In Winter’s Heat (Nemesis, Unlimited #1.5) by Zoe Archer, Working with Nemesis gave Ada a thrill she didn’t know she was looking for. She loved being able to speak up and help someone in need, feeling like she made a difference for the first time in her life. So when Ada has the chance to work for them again as a servant in an aristocrat’s manor searching for clues to put away a criminal, she accepts with no reservation. Until she finds out her 
partner on the case will be Michael. The same man who broke her heart months earlier. Ada tries to keep her head down and do her job without giving in to her emotions, but as soon as she is alone with Michael, the chemistry is simply too much to ignore.
‘She shook her head. “I tried so hard to keep myself safe. Put my heart in a strongbox.” A wry smile touched her mouth. “I should have known that you’d be able to pick that lock.”
Michael made sure as soon as he heard Ada was being used for a new case that he would be there to help her. They have some unresolved issues he wants to straighten out anyway. He has never been one to lose focus on his job, but his attraction to Ada is so strong that he has to address it with her. Michael is impressed with her courage and how strong she is while helping to solve the case. He has to decide if there is any way to compromise and not only move forward in his career, but to also pursue a relationship with lovely Ada.
‘He’d forced himself onto this mission in order to be near her, and while he wasn’t sorry about his decision, he had to wonder if it was some form of self-punishment. If that was the case, he was doing a bang up job.’
Winter’s Heat is a thrilling historical romance novella from the Nemesis, Unlimited series. Zoe Archer has given us a look into what it could have been like when undercover spies caught criminals within London’s aristocracy in the 1880s. So hold on…undoubtedly, mayhem and romance ensue.
What is it about a spy story that captivates us? For me, I suppose it’s the thrill of the chase, seeing people brought to justice, and romance growing from the closeness and excitement between undercover partners, in this case Ada and Michael. I jumped into this series with Winter’s Heat first, not book one: Sweet Revenge, but I found I really enjoy the premise behind the storyline. It’s an interesting concept to look at how spies could have infiltrated high society as servants. They would have had access to almost all areas of the home and the outlying grounds, as well as being privy to many private conversations.
There was so much wanting and tension between Michael and Ada throughout the entire story. I loved their stolen moments when they were discussing their job for Nemesis and then had to fight giving in to their passion. The miscommunication between them since the end of book one plays a key part to how they handle their feelings when they see each other again. But don’t worry, you can definitely read Winter’s Heat as a standalone just fine and will be able to understand the dynamics between them.
Winter’s Heat is a romance I would recommend if you are looking for a historical with a bit of a twist. It has intrigue, passion and spot on writing.
Book Info:
Published October 22nd 2013 by St. Martin’s Paperbacks | (Nemesis, Unlimited #1.5)
A Special Holiday Novella!
An auxiliary Nemesis agent and one of their former clients go undercover as servants at a country estate during the Christmas season to expose corruption amongst Society’s elite.
Michael and Ada never thought they would again be working side-by-side in the pursuit of justice, and now that they’re on a case together, the attraction they had once shared flares to life, making a dangerous assignment even more unpredictable. It’s Downton Abbey, Nemesis-style.