This is one of those Almost But Not Quite kind of books. I was expecting the same old same old (which I did get), but I was surprised that the heroine, Tatiana, was one step above what you usually get in this genre.

In a whirlwind week in Paris (that we don't really get to experience other than being mentioned), Tatiana of Avalonia and Englishman Matthew Weston meet, have a sizzling affair, get married, and then she leaves him. Fifteen months, three weeks and four days later, she's back. I like that Tatiana is up front enough to tell Matthew that she wants him back and yes, she's eager to get back into his pants. Other heroines would be trying to resist their treacherous bodies, but at one point it is Tatiana who is the aggressor and Matthew who is attempting to deny her access to the Mighty Wang. Alexander sets up situations where other authors would have their leads fall into the Big Misunderstanding, yet thankfully she gives Tatiana enough sense for her to figure things out very quickly. (I'm not a fan of the Big Misunderstanding in romance stories.)

On the other hand, nothing really happens in the story. Tatiana, besides trying to get back into her husband's bed, is searching for some lost royal jewels. It's not a very exciting quest. The villain, what there is of one, doesn't physically show up until the last quarter of the book and quite frankly isn't much of a villain. The story just breezes along with no real high or low points. It's not a story that will stay with me.