Hidden beneath Catherine Blade’s uncommon beauty is a daring that matches any man’s. Although this has taken her far in the world, she still doesn’t have the one thing she craves: the freedom to live life as she chooses. Finally given the chance to earn her independence, who should be standing in her way but the only man she’s ever loved, the only person to ever betray her.
Despite the scars Catherine left him, Captain Leighton Atwood has never been able to forget the mysterious girl who once so thoroughly captivated him. When she unexpectedly reappears in his life, he refuses to get close to her. But he cannot deny the yearning she reignites in his heart.
Their reunion, however, plunges them into a web of espionage, treachery, and deadly foes. With everything at stake, Leighton and Catherine are forced to work together to find a way out. If they are ever to find safety and happiness, they must first forgive and learn to trust each other again…
I will always be a sucker for a Sherry Thomas historical. Hands down her prose and way with words exceeds my wildest fantasies and with those words she sweeps me away. This time I went on a journey not only to England, but to the wilds of China with its crowded, tradition-laden, class-oriented society.
Thomas gives us two historical experiences in this one book, coupled with martial arts, action, spies, tragedy and more. The hero and heroine are both lost souls, ever searching and seeking peace. At times the belief is that the peace can be found with each other, but in other instances it seems nearly impossible.
Before I get into the rest of my opinions about this book I want to mention that this story has a prequel available called, The Hidden Blade. In my opinion this book is best read with the prequel and not without. The prequel gives you so much more behind the characters and how they came to be who they are.
That being said our hero, Captain Leighton Atwood is a man of honor, dreams and secrets. His childhood wasn’t happy and surprisingly after everything he’s been through Leighton turned into a really good man. The problem is that in this story it’s hard to get a good read on his character and the heroine. The action, and the time jumps from the past to the present can be a bit confusing. But you come to find that both characters are pretty resilient in the face of life’s challenges. Neither Catherine nor Leighton believe in surrender, including to each other.
This book is definitely suspense riddled, with plenty of action scenes and great sensory depth. I got caught up once again in Thomas’ dialogue and descriptions. Conflict in this story reigns supreme and plenty of confessions have to take place for a reunion between our H/h at odds. The pacing is near spot on and there’s a good gallop toward the resolution without issue.
One of my favorite lines in this story comes when Leighton and Catherine are alone and still trying to figure out the other’s purpose:
Her gaze swept over him. “What exactly are you looking for?”
A place for me, but I do not see one here.
He brushed aside the answer that had arisen from nowhere. “I thought you had disavowed any further dealings with the Tang Dynasty jade tablets.”
Overall, I will always enjoyed reading Thomas’ books. As I mentioned before she always grabs me with her writing style, and I’m instantly transported elsewhere. I recommend this book for those who enjoy a little action and suspense with their Historical Romance.
Recommend for readers who enjoy Liz Caryle and Shana Galen.
Heat Level: Hot
Reviewed by Landra
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