THE LADY'S CODE

Author: Samantha Saxon ISBN: 042521107X 8/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: BERKLEY SENSATION
Time Period: Regency 1812

After her reputation is ruined by a vengeful enemy of her disreputable father, Lady Juliet Pervill’s future is bleak. But rather than buckle under society’s scorn, she decides to offer her services to the Foreign Office, putting her brilliant mind to work decrypting French codes. Struggling with a mysterious new code, Seamus McCurren is shocked when the Foreign Office calls in another cryptographer—and a woman at that. His intellectual pride takes a beating, but that’s nothing compared to what awaits his heart. For Seamus finds himself incredibly—and dangerously—distracted by Lady Juliet and her provocative mathematical theories, putting both of them at risk from a seductive spy master operating right in their midst...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

THE LADY'S CODE is the latest installment of Samantha Saxon's "Lady" series. It is a sassy and cute tale set in the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. With a spunky, brainy heroine and her matching hero, it provides a nice distraction from the real world.

As much as I enjoy the banter and sparring the characters deliver, I cannot help but feel the heroine's street smarts should not be so, well, nonexistent! The way she runs about getting herself into one scrape after another, I have to doubt her grasp of just what a murderous villain, who knows her identity, can do to her. After all, she is adducted and forced to jump across rooftops to escape. Her take on that escapade is only to say she is perfectly safe now that she is home, and has no need for anyone to guard her. Huh? I am all for independence, but that is ridiculous.

I really like this one for the writing, details, and witty dialogue the author has so graciously given. My only complaint is the heroine, at times, grates on my nerves. She has a head for figures, but wrongly figures her head is going to remain intact when she interferes with a crafty cryptographer. Sometimes that distracts from the fun edge and plot this book has. But, don't let that stop you from picking up THE LADY'S CODE. It's refreshingly good.

Shannon Johnson