A Dance With Seduction

Maximilian has retired from code breaking for His Majesty’s Secret Service, he is now a translator. One evening, Vivienne La Fleur, whom Maximilian knows a little, creeps into his study and asks for his help. Vivienne, is officially an opera dancer, but is in fact a spy for the Crown: the Flower. Vivienne’s sister has been abducted as leverage, and Vivienne cannot tell her handler and protector, Henri. What Vivienne knew would be a perilous endeavour soon becomes a matter of life and death. A DANCE WITH SEDUCTION really is a spy caper, and I found refreshing that Vivienne is a competent spy, and not fumbling her way through her missions. I had no issues pertaining to the plot, but with Vivienne’s story. I could not fathom how a spy, even a couple of centuries ago, could barely read; how come no one noticed, not even her handler. That didn’t work for me, and we know this right from the beginning. But I felt it became even more implausible when we learned Vivienne’s full backstory, and whether I wanted it or not, it deeply affected my appreciation of the book. While it was a fact for artists, I wasn’t too crazy either to have a heroine who is described as a kept woman, although this was satisfactorily explained later on. Ms. Alexander paints a realistically bleak atmosphere – spying is, after all, done in the shadows – which suits the story, as well as the author’s unadorned writing, there are also lovely period details strewn throughout. I did find Vivienne’s lines of dialogue a bit stilted at times, possibly to convey her French accent, and the same applies to some parts of her story told from her perspective – not her point of view, this book is written in the third person – it felt stiff. Maximilian was a welcome change for a hero: he is not wealthy, he is not an aristocrat; he is more of a Regency geek, and a real gentleman to boot. Vivienne is a fun heroine, capable and kind-hearted, driven, and a believable one, apart from the abovementioned issues, which do not affect the character per se, but the story. Although I found the first sex scene a trifle incongruous, the other ones were very well done. The romance was really nice, especially from Maximilian’s side; the action sequences are terrific: lightning fast and convincing; and I was totally wrong as to the identity of the villain. Now, I have to wonder if there is a book in store for the most intriguing Jones… I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

A Dance With Seduction is a spectacular historical romance by Alyssa Alexander. Ms. Alexander has provided readers with a well-written book populated with a phenomenal cast of characters. Maximilian no longer works as a code breaker for His Majesty. Vivienne, Mademoiselle La Fleur, is a pick-pocket, dancer and spy. She still manages to show up in Maximilian's study when she needs a code breaker. Their story has loads of drama, humor, sizzle, action, suspense and more twists and turns than a road map. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to my next book by Alyssa Alexander. A Dance With Seduction is book 3 of the Spy in the Ton Series but it can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.