Thorland packs a lot into 400 pages and overall I think you get a good idea of what went on during this period of the American Revolution. The book, while being about a Quaker spy, is also about the British invasion of Fort Mercer in 1777, the occupation of Philadelphia, and John Andre. One of the reasons I was drawn to this book was that it takes place during the American Revolution, and historical fiction in the last ten years has largely been ignored. There is a lot to this story besides the romance between Kate and Peter. Kate decides to join Aunt Angela as a spy for the rebels and is placed in Philadelphia close to British General Howe.

Turns out “Auntie” is a spy for the rebel army. She does not get the letter back.Īfter Peter leaves, Kate and her “Aunt” end up fleeing the Grey house and traveling to see General Washington with news. In an effort to retrieve the letter, Kate ends up alone with Peter in her bedroom. Tremayne ends up pilfering a letter Arthur Grey had written that would give away secrets, military strategy, etc. With Kate is her “Aunt”, a woman she has never met before. Kate’s father, Arthur, is on his way with supplies for the rebel army and she hopes to stall Peter so the British do not catch up with him. There is an instant connection between KateĪnd Peter Tremayne (of course). The Turncoat opens with Quaker Kate Grey hosting a British general and his entourage during the American Revolution. It wasn’t gratuitous and made sense in the context of the story.Īnd that’s all I’m saying about the smut. Now, I’m no prude, and wasn’t offended by the sex that was in this book or the quantity of sex.

I warned them that there would be some smut. I chose this book for my turn for my girlfriend’s book club, thinking that it would be a lighter read and easy enough for everyone to get through in the allotted time. It did allude to some smut, but I thought, “Ehh- it’s a large paperback. I had picked it out at Barnes and Noble based on the cover and synopsis on the back jacket. The Turncoat by Donna Thorland was a gift from my two cats (yeah, yeah) for my birthday. My fare tends to include classics, mysteries, literary fiction, and chick lit. If you’ve followed my reviews, you’ll know I typically don’t read bodice busting, Fabio-inspired books. I needed a hot shower after reading this book.