Seduction

by M.J. Rose

"A suspenseful novel about a grieving woman who discovers the long-lost letters of novelist Victor Hugo, awakening a mystery that spans centuries"--

• ISBN10: 1451621515
• ISBN13: 9781451621518
• Publish Date: 4 March 2014 (first published 7 May 2013)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Atria Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Last year as I started the new year it seemed like every book I read had something to do with time travel. This year every book I read has some connection to reincarnation. Talk about being drawn to certain types of books, right? I'll be honest, I didn't set out to string a bunch of these types of novels back to back. It just happened that way and if you know anything about Carl Jung, nothing is a coincidence.

Seduction by M.J. Rose is the fifth installment in her Reincarnationist series. I found this series several years ago after winning book 4 in the series via the GoodReads First Reads program. The premise is quite easy to grasp (we all have past lives) and there are tools/artifacts in the world that can help us connect with our past lives.

Jac, the main character, is in denial about past lives even though she seems to be drawn into situations that seem to be big neon signs screaming at her that past lives DO exist. Her denial draws her into intense siutations that create the driving force for most of the plots in the series. I like Jac the skeptic. She's always questioning the world and people's beliefs. I'm also a bit envious of Jac's job as a researcher and traveler. She gets to travel to exotic locations in search of finding the truth behind mythologies and legends. Okay, so maybe, Jersey, the location for Seduction isn't that exotic, but there are Celtic ruins, strange legends and a connection to Victor Hugo.

Honestly, Seduction is a bit of a mess. The story picks up shortly after book 4, The Book of Lost Fragrances, ends. And because it has been several years since I finished book 4, I struggled to remember exactly what happened. Rose did not implement any sort of recollection or recap of the plot within book 5 and so many times when Jac was vaguely remembering something that happened in the last book, I found myself skimming as I couldn't remember the details.

There are three distinct storylines in Seduction that just don't connect. Two of the timelines (the Celts and Victor Hugo on Jersey) take place in the past and are not connected in any way and the one in the present (the Jac, Ash, Theo and Naomi love square) is only loosely connected to the two past timelines. It was quite frustrating as in previous books in the series the historical plot drove the happenings in the present. The whole point of the novel in the end was to reveal Jac's special gift and her tentative acceptance of that gift. The revelation of her talent was confusing and written hastily and took place in just the last 60 pages of the book.

I'm nervous to read book 6 in this series as I also found it on my bookshelf while taking stock of the books I own for the Shelf Love Challenge. In looking back over my reviews of the last 4 books and in reflecting on book 5, it appears the series is moving away from the elements I liked most in the first few books—historical fiction with ties to the present time presented in a suspenseful storytelling style.

An Afterthought
I found Rose's afterwards quite fascinating. Anyone with an interest in writing should grab a copy of the book, maybe at your library, and read the last few pages. She talks about her inspiration for the book, how she wrote the book and what the images on the end papers of the hardcover are from. It's really cool!

This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Rose splits our time between the past with the famous French poet Victor Hugo and present day mythologist Jac L’Etoile. Victor wrote such fine works as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Miserables. His story focuses on the death of his daughter and his exploration into séances as a means to communicate but he may just invite something else into his home. Jac is recovering from her trip to Paris, when she is invited by an old teenage friend to explore the Isle of Jersey and its Celtic roots. When she arrives she discovers Theo wants her help in recovering the lost conversations Victor had with someone referred to as the Shadow of the Sepulcher. Lyrically written this suspenseful tale lured me in as it weaved past and present together into a captivated tale.

Rose has an amazing gift for bringing characters to life. She skillfully reveals their flaws and strengths and while you might not like all of their traits you understand their motives, desires and fears. I met Jac in the previous novel and she is complex, intelligent, gifted, curious and afraid of her own abilities. Scent triggers memories from the past, giving her glimpses into the past. The smell triggers it and she finds herself transported to a scene, a time or a place. These events both frighten and intrigue her. Jac is a skeptic and likes to deals in facts. She stars and produces a show that debunks mythology. Her plan was to show people how one kernel of truth morphed into outlandish tales, but instead people took that kernel and believed. Theo is obsessed with finding the lost letters; he is troubled and suffers from depression and anxiety. Overall, I found him to be interesting. We met Malachai in previous books; he is a therapist and expert in reincarnation and repressed lives. He treated both Theo and Jac as teens and fears for Jac safety when she travels to Jersey. We do not get a lot of face time with him as much of his interaction is done over the phone. Owain a druid priest seeks help from the gods and is given a horrific task. Other characters both past and present help drive the suspense.

Rose delivered a gothic tale that was both suspenseful and detailed. My personal favorite was Victor Hugo’s thread and I found her attention to detail regarding his life astounding. The tale is filled with séances; ancient druid ceremonies, reincarnation and spiritualism. Jac’s hallucinations help thread the mysteries and characters together. Jac comes from a family of perfumers and her ability to smell and extract scents was fascinating. We learn details about the techniques and I enjoyed them. The tale is dark, filled with danger but has a hint of romance. While the pacing can be slow at times the tale continually increased in suspense keeping me locked in its grip. Wrapped into this dark and atmospheric tale there is a profound sadness that you cannot help but feel and connect to. I loved all of the details regarding the Celtic ruins and mythology and appreciated the author’s skilled world building. Her writing is both beautiful, and dark. She brings images, places and emotions to life. I have always been fascinated by reincarnation and found myself spellbound. Rose brought all the threads together and even managed to surprise me. I felt it had great closure and look forward to the next book.
ARC provided in exchange for unbiased review
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer