Customer Reviews

Dance of Seduction

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Settle down for a luscious read! You can count on Sabrina Jeffries to deliver strong-willed Regency heroines (and heroes) who demand more to their lives than just sitting around and sipping tea while gossipping about the ton.

Our heroine is a reformer, passionate in her mission, and our hero's noble but secret mission could snag her efforts and the lives of her young charges. Secondary plots (one of them just a tad obvious, sorry) derive from our heroine's mission and enrich the storyline by giving us an engaging cast that surrounds h/h.

Jeffries writes some of the sexiest scenes in the biz, full not only of heat but of emotion. She never lets these scenes overpower her plots. They enhance this one wonderfully and if your toes haven't contentedly curled before, they will afterward.

I'm not quite sure how the front cover or the title ties into the book, though. Both make it seem (imo) as if this were some kind of harem setting when it's all quite improperly-properly British. Ah, marketing departments! At least we're rid of all the "Lord" and "Love" confusion of earlier series. The back cover is quite reminiscent of "A Dangerous Love" and "After the Abduction," but is the best of the three.

Recently I've reread a few of Jeffries' previous works. The enjoyment is there just as much the second time around as it was the first. These are keepers!

Lady Clara is a spinster 28 year old who is involved in charity work at a home for pickpocket children. Morgan is an ex-spy naval captian who is posing as a "fence" in order to catch a master thief named Spector. They are at odds from the beginning, fighting a powerful attraction, and losing quickly. The interchanges between the two main characters are so witty and funny I couldn't resist liking them immediately. The part of the story I really enjoyed is Morgan's desperation for Clara's love. It made the hot scenes practical smoulder on the page. A nice departure from the norm because Morgan is a strong man totally undone. So romantic..sigh...
**A note to the publisher...I would never have bought the book at the store with that ridiculous cover. I missed out reading a marvelous book for two years because of that cover. The only reason you need a bodice ripper cover is because the book is SO awful no one is going to read it except for the sex. Sabina Jefferies deserves a cover like Julia Quinn or Lisa Kleypas. she writes just that good.

My first and only other book by this author was After the Abduction which I thoroughly enjoyed. So when I found out that this one was about Morgan, Sebastian's intriguing twin brother, I was really looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, I found this story to be pretty predictable and very slow until about mid-way through. Though Morgan and Clara are both likable characters and their romance very sweet, I didn't find the sustained, crackling sexual chemistry of the prior book (ATA). Oh, there are definitely glimpses of the witty, snappy dialog this author is capable of and some very entertaining seduction scenes, but overall this book is just OK - not a stand-out or a must-read.

Lady Clara Stanbourne is a crusading reformer trying to move pickpockets off the streets and into better lives. But when mysterious Captain Morgan Pryce opens a shop nearby Clara worries that he is a threat to her young impressionable charges (not to mention her own peace of mind, for he is devilishly handsome!). She quickly suspects that he is a "fence" - a dealer in stolen goods - and tries everything she can think of to get him out of the neighborhood and away from her kids. Morgan is both amused and attracted by this beautiful avenging angel trying to save the world. If only she could save him, but that seems unlikely given what he's done in his life. But when she learns who he really is and what he's actually doing in Spitalfields, well that changes everything. Especially the sensual undercurrent of their turbulent relationship, which up to now, both have tried to suppress. And as they give in to their attraction, what will the future hold?

I felt too much time was spent on her home for pickpockets, the kids therein, and the villain, the Specter, who was really not very threatening or scary. Maybe my expectations were just too high, but I wouldn't recommend this book unless you're really a fan of this author or you really want to read Morgan's story. And what's with the cover art? The book describes Clara's hair as "chestnut" not blonde and it is hardly in character to have a naked, sheet-draped Lady Clara stretched out provocatively on a chaise longue! I hate these overblown covers that seem to have little to do with the story inside!

We last left Juliet happily in love with her kidnapper Sebastion Templemore, who had abducted her while masquerading as his twin brother Morgan. Morgan lost a bet with Juliet and is now unwillingly marooned in England for a year as a result. Unknown to his beloved relatives, he's already broken his vow to stay out of trouble and is hot on a spy mission to track down the infamous Spector! Along the way, he meets Lady Clara, who may be even more of a trap for this rakish rascal. Jeffries gives us another sizzling, sexy romance combined with breathtaking adventure and humor. Of course, the fact that Morgan is a hunk of a hero doesn't hurt either......Don't miss any of this series! They get better and better!

I have been a fan of Ms. Jeffries since picking up "A Dangerous Lord" at a flea market two years ago. Of course, I had to work my way backwards in the Lord series,"The Pirate Lord" having become my favorite.

Dance of Seduction is a good book, but if your a first time SJ reader, start with "The Pirate Lord." DOF starts off slowly, the first 11 chapter I would give about 3 stars. Then around chapter 12, during the ball, things start to pick-up and heat up for the Morgan and Clara. From this point on, I would give the book a solid 4-1/2 stars. The dialogue becomes wittier and more natural and the scenes flow and move quickly enough to grab your attention, but not so fast, just enough to hold you so you can't wait to read more.

Overall, this is not the quality that I know SJ is capable of, but it is a good read, and a decent sequel to "After the Abduction" though I wish Uncle Lew had been in this book, instead of just mentioned and showing up in the epilogue. Read this book if you are a well established SJ fan, but if not, start on one of her earlier books.

I was smiling reading the beginning, the early interaction between Clara & Morgan was fun. Unfortunately, the crux of the novel - Morgan's fear of London and everything it represents to him in his tortured past - just didn't ring true.

Morgan is pretty bland for a roguish scoundrel. Morgan is your typical tortured hero with a "dark" past while the Lady Clara is your typical headstrong heroine who finds High Society boring. Instead, she runs the Home, a shelter for poor children helping them escape the criminal street life so common amongst them.

Spoilers ahead.

As I mentioned, the witty banter between Clara & Morgan in the beginning was fun. The second half of the novel however focuses on Morgan agonizing mercilessly over a past which tortures his soul. Morgan is made out to be a rogue who's done some bad stuff, but I really don't see it. He doesn't even directly the kill the man who ended up causing his mother's death, he only arranged it, as though this is such a big deal, causing all this feminine angst inside him. I fail to see any of Morgan's so-called criminal past, he was a sailor, abducted by pirates (not really doing anything for them), and he was a spy for the government. So where's this criminal rogue? Please, he's as square as they come, and pretty weak agonizing over a "murder" he didn't directly partake in.

I wanted to see a determined and willful Morgan (or at least grow some) kill the Specter in the end, but apparently Clara explains that doing that would erase what's left of his soul. C'mon....

Also predictably, Clara convinces Morgan to see everything her way, that he was afraid of London and he was running from his past by trying to escape London and captain a ship. Towards the end, Clara easily convinces Morgan to not kill the Specter, as if in so doing it instantly and magically releases him of agonizing over his childhood in Geneva (which, of course, it magically does). Clara gets everything she wants: the man she loves, her shelter renovated by her love's wealthy connections, her love working for her at the shelter, and the man she loves chooses to stay with her rather than go back to the sea to captain a ship.

There isn't a single concession on Clara's part, and I didn't find it endearing to read at all. I didn't see a romance here, I saw more a girl's dream for her man to give up everything he is or wants to be for her. I really don't see Clara "saving" Morgan from his wounded past. If anything, his "wounded" past was lame and the fact that he agonized over it was entirely a weak plot device to make it appear Clara salvaged something deep inside him worth rescuing (which it wasn't, since Morgan came off more like a girl than a male rogue).

Clara feels Morgan would resent her if she were to marry him and then have him go out to sea to captain a ship. She will settle for nothing less than having Morgan give up everything he is for her. Maybe I just don't get it, because I don't see how he couldn't resent her for forcing him to stay in London with her. The hubbub regarding his wounded past was weak and didn't ring true at all.

A sequel to `A Dangerous Love', `A Notorious Love' and `After the Abduction', this book can be read without being familiar with the earlier books. It features Morgan Pryce (the last being only one of his names/identities), who was briefly met earlier in `After the Abduction'. Juliet and Sebastian from that book are also in this, but the plot of the earlier book is not extensively referred to.

Morgan has had a difficult upbringing, and the only peace he can recall is the structured life in the navy. Nevertheless he has been persuaded to pose as a fence in Spitalfields, an area rife with pickpockets and thieves, in order to catch a villain. An area where the Home for pickpockets financed by the efforts of Lady Clara Stanbourne is located. Lady Clara is horrified by the appearance of a fence so close to her Home for pickpockets - his `shop' representing temptation for her young charges. And even more horrified to realise she feels a strong attraction to the man she perceives as being a criminal and rogue of the first order. Clara sets out to do all that she can to rid herself of the temptation he represents. And, contrary to Morgan's first impression of her, all that she can is quite some considerable amount.

Morgan and Clara seem very real to me - fleshed out and well constructed as characters. They don't instantly know all about each other, and even three quarters of the way into the book are still discovering both each other and themselves. They each make assumptions about the other that experience later reveals to be incorrect - just as first impressions can be mistaken in life. Clara is no simpering miss, and Morgan is no male to be manipulated by charm and wiles. Both have definite minds of their own, ideas of right and wrong that they are willing to defend, and both are just a little bit outside the `norm' for their station. While being very different from each other, both ultimately have the same needs. When told with Jeffries usual skill, this makes for a tale of two people who seem all wrong for each other finding out how very well they fit. Not without some struggle along the way, but that makes the end result all the more worth while.

In 1819 Lady Clara Stanbourne is a rare aristocrat, as she does not just shout about helping the poor, she acts on her beliefs by running a home for reformed pickpockets. However, she becomes concerned for her young charges when Morgan Pryce moves next door. Clara believes the strange goings-on in the Pryce household is caused by the mysterious newcomer dealing in stolen goods.

Clara decides to assault this unwanted fence in his home, but both becomes shocked by an immediate wanting. Morgan knows he cannot afford to be distracted by romance at this time because he has a dangerous undercover mission to complete. Nothing, not even the beautiful caring Clara, must get in his way at least until he captures the dangerous Specter, who will gladly use a female do-gooder as a pawn. Morgan wonders how to succeed when the woman he loves watches his every move like a hawk prowling after its prey.

DANCE OF SEDUCTION is a wonderful Regency romance that starts off with a series of amusing squabbles between the lead characters before turning into a taut thriller. The story line is loaded with fun and action due to a delightful cast, not just the lead duo, but also an eccentric group of Londoners. Though the Specter and his henchmen pale in comparison to the good guys and gals, sub-genre fans will appreciate this fine historical romantic suspense.

Harriet Klausner

I was really looking forward to this book because I wanted to see how the character of Morgan Blakely, aka Captain Pryce, would turn out. I was not in the least disappointed!

Morgan opens a fake fencing shop in London in order to capture the "Specter" (who was really kind of a lame "villain") for the Crown. His neighbor is Lady Clara Stanbourne runs the Home, a place where she reforms pickpockets and tries to get them a good position in a home where they can earn a living. She at once dislikes Morgan's shop, believing him to be a thief, and then a fencer (someone who sells stolen goods). She tries to get him to close his shop, but he won't because of his job to the Crown. They get into several verbal skirmishes which are just delightful to say the least. Clara could really hold her own against Morgan.

Of course, Morgan and Clara start to fall in love, but as with any romance, there are problems. Morgan is supposed to be staying out of trouble due to a bet he made with Lady Juliet, his sister-in-law, so he volunteers at the Home to help, as a ruse against his family's meddling. This throws him into even closer proximity with Clara and things really develop from there!

Lots of steamy love scenes, humor and wit, and two wonderful protagonists makes Dance of Seduction a wonderful book! Lady Clara really stood up to her cause and Morgan really admired that about her, instead of looking down on her for her work or thinking it less important somehow. They had to work out their relationship issues, such as Morgan's inability to live on land. He is afraid to stay in London and uses his Captainship as a way to get out of a commitment with Clara, though he proposes anyway, thinking that it will make everything ok.

The other characters are wonderful too. Aunt Verity was very funny, and her dogs were adorable, really adding a comic touch to the story. It was also wonderful to visit Lady Juliet and Sebastian Ravenswood from After the Abduction.

All in all, this was a really wonderful story! I really enjoyed it.

If anything, Morgan Pryce, the hero of Dance of Seduction, is a lot more interesting than his twin brother Sebastian from After the Abduction. I could never really get a handle on Sebastian's character in that book, but just from passing mentions of Morgan in After the Abduction my attention was instantly caught by the accidental pirate and undercover smuggler spy - I love me those pirates. When Morgan gets a book all his own, he doesn't disappoint. He's not your typical rake. He's clearly a nice guy trying to do the right thing - while still managing to maintain an aura of danger and excitement. A great combination that seems like it would be hard for an author to pull off. When our story starts, he's going undercover as a fence in an elaborate plot to catch a notorious London thief known as the Specter. This leads him to cross paths with Lady Clara, a reformer who runs a home for former pickpockets just down the street from the shop that Morgan's using as a cover for his fake fencing. Clara's on his case immediately because she's worried that he'll tempt her young charges back into a life of crime. Clara and Morgan have an instant chemistry that is fun and sexy and, as always with Jeffries, very hot. I love watching them spar, flirt, fight, and fall in love.

I'm surprised at how much I like Clara, considering she seems custom made to get on my nerves - a zealous save the world type with a pack of cute little kids in tow. I'm expecting an incongruously sheltered, uptight, shrinking violet, but instead am completely won over by a surprisingly savvy, strong woman who, despite appearances, is the farthest thing from prim and proper. She spends most of her time in the seedy underbelly of London, the location of the Home for her kids, so she knows a thing or two about how tough and dangerous it is out there. I'm vastly entertained when Morgan's attempts to scare her off blow up in his face. And I'm more than happy to root for Clara as she tries to save the world one pickpocket at a time because she's never self righteous or moralistic about her mission. Even more surprising, I don't hate the kids who show up in the story either - no silly lisping sugary clichés here. Thank goodness. Nor does Clara do stupid things while bragging about how she can take care of herself. Well, for the most part at least. She does have some cringe worthy moments, but Morgan still has to work hard to keep a step ahead of her. Their relationship is all about the untangling of Morgan's subterfuges, from his top secret mission to his tortured past. Clara manages to be the ministering angel type without being apotheosized or appearing too meddlesome. Morgan is a bit whiney about how horrible he thinks he is, when of course he's not really horrible at all, but he gets over it eventually. Yay. When these two are finally able to overcome Morgan's past together and find true love, I'm happy for them. Even with the rather convoluted plot, and the apparently obligatory damsel in distress finale, Dance of Seduction was a satisfying read over all.