This story was neat. The way it worked in the Scarlet Pimpernel was so innovative. Engrossing plot and interesting characters.

3.5 stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

An Earl blackmailed because of a deadly lie. A Viscountess with money lenders at her door. Both are thieves trying to steal to save their necks. When the Scarlett Pimpernel asks for a favor how can a Lady refuse. For she must cross the channel and rescue a mother and her child from Madam Guilletine, placing her own life in danger. The last thing she expected was the Earl who stole her heart to follow her to France. Can he be trusted?
I voluntarily read and reviewed a free copy of this book.

I’ve never read a book by Shana Galen before and I really liked her style I must be honest and I’m excited to read the rest of her backlist. LADY THIEF omg honestly this is something that is rarely scene in historical romances at least with the heroine, there are often men who are thieves but not women. This is more of a slow burn romance and the romance is secondary to the plot but in this book that absolutely works for the story. Can’t wait to read more by Galen in the future.

This started off kind of meh for me. Thankfully, I stuck it out because I absolutely loved the last 20% or so. I don't want to give too much away, just know that if you don't fall in love with Ramsey, Lord Sedgwick, before then, his actions will have you swooning!

I have to give props to Shana Galen for her portrayal of Paris during the Revolution. Perfection!

Shana Galen's 'Traiter in Her Arms' is a seductive page-turner that I couldn't put down. This is what has me coming back to read historical romances, books like this! I recommend reading this novel!

After her late husband leaves her in debt to some dangerous people, Lady Gabrielle McCullough is forced to become a thief. In the intervening years, her skills have not gone unnoticed. After being recruited by the Scarlet Pimpernel, the mysterious do-gooder spiriting aristocrats out of revolutionary France, Gabrielle crosses the Channel for the most daring mission of her life. Accompanying her is the Earl of Sedgwick, a thief in his own right and an enticingly masculine presence. The man is not to be trusted—nor is Gabrielle’s body when he’s near. Ramsey Barnes would not say he is an honorable man. His whole life has been based on a lie; why change now? Although it pains him to deceive the tantalizing Gabrielle, he’s working toward an altogether different objective: unmasking the Scarlet Pimpernel. If Ramsey fails, his blackmailer will ruin him. But when Ramsey’s confronted with the carnage of the Reign of Terror, he seeks refuge in Gabrielle’s heated embrace. Now he faces a terrible choice: betray the woman who’s stolen his heart—or risk losing everything.
I’ve read this author before and liked her writing, so I figured this book would be good. This book didn’t disappoint. The book was really good. I loved both main characters as they went through the story. Both characters were well written. I really enjoyed the plot. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

As always a thank you first to Random House Loveswept and NetGalley for providing us with a copy of this book so that we could bring you this review.

I must say this was a rough one to read and not because it wasn't absolutely well written but because it was based in a time period and a location that was bloody and brutal. France during the revolution was a dangerous and ugly place. And Shana didn't sugar coat or hide exactly what was going on and how rough it was. I have to say Gabrielle is a strong and brave woman and she is so strong. It is amazing the things she goes through and is willing to put up with to get what she needs. Though Ramsey has his moments where you want to strangle him and hope that he is caught by the revolutionaries he has his other moments that he redeems himself wonderfully. I am dying to know who the Scarlet Pimpernel is and how he can help more people. Hopefully we get to see another book soon.

I give this  book 4 kisses.

Happy Reading... Adri

A complex, compelling book that I couldn't put down. I love the Scarlet Pimpernel so I enjoyed his appearance in this book. This story contains a wonderful romance, danger, blackmail and accurate history.

Shana Galen is the master of the Regency spy storyline,. Although this tale does not quite have a spy storyline, it is close. The author gives us a taste of the end of the book in the beginning so we know the heroine, Gabrielle is in trouble. Just who is Ramsey? How does he figure into her predicament? What does the Scarlet Pimpernel have to do with it? All of these questions and more are answered as you read this fast paced book, full of action, danger, intrigue, and more than a few villains. Ms. Galen keeps the reader guessing until the very end when we finally have a resolution. I love books like this where the ending is not easily figured out by mid book. Great reading!

I am rounding up because it is more of a 2.5. Compared to Shana Galen's other spy couple books this one is just flat. I was not interested in the hero or heroine. They were both very unbelievable characters.

What’s it About? Gabrielle's late husband left her with a mountain of debt and some dangerous people who want to collect. Her only choice was to become a thief in order to pay it off. Meanwhile Ramsey Barnes, is being blackmailed into thievery and into finding out the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel who coincidentally has recruited Gabrielle for a dangerous mission. Stuck together on a voyage into revolutionary France, Ramsey and Gabrielle's antagonistic relationship turns into a romantic one but with so many secrets between them, their budding romance might not survive, and if it does they may not come out of France alive.



Overall reaction to the story? I had high hopes for Traitor in Her Arms, the synopsis sounded so good and I was excited to read about a titled lady forced to become a thief. The reality of the story however was less than appealing. I found said lady only one step above a TSTL heroine who had ZERO useful skills which had me questioning the mental capability of anyone who “hired” her to do anything other than stand there and look pretty. The hero was a little better but he was constantly saving the heroine or taking over her part in the mission which got annoying and a tad predictable after awhile. The one thing I did enjoy was how well Shana Galen painted the picture of absolute chaos and terror during the French Revolution. It was as vivid as it was horrifying which added an element of desperation and extreme danger as the characters moved further into France.

Describe the hero in five words: Secretive. Charming. Stubborn. Skilled. Intelligent.
Did you like him? Yes. Well, sort of.
Why? Ramsey is in a the position of being blackmailed into a life of thievery but he’s gotten pretty good at it. He isn’t a bad guy but if his secrets come out they could make him look very bad, as in execution bad. I liked that whole internal conflict he had from the very beginning between saving his own butt and doing what was right. I got the impression that before all the blackmail business, Ramsey was pretty self serving but he learns and grows from his ordeal and while he isn’t perfect at the end, he has changed quite a bit.

Describe the heroine in five words: Determined. Vulnerable. Incompetent. Distressing. Bland.
Did you like her? For the first chapter, but later absolutely not.
Why? Gabrielle started off as a rather unique woman. Because of her late husband’s stupidity, she has had to pay the debts he owed to some dangerous people, as a result she had to become a thief. Interesting right? Especially when she is described as a darn good thief. She’d have to be good in order to be recruited for a dangerous mission by the Scarlet Pimpernel right? Well either the Scarlet Pimpernel didn’t have much to choose from or their standards were really low because Gabrielle was most definitely NOT a good thief. She is in a word, a mess. There is never any proof that the rumors of her thievery skills are anything more than just rumors, she bumbles several tasks that could have gotten her killed, she can’t lie to save her butt (Which needed a lot of saving), and she sometimes had me wanting her to fall into a conveniently placed river, or ocean so that a new, better heroine could take the lead and actually do something useful. Instead it seemed like Gabrielle was only there to provide situations to make Ramsey seem like a total stud muffin/hero of the decade. Not cool at all, I can’t stand useless damsels in distress that are only meant to feed the guys’ ego or to make them look like the ultimate hero.


Let’s talk about the romance: Well, Ramsey and Gabrielle have actually known each other for a while. She was married to Ramsey’s best friend but there was always a kind of physical awareness between them. That made their intense attraction believable but at some point, Traitor in Her Arms seems to forget that it’s a romance and instead feels more like Gabrielle and Ramsey are spectators in a well known historical event. Under other circumstances that would have been great but since this book IS called a romance, I was expecting romance.

How about that supporting cast? There aren’t many supporting characters in Traitor in Her Arms that weren’t either historical figures, or got killed off. I’m glad that the focus remained on Ramsey and Gabrielle for the most part because of the gravity of their situation. Galen treated it like the serious even that it was and that meant keeping a close eye on both characters’ movements.

Click It or Skip It? Well I would Skip It but if damsels in distress are your thing go for it.

This book was wonderful! Kept my interest and I didn't want to put it down. Well done.

Miscommunication, unspoken love and redemption lead this story straight into the readers heart. It is very fast paced, full of intrigue and rich with vivid descriptions leading this reader into another world.

I loved the friction between Lady Gabrielle and Earl of Sedgwick but as the story unfolded the possibility that these two star crossed lovers would never find a way to be together made me frantic.

This book is not all light. There is darkness in it due to the French Revolution but the way it is portrayed intrigued me and honestly was impactful as well as creative.

Most people read because they want to escape their life. This book meets that desire. It was finally at the end of the book when I came up for air and said "Wow. What a ride!" that I came back to the present time.

I give this 5 STARS for it richness in characters and presentation.

After her late husband leaves her deep in debt to some very dangerous people, Lady Gabrielle McCullough is forced to resort to thievery. During the years, her skills have not gone unnoticed and now she has been recruited by the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel who has recruited her to help some aristocrats flee revolutionary France. It’s a life or death mission but with her life in danger in England she crosses the Channel for the most dangerous mission of her life. Once aboard the ship she discovers she is not alone, accompanying her is the Earl of Sedgwick, a thief in his own right and though an attraction simmers between them, Gabrielle knows without a doubt he is not to be trusted.

Ramsey Barnes knows he is not an honorable man as his entire life is based on a lie, which is about to be exposed should he fail his mission of uncovering the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Basically he either deceives Gabrielle - a women he’s loved forever - or risk losing everything.

*** Lots of action, excitement and sensuality is combined with two morally compromised protagonists as they wage a battle of wits—and seduction—against the backdrop of the French Revolution. The sensuality of the two is very hot and their repartee is delightful where I found myself chuckling over their battle of wits and thievery! The historical aspect was immense whereby one could shudder at the bloodiest era of France during the Revolution and the ultimate fate of those who were introduced to Madame Guillotine.

Bottom line - action, adventure, mystery, and romance are all rolled into one very sensual and highly recommended novel. TRAITOR IN HER ARMS is highly recommended.

Marilyn Rondeau

I loved Ramsey the dashing hero. I am so hook on Shana Galen's books.

Intriguing tale of romance and adventure. Strong heroine. Dashing hero.

I really liked this book. It had a complex plot, was very well-written and the characters were very interesting. The story had lots of suspense and intrigue along with some nice romance. Great read!

Another great book by an amazing Romance writer! It's fascinating how she plays with the leads and tangles them so they cannot resist each other. Love it.!

One of my favorite historical romance authors does it again! She crafts amazing stories, and this one is no exception. Much of this takes place in Paris, France. Gabrielle is a strong, independent and passionate woman who will appeal to all romance readers. The Scarlet Pimpernel has me intrigued, and I'm dying to know the identity but I'll just have to wait. Gabrielle doesn't like Ramsey, and they are both thieves. They will need to work together. Amazing storytelling with sexy romance makes this a must-read.

Even though I’d read only one of Galen’s books, Sapphires are an Earl’s Best Friend, I knew I was in for a treat.
I know a book has been successful in teaching me something when I highlight certain terms and later look them up.  Author Shana Galen has done her homework about the Reign of Terror.  She paints an accurate and bleak picture of the life of its nobility, or perhaps better said, the destruction of it.

The guillotine was a despicable killing machine.  In Paris alone, it is estimated between 2,600 to 3,000 people were beheaded by Madame Guillotine.  An estimate of 17,000 people throughout France were beheaded, or as the people would say, so-and-so ‘sneezed into the basket’ or ‘poking through the window’.  These terms are used in the story and they are historically accurate.

Scarlet Pimpernell is very much part of this story.  I’m not sure he actually existed, but there is a novel written by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905 who speaks of an Englishman who rescues aristocrats from Madame Guillotine. Perhaps, he is legend. But in this story, he’s real.

I was transported to the fear and terror of that time.  I could smell the people and filth of the streets, catacombs and sewers. I could feel the hatred of the common people for the gentry who represented the reason they had almost nothing.

With this backdrop, Lady Gabrielle McCullough, an English woman is also living in a situation she needs to escape. Her dead husband left her in debt and the creditors are demanding their due.  She takes up thieving and is rather good at it.  When she thinks she’s obtained a highly valued piece of jewelry, it is stolen from her by the only man who has had her heart flutter, Earl of Sedgwick.

The situation is quite comical even though it’s dangerous. Sedgwick is also a rather accomplished thief. It appears he has troubles of his own.  He’s being blackmailed and needs the item to keep his secret, secret.
Sedgwick has always liked Gabrielle.  In his own way, Sedgwick is honorable. I really enjoy this character.  He’s honorable, yet is driven to do dishonorable things. In that direction, he accompanies Gabrielle to France.  She’s there to save two aristocrats, a duke’s wife and daughter, a request by the duke and Scarlet Pimpernel himself. She must acquire a precious and most difficult-to-procure jewel for a warden in the prison, who then has promised to release the woman and child.  But has she jumped from the frying pan in England into the fire in France?

In such a climate the streets were not safe.  Gabrielle is relieved to have Sedgwick along.  He has told her he isn’t trust worthy.  So at what point does she find he may be trusted? This trip to France has not only changed the hero and heroine, it has given me a true insight into this catastrophic time in history.

I loved how the story began—with a scene we eventually get to with the telling of the tale.  Galen repeated the scene.  With the acquired backstory, the scene is now fully emotional and dreadful for me, making me amazingly sympathic.  Excellent writing.

I liked the extremes of the story.  Side-by-side, I experienced the evil of man, done out of revenge, the good of man to help people from certain death, the greed of man to better himself, and the selflessness of others.
Needless, to say, I love the way the events and environment were portrayed through Gabrielle and Ramsey’s journey.  They were flawed, Ramsey more so than Gabrielle, yet noble in their actions.  Can Gabrielle forgive Ramsey’s duplicity?

Galen keeps the story running at a fast clip. I was totally engaged with it all.  The overall arc of the story is spot-on.  I could not be more pleased with this read.