Three cheers for Celeste Bradley! I was not particularly eager to buy this book because although I've loved all the other Liars books, I was never fond of Ethan Damont - his life is so precarious that it made me nervous and I didn't know how he'd properly transform into a romantic hero. Bradley, bless her heart, knew exactly how to weave his character into the role of a double agent, and she made all of the uncertainties about his life and personality into strengths. In the end, Damont was an incredibly compelling and really appealing hero because his weaknesses were sympathetic, and his admirable qualities came to the fore.

Jane was similarly wonderful. Bradley, here as ever, has created a heroine who has a mind of her own, a will of her own, and goals of her own.

I will admit that I think in order to keep Jane's secret under the covers, Bradley had to fudge a little too much on the early sections of the book. There's only one sex scene of note in the book, but it really is rather remarkable.

All in all: two thumbs up. ( )