A little bit of a let down, being a bit too similar to the previous book, and also a bit politically convoluted for my taste (I felt I ought to be taking notes, which knocks the shine off a bit), but a swoon-worthy hero, some lovely kisses and a fun read.
Here’s the premise: Esther Lisle comes back to consciousness in the Vienna woods with a huge bump on her head and the body of her betrothed, Prince Otto, lying nearby. A stranger is bending over her, although she can’t make out whether he’s friend or foe. It’s a great opening, literally ‘in media res’, with all sorts of questions arising. The unnamed stranger, who tells her he’s from the police, suggests that she keep quiet about Otto’s death, go on with her life and simple pretend Otto’s fine. Just not there.
It’s the middle of the Congress of Vienna, wall to wall crowned heads of Europe, diplomats and anyone who’s anyone, a constant succession of society events, each grander than the previous ones, and naturally endless machinations behind the scenes. So there’s plenty going on, and frankly I got lost in the multitude of names and affiliations pretty early on. I let it all wash over me, so it didn’t make much difference in the end.
The big disappointment is that the characters and romance follow the pattern set in the previous book. Esther is another spirited, intelligent and independent-minded female. Garin is another mysterious spy-type character, able to blend into the background when he needs to or step forward when he needs to take charge, and needless to say a handy fellow to have on your side in a fight. And the romance is again driven by immediate attraction mingled with suspicion and downright lack of trust, although with an added dose of class differences to keep them apart for a bit longer.
But the author can really write romance, and the scenes between them fairly sizzle with attraction, without ever stepping over the line into anything graphic. Historically, everything feels very authentic to me. A good read which would have been much better with a little more space between it and the previous book. Four stars.
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