A big Thank you to NetGalley and Wild Rose Press for the ARC for my honest review. This is my first book by this author. I found the story to be interesting but a bit slow at times. I skipped ahead a couple of times. Sorry-I personally don't like the flipping back in forth in time and place. I must admit it was done well its just a personal preference. It was a bit different as we knew the answer to the spy question from the very beginning of the book. Interesting love interest. The characters seemed realistic. Overall a good read, I would recommend to those who enjoy spy novels and WWII plots. It did make me sad though.. 3.5

Jake and Meg's story. While a well written story, I did struggle a bit to feel engaged with the characters. May just be me and overall would recommend this fast paced story.

Well written interesting start to a new series.

A well thought and developed storyline with strong characters. I was into it from the start.

Beautiful cover as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the access to this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Donna Del Oro was new to me, but I’m happy I rolled the dice with her. A Bodyguard of Lies came out a couple years ago but fits right in with what’s happening today. This is a tale of espionage and deceit, spanning the years from World War II to today as FBI agent Jake Bernstein is assigned by his Investigations unit to determine if a nice old grandma was a Nazi spy. It follows the chase of The Hummingbird and The Black Widow, and weaves in a lot of interesting history, focusing on the horrors and hardships from WWII that still linger. I like the character of Jake Bernstein and appreciate that he’s typically a data analyst rather than a field agent. There’s a full cast of characters in this story, with time jumps between the past and the present, but it’s nicely done. I found the story to be more suspense than romance, and the romantic cliffhanger made me want to smack Del Oro (’m an immediate gratification kind of reader), but I liked her voice. One final note: Del Oro alludes to President Truman’s dictate from 1945 that “Nazi war criminals would be hunted to the ends of the earth.” If you’ve been watching the Amazon series, Hunters, this is a good book to read.

*Originally published at Frolic: https://frolic.media/june-must-read-romantic-suspense/

Interesting start to a series. Locating a former Nazi criminal while undercover. Seems appropriate to be reminded of the horrors of racism at this time. Man's inhumanity to man has not stopped. I am curious as to where the romance and Jake will go in the next one.

I liked it but also had mixed feelings on this book. I will say that the mystery of it was well written, the world building was excellent and each person's personality well done. I like history and while it was part of the story it also felt like it was a bit too much history and surroundings for me.
Jake- boy, was he in a tough spot. He has a job to do but he also knows quickly that Meg is "The One."
Mary McCoy Snider- she was quite the surprise from the very beginning (the prologue) until the end.
Horst/Cousin Tommy- another person who was an important figure in the story.
Granddaughter....Meghan Larsen (Meg)she was SO over her head but she was no spineless chick. And her emotions about her Grandmother and Jake and the whole scene she was thrown into hit all the roller-coaster feelings that you can think of. I liked her and her love for Mary against all odds. And her attraction to Jake was causing her all kinds of turmoil and some happiness to though.

It starts with a dramatic prologue. Setting everything up really well. There is times of switching from the past to the current time but it was done smoothly. It didn't cause any confusion.
The whole chase about who The Hummingbird and The Black Widow really are was well played. It also caused a whole lot of emotions for all that are involved as well as some unexpected dangers.
Of other interest is the fact that the Turquoise eye color was an important identifier. And I enjoyed the information about Mary and Meg being able to be vocal mimics. I found that an interesting phrase and explanation.
I feel a little cheated in the end. Like I was left hanging a bit. What happens next for Meg & Jake? I know there was a semi-promise but did they get a H.E.A? They both did agree that they had had a strange courtship. I would have liked a bit more like maybe an Epilogue. Or maybe the author is planning another book?


"I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

This is a extremely well written book that poses many question It engaged me from the first chapter and kept me engaged throughout but it is a storyline that you have to concentrate on not fluff at all. As a bonus you get a wonderful tour of the British Isles in the process

Jake Bernstein is a damaged man who has extremely strong morals and they are put to the test when he is tasked with investigating the possibility of a woman committing war crimes during WWII This is further complicated as he starts to fall for her grand daughter during the investigation.