No Longer a Gentleman

Starred review from January 16, 2012
Romance and wartime espionage mix delightfully in the fourth Lost Lords Regency (after Nowhere Near Respectable) from bestseller Putney. Experienced secret agent Cassie Fox is sent to France at the height of the Napoleonic wars in search of the long-missing Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, illegally imprisoned by the corrupt and vengeful official Claude Durand after a tryst with Durand’s wife. Even a successful rescue and the pair’s passionate encounters cannot heal the trauma of Grey’s decade-long ordeal or bridge the social gap between the dedicated spy with a mysterious past and the heir to an earldom. Cassie is an independent and impressively competent heroine who is both lover and savior for her troubled hero. The unusually balanced and sensitively depicted romantic duo, suspenseful adventure, and well-researched historical background make this a must for Regency fans. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House.

Starred review from April 15, 2012

Caught with a French official's wife while on an espionage mission, Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, was thrown into a dungeon by her irate husband and has languished there for a decade. Now, fortified with new clues, Cassie Fox is sent on a last-ditch effort into France to find Grey and bring him home--if he is still alive. With expertise honed by experience and determination fueled by the need to avenge her losses at the hands of Napoleon, Cassie rescues Grey, and together they make their way back to England, leaving a furious Citoyen Durand frustrated and plotting revenge. VERDICT With sensitivity and inimitable skill, Putney rescues another lost lord; gives him a brave, resourceful heroine who helps him heal; complicates things with foiling villains, readjusting to society, and falling in love; and weaves it all together in another beautifully written, unforgettable romance. Putney (Nowhere Near Respectable) lives in the Baltimore area.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2012
If anyone could locate Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, it would be Cassie Fox. Ten years ago, Sommers disappeared while on a routine spy mission in France. Now rumors have surfaced that he might very well be alive and imprisoned in Castle Durand. With her years of experience spying for the British and her ability to disguise herself and blend anonymously into the background, Cassie is the perfect agent for the mission. Indeed, she successfully infiltrates Castle Durand and rescues both Grey and a fellow prisoner. As they journey back to England and safety, Cassie does her best to remain professionally detached, only to find herself hopelessly falling for Grey, instead. The two engage in a passionate affair, which Cassie knows must end once Grey resumes his old life as a titled lord. The always reliable Putney imbues the latest installment in her elegantly written Lost Lords series with richly nuanced characters and an entrancing plot packed with an abundance of sizzling sexual chemistry and dangerous intrigue.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)