensecksi (Dark and Sexy) and Ira Manetrue (I remain true). They still felt silly and since I have always thought that was a very silly part of the Bond franchise, it really helps to lay out the spoof.

While Bond and his pals get up to some sexy Bond hijinks, they are not nearly as funny as all the Bondian events that Sands uses to enhance her satire right down to that waterproof whatever it was that Bond landed in the water with. The story does move slowly in some areas, setting up the house and spy equipment and it takes a while to get to the romance which I found lukewarm. This is one of those times where the sex doesn’t really do anything for the story.

This story is light, funny, a little sexy, and I don’t think it is a good as the rest of Sands’ work. Let’s face it it is a bit silly, but is that a bad thing. Sometimes we want a silly book to read as a mood lifter or a distraction. If you need a funny light read, say for a flight or car ride, this might work for you.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG. This is my first thought after reading this book. I so needed this. I had recently been in a book slump and so I needed something to read that would not require a lot of my attention. I was wrong. Sometimes it is good to be wrong. The reason I was wrong is because this book was so much fun to read that I could not stop reading it. Jane, Abel, and Jane's Gram were all super stars in their own right. Take Jane for example. She was brain smart but naïve when it came to being a spy. It is a good thing that her targets were clueless. I loved the gadgets that she created. There is the tracking device that doubles as a real tampon, then there is the mini missile shaped like a vibrator, and I can't forget the shrinking condom. These are just a few of her gadgets.

Second there is Abel. He is not only sexy but a little doofy as well. Which in turn related to loveable. Which the romance between Abel and Jane were good and it did not take away from the story line. Lastly there is Jane's Gram. She really was on her "A" game. She brought the comedic relief and helped Jane being a spy. Ok well saying she is a spy is a bit of a stretch. So if you are looking for a book to read for some laughs you have to check this one out.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Loving Daylights

The Characters

Jane Spyrus
Abel Andretti

The Story

The screwball-iest of screwball comedies. There are vibrator rocket launchers, bad guy loving terriers and some fun sexy times. I really liked all of the characters, even the cantankerous Tinkles. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t think Lynsay Sands can write a book that I don’t enjoy.

The Random Thoughts

Unfortunately my Scribd app’s tendency to quit working between chapters of the book killed a lot of the joy in my reading. Nothing can take you out of the story like spending 10 minutes trying to figure out how to get it playing again.

3 Stars

[Anna Durand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, sexy, and full of adventure. Those are three things I love in a romance novel, and Lynsay Sands delivers all of them in this spy spoof. Our heroine, Jane, is a socially awkward inventor of unusual spy gadgets who gets drawn into the espionage world when her friend is kidnapped by baddies. Jane has help, though. Her wheelchair-bound but still feisty retired spy grandmother and her kidnapped friend's brother, who has no clue what's really going on. Naturally, trouble follows them and Jane's inventions cause some entertaining problems. How can you resist a premise like that?

[Martel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light, original and funny :)

[Pansy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back when I was a teenager, *mumbles 196 . . . * just a few years ago, there was a couple of movies starring James Coburn – Our Man Flint and In Like Flint. They were deliciously campy spy flicks, obviously capping on the James Bond craze at the time. The best thing they had going for them was James Coburn who even the teenage me thought was terribly hot – for an old guy. The names were outrageous, the story line verged on fantastical, the implied sex almost had this thing rated “R” but they kept it all suggestive. Totally titillating to a teenager. One of the few spoofs out there that I actually liked.

The Loving Daylights reminded me of that. Although, the hero wasn’t a genus spy who had a harem of women. Abel Andretti was an accountant. Maybe a hot accountant, but still just an accountant who is in town to visit his sister. She seems to be missing.

So the heroine must be the spy. Not exactly. She works for B.L.I.S.S – I don’t think they ever tell us what that acronym is supposed to stand for but really, who cares? But, Jane Spyrus (See what I mean about the names?) is in the D and C department. (That one means Development and Creation.) Jane makes the gadgets. She is a “techno geek.” A rather shy one. Has no time for men or dating. Her latest inventions: “I came up with BTTs—B.L.I.S.S. Tampon Trackers.” Because one of their agents was killed the month before when her clothes and jewelry were removed. “I c-came up with the B.L.I.S.S. Shrink-Wrap Condom.” To prevent rape on assignment. AND “The . . . er . . . B.L.I.S.S. Mini-Missile Launcher is highly nonthreatening in appearance and easily-carried in luggage into foreign countries. Made mostly of polymers, it will not set off airport alarms. Should it be discovered during a hand-search of luggage, it is unlikely to raise concern. In fact, most people would be too embarrassed to look at it closely. Even if they did, however, they will find a functioning vibrator.” You can imagine what affect this presentation had on the monthly meeting. It was entertaining, considering two of the three items were demostrated.

You may be wondering, who is the spy? That would be Jane’s gran, Maggie. She is a retired spy, but only because she is 70 years old and there was an assignment that went bad and put her in a wheelchair – forced retirement due to disability. Maggie/Gran is a hoot. Talk about your spunky grandmother! *grin* Jane lives with her and has since her parents – who also worked for B.L.I.S.S – died years before. She attempts to keep Gran out of trouble. Not always an easy task.

BTW, this is all in the first sample chapter that you can check it out on Amazon before buying the book. That is what hooked me into wanting to read it, as well as being a Lynsay Sands fan. I was laughing so hard and enjoying it so much I just had to see where it went from here. This appears to be an expanded release of a previously published work and stands alone very well.

What a ride it was! The group went from Vancouver, Canada to Sonora, California. All of the wonderfully delightful new inventions of Jane’s were actually used at one time or another, plus a few more. The bad guys were wonderfully clichéd with equally delightful names. The main nemesis was the Ensecksi family. This is pronounce something like “and sexy.” (It does have bearing on the story.) Oh – and look for “Dick Hedde.” The name so fits.

Speaking of ride, I need to mention the van they travel in. It has a bunch of neat gadgets like speed boost, police band detector, restraints, and a fold down bed. (Totally needed in any spy story! *grin*) It is soundproof, waterproof, fireproof, and yes, it floats. It can also handle Gran and her wheelchair. I so want one!

There is excitement and adventure with some romance for spice much like those old Flint movies, only with even more tongue-in-cheek humor. Although, with all the stumbling around, but still coming out smelling like roses, you might think of Get Smart. Either one, this is a delicious read for some light entertainment.

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did i seriously just read this? And enjoy it...?

This book demands you approach it with a sense of humor and the understanding that it is meant to be a fun, silly care free story. I started it without reading the blurb or checking out any reviews (something new i'm trying)and all i knew was that it was meant to be a romantic crime novel.
When the government agency the protagonist worked for was called B.L.I.S.S (which btw's nowhere does it say what that stands for KMT),her dick head colleagues name was actually 'Dick Hedde' and the whole premise is that shes a inventor tracking her kidnapped neighbor via tampon with her weapons of choice being vibrators and truth serum perfume. I felt like the author was basically screaming this is the written version of the sappiest, corniest, tongue in cheek type- of - funny romcom you've ever seen. Once i accepted that it became hilarious! the play on words with the names like my favorite Dirk Ensicksy (ie Dark n' sexy),the unbelievable situations the characters got caught in like Abel with his towel and Mr Tibbs or better yet my favorite scene with the 'shrinking condom'
Though its very different from the Argeneau series we all know and love, you can still very much recognise the authors unique voice
All in all i'd say it was a quick light read that i'd recommend to anyone trying to unwind or to people like me who've grown too appreciate the curious/terrified look of people on the bus when i burst out laughing with a tablet in my hand :P

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started listening to The Loving Daylights, I wasn't sure if I would keep listening It was really unlike anything else that I have read by this author. Once I gave into the silliness of the book, I found I enjoyed it. This book is very silly. I took it as a tongue-in-cheek spy romance novel. There are lots of funny scenes that had me laughing. The shrink wrap condom scene was hilarious! I started to enjoy the character names, such as Ira Maintrue and Dirk Ensecksi. Say those really fast and see what you get. The characters themselves were fun. If you are looking for a really fun read that doesn't take itself seriously, then make sure to check this one out!

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the author's vampire romances, but am not into historical these days, which left me with this. Not much of a leaving. A cute, very silly premise with a government inventor forced to go off on a mission to save her very dear neighbor with her hot brother tagging along. But it was too silly even for me, without the connection to the characters that makes her Argeneau series work so well.

[Donna Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

My New Year's resolution is I have to be more stingy with my stars--last year this would have been a 4, loved the gadgets that were portrayed--Kinda wished the pink d/d was on the cover--this was an amusing light read with decent background story.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story didn't grab me very fast but I did find myself chuckling all the way thru it. The silly play on words keeps me laughing. I will reread this book
rereading

[Nora-adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynsay Sands appears to have hit her stride with this new series. It's a combination of Get Smart, and every soft core spy novel I ever read in my much younger years. I LOVE IT!

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters are hilarious!!

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just loved it and can't wait to read more!

My Rating: 5+ stars

[Cora Lein · Rating 1 out of 5]

Inhalt:
Jane Spyrus ist Erfinderin beim Geheimdienst. Neben Peilsendern in Tampons oder Dildos, welche getarnte Raketenwerfer sind, hat Jane noch andere prickelnde Erfindungen parat, bis sie merkt, dass ein Mann in ihrem Leben fehlt ...

Meinung:
Das schlechteste Buch von Lynsay Sands, welches ich je in den Fingern gehalten habe. Normalerweise sind ihre Bücher witzig, handeln von starken Persönlichkeiten sowie Spannung und Aktion. In diesem, absolut überzogenen, Agentenblödsinn gibt es nichts davon. Jane hat keine Persönlichkeit, die Figuren wirken allesamt oberflächlich, die Erfindungen sind der größte Mist, keine Frau, welche was auf sich hält, würde damit was anfangen und das "Schrumpfkondom" - also ehrlich! Zudem scheint es keine wirkliche Handlung zu geben. Jane schweift immer wieder in ihren Gedanken ab und man weiß nie, wo man sich nun gerade befindet oder warum. Das ist wahnsinnig anstrengend zu lesen und so überzogen, dass es schlichtweg nervt und mich daher zum Leseabbruch gebracht hat.

Charaktere:
Alle überzogen. Das nervöse, der böse, der gute .... auch hat kein Charakter irgendein wirkliches Merkmal oder zumindest eine eigene Persönlichkeit.

Cover:
Das Cover ist schrill, bunt und überladen. Es passt perfekt zum Inhalt.

Fazit:
Das schlechteste Buch der Autorin, mit einer furchtbaren Protagonistin und einer überdrehten Agentengeschichte. Mich konnte nichts überzeugen, weshalb ich das Buch vorzeitig abgebrochen habe. Daher gibt es nur einen Stern und keine Leseempfehlung.

[Secret Agent Fan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This entry in the B.L.I.S.S. chronicles felt to me like an extended episode of “Get Smart.” The same sort of crazy gizmos, ridiculous plot, and goofy spy shenanigans. But peppered with some steamy sex scenes and a lot of romance.

Our heroine is Jane Spyrus (Is that pronounced Spy-R-Us?) who develops gadgets for the secret spy agency known as B.L.I.S.S. When her neighbor Edie is kidnapped, Jane and Edie’s brother, Abel, follow in hot pursuit. Fortunately Edie is wearing a tracking device that Jane has developed. Well, not exactly wearing. But she’s carrying it in a safe place.

As it happens, Edie’s kidnapping is part of a larger plot by evildoers intent on world domination. Jane is not a field agent, but since she’s the only B.L.I.S.S. agent on the scene she needs to dump her old T-shirt and the jeans with a frayed hole in the knee, put on a slinky dress, and play the femme fatale to get to the bottom of the plot—and rescue Edie. It turns out that Jane is a knockout in a slinky dress. She just needed an excuse to channel her inner femme fatale.

In the course of the novel she’s pursued by three men. It’s not hard to figure out which one she’ll choose. The truth-serum perfume she's wearing certainly helps to narrow down the options.

Funny, fast-paced, and perhaps a little too on-target about what men are thinking when wooing a sexy woman in a slinky dress, “The Loving Daylights” makes a nice conclusion to the B.L.I.S.S. Trilogy.

[TinaMarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to audio narrated by Krista Lallly. Very campy, Jane works to create devices for their agents, all her creations seem sex related, missiles disguised as a vibrator, tampons that contain trackers, etc. Lots of cliché characters. Her lax security alone should have gotten her fired ages ago. Abel is only slightly more believable as he comes into town only to find his sister is missing and stumbling into Jane to help him find her. The fact that his sister accidently took a top secret device and Jane just blithely says oh well??? But wait, she took the tracking tampons so they are all in luck to use that to find Abel's sister. Then they are off on a road trip following the tracking signal but they bring her grandma, the dog and the cat? I mean REALLY, I can see the justification for the grandma and the dog but bringing the cat?!?, ridiculous. Two hours into the audio, I was done with this story, I had to force myself to finish. Almost every campy spy characterization or plot device appears, it's too much and over the top. Which is a shame because these two did have nice chemistry, everything else was a distraction.

[Rosemarie Grainer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and action packed adventure!

Jane is an inventor for a spy company. Her friend and neighbor accidentally borrows some stuff from her. Abel is her brother who is in Vancouver to visit. But his sister never meets him at the airport. When he gets to her apartment, Jane finds out that Emmy never returned from her date last night. But what has happened to her? As Jane and Abel try to find out, they do so with Jane's grandma and her dog with them. This is a zany, fun romp of an adventure!

The pace is breakneck and the tone is uncertain yet hopeful with an action oriented storyline that has some steamy suggestions, but not a lot of details. The characters are vibrant and kickass! This story is filled with lots of fun as well as twists and turns! Enjoy!

[Christopher Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read AND Hilarious

And have been a long time fan of Lynsey Sands and have read all fs the Arceneaux series booms and had just finished one and wanted more and came across this book and read a sample and just had to get the book and read it.

I have never laughed so hard when I read the part about the condom mishap. OMG, so. Effing funny. I couldnt read further because I was laughing out loud so much. But finally got through that part. I hope Ms Sands decides to pick up more of the Spyrus adventure and add to this story.

Great read and I recommend everyone to read it.

Thanks Lynsey!

[Amy Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful romance/suspense novel with a lot of laughs

From beginning to end, this book delivers a lot of laughs, some plot twists, and the kind of well drawn characters I've come to expect from this author. I think she is as good as Nora Roberts at creating characters that you want to read about, plus, while I love Nora Roberts, Lynsay Sands is the master of creating the funny romance. I've devoured all of Ms. Santa's books that I have gotten my hands on, and enjoyed every second. So if you like to laugh, and you like well conceived, likable characters, I think you will enjoy this book.

[Stephanie LOCKERBIE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynsay Sands. I just love you more and more. Your romantic comedies always have the best characters and they are fun to read. There is just enough unreal in them to keep them fun. In this book, Jane’s inventions… hahahaha. Loved them. I love the Easter Eggs in the names too! I read for entertainment and you always entertain me. Thank you for what you do ! Also, I must say that the build up and tension in romance is amazing. Who can stop reading when the couples are starting to come together … not me. I don’t know how you do it but I am glad that you do! This was a fun read and I didn’t want it to end. Keep them coming !

[Sandra R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and silly spoof on spys ('a la' James Bond) I loved the ridiculous character names. Jane is the clumsy gadget girl for B.L.I.S.S. Together with her wheelchair bound gran (a retired spy) her best friend's hunky accountant brother Abel and a bag full of crazy gadgets (rocket launching vibrators, knockout lipstick, shrink wrap condoms, exploding earrings etc), they embark on a road trip for her missing friend. This well written story is a great way to spend a few hours unwinding. One of Ms Sand's very early books.

[Sue Gosland]

Every book Lynsay Sands writes is full of humor, adventure, and sexy people. This one is no exception.

In a family of spies, Jane Spyrus is a total geek. She finds herself thrown into the field when her neighbor and friend is kidnapped, putting her and Abel Andretti chasing after Abel's sister, Edie. They end up in California, chasing a hearse into California from Vancouver, BC, after tracking Edie through one of Jane's latest inventions, a tampon with a tracking device. That should tell you all you need to know to really get into this book. It is so worth it!

[Bonnie Stinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read. This book is a page-turner light mystery. There is a quirky humor and of course some romance. Mostly it's a book that when you are done you realize that it was fun and you want to read more.
Ms. Sands has stepped away from the Argeneau family and kept the best of those stories and gone off into a fresh area (for her). It is more intelligent than many light mysteries, but I'd still consider it a beach vacation book.

[Meck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. It’s implausible storyline is full of likable characters which is why I was able to finish the book. It’s not really a comedy nor a mystery as the antagonists are established early on. It’s a silly, easy read; an escape where you wish you were like Jane (loyal, lovely, intelligent & a 4th degree black belt - isn’t everyone?) This would be a good commuter or beach book — if you don’t have time to finish it, no worries.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really funny story. It was a complete spoof on spy novels with a romantic twist. I also liked that if you just want an easy weekend read that'll make you smile, this is a great option. There were a couple times that I did have to roll my eyes because it was so silly that things crossed over to ridiculous.

Overall, this was such a cute read and I highly recommend it it you want a silly, sexy little romance!