Jane Feather, Almost a Lady

Almost a Lady

Jane Feather

Bantam, Jan 2006, $6.99

ISBN: 0553587560

Meg Barrette was walking near the seafront of Folkstone with a friend who has to go home while she goes on to visit the lending library. Afterward, a storm strikes before Meg can reach shelter; she slips and loses consciousness. When she awakens she is on The Mary Rose, a ship at sea with Captain Cosimo in charge. Cosimo explains that his men were to pick up Ana, his espionage partner, but instead erred. In fairness Meg looks like the missing Ana, who Cosmo fears has been captured by the French.

Cosimo realizes that his guest is feisty and brave so he wonders if she can replace Ana on a key mission. She finds herself attracted to him though she knows he is the wrong type of man for her. Still as he tries to seduce her into cooperation on two fronts, the boudoir and the French, he never expected to fall in love with what should have been an expendable pawn. Instead he now has to decide whether to save his Meg or the lives of a thousand strangers.

ALMOST A LADY is fast-paced early nineteenth century romantic suspense thriller that takes off from the moment that Meg awakens on the Mary Rose and never slows down until after Cosimo has to decide between love and the common good. Meg is an intriguing protagonist whose courage even Cosimo admires though she adapts to espionage perhaps too easily. Still she and her beloved rogue make for fine high seas and on land anti-Napoleonic escapades.

Harriet Klausner