Explosive

by Charlotte Mede

London, 1818. A beautiful, brilliant woman and a cynical, aristocratic spy are forced into a desperate mission to decipher a secret code that could change the face of Europe forever . . . Explosive Gray Dalton, the Marquess of Blackburn, wakes in a dark London cell staring down a gun barrel. Devon Caravelle, alleged mistress of a deadly French aristocrat, has been sent to ensure Blackburn's cooperation in a secret plot to unlock the mysteries buried within Beethoven's Third Symphony, the Eroica. It's terribly convenient and just as Blackburn planned. And taking the lady hostage is-if not terribly gentlemanly-not very difficult. Resisting her dangerous allure, on the other hand, is. Suddenly, the man famed for his cold-blooded control, wants a woman fiercely, wildly, forever . . . Devon Caravelle has loved two things in her music and her father. She would do anything to discover his murderer and clear his name, even if it means forcing the contemptuous, debauched Marquess to her aid. But when he turns the tables and takes her prisoner, she is not prepared for his skillful seduction or her white-hot response . . . It was supposed to be a seduction each side intended to win easily. Instead, the first spark unleashes an untamed passion in a game where all rules are forfeit and every move brings them closer to an unspeakable danger . . .

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Before becoming a novelist, Charlotte Mede worked in advertising and marketing in North America and Europe. Currently, she lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband. If there’s one thing she loves more than escaping into a good book, it's writing one.

Reviews

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book focused way too much on the war between England and France especially Napoleon Bonaparte. This is one aspect of historical romances that I try to avoid unfortunately, I missed it with this one or I wouldn't have purchased it. Anyway, it was a pretty good story, though the hero/spy Gray Dalton wasn't very heroic. He played on his turns and the hell with everyone else. The heroine wasn't very noble either playing one side against the other. Devon is a traitor's daughter with cipher and musical abilities and a spy. Gray is a cipher as well and a spy. They need each other to complete the mission for England but the animosity and back stabbing got old real fast. All in all and OK book but definitely not something worth re-reading.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a convoluted tale of deception, treason, and political maneuvering after the fall of Bonaparte. Beethoven has, with the help of a cipher genius, embedded the plans for a new explosive in his Eroica symphony. The Marquess of Blackburn excels at decoding ciphers, but he can't master this one without the insights of the master's daughter, Devon Caravelle. Together, they must figure out the formula while fending off a political, romantic, and just plain cruel cast of characters.

[Jess Alice Stout · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I love history, music, sex, and action. I read this book in 2 Sittings. I stayed up reading all night. the sex scenes were wonderful. The character development was amazing. Gray and Devon are magnificent together. Loved every page.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

was a good book, loved it just didn't really like the ending