Tainted Angel

I bought this because I had so enjoyed "Bengal Bride Gift" by the same author. It was a well-plotted, ripping yarn, with mystery, romance, well developed characters, etc. etc. However, this "Tainted Angel"...not so much. For roughly the first 60% of the book, one is redundantly given the same information in slightly varied ways: the heroine is beautiful, the heroine is so beautiful that she distracts men without really trying, the heroine is spying for the Brits, the heroine is suffering from possibly divided loyalties, the heroine is being used to extract information from men & to distract men (because she is so beautiful), the heroine is serving two masters (whose interests may or may not conflict), the heroine is afraid the Brits think she is "tainted" (double agent), the heroine is probably in danger because os this suspicion of taint. The dialogue during this part of the book is often rather weak, and the espionage agents are soooo vague that one wonders how they can even understand each other, and I had the feeling that the author was sort of creating "filler" to get her to that magic 300 pages constituting a novel. Never precisely poorly written, just filler - and essentially a vehicle for the hero & heroine to discover that they were passionately in lust/love with each other (seemed a bit abrupt...but then we find out they do have a history of shared assignments...so...maybe...). At about the 60% mark, the plot, characters, & dialogue gets a bit more firmed-up, and we start to move along. Had it not been for the 1st 60%, I might have given it 4 stars...but, probably not. This author can do better...She also made a few slips with titles & servants designations. I'll try again, mainly because I liked the first of hers that I read rather a lot.

I discovered Anne Cleeland's mystery series a while ago, devoured them then went back and read them again. I now own all of her historical novels and look forward to rereading them in order, which I didn't do the first time. All the books are set in the time between Napoleon's exile to St. Helena and his return to France and Waterloo. All the characters become involved with spies in one way or another.Vidia Swanson is an "angel", a woman who investigates powerful men who may or may not be working against the Crown. She becomes aware that her superiors suspect she may be tainted, a double agent, and if they decide she is, it will mean her death. But there are plots within plots and Vidia has to be very clever to navigate them successfully.Ms. Cleeland knows her history. She makes her scenes in England--this one--, Spain, Portugal, France, Algiers and Egypt come alive. She creates vibrant characters and entwines them in fascinating plots. She writes with clarity and grace. I'll read anything she publishes.

Vida is absolutely gorgeous. And absolutely dangerous when she wants to be. Now Vida finds herself tangled in conflicting loyalties and unsure of how best to proceed.Vida herself is a fun interesting woman character. I love the wit and power she displays at times throughout the book. Unfortunately, I thought the story itself didn't live up to her as a character. The story was very flat at times and the ending was very disappointing. And the love story was really frustrating as just didn't match the rest of Vida's character.I really wanted to like this book as I loved Vida. But sadly the plotline was just ok and the story felt undeveloped at moments.

I recently discovered Anne Cleeland through her excellent mystery series, New Scotland Yard Mystery and as a fan of well-written Regency stories, I decided to give "Tainted Angel" a read. I was very pleasantly pleased to delve into the Regency adventure story. Miss Cleeland has done her research and captures this era beautifully. Through the heroine, Vidia, I felt transported to the time of spies, intrigue, and danger during the Napoleonic wars. Very nicely done and highly recommended.

I read a lot. So it sometimes feels like I am reading the same book over and over again. Finding this book was a pure delight. Fascinating, exciting, intriguing plot and characters. So much was revealed layer upon layer that I was kept constantly guessing. Bravo to Anne Cleeland for straying from the same tired line and creating fresh and realistic characters and plot. I can't wait to read more of her books.

A must read for all Cleeland fans . Cleveland devises tightly woven plots and this one is no exception. I got whiplash from the plot twists and turns.

This is a lovely Regency, a beautifully written story of a Napoleonic era spy who must fight the looming accusation of double play to save her own life. The characters of this novel are mature, intelligent people one wants to spend time with, a refreshing departure from so many pathetic antics of silly characters in so many Regency novels. Hats off to Anne Cleland for another great book.

It took me several chapters to really get into the story. With all of her books, Cleeland requires that the reader pay attention to follow the multilayer plots. Her scene description and dialog paint a picture that is sometimes haunting and occasionally disturbing but I found the adventures of another strong heroine to be entertaining. if you haven't gone to her web site, she has a serialized novel that is a lot of fun to follow.

I'm telling you straight away, if you like Michelle Diener and her 19th century spy historical novels, you'd really enjoy Anne Cleeland.She calls Tainted Angel "regency Mr. & Mrs. Smith" but I'd say, add "Ocean's Eleven" to this mix. Tainted Angel is a delightful regency heist with some pretty phenomenal banter between its main characters. I loved it!Vidia is a British spy who is suspected of double-dealing. Enter Lucien Carstairs, who is sent to determine if she is indeed a "tainted" angel. What you don't expect is that both have more layers than you can count and that both are deliciously wily. They also have insane chemistry between each other, and that chemistry works against all their plans and is perhaps the only genuine emotion in this whole affair.Expect quick thinking, tricks and treachery, twists and turns, pretend drama and non-stop action in this absolutely delicious regency spy mystery. Vidia was a delightful minx, and Lucien had some cards up his sleeve as well. The secondary characters were well rounded and also unexpected in their depth, so please don't discount them and their own little games.Overall, a must read, clever and charming.

This one is so good that I am tempted to rate it, not as a Regency, but simply as a novel. It has a solid plot whose twists keep you absorbed and thins out only at the very end; well drawn secondary characters that cry out for their own stories; and a main character as intriguing, intrepid and engaging as any I have encountered in the past few years. Unlike most modern Regencies (which tend to be "she said, he said" narratives), this one is narrated from only one perspective - that of the female lead - but what a lead she is, and I cannot recommend this book too highly to other lovers of the Regency genre.