THE SPYMASTER'S LADY

Author: Joanna Bourne ISBN: 9780425219607 1/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: BERKLEY SENSATION
Time Period: Regency

SHE'S NEVER MET A MAN SHE COULDN'T DECEIVE... She's braved battlefields. She's stolen dispatches from under the noses of heads of state. She's played the worldly courtesan, the naive virgin, the refined British lady, even a Gypsy boy. But Annique Villiers, the elusive spy known as the Fox Cub, has finally met the one man she can't outwit... UNTIL NOW. British spymaster Robert Grey must enter France and bring back the brilliant, beautiful—and dangerous—Fox Cub. His duty is to capture her and her secrets for England. When the two natural enemies are thrown into prison, they forge an uneasy alliance to break free. But their pact is temporary and betrayal seems inevitable. They flee, pursued every step of the way by ruthless authorities, caught in a net of secrets and lies. As the fates of nations hang in the balance, Grey and Annique fight the passion that flares between themforbidden, impossible, and completely irresistible...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

If there's one book you need to read to start the new year out on a high note, then this is it! THE SPYMASTER'S LADY, by Joanna Bourne, is chock full of suspense, sexual tension and hot romance as well as plot twists and character surprises that will blind side you from out of nowhere. It's simply superb!

There are just so many reasons to recommend this book. First, there's Annique, the feisty, humorous and very resourceful French heroine who is a lifelong player in the spying game. Robert Grey, her antagonistic English counterpart, is the dashing hero in this spy versus spy story, who attempts to seduce from Annique all of her well-kept secrets—and her petticoats, too. Add in surprising character revelations about these two that you've no clue are coming and you'll find yourself seduced too, after reading just a few pages. Then, when you think the action or your interest in the plot and characters is beginning to wane, something will happen at just that moment that will suck you right back in. Odds are that this is one fast-paced, historical suspense you'll find yourself reading, like me, all in one sitting.

One of the things I found most impressive, though, and I'd be remiss not to mention, is how Annique's French-tinged English is so believably written by the author. The accent is spot on with absolutely no phoniness to it, whatsoever. There's no "zees" or "zous" in this little French miss's dialect when she speaks. Instead, Annique's broken English is conveyed via the placement of her dialogue's wording, and that, along with the two lead's verbal sparring and their attempts to continually best one another while at the same time working hand-in-hand, help to make this a truly exceptional and standout read. Very well done, Ms. Bourne. Very well done, indeed.

Original, exciting, fast-paced, sensual and sexy, this is the first offering in what looks to be a very impressive suspense-filled series from Joanna Bourne. THE SPYMASTER'S LADY is definitely one historical romance that you don't want to miss!

Nancy Davis