Customer Reviews

Master Of Desire

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
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If you've assumed that you wouldn't like a medieval romance without ever having read one, read Master of Desire and see what you've been missing. Jessica Trapp has created characters we really care about and tells a compelling story of powerful emotion and sensuality.

Lady Ariana is a widow who has turned her estate into a thriving enterprise, but she is being blackmailed. The price she must pay to prevent exposure is to spy on other nobles and give their secrets to her blackmailer. If her own secret is exposed, she risks imprisonment, execution and harm to her deaf son. To put an end to the spying, the king engages, a commoner, Gabriel. He must succeed in his mission so that he will be rewarded and thus be able to support his many siblings.

Gabriel captures Ariana and there is a palpable attraction between them. She cannot allow him to take her to the king, though, to be imprisoned and she manages to escape him for a while. He claims he can protect her by marrying her and putting an end to her spying. She resists for a number of reasons, including the loss of her hard won independence. Both the passion and the power struggle between Lady Ariana and Gabriel are intense.

Ms. Trapp is a talented author. Once you read this book, you'll want to go back and read her amazing debut novel, Master of Pleasure.

Lady Ariana of Rosebriar is the Spy of the Night, a woman blackmailed into gathering secrets about the nobles. A woman who will do anything to protect her deaf son - and her secrets -- even if it means murder. But on her latest mission to deliver tawdry tidbits in a secret place in the church, she encounters a false priest, a man bent on exposing her. Though she initially escapes, Gabriel of Whitestone's resolve leads to her capture. He must deliver her to the King in order to earn the land that will provide safety and sustenance to his seven siblings.

Jessica's second novel grips the reader immediately. From the very first page, we experience Ariana's anxiety as she debates her options. She knows the man in clerical robes is no priest. Yet she must take care because her son's welfare is at stake. Equally intriguing is Gabriel. Although he despises spoiled nobles, he realizes Ariana is different. Despite her rich clothing that proclaims her wealth, she is a puzzle to him, a very desirable one.

Trapp's follow-up to her debut, Master of Pleasure, is every bit as sensual and fast-paced as the first one. Gabriel and Ariel are wonderful characters you'll not soon forget.

This is one book that I didn't get bored with. I was grabbing every opportunity to read and finished it in several days time. It usually takes me several weeks to finish a book. I loved everything about it, especially the sex. Some books over do the obstacles that keep lovers apart. This of course had some, but it wasn't overdone.

Like any good mother, Lady Ariana of Rosebriar did whatever it took to protect her deaf son, even if it meant killing an abusive husband. The good news was she had a powerful ally that helped her cover up the deed; the bad news was he was now blackmailing her into spying amongst the nobles and revealing all their dirty little secrets.

Gabriel of Whitestone, aka The Hunter, was the king's bounty hunter and sole provider for his seven half-siblings. When one of his brothers was imprisoned and falsely accused as the infamous "Spy of the Night" he was determined to capture the true spy, whom he discovered was Lady Ariana. Not only would he have the means to save his sibling, but by turning over the true spy - who was also the woman once married to his half-brother - he could claim her property. Little did he know that the beautiful and infamous `Spy of the Night' would lay claim and capture his heart.

*** I found this to be a positively enchanting tale. Lady Ariana was a marvelous heroine. A ward of the King she'd been married three times to old and/or abusive husbands. She'd done her duty but finally had become a somewhat independent woman (if not for her blackmailer). Although by trade as an assassin for the king, Gabriel showed another side of being a gentle and caring brother for his siblings. He had no use for the nobility, but Ariana proved she was unlike any of the nobility he'd ever come in contact with for Ariana possessed a kind and caring heart. The pace was kept up with several escape attempts on her part and infinite patience on his part, before Gabriel would tame and win her trust. Filled with a fair amount of endearing secondary characters in the form of Gabriel's siblings, the reader will feel gifted with a story they won't want to see end.
Additionally, I found the level of sensuality as Ariana is taught by Gabriel the lessons of passion and desire extremely satisfying and should compel most readers to put this one on their `keeper' shelf to revisit again and again. I highly recommend this very entertaining and lovely romance!

Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization

Lady Ariana of Rosebriar is a woman on a mission. Blackmailed by an unknown enemy into finding out secrets of the nobility and turning them over to the King, she has no choice but to ferret out any information she can find. Ariana goes into a chapel and proceeds to watch the unknown priest light candles. Ariana knows that she has to place the information she has under the altar. What she doesn't know is that the priest isn't really a priest, but a bounty hunter for the King. The priest tries to stall Ariana in the chapel but she escapes, or so she thinks. The priest grabs Ariana and proceeds to kidnap her. Fighting ruthlessly, Ariana escapes her kidnapper only to have to rely on him to save her from men intent on assaulting her. Ariana realizes that the only way she can escape her kidnapper is to be cooperative. After a day in his company Ariana soon forgets that he is holding her prisoner and gives in to desire.

Gabriel is on the hunt of his life. His brother is in prison with orders to hang in days for being the Spy of the Night. No one will believe that his brother is innocent so Gabriel sets out to find the real spy, capture him, and bring him to justice. There is just one catch; Gabriel's quest to capture the spy of the night leads him to Ariana of Rosebriar, his dead brother's wife. Gabriel struggles with his conscience but is unable to stop his desire for Ariana and soon acts upon his attraction. Before he knows it, he has proposed to his prisoner. Now, Gabriel is torn between his brother condemned to hang and Ariana. Gabriel is unaware of how the wind is blowing because a force greater than he is threatening murder and could even overthrow the King.

MASTER OF DESIRE by Jessica Trapp was a pleasant, well-written read that I enjoyed very much. I found the suspense and intrigue invigorating and could not wait until I found out who the real bad guy was. As for the romantic aspect, MASTER OF DESIRE delivers a touching, poignant love story that warmed the heart.

MASTER OF DESIRE by Jessica Trapp is the sequel to MASTER OF PLEASURE, released earlier in the year. That said, MASTER OF DESIRE could be read alone without reading the prequel. I look forward to reading more from Jessica Trapp in the future and I am sure other readers will feel the same.

The plot and character development is quite good but at times I found the herione so vexing that I almost stopped reading it! There's action, mystery and adventure. Gabriel is smoking HOT!! However, in my opinion the love scenes could have been a bit more detailed. Therefore, although this book is classified as romantic erotica I disagree. Romance yes, Erotica NO!

This was a very easy read. The characters weren't overly complicated and the plot was just ok. Usually in this type of genre, I read Virginia Henley or Nicole Jordan and their books just seemed to have more depth compared to Jessica Trapp's writing style. It's probably a book that I will not read again.