You Only Love Twice
Author: Bec McMaster
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: A-
What I’m Talking About:
Gemma and Obsidian have a past as two spies, Hollis and Dmitri, on opposite sides five years ago. They gave into lust and fell in love. However she believed he died in an explosion after he shot her. And he believed she drugged him and set fire to his room trying to kill him. Fast forward to “present day” and dhampir assassin Obsidian cannot understand why he struggles to follow orders to kill Gemma. Obsidian’s obsession with the enemy spy grows until his conditioning cracks and his memories begin to return. But is it too late for Obsidian and Gemma to fall in love, again?
You Only Love Twice is another wonderful story in Bec McMaster’s London Steampunk series. She’s created a multi-faceted world over the course of the series, with each book adding new details to the overall picture. This time around, things are coming to a head… with the Sons of Gideon finally out of commission, the Company of Rogues (COR) can focus on bringing down the mysterious threat to the human queen – the group who has been causing general chaos in London for the past several years. The link is Obsidian. Readers know he’s been protecting Gemma, but in You Only Love Twice, everything comes to the forefront.
I adore how Gemma and Dmitri reconnect… how they work through his conditioning. I like that it isn’t just a simple matter of changing sides. There are multiple factors playing against their reunion, but despite the odds, they fight for one another… Obsidian because at first he is compelled to both hate and save Gemma; and Gemma because she wants to find the man she loved buried within Obsidian. It takes time, and I love how the author brings the pair together slowly, with fits and stops. The romance is sexy and genuine. The ups are fabulous and the lows bring me to tears. The author creates characters I care about, and because I’m invested, I hang on every action.
You Only Love Twice book is long… but it’s so engrossing, it seems to fly by. The storyline is tight, with the action and romance propelling the overall plot forward at a quickening speed. There are some pretty surprising twists, keeping readers on their toes. Honestly, I loved almost every moment, and I only wanted things to speed up during the final battle because I needed to know how it was all going to play out. Warning – while I wouldn’t call it a cliff-hanger, the book does end with one aspect left wide-open and fans will want to start book 4: To Catch a Rogue, immediately. However, rest assured that Gemma and Obsidian have their story and that aspect of You Only Love Twice is complete (the next book’s romance is another character).
Overall, the story brings together amazing action and a heart-felt romance wrapped up in a wholly unique world. Blending aspects of paranormal, steampunk, and alternate timeline historical romance, Ms. McMasters has created a world and characters I have come to love over the course of the series. The COR is a band of brothers (and sisters) who have a special place in my heart. Second chances don’t come easy, but Gemma and Obsidian find their way.
My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
Jen
About the Book:
With the clock ticking down, the Company of Rogues must find a deadly killer and stop them from assassinating the Queen… before London burns.
First rule of espionage: don’t ever fall in love with your target.
Five years ago, Gemma Townsend learned the hard way what happens when you break this rule. She lost everything. Her mentor’s trust. The man she loved. And almost her life. Love is a weakness she can never afford again.
When offered a chance at redemption, the seductive spy is determined to complete her assigned task: to track down a dangerous assassin known as the Chameleon, a mysterious killer sent after the queen, whose identity seems to constantly change.
But as her investigation leads Gemma into a trap, she’s rescued by a shadowy figure she thought was dead—the double agent who once stole her heart.
A man with few memories, all Obsidian knows is Gemma betrayed him, and he wants revenge. But one kiss ignites the unextinguished passion between them, and he can’t bring himself to kill her.
Can Obsidian ever trust her again? Or is history doomed to repeat itself? Because it soon becomes clear the Chameleon might be closer than either of them realized… and this time Gemma is in the line of fire.
Release Date: August 14, 2018
Publisher: Lochaber Press (Author-Published)
Series: London Steampunk: The Blue Blood Conspiracy #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Steampunk, Alternate World Historical
Format(s): paperback (469 pages), e-book
Book Source: Author, Purchased with my own funds
Purchase Info:
Amazon
Reviews in the Series:
Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster (London Steampunk #1)
Tarnished Knight by Bec McMaster (London Steampunk #1.5)
Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster (London Steampunk #2)
My Lady Quicksilver by Bec McMaster (London Steampunk #3)
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Menace by Bec McMaster (London Steampunk #3.5)
Forged by Desire by Bec McMaster (London Steampunk #4)
Of Silk and Steam by Bec McMaster (London Steampunk #5)
Mission: Improper by Bec McMaster (London Steampunk: The Blue Blood Conspiracy #1)
The Mech Who Loved Me by Bec McMaster (London Steampunk: The Blue Blood Conspiracy #2)