There’s nothing like a good romance to get the pulse racing and heart pounding (see LJ 2/15/15, p. 77 for LJ’s Romance column)—even more so when the danger and intrigue of espionage are added to the mix. Featuring women who can disarm men with a weapon just as easily as with their charm, these spy romances are sure to satisfy.
In Bed W
ith a Spy by Alyssa Alexander (Berkley. 2014. ISBN 9780425269534. pap. $7.99; ebk. ISBN 9781101636107) will captivate and seduce readers as quickly as a marquess can lure a lady to his chambers. On a battlefield near Waterloo in 1815, the Marquess of Angelstone—also known by his code name Angel—sees Lilias Fairchild wielding a saber and administering vengeance to the French soldiers who killed her husband. Two years later they meet again in a London ballroom and discover an instant attraction. Trouble ensues in this strongly characterized and smartly plotted tale as Angel and Lilias team up to foil a murderous scheme and navigate their own path to happily ever after.
As the daughter of a renowned spy, Lucy Ellyson may be unusually good at deciphering encryptions and picking locks, but that hasn’t gained her many marriage prospects. The Earl of Clifton arrives at the Ellyson residence for training, and while he and Lucy initially clash, it’s not long before they’re falling in love and into bed. When Clifton is sent off to serve his country, fate—and a few devious men—keep them apart for years before they encounter each other in drastically different circumstances. Can they overcome their pasts and be together again? Elizabeth Boyle answers those questions with wit and plenty of chemistry in How I Met My Countess (Avon. 2009. ISBN 9780061783494. pap. $6.99; ebk. ISBN 9780061962080), the first in her “Widows of Standon” trilogy.
The historic Scottish setting of Victoria Roberts’s My Highland Spy (Sourcebooks. 2014. ISBN 9781402292002. pap. $6.99; ebk. ISBN 9781402292019) makes an enticing and exciting backdrop for the sparks that fly between Laird Ruairi Sutherland and Lady Ravenna Walsingham. It’s 1609, and Ruairi, a proud Scot, avoids sending his son to be educated in England by telling King James I that his wife is gravely ill. Suspicious that the laird may be conspiring against him, the king enlists seasoned spy Ravenna to pose as a governess for Ruairi’s son. Upon arrival, she learns that the supposedly ailing wife actually died two years ago. As the assignment turns into the most difficult one of her life, Ravenna has to find a way to complete her mission without hurting the man she has come to adore.
In Joanna Bourne’s Rogue Spy (Berkley. 2014. 9780425260821. pap. $7.99; ebk. ISBN 9781101625606), Camille Leyland, a French sleeper agent, has been happily living a quiet life in England. Thomas Paxton, who trained alongside Cami and now works for British Intelligence, has just returned to the London office to confess his past. Both find themselves in trouble when someone who knows their secrets blackmails Cami and hatches a plan to destroy the city. Cami sets out to save the day, with Pax on her heels, and soon they are working together once more. Part of Bourne’s “Spymaster” series, this breathtaking historical novel is brightly written and a heart-meltingly good romance.
Gina Robinson’s fifth “Agent Ex” story, Love Another Day (St. Martin’s. 2014. ISBN 9781250033017. pap. $7.99; ebk. ISBN 9781466826519), is sexy and full of fast-paced fun. Mal Cox enjoys her job designing cover homes and wardrobes for CIA agents—until she’s assigned to work with her ex-husband, Tate. The case has Tate going undercover as a professor attending a conference, all the while helping a beautiful spy defect to the United States. Mal plays his graduate student lover and tries to keep Tate from falling for the potentially dangerous turncoat. The two are quick to realize that there is still an undeniable pull between them. If they survive this job, can they have a second chance, or is Tate still the cheating playboy?
The last of Anna Randol’s “Sinners Trio,” Sins of a Wicked Princess (Avon. 2013. ISBN 9780062231406. pap. $7.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062231338), has Ian Maddox tracking down a villain trying to kill off his friends. His investigations lead him to the home of the exiled Princess Juliana Castanova, a woman who has good reason to distrust Ian. However, they are forced to form an uneasy alliance when it becomes clear that the same diabolical man is causing them both problems. Pairing an independent princess with a ruthless spy contributes to several thrilling and sensual moments in the midst of dangerous political intrigue, making Randol’s narrative noteworthy for its layered characterizations and well-conceived complications.