Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasing Enough and Fun, September 20, 2007
Beyond Seduction starts hilariously with an interesting and fun hook. Very playful in the beginning, the romance does take some time to really build. Teasing us into just glimpses of the individualistic nuances of her characters, Laurens livens up a rather insipid meeting of her romantic leads. Once compatibility plays into the picture, the usual possessiveness most Lauren heros exhibit masterfully comes into play. Gervase Tregarth, may be the fifth Earl of Crowhurst, a former spy for the British government and a force to reckon with all the matchmaking mammas in London, England, however, these skills are of no use to him when he cannot ever spend longer than a week in London before being summoned home to clean up some mess or another unknown vandals in his home town keep causing. After discovering it's not worth running back and forth, Gervase just gives up and decides to combine his Earldom duties and wife hunting into one. Looking around the community, he stumbles upon Madeline Gascoigne, someone he has known for years but never really assessed as a woman. Once he does, the idea sticks with him so much so that he becomes obsessed with determining their compatibility. Madeline, on the other hand, quite at ease with her spinster role and guardianship of three young brothers doesn't really look upon Gervase's interst with much enthusiasm. Of course, most romance readers know how much this turns off the high and mighty Earl. Not a wit, of course. Soon the entanglements of two strong, stubborn individuals has the whole town keeping mum about their future as earl and countess. The final decision will be Madeline's to make and with her brothers' lives at stake, how can she refuse? This book does borrow characters from the former Bastion Club books as well as hinting at the futures for Dalziel and Christian and the ever present traitor that always pops up in these books to cause trouble. In fact, it sounds like both these men will get their own books and readers are finally close to discovering the true identity of the enigmatic Dalziel. My bets on the traitor and Dalziel are relations of some sort... cousins, brothers even. Also, one of the other readers mentioned a tin mine scam. The details of this character and the result of his misdeeds are continued in the Cynster novel, "A Taste of Innocence." A fun, romantic read, "Beyond Seduction" delivers where it should. Granted there are times when it dragged with a bit too much character development, but overall the plot, conversation, characters and humor flowed easily and entertainingly for anyone just coming into the series. However, it is a must read for those who have been following the Bastion Club series because it offers new insights and future intrigues for the upcoming books.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good addition but severely lacking, January 21, 2008
While this was a good addition to the series, I found myself questioning just how entertaining it is. The beginning caught my attention but then it didn't. For one thing, it is difficult to believe that Gervase had known Madeline for years and never really felt a thing and all of a sudden there is an attraction? Not exactly believable, then again the fact that Madeline, a very intelligent and mature woman, never even considered using some type of birth control is not either. As she was spinster age,an affair is something but a kid coming from it is just scandalous. Then there is the characterization of Gervase, who began to be a generally nice guy and a hero many people would like but then quickly started lacking to be seen as one. I mean he wouldn't let Madeline leave before she agreed to an affair? A: Madeline could have done something to get out of it and B: that is not a hero, that is a jerk. A determined hero would just find another way. Then after that he thought just the physical components would create love each other and "show" he wanted to marry her. No one would be able to get that message- that is where words are needed, words he gave too late. It is another typical Bastion book: hero has affair with heroine to convince of compatibility and somehow that creates love on its own and they marry, and they coincidentally get along every other way which is way too much of a coincidence. Okay, so this physical component is important but there is more to a relationship than that, Laurens has plenty of time to give the characters more of a personality. Or maybe she should just cut back period cause there was a considerable amount of drag in the novel and frankly sometimes it is just better to get to the point. What I honestly really want is just to see a relationship that is grown on something more than just sex. Like A Rogue's proposal-that was enjoyable because you got both strong character's personalities and the physical part of it. A great balance, one Lauren has lost throughout the years.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Will the real Stephanie Laurens please stand up?, September 29, 2007
"Beyond Seduction" was certainly beyond my liking! My first Stephanie Laurens novel was Captain Jack's Woman. I fell in love with that story and from then on continued with her novels. Devil's story, Scandal's story, and all the Cynster Novels. By the time I finished her last Cynster novel I stopped reading her books. This is the first one I picked up in 2 years and it is no better than I remember! What happened to the real Stephanie Laurens of "old"? She has disappeared. Her Bastions series is dull and since the twins Cynster novels, her newer books fall flat. What I remember of the queen of seduction scenes and love stories has disappeared somewhere out there. I hope she returns! Never have I read a better book than Captain Jack's Woman and I fear ..... never will again!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
