Most Helpful Customer Reviews
64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sensuous, romantic and redemptive, October 30, 2008
This review is from: To Seduce A Sinner (The Legend of the Four Soldiers) (Mass Market Paperback)
Having read Ms. Hoyt's first novel in her Four Soldiers series, and not liking it much, I was captivated by her second in the series To Seduce a Sinner. This novel is deeper and in many ways more complex and passionate than the first.
Melisande Fleming has loved Lord Jasper Vale for years but he has never noticed her and was even engaged to her best friend once. So when Jasper is left at the altar Melisande does something completely out of character from her shy quiet self, she asks Jasper to marry her and to her surprise and delight he agrees to the match. She never shares her love for Jasper when she asks for his hand as she has had her heart broken before and intends to guard it most carefully this time.
Jasper agrees to the match because he is frankly tired of looking for a spouse and Melisande comes from a respected family. He really does not know her at all. She is an extreme introvert, plain and unassuming. I also had the same impression of her; in fact, Melisande was almost boring for the first hundred pages or so of this novel. She wants to fade into the background and did so quite well in the first part of the story.
Jasper, on the other hand is about a hundred times more interesting and this story is really his story. Jasper is searching for the man who betrayed his regiment to the French resulting in the horrific torture of his men by the colonial Wyandot Tribe. Jasper's search for the traitor becomes in actuality a search for his redemption. On the outside Jasper is a carefree, sanguine chap but inside he carries guilt and heartache over the fate of his men. Jasper is truly a nice person and it was easy to see why Melisande fell in love with him.
Melisande never really shines at first except in the bedroom where she is totally unafraid and uninhibited. This is a shock to her husband who expected his wife to have the same reticent personality there as she does in the drawing room. These scenes were earthy, emotional and romantic. Through her passion Melisande lets her husband know how enamored she really is with him and it also gives her confidence to express her devotion outside the bedroom too.
This is a sensuous novel that really shows how beautifully this couple's marriage heals broken parts of Melisande and Jasper's past. Melisande's kindness and patience are just the balm that Jasper needs to soothe his troubled soul and Jasper's upbeat personality and persistence allow Melisande a safe environment to express her love and devotion through words and deeds.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Seduction is always more singular and sublime than sex and it commands the higher price.-Jean Baudrillard, November 3, 2008
This review is from: To Seduce A Sinner (The Legend of the Four Soldiers) (Mass Market Paperback)
This is the second book in The Legend of the Four Soldiers series.
I was not too impressed with the first book in this series as I never got attached to the abrasive heroine. Luckily, this book is of the quality that I have come to expect from Ms. Hoyt. This is the kind of tale that has made her one of my favorite authors.
Melisande has loved, from a distance, Lord Vale for years... although Vale has barely acknowledged her existence. After watching Vale get dumped by his betrothed for the second time, Melisande sees her opportunity and takes advantage of it; she proposes marriage and Vale accepts.
This book had probably one of the funniest opening chapters I have ever read. The scene between Vale and his hysterical fiancée had me laughing out loud and really set the pace for a fantastic story.
Melisande is a heroine who fades into the background when in public and has a few secrets of her own. She's not conventionally beautiful but her wit, humor and sense of herself more than make up for the physical. I thought her and Vale were a perfect match and I enjoyed their sarcastic sparring and watching them get to know each other. Their romance has a real believability to it and their honesty and acceptance of one another was refreshing.
These are too complex characters that aren't that typical to historicals. I found this an easy mix of fun, romance and heat. I also enjoyed the ongoing mystery of the possible betrayer to Vale and his fellow former soldier. I look forward to seeing how that pans out and I can't wait to read the next book. This is one of those impossible to put down books, I loved it.
To Taste Temptation (The Legend of the Four Soldiers)
To Beguile A Beast (The Legend of the Four Soldiers)
To Desire a Devil (release date November 2009)
Cherise Everhard November 2008
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Truly Special and Unique Historical Romance, November 5, 2008
This review is from: To Seduce A Sinner (The Legend of the Four Soldiers) (Mass Market Paperback)
Elizabeth Hoyt has only been publishing romances for a few years, but her work is as accomplished, complex, and elegantly written as those of the masters of the genre (like Madeleine Hunter, Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, Eloisa James, Julia Quinn, etc.) What's more, her plots, characters, and writing style are all original; her voice is unique; and every book is distinct from the last one. I think those who haven't discovered Hoyt's books yet are in for a real treat.
"To Seduce a Sinner," like all of Hoyt's stories, features a troubled male protagonist, a multi-layered heroine (in fact, Melissande seems to have more hidden depths than any of her other heroines, save that of her first book, "The Raven Prince"), and a plot with dark undertones of loss, betrayal, and rage. In this case, Lord Vale is determined to discover the traitor in his war regiment, a journey that takes him to unsavory places to meet with unsavory people. Melissande, in contrast, is suffering from her unrequited love for Vale, love she attempts to keep hidden, even after they marry and start a sexual relationship. This struggle is surprisingly heartwrenching, and it's easy to identify with Melissande's restrained longing for her husband.
Vale is an extremely interesting character-- much more so than he seemed in the first book of this series. He's a cad with a strong moral code; a lover who seems oblivious at times to basic human emotion; a charmer who is befuddled by the enigmatic nature of his wife. The result is an intriguing love story where even small moments between Vale and Melissande crackle with chemistry.
I loved this story. In fact, I think it's my favorite of Elizabeth Hoyt's books simply because every page revealed something intriging about the characters or the historical period. The dialogue is crisp and witty; the love scenes erotic and raw, as is Hoyt's trademark.
I highly recommend "To Seduce a Sinner."
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
