ONE NIGHT WITH A SPY

Author: Celeste Bradley ISBN: 0312939663 4/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS
Time Period: England, 1810, 1813

For years, Lady Julia Barrowby has acted the part of an old man’s ornamental bride, never revealing that she has secretly helped the ailing Lord Barrowby in his work with the Royal Four. Now that her husband has died, Julia believes his place in the Four is hers by right. But convincing the remaining members will not be easy, especially with Marcus Ramsay, Lord Dryden, distracting her at every turn. Somehow, the mysterious Marcus seems to see into her very soul, effortlessly satisfying all her secret, forbidden longings… Marcus stood next in line to be chosen for the Four, and he is not willing to be displaced by a woman, no matter how intriguing or beautiful she may be. Under orders to investigate Julia, Marcus discovers her diary, overflowing with years of loneliness and yearning. Fulfilling Julia’s fantasies is the perfect way to get closer to her, but seducing this fascinating creature is fast becoming more than a means to an end—it is his soul’s deepest desire…

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Once again, Celeste Bradley sets her characters in pursuit of the ever-elusive Chimera, that chameleon-like evil villain who, time after time, slips through the grasp of England's premier spies. In ONE NIGHT WITH A SPY, he slithers back into the path of the Royal Four wherein Ms. Bradley becomes the master at creating daring situations, spellbinding action and sensual, romantic intrigue.

By now you might think it would be easy to become tired of this series, but Bradley has a knack for coming up with new and original situations that make each story she creates fresh and non-repetitive. For example, I don't think I've ever read a historical romance where a privy has played such an important role in a plot point, but in ONE NIGHT WITH A SPY it does, and through Ms. Bradley's skillful writing—and despite the "ick" factor it sometimes evokes *G*—it works amusingly well.

Lady Julia Barrowby, the heroine, is a woman to be much admired and smarter than your average Regency era heroine. And though I'm not as fond of Marcus Ramsay as I am of the previous heroes in this series, he does rather grow on you, so much so that I even forgave him for his eventual betrayal. The sexual tension between Julia and Marcus is hot, as it usually is in a Bradley book, and even the plot twist at the end doesn't seem to dampen their ardor for one another.

While ONE NIGHT WITH A SPY isn't my favorite Celeste Bradley book, it's not that far off the mark from the rest of the The Royal Four series. Filled with engaging and entertaining secondary characters, a plot that will hold you from start to end, and an interesting "revelation" at the end, you'll thoroughly enjoy Bradley's third offering of the Royal Four quartet.

Nancy Davis