The Spymaster's Lady

By: Joanna Bourne

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

She's braved battlefields. She's stolen dispatches from under the noses of heads of state. She's played the worldly courtesan, the naive virgin, the refined British lady, even a Gypsy boy. But Annique Villiers, the elusive spy known as the Fox Cub, has finally met the one man she can't outwit...

British spymaster Robert Grey must enter France and bring back the brilliant, beautiful - and dangerous - Fox Cub. His duty is to capture her and her secrets for England. When the two natural enemies are thrown into prison, they forge an uneasy alliance to break free. But their pact is temporary and betrayal seems inevitable as the fates of nations hang in the balance.

©2008 Joanna Bourne (P)2010 Penguin Audio

OK.

Not my kind of book. The narrator was wonderful but the story was just OK. I realy don't know what else to say about it.

Wonderfully witty dialogue

Joanna Bourne is one of those authors whose book releases one eagerly awaits, then devours in one sitting while lamenting the fact that the story has to end. Her characters are fully fleshed and have personalities that jump from the page. I hesitated buying this one because I so enjoy reading her books and the wrong narration can really ruin a story, but no worries … it is just fantastic! Please, please, hurry and offer the others in this series.

Loved the characters!

I generally have a hard time reading historical fiction but this book kept me hooked till the end. Loved the kickass characters and plot! Highly recommend

Blown away!

The Spy masters lady is an amazingly! Reaches out and grabs you with a white knuckle fist and doesn't want to go until the very last word! The main character Lady is fascinating, funny, brilliant! I recommend this book and will tell my friends about it! This book has just turned its place on my favorite books shelf!!!

Fabulous in every way

Would you listen to The Spymaster's Lady again? Why?

I will definitely listen to this book again because the reader is excellent, the characters are very realistic and it's simply a great story.

What did you like best about this story?

I've read all Joanna Bourne's books and I love that the same characters show up in them, in addition to others who are equally interesting. The time period (Napoleonic) is fascinating, the relationships between men and women in the French and English secret services provides great fodder for these thriller/mystery/romances.

Which character – as performed by Kirsten Potter – was your favorite?

She did a fantastic job with Annique's accent, and did all the characters well, males and females.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I wanted to prolong the pleasure!

Any additional comments?

I very much hope Kirsten Potter can narrate the other books in this wonderful, unique series. She is masterful.

Highly enjoyable; Audiobook is fantastic

This story is fast-paced, with excellent plot twists and brilliant dialog. The love story felt believable, with plenty of physical attraction, as well as intelectual admiration. The spy-related content was exciting, creative, and even funny (think: The Scarlet Pimpernel).

I must say this book had me laughing out loud at several of the sarcastic remarks made by the characters. Annique (the lead female), was especially delightful. I found her to be very likable. Her dry wit and quick thinking made it fun to be inside her mind. The lead male, Robert, was more stoic (British), wise, and fierce, and likable in his own right. I also enjoyed the secondary character, Adrian, very well.

As far as the audiobook edition goes, I must say that the woman who read it was phenomenal. This is definitely one of those books that is actually made better by being read aloud. The accents (British, French and German) were all very well done, and the narrator's voice is rich and soothing. I generally don't like to listen to women reading (men's voices tend to be deep in a more pleasing way), but I think because a woman was reading the love scenes (especially because they are mostly in the perspective of the main female character), I was able to be transported in the moments, without feeling like there is a third person (the narrator) in the room. (When men read love scenes in audiobooks, I find it more embarassing to listen. Silly, I know.) Honestly, I have huge ammounts of admiration for the voice actress who read this book, and will seek out other works read by her, regardless of author or genre.

This is my first foray into the words of Joanna Bourne, and I'm excited to now go read all of her books.

Excellent =)

The narrator, the whole story, everything about this book is GREAT! Buy it, its one story you'll never get tired of hearing.

surprising and good!

was not expecting the intricacies of this book - really had me listening intently as things changed all the time. the characters are developed well and the reader was terrific. the story was a little far fetched but i didn't mind. loved the fighting, the tension, the twists. the narrator was great at the accents. definitely a great listen

A rousing adventure and romance

I saw this on someone’s top romance picks and hunted it down. Really enjoyed it. Not your usual Regency with the society blah, blah, blah. There was some actual history here and worthy adversaries with the h/h. Kristen Potter did an excellent narration, giving light accents where needed. Planning on following up with more from Joanna Bourne.

Loved the surprising twists

Interesting first chapter leading to a surprising "reveal" a few chapters later, followed by interesting twists and turns. Intriguing characters and a story that was strong except for a bit anticlimactic ending. I'll buy more from this author. And the narrator -- fantastic job! Great with male & female characters and different accents. Well worth the time.