Title: What Happens in London (Bevelstoke #2)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon 2009

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 372

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Women Author; Seriously Series; 52 Books - W30

When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancée, she doesn't believe it for a second, but, still, how can she help spying on him, just to be sure? So she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, cleverly concealed by curtains, watches, and waits . . . and discovers a most intriguing man, who is definitely up to something.

Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He's not a spy, but he's had all the training, and when a gorgeous blonde begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. But just when he decides that she's nothing more than an annoyingly nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And when Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself . . .

I was with this book all the way up to the last 30 pages.  And then it just went off the rails for me.  We get this story of two interesting characters who eventually fall in love.  I loved it!  However, the ending involves a kidnapping, an extortion plot, a sudden reversal of character, and a hasty gimicky marriage proposal.  No thank you.  I could have done without those plot turns.  What's so bad with having a nice romance novel focused on characters instead of a cliched plot devices?  My advice, read the novel until they arrive at the ball.  Then, just quit reading.  It's a much better story that way.

Bevelstoke

• #1 The Secret Diary of Miss Miranda Cheever
• #2 What Happens in London
• #3 Ten Things I Love About You