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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Another really good romance novel by Joanna Bourne - it'd be nice to read one of her books that doesn't focus on spies though.
First read: Nov 2015
Reread: July 2017
I still don't understand why this book is #3 when the plot in the timeline comes before book #1 but ANYWAY
I love William Doyle so much like we only got glimpses of him and Maggie in book #1 but in this one we got their backstory and Maggie is so badass I will also die for her-
I'm on a mission to finish this series they've been on my Kindle for far too long.
Reread: July 2017
I still don't understand why this book is #3 when the plot in the timeline comes before book #1 but ANYWAY
I love William Doyle so much like we only got glimpses of him and Maggie in book #1 but in this one we got their backstory and Maggie is so badass I will also die for her-
I'm on a mission to finish this series they've been on my Kindle for far too long.
I first came across Jo Bourne's Spymaster series after reading a rather interesting debate about the heroine in [b:The Spymaster's Lady|959745|The Spymaster's Lady (Spymasters, #2)|Joanna Bourne|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345986088s/959745.jpg|944648]. Initially I had no interest in that story. Zero. I was not interested in historicals at the time and definitely hated anything that had to do with what I call the dreaded 'Spying Duke.' But I actually ended up getting that book as an audiobook, I had a truckload of audible credits and became rather desperate to offload a few of them.
That book became a 5-star listen/read for me and a lot of it had to do with the narrator, Kirsten Potter. And to be fair, the story was fun as hell, I loved all the spy vs. spy and all the plotting and counter-plotting every single character did.
I went back to see if the other books in the series were in audio and sadly they weren't. Until earlier this year,. And with Kirsten Potter narrating! Score!!! So I snapped them all up in audio with this one being the first one I decided to listen to.
While it was not written first in publication order, it is the first chronologically and it details the story of the big, quietly fierce Doyle and his French emigree wife Marguerite.
Like The Spymaster's Lady, this is a story of spies and subterfuge and people all working at cross purposes. There is a little feel of a caper at the end and Maggie and Doyle have to outwit a powerful enemy. The book also peppers in some actual history with the events surrounding the last days of Robespierre and the end of the Reign of terror with Maggie and Doyle being key participants. It felt rather like an old skool Hist romance in that sense.
Kirsten Potter, of course, made this is a stellar listening experience. Her voice is like buttah! And she does accents gorgeously.
That book became a 5-star listen/read for me and a lot of it had to do with the narrator, Kirsten Potter. And to be fair, the story was fun as hell, I loved all the spy vs. spy and all the plotting and counter-plotting every single character did.
I went back to see if the other books in the series were in audio and sadly they weren't. Until earlier this year,. And with Kirsten Potter narrating! Score!!! So I snapped them all up in audio with this one being the first one I decided to listen to.
While it was not written first in publication order, it is the first chronologically and it details the story of the big, quietly fierce Doyle and his French emigree wife Marguerite.
Like The Spymaster's Lady, this is a story of spies and subterfuge and people all working at cross purposes. There is a little feel of a caper at the end and Maggie and Doyle have to outwit a powerful enemy. The book also peppers in some actual history with the events surrounding the last days of Robespierre and the end of the Reign of terror with Maggie and Doyle being key participants. It felt rather like an old skool Hist romance in that sense.
Kirsten Potter, of course, made this is a stellar listening experience. Her voice is like buttah! And she does accents gorgeously.
An exceptionally well written book with the backdrop of the French
Revolution. Joanna Bourne's words sing, the plot envelops you and the characters are intriguing. A must read!
See my full review at Barnes and Noble's H2H blog http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Heart-to-Heart-The-BN-Romance/Buy-it-Now/ba-p/531264
Revolution. Joanna Bourne's words sing, the plot envelops you and the characters are intriguing. A must read!
See my full review at Barnes and Noble's H2H blog http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Heart-to-Heart-The-BN-Romance/Buy-it-Now/ba-p/531264
This is by far my favourite in the series so far. Doyle is just such a joy of a character to read, which is rare for me and romance novels. Maggie is also very interesting, and the setting of the terror sets a great scene.
Bourne really stands out among regency romance writers. Wish she had more books published.
Doyle's story. Plot was drawn out too long but fun to read nevertheless. All her characters are wonderful. Adrian, of course, is completely intriguing.
Marguerite is in hiding as Maggie Duncan after her family's chateau has been looted and burned during the French Revolution. When British spy William Doyle shows up in the disguise of bookseller Guillaume de Breton. This is a romance novel, so of course, sparks fly despite some pretty major opposition and reasons why Marguerite and William cannot be together.
My favorite part of this book was how author Joanna Bourne never once dumbed anything down for her readers. Marguerite and William know (pretty much) who each other are from the first, despite false identities and made up back stories. The Big Reveal isn't some shocking, dramatic curtain pulling. It's a quiet conversation when the aliases are just dropped, no big fanfare, no major discussion, because there doesn't need to be. These are mature characters who have seen a LOT of life.
The dialog is especially wonderful and hilarious between the two of them. Two very responsible adults suddenly acting like teenagers around each other. Seriously, it's the middle of the freaking French Revolution and they can't keep their hands off each other. Usually this kind of behavior bothers me, but Bourne kept it real enough that I totally bought it. She also kept it from going completely off the rails and kept the love-making in places and time that were believable.
I also enjoyed that neither of the protagonists was beautiful/handsome. They're both quite plain and yet find beauty in each other. Sometimes I get so sick of gorgeous heroines and handsome heroes that I could scream! This was a welcome change, to read about regular people, in irregular circumstances, finding love.
Joanna Bourne's book are a cure for the common romance. If you're looking to spice up your reading, or try a romance for the very first time, you can't go wrong with her books.
My favorite part of this book was how author Joanna Bourne never once dumbed anything down for her readers. Marguerite and William know (pretty much) who each other are from the first, despite false identities and made up back stories. The Big Reveal isn't some shocking, dramatic curtain pulling. It's a quiet conversation when the aliases are just dropped, no big fanfare, no major discussion, because there doesn't need to be. These are mature characters who have seen a LOT of life.
The dialog is especially wonderful and hilarious between the two of them. Two very responsible adults suddenly acting like teenagers around each other. Seriously, it's the middle of the freaking French Revolution and they can't keep their hands off each other. Usually this kind of behavior bothers me, but Bourne kept it real enough that I totally bought it. She also kept it from going completely off the rails and kept the love-making in places and time that were believable.
I also enjoyed that neither of the protagonists was beautiful/handsome. They're both quite plain and yet find beauty in each other. Sometimes I get so sick of gorgeous heroines and handsome heroes that I could scream! This was a welcome change, to read about regular people, in irregular circumstances, finding love.
Joanna Bourne's book are a cure for the common romance. If you're looking to spice up your reading, or try a romance for the very first time, you can't go wrong with her books.
*0.5/5*
Voilà une chronique qui va être simple et rapide, tout le contraire de ma lecture qui fut laborieuse et interminable (je dois avouer que j’ai sauté des paragraphes dans la deuxième partie du livre tellement l’histoire, les personnages, l’écriture me gonflaient). Et pour être tout à fait honnête, j’ai lu le livre il y a une semaine et je ne me souviens pas d’un seul point positif (j’ai beau me creuser la tête, je n’y vois que du négatif !). [...]
La suite ici: http://lune-et-plume.fr/le-maitre-du-secret-de-joanna-bourne/
Voilà une chronique qui va être simple et rapide, tout le contraire de ma lecture qui fut laborieuse et interminable (je dois avouer que j’ai sauté des paragraphes dans la deuxième partie du livre tellement l’histoire, les personnages, l’écriture me gonflaient). Et pour être tout à fait honnête, j’ai lu le livre il y a une semaine et je ne me souviens pas d’un seul point positif (j’ai beau me creuser la tête, je n’y vois que du négatif !). [...]
La suite ici: http://lune-et-plume.fr/le-maitre-du-secret-de-joanna-bourne/
adventurous
emotional
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