Nothing But Deception
Allegra Gray
Zebra, Aug 1 2010, $5.99
ISBN: 9781420108262
In 1815 Paris, a dying Solange Durand tells her artist son Jean-Philippe his father is not French, but instead English. He says his father is Richard Durand, but she tells him go to England to meet Lord Henry Owen also known as the artist Henri Gaudet. Meanwhile Richard works on surviving Napoleon.
Jean-Philippe crosses the Channel where he plans to meet his biological father. Aristocratic women welcome the visiting famous Frenchman, but his eyes only see Widow Beatrice, Lady Pullingham. He asks her to be his muse and she agrees. However, Bea inadvertently has become embroiled in seditious actions against the Crown with Jean-Philippe suspected as an enemy agent. As the artist and the widow fall in love, she prays he is not supporting the traitors while he fears she conceals a dark secret and is tired of loved ones lying to him.
This is an enjoyable Regency espionage romance as Bea works undercover for the Crown trying to help ferret out the traitors while Jean-Philippe is suspected of being a French operative though he just wants to paint her and make love with her. The story line does slow down at times especially when his French dad is on page plotting, but sub-genre readers will relish the Anglo-Franco romance as rumors spread that Napolean has returned to Paris.
Harriet Klausner
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