Must-read romances: 'Rogue Spy,' 'Master of Crows,' 'Off the Map'

Rogue Spy by Joanna Bourne (historical). Oh I love Joanna Bourne — her release days are a reason to celebrate. In particular, her last three books, The Forbidden Rose, The Black Hawk and Rogue Spy, have been excellent. Each have a different hero and heroine, but for full enjoyment, I do recommend you read them in that order. You won't be disappointed.

It's funny how many times I hear people say they don't like historical spy romance books. They are tricky and complex to write, but Joanna Bourne does them so well. There were several times during Rogue Spy that I set down my Kindle and thought to myself, "How did Joanna Bourne even come up with this? She is so tricky!" In Rogue Spy, Thomas Paxton, better known as Pax, and Cami are not only both spies, but were both trained to be French spies and placed in an English home at a young age, told to steal secrets. Even though they were both taught in brutal, tortuous conditions, they both decided at a young age they couldn't go against the British government. Pax is placed in the actual British Service, where he ends up being a well-regarded agent, and Cami is placed with two elderly sisters and the three of them decode and code highly sensitive British documents. In present day, Pax has confessed to his early years of treachery and is heading back to London to which he assumes will be his death. Cami is being blackmailed by a very bad man, and she assumes she will probably die, too. Oh, the angst. These two reunite in London and, being spies and such, don't trust each other. But they love each other. Did I mention the angst??

Not only is there great action with twists and turns, and a sexy romance, but there is humor. Such witty characters Joanna Bourne writes. I truly love these books, and I hope you give them a try. Her characters are unforgettable.

Master of Crows by Grace Draven (fantasy). I've been on a fantasy kick as of late and a lot of people have recommended Master of Crows. What an intriguing romance fantasy book! Silhara, The Master of Crows, is a mage who is desperate. The God of Corruption is lurking, invading his dreams and demanding he succumb to him. Silhara is feared and hated by many, but he doesn't want to take on Corruption and hurt a mass amount of people. He asks the Conclave to send someone to help him decipher old texts to see if there is a solution to getting rid of a God. The Conclave sends Martise, their slave, to spy on him, but she is also a great asset to him. He hates her at first, and he knows she is spying on him, but he soon realizes how smart and lovely she is. These two fall for each other, all the while fighting off an evil God and a Conclave who wants him dead.

While I was confused for a chapter or two to start this book, things quickly settle down and the fantasy world is really interesting. Silhara is so complex. You might think you have him figured out, and then the author peels back another layer and you are guessing again about who the real Silhara is. I was captivated by his relationship with Martise — they are both so strong, and stubborn and smart. Their romance is sexy and slow to burn, and by the end of the book you are cheering for them to make it. I was really impressed. Can't wait to try something else by this author.

Off the Map by Tamara Morgan (contemporary). This book starts out with Scott and Carrie recently broken up. They have that "I hate you but deep down I still love you" vibe going on that's really fun. They both work for a search-and-rescue team. Scott trains rescue dogs and Carrie is a helicopter pilot. Carrie is always taking risks and doesn't always look out for herself, so after a recent crash, Scott couldn't take the fact that Carrie could have been killed and breaks up with her. He can't admit that, though. Instead, he uses the excuse that she washed his lucky (unwashed) vest of 10 years and broke his mirror and just did a ton of bad-luck things around his house, and his overly superstitious brain couldn't take it. Still having mutual friends and having to work together makes their interactions fun as they butt heads. They both give each other a really hard time, and lots of laughs are the result. When one of Scott's rescue dogs goes missing, they put their differences aside to help find the dog. Spoiler alert — they get back together! It's fun, it's sexy, and it made me smile. I enjoy this author.

Mandi Schreiner started romance review blog Smexy Books in 2009. She is obsessed with reading romance novels and collecting fictional boyfriends.