Entertaining but light story about post-Napoleonic War Spain. Major Finlay Urquhart was there and during a scouting mission came across Isabella Romero, also trying to do her part for the fight. They shared a moment, but he dismisses it. When he's asked to go back to investigate something, he finds her again, but she appears to be out of his league and can he overcome both of their reservations?

It's fairly predictable but enjoyable. ( )

Good book about two people whose lives are defined by what they see as their duty. Finlay and Isabella meet in 1813 as both come across a cache of French weapons. As one of the Spanish guerilla fighters, Isabella promises to get the information to El Fantasma, a guerilla leader, so that it can be taken care of. Finlay and Isabella are intrigued by each other and share an instant connection, but are parted by the needs of the war.

Two years later, Finlay receives a request to return to Spain and find El Fantasma. The leader is in danger from the Spanish government, who now considers him a traitor and threat. Wellington wants him rescued so that the Spanish don't torture uncomfortable secrets about British activities from him. As Finlay remembers that Isabella claimed to know him, he returns to Spain to look for her and enlist her help.

Once he arrives there, undercover as a wine merchant, he discovers that she isn't the peasant girl he thought, but sister to one of the local landowners. Isabella is worried when she sees him, as her brother and others don't know about the part she played in the war. When Finlay tells her of his mission, she is shocked, and he is more so by what she has to tell him.

I liked Finlay a lot. He is a man who worked his way up to Major through the ranks, which was nearly unheard of. It has also given him a different perspective than most other officers, one that has him willing to do unconventional things. His life has been the army and his sense of honor and duty are what drive him. He is shocked by what Isabella tells him, but understands what drives her. As his feelings for her grow, he becomes even more concerned for her safety.

Isabella was one that I had mixed feelings for. I really liked her strength and determination at the beginning, as she fought against the French in her own way. In the current time, I was also impressed by the way she wanted to help work for the changes she felt Spain needed for its people to prosper. However, I wasn't so happy with the way that she didn't seem to realize the danger that she put her family in. While I fully under
stood her desire to stay and continue her work, it took some really blunt talk from Finlay to show her the danger she was in.

Their feelings for each other continued to grow as Finlay worked to convince her of her danger. Once he did, and the escape plans were explained, they realized that their feelings had no future. Isabella was headed for a new life, and Finlay to return to his duty as a British soldier. But as they made their escape across Spain, each of them begins to understand the toll that their service has taken on them. Both realize that they want something different for their futures. But can they grab that future without destroying the honor that is such a big part of who they are? I really liked the way that they finally made it happen, though I would have liked more details.

The epilogue was good, but left some questions unanswered. First, and most important, how did Finlay and Isabella get their new life? Where is it and what are they doing? Second, what happened with Isabella's brother and his family? Did they escape the consequences of Isabella's activities?

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was the deeper look at the effects of the war on Spain. I liked the bits about the guerrilla activity, and how some of it was carried out. I also liked learning more about the conflict between the rich and the poor after the war, something that isn't usually included. ( )