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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
The completion of this book marks the first romance novel I have ever read cover-to-cover. It was recommended to me by a dear friend who knows well my love of spies. On that front, I was enthralled. The spy elements were well-thought out and described throughout, especially within the early 19th century/Napoleonic era setting in Europe. No high tech gadgets and weaponry to speak of!
I was also charmed by spy Annique Villiers and her dogged, scrappy, quick-witted, and decidedly French way of playing the Game. It was for this reason that I was as distressed as Annique when her identity was stripped from her like a disguise she’d unwittingly worn all her life. The author showed again and again why Annique was renowned, even at her young age, within the spy community. Her skills were displayed in the narrative, her smarts were utilized, and her instincts proven correct. This was in direct contrast with her love interest and enemy agent, Robert Grey, who we were repeatedly told was very good at what he did, rather than shown. It wasn’t until Grey was back on his own soil, halfway into the book, that his expertise was truly demonstrated. I believe a part of me was secretly (if you can keep a secret from yourself) rooting for fellow youthful spook, charismatic Adrian, to woo Annique away.
I preferred Annique and Grey bickering and fighting to their eventual state of bliss. It seemed she lost most of her strength and spark once she slept with him. ;) But just look at the misnomer title: The Spymaster’s Lady insinuates, to me at least, that the lady in question’s highest distinction is being subordinate to a man, this ‘spymaster’s’ possession. As if she has, or else needs, no other identity when in fact Annique was wondrously fascinating on her own; it was the supposed spymaster himself who could have used a few more intriguing qualities. Could it not have been titled, say, Fox Cub? Or, getting a little creative here, Blind Deception?
…anyway…
The plot, overall, wasn’t serpentine; it was a straight line all the way through, with a few detours here and there that only prolonged arrival at the inevitable destination. Annique’s miraculous recovery was stretching it a bit, for example, but it was written well, so I forgave the implausibility. In fact, the quality of writing was what struck me most. Bourne has a way with words. Her style is nuanced and clever and vibrant, and has the ability to be subtle yet still clear. I felt like the requirements of the genre boxed her in. I sometimes felt like she was stuffing an element in because that was what the editor, publisher, readers would expect to happen at that point in the book. The very end, literally the last three pages, is a good example of this. Married spies are so on trend.
An agreeable read. I loved crawling into the historical setting for a week. There were even a couple humorous exchanges to keep things light in the dark. Three stars.
I was also charmed by spy Annique Villiers and her dogged, scrappy, quick-witted, and decidedly French way of playing the Game. It was for this reason that I was as distressed as Annique when her identity was stripped from her like a disguise she’d unwittingly worn all her life. The author showed again and again why Annique was renowned, even at her young age, within the spy community. Her skills were displayed in the narrative, her smarts were utilized, and her instincts proven correct. This was in direct contrast with her love interest and enemy agent, Robert Grey, who we were repeatedly told was very good at what he did, rather than shown. It wasn’t until Grey was back on his own soil, halfway into the book, that his expertise was truly demonstrated. I believe a part of me was secretly (if you can keep a secret from yourself) rooting for fellow youthful spook, charismatic Adrian, to woo Annique away.
I preferred Annique and Grey bickering and fighting to their eventual state of bliss. It seemed she lost most of her strength and spark once she slept with him. ;) But just look at the misnomer title: The Spymaster’s Lady insinuates, to me at least, that the lady in question’s highest distinction is being subordinate to a man, this ‘spymaster’s’ possession. As if she has, or else needs, no other identity when in fact Annique was wondrously fascinating on her own; it was the supposed spymaster himself who could have used a few more intriguing qualities. Could it not have been titled, say, Fox Cub? Or, getting a little creative here, Blind Deception?
…anyway…
The plot, overall, wasn’t serpentine; it was a straight line all the way through, with a few detours here and there that only prolonged arrival at the inevitable destination. Annique’s miraculous recovery was stretching it a bit, for example, but it was written well, so I forgave the implausibility. In fact, the quality of writing was what struck me most. Bourne has a way with words. Her style is nuanced and clever and vibrant, and has the ability to be subtle yet still clear. I felt like the requirements of the genre boxed her in. I sometimes felt like she was stuffing an element in because that was what the editor, publisher, readers would expect to happen at that point in the book. The very end, literally the last three pages, is a good example of this. Married spies are so on trend.
An agreeable read. I loved crawling into the historical setting for a week. There were even a couple humorous exchanges to keep things light in the dark. Three stars.
my kindle says 374 pages.
-4 stars. maybe 3.5.
a little irritated at the blind magically becoming unblind with another knock to the head. but i liked the rest of the story.
"do you know, when i am with you i am not afraid at all. it is a magic altogether curious that happens inside the heart. i wish i could take it with me when i leave."
"i have gone ever so slightly mad where you are concerned." the maggie of doyle had provided her silk stockings with a white pattern. exquisite. she would wear exquisite stockings to go mad in.
-4 stars. maybe 3.5.
a little irritated at the blind magically becoming unblind with another knock to the head. but i liked the rest of the story.
"do you know, when i am with you i am not afraid at all. it is a magic altogether curious that happens inside the heart. i wish i could take it with me when i leave."
"i have gone ever so slightly mad where you are concerned." the maggie of doyle had provided her silk stockings with a white pattern. exquisite. she would wear exquisite stockings to go mad in.
I loved the book and was blindsided by that fact.
The leading lady is so smart, so crafty, so witty, so much of what most authors want their characters to be but never achieve. She fooled me and kept me interested and rooting for her until the very end. I believe she could be a spy. I believe she could resurrect the dead if she wished.
The leading lady is so smart, so crafty, so witty, so much of what most authors want their characters to be but never achieve. She fooled me and kept me interested and rooting for her until the very end. I believe she could be a spy. I believe she could resurrect the dead if she wished.
Sensual scenes might be worth it, but I hated this book otherwise
The plot of this one kept me intrigued. The two main characters were made of tougher stuff than most regency romances, which was a breath of fresh air. Overall a great read.
A battle of wits and wills ensues when French spy Annique Villiers is forced to flee France with British spymaster Robert Greyson Fordham in the tumultuous days of Napoleon's imperial ambition.
Confession: I read this book by accident.
How exactly does that happen? Well....I'm trying to get better acquainted with high-quality romance, an often-maligned genre I'm not familiar with - but which so many Smart Bitches love. I wasn't even planning on reading The Spymaster's Lady at until I got bored one night and saw it available as an ebook from my local library. And then I zoomed through 150 pages in one sitting.
It's an impressive novel by any standards. Bourne is remarkably good at getting the cadence of another language down without it sounding stilted or odd - the dialogue is by far the best I've seen in my limited experience of romances. Bourne masters the rhythms of not only French but also German, all without resorting to dialect or broken English.
What really drew me along was the strong-willed Annique, a woman raised to be a spy from a young age. She reminded me of many of Heyer's French heroines, particularly Leonie in These Old Shades. Annique is charmingly French, bloody-minded, and quick as a whip. She can keep trained spies on their toes even when she's physically disabled. (Think House of Flying Daggers.) She meets her match in Grey, himself a master spy, and they both must team up to escape a villainous enemy. Of course, love and lust follow, though Annique knows it's in her best interest to keep Grey at an arm's length.
If you're a true historical romance lover, you've probably already read this. If you discount all romance as dumb, cliched, and badly written, give The Spymaster's Lady a chance to change your mind. Also, check out Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels for literary criticism of the genre by a pair of true fangirls.
The web review by Smart Bitches, Trashy Books gave it an A-, knocking it down for an unconvincing villain (who doesn't get much opportunity to be really scary or clever). Also yes, this cover is the perfect example of everything that's wrong with generic romance covers.
Confession: I read this book by accident.
How exactly does that happen? Well....I'm trying to get better acquainted with high-quality romance, an often-maligned genre I'm not familiar with - but which so many Smart Bitches love. I wasn't even planning on reading The Spymaster's Lady at until I got bored one night and saw it available as an ebook from my local library. And then I zoomed through 150 pages in one sitting.
It's an impressive novel by any standards. Bourne is remarkably good at getting the cadence of another language down without it sounding stilted or odd - the dialogue is by far the best I've seen in my limited experience of romances. Bourne masters the rhythms of not only French but also German, all without resorting to dialect or broken English.
What really drew me along was the strong-willed Annique, a woman raised to be a spy from a young age. She reminded me of many of Heyer's French heroines, particularly Leonie in These Old Shades. Annique is charmingly French, bloody-minded, and quick as a whip. She can keep trained spies on their toes even when she's physically disabled. (Think House of Flying Daggers.) She meets her match in Grey, himself a master spy, and they both must team up to escape a villainous enemy. Of course, love and lust follow, though Annique knows it's in her best interest to keep Grey at an arm's length.
If you're a true historical romance lover, you've probably already read this. If you discount all romance as dumb, cliched, and badly written, give The Spymaster's Lady a chance to change your mind. Also, check out Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels for literary criticism of the genre by a pair of true fangirls.
The web review by Smart Bitches, Trashy Books gave it an A-, knocking it down for an unconvincing villain (who doesn't get much opportunity to be really scary or clever). Also yes, this cover is the perfect example of everything that's wrong with generic romance covers.
I enjoyed this just as much the second time, to my surprise. I've been off historicals lately, but this has so much plot and intrigue that I kept right on going. I do love the competence of the main characters, as well as all the offhand details of period spycraft.
If you're new to the series, it helps to know that there is an internal chronology that doesn't match the publishing order. (GR has the list in chronological order as well as publication order.)
If you're new to the series, it helps to know that there is an internal chronology that doesn't match the publishing order. (GR has the list in chronological order as well as publication order.)
This book really held my interest. I read it in one sitting.