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elblackwell 's review for:
The Spymaster's Lady
by Joanna Bourne
As anyone that follows me on GoodReads (or other social media) knows, I read a lot of romance novels. Especially of late. I always star them, but I rarely write actual reviews unless the book is so extraordinarily offensive/bad or good except for something I feel should be mentioned, or just a book that I love endlessly. Believe it or not, all of these are fairly rare occurrences. Even the offensive one.
But this book. Man. Never ever ever has a book more rightly deserved the phrase, "never judge a book by its cover."
Don't get me wrong, it is a romance novel. There are all the elements of a romance novel. But it's so much more than a muscled guy in a billow-y white shirt would have you believe. As I mentioned earlier, I read a lot of romance novels, and even the authors I truly adore, I'm not sure I would be able to pick them out of a lineup. Not to say they don't have unique voices, but for the most part, you know what you're getting out of a 19th century romance novel.
That is not what you get with The Spymaster's Lady. To start off, Joanna Bourne's voice is utterly unique in the realm of the romance novel. The tone, cadence, and rhythm of the book is like no other romance novel I've read in memory. The heroine is a blind, French spy. The hero is a leader of the English spies. The plot revolves around Napoleon planning to invade England. But though there are elements of melodrama, there's not the distance from the ugly parts of spying and war that you would expect to find in a novel of this genre. Annique has seen much, done much, heard much and she is not left unaffected, but she is also not prone to flinging herself dramatically upon coverlets and bemoaning. She's resourceful and intelligent and fierce and humourous and wholly a unique heroine.
The hero is far from the typical alpha male, chest-beating military hero one comes to expect. But neither is he the other option of someone that is totally undermined and defeated by Annique. Robert/Grey is resourceful in his own right, respectful of Annique's abilities, and a steady human being even when he is madly in love with his enemy.
I will say, that for all that I've read a million of these, I actually didn't expect the twist nearish the end. I also couldn't have told you how they would conclude things. It was such a refreshing, palate cleansing, remarkable read I had to write a review for it.
But this book. Man. Never ever ever has a book more rightly deserved the phrase, "never judge a book by its cover."
Don't get me wrong, it is a romance novel. There are all the elements of a romance novel. But it's so much more than a muscled guy in a billow-y white shirt would have you believe. As I mentioned earlier, I read a lot of romance novels, and even the authors I truly adore, I'm not sure I would be able to pick them out of a lineup. Not to say they don't have unique voices, but for the most part, you know what you're getting out of a 19th century romance novel.
That is not what you get with The Spymaster's Lady. To start off, Joanna Bourne's voice is utterly unique in the realm of the romance novel. The tone, cadence, and rhythm of the book is like no other romance novel I've read in memory. The heroine is a blind, French spy. The hero is a leader of the English spies. The plot revolves around Napoleon planning to invade England. But though there are elements of melodrama, there's not the distance from the ugly parts of spying and war that you would expect to find in a novel of this genre. Annique has seen much, done much, heard much and she is not left unaffected, but she is also not prone to flinging herself dramatically upon coverlets and bemoaning. She's resourceful and intelligent and fierce and humourous and wholly a unique heroine.
The hero is far from the typical alpha male, chest-beating military hero one comes to expect. But neither is he the other option of someone that is totally undermined and defeated by Annique. Robert/Grey is resourceful in his own right, respectful of Annique's abilities, and a steady human being even when he is madly in love with his enemy.
I will say, that for all that I've read a million of these, I actually didn't expect the twist nearish the end. I also couldn't have told you how they would conclude things. It was such a refreshing, palate cleansing, remarkable read I had to write a review for it.