Customer Reviews

The Seducer (Get Connected Romances)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Setting - France and England, 1818 --- In this new series from Madeline Hunter, she has moved from the medieval age over to the Regency era in the period following the defeat of Napolean. Our heroine is the orphaned young girl, Diane Albret. She has been brought to the headmistress' office to be judged and punished for a school infraction. Brought to the school to witness this crime was, Daniel St. John, her mysterious guardian - a man who paid her tuition and made yearly visits to ask after her comfort - a man whose eyes were so dark and unfathomable that the child Diane had nicknamed `The Devil Man. As Daniel questioned her he realized that time had passed quickly when he wasn't looking and she was no longer a child, it was definitely time she left school.

For Diane, looking into his dark unfathomable eyes, the name Devil Man still had credence as he took her from the school, the only home she'd known for the last ten years. An innocent, warning from the headmistress rang in her head - that a men such as he would only be after one thing. Therefore, Diane was amazed when he brought her to the home in Paris he shared with his sister Jeanette. She couldn't fathom what he wanted from her but as he showered her with gowns and trips to the opera, her feelings of discomfort were rising to the surface - not realizing that the discomfort was really from an intense physical attraction to him and not just for his kindness to her.

Daniel St. John, was a notorious seducer yet while he was attracted to the beautiful young orphan, he fought his attraction knowing that he couldn't let himself get involved with Diane for she would be playing an important part in his plan of a revenge that he'd long awaited for. Daniel, traumatized as a young boy as he witnessed his mother's demise on the guillotine and his fathers complete breakdown had lived only for this revenge - fifteen years of waiting. Revenge upon the man who had stolen his sister's innocence, would be sweet, and Diane was just the bait to trap him. Unfortunately, human nature and the laws of attraction would plunge these two `orphans' both into danger and each other's arms as Daniel would learn that revenge at the cost of losing Diana, would not be sweet at all.

Madeline Hunter's newest offering has begun this series with a non-stop page-turning, darkly sensual and moody debut. Daniel is a very dark and moody hero, with more secrets than you can shake a stick at and Hunter keeps the suspense close to her chest as the reader is compelled to discover what those secrets are. The palatable sensuality is kept at an all time high as the two lead characters stir an ever-tangling web of seduction that leaves no passion unstirred...or heart untouched. With a wonderful cast of secondary characters promised to have their stories told in future novels, this new series written by the very talented Madeline Hunter is one in which I can't wait to follow up on! --- Marilyn Rondeau, Official Reviewer for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

I like a good escapist read as much as anyone else. Some time ago, I happened on Madeline Hunter's medieval novels. I liked a lot of things about them. Most important, they did not contain anachronisms. The people in them acted like people who lived then really acted. Women in her books acted like it was normal to be treated as pawns in political marriages, even if they did not like it. (Just as an aside, I always hate it when heroines are outraged at arranged marriages, when they grew up in a class and society where that is the norm -- anachronism destroys suspension of disbelief.) Within this setting, her medieval novels contained interesting characters who had true human depth. Those characters were not stereotypes. I found all her books well worth reading, and worth keeping. Engrossing, well-plotted and paced, with compelling characters, they provided me with wonderful escape reading.

But I am really a sucker for a good regency romance, so I was very excited when I heard that this same author had decided to write a series of books set in my favorite period. This is the first book in that series. While the book remains more true to its historical time than many set in this time period, it is in many ways a weaker book than her earlier efforts. The first thing I noticed is that the plotting was heavy-handed. It was obvious what was going on long before she revealed the details, which even made it easy to guess who some of the mystery characters would turn out to be. Moreover, I did not feel connected to the heroine. She struck me as alternately stupid and vapid, with occasional flashes of the kind of emotional strength required to lure a man away from a life focused on revenge. The plot is a well-worn enough one that the in this kind of book, the characters and writing have to carry the book, and these characters were not strong enough (nor was the writing graceful enough) to do that.

This was still far better a book than most historical romances set in this time period, and it was not a complete waste of my time to read it. However, compared to what she has done in the past, Madeline Hunter disappointed me this time around.

I've read all of the books in this series, but I read them out of order. So, when I picked up The Seducer it was more out of a sense of obligation to read the entire series and because I truly enjoy Ms. Hunter's writing style and voice. I didn't think I needed to read this book because I'd read all the others. I was so blown away by this story. It is humorous and sensual and is now my favorite of all the books in this series. It is a must read. If you haven't read it, buy it today. If you have, read it again!

Madeline Hunter is one of my must-read authors. I read every novel she writes. I have given all of her novels five star ratings. I really wanted The Seducer to be a five star rating as well, but compared to her other novels it just doesn't fall into that excellent category. However, it is still an entertaining read.

Daniel St. John is a self-made man with riches, agendas, and revenge on his mind. He has been guardian to a young girl, Diane, for years and visits her once a year, if at all possible, in the private, secluded French girl's school where he has placed her for care. Diane knows barely anything about her guardian who she refers to as the Devil Man. In the opening pages of the book, Daniel has been called to the school because Diane has badly misbehaved. In the process of his visit, he realizes Diane is not a young woman any more and further discovers that the management of the school is corrupt and removes her immediately. He brings Diane to his Paris home where she will live temporarily until he can take her to London where she wants to obtain a position as a governess. However, Daniel has no intention of letting Diane find such a position. He has other plans for her and lures her into the comfort of fine living with expensive clothes, servants, social engagements, and most importantly, the companionship of his invalid sister.

Diane is suspicious of her guardian's intentions and is determined she will not fall into his unknown plans for her. She clings to the hope that he will eventually take her to London, as promised, so that she may become independent and begin the ever-important search for her missing family. She was very young when she was separated from her family and since her guardian seems to be unwilling to tell her about her past, she must uncover it herself. Daniel's invalid sister puts a different spin on the story and certainly adds to the depth of the overall book. As usual, Hunter has put together an intriguing cast of characters. Although The Seducer has a mystery/suspense element continually running in the background, the primary emphasis is, thankfully, on the romance.

The Seducer is a good, spicy read with likable leads and a somewhat unusual plot. The hero is human and although set for revenge, is not consumed by it. As he finds himself increasingly drawn to Diane, he begins to discover he has the ability to care deeply for a woman. Diane gradually becomes stronger as the book progresses and in no way seems a recent product of a secluded girl's school. Although many of the plot lines are familiar to romance writing, Hunter still manages to make those situations highly interesting. The sensual scenes rate a solid 4.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). This is the first of Hunter's new series, all of which are scheduled for release in 2003. What a wonderful thing for a publisher to do for their fans! The Saint is the second in this series and is currently set for release in 11/03 followed by The Charmer in the beginning of 12/03 with The Sinner scheduled for the end of 2003. I will be buying each of these books as they become available and know there will be some great reading as a result.

Daniel St. John is a man haunted by a past that refuses to let him go. He is driven by revenge; to repay a great wrong inflicted on his family many, many years ago. Into his plan steps Diane Albret, a girl grown into a woman who was left in Daniel's care. Daniel needs Diane to lure one of his enemies into his web but his plans go awry when he falls in love with her.

Unwilling to risk hurting Diane, Daniel falls back on a plan already in place: to ruin his enemies financially, but it turns disastrous when his plot is discovered. In retaliation, Daniel's enemies kidnap Diane and attempt to use her to destroy him. Out of options, Daniel willingly confronts his enemies in an attempt to save Diane, knowing that his life no longer matters if she is killed.

I just finished reading this book. The remnant aftertaste of it still flows through my emotions and my thoughts. It's a really great book. The author took great care to allow each subplot to unfold with enough care so that it didn't overwhelm the main storyline: that of the romance between Daniel St. John and Diane Albret.

The story held my attention because the way it was written didn't reveal the reasons behind Daniel's plans or the secrets he held about Diane's past. It was brilliantly written, like a gift unwrapped one seal at a time, one layer at a time, until what's before you is this beautifully woven story that is so poignant, so suspenseful, you're left wondering why you never guessed the entirety of it in the first place.

I highly recommend it.

I totally didn't like the first half of the novel - I don't object to the guardian/ward setup but in this case he was authoritarian, uncommunicative, unfeeling, didn't seem to care about her wishes and was using her as a pawn in his game of revenge. She sort of went along with it, although she was trying to find her family but it seemed a bit half hearted. Kind of reminded me of reading Barbara Cartland in high school (but...thank...god...there...were...no...pauses...). It did improve after a while, she shows more independence and runs away; he realizes his feelings for her. I thought Hunter's 'The Saint' was much better.

Did Hunter really write this book? I've read Lady of Sin & Lord of Sin and it just doesn't seem like the same author. There is barely any emotion in this book. Daniel does not love Diane, he lusts after her and Diane has got cotton in her brain. She is so naive its ridiculous like going to her friends house, who by-the-way is a mistress. And is she ruined? NO! Huh?? Oh and yeah, she sleeps (begs him is more like it) with Daniel in exchange for a promise! WHAT!? She apparently has no idea what behavior is not proper for an innocent. What exactly were they teaching her in that french school?

Daniels revenge thing is totally out of hand too. I seriously didn't believe he would choose Diane over revenge. And his 'friends' from the dueling society? Well their just blah too, not very likeable or dislikeable. No interesting characters in this book at all. Maybe his sister Jeanette and Paul could have used some more pages.

I think I'm going to stick to Hunters lastest works and forget about these older ones. Good I didn't read them first.

If you want to read a fantastic historical that will keep you enthralled and pull your heart strings read Kingdom of Dreams or Almost Heaven by McNought. Kleypas, Quinn, Garwood and D'Allessandro are excellent writers too.

I have enjoyed all the books that I read by Ms. Hunter in the past and this book is no different. The story starts off rather quickly and keeps good pace through most of the plot which is a great thing. I found Diane to be a likely heroin, although I did not think the way she put up with Daniel was a great addition to the plot. I enjoyed Jeanette, Daniel's sister I found that I really wanted her to get the justice she so deseperately wanted in the face of what happened to her. I felt that she was one of the best development and most likeable of all the people in the story. I have mixed feelings about some of the plot though, I did not like the fact that Daniel St. John was keeping this big secret form Diane and when she found out about it she was only mad for a short period of the book(I will not give away the secret, read the book yourself). I enjoyed all the other aspects of The Seducer, the usual bad guy was really bad and from the first few pages of the book on you can feel the attration between Daniel and Diane as though you are there with them throughout the story. Since you are introduced to the heroes of the next three books in this first one, you almost can not wait to see how the other three fare in the face of love.

I've had this book on my TBR shelf for years. I was put off by some disappointments in other books by Ms Hunter and some very negative reviews here.

I am glad my cuoriosity got the better of me. I liked this book a lot. I thought Diane was darling and Daniel was the perfect hero. The historical detail kept my interest.

The book was mistitled. This was a story of love, betrayal, vengence and redemption. It really worked for me and has restored my faith in Madeline Hunter. Well Done.

This is the first Madeline Hunter book I have read. I understand that she has quite the following for her medieval series. The plot is typical and holds no real surprises, but the pacing is good and the writing, although sub-par to my favorites (Quinn and Laurens) is not bad. Hunter's sensuality is subdued, so those who don't like explicit love scenes won't be put off.The damsel in distress has a mysterious past, as does our hero. My complaints with this work surround these mysteries. Hunter withholds important parts of the story until the very end of the book. I know that other authors I've read did this with better effect. With The Seducer, I just got more and more frustrated as the story wore on. Hunter could have thrown the reader a bone every now and again without ruining the "surprise" ending (which really wasn't a surprise at all).At least Diane and Daniel are likeable as the main couple. I did wish she has chosen names that didn't sound so much alike, but that's a minor thing. This book is part of a series, and she does introduce the future heros, but I only found one intriguing enough to want to know his story. This isn't surprising, as these men are not introduced as true friends of our hero and have little time devoted to them in the novel.I will probably continue to read this series to bridge the gap between releases from my favorite authors. Hunter is a good writer and her story (aside from the maddening lack of details on the mystery) is good.