*I received a free copy of Beauty Like the Night from Tantor Media via Tantor Media. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
Beauty Like the Night by Joanna Bourne Narrator: Kirsten Potter
Series: Spymasters #6
Published by Tantor Media on August 1, 2017
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance, Suspense
Length: 9 hours, 40 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Tantor Media
Severine de Cabrillac, orphan of the French revolution and sometime British intelligence agent, has tried to leave spying behind her. Now she devotes herself to investigating crimes in London and finding justice for the wrongly accused.
Raoul Deverney, an enigmatic half-Spaniard with enough secrets to earn even a spy's respect, is at her door demanding help. She's the only one who can find the killer of his long-estranged wife and rescue her missing fourteen-year-old daughter.
Severine reluctantly agrees to aid him, even though she knows the growing attraction between them makes it more than unwise. Their desperate search for the girl unleashes treason and murder. . . and offers a last chance for two strong, wounded people to find love.
Beauty Like the Night was just what I was needing. This is my second listen in Bourne’s Spymasters series – which I’ve read out of order – and the story as well as the narration were both fabulous!
One of my favorite things in historical romance is an unconventional heroine. Severine is the epitome of unconventional. An orphan of the French Revolution, she was adopted by the head of British intelligence. If I remember correctly, she’d spied during the revolution – at a single-digit age – and continued honing those skills no matter her Papa’s objections. Severine is smart, independent, strong-willed, outspoken, and tenacious. All things I greatly admire. 🙂 With no war being fought, Severine currently works as a private investigator of sorts solving crimes and mysteries. And her latest case is that of a missing 12 year old girl, a missing heirloom, and a dead mother.
Raoul, our hero, is more like an antihero. He appears one night, having stolen into Severine’s bed chamber, demanding answers and her help in finding the missing girl, Pilar. Raoul is mysterious, has dubious intentions, is skilled at things only thieves and spies are skilled at, and he’s interesting… very interesting.
JBourne draw us into a story full of intrigue and mystery. She surrounds Severine with a colorful cast of characters who all care very deeply for her. There is danger, action, many dead bodies appearing at Severine’s doorstep. And a romance that blossoms slowly despite the fact that sparks fly wildly whenever these two are near each other. Beauty Like the Night was primarily focused on character development and solving the mystery rather than consummating the romance and it’s something that really works for this story (and series, I’m guessing). JBourne has a way of pulling you into the story, unveiling the romance as slowly as she does the villain and one can’t help getting caught up in it all.
Kirsten Potter deftly embodied all the characters, keeping voices distinct as well as the pacing perfect. She seems to have as much fun narrating as I do listening.
Beauty Like the Night was a gripping and entertaining listen and I’m eager to meet the other ladies who inhabit the Spymasters world.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
About Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Brandee is a mom of 3 and a soon-to-be empty nester. She is also an avid reader, a genre omnivore, and a compulsive one-clicker - but she's in recovery. Besides being a reader, she's also a writer and hopes to divide the vast quantities of spare time she'll soon have between reading and finally publishing her first book.
This was my first Bourne book and I always planned to go back for the older books in the series. Oops, forgot. Glad you you enjoyed this one, too, Brandee.
Twitter: ailynk
she is pretty! for a second there i thought it was a red riding hood rewrite .. love the interesting story
Raoul certainly does sound interesting, and the slow blossoming romance sounds great! I haven’t read many, if any, books about spies, so that sounds cool too!
It’s been a long time since I read a historical romance but sometimes those just hit the spot. And you’re right about historical heroines – sometimes there’s a heroine that is ahead of her time and that makes for some interesting challenges/conflict. Your description of Raoul is definitely intriguing! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed this one, Brandee!
Twitter: Northwomn
This sounds really excellent. Fabulous review! I might have to get this one, even though I don’t do much historical.
Oh… I’m adding this series to my audiobook wish list. When you wrote “One of my favorite things in historical romance is an unconventional heroine.” – This is sooo me! Thanks for the review!
That cover deff caught my eye! I am always here for a take charge heroine and slow burning romance. Great review!
Ah I did read one of the earlier ones of this series. I’ll have to look the narrator up.