You know you want me...

Title: My Lord and Spymaster
Author: Joanna Bourne

Plot: Jessamyn Whitby is in a world of trouble. Her father has been accused of being the spy Cinq whose sold secrets of British troop movements to the French. Since she doesn't want to see dearest daddy dangle from the business end of a short rope Jess decides that she must find out who the real Cinq is. Her main suspect is Sebastian Kennet, ship's captain and owner of Kennet shipping. She hatches a plan to get close to Sebastian and suss out exactly what he has been up to, and get her father out of gaol. Sebastian sees Jess for the first time and starts thinking all sorts of pleasant thoughts. But he can tell she's up to something. And then someone tries to kill Jess. The two are thrown together, unwilling to trust each other but so ready to jump each other bones. Jess's father must be saved. Cinq must be found. Hijinxs ensue.

I'm not too big on spy books as a rule. But this one was lots of fun. And I didn't figure out the villain in the first quarter of the book. Which is always a plus. There was also no Big Misunderstanding, you know the point in the book/movie where our lovers have a big fight over something butt-numbingly stupid and separate only to get together within the last page/5min. or so. I hate Big Misunderstandings. They make me want to reach into the book and throttle someone. This was just a tight little plot that hummed along like a well-oiled machine.

Jess: I just can't trust you but DAMN you're fine.

Sebastian: I know. You want me. I'm so perfect I want me. I'll just wait over here until you figure it out.

Jess: You sent my father to prison, damn your beautiful eyes! I love dearest Papa and must save him! My you're looking delicious today! But I shall resist!

Sebastian: Stop trippin'. I'll just keep saving you every time you do something incredibly stupid to save your idiot father. You know you want me.

Quentin: I'll just be over here, inconspicuously taking up character space. Never mind me.

Claudia: Bitch why are you all up in my house? I don't care if everyone else likes you, I'm just mean for no reason.

Adrian: Hello all, is it time for my story to be told in the sequel yet? No? Well, then I'd better say something witty and be off. Toodles.

Jess: Damn you Adrian for putting my dearest Papa behind bars! I hate you even though you practically raised me! So what if you're only doing it to save Papa from a worse fate, I DESPISE you!

Lazarus: I'm, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIL!

The Characters:
Jess: Our heroine. Thank you sweet baby Jesus, she wasn't Too Stupid To Live! She was smart and ridiculously independent (almost to the point of being anachronistic. This is a historical romance, after all). But she had a bit of the martyr in her. I mean she was loyal almost to a fault, to men that had been father figures to her, but really used her for her talents quite a bit. She puts herself in horrendously dangerous positions to save her father, who does not seem all that good of a dad. She has a dark past that makes her different from so many romance heroines, but it also makes her a richer character. You understand who she is and why she does things.

Sebastian: Our hero. Dear angels in heaven, but he was yummy. He had all the swagger that Alpha male heroes are supposed to have with none of the asshattery. Perfection. None of that "I'll kiss you until you like it" in this book. Nope. He was a delight to read. In the movie in my head, Christian Bale played him, which is saying a lot considering my love for said Welshman. Sebastian wasn't an angel which is fine because neither was Jess. They complement each other very well.

Adrian: Hi Adrian! When are you going to get your own book? Because I'm ready to read it like right now! You were witty and divine and vaguely tortured with a touch of ennui. And you definitely stole some scenes from Sebastian. Bravo!

Overall: Ms. Bourne has done an excellent job. This was not boilerplate historical romance by any means. The dialogue was witty and the plot well developed. And the characters felt like real people rather than cardboard cutouts.

Rating: 5 finger snaps in a circle (out of 5)