Just because the marriage is fake doesn’t mean the attraction is… a centuries-old book worth an astronomical fortune disappears from Philadelphia’s Franklin Museum, Delilah is paired up with Henry Finch, a brilliant rare book librarian and celebrated academic.
Their orders: Go undercover as a married couple and recover the book by whatever means necessary.
Henry can speak four languages and wear a suit like he was born in Armani. But he’s never squared off against criminals. Never operated in this underground society of glamour and greed. And he’s certainly never pretended to be married to a woman who both dazzles and distrusts him.
Delilah’s keen instincts are her greatest gift, but her growing attraction to the sexy librarian is messing with her head. Every feigned caress, every for-the-audience kiss only heightens the seduction, building a fire that refuses to extinguish. As the danger intensifies, so does the temptation to let their fake desire become real. With a priceless artifact at stake, can this undercover couple learn to trust each other…before it’s too late?
Author’s Note: If fake marriage, closet sex, secret passages, guns and garter belts, high-society galas, mysterious code words, and danger pushes your pleasure buttons Behind the Veil is for you!more
Kathryn Nolan’s first foray into romantic suspense is an unequivocal success. Edge-of-your-seat action combined with brilliantly drawn characters and witty banter make Behind the Veil: A Fake Marriage Romantic Suspense Story (Codex Book 1) hyper-addictive and impossible to put down. A must read!
Behind the Veil by Kathryn Nolan is a suspenseful, slow burn, contemporary, workplace romance told in first person dual POV and featuring a fake marriage. The story follows former librarian, Henry, and former police officer, Delilah, as they partner as private detectives while working undercover in the elite world of priceless rare books to recover stolen texts.
This book is highly addictive! Once I started reading, I didn’t want to put it down. All the characters (primary and secondary) were well-developed, complex, and very intriguing. The chemistry between Henry and Delilah simmering beneath the surface as they pretended to be a married couple was so hot! This clever, steamy romance was filled with mystery and suspense. I absolutely loved it!
Behind the Veil was a different read for me, but welcomed. It’s not your cookie-cutter boy-meets-girl with a classic romance trope behind it. There’s mystery, there’s adventure, there’s the burn of two people falling for each other in a tense situation. I was hooked from the first chapter to the last. And oh… THE FREAKING HEAT!!! Good lord. Kathryn Nolan has found herself a new one-click reader.
Fan freaking tastic.
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time from the suspense and the white-hot attraction between Henry and Delilah. I had to force myself to read slow because I didn’t want to miss any details but the tension was palpable. This is a brilliantly written story you won’t be able to put down once you begin.
Kathryn Nolan outdid herself with this amazing book. Henry Finch, a sexy nerd who is both secretly dirty and wears his heart on his sleeve, belongs in book boyfriend hall of fame.
Rarified air
Dark and twisted passageways. Ancient libraries filled with light spangled dust motes. A verdant rooftop garden. Glittering ballrooms. Museums holding the world’s most precious works of art. This is the world of Henry Finch and Delilah Barrett. Working for Codex, the mysterious company that discretely recovers stolen rare books for a price. A world filled with gray areas and questionable characters masquerading as philanthropists.
I loved the way Henry and Delilah were equally matched in their respective fields, at the same time feeling out of depth in each other’s worlds. Delilah teaching Henry about crime, trust and detective work, while he teaches her about the rare books they are tasked with recovering.
Once again, Kathryn Nolan immerses her readers in a world filled with texture and depth, longing looks and lingering touches, dazzling prose and characters we helplessly fall in love with. Even the characters we shouldn’t. And once again, leaving me breathless with the beauty of a perfectly crafted love story, this time wrapped in suspense!
I absolutely adored Henry and Delilah!
This phenomenal book has is all – captivating story line, thrilling mystery component, incredibly well developed beautiful characters and romance with a bit of steam – it’s simply the dream come true for all romantic suspense readers/lovers.
Behind the Veil introduces us to high society with heiresses, benefit dinners, galas, intrigues and high stake heists of priceless historic literary treasures.
Henry and Delilah enter this world as undercover agents, their cover – a high powered husband and wife team. As they earn respect and trust of their nemesis, they have to face demons from their past and work against punishing deadline to recover an iconic masterpiece and the lines between the fake cover and real feelings become blurry…
An absolute must read!
What a divine romantic suspense that Ms. Nolan has graced us with! When I was reading the ARC of Behind the Veil, all I could think was damn! This woman really has amazing talent! Seriously, I already knew that she was a special and gifted writer, but I was absolutely blown away by the fact that this is her first romantic suspense. I mean, if there was a standard to go by, I would have to say it was Nora Roberts calibur. Don’t argue with me on that because I have read a LOT of Nora Roberts’ books in my time, seen them turned into TV movies and what not, and on my shelf I would put Kathryn Nolan’s newest release right beside hers. Yes! I said what I said! LOL!
Behind the Veil is sexy and super smart, and best of all, I got to live out all my nerdish romantic book fantasies with this fantastic story. I mean, hello?! What young girl hadn’t dreamed of being an adventurous lady detective with mad deductive skills and could kick ass like no other?! No one else?! Just me?! LOL! Anyway, Delilah is the perfect heroine, and I could not help but to be drawn to her strength, her heart, her intelligence, her beauty and her vulnerability. And it did not hurt that she was super kick ass! At least Henry, our hero recognized that in her too:
“In the lingering moonlight, she looked gorgeous but fatal, like a Bond girl with a weapon.”
And speaking of Henry–my, my, my! I have never in my life heard the discussion and history of books, art, and science in detail sound so intense and so sexy! Double swoon!
Again, Kathryn Nolan’s character/story building skills are top notch and so on point, I watched this entire book play out in my head so vividly. The mystery was fascinating, and the chemistry and romance was sexy and beautiful. This story had so much substance, so much depth, and kept me intrigued . . . every . . . single . . . moment.
If I’ve said it once, twice, or a thousand times–Kathryn Nolan never disappoints!
A fake marriage has never been so alluring!
Wholly engaging, deliciously suspenseful, wildly ambitious, ingeniously exhilarating, dangerously seductive and so much more! This book is filled to the brim with mystery and danger, attraction and desire, and positively brilliant imagery. Kathryn Nolan has outdone herself. My fingers literally hurt typing this review because I chewed my nails off while reading!!!! Seriously this book is utterly riveting! I absolutely loved everything about this book. There is a perfect combination of sexy and danger. This book is unputdownable! I was completely engrossed in the mystery of who had the book, of how a thief could so easily exist in both worlds, and of how Henry and Delilah could completely captivate me with their fascinating undercover work and attraction. All the stars and ESPECIALLY THE SUN go to this book!
This is a gorgeously romantic, passionate and exciting book, complete with two completely delightful leading characters, Henry and Delilah, with whom you will legitimately, fall completely in love. They are both charming, intelligent, courageous and with true hearts. I loved getting to know them.
Backed up by rich detail, Behind the Veil weaves an intriguing and exciting story based in the world of antiquities, ancient texts and those who would secrete them away for their own pleasure.
This book is just so very well written, creating authentic voices, characters and a world that, as a reader, I became completely immersed in. A fabulous gift to a reader and one that I absolutely loved.
Another delightful story from Kathryn Nolan!
A little bit White Collar (my favorite show) and a whole lot of chemistry, Delilah and Henry are simply wonderful together. Behind the Veil has intrigue, exciting chases, stolen moments in closets, a super strong heroine (physically and emotionally, having found herself again after a traumatic past), and a nerdy librarian hero who learns to trust again.
Oh wow. So, romantic suspense books are my absolute fav. And that’s what got me to take a look at this book. I love it. Art and books and criminal masterminds. Marriage and suspense and lies. Littered with f-bombs. And definitely full of steam.
Holy. Wow. This book sucked me in and didn’t let go. Twists, turns, and a fake marriage all rolled into an epic story. Full of suspense, this is another must read book by Nolan. Leon Nixon & Mia Madison are fabulous narrators and voice artists. They do an amazing job portraying the characters, bringing them to life and humanizing them with their emotions, attitude and personality.
Loved this listen! Kathryn Nolan wrote such a great romantic suspense, and I can’t wait for more in the Codex Series!
Mia Madison and Leon Nixon did a great job narrating Henry and Delilah. Kathryn Nolan wrote a novel with such electric chemistry between our two main characters, as well as great friendships with their other Codex co-workers. The plot was so intriguing and fast moving, and I loved every minute of it.
Behind the Veil is a suspense/romance novel. You will want to block off some time to read this book for two reasons; you will not want to put it down and it is so beautifully written you will want to savor this book.
The chemistry between Henry and Delilah is electric from the start. Henry is a former rare books librarian and Delilah is a former police officer who are now part of Codex, a small private investigating firm that specializes in locating stolen antiquities, manuscripts, and books. As they join forces undercover as husband and wife to recover the rare Copernicus manuscript, they are brought together in very intimate ways as they try to befriend the main suspect. As the investigation continues, the slow burn between Henry and Delilah suddenly glows red hot.
This is probably the most well-written, perfectly worded book I have ever read. Kathryn Nolan’s writing skills are absolutely incredible. I like that she has ventured out of the contemporary romance genre and has added some suspense. There is no doubt she will find many new supporters in the suspense fan base with this story. Kathryn’s attention to detail is incredible, little things like the name Codex for the name of the investigating firm, which means book. The details of the suspect’s home are so well written I could envision every step Henry and Delilah took through it.
Enjoy reading Behind the Veil.
I don’t read many romantic suspense books. But this was an exception for two reasons: I adore this author and fake marriages are my very favorite trope. And it turns out, I loved the suspense just as much as the romance. Kathryn Nolan created an intriguing world with rich, complex characters and just enough mystery to keep interest high.
I love a smart, handsome hero just as much as I love a fierce, fearless heroine. And in this case they complemented each other beautifully. I loved how they took turns taking charge with each other; trusting the other implicitly. And Henry’s career as a librarian helped him to truly appreciate flaws and imperfections, not just in rare books, but in life and love as well.
But, for me, one character stood out above the rest. As a fellow Ravenclaw, I was immediately drawn to Freya. I absolutely cannot wait for her story!
I don’t know what took me so long to read this book! I absolutely loved it. Henry and Delilah are the story I didn’t know I needed. They totally kept me captivated, the story line was amazing and it pulled me into a troupe I didn’t know I was missing. I absolutely love the romantic suspense! I love the mystery, the intrigue, and the heat between these two was off the charts hot. Kathyrn has such a way with words, you feel like you are in these scenes with the characters, she has you feeling like you are a spy yourself eavesdropping in on every conversation, every move and you are so excited when things go your way. Great book and I can’t wait to dive back into the Codex World!
Any book that has Federal Donuts in it is a 5 star read…great book by a favorite author…and it takes place in my hometown..a must read!
This one was a bit different story line that I have seen lately and it was refreshing. I have read a few of Kathryn’s books and love how they are unique and different from each other.
If you have not picked up this authors works then you need to do this soon. She has a flair to take you on an adventure or make you feel like you are immersed in the scenery in her books. I have enjoyed the few that I have read and will need to get on her back catalog of books when time permits.
This book has suspense, action, drama, heat, and romance that will make you swoon. Henry and Delilah are the perfect detective pair.
I loved so many things about this book! Henry is an ideal hero: smart, built, determined, and the way he treats Delilah is a dream. Delilah is tough as nails, resilient, smart, and beautiful. The high society settings in Philadelphia are exquisitely described, glamorous, and set the scene for greed and thievery. This author writes like no other; with an almost poetic lyricism. The story moves quickly and the suspense is maintained throughout the book. The romantic moments are heart-squeezing, and the heat that builds between Henry and Delilah is scorching.
I love the premise of catching the people who steal rare books, and returning said books where they belong. I was so excited when I got to the end of the book and realized that other characters from Codex will also get their stories. I am really looking forward to spending more time in this world. If you do not read this one, you are missing out- definitely one of my top reads of the year so far.