Book Review
Dec. 26th, 2023 06:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariOne Thing Leads to a Lover
by Susanna Craig
In this fun and hot historical romance, widow Lady Amanda Bartlett, Lady Kingston accidentally finds herself in possession of a French codebook that the British government is trying very hard to keep under their control. Thus, intelligence officer Langley Stanhope is assigned to keep an eye on the Bartlett household and recover the book. He and Amanda find themselves deeply attracted to each other, resulting in their falling in love as the dangerous intrigue around the codebook unfolds.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Amanda is smart, brave, and resourceful. I like that Langley and his employers do not try to keep her in the dark about the book and their operation. I also really liked that Amanda had two pre-teen sons - I have not yet read a romance novel where either of the couple had children who were still young enough to need active parenting. Luckily, since Langley poses as a new tutor for the boys, Amanda's sons get to know and like him independently of their mother's relationship with him. Also, Langley's tutor disguise allows for a cool reversal of the governess romantic plot. The relationship between Langley and Amanda is very hot, but also caring. I very much like them as a couple. The intrigue and danger around the codebook is also very well-done - just exciting and perilous enough to make the story exciting, but not enough to come close to the brink of tragedy.
by Susanna Craig
In this fun and hot historical romance, widow Lady Amanda Bartlett, Lady Kingston accidentally finds herself in possession of a French codebook that the British government is trying very hard to keep under their control. Thus, intelligence officer Langley Stanhope is assigned to keep an eye on the Bartlett household and recover the book. He and Amanda find themselves deeply attracted to each other, resulting in their falling in love as the dangerous intrigue around the codebook unfolds.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Amanda is smart, brave, and resourceful. I like that Langley and his employers do not try to keep her in the dark about the book and their operation. I also really liked that Amanda had two pre-teen sons - I have not yet read a romance novel where either of the couple had children who were still young enough to need active parenting. Luckily, since Langley poses as a new tutor for the boys, Amanda's sons get to know and like him independently of their mother's relationship with him. Also, Langley's tutor disguise allows for a cool reversal of the governess romantic plot. The relationship between Langley and Amanda is very hot, but also caring. I very much like them as a couple. The intrigue and danger around the codebook is also very well-done - just exciting and perilous enough to make the story exciting, but not enough to come close to the brink of tragedy.
