Game of Spies (Spies in Love)
When Isabel Tait is invited to join Mary Queen of Scots’ ladies-in-waiting she jumps at the chance to escape an enforced marriage. Intelligent and reserved, Isabel finds herself dealing with scathing criticism from the shallow and flirtatious ladies, who she finds rather facile. The more circumspect Isabel soon becomes Mary’s new confidante, and when Isabel falls for the handsome Gavin Cade, he reciprocates her interest in hopes of gleaning information he can report back to William Cecil.
This storyline revolves around the 1571 ‘Ridolfi Plot’ to assassinate Elizabeth I. The characters are stereotypical and primarily serve as a historical backdrop to the on-again-off-again romance. I enjoyed the first half of the book and was quite engrossed until Gavin’s frequent soul-searching threatened to overwhelm the narrative. There’s plenty of action—whispering behind curtains, tittering at rakish men, endless sneaking in and out of beds, and lots of attempts on lives. Isabel’s character arcs from shy and unassuming, to a woman who knows her own mind, but I think interrogating an anointed Queen would be beyond the bounds of propriety at the time. Overall, a satisfying read, and I am sure fans will enjoy this new entry in the Spies in Love series.
