Series: Gentlemen of Honor (Book 1)
He was her first love…
Now she’ll risk all to save him.
Celeste Fournier once gave her innocence to the man she
loved. Years later, that same man, Major Summerley Shayborne, is in Paris, and
in danger! Celeste’s world has changed beyond recognition, but she knows she
must help Shay flee. Yet their scorching
reunion makes her wish she could reclaim something of herself -- to be the girl
she was, the girl that Shay deserves.
Good story about two people reunited by war, deeply
changed by their experiences. Celeste and Shay had known each other as
teenagers in England, where they had one night together before she left for
France with her father. Years later, Shay is one of Wellington's best spies,
currently working in Paris. The book opens with Shay receiving a warning from a
young Frenchwoman, letting him know that he is in immediate danger of being
captured. There is something familiar about her, but she disappears before he
figures it out. Celeste is a French informant, working for the same organization
that wants Shay. Warning him that he is in danger puts a target on her own
back, but she would never forgive herself if something happened to him.
The action is intense from beginning to end. With
Napoleon's departure in his attempt to take Moscow, the rest of France is in
turmoil as various factions fight for control. Shay and Celeste are in constant
danger of discovery as they try to make their way to safety. Rather than fancy
houses, balls, and parties, this book shows the darker side of Paris and the
war. Both Shay and Celeste have been affected by the things they have seen and
done. In the past six years, Celeste has
lived through unimaginable things, making her quite cynical. She is blunt in
words and actions, but there are also hints that there is more to her than
meets the eye. Shay is also rather cynical, having seen what people are capable
of. He is wary of trusting Celeste at first.
But trusted or not, he can't leave her behind. Neither one expected the passion
that flared between them in the midst of all the danger, and the feelings
between them grew just as fast. The intensity of their escape bid kept me
turning the pages as they made their way out of Paris and across the French
countryside. Constantly changing disguises barely kept them ahead of their
pursuers. I ached for them both as Shay tried to convince Celeste to return to
England with him, and she was just as insistent that it wasn't possible. My
heart broke for Celeste as I saw what she did to ensure Shay's safety.
I wasn't sure how Celeste and Shay were going to manage
their happy ending with the way things were looking at that point. I feared for
Celeste's life as she fulfilled the promise that she had made. The story fast forwarded
for more than a year, and neither Shay nor Celeste knew if the other had made
it to safety. Celeste's next appearance comes as she follows through on
something that Shay had told her in France. I felt her worry as she took her chances
that he had been right. She receives a much more unpleasant surprise when she
hears that part of her past has followed her and she knows that she must warn
Shay. I loved that reunion and the depth of emotion it brought out. The final
confrontation with the bad guy went as expected, followed by some unexpectedly
light moments that were an excellent antidote to the darkness. I loved the
revelation of the rest of Celeste's secrets and seeing her and Shay finally get
their chance at a future together. The epilogue was excellent and left me wanting a story for Lian.
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