What Happens In London

Before yesterday I had never read a single book of Julia Quinn's. Then I was at the grocery store on Saturday night looking at the magazine ailse. I happened to see a book entitled What Happens In London. Now tell me, who wouldn't pick up a book with that title? It just demands to be read. And the fact that it is trade paperback and only cost me $7.99 was just icing on the cake. So while I almost always read my romances via e-book, I bought this one in hardcopy (if anyone wants to borrow it, let me know and I'll ship it to you).

Why do I love Julia Quinn? She is like a modern Jane Austen (honest to god). Her delightful asides and hilarious sub-plots and characters make it impossible to stop reading. I started it Sunday morning and finished it Sunday afternoon. It was unputdownable. The only disappointing part is that I have to wait until next year to read Seb's story. I loved Seb even more than I loved Harry. Of course, she has apparently published a dozen other books to keep me busy until then, so I'm not too disappointed.

Harry Valentine (yes, a slightly cheesy name, but don't hold it against him) is not your normal romantic hero. He is what the ton would have called a bluestocking (does this term apply to men and women both?). He works for the War Department (because what self-respecting Regency hero doesn't, really?). The catch is that he has a very boring desk job. He is a bit of a linguist and is in charge of translating documents from Russian to English. He doesn't like danger or espionage or subterfuge.

Olivia, who I would hate if she weren't so damn likeable, is the Original of the Season. Breathtakingly beautiful but seen as somewhat cold (not because she is cold, but because she is often distracted by her amusing mental tangents and forgets to listen when people are talking to her). She is hilarious (and if she weren't so clumsy, I really would hate her).

You will love the scene where Olivia and Harry read at risqué gothic novel while sitting on their respective window ledges. My heart is all atwitter just thinking about it.

In case you want a sneak peek, this is also an Avon book, so you can read the first 60-something pages here:

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Rumors and Gossip . . . The lifeblood of London

When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancée, she doesn't believe it for a second, but, still, how can she help spying on him, just to be sure? So she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, cleverly concealed by curtains, watches, and waits . . . and discovers a most intriguing man, who is definitely up to something.

Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He's not a spy, but he's had all the training, and when a gorgeous blonde begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. But just when he decides that she's nothing more than an annoyingly nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And when Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself . . .