A refreshing read: it's so nice to read a historical romance where the heroine is fully capable and the hero isn't so domineering as to be considered abusive. Angelique is a skilled English spy of French origin who speaks multiple languages. Nate is an American shipping heir who has hidden skills of his own. He's enough of a man to recognize that Angelique holds the upper hand and he lets her do her job. The author respects the reader enough to not make Angelique a virgin hold out but also not make her sexual past a plot point. The conflict feels real, the dilemma seems insurmountable right up until the end. ( )