She loved him, against reason and against all their history. One kiss had told her the truth, and her blind resistance since then had been in vain. … She remembered the bitterness in his voice as he said, “I know how unpalatable you find the idea of betrothal to me.” What counter was there to that, except a silent one? An approach as swift as his had been, a wild embrace from which he could not escape, a kiss so fierce that it banished all words, all thought, and left space only for the intoxication of touch.
To Delphine on that night, such an action would have seemed utterly impossible. Now, looking back, it felt like bliss denied.…
Delphine Dalgleish is a Paris-bred Bonapartist who cares as deeply for the honor of France as she does for her island home on tropical Mauritius. But the ice-cool Sir Gideon Landor first meets her when he is a prisoner of war, and he is convinced that she is as empty as a piece of Sèvres porcelain. Then a midnight confrontation, a shock encounter in a Paris street, and her surprise arrival in London force them to recognize that they are both spies—on opposing sides of the war that Napoleon has unleashed on Europe.
They are trapped in a personal feud as complex and dangerous as a military campaign, that will take them in the end to war-torn Portugal and Spain. Their greatest danger lies in the passion that threatens to overpower them, menacing not only their lives but the armies of two nations.
Thus it happens that Delphine is engaged to the man she loves, and in love with a man she cannot marry—and both of them are named Gideon Landor.
This book is centred on a real code, the grand code created for Napoleon Bonaparte for use in 1811-12 during the war in Spain and Portugal. What guided me into writing it was the dedicated work in the Quartermaster General’s department that eventually gave Sir Arthur Wellesley, England’s commander in chief and later the Duke of Wellington, the key to French intentions in the Peninsula. Using documents captured by Wellington’s intelligence officers, one talented man was trying to crack the Grand Paris Cypher itself, despite its being the most complex code hitherto known.
This book takes the heroine and hero into the private bureaux of Napoleon himself and to Thorngrove, the English home where Napoleon’s brother Lucien is kept under house arrest. But Gideon and Delphine also find that just as much danger may lurk at a London ball, or a fashionable reception …
BookLoons Reviews
Martina Bexte
This is a beautifully written and richly detailed story … Sawyer creates a cast of memorable characters, especially her two leads, Delphine and Gideon. Their struggle to serve their countries and to deny their love is involving and believable. THE CODE OF LOVE offers romance and adventure on a grand scale, a story you’ll want to read again and again.
Romance Reviews Today
Jani Brooks
Impeccably detailed in every respect, this story made me want to shake Delphine and hug Gideon! … A heart-stopping finale will have readers breathlessly turning the pages to find out what happens to this intrepid couple. Beautifully written, wonderfully researched, and with a poignant love story, THE CODE OF LOVE is a must read and a Perfect 10.
The Barnes & Noble Review
Ginger Curwen
Espionage, double agents, passion and deception are at the heart of this historical romance by Cheryl Sawyer, set against the backdrop of the Peninsular War … Though powerfully attracted to each other, both consider the other a traitor. How they find their way to true romance is Sawyer’s forte, as she weaves a complex tapestry of love.
Amazon.com
Harriet Klausner
Regency romance fans obtain a fantastic treat with Cheryl Sawyer’s complex love vs. war thriller. The story line is filled with action but the center that holds the tale together is the relationship between the Englishman and Frenchwoman, both loyal to their respective countries. Gideon and Delphine seem genuine as they struggle with attraction that leads to love vs. allegiance and honor. THE CODE OF LOVE is a wonderful historical romance.
New Mystery Reader
Karen Trainor
Desperate to save the family home on Mauritius, Delphine goes to Paris, where she is talked into becoming a secret agent by Napoleon himself … Laying a solid foundation of historical fact, Cheryl Sawyer constructs a fictional superstructure that could pass as genuine. Highly recommended to fans of historical romance/adventure stories.
Romance Readers at Heart
Nancy Davis
This is a relationship where the man is the first to tumble headlong into love, despite his clear knowledge that a relationship between them is impossible -- he is an English spy and she’s a devoted French patriot and Bonapartist. It was refreshing to see a man truly caught off guard in the throes of his own emotions …
Romance Junkies
Billie Jo
THE CODE OF LOVE is a commanding historical entwined with espionage and a celestial romance that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat turning the pages to see what will happen next. Ms Sawyer does a brilliant job penning a rich tale with a gripping plot, vivid imagery and poignant characters.
