The Spy's Kiss

Abrams writes an exquite, deftly written tale of love,espionage and betrayal in Regency England. Though this is the fourth installment of her Regency set courier series and some old and familiar faces present along with the introduction of the main protagonists--Serena Allen and Julien Clermont--this is very much a stand-alone book. A scandal forced Serena to bury herself in the country on her family's estate, her uncle, the Earl of Bassington an important member of Whitehall and England's link to the unsteady European nations as England and Europe await the steady decay of Napoleon's empire. Under the pretense of being a butterfly scholar, Julien Clermont insinuates himself into the Bassington household, befriending the earl's young son, Simon, and bewitching Serena. But Julien's intentions quickly spiral out of his control not only in reference to his growing feelings for Serena, but in the fact that his original searchings for clues to his heritage unwittingly place him in the path of the dangerous thefts of important government papers, making Clermont a suspect in the treason. The twists and turns of the plot are deftly woven in with simple, yet realistic historical detail and an exquisitely scorching romance between Serena and Julien that keeps the pages turning. The pacing is slow, but the action builds upon itself as the chapters go, forcing one to remain interested in the procedings and also curious about not only the mystery of Julien's parentage,but Serena's own mysterious past as well as the looming mystery of the missing letters. Abrams isn't your typical Regency Spy Historical Romance author, and I heartily recommend the first three installments in this series.