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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great start but..., May 17, 2007
"The Spy Wore Silk" is the start of a new series by Ms Pickens featuring women chosen from the slums of London as young orphans. These women are taught to live and breathe the art of war. Literally. And become part of a deadly, almost otherworldly, elite group of spies.
Siena is given a mission to unmask a traitor in a small club of book collectors. Her cover: pretend to be a courtesan and drive these men to distraction while at a house party, revealing the traitor by giving each man a series of tests.
I loved how this book started. It is very refreshing to read about heroines comfortable in there sexuality and their bodies. Siena uses her body to manipulate these men into letting down their guards in order to gain information. Not with sex, but with her beauty and wanton behavior.
The problem is our hero, Lord Kirtland is a unappealing character. I enjoy the uptight heroes that need to be "thawed", but this man had very little going for him. He would rather spend his time reading and gushed over his books ad nauseam. Another thing that bothered me: Siena gets accosted at one point and must defend herself, however, the hero just watches her from the sidelines! I was appalled that he wasn't even outraged that a man had struck a female. This happens more than once. Lord Kirtland needed a bit of a backbone.
I also found the premise of six men actually going through the games/tests Siena puts them through for her affections an unlikely and ineffective story line.
The sensual tension was non-existent and the love scenes a bit tepid and rushed. However, I give Ms. Pickens stars for her creative heroine. I cared about Siena and that in itself will have me picking up her next novel.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Girls--the ultimate spies?, June 4, 2007
As soon as the reader steps into the novel, they must be willing to accept an unusual situation. The story opens during the Napoleonic war. Mrs. Merlin's Academy for Select Young Ladies--a school has been formed for girls taken out of the London slums. Within a few short years while living in isolated and spartan conditions, these young women are taught everything from reading, languages, courtly manners, riding, yoga, Indian fakir, using their womanly wiles, proficiency in playing a pinafore, and fighting in every conceivable manner. Their education in such a short time is astounding. They are being prepared to become ultimate spies for the British government. They will go from the slums of London and this kind of present life, to being totally prepared to step into the high society of the day without a hint of ever having experienced this face-to-face before.
This new series begins when Sienna receives her first assignment. She is chosen to unmask a traitor to the country. Kirtland, a disgraced ex-army officer and prime suspect, is the only man within his book club to recognize the oddity of Sienna's ability to enter their all-male club--and of her proposal to gain one of them as her protector through a series of challenging competitions.
Rare manuscripts are being used to send Napoleon highly sensitive information. The cost of such manuscripts and the difficulty in acquiring them limits the field of those who might be responsible. The first place to look is the gentleman's club that specializes in researching, discussing and acquiring old manuscripts, The Gilded Page Club--the very club Sienna has infiltrated.
Now the chase begins. Who is the real enemy and how can they be uncovered? Will flirting lead to something more? Will love, trust, and hope be placed in the wrong hands? The ultimate outcome will not only affect Sienna and Kirtland, but also the country.
My issue with the book is with the theme of illiterate young women learning ALL the different disciplines in a few short years--and then be sent out to be spies. If you can suspend the lack of reality, you might enjoy this book more than I did.
Armchair Interviews says: The motto of Mrs. Merlin's Academy for Select Young Ladies is also a synopsis of the story: Discipline, Duty, and Desire.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A stretch, and a dull one., July 4, 2007
Picking up this book, I was really intrigued at the concept of specially trained female spies. Having read how Celeste Bradley incorporated the theme of spies in Regency novels, I was hoping to find a fun new author. Unfortunately, Andrea Pickens did not deliver at all.
Firstly, it was too much of a stretch. Female urchins picked up on the street and taught to blend with society, as well as combat and seductive skills? Believable. Female urchins taught all of that as well as yoga, tai chi, and virtuoso piano skills? A bit much. Not to mention that Sienna, the heroine, is frankly the worst spy in the history of spies. She can't keep a secret -- within minutes of meeting the man who she thinks might be betraying her country, she is engaging in sword fights, sparring matches, and everything else she could possibly do to make sure that he gets that "Hey, I'm Not A Courtesan, I'm A Spy! A SPY!" That it takes Kirtland (the hero) longer than five minutes to realize this just makes him seem dim.
All he has to do is say, "Trust me," and she is promptly spilling her guts on everything (and I do mean every detail) about her specialized training. Before completely eliminating him from the potential villain list, either. (oh, wait, they had sex. I guess that eliminated him) Also, sidenote: spies with tattoos is somewhat neat, but when creating a society of super-secret female spies who will probably be seducing men in service for their country? Maybe it isn't a good idea to give them all matching hawk tattoos on their left breast. Guys miiiiight just notice that, and females with tattoos weren't exactly commen at the time. I mean, come on.
Even beyond that, the plot itself dragged from one far-fetched plot device to the next. The love story itself was tepid, and the sex scenes matched.
The basic idea is a good one, but unless Pickens takes a much different approach on the next book (Shannon's), I don't see this lack-luster start leading to anything noteworthy. Don't buy this book -- checking it out of the library will at least save you from wasting money when you feel like dropping it half-way through.
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