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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Deep characters to care for and a twisted villian that fascinated and repelled me!, September 1, 2009
This review is from: Seduced by A Stranger (Zebra Historical Romance) (Paperback)
Seduced by a Stranger by Eve Silver
Historical Romance-Gothic- Sept 1st, 2009
4 stars
Eve Silver has written has out done herself with her latest gothic Seduced by a Stranger. This story kept me guessing until almost the very end! Seduced by a Stranger is without a doubt, her most terrifying and thrilling gothic to date. I was intensely drawn to the shadowy, tortured hero and the courageous heroine. This novel is guaranteed to scare and shock you with deliciously twisted turns and a diabolical murderer!
Catherine's invitation to visit with an old school mate, Madeline seems like a Godsend. However, when she reaches Cairncroft Abbey she is dismayed by the lack of hospitality and warnings of doom should she stay. But Cathereine will not desert her friend. Poor Madeline is emaciated and confused. Her cousin, Sir Gabriel St. Aubyn is dark and forbidding. Although Catherine eventually comes to fear for herself and her friend, she has no where else to go. Unfortunately, complications from her past leave Catherine with few choices. She resolves to make the best of her situation and console Madeline. To add to her troubles, Catherine soon finds herself irresistibly drawn to the enigmatic and handsome Sir Gabriel even as she suspects he may be linked to a series of grisly murders.
This gothic was much darker and twisted than I had expected. Eve Silver also does an excellent job of creating characters with depth. Each has a past they would rather not reveal and I found their secret pasts added tremendously to the characters and the story line. As I discovered more about them I became caught in the stories of these 2 strong personalities, eager to discover the truth behind their suffering. The character development in Eve Silver's hero and heroine are fully fleshed and extremely interesting. Gabriel is particularly fascinating and mysterious. I was impressed with Catherine's determination and willingness to risk all for love. In addition, the villain in this novel was deliciously evil and diabolical. One of the cruelest I've read in a long time. Although I was engrossed by the mystery in the story the villain both fascinated and repelled me. At the suspenseful and tumultuous end, I was shocked by the murderer's motives and cruelty.
This was a rare read. Gothic romance at its very best!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
absolutely phenomenal!, September 1, 2009
This review is from: Seduced by A Stranger (Zebra Historical Romance) (Paperback)
Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
Oh my, Seduced by a Stranger is absolutely phenomenal!
Catherine Weston has a secret to hide that holds the truth of her past. The gossip is everywhere, so when her old friend Madeline St. Aubyn requests Catherine visit her at Cairncroft Abbey, the St. Aubyn family estate, Catherine is happy to go. She owes an old debt to Madeline, who saved her life as a young girl. However, when Catherine arrives, it is obvious the Abbey has a dark history as well, not the least of which is Madeline's declining health and terrible fear of her cousin, Gabriel St. Aubyn.
Gabriel St. Aubyn has a very dark past that affects all he feels and does. He has no desire to share these secrets though if anyone could break down his walls, it would be the enchanting friend of his cousin. When a young woman with ties to Catherine ends up dead, Gabriel becomes a prime suspect because of the very past he keeps hidden. Now it appears Catherine may be in danger as well and she is torn - trust this man who haunts her dreams or fear him for the villain he might be? Catherine has been Seduced by a Stranger and it could mean her death... or her greatest fantasies come true.
Seduced by a Stranger is a story of overcoming the sins of the past to find happiness and love in the present. However, it is also so much more than that. Catherine and Gabriel are two deeply wounded individuals who have experienced horrors no one should ever have to face, especially alone. They each have plenty of reasons to doubt one another and turn their backs on love, but these two are so much stronger than they believe they are. They belong together and following along with them as they finally let go of the past to find happiness in the present makes for a beautiful love story.
Most everything Eve writes is dark in tone, but Catherine and Gabriel's story is her darkest yet. Also I feel it important to point out, if you are squeamish or have problems with reading graphic violence, you may want to think twice about Seduced by a Stranger. There are several parts with explicit descriptions of the murders the villain commits and of the torture one of the characters suffers as a child. I do think however, that Eve did a fantastic job of giving just enough detail for us to understand what drives the characters and how these events affected them, without crossing the line into unacceptable. Just be forewarned when you start this one.
I have read everything Eve Silver has written, under both pseudonyms and she only gets better with each book. I was sucked in to Seduced by a Stranger from page one. Here we have a highly complex tale of passion and intrigue that keeps us reading long into the dark night, though most likely leaving the light on when it is time to go to sleep. There are a few stunning plot twists and I was completely blown away by the conclusion and exactly how everyone was involved.
Eve Silver is an amazing writer and I for one cannot wait to read her next book.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, August 2009. All rights reserved.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spine-tingly Goodness!, September 1, 2009
This review is from: Seduced by A Stranger (Zebra Historical Romance) (Paperback)
After receiving a letter from a childhood friend pleading for her to visit, Catherine packs her bags and journeys to Cairncroft Abby. A place where unbeknownst to her, secrets lie. Terrible, disturbing secrets. As the story unfolds, so too does the romance between Catherine and Gabriel. Together they shed their secrets, freeing their souls, opening themselves to each other to grasp and hold the love long denied them.
If you haven't read an Eve Silver Gothic historical, I would urge you to pick one up. She is simply an amazing story-teller. I have not read any thing that compares to the eerie tone that she sets in each of her books. She is one gifted author in the art of making your eyes widen, your blood curdle, your skin crawl, your heart to beat in anticipation, as each scene unfolds, engaging you further and further into the disturbing plot and the lives of each of the characters.
Without a doubt, Seduced by a Stranger is Eve Silver's darkest, most twisted tale to date. I wondered how she would top His Wicked Sins, and as I read this one I was amazed all over again at her uncanny ability to seduce you into the mysterious, dark and at times morbid lives of Gabriel, Geoffrey, Sebastien, Madeline and Catherine.
Eve Silver builds such amazing intensity, leading you to the culminating ending. If you want to read a little something dark, and completely riveting then this book is sure to meet your needs.
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