A Dance with Seduction is book 3 in Alyssa Alexander's A Spy in the Ton series. It's the first book I have read by her and these can be read as standalones.

Maximilian was a code-breaker in His Majesty's Service when he met Vivienne, a spy know as The Flower. He has since retired from code-breaking and works as a translator when she shows up at his house. Vivienne needs him to decipher a code that was left for her which wants her to basically commit treason. When she refuses this person, they kidnap her sister. They must work together if they have any hope of alluding a French spy master and rescue Anne.

I thought I was going to like this book a whole lot more than I did. I liked the premise of the story and what not but it just felt too slow. With it being a spy novel, I figured it would be fast paced with lots of action. While there was action, it just wasn't what I expected. I still enjoyed the book and really liked that Maximilian is a nerd. It just seemed really odd to me that Vivienne was able to keep not being able to read a secret for so long mainly because her job as a spy requires that you be able to read.

The war with Napoleon may be over, but there is still danger to the British government. Maximilian Westwood is retired from code breaking for the government, but when the young lady known as Mademoiselle La Fleur asks for his help decoding messages, how can he say no. Vivienne dances for the theatre, but lives a secret life as a spy for Britain. A kidnapping leads to more lies, spies and a traitor, as Maximilian becomes more embroiled in the game of spies with the woman he loves. Heat level 3.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This is as an entertaining story and was a great afternoon escape. The plot was strong with a great cast of characters. Espionage in the ton……
Many thanks to Entangled Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

In the third book of the series, ‘Spy in the Ton’ Vivienne Le Fleur known as ‘The Flower’, with her beauty and mystique, is able to uncover secrets in her role as a spy for the English. Yet when the Napoleonic war ends, Vivienne must do all that she can to protect her young sister. However, when she is contacted by The Vulture, a French agent, who threatens her sister’s life unless she spies for the French, she turns to Maximilian Westwood, a code breaker to help her reveal the coded messages she receives. Max soon finds himself in danger, as he endeavours to uncover her secrets.

The relationship between Max and Vivienne seems unlikely. Yet as they spend more time together, the fragility behind the tough exterior of Vivienne becomes apparent, whilst the quiet strength of Max seems perfectly balanced to her, making for a beautiful romance. This is a story full of action and intrigue which blends in perfectly with this intense love story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I haven't read any of the other books in the series but I found the premise of this one interesting. I've always loved spies in historical romance, especially female ones and the characters were well fleshed out in this book!

Not your typical spy meets love happily ever after romance. A Dance with Seduction has detailed complex characters. Flower, a spy, dancer, sister, forced into a world of intrigue to discover she thrives in this world. Maxmiliian (love this name) ex-soldier/codebreaker now translation expert. When a spy needs a code breaker to decipher a code after her (secret) sister is abducted could something more develop. Flower's whole existence is based on lies so is she a spy? a dancer? English? French? Max was out of this life but finds himself back in beside an alluring woman-but who is she? I really loved Max and his strong principles. Vivienne is an interesting and extremely complex character who at many times I felt for and felt annoyed at. The secondary characters are entertaining and interestingly woven in. It is a well done romantic intrigue that left me shocked at the culprit. A good read.


left reviews on good reads, amazon and bn.com (as lady C)

When I saw the cover, it was love at first sight. I love the coloring of the dress, and title sounded intriguing. So, it was a must read. However, when I started to read the start to read, I was a little disappointed. It didn't grab my attention as the cover did. Then I was frustrated with the heroine, because Vivienne was a spy who couldn't read. It never made any sense to me. Plus, her character pissed me off a lot through the book. Even after I arrived at the end I wasn't truly a fan of hers. I actually didn't like how she treated Maximilian. I felt that she used him, and didn't appreciate him. Yet I adore Max. I thought he was fabulous. He truly was a great guy who truly cared for her. Yes, I did like the ending. Yes, it does get a happy ever after.

Had I written my review for A Dance With Seduction when I finished reading it would have focused on what I didn't like a lot more than what I have written so far. After thinking about Vivienne character, I came to realize I felt sorry for her. You probably wondering how I came to this realization. Trust me it wasn't an easy one. Vivienne was trapped, and never really understood until towards the end when her handler's boss says something along the lines, that being a spy is a choice. She basically told him it wasn't a choice, it was either die at the gallows or become a spy, and basically a whore. I didn't think about this until about week later. Vivienne was trapped. She was truly stuck in a life she didn't want to be, but she had to keep her family safe, yet she couldn't. She couldn't trust anyone, even though Max was trying to show that she could trust him. She never felt safe, because of how her handler handle her (yeah, a mouthful there). Honestly, her handler's abuse show up until the end, and that's when it should have clicked that he made her into someone couldn't trust anyone. Kind of heart breaking, yet Max was willing to love her for who she was. Max couldn't truly accept Vivienne until he realized he loved her.

Did I like A Dance With Seduction? I'm still on the fence. Do I appreciate Vivienne's character? Yeah, again it wasn't easy to appreciate her character. Yes, I absolutely adore Max and I couldn't quite understand why he would be with Vivienne. Was A Dance With Seduction a good story? It was written well, and I didn't understand all the things that was happening when I read through, I was focusing on myself. A Dance with Seduction is not going to be for everyone, but it's an interesting read once you get pass all the things that are in this particular story.

Copy provided by Entangled via NetGalley

Rating:
3 1/2 Stars

A Dance with Seduction is book 3 in Alyssa Alexander's A Spy in the Ton series. It's the first book I have read by her and these can be read as standalones.
 
Maximilian was a code-breaker in His Majesty's Service when he met Vivienne, a spy know as The Flower. He has since retired from code-breaking and works as a translator when she shows up at his house. Vivienne needs him to decipher a code that was left for her which wants her to basically commit treason. When she refuses this person, they kidnap her sister. They must work together if they have any hope of alluding a French spy master and rescue Anne.
 
I thought I was going to like this book a whole lot more than I did. I liked the premise of the story and what not but it just felt too slow. With it being a spy novel, I figured it would be fast paced with lots of action. While there was action, it just wasn't what I expected. I still enjoyed the book and really liked that Maximilian is a nerd. It just seemed really odd to me that Vivienne was able to keep not being able to read a secret for so long mainly because her job as a spy requires that you be able to read.
Rating: 3.5 stars

Review by Amanda for Love Romance Books Blog

I was asked by the author for an honest review.

I would have liked to give A Dance with Seduction 3.5 stars. I don't read a lot of historical romance novels, but given that the main female character was already established as a mistress this story didn't have the same social limits for acceptable behavior that many other historical romance novels have.

This is a stand alone novel. I haven't read any of the other books in the Spy in the Ton series, but I don't think I missed anything. Allyssa Alexander wrote with great descriptions which made it easy to picture the scenes, but it also felt like the story moved a little slowly.

This story had it all for me: romance, suspense, action, danger, chemistry, secrets and espionage. There was just enough of a balance between sentimentality and emotion & cloak and dagger to satisfy the multi-dimensional reader in me. Vivienne and Max were complex, vivid characters to cherish and remember. The interesting story line moved along steadily and did not lag at any point.

Alexander, a new-to-me author, is now one of my favorites!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Entangled Publishing, LLC in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Author Alyssa Alexander is new-to-me, but I decided to give her a shot. Her novel, A DANCE WITH SEDUCTION, is not the type of historical romance I generally read... never been one for spy romances... but it was certainly interesting. I will await Ms. Alexander's next novel and hope it is even better than A DANCE WITH SEDUCTION.

Great book!!

Vivienne Le Fleur is a woman with many facets like a diamond she's beautiful, strong and fearless. She's also a French opera dancer/spy who will do anything for her family. When her younger sister is abducted by an unsavoury French spy to force her hand in switching sides, she has no choice but to turn to Maximilian Westword. Maximilian is a second son and nothing like his rapscallion brother, she knows she can trust him they have worked together in the past - he's a code breaker and translator - what ensues is a journey for Vivienne to unravel the woman who has been hiding underneath all her personas, the woman who was lost in the game of survival. I loved the way the story evolved enjoyed the banter even though Max was a grumpy sort it was endearing, and their attraction was always simmering while their work brought them closer to unraveling the hidden code. Characters who I didn't care for was Henri I would have liked to see him get his due. Overall this was an excellent/entertaining story very well written with likeable characters.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley for my honest unbiased opinion.

vivienne le fleur is in trouble in a dance with seduction, as a spy for the british crown she's had to lie and steal and become someone else entirely. for years, on and off, she's worked with code-breaker maximilian westwood. she finds his precision and methodological habits infuriating and can't help ruffling his feathers every chance she gets. and maximilian finds her presumptuous presence annoying and her profession with its constant intrigues abhorrent and her entire being too damn beautiful for him to be comfortable.

when she asks him for help, pays him for it actually, she's doing it for herself, not for britain. she's caught in the middle of a dangerous spy game between england and france, and her sister's safety is at risk. and as the plot around her deepens and thickens, maximilian finds himself in the middle of it. it's the last place he wants to be, except it's also the only place he wants to be. because no matter what his head tells him about vivienne not being meant for him, his heart tells him that there is no other. and he can't stop himself from wanting to protect and aid this woman no matter what.

we really get to see this relationship grow and develop as the novel progresses, and how these two souls so used to working alone find a true partnership together. they have some serious—murderous—obstacles to overcome, but the combined force of a brilliant spy and master code-breaker should be enough to turn the tide.

It's another amazing historical fiction novel. It's a historical mystery, Maximilian is a retired code-breaker and now he works privately, translating for his clients. Vivienne is a spy, she working with her handle Henri. She has a younger sister to look after and to protect her sister she is willing to do anything. She doesn't trust anyone, but when she finds herself in trouble she must trust Maximilian. Together they must work together, soon realizing that they are attracted to each other, there is so much more to their working arrangement. Secrecy of utmost importance though and they have to be careful of the 'French Vulture.'
The story is full of mystery, intrigue, and spying. About two unlikely allies who are brought together because of the circumstances and now find it difficult to be apart, it's quite an exciting read.

Mademoiselle Vivienne LaFleur is a spy, but for England not France. Her cover is as an opera dancer and her protector is her commander. Unfortunately for her someone else has discovered who she is and this puts her and her family in grave danger.
Maximilian Westwood is a translator now, but was a code breaker during the war. He has decoded messages for the Flower many times. She fascinates and confuses him.
This is a wonderful , intrigue filled story. Our heroine is a strong and brave young woman with a huge heart and sticky fingers. Our hero is a man who likes all to be in order and everyone to act honorably.
There is humour, romance and lots of action.
It is part of a series but easily read as a stand alone. I will definitely be looking for the others in the series. I loved it.

Thanks Entangled Publishing, LLC and netgalley for this ARC.

This romance will take you by surprise. It's a fight for control and surrender. The moments in between will leave you in a good mood.