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| Sourcebook Casablanca |
Shana Galen
2011
The Summary
"No man can outsmart him...
"Lord Adrian Smythe may appear a perfectly boring gentleman, but he leads a thrilling life as one of England's most preeminent spies, an identity so clandestine even his wife is unaware of it. But he isn't the only one with secrets...
"She's been outsmarting him for years...
"Now that the Napoleonic wars have come to an end, daring secret agent Lady Sophia Smythe can hardly bear the thought of returning home to her tedious husband. Until she discovers in the dark of night that he's not who she thinks he is after all..."
The Good
It's a fun, silly romance. Think of it as Mr. and Mrs. Smith, starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, but set in the Regency period--and they're not actually trying to kill each other. Their names are even similar, now that I stop and think about it. Although it hits some similar notes, it's an original story that I found pretty entertaining.
I liked that Sophia is a capable, efficient agent. While she frequently does have to prove herself, she's admired for her tenacity and her unexpected skills with sharp objects. I found it thoroughly amusing to see men flounder when they realize the small, diminutive woman is more than capable of disarming and charming any enemy. And Adrian makes a fine contrast to her impetuous ways, offering a thoughtful, calculating balance to her quick, intuitive thinking.
Overall, I found I enjoyed Lord and Lady Spy. It's another one of those guilty pleasures for me. It's full of romance, action and intrigue, drama and passion, and it's easy to read in a day or so. I wasn't committing to a hefty novel, so I was able to enjoy a quick, entertaining story.
The Bad
It feels like a bit of a rip off of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I mean, it's Smith and Smythe, it's an accent away from being exactly the same thing. They're both spies; they're both married to spies and/or assassins; they're both completely unaware of the secret lives of the other. Except for the fact that Galen's novel is set in the Regency, where technology isn't quite as sophisticated--and Sophia and Adrian aren't actually trying to kill each other--it's pretty similar.
Which is a little weird.
It's not a bad book. (I mean, I've certainly read worse. Let me tell you.) I think it has enough originality and action that I was able to enjoy it, but I was a little tired of the familiar, trite arguments that sometimes stand between couples and it followed in some of the same paths as trod by other books.
It's like most romance novels where couples can never seem to get along with one another. Granted, Adrian and Sophia are sometimes arguing over the best ways to infiltrate a building, or how to interrogate a suspect, or which ways they've killed a man, but it falls into much the same rut for some reason. They have the same arguments again and again and again.
Oh, and here's something that bothers me: their secret identities aren't really all that secret. Adrian and Sophia are constantly revealing facets of their occupation to others, like interrogating individuals together, throwing around the prime minister's name, chasing people down in a carriage. It's all rather dramatic and, I think, it's probably pretty obvious what they do for a living since most people don't go haring off through London streets where neighbors can recognize them in pursuit of would-be murderer.
Sure, their code names might not be compromised, but it wouldn't take a genius to connect the dots, especially when female spies are few and far between. Sophia, who sometimes blatantly flaunts her incredible, obviously-I'm-a-spy skills and rebels against traditional authority, would be an obvious choice for any villain who knows the British empire has a female spy. And, since she's survived an attempted assassination in the past, her identity is probably circulating out there anyway.
Sometimes, I found it frustrating. I mean, seriously, could they make it any more obvious?
The Ugly
Some death and mayhem. Pretty mild, but best to be prepared.
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