Thursday, September 29, 2011

Review: Lord and Lady Spy

Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen


Publication Date: September 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc.
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: Paperback, 384pp
ISBN-13: 9781402259074
ISBN: 1402259077
 
(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks)


Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound


Lord and Lady Spy in e-book format is on sale for .99 cents from 9/27 to 10/3 at participating booksellers! (Including Barnes & Noble)



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Excerpt from Lord and Lady Spy
Book Trailer:



Synopsis
NO MAN CAN OUTSMART HIM...
Lord Adrian Smythe may appear a perfectly boring gentleman, but he leads a thrilling life as one of England's most preeminent spies, an identity so clandestine even his wife is unaware of it. But he isn't the only one with secrets...

BUT ONE WOMAN ALMOST CERTAINLY CAN...

Now that the Napoleonic wars have come to an end, daring secret agent Lady Sophia Smythe can hardly bear the thought of returning home to her tedious husband. Until she discovers in the dark of night that he's not who she thinks he is after all...

Shana Galen's brilliant Regency world features two noble spies who cross swords and meet their match in a fast-paced, witty love story full of excitement and heart.

Thoughts:

Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen, seamlessly blends romance with mystery and intrigue. With all the qualities of a good thriller, this novel set in the Regency era is action packed and full of surprises. The main characters are insightful and determined, being a spy is dangerous business. Readers will love the sparks that fly between Adrian and Sophia and their competitive spirits. Their marriage may have started out as a convenience, but it turns into a battle of wills where both players are risking more than just their future careers. 

Before reading this book, I hadn't really thought a lot about the fact that spies probably existed during this time period, but it is completely understandable considering the Napoleonic wars and other conflicts that took place in the Regency era. Shana Galen has taken the allure and aura of sexiness that surrounds the idea of spies and what they do and transported it into a historical setting. She gives the readers characters that will appeal to their fantasies that people can lead a double life. Galen excels at creating snappy, emotional dialogue that drives the story and the arguments between Adrian and Sophia are a great example of this. The overall affect is very well written, engaging novel about two spies that happen to be married and somehow through it all find the love they didn't think existed between them.

Here you have two people who are in a marriage of convenience and because of the nature of their marriage they spend a great deal of time apart. This in turn allows both of them to carry on a double life. Lord Smythe appears to be a very handsome playboy who would rather travel the world than spend time with his drab and dull wife. Lady Smythe however is not what she seems. Underneath her facade of frumpy clothing and austere hairstyles, she is a very vibrant and resourceful woman. But neither character realizes that there is so much more to each other. They know so little about each other that they are completely dumbfounded when they find out that they are both spies, competing for the same job. 

I thought that the author did a fantastic job of switching back and forth between who these characters were in their daily lives and who they were are spies. Galen is able to show them as real people with real problems including infertility, and harsh misunderstandings. I loved the fact that when they began to really get to know each other they found that they were a perfect match. The romantic edge to the story made it all the more interesting. The heat between them starts out as anger and needing to be better than the other in some way, but it quickly translates to romantic heat, as the sparks start to fly. These two characters are used to things being risky and their romantic life is just as passionate as they are as spies and people. Very well written.

I recommend this one to readers who like their romance with a bit of a twist. The spy angle really works well and brings a lot of intrigue and mystery to the book. The novel portrays the life of a spy as sexy and full of danger and readers will love the overall atmosphere and ambiance of this story. It was very good from the first page to the last. I am in hopes that the author writes a few more spy/romance novels. Her writing style is smooth and full of delicious detail and some very witty dialogue. In a nutshell, I loved it and I think you will too!

Lord and Lady Spy is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag! Shana Galen is fast becoming one of my favorite historical romance writers... you don't want to miss this one!



 
 
Shana Galen is the author of five Regency historicals. Her books have been sold in Brazil, Russia, and the Netherlands and featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. A former English teacher, Shana now writes full time. She lives with her husband and daughter in Houston, Texas.

2 comments:

Ora said...

I reading about historical spies. I love the romance and the intrigue. To me it seems a much more romantic time.

Marg said...

It's been a while for me since I read a really good historical romance with spies! I am hoping that I will enjoy this one when I get to it soon.