I dont’ remember the love scenes at all at this point, which may tell you something :-) – or it may not, because my memory for most aspects of a romance is about 36 hours at this point, and that’s true even of romances I really like. But I think at this point in my reading career, love scenes never really stand out unless I’m already quite emotionally invested in the h/h. Because of the problems I had with ML&S, I wasn’t able to achieve that level of attachment, so I doubt I had much reaction either way (though if Sebastian thought again about all he had to teach Jess, I’m sure I rolled my eyes a bit).

I really got into this book. I love being in the spy world that Bourne creates, and while, intellectually, I see some of the points being made here, as well as the gripes on TSL, oh, I don't know, I found myself thoroughly enchanted. Again!

There are certainly books that I feel that way about. I love the sometimes-maligned early Patricia Gaffney romance Lily. Sometimes I think I have sort of a tipping point beyond which I can’t be very critical of a book, because I feel, as you put it, “thoroughly enchanted”. It’s like being really, really in love – you might understand intellectually that your beloved has faults, but they don’t bother you because he’s just so dreamy!

Obviously, I haven’t felt that way about either of Bourne’s books. I don’t think it’s just that they don’t quite make it over that tipping point into total enchantment; I think it’s specifically the flaws they possess which bother me more than they might bother another reader.

In a way, Bourne really is hard for me to grade, because I appreciate that there is intelligence in the writing of these books, and that they aren’t rote or cookie-cutter. Considering how much I complain about rote, cookie-cutter romances and uninspired writing, it pains me to give Bourne a C. But I can only grade based on how much I liked a book as a whole – I can absolutely see why she’d be an auto-buy for other readers (and there are a few popular authors I could never say that about!).

However, to some extent it's like saying that the chocolate raspberry cake didn't have enough of the gooey chocolate versus the rice cakes which were bland and tasteless.

I haven’t read the book but my problem with chocolate raspberry cake is that I love chocolate but hate raspberries. I always wish it didn’t have the raspberries in it.

And that’s a pretty good metaphor for the way I felt about The Spymaster’s Lady — loved the prose and the unusual set up, but was very frustrated by the unequal power dynamics and even more so, by the way I felt Annique was presented as something that she wasn’t.

Victimish heroines and omniscient, controlling heroes don’t seem very “equal” to me. Nor is that the kind of happily-ever-after I aspire to.

I much prefer reading about strong, capable, and intelligent heroines who can resolve their own problems. Like Georgette Heyer’s couples, if they can then find a man to equal them, then that is a fantasy I CAN enjoy!

My grade is slightly higher, a B-, but I completely agree with you about how Jess seems to be controlled by the men in the novel. What I wanted of her character wasn't the badass little thief and spy; it was the master accountant and merchant. That Jess fascinated me, and I wanted more of her.

I didn’t need her to be a badass thief (which she seemed to be; it was only that Sebastian was always one step ahead of her, which seems par for the course for a traditional romance, which this book really is in many ways). I also would’ve liked to have seen (rather than been told about) Jess’ business acumen. But I was very disappointed with the entire visit to Lazarus. Disappointed that Jess had to be rescued, disappointed that she didn’t seem to really have any great plan going in. Disappointed that Sebastian, who granted was supposed to be tough, but who didn’t know Lazarus the way Jess did, had to be the one to handle the situation.

There were also a lot of mixed messages in that scene as to what Jess believed that Lazarus might do to her. Maybe it was just my reading of the scene, but it seemed to keep skipping around between “Lazarus might very well kill her” and “Lazarus would never hurt her.” Now I can’t remember; some of these may have been from Sebastian’s POV, now that I think of it. But I still wish Jess had been able to extricate herself from that situation, or that at least it was clearer what her plan was. Don’t give her this background as a tough street kid if you’re only going to make her helpless and useless when it counts.

Although I was very grateful that Jess didn't have the same speech patterns as Annique and that the overall voice of the novel was different. Bourne is such a talented writer, IMO, that she can get away with a lot on the raw material of her gift. In so many ways I think this novel could have blown me away.

I think that it’s because of her raw talent that I’ve found myself so frustrated with the two books I’ve read of hers. I’d prefer to read either of these books than a book that’s a C because it’s trite and pedestrian, but the things that I don’t like are so fundamental to my romance tastes that I can’t just overlook them. I always seem to go back to food analogies, but maybe it’s a bit like a dish that is delicious and perfect in every way except that it contains a spice you really don’t like, it a quantity so great you can’t ignore it. Maybe it doesn’t ruin the dish for you, but it definitely keeps it from being great.

However, to some extent it's like saying that the chocolate raspberry cake didn't have enough of the gooey chocolate versus the rice cakes which were bland and tasteless.

So true.

I love Joanna Bourne’s prose and I love her heroines. I am not very keen on her heroes though , they are too domineering. Well, except for Adrian. I really want to read Adrian’s story.

I also enjoyed reading about Lazarus, I too was reminded of the Fagin-Artful Dodger relationship.

I thought the whole bit at his den was amazing up until and including the part where Bastian “sells” her back – I believed him when he said she belonged to herself.

The power dynamic or the mismatch of the power dynamic was the most disappointing part of the book for me.

However, to some extent it’s like saying that the chocolate raspberry cake didn’t have enough of the gooey chocolate versus the rice cakes which were bland and tasteless.

My grade is slightly higher, a B-, but I completely agree with you about how Jess seems to be controlled by the men in the novel. What I wanted of her character wasn’t the badass little thief and spy; it was the master accountant and merchant. That Jess fascinated me, and I wanted more of her. Although I was very grateful that Jess didn’t have the same speech patterns as Annique and that the overall voice of the novel was different. Bourne is such a talented writer, IMO, that she can get away with a lot on the raw material of her gift. In so many ways I think this novel could have blown me away.