WOW! This is an amazing story set in WWII Italy. During battle Bastien and his team discover an enemy officer who looks so much like him, it was uncanny. He decides to become this officer and infiltrate Hitler's Rome station. He is perturbed and resentful of Gracie - a radio operator - who his superiors force him to take along as his pretend wife. Her inexperience and his expertise in combat collide. Somehow they must get along convincingly.
As the battles rage and the added pressure of co-existence with two so incompatible, the author quickly captivates the reader's interest, and emotions to the point one feels as though he/she is there. One senses the horrors, fears and desperation of war, through the remarkable literary skills of the author, yet it is kept "clean". The characters felt real as did the accompanying scenes. The Title Fits and the Book Cover is fitting and well done.
This novel is packed with adventure, suspense, intrigue, romance, and action. It is a fast moving, all-encompassing tale!
My review of this book gives it a Five Stars rating.
*I was gifted this book but am under no obligation to post a positive review. ( )

Title: The Rules In Rome
Author: A. L.Soward
Pages: 304
Year: 2015
Publisher: Covenant
My rating is 4 stars.
I am a fan of novels set during the WWII timeframe. A. L. Soward has written a story that draws readers in by using espionage, spying, and codes for transmitting reports to the Allies about what was happening in enemy territory. There is a romance building between the lead male and female characters that is constantly being played down by them so that they can focus on their assignments.
In a way, it was easy to enter the imagination of the writer because she aptly describes the scenes with detail. Both Bastian Ley posing as a German Officer and Gracie Begni as a radio transmitter begin finding it difficult to stay in character as different people as they are continuously drawn towards each other. There is always danger of being found with the radio and codes or turned in by someone who is really a German spy which adds the tension element to the tale.
For me, I would have preferred more action scenes than are included in the story, but that is a personal opinion. I believe people would enjoy reading the spy novel to see how these two people especially get their roles played out without reverting to their true selves. I think Gracie knowing her job as a transmitter without any undercover experience, making her dependent of her male counterpart was a stroke of genius on the author’s part.
The other element the author added that brings what happens later in the novel to the forefront is the history Bastian had before going under cover with another agent. I cannot wait to see what new adventure A. L. Soward brings for readers to live out in our imagination through her next novel!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” ( )

Knowing how to keep the suspense quotient up, the story keeps the reader engaged with a continuous sequence of getaways, rescues, and secretive meetings in dark corners, interwoven with great characterization moments. I think this book excels in the spy/Resistance portion of the story. I never knew what was going to happen next or how soon the Germans would catch onto our dynamic duo.

There were parts that seemed a bit far-fetched or eyebrow-raising. Flimsy backstories, plans of action put into motion with no forethought, and some stupid decisions do call into question the intelligence of our spies and Resistors more than once. Thankfully, though, these didn’t overtake the whole book and only reared their ugly heads rarely.

Where this book really shines is in its characterizations, both for the main leads and the secondary characters. Gracie and Bastian are immediately relatable, distinct, and you just can’t help rooting for them. Both change and adapt as the story progresses, keeping the reader engaged each step of the way.

Yet, it’s the secondary people that really stand out here. Both Bastien’s fellow Italian Resistance fighters and the Germans make for a vibrant background of people for our leads to play off of. I liked that the author made the Germans more human; I could see a author easily falling into the trap of portraying them all as goose-stepping emotionless bad guys. Yet, Sowards gives us men who experience love, friendship, loyalty, and decency just as much as our lead.

The biggest gripe I have with this book is the main relationship. It touts itself as a romance. However, for the first half of the book, the characters have absolutely no chemistry, as much energy as a pooped out puppy, as much chemistry as distilled water. There are a few heated glances but for the most part, they are two individuals just acting out parts in a bad play. The latter half is better, with some nice scenes of sweetness and devotion. But there’s no development up to there, just presto-chango romance!

For the most part, the action parts of the spy/Resistance storyline was very well done. Characters shined in their individuality, even the bad guys. But the romance? It’s almost like “what romance?” for the first half and then suddenly they’re in love. That could have been handled better. I’d recommend this book for lovers of WWII spy stories, with a side of romance. Just don’t go looking for a strong romance quotient ‘cause it ain’t there for the whole book. ( )