SEDUCED BY A SPY

Author: Andrea Pickens ISBN: 0446617997 3/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: GRAND CENTRAL
Time Period: Regency

Hot-tempered and a warrior to the bone, Shannon is the most daring of "Merlin Maidens." Her assignment: stop the fiendishly cruel assassin who is targeting a top British ballistic expert's family. Marshaling her intelligence, fighting skills, and weapons is easy. Being forced to work with the sinfully handsome Russian spy she loathes is something else. Witty, resourceful, and notorious for his rakish charm with women, Alexandr Orlov tempts Shannon's fierce reserve and lithe body to win her trust. But in the remote Scottish castle where they must protect the innocent, their games of parry and thrust could end in death. A ruthless enemy is watching…and planning to turn their passion into the most dangerous weapon of all.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Andrea Pickens pens some interesting stories, and SEDUCED BY A SPY, her follow up to THE SPY WORE SILK, is definitely interesting. The book is decently paced and most assuredly unique. What it lacks, though, is a better-than-average romance to match its potent characters.

Although the characters are intriguing alone, they have an undeniably combustible chemistry together. But, being as they are only together alone a few times, their romance feels like an afterthought to the plot. Yes, they have a rather important job to do, so I understand why they do not get much time together. But still, the fireworks between them are so hot that it is a disservice to such compatible characters to simply slap their romance together at the end of the book. I suppose my complaint then is that there should be a better balance between the romance and the action.

Anyway, SEDUCED BY A SPY is a decent follow-up to THE SPY WORE SILK, but for such great characters, I want more.

Shannon Johnson