Joanna Novins’ most recent novel, Souvenir of Love, combines society scandal and spy suspense with mixed results. While entertaining, the story lacked a certain something that lends itself to memorability.

Lady Elizabeth Harcrest is a debutante who, as the story opens, seems to be in love with longtime family friend James Dinsmore. She allows herself to be lured into a secluded room during a ball at his home, and is rather insistent on being seduced by him in the very first scene. After being caught by James’s sister Anne, she finds herself snubbed by old friends and new acquaintances alike. Despite her deep-seated belief that James will offer for her, she is soon shipped off to the family’s country home, away from the scornful, titillated ton. Realizing that her only other option is to moulder in the countryside forever, she decides to take control of her life. But in doing so, she’ll have to trust in something she can’t control: James.

James Dinsmore agreed to Anne’s plan to ruin Elizabeth out of love for his sister. Anne was hurt badly by Elizabeth’s brother Rafe, who once courted Anne before marrying a Frenchwoman. But in helping Anne, he destroys Elizabeth’s chances in society, and becomes disgusted with himself. He also earns Rafe’s ire, which becomes a problem when James is enlisted by England’s spy network to rescue a French aristocrat – something he’ll need Rafe’s help to accomplish. But in winning Rafe’s agreement, he finds himself with a little unwanted help: Elizabeth’s.

After managing to blackmail everyone she can, Elizabeth travels to France with James, posing as his bride (thanks to some beautifully forged paperwork). While this should be a time of character and relationship development, it’s not. Eventually Elizabeth does realize that she acted stupidly. But James has already come to his own realizations about his actions, and as a couple, they don’t really grow. In fact, they are about as in love at the beginning of the story as they are at the end. Which is to say, yes, they love each other. The only difference is, now they admit it.

The most major problem in the character and relationship development issue is that we see very little of the characters’ thoughts and motivations, especially early on. We’re in Elizabeth’s head as she walks into the empty room with James at a party, we know she pretty much realizes that she shouldn’t be caught doing so, yet we never get a sense of why she does it, other than the amorphous cloud of naivete that she seems trapped in. Likewise, we know James is going to ruin her, know that he basically feels it’s wrong – and even regrets it ahead of time – and that he’s going to do it anyway. But we don’t see any really strong motivation for doing so. It feels entirely too much as if the characters move like puppets on the author’s strings, for no concrete reason other than convenience. The same is true of the trip to France, and the ease with which James acquiesces to Elizabeth’s demands; they seem to have no control over their actions, and no common sense or strength of character dictates their moves.

Despite the inexplicable nature of their actions, this escapes being an average book on two strengths. The first is that it’s genuinely enjoyable, with a fast-paced narrative and a little bit of real suspense during the events in France. The second is in the villain, Anne, who, despite being granted as little self-direction as the leads, is surprisingly not straight out of the Wax Moustache catalogue of villains. She loves James. She loves her family. She’s a little psycho toward Elizabeth’s family, it’s true. But she’s not the Wicked Witch of the West, either.

All in all, with some real attention toward character development and depth, and movement in the relationship department, this author could become memorable. And there are worse ways to spend a few hours than reading Souvenir of Love. And sometimes, that’s all you require.