lassarina's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this. I am now going to hunt down all the previous books in the series and shove them into my brain because yes. Everything about this book was great: the sharp, sly banter, the incredibly clever protagonists, the way all the pieces were set up neatly for intrigue to be revealed later, the chemistry between Sevie and Raoul, the thousand tiny details of spycraft and investigation, the found-family of the British Service. Yes. Give.
One of the things I liked best about the found-family aspect was the sheer respect given to Sevie; her family are entirely capable of doing whatever the hell they feel like, but when she sets a boundary in unambiguous terms, it is respected. (Which isn't to say they don't interfere in her life, as all families do, but they do it carefully and with respect.)
This was a delightful read, start to finish, and I am so excited to have a new-to-me author to devour.
One of the things I liked best about the found-family aspect was the sheer respect given to Sevie; her family are entirely capable of doing whatever the hell they feel like, but when she sets a boundary in unambiguous terms, it is respected. (Which isn't to say they don't interfere in her life, as all families do, but they do it carefully and with respect.)
This was a delightful read, start to finish, and I am so excited to have a new-to-me author to devour.
stephisbranded's review
3.0
Not bad- I didn't feel invested in any of the characters. I did like the romance between Sevie and Raul, but I found that I really didn't care about any of the espionage that was going on everywhere else.
This book did get me wondering "how does one become a spy? Do they recruit you every time? Can I go to spy school? Are there spy librarians?" I then ended up on the CIA website where I learned that there is a field for information and library science so... that's cool.
This book did get me wondering "how does one become a spy? Do they recruit you every time? Can I go to spy school? Are there spy librarians?" I then ended up on the CIA website where I learned that there is a field for information and library science so... that's cool.
radiareads's review
5.0
After being a little tired of some of Bourne's troupes, this book felt different and refreshing. The hero saving the heroine while she complains or fights him and everything else was absent from this. I loved the Peter character and the couple themselves. Being a Sherlock Holmes fan also helped.
whiskeyinthejar's review
4.0
3.5 stars
She used light words that didn’t say what she was thinking. He was doing the same. They leaned on each other and everything important between them went unsaid.
While you absolutely could read this book without reading the rest in the series, you absolutely do not want to. The romance is a little weak, the mystery threads dominate and I had problems feeling like I "knew" Raoul. Do not look for really any movement in the romance front until after 50%.
“I understand. I’m not an innocent.”
“That’s not what I’m saying, Séverine. Not what I’m asking. I want to explain that this isn’t a game to me. I’m free. This is courtship.” He leaned to set his lips to her breast, through the fabric of her shift. “I thought you should know."
Now, just because I said the romance is weaker, it doesn't mean there isn't love in this story. Why I think you should read the preceding in the series is because Severine is the daughter (adopted) of the hero in "The Forbidden Rose" and sister-in-law to the hero in "The Black Hawk" and the love/relationship between the three is so worth reading. Also, Black Hawk has been my favorite of the series, so reading this, seemingly simple description of him: Hawker sat at the head of the table, his feet propped on one chair, evening coat and cravat thrown over another. His shirt was open at the collar, his cuffs rolled back, and his waistcoat unbuttoned. had me wanting to read his book all over again. What disappointed the heck out of me was that the wives/heroines of these two men were off page the whole time and I missed out seeing them together again.
Women saw that glint of reckless sensuality in him. The promise that he would not only please a woman in bed but make her laugh while he did it.
Severine's character did not disappoint and I loved her; I would be first in line for a novella about her time serving the Military Intelligence. The mystery plot of Raoul searching for his daughter, an amulet, and who/why killed his wife (a forced marriage, he hadn't even seen her in years) was really only interesting to me because of the strength of the characters (Severine, William Doyle, and Adrian Hawkhurst) and how real, nuanced, and wonderfully Bourne writes them.
Bourne's writing style is one of my favorites, its immersing, emotional, and at turns beautiful. I'm just a little worried that reader's new to the series wouldn't have the background attachment to stay with this, because of the slow burn, not always the focus romance. This was a very quietly and understated emotional story, which worked for me at times and didn't at others.
The series is great though, so if you want to fall in love with Severine like I did, definitely start from the beginning.
*In case any group members are reading, this series would be a great Buddy Read series ;)
She used light words that didn’t say what she was thinking. He was doing the same. They leaned on each other and everything important between them went unsaid.
While you absolutely could read this book without reading the rest in the series, you absolutely do not want to. The romance is a little weak, the mystery threads dominate and I had problems feeling like I "knew" Raoul. Do not look for really any movement in the romance front until after 50%.
“I understand. I’m not an innocent.”
“That’s not what I’m saying, Séverine. Not what I’m asking. I want to explain that this isn’t a game to me. I’m free. This is courtship.” He leaned to set his lips to her breast, through the fabric of her shift. “I thought you should know."
Now, just because I said the romance is weaker, it doesn't mean there isn't love in this story. Why I think you should read the preceding in the series is because Severine is the daughter (adopted) of the hero in "The Forbidden Rose" and sister-in-law to the hero in "The Black Hawk" and the love/relationship between the three is so worth reading. Also, Black Hawk has been my favorite of the series, so reading this, seemingly simple description of him: Hawker sat at the head of the table, his feet propped on one chair, evening coat and cravat thrown over another. His shirt was open at the collar, his cuffs rolled back, and his waistcoat unbuttoned. had me wanting to read his book all over again. What disappointed the heck out of me was that the wives/heroines of these two men were off page the whole time and I missed out seeing them together again.
Women saw that glint of reckless sensuality in him. The promise that he would not only please a woman in bed but make her laugh while he did it.
Severine's character did not disappoint and I loved her; I would be first in line for a novella about her time serving the Military Intelligence. The mystery plot of Raoul searching for his daughter, an amulet, and who/why killed his wife (a forced marriage, he hadn't even seen her in years) was really only interesting to me because of the strength of the characters (Severine, William Doyle, and Adrian Hawkhurst) and how real, nuanced, and wonderfully Bourne writes them.
Bourne's writing style is one of my favorites, its immersing, emotional, and at turns beautiful. I'm just a little worried that reader's new to the series wouldn't have the background attachment to stay with this, because of the slow burn, not always the focus romance. This was a very quietly and understated emotional story, which worked for me at times and didn't at others.
The series is great though, so if you want to fall in love with Severine like I did, definitely start from the beginning.
*In case any group members are reading, this series would be a great Buddy Read series ;)
nononanette's review
3.0
Joanna Bourne is a really good writer and I enjoyed the book but would like to see more variety in the temperaments of the characters. her characters all share the same traits—analytical and dispassionate and they talk about how deeply they feel but it’s distant, even the 12yr old girl.
ppatel's review
5.0
Utterly captivating, beautifully written with intriguing characters and quite different than the typical Regency novel.
writer595's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
virginiaduan's review against another edition
5.0
8/3/17
I always have the same dilemma with Bourne's novels. I tear through them because they are fantastic and then I am despondent when they are over.
As always, excellent characters, wry, funny, clever, and deeply thrilling. I want more.
5/6/19
This time I took my time. So excellent even on a re-read. I love Joanna Bourne.
I always have the same dilemma with Bourne's novels. I tear through them because they are fantastic and then I am despondent when they are over.
As always, excellent characters, wry, funny, clever, and deeply thrilling. I want more.
5/6/19
This time I took my time. So excellent even on a re-read. I love Joanna Bourne.
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
4.0
I believe this is my first Joanna Bourne novel. I generally avoid historical novels of this ilk, especially if they have a romantic component. I so often can't stomach the gender politics in them. But this one came to me along with a friend's recommendation. So, I gave it a try and was pleasantly surprised. It's the sort of book in which the hero respectfully things like this:
This is a male/female relationship I can appreciate. What's more, the sort of man who will allow a woman that power is the sort I want to read about, and the woman who inspires such thoughts in a heroine I'm interested in getting to know.
I did find the language too purple and flowery at times, especially around the romance/sex. And as much as I loved the sarcasm and repartee, it did go overboard at times, making everyone sound quite similar. All in all, however, if all of Bourne's work is in this vein, I'm up for a lot more.
One did not, he suspected, write poems to Severine's eyebrows. One slew dragons for her, or stood slightly to the left, holding her spare lance and buckler, while she did the slaying.
This is a male/female relationship I can appreciate. What's more, the sort of man who will allow a woman that power is the sort I want to read about, and the woman who inspires such thoughts in a heroine I'm interested in getting to know.
I did find the language too purple and flowery at times, especially around the romance/sex. And as much as I loved the sarcasm and repartee, it did go overboard at times, making everyone sound quite similar. All in all, however, if all of Bourne's work is in this vein, I'm up for a lot more.