The Fugitive Colours by Nancy Bilyeau

I wish I had got to the first book in the series but this was good as a stand alone too. The world of silk weavers, and finding a woman who had her own workshop and did designs in silk particularly the ones that Genevieve did was surprising and stunning. Flowers not just from Europe but the exotic ones from the Caribbean and India were her repertoire but she was held hostage by the fact that she was totally dependent on the house which ordered her designs. They had no hesitation in bargaining with her to the maximum Genevieve's husband a brilliant chemist and spy is now under a restraint from using his skills and is now a mere tutor to an Earl's son. Genevieve has to support and earn for herself and also for her young son as best as she could. When her past history of being a spy is being used against her in the form of blackmail, Genevieve has to use all her skills to keep afloat. Who is the enemy here and why is she being targeted is something she has to figure out and this takes quite a long time. An intense emotional read about a strong woman who is trying to protect her husband, protect her business and just survive in the cut throat world of design and politics doing a hard balancing act. A very good read. History involving the Hugenot struggle, the silk weavers, politics and a spy network makes for a very interesting book. Sent by Lume Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.