A Husband's Wicked Ways : All About Romance

A Husband’s Wicked Ways

Grade : C-

Whew, this one is long. And, quite honestly, I can’t see a reason in hell for it to be quite so gargantuan a task to read.

I haven’t read Jane Feather in a while – just too many books to read and too little time – and right now I’m not seeing any incentive to add her back onto my list either. This one is a rather pedestrian Regency Spy story with the added downside of a heroine segueing into TSTL land in the latter segments of the book.

The last in the author’s series featuring bestest friends who all marry bestest friends, the story begins when widowed Aurelia Farnham is given the startling news by Colonel Sir Greville Falconer that her husband didn’t die in battle years earlier as she was told. Aurelia learns that her husband wasn’t a soldier but instead was a spy in the service of his country who died only recently. Greville was both his friend and a fellow spy.

While Aurelia is dealing with the life-changing news, she also finds herself facing an equally startling request: If she will assist Greville in capturing Spanish spies he believes are working in London, he will ensure that she receives a pension that will allow her and her daughter to live comfortably. The plan is for the two to pretend a courtship in order to allow Greville to move freely in the society in which he believes his targets move. After some hesitation, Aurelia agrees.

Soon enough Aurelia is undergoing some pretty basic spy training and lickety-split the two are on the job. A few society parties and one truly oily villain later, Aurelia becomes foolishly empowered into thinking she’s some kind of Sydney Bristow or something and makes a few truly TSTL moves – with only some pretty ineffective token protests by Greville. Hey, honey, you got no experience. You got no moves. And just because You Are Woman, you got no business thinkin’ you’re some kind of hotshot spy.

Considering the been-there-done-that nature of the story and the requisite (and kind of nauseating) appearances from heroes and heroines past, this book never came even remotely to life for me. However, I can see that Jane Feather readers who enjoy her voice and style more than I do might like it better. It just felt formulaic to me. And too long. And with characters I never once connected to.

To bring matters down a bit further, it all ends with one of the sappiest epilogues I’ve come across in a while. There are some truly innovative and wonderful historical romances out there these days. This isn’t one of them.

Reviewed by Sandy Coleman

Grade : C-

Book type : European Historical Romance | Historical Romance

Sensuality : Hot

Review Date : March 17, 2009

Published On : 2009/04