By Shana Galen
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: June 1, 2010
A very dangerous attraction...
Julien Harcourt, duc de Valere, is more than willing to marry the lovely young lady his mother has chosen. Little does he know, she's been sent to prove him a spy and a traitor...
And an even more dangerous secret...
Sarah Smith's mission is to find out whether the Duc's trips to the Continent are as innocent as he claims, but the way he looks at her is far from innocent... Their risky game of cat and mouse propels them from the ballrooms of London to the prisons of Paris, and into a fragile love that may not survive their deceptions...
Julien Harcourt, duc de Valere, is more than willing to marry the lovely young lady his mother has chosen. Little does he know, she's been sent to prove him a spy and a traitor...
And an even more dangerous secret...
Sarah Smith's mission is to find out whether the Duc's trips to the Continent are as innocent as he claims, but the way he looks at her is far from innocent... Their risky game of cat and mouse propels them from the ballrooms of London to the prisons of Paris, and into a fragile love that may not survive their deceptions...
Sarah Smith grew up an orphan, never knowing who her parents were, but sometimes having vague flashbacks which she attributes to nothing more than daydreams and wishful thinking. She makes her way as a governess, and she is currently in the employ of Sir Northrop, caring for his young son and daughter. When she is summoned to Sir Northrop's library, Sara wonders what she has done, but never could she have imagined what awaits her. Sir Northrop works for the Foreign Office training operatives, and one of their spies has been wounded leaving a gap that he wants Sara to fill. She is to pose as Serafina Artois, daughter of the comte and comtesse de Guyenne, who escaped France during the Reign of Terror, but who are actually dead. Sara's mission: to get close to Julien Harcourt, duc de Valere, and obtain proof that he is a spy and a traitor.
Julien and his mother barely escaped France when he was just thirteen, running from their chateau as the peasants burned it down around them, and escaping to England to his mother's family. His father and younger twin brothers were not so lucky. Word reaches Julien and his mother that his father was taken to Paris and guillotined, but they never find out the fate of his brothers, Bastien and Armand. Julien refuses to believe they are dead, so when he is old enough he begins traveling to France to find any information he can about his brothers. What Julien doesn't realize is that these frequent trips to France---when Napolean is rumored to be raising an army---have Britain's Foreign Office labeling him as a suspected traitor. Now, when Julien is planning his next trip, Mademoiselle Serafina Artois arrives, and he can practically see the wheels turning in his mother's head: beautiful young lady, who is the daughter of old friends from France + unmarried son = a big society wedding. Once Julien meets Serafina/Sara, he thinks a wedding might not be such a bad idea.
Intrigue, mystery, deception, snappy dialogue and a fabulous cast of character make this a book that's not to be missed. Julien and Sara caught my attention from the first page and watching their "dance" of courtship and love had me cheering and sighing in equal measure. Their love scenes are steamy and watching their journey from infatuation to love tugs at the heart strings. Ms. Galen has started off this series with a bang; The Making of A Duchess is the first in the trilogy about the Harcourt brothers. So if you fancy a story filled with adventure, charm, romance and wit, this is the book for you!
~ Gannon
Julien and his mother barely escaped France when he was just thirteen, running from their chateau as the peasants burned it down around them, and escaping to England to his mother's family. His father and younger twin brothers were not so lucky. Word reaches Julien and his mother that his father was taken to Paris and guillotined, but they never find out the fate of his brothers, Bastien and Armand. Julien refuses to believe they are dead, so when he is old enough he begins traveling to France to find any information he can about his brothers. What Julien doesn't realize is that these frequent trips to France---when Napolean is rumored to be raising an army---have Britain's Foreign Office labeling him as a suspected traitor. Now, when Julien is planning his next trip, Mademoiselle Serafina Artois arrives, and he can practically see the wheels turning in his mother's head: beautiful young lady, who is the daughter of old friends from France + unmarried son = a big society wedding. Once Julien meets Serafina/Sara, he thinks a wedding might not be such a bad idea.
Intrigue, mystery, deception, snappy dialogue and a fabulous cast of character make this a book that's not to be missed. Julien and Sara caught my attention from the first page and watching their "dance" of courtship and love had me cheering and sighing in equal measure. Their love scenes are steamy and watching their journey from infatuation to love tugs at the heart strings. Ms. Galen has started off this series with a bang; The Making of A Duchess is the first in the trilogy about the Harcourt brothers. So if you fancy a story filled with adventure, charm, romance and wit, this is the book for you!
~ Gannon
