Series:
WWII (Book 1)
In Nazi Germany, British agent Jack Anderson risks his
life working undercover as an SS officer. And his latest mission -- to uncover
intelligence about a secret Nazi weapon -- is his most perilous yet. Especially
since he'll have to work with Katarina Kerensky. The famous actress is too
dangerous to trust -- and too beautiful to ignore.
Desperate to save her mother from the Gestapo, Katia
reluctantly agrees to work with the coolly handsome Jack. But can she trust a
man whose sense of honor is tangled in a web of lies? In a race against time,
Jack and Katia forge an alliance to take down the enemy...and learn whether
love can survive in a world gone wrong.
This was a fascinating book that sucked me in from the
first page and kept me hooked to the end. World War Two is a rare setting for a
category romance, making this book doubly appealing. Here, we have an American
man and a Russian woman teaming up to acquire vital intelligence for the
British.
Katia is the daughter of a murdered Russian prince. She
and her mother fled to Germany years ago, and Katia grew up to become a
celebrated actress. She puts those skills to work as a spy for the British to
defeat the Nazis and protect her mother. Their secret Jewish heritage would mean
their deaths if it were discovered. The story opens as she is about to meet her
latest contact. Jack is deep undercover as an SS officer working directly for
Himmler. The things he has done because of it have taken a toll on him, and he
is deeply cynical about human nature.
The initial meeting between Katia and Jack is difficult.
Neither trusts the other, yet they must work together to secure the information
they seek. Matters become complicated when Katia's mother shows up with her
Nazi naval officer fiancé, and Jack's suspicions are further aroused. However,
time is short, and Jack and Katia must find a way to work together to
accomplish their mission. It isn't easy. Katia is confident in her abilities
and adamant in her need to be hands-on during their mission. Jack is accustomed
to working primarily alone. Their power struggle was intriguing, and I enjoyed
watching them work out the details.
Of course, things rarely go to plan during something like
this. The twists and turns of this story kept me glued to the pages as Jack and
Katia dealt with one issue after another. The complications felt realistic, and
I enjoyed seeing them work through them. As the deadline drew nearer, the
escalating tension kept me reading long past my bedtime as I had to know how it
turned out. The conclusion was a nail-biter that had me truly worried for Katia's
safety.
I enjoyed watching the development of Jack and Katia's
relationship. Though initially distrustful and antagonistic, there were also
sparks of attraction and fascination. As much as they irritated each other,
there was also a great deal of respect for each other's abilities. That respect
quickly turned to caring despite obstacles to doing anything about it. The manner
of the resolution was unexpected but made sense under the circumstances. I
liked the author's note at the end, which replaced an epilogue.
As this was a Love Inspired novel, Katia and Jack's faith
was also a large part of the story. Each of them believed that they had been
abandoned by their god. Katia blamed him for her father's death. Jack believed
that the terrible things he'd done put him beyond redemption. Opening their
hearts to each other also opened their hearts to a renewal of faith.
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