What Happens in London (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Rumors and Gossip . . . The lifeblood of London

When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancÉe, she doesn't believe it for a second, but, still, how can she help spying on him, just to be sure? So she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, cleverly concealed by curtains, watches, and waits . . . and discovers a most intriguing man, who is definitely up to something.

Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He's not a spy, but he's had all the training, and when a gorgeous blonde begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. But just when he decides that she's nothing more than an annoyingly nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And when Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself . . .

About the Author

Julia Quinn started writing her first book one month after finishing college and has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since. The New York Times bestselling author of sixteen novels for Avon Books, she is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (June 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061491888
• ISBN-13: 978-0061491887
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,396 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely marvelous., June 30, 2009

By	Detra Fitch "Always hunting good books." (USA) - See all my reviews

Sir Harry Valentine has been fluent in English, Russian, and French since the age of twelve. After years in the Army, Harry now rents a residence south of Rudland House. The War Office often delivers documents to Harry which needs to be translated to English quickly. Harry spends most of his time in his office doing these translations; however, he keeps getting distracted by the fact that Lady Olivia Bevelstoke keeps standing at her window staring at him. Harry has no idea whether she is just a curious debutante or is actually a spy. After a couple of meetings Harry decides Lady Olivia is neither a spy, nor kind. In fact, Harry decides he does not like her at all.

When Harry is summoned to the offices at Horse Guards in Whitehall he knows the reason cannot be good. A Russian prince is visiting at the same time that three known sympathizers of Napoleon are in town. It is rumored the prince's late father had favored Napoleon, but no proof was ever found. It is also rumored that his fortunes have diminished and the prince seeks a bride. He has been paying much attention to Lady Olivia. Thus Harry has been ordered to keep an eye on the prince and to make sure Olivia did not unwittingly commit treason. As Harry spends time with Olivia he finds that she is not as cold and remote as he had assumed. Olivia is full of humor and mischief. Perhaps Harry's mission will not be as boring as he had once believed.

***** FIVE STARS! This story overflows with humor to help offset the serious spy content. Harry gives Olivia "a lurid gothic novel" that had been recommended by his sister. Over half of this story is sprinkled with hilarious gems from the gothic novel (which Olivia demanded Harry read and suffer through too). I absolutely could not hold back my laughter as the pair verbally rips the story to shreds often. Once again the author, Julia Quinn, shows readers how her story-telling talent puts her on the Best Seller lists so often. Absolutely marvelous! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Clever, witty and pretty good....but somethings missing?, July 8, 2009

By	Misuzmama (New York, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Vomit. I can't believe that I would recommend a romance book, or any other book for that matter, that begins with such a topic. Then again this is Julia Quinn and she can tackle any number of odd ball subjects with aplomb. Not being a huge fan of the last three books, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Quinn's trademark clever quips, witty character banter as well as a nice love story are all here -but something is definitely missing. I'll skip the summary here and get into the meat of the problem. In the beginning Harry and Olivia reminded me a bit of Anthony and Kate, The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgerton Series, Bk. 2), but lack the intensity of their relationship. That's too bad. Its that emotional connection to the reader that I'm looking for in my romance books. And it just wasn't there. The character interaction started out well but kind of leveled out towards the end and then just became boring unlike another of Quinn's books When He Was Wicked (Bridgerton Family Series) which is my favorite of mine. That one was gripping from beginning to end. Even the villain in What Happens In London was blah, he sort of tapers out in the end. Nothing that exciting. I think WHIL would have been fantastic if another fifty pages or so were added.

However, there are some very funny moments (plucked to death by pigeons!?!) and really nice romantic ones (loved how Harry and Olivia spoke across to each other from their windows) so I'll be keeping this one even though its not Quinn's best IMHO. She has a very distinct and unique style in this genre and its worth reading. WHIL is a good example. Therefore I would recommend this historical romance to readers who enjoy light romantic fluff. An lovely way to spend an afternoon without the tissue box.

My other favorites of Quinn's-
Splendid
How to Marry a Marquis (Avon Romantic Treasure)

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant and Forgettable, July 1, 2009

By	Geheimnis (Grand Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews

This latest book by Julia Quinn is, I suppose, a pleasant read. I was somewhat bored in that this book is highly similar in nature and structure to her last few books, all of which lack a certain something that made her early books and the Brigerton series so fantastic. It's almost like Ms. Quinn is trying too hard to make her novels quirky and different from other books in the genre. The rambling inner dialogue of her characters has become annoying in its redundancy. While I can remember the plots and characters of her early books clearly, these last three or four are all jumbled in my mind. The heroines look different but share the same personality, it seems.

Anyway, this was a light, easy read (of course) and I've already forgotten most of it. I put it on my paperback swap list as soon as I was done reading it. Not a keeper.