In this third installment of the Culper Ring Series, Marietta Hughes is a young widow who can't wait to get out of mourning so she can marry her diseased husband's brother. She is a mistress of society, and an accomplished flirt. The Civil War is nearing it's end, and even though she married a southerner, her parents and grandparents are part of a spy ring that is trying to protect President Lincoln. When rumors fly that a secret Confederate society is plotting his assassination, and that Marietta's brother in-law/fiance is behind the plot, Marietta starts seeing a new side to both her beloved, and herself. Slade Osborne is a Pinkerton who has been tasked with doing a deep infiltration of the organization that is plotting against the President. As he becomes a confidente of Marietta's soon-to-be-fiancé, he is tasked with being Marietta's body guard. As they are thrown together, both Marietta and Slade discover that each is more than they seem, and that together they are both better and stronger than they were alone.
I guess I have been reading a lot of Roseanna M. White lately. This series has been interesting and fun, but suffers a little from the same things I complained about in her fantasy series. She spends too much time with her main characters just talking, kissing, and telling each other how wonderful they are. Of course the books need romantic scenes, (they are romances after all) but I think Ms White could get by with about half the number of tete-a-tete scenes than she writes. I think it is partially due to her editor. Ms. White has become successful enough that her editor doesn't feel like she should be strict with her. But she should. Even the best writers need a strong editor! This book was enjoyable enough, but it could have gone from a B to a B+ with the right editor. (368 p. 2014)
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