by Shana GalenPublisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: Sept 1, 2011
Source: ARC sent by publisher
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Summary from goodreads.com:
Lord Adrian and Lady Bridget Smythe have the picture perfect high society marriage. Little does the ton know that each is one of England's most preeminent spies- with their secret identities guarded even from each other. But what are secret agents to do when the spying game is over and they suddenly discover a whole new spark in each other?
My Review:
I have never seen the movie "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", because I don't care for the actors, so I don't know how closely the book follows the movie. But I did get a kick out of the similarities in the book cover and movie poster, and the fact that their last name was Smythe. Lord and Lady Smythe would have been a cute title, too.
I really liked the characters and their background. I wouldn't have minded if they hadn't discovered each other's identity for a longer period of time. I think there could have been some fun story lines if they hadn't found out so quickly. I loved the way they hid their real personalities from the world and each other. Adrian was overly polite and predictable to the point of being slightly boring, and Bridget had adopted a mousy, drab persona and appearance.
It made perfect sense for their marriage to be so distant because they had suffered through three miscarriages. It was written in a totally understandable way that this had destroyed their marriage and made them into strangers. I really liked their emotional growth as a couple but a lot of times I felt like it was cheapened by all of the physical growth. I was put off by how many cheesy 'love scenes' there were, and if not for over-doing this aspect, I think I would have loved the book.
Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 3/5
Setting: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Bottom Line: I would have liked for Lord and Lady Smythe's relationship to be more developed aside from the physical, but otherwise, this was a fun Regency spin on "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."