Didn't quite like this book. The plot was weak, the characters where somewhat annoying, and the ending was kind of abrupt. I don't recall if a reason was ever given as to why they split the first time. The main female lead was annoying in her pestering of the main male character. The repetitious of her reason to take on - and stay - as the housekeeper was unbelievable. How many times does 'the children need me' have to be given as an excuse? And the answer to the main character's plight was to run away? He's supposed to be a spy. He sure acts like a coward. Just my 2 cents...Brenda Joyce has better books.
Amelia and Simon. What an odd couple they were. Their young love wasn't meant to be no matter how much Amelia expected a proposal. And the cad-ish way Simon cast her aside was weak-minded regardless of the circumstances involved. Fast forward ten years and they find themselves in an unbelievable situation with Amelia serving as his housekeeper and self-appointed stand-in mother to his children while Simon tries to continue his clandestine spy activities. What I did find refreshingly unique was Simon's role as double agent in the midst of the French Revolution, his imprisonment, and his quick descent into extreme anxiety. Anyone forced to witness the dark days of the revolution and live with the extreme and constant fear would certainly suffer PTSD. I really didn't care about their romance, as little as it was, but I was fascinated with Simon's escalating predicament. However, it wasn't until the last quarter of the story that the plot moved at a faster clip with the major players coming together to make things much more interesting. Generally, I do not enjoy spy stories, but I have to say that by the time Amelia and Simon finally did get their HEA, their love was a poignant, breathing life force. It just wasn't enough to make a so-so story into a great one. 3 stars.
(Oh, and did anyone else catch all those exclamation points? For the first half of the book, they were everywhere! So distracting! Hilarious!)
(Oh, and did anyone else catch all those exclamation points? For the first half of the book, they were everywhere! So distracting! Hilarious!)
