Napoleonic France is no place for an Englishman, especially Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal, who is on a clandestine assignment for the Crown. Already injured and facing imminent discovery by Napoleon and Fouche’s men, Michael finds his escape made even more perilous when he is charged with the safety of a young boy who must be spirited out of Paris.
Desperate to escape the terrible fate … terrible fate that awaits her if she remains in France, Lady Gabrielle De Valmont must disguise herself as a boy and rely on the cunning of a virtual stranger—an Englishman, no less—to smuggle her out of the country. When the Earl’s injury becomes severely infected, rendering him gravely ill, Gabrielle realizes it is now up to her to save them both.
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THE CODE BREAKERS SERIES
Men and women from the class of privilege and rank risk their lives to defend England against the treacherous designs of Napoleon. They confront disaster, scandal, and passion as they pursue their code of honor and love.
For more heart-pounding adventure, international intrigue, and sizzling romance, read the rest of The Code Breakers Regency Romantic Suspense Series from Jacki Delecki:
A Code of Love
The Christmas Code
A Code of the Heart
more
And a great series marches on
This is another amazing story in a great series. The plot is full of emotional suspense and intrigue. The characters are brilliantly portrayed, with the determination to overcome their foes. This is a great book that would be suitable for anybody who loves steamy historical romances, that have plenty of mystery.
I quite enjoyed this story. It’s not what I usually think of as romantic suspense, it feels more like romantic comedy with an air of intrigue – a comedy of errors. Also, a bit like the silent movies of old, with the dramatic overacting and telegraphing of intentions. The villains aren’t particularly stealthy but it’s still fun to cheer the “good guys” on to victory. I found Michael and Gabrielle to be sympathetic characters and I cared about what happened to them. I was invested in learning how they’d get their happy ever after.
Really kept me up reading to the end!
WOW – what an ending – could not put it down!
I was so involved with this book i could not put it down. The characters, times and how they related was so realistic.
Great book, loved the suspense and romance combinations.
Wow, what a page-turner! I read it in a couple of days, it’s so fast-paced. And I really like strong female characters. For those who love historical romances and mystery books
Spies, threats, jealousy, hurt feelings…
Once again Ms. Delecki brings intrigue, assassination attempts and drama to you, wrapped up in a love story. This is the 4th book in the Code Breakers series and it continues on with favorite characters, a few surprises and the HEA. You are treated to the humor, wit and bold sassiness of brilliant female characters and the men that love them. The banter is wonderfully fast paced and the glimpses into the thoughts of the hero and heroine is charming.
Gabrielle “Gabby” DeVelmont has her whole world ripped from her. She is the daughter of the now dead Marquis of de Velmont. Gabby has a resilience and outlook that is refreshing. No Shrinking violet here. Her devotion to her new friends is remarkable given such short acquaintance and she refuses to allow harm to come to them choosing to take chance it will be visited on her instead.
Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal, is not your typical spy. He is not used to subterfuge. While is he is a brilliant code breaker, he finds himself in some interesting messes. He thrives on routine and upon his return from France he finds life as he left it totally upside down. Only with Gabby’s help does he regain his equilibrium.
While all of Ms. Deliecki’s characters have charming and sometimes intense depth, my favorite continues to be Aunt Euphemia. She is eccentric with a wonderfully twisted sense of humor and her role as a fellow spy is genius; the spy least likely. Ms. Delicki manages to create evil characters that leave you thinking you need to wash your hands at the very least. Fantastic.
I have been a fan of this series from the start and once again I am not disappointed. Without sounding too Fangirlish, I hope Ms. Delecki has many more adventures in this series tucked away in her mind. You will enjoy this book if it is your first visit with the Code Breakers and Ms. Delecki’s crack characters and you will be going back to catch up and read the WHOLE series. Thank you Ms. Delecki for another enjoyable read.
I was given this book free with the understanding I would give an honest review.
Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal, is a brilliant code breaker & is sent by the Crown on a clandestine assignment to Paris. Whilst there he steals a code book & is shot on entering his house. Already injured and facing imminent discovery by Napoleon and Fouche’s men, Michael finds his escape made even more perilous when he approached by a nun & is charged with the safety of a young boy who must be spirited out of Paris. Only the boy is in fact a young woman Gabrielle de Valmont. Whilst travelling through France Michael has a fever & Gabby nurses him back to heal.
They both harbour secrets & she is still being pursued. Then a plot to assassinate the King is discovered can the pair working together break the code.
This is the fourth book in the series & it could be read on its own but characters from earlier books do make appearances. I found it to be an engrossing read, which was spoiled by some inconsistencies & some missed editing mistakes. The characters were well portrayed & had depth. The pace was good but I did find the ending was a little rushed & things were ‘sewn up’ very quickly
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
repetitive, language didn’t always flow- kinda stuffy
Very enjoyable read. If you like mystery with romance don’t miss this one!
This is the type book I always enjoy!
I enjoyed reading this book
Loved the lead male character. The plot was great and different.
Like the spy/code breakers and the number of family members involved.
Kept my interest
Tough read. Took me a while to get through it.
“A Cantata of Love” is book 4 in The Code Breakers Series by Jacki Delecki. France during Napoleon’s reign is a dangerous place for Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal. He is on a clandestine mission for the British crown when he is shot and wounded. Slipping into a coma and teetering on the edge of death, Michael is nursed by Lady Gabrielle De Valmont. Gabrielle is fleeing for her life from Napoleon’s men. Napoleon wants her fortune and he wants to force her to marry his brother.
Together Michael and Gabrielle uncover a French plot to kill the British monarch. Can they save him in time? What do they do with their growing attraction to one another?
I enjoyed the creativity in this story. There are twists and plot turns that I did not anticipate. I think it is important to read the entire series to get the full taste of the story. I highly recommend this book.
A Cantata of Love is my favorite book in Jacki Delecki’s Code Breaker Series. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, it is a fast-paced mystery set inside a historical romance package. What I love most about these books are the strong female characters: not only are the women beautiful, they are super smart and independent. Because this story picks up shortly after the third book in the Code Breaker Series, I highly recommend starting with the first book (A Code of Love) to better understand the overarching premise and interrelationships between the characters.
This story begins when Lady Gabrielle De Valmont is man-handled and propositioned by a feverish and delirious Lord Michael Harcourt, the greatest codebreaker in England. Lady Gabrielle nursed Michael back to health after he was shot and sought shelter in an Abbey (the nuns agreed to let him inside the abbey if he agreed to take a young boy with him when he left France and that boy was Gabrielle). Gabby was also hiding in an attempt to escape Napoleon’s attempt to marry her off so he could gain control of her family’s wealth. The rest of the story is figuring out who Michael and Gabby can trust, and how to stop an assassination plot to kill the Prince Regent.
Pearl Hewitt narrated this audiobook, as she has done with the other books in the series. She is simply outstanding. She provides differing voices for characters young and old, as well as male and female. Pearl has a spunk and sassiness in her readings that make listening very enjoyable. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this engaging series?
An interesting storyline, many interesting characters, and an interesting plot twist, all make A Cantata of Love an interesting and enjoyable read. Interesting enough to make one want to read more of Ms. Delecki’s romances in this series!