Seduction

by Brenda Joyce

Dominic Paget, the earl of Bedford, will do anything to resume spying upon Britain's enemies. Badly wounded, he is put will do anything in the care of a beautiful gentlewoman, Julianne Greystone, only to discover that her sympathies lie with his enemies. Yet he can't help but seduce the woman who saved his life--hoping she never learns of his betrayal.

Julianne is captivated by the wounded stranger she believes is a revolutionary hero. Until she discovers the truth...her "hero" is the privileged earl of Bedford. Devastated and determined to forget him, Julianne travels to London. But when she finds herself in danger, it is Bedford who comes to the rescue. Now Julianne must navigate the intrigues of a perilous city, the wild yearnings of her own heart and the explosion of their passion....

• ISBN10: 0373776551
• ISBN13: 9780373776559
• Publish Date: 31 January 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Mills & Boon
• Edition: Original ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[inlibrisveritas]

Seduction is a historical romance with the backdrop of the French Revolution. Our heroine is Julianne Greystone, an independent woman who believes in the Revolution, and finds herself caring for a man she believes to be a Jacobin. In this case of mistaken identity, we are treated to a wonderful rollercoaster of events that kept me entertained for hours.

This romance seemed far more interested in the historical aspect that many others I have read and found myself actually curious about the events that were alluded to. It’s clear that Joyce did her research and tried to paint a very vibrant image of the time period. Mistaken identity takes on a new feel when war comes into play. I liked the added intrigue that came from Bedford’s involvement with Julianne, and all the little surprises along the way. I will say if you lean more towards fluff romance then this is probably one to skip as it does get into the politics of the time as both Paget and Julianne are very active in that part of their society. Personally, I liked the change of pace from the usual fluffy romances that kind of ignore the historical events of the time.

I do like our couple though they can both be maddeningly stubborn. Julianne is an optimist and a support of the French Revolution, she believes in democracy and has somewhat romantic notions of what the war is really like. Paget, however, has seen what the war does to people and supports the monarchy. These two get themselves into situations that were entirely avoidable if they took a moment to truly think on their course of action, but they both think they are doing what’s best for other people. The romance between them is passionate and of course rife with issues stemming from Paget’s lie to Julianne’s desire to help the cause. They could be so frustrating but it was such a satisfying pairing in the end.

Overall I really liked the added historical context and the writing was wonderful, though I can readily acknowledge that this one is not for everyone.