With espionage, treason, and puzzles to be solved, this novel keeps the reader on tenterhooks throughout. Lady Patrice Edgemont is disillusioned after the death of her husband who appears not to have been the man she thought he was. When her parents once more try and force her into a suspicious marriage, Patrice takes to her heels and returns to the one place she calls home. There amongst friends, she can be herself. Only things do not quite turn out that way. Finding a seriously wounded stranger in her hunting lodge is just the start of her adventure, but when further danger comes knocking at her door, Patrice begins to understand that nothing is as it seems. Nikolai Branov caught Patrice's attention once, and even though she did not act on her attraction for him, his presence in Sommer-by-the-Sea brings new possibilities, but unfortunately life-threatening danger as well. Together Nicolai and Patrice find they are a formidable team, but whether they have a future together is another matter altogether. This novel comes to a happy conclusion with puzzles being solved, but not without some sadness at the turn of events. I received a copy of this fast-paced romance through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

DNF. What I thought was a really interesting romance story turned out to be a rather dull and opaque Russian spy story. I rather lost interest and skimmed large chunks of it hoping it would pick up. I had zero interest in the political spy story. A real chore to read.