Review: What Happens in London

What Happens in London by Julia Quinn

This weekend's romance reading was the new, delightful novel from the delightful (she must be) Julia Quinn.

Olivia Bevelstoke is pretty, intelligent (although no one seems to expect this of her) but bored. When she hears a rumor that her new next door neighbor, Harry Valentine, killed his fiancee she decides to watch him. Fortunately, his office is right across the yard from her bedroom window and she can easily observe his activities. Which she does. For five days. On the fifth day he sees her and this puts an end to her spying. Olivia does not realize that Harry has been aware of her spying on him all along. He has been translating documents from Russian to English for the last week and has now been asked by the War Office to spy on a Russian prince and the woman he is courting, none other than Olivia Bevelstoke.

This story does not begin with Olivia, however. As she did most memorably in The Duke and I, the author begins the story by introducing Harry in a rather long prologue. We learn about his family and how he came to serve in the army and along the way the author engages our sympathies for the hero. Harry is serious and intelligent, in a quiet way, but possesses a sense of humor. When Olivia and Harry meet they are prejudiced against each other but this quickly gives way as they get to know each other.

This is where Julia Quinn shines, in the getting-to-know-one-another aspects of her books, and in her dialogue. Harry and Olivia talk to each other, they tease each other, they become friends. Their conversation is witty, humorous, and just delightful.

I read this with a smile on my face.

My grade: A-