[4BL]∎ PDF Entwined Emma Jensen 9780345416599 Books

Entwined Emma Jensen 9780345416599 Books

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Entwined Emma Jensen 9780345416599 Books

As far as I can tell--and I've tried to research it--this is the first in a historical romance series (possibly a trilogy) that involves spies for England during the wars on the Continent in the Regency period. There were 10 spies to begin with ("the Ten"). Some were nobility.

ENTWINED begins in 1810 in Lisbon, as Nathan Paget, Viscount Oriel, one of the Ten, is discussing the situation in Europe with his close friend Gabriel Loudon, Lord Rievaulx, also a member of the Ten. Nathan is preparing to return to England the next day to wed a woman they both wanted. But the next morning, they are attacked. Nathan sees Rievaulx hit in the chest even as he is losing consciousness. A year later, in 1811, Nathan has returned to his country home in Hertfordshire alone, his fiancé having changed her mind. He carries on conversations with his dead friend, Gabriel, and still suffers from a sword wound to his thigh as he attempts to live a normal, if secluded, life. Then Matthew Gerard, his former superior, arrives to tell him some of the Ten have been killed; Gerard believes someone is killing them one by one. Supposedly, five are now dead. Gerard asks for Nathan's help, urging him to return to London.

Meanwhile, a family of Scots from the Isle of Skye has moved onto Nathan's lands. He hires the father, James MacLeod, to be his secretary. Over the next 6 months, Nathan learns all about MacLeod's five children, including the oldest, 25-year-old intelligent, plain Isobel, who the father credits with keeping the family together. When James MacLeod steals a bag of gold coins from Nathan and Isobel tries to return it, Nathan meets the honest, candid and observant young woman. She realizes what no one else has--he is blind. (It wasn't only his leg that was injured; he took a hit to the head.) Nathan decides he will allow Isobel's father to go free and provide for Isobel's family if only he can have one thing--her. He wants more than a secretary, however.

The hero is a wonderful combination of gentleman warrior and a brooding, wounded, aristocratic beast. Noble and kind of heart, you can't help but love Nathan for loving Isobel's character, which is courageous, honest and giving. There is something wildly attractive about a man who wants a woman from the first time he meets her and then continues to always believe the best about her. Isn't that what we all want? The heroine, Isobel, is the caretaker for her family, dragging them out of one predicament or another. There isn't anything she won't do for them. And Nathan knows it. When offered the choice between continued poverty for them and perhaps jail for her father, and serving the strange Viscount Oriel, she chooses the latter.

Jensen writes very well with witty, sometimes funny, dialog, a great plot and well developed characters. This fascinating story moves along at a good clip. I wasn't half way through it when I was looking online for the rest in what I was sure had to be a series. I could only find two more of Jensen's books that seemed to be related: FALLEN and MOONLIT, both written years after ENTWINED, and each about another member of the Ten. (I have ordered them and will review them, too. If I find more in the series, I'll amend this review to include them.)

I can recommend this book without reservation. I think you'll like is as much as I did.


Tags : Entwined [Emma Jensen] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. After returning from war all but totally blind by a would-be assassin's hand, Nathan Oriel spends his days in bitterness and isolation. Until Isobel MacLeod--caught in his steely embrace one fateful night--shatters his world with her Scottish temper,Emma Jensen,Entwined,Ivy Books,0345416597,Romance - Historical - General,FICTION Romance Historical General,Fiction,Fiction Romance General,Fiction-Romance,MASS MARKET,RomanceHistorical,Romance: Historical

Entwined Emma Jensen 9780345416599 Books Reviews

Nathan Paget, Marquess of Oriel, has returned from the Napoleonic war injured and without his best friend... and it seems as if someone knows about the spy network he was involved in and is out to murder everyone involved, one by one. Nathan has kept his disability a secret from everyone, so when he's asked to return to London to help seek the killer, he knows he needs help.

Fortunately, one person already suspects something. Isobel MacLeod is the eldest daughter of the hapless, drunken, irresponsible secretary working for the reclusive Lord Oriel. Her brothers also follow in their father's faults. When Isobel discovers her brothers paying gold they do not have for drink and her father dead drunk already, she knows her father's sunk to a new low and has stolen from his employer. She tries to fix the problem by returning the money pouch secretly at night. Nathan, of course, catches her in the act. He acts cold and imperiously, of course, but he's smitten. Isobel is not. She knows some high and mighty English Lord could have no interest in the lowly Scottish daughter of a thieving, drunken man whose one decent claim is that he was born a gentleman. Although Isobel is known as the smart one in her family, she's wrong about Nathan; he is very much interested in her and is determined she's necessary in his plan to return to London to seek out the killer of his friend.

The mystery plot is naturally secondary to the romance. Nathan is more interested in Isobel than solving the murder, but it does make for a decent plot to hang the romance on and it creates welcome suspense and danger to move the events along.

Isobel and her troublesome family life was treated somewhat lightly as it was stressed that she loved her father who could not keep a job while he and her brothers would cause them to move from town to town as they'd run up bills and be unable to pay them. They didn't come off as so lovable to me; more like selfish jerks who had no redeeming traits whatsoever. The family was set up somewhat like the Bennetts in _Pride and Prejudice_ as being totally unacceptable, particularly to a man who is heir to a Dukedom. Strangely enough, although the brothers turn up once later on in the book for a plot point, there is not much use made of them, even as stumbling-blocks to their relationship. Otherwise, Isobel makes for decent heroine on her own she's plucky and sensible and strong.

Nathan was also a strong scarred/wounded/disabled hero-type. He's reclusive only because he tries to deal with his problems by himself. He can return to society when necessary and be prepared to deal with all situations (although he still keeps his pride and his problems to himself). He still seemed a bit distant and cool. It is in his personality to be so, of course, but I'm not sure if his passion was conveyed well. Nor was Isobel's passion that apparent most of the time, even though that is a part of her character as well.

Overall, it was a good read, with two appealing characters. But I wasn't quite as caught up by Nathan and Isobel's romance as I thought I should be.
As far as I can tell--and I've tried to research it--this is the first in a historical romance series (possibly a trilogy) that involves spies for England during the wars on the Continent in the Regency period. There were 10 spies to begin with ("the Ten"). Some were nobility.

ENTWINED begins in 1810 in Lisbon, as Nathan Paget, Viscount Oriel, one of the Ten, is discussing the situation in Europe with his close friend Gabriel Loudon, Lord Rievaulx, also a member of the Ten. Nathan is preparing to return to England the next day to wed a woman they both wanted. But the next morning, they are attacked. Nathan sees Rievaulx hit in the chest even as he is losing consciousness. A year later, in 1811, Nathan has returned to his country home in Hertfordshire alone, his fiancé having changed her mind. He carries on conversations with his dead friend, Gabriel, and still suffers from a sword wound to his thigh as he attempts to live a normal, if secluded, life. Then Matthew Gerard, his former superior, arrives to tell him some of the Ten have been killed; Gerard believes someone is killing them one by one. Supposedly, five are now dead. Gerard asks for Nathan's help, urging him to return to London.

Meanwhile, a family of Scots from the Isle of Skye has moved onto Nathan's lands. He hires the father, James MacLeod, to be his secretary. Over the next 6 months, Nathan learns all about MacLeod's five children, including the oldest, 25-year-old intelligent, plain Isobel, who the father credits with keeping the family together. When James MacLeod steals a bag of gold coins from Nathan and Isobel tries to return it, Nathan meets the honest, candid and observant young woman. She realizes what no one else has--he is blind. (It wasn't only his leg that was injured; he took a hit to the head.) Nathan decides he will allow Isobel's father to go free and provide for Isobel's family if only he can have one thing--her. He wants more than a secretary, however.

The hero is a wonderful combination of gentleman warrior and a brooding, wounded, aristocratic beast. Noble and kind of heart, you can't help but love Nathan for loving Isobel's character, which is courageous, honest and giving. There is something wildly attractive about a man who wants a woman from the first time he meets her and then continues to always believe the best about her. Isn't that what we all want? The heroine, Isobel, is the caretaker for her family, dragging them out of one predicament or another. There isn't anything she won't do for them. And Nathan knows it. When offered the choice between continued poverty for them and perhaps jail for her father, and serving the strange Viscount Oriel, she chooses the latter.

Jensen writes very well with witty, sometimes funny, dialog, a great plot and well developed characters. This fascinating story moves along at a good clip. I wasn't half way through it when I was looking online for the rest in what I was sure had to be a series. I could only find two more of Jensen's books that seemed to be related FALLEN and MOONLIT, both written years after ENTWINED, and each about another member of the Ten. (I have ordered them and will review them, too. If I find more in the series, I'll amend this review to include them.)

I can recommend this book without reservation. I think you'll like is as much as I did.