The Spies of Shilling Lane / Jennifer Ryan / 351 pages

This is a World War II story that takes place in England.  It is written with a lighter tone and humorous characters.  Mrs. Braithwaite is a recently divorced woman in a small English village.  Her husband has divorced her and moved away to marry a younger woman.  This has caused the village to shun her and she is forced out as the leader of their local Women's Voluntary Service.  Mrs. Braithwaite is also afraid that a family secret will be revealed.  She travels to London to track down her only child, Betty, to tell her the secret before it is revealed.  Upon her arrival in London she learns that her daughter is missing.  With the reluctant help of Betty's landlord, Mr. Norris, Mrs. Braithwaite sets out to find her daughter.  Their escapades in the process of tracking down Betty changes both Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris.

An Unconditional Freedom/ Alyssa Cole/ 320 pgs

I loved the first book in this Civil War historical romance series and this one does not disappoint either. Cole does such a good job of developing characters with interesting backgrounds and most of all, heart. Janeta is the daughter of a Cuban father and a black, former slave mother. Her father is rich and, after the death of his first wife, married Janeta's mother. Janeta was never allowed to see herself as black or as even remotely related to the slaves. When Union soldiers imprison her father (the family moved to Florida a few years ago) her Confederate boyfriend convinces her to spy for the South in order to win her father's freedom. Janeta infiltrates the Loyal League and is partnered with Daniel. Daniel grew up in Massachusetts a free black man. At one time he was studying to be a lawyer but he was tricked by some southerners and kidnapped into slavery. He suffered brutally, both physically and mentally, from this experience and does not have a good opinion of himself. As you can see, both Janeta and Daniel have a lot of issues to work through. This is, rightly, a slow burn romance but watching these two become friends and figure out who they are on the inside is a joy. There isn't much action in this story until the end, but I don't think you'll regret taking this journey with Janeta and Daniel.

Transcription/ Kate Atkinson/ 343 pgs (European setting)

The writing in this book was fantastic. The main character, Juliet, is engaging and funny. The story is intriguing as it flips back and forth between 1940, right in the middle of World War II, and 1950. What sapped all my enjoyment of this book was the ending. More on that in a minute. Juliet is a young woman with no family to rely on as the war begins. She's pulled in to the world of espionage as a transcriptionist. She types up the conversations that one of government's spies has with Britons who are sympathetic to Nazi Germany. It's hinted that things did not end well. Ten years after the war, Juliet works for the BBC, but receives a threat from someone in her past. The entire book is about Juliet tracking down the people she knew back then to figure out who is after her now. But then a twist is thrown in--a twist that Juliet was aware of but the reader was not. And to my eye, this twist made the book pointless. Knowing what she knew, Juliet could have easily figured out who was after her. So, great book until the end, alas.

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation / Lauren Willig / 388 pages

Bonus Categories: Audiobook, Historical Fiction

"The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, a wildly imaginative and highly adventurous debut, opens with the story of a modern-day heroine but soon becomes a book within a book. Eloise Kelly settles in to read the secret history hoping to unmask the Pink Carnation's identity, but before she can make this discovery, she uncovers a passionate romance within the pages of the secret history that almost threw off the course of world events. How did the Pink Carnation save England? What became of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian?"

This is a historical romance. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and it's not a realistic interpretation of  battles on the home front against Napoleon. I just want to get that out of the way in case you were expecting something different, since there are some negative reviews of this one due to mismatched expectations. But it's a great series starter for the right audience!

Let's start honestly: I didn't love everything about The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. The level of emotional intensity and foolhardiness of both female main characters (Amy in the past and Eloise in the present) was a consistent annoyance for me, and there was a bit of lingering on physical attributes that I found unnecessary but in a smaller amount than other romances I've read. (Warning here if you don't like physical intimacy in your historical fiction--this has it but not to an extreme.)

Disclaimers aside, I really enjoyed this book. Great narration if you need an audiobook for a long drive or while doing some boring housework. I don't usually make "chick lit" or "beach read" recommendations, but this is a book I'd read again when I want a break from reality. It's cute and not stressful even in the dramatic chapters. Not to mention the attractions of the honorable Lord Richard Selwick!

Find Me/ JS Monroe / 400 pgs

Find Me is a thriller that starts out going in one direction and ends up in a completely different direction. The plot twist was a good one, coming out of nowhere (but in retrospect hinted at). However, and this is a big however, the direction the story ended up going was not one that I wanted to read about. Let me explain.

Jar Costello's girlfriend, Rosa, committed suicide 5 years ago. He loved her deeply and hasn't really got over her death. He's never believed that she died (her body wasn't found). He even imagines that he sees her around London.  Then one day Jar is handed a hard drive by Rosa's aunt and told that there is an encrypted version of Rosa's diary on it. With some help from friends, Jar gets into the diary and soon realizes that Rosa really might be alive and might have become a spy.

So, I'm down with a spy thriller and according to the blurb, that's what I'm reading. But then the plot twist happens and this becomes a whole other kind of thriller and it really wasn't one I wanted to read about (being vague to avoid spoilers but there is violence involving humans and animals). The writing is good and I give points to the author for an innovative, though sometimes unbelievable plot. But in the end (literally) I wasn't happy with this story.

TRUE SPIES / Shana Galen / 346 Pages

TRUE SPIES is the second title in Galen's 'Lord and Lady Spy' series set in Regency England. The series follows the fast-paced, romantic misunderstandings between members of the Barbican Group, a secret organization of spies.

Lord and Lady Keating have had ENOUGH! Elinore wishes to leave behind domestic boredom and a husband who ignores her while Winn wants an end to secrecy and to spend time with his wife and daughters who barely know him. What will the couple do when they discover each wants what the other is trying to escape?

Fans of lighthearted, historical romance combined with espionage may also enjoy Checkmate, My Lord by Tracey Devlyn or Scandal in the Night by Elizabeth Essex

LORD AND LADY SPY / Shana Galen / 378 Pages - First in a Series

Galen provides a fun romp about a husband and wife who haven been keeping secrets from each other for years. It is 1815 and England has just defeated Bonaparte and won the war.

Lady Sophia Smythe is Saint, a daring English spy, who has worked for the Barbican group most of her adult life. Her husband, Lord Adrian, is rather boring and spends all his time away from home so never misses or suspects her other activities.

Adrian Galloway, Lord Smythe, also works for the Barbican group as Wolf one of their most successful agents. He has a beautiful, young wife at home but she always seems to be more interested in her charities than in him.

Now that the war is over their services as spies is no longer required and they have both been retired and sent back home. What will they do now that they have all this time to spend with each other? Can they leave the thrilling life of a spy behind them and more important, can they rediscover the attraction they once had when  first married?

Barely a Lady / Eileen Dreyer 418 p.

Jack Wyndham divorced Olivia Grace years before, but finding him wounded on the battlefield, dressed in a French uniform, she is goaded into action to save him being named a traitor and to haul him back to a makeshift hospital in the home of Lady Kate. Jack awakes with only the memory that Olivia is still his wife nothing of the past five years. These five years have been horrific for her-- very limited opportunites for work, cast out by her family, and hunted by his family. To aid his recovery she pretends to be his loving wife. With a cast of interesting characters, she seeks to clear his name and perhaps hers, too. His cousin Gervaise seems to be around when there is trouble…whisperings of her gambling problem, flirtations and love affairs. Will Jack remember all? Clear his name? Find love again?