londonsaysf430

The first words in the first chapter won me over, “Penises. Everywhere.” Fine, she’s talking about cherub frescoes, but naked baby pictures à la Anne Geddes have always creeped me out, too. Divorcée Francesca, a courtesan, is in possession of letters that prove her ex-husband is a spy. Her ex-husband has high political aspirations and can’t risk being found out as a traitor. So, he sends someone to steal the letters and kill his ex-wife. Meanwhile, the good guys send out their own spy, James, to steal the letters and expose the traitor. James, like James Bond, is known for seducing women to get what he needs. But, Francesca is no innocent girl who can be swept off her feet. It’s a seduce-off. Chase writes some great banter between the protagonists and maintains a solid action plot. While it would have been easy for either protagonist to turn out smarmy, they’re charming instead. I loved how unabashedly unrepentant they both were about their sexual pasts.

2020-09-09 03:35