Revolution in France, rebels in England, and one woman caught in the crossfire…
For her unwitting participation in a plot to embezzle the Exchequer, Lady Abigail Houghall has spent the last two years exiled to the city of Bath. A card sharp, sometime mistress, and target of scandalous gossip by the London Beau Monde, Lady Abigail plots to escape her gilded cage as well as the prudish society … prudish society that condemns her. But the times are not easy. France is in chaos. The king has been executed, and whispers of a similar revolution are stirring in England. And because of her participation in the robbery plot, the Spymaster of England is blackmailing her into passing him information about the members of London’s upper crust.
When the dashing English spy Daniel Ridgeway takes a seat at her card table and threatens to expose her for cheating, she has no choice but to do as he demands: seduce the leader of the revolutionaries and learn what she can about their plot. As she’s drawn deeper into Daniel’s dangerous world, from the seedy backstreets of London to the claustrophobic catacombs of a war-torn Paris, she realizes an even more dangerous fact. She’s falling in love with her seductive partner. And the stakes of this game might just be too high, even for her.
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Utterly entertaining ! Creating a “spin-off” of the famous Scarlet Pimpernel is a GREAT idea, although it was a risky business indeed. But the author graciously meets the challenge. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity of meeting again briefly the arch villain Chauvelin, one of my favorite characters in the Baroness Orczy’s books.
There’s a good plot (although this basic spy story is not very original) strong characters, both male and female (Abigail’s is definitely the most interesting as a “fallen woman” who refuses to deny her sexuality and “acts as a man”. If she finally finds her redemption, she is not willing to sacrifice her inner dignity for a second rate love), and some steamy episodes (although the author doesn’t seem as interested in sex as she obviously is in providing psychological insights of her characters’ rocky relationship).
The novel manages to create a strong historical background, mostly built on clichés ( the bloody “Terreur”, the loathsome “sans-culotte”, the guillotine etc) and it really looks like someone did her homework. As a French reader I find it particularly entertaining ! Although I am sorry to say that Abigail and Daniel wouldn’t have survived more than 5 minutes in Revolutionary France if they actually had spoken the atrocious French they keep using (as bad as the English I use to write this review). Whoever mutilates grammar and lexicon this much deserves to be beheaded !
Mrs Carter, next time your English spies cross the Channel, please text me! I’ll be happy to provide the “French touch” !
I love cloak and dagger dramas, and the historical setting is an extra treat. It’s amazing there is time for expressing love, while at the same time fighting to stay alive. At times I was on the edge of my seat wondering if the players would survive. Thank you Elizabeth for this excursion into history.
Imaginative plot, very well developed characters that carry from one book to another in the series. Hard to put down.
It was a fine story, but I didn’t enjoy the writing style.
didn’t finish. Couldn’t get into it.
Although as a typical romance novel, you know the outcome, this one had enough twists and turns and a faster pace than normal, it kept me interested and guessing what would happen next much longer than most other romance novels. As such I consider it better than average and I will look from more from this author! Well done in a genre that is very predictable.
Tooooo much sex!
Female character was a villain in previous book but the author did a good job of rehabilitating her in this one. Good writing.
A really good book. Lengthy. It seemed pretty accurate history-wise. I just felt, at the end, the author had enough and just ended it. An epilogue would have been nice.
Abigail, the female villain of Moonstone Obsession is now the heroine of this one. Because of her involvement in the attempt to blackmail James, she has been in the service of the Prime Minister and reporting back to him about what is happening with the Ton in Bath. She has been playing cards over the past two years and raising money so she can leave. In walks Daniel Ridgeway, who catches her cheating at card and forces her into a mission to help uncover a plot to bomb ships in the harbor during the New Year’s Celebration. The deal she struck was her freedom once she finishes this mission. She is moving to Italy to get rid of her past. Abigail has never experienced love, but she finds herself falling for fellow spy, Daniel. But is he still in love with his first love? Guess you have to read to find out.