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While I wouldn’t say I’m in a romance reading slump, I have had less than stellar luck with my review picks of late. Even books I think I will really like end up being ho-hum. Jane Feather’s new book, To Kiss a Spy, is the latest addition to my string of mediocre reads. I chose it because I like spy heroes, and (I admit it) the cover was beautiful. While the book has its moments, it never really grabbed me, and after some introspection I decided that the relationship between the hero and heroine wasn’t particularly believable or compelling.
The book begins with a chilling scene. Widowed Lady Penelope Bryanston delivers a baby after a long, premature labor. When she is finally lucid, she asks for her baby, only to be told that he was stillborn. But even though she was weak and delirious when she gave birth, Pen in positive that she heard her baby cry.
A couple of years later, Pen is living with Mary Tudor as a lady in waiting, and she’s up to her neck in court intrigue. King Edward is on his deathbed, and everyone has an interest in the succession to the throne. Owen d’Arcy is a master spy for France. When his superior suggests that he form a liaison with Pen in order to pump her for information about Mary, he agrees, even though his superior describes Pen in less than flattering terms. When he first finds her, she is at a house party at her mother-in-law’s home. Pen sees the party as a chance to find out the truth about her child, and Owen surprises her while she is searching in the library.
Pen is unnerved by the confident, forceful Owen, and Owen is surprised to find himself attracted to Pen. Soon they strike a bargain; Owen will help Pen discover the truth about her son if she will provide him with information about Mary. The relationship is supposed to be all business, but feelings and attraction soon intrude. Owen really has no desire for a permanent relationship, because his profession has interfered with his personal life in the past. Pen is not sure she should be involving herself with such a man, and several outside parties (including her step-brother, who is also a spy) warn her about Owen’s past. As the court intrigue unfolds, Pen and Owen discover that they have powerful enemies. Negotiating through politics, love, and family provides many challenges for them both, as they each must decide whom to trust.
To Kiss a Spy isn’t a bad book, but it’s not particularly good either. I could find little to dislike about the characters. Pen has been victimized by her cruel in-laws and disbelieved by her otherwise nice family, and her one aim in life is to discover what happened to her baby. Owen has been burned before when his personal life collided with his professional one. They are nice enough people, but for some reason I had a hard time working up an interest in their relationship. They make love a couple of times, but I still couldn’t understand what either one found compelling about the other. This seemed like “nice girl, nice guy” love – it was okay, but nothing to knock your socks off. And, though I can’t go into the details, the search for Pen’s dead-or-missing baby concludes with implausible results. Love can’t really cure all wounds.
I thought that all the political scheming would make for an interesting, suspenseful story, but the part of the book really fell flat. Perhaps readers who are totally unaware of the politics of the time might enjoy it more, but I had a hard time thinking of Mary’s precarious situation as suspenseful, mostly because I knew exactly how things were going to end. It reminded me of when I read Love is Eternal by Irving Stone, which is a fictionalized biography of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. It just wasn’t very compelling for me because I already knew what was going to happen to the Lincolns – and when it would happen. It’s just one of those pitfalls you encounter when writing about actual people. There’s a related problem that has to do with the Dukes of Northumberland and Sussex, who conspire to put their offspring (Lady Jane and Guilford Dudley) on the throne instead of Mary. The reader is privy to many of the conversations between the two Dukes, and they almost always sound stilted and unnatural. They seem like figures from the history books who are completely devoid of personality.
In the end I had few strong feelings either way about this book. The characters inspired neither great irritation nor great adulation. The plot was no totally dull, but the book was quite easy to put down just the same. In other words, this is a text-book example of a mediocre, “C” read.
Grade: C
Book Type: Renaissance Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 22/03/02
Publication Date: 2003
I've been at AAR since dinosaurs roamed the Internet. I've been a Reviewer, Reviews Editor, Managing Editor, Publisher, and Blogger. Oh, and Advertising Corodinator. Right now I'm taking a step back to concentrate on kids, new husband, and new job in law...but I'll still keep my toe in the romance waters.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.