Very fast-paced (at times) Victorian spy-romance. Bethany is a rather odd combination of the unique (scientist) and conventional (has all sorts of conventional plucky talents like picking locks with hairpins and handling firearms). Ian is, well, tall, blond, gorgeous, conflicted, a spy, you name it. Makes the crawling around in tunnels on England's north coast much better. The plot is a bit frenetic - new elements are almost continually introduced and it gets hard to keep straight after a bit.

The conversational aspects of the novel are very well-done.

I can't bring myself to finish this. Already 100 pages in, and the only---only!---words I can use to describe the hero and heroine are "supposedly protective" and "supposedly intelligent," respectively. Surely at this point, I should have a strong grasp of who these people are and what matters to them.

...And judging by the cryptic, melodramatic conversations they keep having, I can only assume that they, and the author, believe I already understand them quite well. (But I don't; I have no bloody clue what they're on about. Except that it involves Something Serious That Happened Long Ago, Something Serious Happening Now, and that all of their Dire Life and Death Problems are as nothing when they look into one another's eyes. Right.)

It was okay. I liked the twist on the usual historical romance novel with the intrigue, anarchist rebels and secret agent stuff. I feel compelled to read the first book in this series, but mostly because it's a series, not because I'm thrilled with the writing. Maybe I'll feel differently... I'm waiting to be swept away.