Susan's Review of An Affair with a Spare by Shana Galen

He's turned seduction into an art form...
Rafe Beaumont, fifth son of an earl, uses his irresistible charm with the ladies to glean dangerous war secrets. Now he's putting those skills to the ultimate test: capturing an elusive assassin by seducing his daughter. The problem? She's entirely immune to Rafe's flattery.

Never before has Collette Fortier met a man as attractive as Rafe. But her father's life is at stake, and succumbing to Rafe would be disastrous. But when Rafe turns the tables on her, offering support and friendship instead of a fleeting affair, Collette finds herself tempted in ways she never could have imagined..

Rafe Beaumont is a war hero and a member of an elite group of military men who fought in the Peninsular War. The team was comprised of second and third sons of the nobility. These men were viewed as expendable and were given the most dangerous assignments; except for Rafe.

He used his good looks and sexual charms to get information from the wives and daughters of Napoleon’s generals and advisers. He’d snuck out a few bedroom windows during the war but, he’d never had a challenging assignment. Rafe is thrilled when his former commander, Lt. Colonel Draven, approaches him with a mission. His assignment? To charm information from Collette Fortier; the daughter of one of Napoleon’s assassins.

Shana Galen’s descriptive writing style adds so much to the romance between Rafe and Collette. Ms. Galen deftly provides insight into both characters during the suspense filled novel. I loved it when Rafe was exasperated by Collette. I could imagine his frustration as he’d been introduced to Collette several times. Instead of pursuing him; she is so flustered by Rafe that she starts talking to him about the mating habits of hedgehogs! Loved the honest, poignant dialogue between the couple. Through their conversations, Rafe learns about Collette’s childhood and he begins to understand her fierce loyalty to her father.

One of my favorite scenes is when Rafe and Collette hide in an empty stable to avoid a confrontation with the neighborhood watchman. Rafe admits that he cares for Collette and she admits that she may love him. Rafe is faced with a life changing decision. Could he help Collette and her father escape and commit treason? Or did he love her enough to let her go?

Shana Galen weaves a complex story in Affair With A Spare. The perfectly executed spy vs spy plot, the characters and the smart dialogue drew me into the story. Rafe and Collette’s dangerous journey kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed that both Rafe and Collette were strong complex characters—both were resilient than they appeared to be. The secondary characters of Thomas Gaines and Lady Haddington were superbly written. Shana Galen is known for her perfectly executed conclusions and Affair With A Spare does not disappoint. The ending is full of emotion, suspense and has a few surprises!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by publisher