Helpful Score: 3
I accidentally found out about this author due to a blog recommendation from another author I admire and it was love at first sight. I was absolutely fascinated by the heroine, her unconventional upbringing, and her father and brother who are both spies. Rachel can nurse the wounded, shoot a pistol, ride astride and throw a pretty good punch yet still seems like an authentic lady of her time period.
I thought Richard was a great hero but the book shows the moral ambiguities, double dealing and gray areas of the espionage business. There is no cartoon style perfect solution to the conflicts that arise, but the hero at all times is doing what he considers to be the most honorable thing, and he sometimes second guesses himself because he knows he is only human and imperfect. I also thought the story was intensely romantic in the most lovely and old fashioned way, but true to the period. Meaning of course that it was highly unlikely for characters of that time period to jump into bed with each other before marriage. If you enjoy other historical authors like Tracy Grant or C.S. Harris or Joanna Bourne that combine spy or mystery plots with some romance, or traditional Regency romances like Georgette Heyer or Carla Kelly's then you should love this book. I'm rating it 4.5 only because the 3rd book in the series, "The Spy's Bride", is even better.
I found the writing style to be very enjoyable and I loved the action and adventure in the parts of the book that involved the war and espionage. Rachel and Richard's family members were all well written with nuanced and interesting personalities. There is no doubt I'll be reading everything else Nita Abrams wrote.
A note about the Jewish aspect of the story: Rachel's family defines themselves as Jewish more via culture, social status and ethnicity than by their religious observance, at least the younger generation. And of course Rachel's brother and father often have to masquerade as Gentiles to do their intelligence gathering work. This seems logical and historically realistic to me; then as now there are many secular Jews who none the less self-identify as Jewish. And the book did not gloss over the problems this couple will face in a religious intermarriage during that time period.
I thought Richard was a great hero but the book shows the moral ambiguities, double dealing and gray areas of the espionage business. There is no cartoon style perfect solution to the conflicts that arise, but the hero at all times is doing what he considers to be the most honorable thing, and he sometimes second guesses himself because he knows he is only human and imperfect. I also thought the story was intensely romantic in the most lovely and old fashioned way, but true to the period. Meaning of course that it was highly unlikely for characters of that time period to jump into bed with each other before marriage. If you enjoy other historical authors like Tracy Grant or C.S. Harris or Joanna Bourne that combine spy or mystery plots with some romance, or traditional Regency romances like Georgette Heyer or Carla Kelly's then you should love this book. I'm rating it 4.5 only because the 3rd book in the series, "The Spy's Bride", is even better.
I found the writing style to be very enjoyable and I loved the action and adventure in the parts of the book that involved the war and espionage. Rachel and Richard's family members were all well written with nuanced and interesting personalities. There is no doubt I'll be reading everything else Nita Abrams wrote.
A note about the Jewish aspect of the story: Rachel's family defines themselves as Jewish more via culture, social status and ethnicity than by their religious observance, at least the younger generation. And of course Rachel's brother and father often have to masquerade as Gentiles to do their intelligence gathering work. This seems logical and historically realistic to me; then as now there are many secular Jews who none the less self-identify as Jewish. And the book did not gloss over the problems this couple will face in a religious intermarriage during that time period.
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