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cdb393's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed the setting and the war/espionage elements of this book. Pretty much everything else was either meh or I actively disliked. I really disliked the heroine. I can buy having to lie and deceive when she was acting as a spy but she continued to do so basically out of spite and stupidity long after. All the bad aspects of her character are set-up as part of her spy disguise but then she also talks about how she actually enjoys a lot of the flirting and controlling men. As for Robert, he was fine but nothing super interesting. There was a lot of repetition in the book as well. Robert is constantly stating about how if he's not careful he'll fall under Jeanne's spell just like so many others. Often the way he states this is exactly the same. I will admit that I love so many of Balogh's books that perhaps my standards are set higher for her books than others. Overall, this is one of my least favorites of her books.
wordnerdy's review
4.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2015/02/2015-book-42.html
've enjoyed the other Balogh books I've read, so figured I'd check out this one--a recent reissue of a book originally written in the 90s. And I'm so glad I did, because it was awesome! It centers on a couple who meet and fall for each other as teenagers--only her father is VERY disapproving, because her love interest is the illegitimate son of a nobleman, and not a proper heir, and she's the daughter of a (French) count. Ten years later, they encounter each other again, in Portugal, during the Napoleonic War, and he recognizes her immediately--but doesn't realize that she's a SPY!! (He is also sort of a spy.) And not only is she a spy, but she has a vendetta for a mysterious French officer who brutally murdered a bunch of her relatives. Things are super action-packed and intense and GREAT and they just spend one hundred percent of their time bickering and I love it. I wish more romance novels were like this. A-.
've enjoyed the other Balogh books I've read, so figured I'd check out this one--a recent reissue of a book originally written in the 90s. And I'm so glad I did, because it was awesome! It centers on a couple who meet and fall for each other as teenagers--only her father is VERY disapproving, because her love interest is the illegitimate son of a nobleman, and not a proper heir, and she's the daughter of a (French) count. Ten years later, they encounter each other again, in Portugal, during the Napoleonic War, and he recognizes her immediately--but doesn't realize that she's a SPY!! (He is also sort of a spy.) And not only is she a spy, but she has a vendetta for a mysterious French officer who brutally murdered a bunch of her relatives. Things are super action-packed and intense and GREAT and they just spend one hundred percent of their time bickering and I love it. I wish more romance novels were like this. A-.
jennybeastie's review against another edition
3.0
Not as polished as Balogh's more recent work, but I appreciate the immersion in Spain during the Napoleonic wars -- it's a place and time I am unfamiliar with, and I think she did it justice. Fascinating.
virginiaduan's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting characters. Spies. And somewhat ridiculous in the setup. But still fun to read.
writer595's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mant1s's review against another edition
2.0
No, it’s not normal to fight all the time with your spouse actually.
readbyashleyd's review
3.0
I’m somewhere right in the middle with this one. Some parts I thoroughly enjoyed, while others quite nearly bored me to tears. The idea was interesting, I think it’s the execution that was a bit lacking. Some parts could have easily been cut down while others could have been explored more. I think the best word to describe this book would be average!
beckymmoe's review
4.0
I enjoyed the storyline (though it sometimes felt bogged down in all the military/espionage details), loved the hero, but never quite managed to warm up to the heroine. As usual, Ms. Balogh did an outstanding job creating romantic tension and pulling at the heartstrings--how could she possibly bring these two together for good?--but the low simmer of annoyance I constantly felt toward Joana detracted from my enjoyment a bit. Not my favorite book from this author, but still a heck of a read.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / B-
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / B-
suzjustsuz's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Above average for Balogh's earlier works with a bit more sex than usual in those books. The protagonists were difficult to like, particularly the heroine who cultivated a level of insipidness that was difficult to ignore were it not for the knowledge that it was mostly cultivated.
Still, she toyed with the hero for her own amusement. While she inevitably got her comeuppance for that, it was still difficult to empathize with her while she was doing so.
Balogh spent more time on the war in this book and, for the most part, paid particular attention to the valid history of the strategy in the campaign that was fought. It was well written enough to set me to research the events for a better understanding of this aspect of the Napoleonic wars.
Still, she toyed with the hero for her own amusement. While she inevitably got her comeuppance for that, it was still difficult to empathize with her while she was doing so.
Balogh spent more time on the war in this book and, for the most part, paid particular attention to the valid history of the strategy in the campaign that was fought. It was well written enough to set me to research the events for a better understanding of this aspect of the Napoleonic wars.
laura_sorensen's review against another edition
5.0
I'm kind of in love with Joana/Jeanne. She is the kind of hero I would want to be. This kind of book is Balogh at her best: historical detail out the yin-yang, a ton of sparkling sarcastic dialogue, and smoldering tension. I'm gonna go read it again.