Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown

Samantha Donaldson’s family has always done its duty for the British Crown. In the midst of World War I, seventeen-year-old Sam follows in their footsteps, serving her country from the homefront as a Girl Guide and messenger for the intelligence organization MI5. After her father disappears on a diplomatic mission, she continues their studies of languages, high-level mathematics, and complex puzzles and codes, hoping to make him proud.

When Sam is asked to join the famed women’s spy group La Dame Blanche she’s torn—this could be the adventure she’s dreamed of, but how can she abandon her mother, who has already lost a husband to the war? But when her handlers reveal shocking news, Sam realizes there’s no way she can refuse the exciting and dangerous opportunity.

Her acceptance leads her straight into the heart of enemy territory on a mission to extract the most valuable British spy embedded in Germany, known to the members of LDB only as Velvet. Deep undercover within the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Samantha must navigate the labyrinthine palace and its many glamorous—and secretive—residents to complete her assignment. To make matters worse she finds herself forming a forbidden attraction to the enemy-a dangerously handsome German guard. In a place where personal politics are treacherously entangled in wartime policy, can Samantha discover the truth and find Velvet before it’s too late…for them both?

From author Teri Brown comes the thrilling story of one girl’s journey into a deadly world of spycraft and betrayal—with unforgettable consequences.

Goodreads Summary

I think it would be so cool to be Samantha!  She's intelligent, quick on her feet, and great at codes.  La Dame Blanche, an all women spy group, asks Samantha to join and immediately sends her off to find a British spy.  Samantha enters a world of intrigue and deception and she must learn to keep her cards close to her chest...particularly around a certain German guard.  

I liked Samantha's character.  She was spunky and strong.  Velvet was an interesting supporting character and not quite what I expected.  I thought the crush Samantha had on the guard was cute and I was glad that she didn't take it too seriously.  I really enjoy history and World War I made for a good background to the story.  I do wish that I had felt more connected to Samantha and the other characters.  This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers

3 1/2 Stars

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