THE BEAUTY AND THE SPY

Author: Gayle Callen ISBN: 0060543957 10/2004 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVON
Time Period: London 1844

Over Her Head Charlotte Sinclair is seeking a bit of adventure in her life -- but that doesn't mean she relishes being kidnapped by a traitor to England! Straying innocently from a crowded ballroom, she overhears a conversation, and suddenly she's a captive of Nicholas Wright. Now Charlotte is forced to go on the run with a devil who's far too attractive for his own -- and Charlotte's -- good. Head Over Heels Nick can't believe his bad luck! His mission for the Crown requires that he pose as a criminal, and now this meddling beauty threatens to muck everything up. The last thing he needs is tobe saddled with a willful, spirited, and utterly bewitching womanwhose stunning sensuality is driving him to distraction. And as duty draws them deeper into peril, Nick is discoveringthat the greatest danger is one he seems powerless to avoid: falling in love!

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Gayle Callen's newest release, THE BEAUTY AND THE SPY, is unbelievable. As in, not believable. Yes, I realize it is a work of fiction and therefore my imagination is required to make it work, but with this one I guess my imagination, and my ability to believe, is lacking.

The heroine, Charlotte Sinclair, a widow whose marriage was less than perfect, discovers her father is a retired master spy leader for England. After reading some of her father's hidden journals, she suddenly finds her mystery senses heightened. During her first ball in over a year, she spies a man she feels is out of place there. Call me cynical, but...what?! Is his coat not right? Does walking through a crowded ballroom looking for someone qualify you as suspicious?

Suddenly, after reading about spies, Charlotte can pick one out in a crowd and, better yet, decides to follow said spy to his rendevous point? And do what, I ask you? She doesn't even have a plan if the guy is a spy. As a new widow in the viper pit that is the ton, she is able to just follow this guy without anyone the wiser, hide in an armoire and overhear a supposedly treasonous conversation. Naturally, she is discovered by the spy, our hero, Nicholas Wright, who tries to convince her that he worked for her father and is on the side of England.

Now the story does get a bit better, as Gayle Callen has an intriguing writing style and creates some three-dimensional characters. Nick eventually convinces Charlotte he is the good guy, and she helps him in his quest to capture the real traitor.

I just can't get past the starting point of this one. It is as I said before, unbelievable. There is also a burning question that I just cannot get past: If Nick knows her father, why doesn't he just turn her over to him or at least contact him at the beginning?! Yes, I know, then there wouldn't be a storyline, right? Well, in my opinion, there isn't much of one here anyway.

Shannon Johnson