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Spymasters #1
The Spymaster's Lady
Joanna Bourne returns to the French Revolution, pairing espionage and burning romance to create an unforgettable love story. For fans of Stephanie Laurens and Elizabeth Hoyt, this is a must-read.
She's never met a man she couldn't deceive...until now.
She's braved battlefields, played the worldly courtesan, the naive virgin, the refined British lady, even a Gypsy boy. But Annique Villiers, the elusive spy known as the Fox Cub, has finally met the one man she can't outwit...
British spymaster Robert Grey must enter France and capture the brilliant, beautiful - and dangerous - Fox Cub and her secrets for England. When the two natural enemies are thrown into prison, they forge an uneasy alliance to break free. But their pact is temporary and betrayal seems inevitable. As the fates of nations hang in the balance, Grey and Annique fight the passion that flares between them - forbidden, impossible and completely irresistible...
For more spellbinding Spymasters romance, look for the other titles by Joanna Bourne: The Forbidden Rose, My Lord and Spymaster, The Black Hawk and Rogue Spy.
She's never met a man she couldn't deceive...until now.
She's braved battlefields, played the worldly courtesan, the naive virgin, the refined British lady, even a Gypsy boy. But Annique Villiers, the elusive spy known as the Fox Cub, has finally met the one man she can't outwit...
British spymaster Robert Grey must enter France and capture the brilliant, beautiful - and dangerous - Fox Cub and her secrets for England. When the two natural enemies are thrown into prison, they forge an uneasy alliance to break free. But their pact is temporary and betrayal seems inevitable. As the fates of nations hang in the balance, Grey and Annique fight the passion that flares between them - forbidden, impossible and completely irresistible...
For more spellbinding Spymasters romance, look for the other titles by Joanna Bourne: The Forbidden Rose, My Lord and Spymaster, The Black Hawk and Rogue Spy.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2008
300 people are currently reading
6764 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Bourne
29 books913 followersJoanna lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge with her family, a medium-sized mutt and a faux Himalayan cat.
She writes Historical Romances set in England and France during the Napoleonic Wars. She's fascinated by that time and place - such passionate conviction and burning idealism ... and really sexy clothes.
She writes Historical Romances set in England and France during the Napoleonic Wars. She's fascinated by that time and place - such passionate conviction and burning idealism ... and really sexy clothes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,117 reviews
May 12, 2011
My guess at how the publisher’s office works, based on the cover of this book:
Publisher: So what’s this book about?
Assistant: Hell if I know. Or care.
Publisher: Ok. Put an ambiguous guy on the front. That should "cover" our bases.
Assistant: Good one, boss. I’ll make sure to make him look like a tool.
OR maybe something like this:
Assistant: Spymaster’s Lady, huh? That’s a pretty intriguing title.
Publisher: Yea. It’s too sophisticated. The cover has to balance that.
A: Ok. I’ll use an effeminate male model dazedly looking at nothing.
P: Perfect. Wait, how was the story?
A: Inventive, fun, sly, and entertaining.
P: Crap. Better make him shirtless to disguise that.
A: Well, there was an epic-type romance with plenty of heat.
P: Ok, he can be in the process of taking off the shirt. Make sure his chest is showing though.
A: How many abs can I show? 2?
P: Hmm… How was the dialogue?
A: Direct, intelligent, often hilarious.
P: The characters?
A: Lovely. Best I've seen in a long time.
P: Better make it an 6-pack then. We need to make sure people who aren’t used to romance novels are scared off.
A: -nods- Genius, boss.
P: I know. One last thing. If the book’s unique and witty, make sure the back cover hides that as well as possible in cliché and over the top descriptions.
A: Please. That’s romance novel publishing 101. I just used my favorite template and inserted the names and occupations.
P: Great work. Look like our job is done. Let me buy us a round of glue bottles to sniff.
A: Sounds delightful.
Seriously loved this book. And obviously like many others, seriously hate the cover. Had to get that out there. Rest of the review coming soon.
Publisher: So what’s this book about?
Assistant: Hell if I know. Or care.
Publisher: Ok. Put an ambiguous guy on the front. That should "cover" our bases.
Assistant: Good one, boss. I’ll make sure to make him look like a tool.
OR maybe something like this:
Assistant: Spymaster’s Lady, huh? That’s a pretty intriguing title.
Publisher: Yea. It’s too sophisticated. The cover has to balance that.
A: Ok. I’ll use an effeminate male model dazedly looking at nothing.
P: Perfect. Wait, how was the story?
A: Inventive, fun, sly, and entertaining.
P: Crap. Better make him shirtless to disguise that.
A: Well, there was an epic-type romance with plenty of heat.
P: Ok, he can be in the process of taking off the shirt. Make sure his chest is showing though.
A: How many abs can I show? 2?
P: Hmm… How was the dialogue?
A: Direct, intelligent, often hilarious.
P: The characters?
A: Lovely. Best I've seen in a long time.
P: Better make it an 6-pack then. We need to make sure people who aren’t used to romance novels are scared off.
A: -nods- Genius, boss.
P: I know. One last thing. If the book’s unique and witty, make sure the back cover hides that as well as possible in cliché and over the top descriptions.
A: Please. That’s romance novel publishing 101. I just used my favorite template and inserted the names and occupations.
P: Great work. Look like our job is done. Let me buy us a round of glue bottles to sniff.
A: Sounds delightful.
Seriously loved this book. And obviously like many others, seriously hate the cover. Had to get that out there. Rest of the review coming soon.
October 5, 2010
Why can't I select ZERO stars? Why, Goodreads? Tell me why!
WTF is the matter with this author?! We have an amazing heroine, in most respects. Paired with a hero that is fucking unforgivable. After saving their lives, he betrays her, treats her like a whore, and virtually threatens her with sexual assault on a constant basis.
Then, heroine helps them again. I don't know why. Personally, I would have left the bastards to fucking die. I would have been rubbing two sticks together to try and light them on fucking fire, frankly. But I guess she was trying to garner some goodwill, to improve her situation a little. Good fucking luck with that.
Anyway, she helps save the life of one of them AGAIN, and then the hero decides it is time to start dosing her with opiates.
WHAT. THE. FUCK?!?
This is where I started skimming.
She comes on to him - STONED OUT OF HER MIND - and he happily takes advantage. With Adrian, whom I sort of liked up until this point (because he had been pressing Gray to lay the fuck off), encouraging him to go ahead and screw her while she's like that.
FUCK!
She continues to help, after the "hero" (yeah, I am being sarcastic. Fuck Gray.) SLAPS her out of the drug-induced haze he has been keeping her in (hey, I guess he prefers his women to just lie there drooling).
WTF is the matter with this author? How can anyone like this book? I can't even, really, like the heroine anymore, because I have ZERO respect for her. And frankly, if I kept reading to see her hook up with the hero once she, you know, recovers from her opium addition, fucking thank you very fucking much, I would probably instantly die of apoplexy.
Fuck this book. Arrrrrrrrggggggghhhh!!
WTF is the matter with this author?! We have an amazing heroine, in most respects. Paired with a hero that is fucking unforgivable. After saving their lives, he betrays her, treats her like a whore, and virtually threatens her with sexual assault on a constant basis.
Then, heroine helps them again. I don't know why. Personally, I would have left the bastards to fucking die. I would have been rubbing two sticks together to try and light them on fucking fire, frankly. But I guess she was trying to garner some goodwill, to improve her situation a little. Good fucking luck with that.
Anyway, she helps save the life of one of them AGAIN, and then the hero decides it is time to start dosing her with opiates.
WHAT. THE. FUCK?!?
This is where I started skimming.
She comes on to him - STONED OUT OF HER MIND - and he happily takes advantage. With Adrian, whom I sort of liked up until this point (because he had been pressing Gray to lay the fuck off), encouraging him to go ahead and screw her while she's like that.
FUCK!
She continues to help, after the "hero" (yeah, I am being sarcastic. Fuck Gray.) SLAPS her out of the drug-induced haze he has been keeping her in (hey, I guess he prefers his women to just lie there drooling).
WTF is the matter with this author? How can anyone like this book? I can't even, really, like the heroine anymore, because I have ZERO respect for her. And frankly, if I kept reading to see her hook up with the hero once she, you know, recovers from her opium addition, fucking thank you very fucking much, I would probably instantly die of apoplexy.
Fuck this book. Arrrrrrrrggggggghhhh!!
June 4, 2024
12/31/2020 I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is not your usual spy novel. I plan to read the series.
6/3/2024 This is a reread. The opening scene and the first few chapters are brilliant. The writing grabs you, and you're in for a wonderful ride. This is a spy novel with a love story that has a well written heroine with witty dialogue and action. Annique is well versed in spy craft, and we see this over and over how she is able to set traps and get away from the agents out to kill her. So why did I drop a star from my last review. I found it irritating that someone so brilliant would make absolute rookie mistakes (this happened several times-otherwise all would be forgiven with me). Plus, on reread those reveals that are breathtaking on the first read and not a surprise now. Absolutely recommend this book.
6/3/2024 This is a reread. The opening scene and the first few chapters are brilliant. The writing grabs you, and you're in for a wonderful ride. This is a spy novel with a love story that has a well written heroine with witty dialogue and action. Annique is well versed in spy craft, and we see this over and over how she is able to set traps and get away from the agents out to kill her. So why did I drop a star from my last review. I found it irritating that someone so brilliant would make absolute rookie mistakes (this happened several times-otherwise all would be forgiven with me). Plus, on reread those reveals that are breathtaking on the first read and not a surprise now. Absolutely recommend this book.
July 29, 2009
This book....has the worst cover ever. Thank god for Kindle. As for the actual STORY...
I really enjoyed the first part of this book, like REALLY did, and then after a while, the heroine became...dumb. And I wanted to kill her. She is so awesome in the beginning, why WHY lose it half-way through the book!??! She goes from badass to imcompetent and not smart about things! WHY??!?!?! WHY MUST YOU BECOME DEPENDENT ON THE MAN HALFWAY THROUGH!?
It was a fun read nonetheless, I read it voraciously, but started out better than it ended.
I really enjoyed the first part of this book, like REALLY did, and then after a while, the heroine became...dumb. And I wanted to kill her. She is so awesome in the beginning, why WHY lose it half-way through the book!??! She goes from badass to imcompetent and not smart about things! WHY??!?!?! WHY MUST YOU BECOME DEPENDENT ON THE MAN HALFWAY THROUGH!?
It was a fun read nonetheless, I read it voraciously, but started out better than it ended.
January 7, 2009
The Spymaster's Lady was a little like reading a historical Ludlum novel plus romance. I'm usually leery of the spy theme in historical romance because it's typically a plot device and a novelty; it's never lent much thought.
It's clear, however, that Joanna Bourne not only lent the subject thought, she created two characters entrenched in that world. Grey and Annique are two of the best. They're assets to their nations, Britain and France, respectively, but they've never met before-- until a pivotal event changes both their lives and sees them both in a notorious French prison in the charge of one of France's most brutal spymasters.
That's when Grey meets Annique, the woman who might have brutally murdered his men and guards for a secret that has the potential to destroy nations-- a moment that Annique soon regrets when she realizes she has attracted the attention of one of Britain's most ruthless men. So begins Annique's seduction (Bourne's forte) on two fronts, because Grey not only wants to wrest secrets from this too loyal woman, he also comes to want her for himself. This is the thrust of their interactions, along with working together against outside forces (the Villain), sometimes even voluntarily (LOL).
In both respects, I was convinced. Grey and Annique are both intelligent (no insipid dialogue, hallelujah!) and expert in deceit, trickery, survival and exploiting their resources to the fullest (that includes moments like the one where Annique uses a sash as a garrote). Annique is truly French, in her irony, her realism, and her romanticism, right down to her speech patterns (a little repetitive but not overmuch). At some points her dialogue was so much like a literal translation from French expression that I was impressed. Rather than try and (fail to) put a French accent to paper, Bourne simply tells the reader which language they're speaking. I cannot say how irritating it is to read a cheesy accent in romance novels. Yes, it is just as annoying in literature as in the movies. Thank you, Joanna! I suppose having actually lived in France makes a difference in an author's portrayal. Props.
The attraction and admiration between Annique and Grey builds plausibly at the same time that the reader comes to admire them. If I were Grey I would probably fall in love with Annique too -and there are precious few heroines I can say that of- though she is by no means perfect. I don't think I need to say it, but the hero's delicious too, LOL.
Why? Underlying both characters' missions is their selfless loyalties. They're noble in a gritty world. This is believable without becoming overomanticized and unrealistic or too gritty and brutal for romance. It's a very delicate balance. The ruthlessness and determination that two talented spies must have is there, but it is subtle enough to engender a feeling of almost-tragedy for these two characters, unfortunate and helpless in their choice of love. These two definitely care for each other. There's nothing ugly or hurtful about their relationship, though there are moments of despair where reality intervenes. So the tone is not light. It is not dark either, but there's a good dose of angst and principles and conflict. There are unexpected (believable) twists.
Despite all that, this is not a tragedy. The ending, among other things, is as romantic as you could wish. *dreamy sigh* If you liked the Bourne spy movies and reimagined them in your head as a romance, you would enjoy The Spymaster's Lady. Truly a romance, truly spies (the way we modern folks might see them). There's only one love scene, but the draw is reading about Grey and Annique as they fight against and with each other. Are these two enemies doomed? And so on. (Set as a journey.)
It's clear, however, that Joanna Bourne not only lent the subject thought, she created two characters entrenched in that world. Grey and Annique are two of the best. They're assets to their nations, Britain and France, respectively, but they've never met before-- until a pivotal event changes both their lives and sees them both in a notorious French prison in the charge of one of France's most brutal spymasters.
That's when Grey meets Annique, the woman who might have brutally murdered his men and guards for a secret that has the potential to destroy nations-- a moment that Annique soon regrets when she realizes she has attracted the attention of one of Britain's most ruthless men. So begins Annique's seduction (Bourne's forte) on two fronts, because Grey not only wants to wrest secrets from this too loyal woman, he also comes to want her for himself. This is the thrust of their interactions, along with working together against outside forces (the Villain), sometimes even voluntarily (LOL).
In both respects, I was convinced. Grey and Annique are both intelligent (no insipid dialogue, hallelujah!) and expert in deceit, trickery, survival and exploiting their resources to the fullest (that includes moments like the one where Annique uses a sash as a garrote). Annique is truly French, in her irony, her realism, and her romanticism, right down to her speech patterns (a little repetitive but not overmuch). At some points her dialogue was so much like a literal translation from French expression that I was impressed. Rather than try and (fail to) put a French accent to paper, Bourne simply tells the reader which language they're speaking. I cannot say how irritating it is to read a cheesy accent in romance novels. Yes, it is just as annoying in literature as in the movies. Thank you, Joanna! I suppose having actually lived in France makes a difference in an author's portrayal. Props.
The attraction and admiration between Annique and Grey builds plausibly at the same time that the reader comes to admire them. If I were Grey I would probably fall in love with Annique too -and there are precious few heroines I can say that of- though she is by no means perfect. I don't think I need to say it, but the hero's delicious too, LOL.
Why? Underlying both characters' missions is their selfless loyalties. They're noble in a gritty world. This is believable without becoming overomanticized and unrealistic or too gritty and brutal for romance. It's a very delicate balance. The ruthlessness and determination that two talented spies must have is there, but it is subtle enough to engender a feeling of almost-tragedy for these two characters, unfortunate and helpless in their choice of love. These two definitely care for each other. There's nothing ugly or hurtful about their relationship, though there are moments of despair where reality intervenes. So the tone is not light. It is not dark either, but there's a good dose of angst and principles and conflict. There are unexpected (believable) twists.
Despite all that, this is not a tragedy. The ending, among other things, is as romantic as you could wish. *dreamy sigh* If you liked the Bourne spy movies and reimagined them in your head as a romance, you would enjoy The Spymaster's Lady. Truly a romance, truly spies (the way we modern folks might see them). There's only one love scene, but the draw is reading about Grey and Annique as they fight against and with each other. Are these two enemies doomed? And so on. (Set as a journey.)
October 3, 2015
Oh, man...the stockholm syndrome is strong with this one. The romance is just so...ridiculous to me. I found Annique's POVs and dialogue extremely annoying to read.
Grey. Annique saves his and Adrian's life...and he turns around and pays her back by taking her captive and dressing her in indecent clothing. She saves Adrian's life by pulling out a bullet that would've surely killed him...and they turn around by drugging her for days and only rouse her when they need her to get past a checkpoint. She then pretty much saves Adrian's life (again) by giving him a password he later utilizes...and Grey turns around in Dover and lulls her into deceit and takes her captive yet again. Wow. That's a super great romantic relationship right there. Grey is deceitful and just all sorts of terrible and Annique is naive and makes terrible decisions and choices. I thought she was supposed to be all super spy??
Grey. Annique saves his and Adrian's life...and he turns around and pays her back by taking her captive and dressing her in indecent clothing. She saves Adrian's life by pulling out a bullet that would've surely killed him...and they turn around by drugging her for days and only rouse her when they need her to get past a checkpoint. She then pretty much saves Adrian's life (again) by giving him a password he later utilizes...and Grey turns around in Dover and lulls her into deceit and takes her captive yet again. Wow. That's a super great romantic relationship right there. Grey is deceitful and just all sorts of terrible and Annique is naive and makes terrible decisions and choices. I thought she was supposed to be all super spy??
September 5, 2017
This is a power-differential romance (which is a thing I just made up) and that brings in some uncomfortableness that can be hard to get past. By which I mean that Grey has Annique in his power and relatively helpless for much of the story. She is literally his prisoner to start and functionally so all the way to the end. Which makes the falling-in-love part a harder sell and I'm not sure Bourne pulled that off.
But I had problems even beyond that through much of the novel as well. I had a particularly hard time with Annique's motivation, though I suspect that's because she is so loyal to France and I find that strange (because it's despite having had front-row seats to some of Napoleon's depredations in his early campaigns and also because French-loyalty is such a rare component of Regency-era stories). So I was very frustrated with what felt like willful rejections of quite reasonable accommodations all the way to the end.
Add a villain straight out of the Snidley-Whiplash school of villainy and you get a story that's hard to take seriously. And really, I'm not sure why I enjoyed it enough that I finished it as quickly as I did. I think it comes down to the dialogue and some key character moments. Oh, and falling for Grey early. I love a competent man bending the world to serve and protect people he cares for and about and Grey had that in spades. Also, I admit I liked their spy team, even if they're completely ahistorical and a bit overdone in the heroic mode. It's a bit like Leverage, now I think on it. That kind of team competence thing, I mean.
Anyway, it's a solid three stars for me based almost entirely on Grey and his team and I'll almost certainly seek out the next.
A note about Steamy: This had multiple explicit sex scenes, but I forget how many. Middle of my steam tolerance and edging higher. Frankly, I really didn't buy the sexual setup and not least because Annique was still Grey's prisoner throughout. I also really hated the attitude of every single French spy who wasn't Annique and the casual expectation of sexual favors by female agents on their own side (and the absolute certainty of rape as a "questioning" technique by pretty much everybody. Except, of course, for Grey and his heroes...).
But I had problems even beyond that through much of the novel as well. I had a particularly hard time with Annique's motivation, though I suspect that's because she is so loyal to France and I find that strange (because it's despite having had front-row seats to some of Napoleon's depredations in his early campaigns and also because French-loyalty is such a rare component of Regency-era stories). So I was very frustrated with what felt like willful rejections of quite reasonable accommodations all the way to the end.
Add a villain straight out of the Snidley-Whiplash school of villainy and you get a story that's hard to take seriously. And really, I'm not sure why I enjoyed it enough that I finished it as quickly as I did. I think it comes down to the dialogue and some key character moments. Oh, and falling for Grey early. I love a competent man bending the world to serve and protect people he cares for and about and Grey had that in spades. Also, I admit I liked their spy team, even if they're completely ahistorical and a bit overdone in the heroic mode. It's a bit like Leverage, now I think on it. That kind of team competence thing, I mean.
Anyway, it's a solid three stars for me based almost entirely on Grey and his team and I'll almost certainly seek out the next.
A note about Steamy: This had multiple explicit sex scenes, but I forget how many. Middle of my steam tolerance and edging higher. Frankly, I really didn't buy the sexual setup and not least because Annique was still Grey's prisoner throughout. I also really hated the attitude of every single French spy who wasn't Annique and the casual expectation of sexual favors by female agents on their own side (and the absolute certainty of rape as a "questioning" technique by pretty much everybody. Except, of course, for Grey and his heroes...).
October 18, 2017
"Spying is a life of boring, ordinary tasks, performed while death scratches at the window."
So perfect that it might be the last romance I ever read.
I've had this on my To Be Read list for as long as I've been on Goodreads, which means a long time, and while I've always meant to get around to reading it I never had. Until now, at a time when I'd given up ever finding another romance I wanted to really read let alone enjoy. So, a couple of months after being on the library waitlist I finally got to read it.
Clever, deadly, and amusingly droll. Granted I have a somewhat darker sense of humor, but this definitely ticked all the boxes I could want in a historical romance. Superb plot set in Regency France and England, but not the glittering and vacuous side. This was more chess than porcelain dolls.
"I will like England." She started walking again. "I have been here only four hours, and already I have met three men trying to kill me and one who bought me whelks. For better or worse, this is not a country that ignores me."
Delightful characterizations that are broad and deep, revealed slowly. There's a charm and humor as bullets and knives fly. Then, there's the shell game. Follow the secret, who's got it, and what's it worth.
"If a secret may be owned, it can change ownership," he said.
"Oh, surely. Secrets are most promiscuous, I have eloped with a few myself, in my time."
The romance is sublime. For two individuals who understand that tomorrow is promised to no one, it is surprisingly balanced with a nice bit of slow burn as the flames of attraction kindle. The humor and tete a tete between Grey and Annique are fabulous.
"Perhaps, I will try to strangle you once more. Though you have the most beautiful body imaginable. Like a large animal."
Adrian murmured. "What complex and interesting nights you two must have."
"Shut up," Grey said.
The expanding cast provide some comedic relief for a story that's dealing with characters having been through the Reign of Terror and now living with Napoleon's ambitions. The material is serious and there is a significant body count. While, this is a romance, there is enough reality surrounding them, losses affecting them that it is critical to balance the suspense.
"You should have learned to play the piano badly, years ago. I don't know what your mother was thinking.
"I am not musical, me."
"Neither are the young ladies of good family. They worship at the shrine of Euterpe, but hear her not."
But, quite simply, there's a noblesse oblige observed between the key players, even in dark times when ideals are abandoned for expediency. The romanticized version of espionage is very attractive, but romance isn't for realism it's for fantasy. Thus, all the accolades accorded this book are well deserved and I only wished I'd read it sooner.
"Too much blood on the chessboard of the Game, and we become no better than those military savages who litter the fields of Europe with the bodies of poor young men."
July 9, 2022
Set during the mad days of Napoleon Bonaparte's megalomaniac rampaging across Europe, this book is set first in France, then later in England. It takes place a few years after William and Maggie's story (The Forbidden Rose), and we do get to revisit them in a few enjoyable vignettes. Both of them are secondary/ minor characters in this exciting and twisting adventure.
This is Grey and Annique's story. Grey, British Head of Station for spies in England. An exemplary spy, and a man who knows the last thing he should be doing is falling for someone like Annique.
Annique, at age 19, has been a French spy in one way or another since she was just a child. Now she finds herself on her own, and being chased by a very nasty and determined Frenchman who believes she holds some vital secrets. Grey and Annique somehow end up in the same French prison, and this is how they first meet. They are drawn to each other right from the start, even though they work on opposite sides of the fence. And from here, the adventure begins.
I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot in this book. Most of the revelations came as complete surprises to me, but the author skilfully laid the groundwork so they were quite convincing. The romance between Grey and Annique is also very sweet and they obviously make a deep connection with each other.
Another lovely read from Joanna Bourne.
This is Grey and Annique's story. Grey, British Head of Station for spies in England. An exemplary spy, and a man who knows the last thing he should be doing is falling for someone like Annique.
Annique, at age 19, has been a French spy in one way or another since she was just a child. Now she finds herself on her own, and being chased by a very nasty and determined Frenchman who believes she holds some vital secrets. Grey and Annique somehow end up in the same French prison, and this is how they first meet. They are drawn to each other right from the start, even though they work on opposite sides of the fence. And from here, the adventure begins.
I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot in this book. Most of the revelations came as complete surprises to me, but the author skilfully laid the groundwork so they were quite convincing. The romance between Grey and Annique is also very sweet and they obviously make a deep connection with each other.
Another lovely read from Joanna Bourne.
January 3, 2018
3.5 stars
Warning: Possible spoilers ahead
Though I'll try my best not to spoiler the plot. But to explain my issues, I'll have to explain them and that may lead to a few spoilers.
I couldn't resist, so I went ahead and read the next one chronologically in Joanna Bourne's Spymasters series.
Everything I said about the The Forbidden Rose is true for The Spymaster's Lady. The unique and distinctive voice the author gives her characters, and (something I didn't mention in my review for the previous book) the excellent pacing of the plot itself. Compellingly written, I was hooked from the first to the last page.
If it weren't for two problems I couldn't really get out of my head. Or one problem.
It's Annique, our heroine. I'm not sure if it's because it was Ms. Bourne's début that lead to my frowning over the issues; if she became better the further her stories progressed. But Annique's characterisation was slightly off.
The Spymaster's Lady takes place about 4-6 years after The Forbidden Rose, judging by William Doyle's comment about his daughters and Hawker being described as a 'man' of 17 or 18. The author doesn't give us a an exact time. But it's not important anyway.
Annique is about 20 and has lived all her life as part of the Game, her mother being a spy, her father a revolutionary intellectual. She has a photographic memory which has been used to the benefit of the Secret Police since she was 8-9.
There's nothing wrong with Annique herself but a few things didn't make sense.
She is described as one of Europe's best spies and even at one point referred to as deadly. Nonetheless, it didn't make sense to me that she didn't kill the men who were after her and who were clearly working for their own gain. Taking everything into account - her years in the Game, her intelligence, the explosive secrets she's carrying with her, the fact that her enemies are sadists/rapists - it didn't make sense that she wouldn't kill them. And there she had at least two or three opportunities to do so. That she's squeamish about killing a person (something I do understand) is one thing, but not ending it when she is presented with an opportunity a second and third time, left me slightly bewildered. Especially since they're close to killing her.
Unless, of course, the author intended to keep the villains alive to further the plot, which, in my opinion, was unnecessary. Annique has been a target from all sorts of groups. So, no, she's not deadly. This was - plain and simple - a plot device to keep the main villain in play. I'll point it out again - completely unnecessary. Plus, it made a joke of Annique's supposed 'deadliness'.
A second issue I had was Annique's connection to the hero, Grey. She spends two days, three tops, with Grey as his prisoner of some sort, and they're on their way to England, the villains hard on their heels. To stop Annique from fleeing, Grey gives her opium and for the next 3-4 days she's more or less unconscious. When the effects of the opium wears off, boom, she's in love with Grey. And that didn't really sit well with me, however beautifully and dramatically written it was. Just picture a woman's eyebrows shooting up and humming a low 'hmmmmm' here.
Okay, I will leave some important plot developments out here. Let's hope this will make sense.
Anyway, once she reaches Dover, she comes across a man called Robert who rescued her from the villains - again, she could have at least killed one of them, but hey. Robert decides to accompany her on her way to London. She's not falling in love with Robert, but she's definitely falling in lust with him. Again, we're talking about only a few days since she left Grey behind. Nothing happens between them, but that's not my point. Falling in love with one man, and lusting over another only a few days later? Hm. Hmmmm.
Those who haven't read the book obviously don't know what I know at this point. But even knowing what I know, it still doesn't fit somehow. In short, I didn't quite buy into Annique's feelings for Grey.
Now, I believe that Annique's character suffered here which isn't her fault. I liked her a lot; she's courageous, intelligent and knows how to play the Game in general. But these two points weren't thought through well enough, in my opinion.
I might be nitpicking here, I know. But it felt like dreamily driving along a road with a beautiful view and then hitting two massive pot holes.
Nonetheless, the book is still really, really good, and the revelations at the end came unexpectedly and with the necessary dramatic tone to make it a compelling read.
Warning: Possible spoilers ahead
Though I'll try my best not to spoiler the plot. But to explain my issues, I'll have to explain them and that may lead to a few spoilers.
I couldn't resist, so I went ahead and read the next one chronologically in Joanna Bourne's Spymasters series.
Everything I said about the The Forbidden Rose is true for The Spymaster's Lady. The unique and distinctive voice the author gives her characters, and (something I didn't mention in my review for the previous book) the excellent pacing of the plot itself. Compellingly written, I was hooked from the first to the last page.
If it weren't for two problems I couldn't really get out of my head. Or one problem.
It's Annique, our heroine. I'm not sure if it's because it was Ms. Bourne's début that lead to my frowning over the issues; if she became better the further her stories progressed. But Annique's characterisation was slightly off.
The Spymaster's Lady takes place about 4-6 years after The Forbidden Rose, judging by William Doyle's comment about his daughters and Hawker being described as a 'man' of 17 or 18. The author doesn't give us a an exact time. But it's not important anyway.
Annique is about 20 and has lived all her life as part of the Game, her mother being a spy, her father a revolutionary intellectual. She has a photographic memory which has been used to the benefit of the Secret Police since she was 8-9.
There's nothing wrong with Annique herself but a few things didn't make sense.
She is described as one of Europe's best spies and even at one point referred to as deadly. Nonetheless, it didn't make sense to me that she didn't kill the men who were after her and who were clearly working for their own gain. Taking everything into account - her years in the Game, her intelligence, the explosive secrets she's carrying with her, the fact that her enemies are sadists/rapists - it didn't make sense that she wouldn't kill them. And there she had at least two or three opportunities to do so. That she's squeamish about killing a person (something I do understand) is one thing, but not ending it when she is presented with an opportunity a second and third time, left me slightly bewildered. Especially since they're close to killing her.
Unless, of course, the author intended to keep the villains alive to further the plot, which, in my opinion, was unnecessary. Annique has been a target from all sorts of groups. So, no, she's not deadly. This was - plain and simple - a plot device to keep the main villain in play. I'll point it out again - completely unnecessary. Plus, it made a joke of Annique's supposed 'deadliness'.
A second issue I had was Annique's connection to the hero, Grey. She spends two days, three tops, with Grey as his prisoner of some sort, and they're on their way to England, the villains hard on their heels. To stop Annique from fleeing, Grey gives her opium and for the next 3-4 days she's more or less unconscious. When the effects of the opium wears off, boom, she's in love with Grey. And that didn't really sit well with me, however beautifully and dramatically written it was. Just picture a woman's eyebrows shooting up and humming a low 'hmmmmm' here.
Okay, I will leave some important plot developments out here. Let's hope this will make sense.
Anyway, once she reaches Dover, she comes across a man called Robert who rescued her from the villains - again, she could have at least killed one of them, but hey. Robert decides to accompany her on her way to London. She's not falling in love with Robert, but she's definitely falling in lust with him. Again, we're talking about only a few days since she left Grey behind. Nothing happens between them, but that's not my point. Falling in love with one man, and lusting over another only a few days later? Hm. Hmmmm.
Those who haven't read the book obviously don't know what I know at this point. But even knowing what I know, it still doesn't fit somehow. In short, I didn't quite buy into Annique's feelings for Grey.
Now, I believe that Annique's character suffered here which isn't her fault. I liked her a lot; she's courageous, intelligent and knows how to play the Game in general. But these two points weren't thought through well enough, in my opinion.
I might be nitpicking here, I know. But it felt like dreamily driving along a road with a beautiful view and then hitting two massive pot holes.
Nonetheless, the book is still really, really good, and the revelations at the end came unexpectedly and with the necessary dramatic tone to make it a compelling read.
August 16, 2024
I loved this book.
Annique is my favorite type of heroine; clever, warm and brave. Her relationship with Grey was remarkably believable, with all of its twists and complications. And boy were there a lot of twists and complications! But the hero and heroine get their happy ending and I was left eagerly anticipating the stories of the supporting cast.
This book is very well-written and plotted and I highly recommend it! -Rebekka J
Annique is my favorite type of heroine; clever, warm and brave. Her relationship with Grey was remarkably believable, with all of its twists and complications. And boy were there a lot of twists and complications! But the hero and heroine get their happy ending and I was left eagerly anticipating the stories of the supporting cast.
This book is very well-written and plotted and I highly recommend it! -Rebekka J
August 1, 2013
Joanna Bourne has a wonderfully elegant style of writing that reminds me a bit of Laura Kinsale. With an adventurous plot, a crafty heroine, a sexy, domineering hero, and sexual tension that crackles, THE SPYMASTER'S LADY is simply gorgeous.
November 28, 2017
Another wonderful historical spy/action/love story!
The heroine is a young woman who never had a normal childhood, but was enmployed as a runner first and spy later since a very early age!
She's at the same tough and vulnerable. She's highly intelligent, but her youth make her reach some rather questionable solutions to some very difficult situations.
I usually don't like heroines that are either young or who take such a high risks, but here I just loved Annique.
The way she faces life is the product of her upbringing and her callousness on one part, and her compassion on the other, make her a truly remarkable heroine.
Grey, the hero would have made a dashing one in any other book, but here he's overshadowed by Annique!
I'm so looking forward to other books in this series!
The heroine is a young woman who never had a normal childhood, but was enmployed as a runner first and spy later since a very early age!
She's at the same tough and vulnerable. She's highly intelligent, but her youth make her reach some rather questionable solutions to some very difficult situations.
I usually don't like heroines that are either young or who take such a high risks, but here I just loved Annique.
The way she faces life is the product of her upbringing and her callousness on one part, and her compassion on the other, make her a truly remarkable heroine.
Grey, the hero would have made a dashing one in any other book, but here he's overshadowed by Annique!
I'm so looking forward to other books in this series!
Read
February 19, 2015I recognize that some romance readers don't mind a lot of historical errors in favor of a romance that a modern person can enjoy. If I get in the mindset, especially if there's humor (like in Courtney Milan's books) I can enjoy the story and blink past Hollywoodish backdrop and language.
But in this one the hero was such an abusive dickweasel, and not very competent. Finally I couldn't believe in the story line when the h/h are supposedly in danger but all they can think about is lusting after one another's chitlins.
So I'm the wrong audience, and will pass it to someone who is.
But in this one the hero was such an abusive dickweasel, and not very competent. Finally I couldn't believe in the story line when the h/h are supposedly in danger but all they can think about is lusting after one another's chitlins.
So I'm the wrong audience, and will pass it to someone who is.
December 27, 2013
4.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of this story, which was excellently narrated by Kirsten Potter. I’m not really a fan when American narrators are used to narrate stories which are set at least partly in Britain and in which the majority of the characters are British, by Ms Potter did a superb job on the characterisations and accents, although she opted to read in her native accent.
I’m also not normally someone who seeks out spy plots in historical romances. I don’t actively avoid them either, and it has to be a pretty good storyline to attract me – but I’ve heard and read such good things about this particular book that I’ve had it on my TBR pile for quite a while.
Annique Villiers was put to work as a French spy when she was just a child, and over the years has acquired a reputation for efficiency and cunning which has earned her the nickname “fox cub”. At the beginning of the story, she has been captured and imprisoned along with a couple of English spies whom she later identifies as Robert Grey and Adrian Hawker. Grey is, in fact, a Head of Section for British Intelligence, a man whose ruthlessness and brilliant mind have made him a man to be feared among Britain’s enemies. Adrian’s life is in danger – he has been shot – and the three form an uneasy and reluctant alliance in order to make their escape.
This reluctance and uneasiness continues throughout the book, as Grey and Annique continually butt heads; she feels honour bound to try to escape at every opportunity, while he knows he can’t let her go because she is the key to the discovery of the Albion Plans, plans which detail the arrangements for the projected invasion of England by Napoleonic forces.
There is also the added complication of the incredibly potent sexual attraction they feel for each other which, no matter how often they tell themselves how stupid it is, just won’t go away.
The plot is intricate with lots of twists and turns, there is a supporting cast of French and English agents, and a big twist towards the end which I didn’t see coming (but then I’m never very good at seeing things like that!)
The romance between Grey and Annique is sensual and earthy, yet Ms Bourne perfectly captures Annique’s inner conflict. She also brilliantly conveys the uncertainty of the nineteen-year-old girl who has never been in love or felt such overwhelming attraction while continuing to project the world-weary outer shell and sang-froid she has assumed as part of her defence mechanism.
Grey is delicious – a highly intelligent man of action who nonetheless finds himself utterly seduced by Annique’s cleverness and independent spirit. I particularly liked the fact that while they both admitted to the complete impropriety of their desire for each other, neither of them tried to deny it or played hard-to-get. What’s between them feels very honest and there are some truly beatiful moments between them. One that particularly stands out is what Annique tells him when she escapes from him at the monastery:
“Plato says that lovers are like two parts of an egg that fit together perfectly. Each half is made for the other, the single match to it. We are incomplete alone. Together, we are whole. All men are seeking that other half of themselves. Do you remember?”
“This isn��t the goddamned time to talk about Plato.”
That made her smile.
“I think you are the other half of me. It was a great mix-up in heaven. A scandal. For you there was meant to be a pretty English schoolgirl in the city of Bath and for me some fine Italian pastry cook in Palermo. But the cradles were switched somehow, and it all ended up like this…of an impossibility beyond words.”
Kirsten Potter is a narrator I’ve been aware of for some time, but this is the first of her audiobooks I’ve listened to. I already knew that she uses her own American accent to read the story, and I enjoyed her reading very much. Her voice is mellifluous and soothing and her natural accent isn’t especially pronounced, which meant I didn’t find it intrusive or out of place.
She provided all the characters with clearly defined and appropriate voices and I was especially impressed with the way she maintained the slight French accent she chose to give Annique. Her interpretations of Grey and Adrian were also very successful, although in each case, there were some mispronunciations – of both English and French words - which did stick out a bit. Her characterisation of Doyle was less successful, as was her interpretation of Grey when he was being “Robert”, the simple, West Country fisherman. In both cases, Ms Potter opted to use less “upper class” accents and attempt something close to a Cockney accent, but unfortunately, the changes she made to the vowel sounds made them sound more Australian than Cockney. (I remember saying the same thing of Angela Dawe’s interpretation of Ian’s valet, Curry in The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie - although in that audio, the accent is much more pronounced and is pretty much 100% Antipodean to my ear).
On the positive side, Ms Potter slips into the Aussie twang infrequently, (and avoids what I like to call the “Dick van Dyke syndrome”!) but being I’m somewhat anal about accents, once I’ve heard it, I can’t unhear it, and subsequent occurrences are all the more noticeable. But that is probably just a quirk of my ears.
I was both surprised and … not surprised that Ms Potter didn’t attempt to provide the fisherman Robert with the West Country accent that Ms Bourne mentions more than once in the text. It would be difficult enough for a British narrator to pull off while not making Robert sound too much the “country yokel”, so I can understand the narrator’s decision to leave it alone. But given it’s one of the main reasons given for the fact that Annique fails to recognise him when she reaches England, I think there should have been more of an attempt to follow the author’s instructions.
But even allowing for those negative points, this was a highly accomplished performance, and one I definitely intend to listen to again. It seems that this is the only audiobook so far produced of this series of novels by Joanna Bourne, which is a great shame, because I enjoyed the story very much and reviews indicate that the other books are of a similar quality. I thought that the relationship between Grey, Adrian and Doyle was very well written and I’d certainly like to see and hear more of them. I really hope that the other titles are given the audio treatment in the not too distant future, and that if at all possible, Ms Potter is chosen to narrate them.
Oh, and one last thing. Whoever decided to stick that Goddawful guitar power-ballad thing under the last 30 seconds or so of dialogue should be taken outside and shot. It utterly ruined the final part of the story, which wasn't inconsequential and completely pricked my emotional balloon! Sometimes I really wonder whether the people who produce audiobooks actually LISTEN to them.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of this story, which was excellently narrated by Kirsten Potter. I’m not really a fan when American narrators are used to narrate stories which are set at least partly in Britain and in which the majority of the characters are British, by Ms Potter did a superb job on the characterisations and accents, although she opted to read in her native accent.
I’m also not normally someone who seeks out spy plots in historical romances. I don’t actively avoid them either, and it has to be a pretty good storyline to attract me – but I’ve heard and read such good things about this particular book that I’ve had it on my TBR pile for quite a while.
Annique Villiers was put to work as a French spy when she was just a child, and over the years has acquired a reputation for efficiency and cunning which has earned her the nickname “fox cub”. At the beginning of the story, she has been captured and imprisoned along with a couple of English spies whom she later identifies as Robert Grey and Adrian Hawker. Grey is, in fact, a Head of Section for British Intelligence, a man whose ruthlessness and brilliant mind have made him a man to be feared among Britain’s enemies. Adrian’s life is in danger – he has been shot – and the three form an uneasy and reluctant alliance in order to make their escape.
This reluctance and uneasiness continues throughout the book, as Grey and Annique continually butt heads; she feels honour bound to try to escape at every opportunity, while he knows he can’t let her go because she is the key to the discovery of the Albion Plans, plans which detail the arrangements for the projected invasion of England by Napoleonic forces.
There is also the added complication of the incredibly potent sexual attraction they feel for each other which, no matter how often they tell themselves how stupid it is, just won’t go away.
The plot is intricate with lots of twists and turns, there is a supporting cast of French and English agents, and a big twist towards the end which I didn’t see coming (but then I’m never very good at seeing things like that!)
The romance between Grey and Annique is sensual and earthy, yet Ms Bourne perfectly captures Annique’s inner conflict. She also brilliantly conveys the uncertainty of the nineteen-year-old girl who has never been in love or felt such overwhelming attraction while continuing to project the world-weary outer shell and sang-froid she has assumed as part of her defence mechanism.
Grey is delicious – a highly intelligent man of action who nonetheless finds himself utterly seduced by Annique’s cleverness and independent spirit. I particularly liked the fact that while they both admitted to the complete impropriety of their desire for each other, neither of them tried to deny it or played hard-to-get. What’s between them feels very honest and there are some truly beatiful moments between them. One that particularly stands out is what Annique tells him when she escapes from him at the monastery:
“Plato says that lovers are like two parts of an egg that fit together perfectly. Each half is made for the other, the single match to it. We are incomplete alone. Together, we are whole. All men are seeking that other half of themselves. Do you remember?”
“This isn��t the goddamned time to talk about Plato.”
That made her smile.
“I think you are the other half of me. It was a great mix-up in heaven. A scandal. For you there was meant to be a pretty English schoolgirl in the city of Bath and for me some fine Italian pastry cook in Palermo. But the cradles were switched somehow, and it all ended up like this…of an impossibility beyond words.”
Kirsten Potter is a narrator I’ve been aware of for some time, but this is the first of her audiobooks I’ve listened to. I already knew that she uses her own American accent to read the story, and I enjoyed her reading very much. Her voice is mellifluous and soothing and her natural accent isn’t especially pronounced, which meant I didn’t find it intrusive or out of place.
She provided all the characters with clearly defined and appropriate voices and I was especially impressed with the way she maintained the slight French accent she chose to give Annique. Her interpretations of Grey and Adrian were also very successful, although in each case, there were some mispronunciations – of both English and French words - which did stick out a bit. Her characterisation of Doyle was less successful, as was her interpretation of Grey when he was being “Robert”, the simple, West Country fisherman. In both cases, Ms Potter opted to use less “upper class” accents and attempt something close to a Cockney accent, but unfortunately, the changes she made to the vowel sounds made them sound more Australian than Cockney. (I remember saying the same thing of Angela Dawe’s interpretation of Ian’s valet, Curry in The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie - although in that audio, the accent is much more pronounced and is pretty much 100% Antipodean to my ear).
On the positive side, Ms Potter slips into the Aussie twang infrequently, (and avoids what I like to call the “Dick van Dyke syndrome”!) but being I’m somewhat anal about accents, once I’ve heard it, I can’t unhear it, and subsequent occurrences are all the more noticeable. But that is probably just a quirk of my ears.
I was both surprised and … not surprised that Ms Potter didn’t attempt to provide the fisherman Robert with the West Country accent that Ms Bourne mentions more than once in the text. It would be difficult enough for a British narrator to pull off while not making Robert sound too much the “country yokel”, so I can understand the narrator’s decision to leave it alone. But given it’s one of the main reasons given for the fact that Annique fails to recognise him when she reaches England, I think there should have been more of an attempt to follow the author’s instructions.
But even allowing for those negative points, this was a highly accomplished performance, and one I definitely intend to listen to again. It seems that this is the only audiobook so far produced of this series of novels by Joanna Bourne, which is a great shame, because I enjoyed the story very much and reviews indicate that the other books are of a similar quality. I thought that the relationship between Grey, Adrian and Doyle was very well written and I’d certainly like to see and hear more of them. I really hope that the other titles are given the audio treatment in the not too distant future, and that if at all possible, Ms Potter is chosen to narrate them.
Oh, and one last thing. Whoever decided to stick that Goddawful guitar power-ballad thing under the last 30 seconds or so of dialogue should be taken outside and shot. It utterly ruined the final part of the story, which wasn't inconsequential and completely pricked my emotional balloon! Sometimes I really wonder whether the people who produce audiobooks actually LISTEN to them.
April 12, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. It's not typical and has lots of twists and turns. Grey was a great character right up to the end and I thought Annique was one strong, resourceful woman without losing her femininity.
I liked the sexual tension and how it built up--loved the bath tub scene! I liked "Robert" too and how Annique didn't recognize him because of his voice.
I was totally floored when Grey found out she was blind! Holy left field there! I thought the author did that very well.
What I really appreciated was that for once the French was right! Normal expressions spelled correctly right through the book.
The ending left me with a big smile on my face. I was wondering how the HEA would turn out what with all the problems Annique faced. Throughout the book you could really feel like you were there on the road with her in the countryside, in the French jail or in the British spy house. Great story!
I liked the sexual tension and how it built up--loved the bath tub scene! I liked "Robert" too and how Annique didn't recognize him because of his voice.
I was totally floored when Grey found out she was blind! Holy left field there! I thought the author did that very well.
What I really appreciated was that for once the French was right! Normal expressions spelled correctly right through the book.
The ending left me with a big smile on my face. I was wondering how the HEA would turn out what with all the problems Annique faced. Throughout the book you could really feel like you were there on the road with her in the countryside, in the French jail or in the British spy house. Great story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2018
It's clear the currently reading shelf in my world. This was like a 3.75
That...sounded bad. It's just that I mostly listened to the audio which was addicting for this book but I am terribly slow at.
There's some aspects that just didn't work crazily well for me. We knew Annique so well, but I felt less of a sense of Robert, even though frankly, I was pretty hot for him. I felt like certain plot points were so well developed and others weren't.
I was a little disappointed in how neat the ending becomes. I have lots of quotes but not a lot of time, so I'm not sure why I started this whole thing...There was some beautiful writing, but I'm not sure the whole thing worked for me.
To be continued, if I feel like it.
That...sounded bad. It's just that I mostly listened to the audio which was addicting for this book but I am terribly slow at.
There's some aspects that just didn't work crazily well for me. We knew Annique so well, but I felt less of a sense of Robert, even though frankly, I was pretty hot for him. I felt like certain plot points were so well developed and others weren't.
I was a little disappointed in how neat the ending becomes. I have lots of quotes but not a lot of time, so I'm not sure why I started this whole thing...There was some beautiful writing, but I'm not sure the whole thing worked for me.
To be continued, if I feel like it.
February 2, 2022
Review February 2022: Bumped it up to 5 stars because it's been ten years and I still adore Annique and her story. I realize now that there are aspects of this book that is problematic (Gray is in a position of power and authority over her for most of this) but Annique is such a strong character and she holds her own against him multiple times that it doesn't bother me as much as it would in a different story. Plus she makes such supporters in Doyle and Adrian that oftentimes it's everyone else against Gray.
This is still my favorite series set in this particular era. No other spy series grabs me as much as this one does.
Review June 2017: I stayed far too late last night finishing a book that I had already read before. Her writing and characters just draw me in. My review below still stands, Anniqueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. <3 Going to try and re-read the other ones before #6 comes out in August.
Review April 2012:
"I have never thought of being old."
"It's time you did. Be old with me."
I must say, reading this a second time made me like this a lot more. Like, a lot more. This is one of the few books I had to sit down and just read without stopping, because dear god, Annique, woman of my heart. I think she just jumped to one of my top lady heroines because ANNIQUE. Gray did things for me as well but not as much as Annique. NOT. EVEN. CLOSE. Moving onto book two...
This is still my favorite series set in this particular era. No other spy series grabs me as much as this one does.
Review June 2017: I stayed far too late last night finishing a book that I had already read before. Her writing and characters just draw me in. My review below still stands, Anniqueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. <3 Going to try and re-read the other ones before #6 comes out in August.
Review April 2012:
"I have never thought of being old."
"It's time you did. Be old with me."
I must say, reading this a second time made me like this a lot more. Like, a lot more. This is one of the few books I had to sit down and just read without stopping, because dear god, Annique, woman of my heart. I think she just jumped to one of my top lady heroines because ANNIQUE. Gray did things for me as well but not as much as Annique. NOT. EVEN. CLOSE. Moving onto book two...
December 1, 2017
Truly still one of my very favorite romances, and I'm surprised I never wrote a review of it when I first read it years ago.
I remember beginning this book the first time with some trepidation over a plot device I usually detest, which is the capture narrative of a heroine. Annique Villiers is a French spy extraordinaire and the motley crew of English spies roaming France during Napoleon's reign are itching to get their hands on her for interrogation. Master spy Robert Grey is especially eager to capture the elusive Fox Cub and when he gets his chance, he uses every trick in the book to get her, including a couple of physical scuffles that ends with Annique overpowered by three men simultaneously. It is important and humorous that Grey has the humility to note that it requires three men to take down a mere slip of a girl who is blind to boot. Later Grey resorts to drugging an unbeknownst Annique to keep her comatose and easier to manage. Once Annique escapes, Grey tracks her down and again manages to manipulate her into captivity. All of these encounters have the danger of constructing Annique as a victim and Grey as an abuser. However, the initial squeamishness I felt during each of these scenes is mitigated very cleverly by the resourcefulness of Annique, and to such a degree that Grey grows more enamored and respectful of her abilities with each subsequent encounter. In the very best sense of the word, this is a "show" rather than "tell" kind of book, and it is just so wonderful to absorb the many ways in which Annique either bests or matches Grey on just about every level. She is truly his equal and they both know it from the very start.
I would add too how much I adore the ending and resolution of the one-up-manship between Annique and Grey. It was hard the first time reading this book to figure out how Annique could possibly resolve her dilemma of being the sole living recipient of the legendary Albion Plans. Grey is determined she will relinquish them to him, and Annique is just as determined not to be a traitor to her homeland, not to be a pawn in Grey's spy games, and perhaps most importantly, not to be submissive to her lover. For her own complex integrity, those plans must remain safeguarded. The ending is so clever and unexpected and gives me great hope that Grey truly respects the woman he has fallen in love with. How many romances highlight mutual respect as much as passion and love? Grey is simply one of the very best heroes I've encountered in this genre. The chemistry between the two leading characters is off-the-charts and has made me a lifelong fan of Joanna Bourne, but it is Grey's love for the extraordinary Annique that keeps me coming back to this book over and over. Sigh!
I remember beginning this book the first time with some trepidation over a plot device I usually detest, which is the capture narrative of a heroine. Annique Villiers is a French spy extraordinaire and the motley crew of English spies roaming France during Napoleon's reign are itching to get their hands on her for interrogation. Master spy Robert Grey is especially eager to capture the elusive Fox Cub and when he gets his chance, he uses every trick in the book to get her, including a couple of physical scuffles that ends with Annique overpowered by three men simultaneously. It is important and humorous that Grey has the humility to note that it requires three men to take down a mere slip of a girl who is blind to boot. Later Grey resorts to drugging an unbeknownst Annique to keep her comatose and easier to manage. Once Annique escapes, Grey tracks her down and again manages to manipulate her into captivity. All of these encounters have the danger of constructing Annique as a victim and Grey as an abuser. However, the initial squeamishness I felt during each of these scenes is mitigated very cleverly by the resourcefulness of Annique, and to such a degree that Grey grows more enamored and respectful of her abilities with each subsequent encounter. In the very best sense of the word, this is a "show" rather than "tell" kind of book, and it is just so wonderful to absorb the many ways in which Annique either bests or matches Grey on just about every level. She is truly his equal and they both know it from the very start.
I would add too how much I adore the ending and resolution of the one-up-manship between Annique and Grey. It was hard the first time reading this book to figure out how Annique could possibly resolve her dilemma of being the sole living recipient of the legendary Albion Plans. Grey is determined she will relinquish them to him, and Annique is just as determined not to be a traitor to her homeland, not to be a pawn in Grey's spy games, and perhaps most importantly, not to be submissive to her lover. For her own complex integrity, those plans must remain safeguarded. The ending is so clever and unexpected and gives me great hope that Grey truly respects the woman he has fallen in love with. How many romances highlight mutual respect as much as passion and love? Grey is simply one of the very best heroes I've encountered in this genre. The chemistry between the two leading characters is off-the-charts and has made me a lifelong fan of Joanna Bourne, but it is Grey's love for the extraordinary Annique that keeps me coming back to this book over and over. Sigh!
February 9, 2015
I've been asked to shelve 5 of my favorite romances for Goodreads Romance Week Feb 9-13. Here's my first one: Joanna Bourne's Spymaster's Lady. Joanna's characters are always well-rounded and many layered--this novel has an unusual heroine, Annique, who has grown up with spycraft in the Napoleonic War era. She's going through ordeals I won't spoil, but she does so with great courage and resourcefulness. One of the best historical-spy romances out there. Highly recommended.
March 19, 2018
3.5 I liked it but didn't love it stars.
This was a nice enough read, though I didn't end up loving it as I thought I might. For me the beginning was a bit slow but things picked up at the 50% mark. Interesting characters. Grey and Annique were well matched and I did enjoy Doyle and Adrian as well.
Not sure if I will read on in the series but you never know. :)
June 14, 2017
Nuestra reseña en A la cama con... un libro
Unas enaguas muy diferentes a las que estoy acostumbrada. Estupenda lectura!
Unas enaguas muy diferentes a las que estoy acostumbrada. Estupenda lectura!
December 27, 2020
1.5 stars
Ugh this sucked. Sorry in advance to whoever I'm going to offend with this review because I know this is a popular book but it did not work for me.
A lot of people who don't like this don't like it because for a large part of the book, the heroine Annique is sort of the "prisoner" of the hero. So if you really dislike the idea of this (no matter how boring the hero is) then this book may rub you the wrong way. That's not at all what bothered me.
This takes place during the Napoleonic Wars and Annique Villiers is a French spy that has the Albion Papers- papers that detail Napoleons plan of invading Britain. Robert Gray is high up in the food chain of the British spy network. So we kind of have this opposing spy thing going on which could be interesting. The book opens and both Annique and Gray are captured in France by the ruthless Leblanc, a mustache twirling villain of the Disney variety- that is there really isn't a ton of depth to him except that he's... evil. And both Annique and Gray have to use their wits to escape. But Gray realizes how important Annique is with knowing about the Albion plans and all, so he and his 2 other spy colleagues end up not allowing her to escape them.
The book started out reasonably- we get to learn about Annique's and Gray's prowess with their super spy skills. It was interesting seeing how she dealt with Gray when she realized that he knew who she was. But honestly the book is just downhill from the beginning and just gets worse and worse.
First, the whole romance was a mess. I couldn't get into it at all. It's mainly based on attraction and that's about it. There was so much betraying body that I was ready to fling the book out the window. Annique devolves into a simpering girl who can't control the ~feelings~ or ~desire~ she has for Gray despite her unideal situation. And this starts pretty early on. I HATE betraying body with the passion of a thousand fiery suns.
Then I just didn't get Annique's character motivations. Okay so she's a French spy so you'd think she's all team "Allez les bleus!" but really she just doesn't know what the heck to do with the plans. It seems like she has no loyalty to the French state and Napoleon, and her arch nemesis is Leblanc, a Frenchman who wants the plans. So I guess if she had no loyalty to the French why was it like pulling teeth through this book to get the plans to the British? Now I can understand if she's pretty nationalist, but to be honest it seems like her only moral framework is that she doesn't want to kill people. In fact she has so many opportunities to kill her enemies who would definitely rape and torture her before killing her but nope! She can't do that. In what spy world?! I just hate when female characters are written like that. So anyway- it seems like she just wants to save lives- which makes her withholding the Albion plans pretty dumb.
The actual spy story could have been 500% more interesting than it actually was. A lot of this was just Annique + Gray + 2 sidekicks wandering through the countryside with the occasional attack that of course they all make it through. Then Annique gets dumber as the book moves along. She peaked at the very beginning. She strikes me as someone who cannot control her emotions or feelings and becomes a mess by the end of things. How her dialogue was written also began to get on my nerves- it was like every sentence she said was said as if she was explaining something to a 5 year old. Like this forced practicality and slowness which was so annoying.
This relationship is so LAME. Most of the book is Gray and Annique going around in circles, faffing about and by 75% the relationship is still what it was at around the 30% mark. It was the same internal conflict over and over- and fine! Have the conflict! But there was this boring sort of inevitability that all this conflict really was for nothing because Annique just couldn't control herself around Gray.
Then the author was desperate to make Gray a #niceguy. Since he's Annique's captor she wanted to make him extra caring so readers could swoon over him but honestly, if you're going to write a captor story, then write a captor story. There were so many instances of Gray being forced into the #niceguy box when it would have been way more interesting if there were different conflicts at play. Gray thus became super boring to me. The thing that bothers me is when writers create this premise that can be a bit darker or something with very real stakes (like opposite sides during the Napoleonic wars) but then tries to backtrack on the characters and make them the next Mother Theresa. That's boring and dumb. If you want a book full of nice guys then just read something that's like, not a dangerous spy premise. For example, Gray ends up hurting Annique in a minor way due to self defense (literally Annique was choking him to death) and then instead of being super freaked out that someone was trying to kill him, he's so shook that he thrashed and hit Annique in the stomach and goes to coddling her and being so distraught he hit her. She was going to potentially kill you. You don't apologize for saving yourself if someone is hurting you- okay???
I skimmed/skipped the last 25%. Ugh.
Ugh this sucked. Sorry in advance to whoever I'm going to offend with this review because I know this is a popular book but it did not work for me.
A lot of people who don't like this don't like it because for a large part of the book, the heroine Annique is sort of the "prisoner" of the hero. So if you really dislike the idea of this (no matter how boring the hero is) then this book may rub you the wrong way. That's not at all what bothered me.
This takes place during the Napoleonic Wars and Annique Villiers is a French spy that has the Albion Papers- papers that detail Napoleons plan of invading Britain. Robert Gray is high up in the food chain of the British spy network. So we kind of have this opposing spy thing going on which could be interesting. The book opens and both Annique and Gray are captured in France by the ruthless Leblanc, a mustache twirling villain of the Disney variety- that is there really isn't a ton of depth to him except that he's... evil. And both Annique and Gray have to use their wits to escape. But Gray realizes how important Annique is with knowing about the Albion plans and all, so he and his 2 other spy colleagues end up not allowing her to escape them.
The book started out reasonably- we get to learn about Annique's and Gray's prowess with their super spy skills. It was interesting seeing how she dealt with Gray when she realized that he knew who she was. But honestly the book is just downhill from the beginning and just gets worse and worse.
First, the whole romance was a mess. I couldn't get into it at all. It's mainly based on attraction and that's about it. There was so much betraying body that I was ready to fling the book out the window. Annique devolves into a simpering girl who can't control the ~feelings~ or ~desire~ she has for Gray despite her unideal situation. And this starts pretty early on. I HATE betraying body with the passion of a thousand fiery suns.
Then I just didn't get Annique's character motivations. Okay so she's a French spy so you'd think she's all team "Allez les bleus!" but really she just doesn't know what the heck to do with the plans. It seems like she has no loyalty to the French state and Napoleon, and her arch nemesis is Leblanc, a Frenchman who wants the plans. So I guess if she had no loyalty to the French why was it like pulling teeth through this book to get the plans to the British? Now I can understand if she's pretty nationalist, but to be honest it seems like her only moral framework is that she doesn't want to kill people. In fact she has so many opportunities to kill her enemies who would definitely rape and torture her before killing her but nope! She can't do that. In what spy world?! I just hate when female characters are written like that. So anyway- it seems like she just wants to save lives- which makes her withholding the Albion plans pretty dumb.
The actual spy story could have been 500% more interesting than it actually was. A lot of this was just Annique + Gray + 2 sidekicks wandering through the countryside with the occasional attack that of course they all make it through. Then Annique gets dumber as the book moves along. She peaked at the very beginning. She strikes me as someone who cannot control her emotions or feelings and becomes a mess by the end of things. How her dialogue was written also began to get on my nerves- it was like every sentence she said was said as if she was explaining something to a 5 year old. Like this forced practicality and slowness which was so annoying.
This relationship is so LAME. Most of the book is Gray and Annique going around in circles, faffing about and by 75% the relationship is still what it was at around the 30% mark. It was the same internal conflict over and over- and fine! Have the conflict! But there was this boring sort of inevitability that all this conflict really was for nothing because Annique just couldn't control herself around Gray.
Then the author was desperate to make Gray a #niceguy. Since he's Annique's captor she wanted to make him extra caring so readers could swoon over him but honestly, if you're going to write a captor story, then write a captor story. There were so many instances of Gray being forced into the #niceguy box when it would have been way more interesting if there were different conflicts at play. Gray thus became super boring to me. The thing that bothers me is when writers create this premise that can be a bit darker or something with very real stakes (like opposite sides during the Napoleonic wars) but then tries to backtrack on the characters and make them the next Mother Theresa. That's boring and dumb. If you want a book full of nice guys then just read something that's like, not a dangerous spy premise. For example, Gray ends up hurting Annique in a minor way due to self defense (literally Annique was choking him to death) and then instead of being super freaked out that someone was trying to kill him, he's so shook that he thrashed and hit Annique in the stomach and goes to coddling her and being so distraught he hit her. She was going to potentially kill you. You don't apologize for saving yourself if someone is hurting you- okay???
I skimmed/skipped the last 25%. Ugh.
August 29, 2015
I have never been so grateful for the OCD that requires me to read series in order. This book is an absolute gem that I otherwise may never have read. It’s certainly not the kind of book I would normally pick up, and were it not for new_user’s review of The Forbidden Rose (the third book in this series), I highly doubt that I would ever have bothered with this one, and what a loss that would have been. I loved it!
Spies are not really my thing, especially in fiction. I pretty much never read mainstream thrillers and I’ll likely never pick up a John le Carré, Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, so when I read that this one was about a French spy and British Spymaster, I was less than enthusiastic to say the least, but this grabbed me from the first page and never let go.
The Spymaster’s Lady is a rollercoaster that is well worth riding. Even if the plot doesn’t sound appealing to you, I strongly encourage readers to step outside their comfort zone like I did, and give it a go. It is so, so good. The Spymaster’s Lady has definitely earned a place on my keepers shelf.
This was so refreshingly and wonderfully different from any other Regency/Victorian historical romance that I’ve read, yet it was never gimmicky. There really wasn't anything I didn't like. I loved the characters, I loved the plot, I loved the writing.
Annique is a heroine like no other you have ever read, though her manner of speaking did take a little adjusting to. Where it would have been very easy for her character to be over the top, the author manages to walk that fine line and achieves a very delicate balance, providing depth and nuance.
If you like an enemies to lovers storyline that is complex and believable, you should be very happy with this one. I loved the romance here even though neither character was willing to compromise and their relationship was fraught with seemingly insurmountable difficulties. This is a romance that is hard fought and won, and I loved that the author stayed true to the circumstances and never took the easy route.
Even though at times I could have happily smacked him, I loved Robert’s character and the fact that he did his best to protect Annique while never confusing his priorities. The fact that the hero and heroine remained true to themselves was very impressive. I loved that author didn’t make any compromises and managed to create complex characters and a compelling plot filled with adventure and intrigue that really captured my imagination.
This book also has one of the most brilliantly executed twists I have ever had the privilege of reading that will come out of nowhere and hit you like a freight train. It was extraordinarily skillful writing. I loved the secondary characters, too, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
Spies are not really my thing, especially in fiction. I pretty much never read mainstream thrillers and I’ll likely never pick up a John le Carré, Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, so when I read that this one was about a French spy and British Spymaster, I was less than enthusiastic to say the least, but this grabbed me from the first page and never let go.
The Spymaster’s Lady is a rollercoaster that is well worth riding. Even if the plot doesn’t sound appealing to you, I strongly encourage readers to step outside their comfort zone like I did, and give it a go. It is so, so good. The Spymaster’s Lady has definitely earned a place on my keepers shelf.
This was so refreshingly and wonderfully different from any other Regency/Victorian historical romance that I’ve read, yet it was never gimmicky. There really wasn't anything I didn't like. I loved the characters, I loved the plot, I loved the writing.
Annique is a heroine like no other you have ever read, though her manner of speaking did take a little adjusting to. Where it would have been very easy for her character to be over the top, the author manages to walk that fine line and achieves a very delicate balance, providing depth and nuance.
If you like an enemies to lovers storyline that is complex and believable, you should be very happy with this one. I loved the romance here even though neither character was willing to compromise and their relationship was fraught with seemingly insurmountable difficulties. This is a romance that is hard fought and won, and I loved that the author stayed true to the circumstances and never took the easy route.
Even though at times I could have happily smacked him, I loved Robert’s character and the fact that he did his best to protect Annique while never confusing his priorities. The fact that the hero and heroine remained true to themselves was very impressive. I loved that author didn’t make any compromises and managed to create complex characters and a compelling plot filled with adventure and intrigue that really captured my imagination.
This book also has one of the most brilliantly executed twists I have ever had the privilege of reading that will come out of nowhere and hit you like a freight train. It was extraordinarily skillful writing. I loved the secondary characters, too, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
March 6, 2009
Please note that this review contains more spoilers than what I usually include in my posts.
I heard so many good things about this book, and, from a minority, so many bad things, that I was curious to know what the fuss was all about.
First of all I have to thank one of my readers for sending it to me and I am sorry that didn't read it sooner. I felt I owed you a review but between work, internet problems and other books It took me some time to get to it.
One of things that really defines a book for me is the believability factor. There are many implausible plots out there (SEP's for instance) but the way that a story is written can really make me believe in almost anything, or not!
IMHO The Spymaster's Lady has one big problem. No matter how interesting the story might be I just couldn't believe in Annique. I had two problems with her, the first one is her childlike voice, she is supposedly a super spy with lots of experience but she talks like a 15 year old. Then she is blind, but she keeps running around without hitting any obstacles, recognising where she is, performing surgery without killing the patient... Then I realised she doesn't do anything that is truly intelligent, nothing really stands out (unless you count the blind surgery) we are just told by everyone else how good she is, how intelligent, how smart, how perfect... it was weird reading over and over again how perfect she was, like the author really wanted to convince me. Unfortunately I prefer to be shown than to be told.
The pace of the action though kept me reading and I must say the second half was better than the first one. I still had to suspend my disbelief when she doesn't recognise Grey's voice after hearing it for so long but besides her voice there wasn't much more to annoy me and I was even a bit interested in knowing more about the secondary characters. The final twist however was very predictable and did not help make the story more believable to me.
Despite all this I kept on reading and it was quite a fast read. Had Annique been a different person it might have been a good read. I did appreciate the fact that it's a spy story, that there are many twists and surprises. As it is, it's a 2.5/5.
I heard so many good things about this book, and, from a minority, so many bad things, that I was curious to know what the fuss was all about.
First of all I have to thank one of my readers for sending it to me and I am sorry that didn't read it sooner. I felt I owed you a review but between work, internet problems and other books It took me some time to get to it.
One of things that really defines a book for me is the believability factor. There are many implausible plots out there (SEP's for instance) but the way that a story is written can really make me believe in almost anything, or not!
IMHO The Spymaster's Lady has one big problem. No matter how interesting the story might be I just couldn't believe in Annique. I had two problems with her, the first one is her childlike voice, she is supposedly a super spy with lots of experience but she talks like a 15 year old. Then she is blind, but she keeps running around without hitting any obstacles, recognising where she is, performing surgery without killing the patient... Then I realised she doesn't do anything that is truly intelligent, nothing really stands out (unless you count the blind surgery) we are just told by everyone else how good she is, how intelligent, how smart, how perfect... it was weird reading over and over again how perfect she was, like the author really wanted to convince me. Unfortunately I prefer to be shown than to be told.
The pace of the action though kept me reading and I must say the second half was better than the first one. I still had to suspend my disbelief when she doesn't recognise Grey's voice after hearing it for so long but besides her voice there wasn't much more to annoy me and I was even a bit interested in knowing more about the secondary characters. The final twist however was very predictable and did not help make the story more believable to me.
Despite all this I kept on reading and it was quite a fast read. Had Annique been a different person it might have been a good read. I did appreciate the fact that it's a spy story, that there are many twists and surprises. As it is, it's a 2.5/5.
July 28, 2022
Reread 7/28/22 - how on earth did I give this book 4 stars so many years ago?? It's an easy 5 star read. The wit! The banter! It's so clever. I remember these characters so fondly. I'm so happy to be rereading this series
March 23, 2019
Eye Spy...
... A seriously fabulous book!
"Spying is a life of boring, ordinary tasks, performed while death scratches at the window."
I downloaded the sample to "The Spymaster's Lady" and three pages later, immediately bought the book. I became hooked/obsessed from page 1. I have honestly never read an HR like it. I love how the romance is something that developed alongside the espionage. This is a much more intense HR read. It's not all about balls, coming out parties, courting, operas, gowns, etc. There are politics, counterintelligence, deep/dark secrets, and so much more. It was just...
...such an engaging read aside from the romance. And the romance was great, don't get me wrong. There is just more to this one than your typical lovey-dovey HR.
I mean I enjoyed it so much, that it makes me frustrated with myself because I can sometimes be a more forgiving reviewer :/
Overall Rating → 5 “This Game we Play” STARS
Price is Right? →
Love Triangle? →
Cheating? →
Heat/Language Level: Rated G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17 →
Page Turner? → Yes
Would I recommend? → YES! YES! YES!
... A seriously fabulous book!
"Spying is a life of boring, ordinary tasks, performed while death scratches at the window."
I downloaded the sample to "The Spymaster's Lady" and three pages later, immediately bought the book. I became hooked/obsessed from page 1. I have honestly never read an HR like it. I love how the romance is something that developed alongside the espionage. This is a much more intense HR read. It's not all about balls, coming out parties, courting, operas, gowns, etc. There are politics, counterintelligence, deep/dark secrets, and so much more. It was just...
...such an engaging read aside from the romance. And the romance was great, don't get me wrong. There is just more to this one than your typical lovey-dovey HR.
I mean I enjoyed it so much, that it makes me frustrated with myself because I can sometimes be a more forgiving reviewer :/
Overall Rating → 5 “This Game we Play” STARS
Price is Right? →
Love Triangle? →
Cheating? →
Heat/Language Level: Rated G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17 →
Page Turner? → Yes
Would I recommend? → YES! YES! YES!
January 25, 2023
In the center of this rousing, enthralling spy adventure are our hero, Robert the English Spy and our heroine, Annique the French Spy. Since I read the second book in this series, The Forbidden Rose (loved it!), before this first book, I was delighted to see Will and Adrian, Maggie and Paxton, again.
The story here is A++, completely engrossing. Vivid characters. The dialogue was far fetched at times but still interesting. The one fly in the ointment, which I noted time and time again, was that Annique, this legendary spy-among-spies, kept making stupid choices that not even a semi-competent spy would make and it took me out of the moment each time. As a repository for information she was unparalleled, but as an operative she had idiotic moments. If her very existence is threatened because she protects Vauban, how does she never ask about Vauban among her extensive network of spies and friends? What spy runs from a crowded market into blind alleys in an unknown location to avoid surveillance? The idea that she could have spent days on the road with “Robert” without suspecting he was “Grey” was ludicrous. For this reason, I deducted a star from my rating, but I’m being overly picky. This is a wonderful, memorable read.
The story here is A++, completely engrossing. Vivid characters. The dialogue was far fetched at times but still interesting. The one fly in the ointment, which I noted time and time again, was that Annique, this legendary spy-among-spies, kept making stupid choices that not even a semi-competent spy would make and it took me out of the moment each time. As a repository for information she was unparalleled, but as an operative she had idiotic moments. If her very existence is threatened because she protects Vauban, how does she never ask about Vauban among her extensive network of spies and friends? What spy runs from a crowded market into blind alleys in an unknown location to avoid surveillance? The idea that she could have spent days on the road with “Robert” without suspecting he was “Grey” was ludicrous. For this reason, I deducted a star from my rating, but I’m being overly picky. This is a wonderful, memorable read.
May 8, 2013
Update 5/8/13: After three reads, I still maintain that the first half of this book is pretty much the best HR ever written. But then in the second half I get sad and wish for a return of the first half, which is why I just can't bump this up to more than 4 stars. Still overall awesome though, and high on the list of my favorite romances of all time.
Original review 8/10: Don't be fooled by the hilariously awful cover and marginally sexist title (since the lady is herself a spy in her own right)--this is one of the best romance novels I've ever read. The heroine is a kickass spy who didn't give up her independence to the hero when they got together (as so many romance heroines do, especially in historicals), and the hero didn't expect her to. The plot was absolutely amazing--I'm not sure if I've ever read such a good romance plot. As far as traditional historical romance goes, definitely one of the best.
Original review 8/10: Don't be fooled by the hilariously awful cover and marginally sexist title (since the lady is herself a spy in her own right)--this is one of the best romance novels I've ever read. The heroine is a kickass spy who didn't give up her independence to the hero when they got together (as so many romance heroines do, especially in historicals), and the hero didn't expect her to. The plot was absolutely amazing--I'm not sure if I've ever read such a good romance plot. As far as traditional historical romance goes, definitely one of the best.
February 22, 2021
More than once as I read this book about Annique’s incredible tenacity, skill, and fortitude as a spy who is navigating a complex web of treachery, corruption, & political intrigue in the Napoleonic era, I thought of Sydney Bristow from ABC’s early 2000s gem, ALIAS. I was glued to my kindle and a nail-biting mess, but I loved every twist and turn.
For lovers of Outlander and The Count of Monte Cristo, this is an action-packed historical fiction with a sexy romantic subplot. Annique was beyond badass and Grey was a difficult, complex love interest. I found him always held at a distance from a narrative standpoint—I was never deeply immersed in his mind like Annique—and so I wasn’t quite as sold on him as I wanted to be. But ultimately this book is a winner for me for the sheer originality of its plot, the heroine’s absolutely badassery, and a writing style that kept me hooked and guessing until the very last page.
For lovers of Outlander and The Count of Monte Cristo, this is an action-packed historical fiction with a sexy romantic subplot. Annique was beyond badass and Grey was a difficult, complex love interest. I found him always held at a distance from a narrative standpoint—I was never deeply immersed in his mind like Annique—and so I wasn’t quite as sold on him as I wanted to be. But ultimately this book is a winner for me for the sheer originality of its plot, the heroine’s absolutely badassery, and a writing style that kept me hooked and guessing until the very last page.
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