Emma Wildes

What does a former spy during the Napoleonic wars do when he gets home? After he becomes the heir to a dukedom? Does he marry his brother's fiancee?

In this story, the Marquess of Longhaven does marry his brother's intended, after his brother's unexpected death. It's a book all about transitions, from single to married, from spying for a living to a more relaxed life, and of learning to care about people, instead of detaching from all emotions.

The clear focus of the book is on the male lead, Michael Hepburn, his journey back from the dark side of war. Julianne Sutton is a worthy foil, but not someone who could ever have been part of his former life.

Well-written, excellent character development.… (more)

In the final book of the trilogy, Michael is the last of the three friends to remain unmarried, though that doesn't last long. In the previous books, he is described as enigmatic, controlled, and intense. In this one, we learn a little more about what has made him the man he is now. Michael worked for years as a spy for Wellington in the war against Napoleon. He was called home when his older brother died and took up his duties as the Marquess of Longhaven, including marrying his brother's fiancée. He also continued his work for the Crown, working to tie up loose ends from the war.

Julianne is beautiful, young, and innocent. She seems to be a bit of a pushover at the very beginning, giving in to the change of fiancé with no argument, allowing others to take control of the wedding planning, and so on. But it quickly becomes evident that she is smart, observant, and brave, along with having a kind heart.

I enjoyed watching the development of Michael and Julianne's relationship. It builds slowly as they don't know each other much at all before the wedding. Michael is determined to keep his life separate from Julianne. That doesn't work out too well from the start, as two days before the wedding he was attacked. The injury Michael received was not something that could be hidden on his wedding night, though he did his best to distract her from it. I ached a little for Julianne those first few days after the wedding, as it was clear to her that Michael avoided her during the days. I loved seeing her gently call him out on his actions. She is far more perceptive than Michael expected, and there are some scenes where he must think fast to keep his secrets. Julianne wants more from her marriage than just a physical relationship, and her intuition and attention open Michael's eyes to a whole new concept of marriage. I enjoyed how Michael's increasing fascination with his wife warred with his desire to protect his secrets.

At the same time, Michael is still involved in his work for the Crown. He has experienced several attacks and suspects that the culprit is the French spy who was his nemesis during the war. Assisting him are two fellow spies, Lawrence and Antonia. Things are somewhat awkward with Antonia, as she was Michael's lover several years earlier. He is over it, but she is not. All of them are intent on finding out who is behind the attacks on Michael. It was interesting to see who was following who and why. Michael was also worried about Julianne's safety. Julianne turned out to be hiding a secret of her own and was quite adept at evading observation when she wanted to. As Michael closed in on the person trying to kill him, he discovered an unexpected connection to Julianne. The final confrontation was intense but left one question unanswered.

There was a secondary romance between Lawrence and Antonia. Lawrence's feelings for Antonia were evident from the beginning. I felt bad for him because of her continuing infatuation with Michael. There were times when I didn't like her very much and thought that she was using Lawrence. As the book went on, I was impressed with Lawrence's control as he waited for her to work through her feelings.

The epilogue was well done, with a conversation between Michael and his boss. I did not expect the information that Michael confronted Charles with, and hadn't seen it coming at all. There was also a meeting between Michael and Lawrence. I had to laugh at the advice Michael had for him about dealing with Antonia.… (more)