Jenna Petersen, Desire Never Dies

Desire Never Dies

Jenna Petersen

Avon, Jan 2007, $5.99

ISBN 0061138088

In 1813 Emily Redgrave arrives at the home of her best friend, widow Anastasia Whittig, but not on a social call; Emily was shot while working as a spy for the king. Anastasia, her fellow agent, sends for the doctor and their handler Charles "Charlie" Isley. Emily, barely able to whisper, tells Ana it was a trap, while her host knows full well her severely injured friend might not make it through the night.

Though recruited five years earlier, the timid Ana is assigned to uncover the identity of the counterspy who harmed Emily before this rogue causes more trouble. Notorious rake Lucas Tyler is assigned as her partner on this endeavor. He doubts female spies with no filed experience and even less confidence are capable of performing the mission; she thinks he is too full of himself, his pleasures and his loyalty to see the truth that his friend, wheelchair-bound Henry, is either indirectly behind or the mastermind causing the deaths of agents even as they fall in love.

The sequel to FROM LONDON WITH LOVE, DESIRE NEVER DIES, is a fun, Regency romantic, espionage thriller starring a wonderful heroine who knows she is the best at breaking codes, but believes she is the worst at relationships as she assumes men detest her meekness. Lucas is more stereotypical of the dashing hero, but the refreshing Ana breaks him out of the historical hunk type-casting. The villain lacks depth as his motives seem off-kilter and the twist associated with him is a bit of a shocker to everyone except Ana, but subtracts rather than enhances a wonderful Charlie's Angels in Regency England tale.

Harriet Klausner