Review: Well researched, witty, romantic and action packed
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 14, 2012
Author provided a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Originally posted on Breath of Life ReviewsI have a deep, abiding love for historical spy romance novels. Why? Because being a spy was way harder when there was no such thing as phone taping devices, or night vision goggles and it adds an element of suspense and excitement to the overall story. The only downside is that it becomes difficult to find books with this theme that don't all sound the same after awhile. Racing with the Wind by Regan Walker is thankfully, one of those novels that doesn't read like a rehashing of a bunch of historical spy romance novels.  It has it's own identity, one that I truly enjoyed.How a woman behaves and thinks can seriously make or break a novel like Racing with the Wind. If an author is going to write a spy romance novel, especially a historical romance novel, then the heroine MUST be intelligent, courageous, and unique. Mary Campbell is the embodiment of those three. I loved her! In a time where independence and intelligence was unforgivable and unattractive in a woman, Mary is an unconventional delight. So many descriptions of Mary can be found throughout the entire book but my absolute favorite is said by Hugh himself early on in the book, he refers to her as a "bluestocking hellion." From that moment, I had high hopes that Mary would live up to that name and she certainly did! However, Mary isn't made of stone, she has a woman's heart after all, she wants a man who will love her for who she is and not try and tame her.I'd like to think that if I lived in Regency England that I would have the courage to be just like Mary, down to the Friesian stallion (my favorite horse).Hugh is definitely special in his own right. Sure he's got the typical good looks, height and commanding presence but it takes a special kind of man to capture and keep Mary's heart. He is not perfect, by all means he has his flaws but that's what makes him such a believable and suitable partner for Mary. He is a fair minded, intelligent man who quickly learns that force and intimidation do not work on Mary. He learns to appreciate and love Mary for who she is and not who he wants her to be. Oh to find a man like that for myself! Mary is one lucky woman.The action, suspense and mystery doesn't kick in until late in the story but this just gives the budding attraction between Hugh and Mary to grow before it's put to the test. Once the spy games begin though, there's no stopping it. The pacing of the story in the second half is certainly faster than the first half but it doesn't lose the readers in the chaos of murderers, thieves and some seriously steamy, sexy moments with Hugh and Mary. Among all the action, Hugh and Mary's relationship deepens into a mutual respect, admiration and eventually, love that was both entertaining and heartwarming.I have to applaud Regan Walker for the tremendous amount of research that obviously went into  Racing with the Wind. I'm by no means an expert on Regency England but  it was clear there was a fair amount of research that went into this  book. I even learned a few interesting facts myself and found a new  historical figure to Google and read about to my heart's content.Overall, Racing with the Wind is a dazzling mix of passion, adventure, mystery and love. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy.