"Passion, Intrigue and Fascinating Characters ......."
Reviewed by Susan Gorman
Posted August 2, 2014
Romance Historical
Shana Galen has written a poignant sensual dark drama with
intrigue and angst. The storyline of LOVE AND LET SPY draws
you into Galen's world of spies and conspiracies and
her well- crafted characters keep you invested in the
novel's outcome.
Dominic Griffyn is the hero of LOVE AND LET SPY This
character resonated with me because Dominic is a complex
man with many layers. He has suffered and is ashamed of his
past. Dominic is also honorable and quiet. You can't help
but like and admire him. To avoid scandal, Dominic's
parent insist he marry and marry quickly. They know the
perfect young lady for him.
Our heroine is the independent and beautiful spy Jane
Bonde. Most of the ton assumes that Jane is like every
other young woman in society. But, she's not. Jane is a
spy for the exclusive Barbican group. She's more
comfortable chasing criminals then making small talk at
social events. Dominic's Mother and Jane's uncle have
decided that they would be perfect for each other. There is
one problem, Jane has been tasked to find the elusive and
deadly French spy Fonce. Jane doesn't have time or desire
for romance or marriage--she's got a spy to catch!
The sexual chemistry between Dominic and Jane is
undeniable. But, both characters have issues and secrets
to overcome. LOVE AND LET SPY is a fast paced spy story with
very
sensuous love scenes which fit into the story line
perfectly. Loved the scenes where there were references to
the original James Bond movies...shaken, not stirred... and
the secondary characters of Q and Moneypence . I felt that
the cameo appearances from characters from the other
books: Saint, Wolf, Blue, Baron and Butterfly were the
perfect touch for long time fans of Shana Galen's Lord
and Lady Spy
series. The novel's well-written satisfying ending kept
me reading the last few chapters in one sitting as there
were several unexpected plot twists and surprises.
LOVE AND LET SPY is the perfect book for you if you are
looking for a Regency story filled with passion, intrigue,
and memorable characters.
SUMMARY
She cannot afford to fail... Jane Bonde was raised to be a spy, but the ton knows her
only as an elusive beauty who turns men's heads when she
walks into a room. She's also the Crown's last best hope.
If
she can't find and destroy the diabolical Foncé and his
French spy ring, England's defenses may fall. But something even more dangerous than a madman stands in
her way-her fiancé. When love conflicts with duty... The demons of Dominic Griffyn's past make it difficult for
him to get close to anyone. When his stepfather, the
marquess, demands he settle down and marry, Dominic allows
himself to hope that the beautiful but mysterious Miss
Bonde
will help him forget his troubles. He may be right-the most
important mission of her career is about to plunge them
both
into danger.
ExcerptThey stepped through the doors and into a garden lit by
torches and lanterns. The breeze caused the flames to
twinkle and flicker, and he could smell the fragrance of
summer flowers. The air was cool, but Miss Bonde did not
seem to mind it as they made their way past the small crowd
of men and women just outside the doors. She paused to sip
her beverage once again before setting the glass on a short
stone column. He led her down a gravel path, toward the
edges of the glow from the ball. Dominic had thought to
keep
quiet and allow her to speak. In his experience, ladies
rarely remained silent for long. But Miss Bonde surprised
him, yet again, by keeping her own counsel. She surprised
him further by not object-ing when he turned down a long
aisle enclosed by tall, manicured hedgerows. Most well-bred
ladies would have objected, concerned for their virtue. But
she seemed...distracted.
Was his company that tedious? "I have been to far more events this Season than I like to
admit," she said. Dominic was relieved. He had actually
been
contemplating speaking first. "And I have not seen you
before. Have you recently returned from abroad?" "No." He expected some show of annoyance from her for his
brief answer, but she was peering up at the hedgerows and
seemed not to mind. In fact, she seemed not to notice him.
He actually peered at the hedgerows himself to see what
intrigued her so. "Do you live in London?" she asked, dragging his attention
away. "When obliged." She smiled at that. "You prefer the country?" "Not necessarily." "My lord—" she began, looking up at those blasted hedgerows
again. "I'm no lord." "Of course not. I do believe we have satisfied the
requirements of our respective guardians." "Hardly." She glanced at him then, giving him her full atten-tion for
the first time since they'd stepped outside. Her eyes, he
now noted, were so blue as to be almost violet, and the
effect of those stunning eyes focused solely on him was a
bit unsettling, which must have accounted for why he wanted
to kiss her. Again. Unprecedented. "No, you are correct. That was poor wording. But you must
agree we have at least made a start. If you'd like to
return
to the ball, or perhaps slip away, I am perfectly capable
of
finding my own way back inside." Dominic stared at her. She was trying to rid herself of his
company. He should have been offended, but he'd been
offended too many times, and this woman was a
contradiction.
She'd followed him down a dark path in a garden and then
tried to persuade him to leave. What was she about? "I don't even merit a kiss?" he asked. He had no bloody
idea
why he'd said it. He really did not intend to kiss her. Her gaze, which had now strayed to some point behind him,
snapped back. "Pardon?" "You heard me." "I do not desire..." She trailed off and gazed above his
head again. Dominic turned quickly, to peer behind him, but
saw nothing except the hedgerows and darkness. "What are you looking at?" His attention was jerked back to her when she grabbed his
shoulders and turned him to face her. He barely had time to
sputter a curse before her hands were on opposite sides of
his face, and she was pulling him into a kiss. His first instinct was to push her away, remove her hands
from his face. But to his surprise, her touch was actually
light and pleasant. Her gloved fingers were warm, her lips
silky, and her breath slightly minty. Why push her away if
he was enjoying this? Because she wasn't really kissing him. She held his face between her hands and pressed her lips to
his firmly, and after a few moments of this, Dominic
narrowed his eyes at her. Her own eyes were open and
staring
above his head. "What the devil are you doing?" he mumbled
against her rigid lips. She pushed back, and now she looked annoyed. "You said you
wanted a kiss." "Is that what you call that?" She gave him a look designed to make ordinary men quake in
their boots. But he was not ordinary, and he was not
affected by some chit's regal glare. He cocked a brow. "Is
that the best you can do?" Not that he had any experience
kissing women—not on the lips, at any rate—but he could do
better than that. "You said you wanted a kiss." "I repeat, is that the best you can do?" She turned on her heel, throwing her hair over her shoulder
in a gesture he found both annoyingly childish and
strangely
erotic. He wanted to catch that tail of hair and wind it
around his hand, pulling her back for a proper kiss.
"You'll
never know," she tossed back at him, stomping away. Well, he couldn't let that challenge go unanswered, could
he? It took two long strides before he caught her arm, but when
he yanked her against him, she surprised him by thrusting
an
elbow in his belly. He doubled over, and she caught him in
the jaw with her elbow, then spun around and kicked him in
the chest with her slippered foot. The slipper saved him. If she'd been wearing boots, he'd
have fallen flat on his arse. As it was, he stumbled back
and caught her ankle before losing his footing, so she fell
too. They tumbled down together in a heap of arms and legs
and the frilly things ladies wore under their dresses. What
the hell was happening? Had she been training with
Gentleman
Jackson? Most—no, all—ladies he knew would have fainted
rather than fight back. But she had not only fought. She
had
fought well. She was not going to win. When the world stopped spinning, he turned his head to the
side and was rewarded by having it trapped thus. She
crouched above him, looking little worse for the tumble
they'd taken, and dug her fore-arm across his throat. "You
are going to stay down for the count of ten, and I am going
to walk away. Understand, Mr. Griffyn?" "Where did you learn to fight like that?" She grinned. "Want a lesson?" "No, but I'd like to breathe again." Her arm came up. "You can breathe while I walk away." "I don't think so." She might have more skills, but he had
more strength. He grasped her wrists and pulled her down on
top of him. He expected her to kick, so he shifted to the
side and rolled over, pinning her beneath him. He straddled
her, his knee on either side of her ribs and her hands
"Move
off me before I scream," she seethed. "Go ahead. That would make your aunt and my mother very
happy indeed. We'd be forced to marry." Her breath puffed in and out in quick bursts, and from this
vantage point, he had a nice view of the curve of her
breasts as they rose and fell at the low neck of her
bodice.
They were both wearing gloves, which meant he couldn't feel
her skin, but he could feel the pulse in her wrist racing.
Or perhaps that was his own pulse? In the moonlight and
shadows, her skin was almost iridescent, and her eyes a
shade of unearthly blue. She looked like some sort of
mythological sprite brought to life from the pages of a
storybook. "You'd run if I screamed," she said confidently. "Would I?" Their gazes met and held, and he saw the flicker of doubt
in
her eyes. "Have I done anything you expected?" "I could throw you off." "Maybe you could, but I'm willing to bet the effect on your
hair and dress would be about the same as if you screamed."
He should release her. He'd made his point, and he'd more
than paid her back for the insult in the supper room. He
didn't really intend to ravish her. Despite the rumors, he
was no barbarian. "Off!" she yelled. He almost released her. His fingers flexed, but he simply
could not do it. "I don't think so." "Irritating man! What do you want?" "I believe I was promised a kiss." "That is not at all how I remember the conversation. Now
allow me to go, or I will be forced to—" He liked the sound of her voice. It was low and seductive,
but he could not bear to hear another word from her lips.
He
lowered his mouth to hers and cut off her protests. She
tensed beneath him, her lips going rigid again, but he
found
that with gentle pressure he was able to coax them into
softening. He brushed his mouth over hers, prepared for the
velvet softness of her lips, but not for the taste of her.
She was honey and cherries and the slightest hint of
something darker. He'd intended to kiss her lightly, leave
her wanting, but once he had a taste of her, he had to know
more. He teased her lips open, kissing her deeply, releas-ing her
wrists and locking his fingers with hers. He was painfully
aware that he was straddling her. That he was leaning over
her, holding her down. He was in control, and he liked it
that way. She moaned slightly, and he was instantly hard.
He
knew he should release her. They'd been missing far too
long, but he could not seem to stop touching her. And then
he did the unthinkable, something he had never done before. He dipped his tongue between her lips and met her tongue
with his. The effect was electric. She jumped beneath him,
and the shot of arousal he felt was all but dizzying. He
knew he must stop. This was a gentle-woman, the niece of
Lord Melbourne. He could not kiss her this way. But there was that dark, erotic taste of her, hovering just
out of reach, pulling him deeper and deeper until he was on
the verge of losing control. That realization finally cooled his ardor. In one motion,
he
released her, stood, and backed away. She lay on the ground
below him, her eyes closed, her hands on the ground where
he'd pinned them, and her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen. She was the
picture of debauchery. Slowly her eyes opened, and she
stared at him. Looking down at her, he should have thought
she was the one who was completely vulnerable and
completely
at his mercy. But that was not the case at all. In fact, it was very much
the reverse. Dominic walked away without looking back.
What do you think about this review?
Comments
6 comments posted.
Re: Passion, Intrigue and Fascinating Characters .......
I enjoyed the review and the excerpt and I'm really looking forward to reading
Love and Let Spy. I love Shana Galen's spy stories and I'm always excited to see a
new one coming out.
(Barbara Elness 11:48pm August 2, 2014)
I have read this one. Best of Shanas spy books!! It is a terrific story!
(Lisa Hutson 12:08pm August 3, 2014)
I agree completely agree with reviewer Susan. This is one of Galen's best!
(Kristina Birch 12:38pm August 3, 2014)
Fabulous review and I always look forward to reading Shana Galen's books.
(Karen Dimaio 1:10pm August 3, 2014)
Great review! Shana has done it again with her story filled with passion and humour!
(Nicole Laverdure 6:39pm August 3, 2014)
Great review! Loved the book! Great job Shana!
(Amy Moss 11:10am August 5, 2014)
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