Seduction by Design [Mass Market Paperback]

Sandra Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002

Hailey Ashton is devoted to her challenging job at the Serendipity Amusement Park. But Hailey's tough exterior hides a fragile self-image that dashes any hopes of a love life. Until a minor emergency brings her into contact with Tyler Scott.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Hailey Ashton is a successful customer relations representative at Serendipity, an amusement park in Gatlinburg, TN. She has found a fulfillment professionally that she has not achieved in her relationships with men. She lacks self-confidence, partially brought on by having a younger sister whom she perceives as being more attractive, sexier, and more outgoing. As a result of a mishap at the park experienced by 11-year-old Faith, Hailey meets the girl's father, Tyler Scott. From that point the novel follows the evolution of a romantic affair, with each partner wanting to make it work, but Hailey's lack of self-assurance and her suspicion that she may be just another of Tyler's conquests hinder progress. Jenna Stern's reading successfully captures Hailey's anxiety, Tyler's composure, and Faith's childlike energy. Recommended for romance collections. Catherine Swenson, Norwich Univ. Lib., Northfield, VT
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Sandra Brown is the author of more than 50 New York Times bestsellers, including CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), HELLO, DARKNESS (2003), THE CRUSH (2002), ENVY (2001), THE SWITCH (2000), THE ALIBI (1999), UNSPEAKABLE (1998), and FAT TUESDAY (1997), all of which have been positioned in the top five spots. Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published 65 novels. Her books have been translated into 30 languages, and there are presently 70 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Her 1992 novel FRENCH SILK was made into an ABC-TV movie. A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco and raised in Ft. Worth. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program "PM Magazine." Awards and commendations include the American Business Women's Association's Distinguished Circle of Success, B'nai B'rith's Distinguished Literary Achievement Award, the A. C. Greene Award and the Romance Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a member of Author's Guild, Mystery Writers of America, International Association of Crime Writers, Novelists, Inc. and Literacy Partners. She is married to Michael Brown, a former television anchorman who recently produced the award winning documentary film DUST TO DUST. They live in Arlington, Texas.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446603104
• ISBN-13: 978-0446603102
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.6 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #488,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Brown, Sandra

More About the Author

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty New York Times bestsellers, including RAINWATER (2010), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006), CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), HELLO, DARKNESS (2003), THE CRUSH (2002), ENVY (2001), THE SWITCH (2000), THE ALIBI (1999), UNSPEAKABLE (1998) and FAT TUESDAY (1997), all of which have jumped onto the Times bestseller list in the number one to five spot.

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-three languages.

A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program "PM Magazine."

She is much in demand as a speaker and guest television hostess. Her episode on truTV's "Murder by the Book" premiered the series in 2008 and she was one of the launch authors for Investigation Discovery's new series, "Hardcover Mysteries."

In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer's Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Seduction by Design....give me a break!, May 23, 2001

By 

Susie Rigsby "([e-mail])" (Eldorado, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seduction by Design: A Classic Love Story (Hardcover)

This a is typical SB novel. I'm still wondering who came up with the title for this novel. I've read several novels by this author, and after reading the last one, I sort of felt badly about how I'd thought her talent lacked a lot. I figured I'd just picked up the wrong novels and was off to a bad start. My first mistake here was buying another reprint. My second mistake was reading this novel from the start to the finish. After I closed the book and thought about the story, I started laughing. I'm still laughing. I can't believe I stayed with it and read the whole book in one sitting. I thought several times that sooner or later the plot will improve and the story will get better. Nope, it just didn't happen. It makes me wonder sometimes how an author can write a book like this one and expect the public to swallow it. Better yet, for a publisher to stick an author's name on a reprint and sell it. Then I'm thinking, it's a reprint from 1983 and maybe this type of novel was considered good. However, this is 2001 and no one would expect a business tycoon like Tyler Scott to behave with an employee in such a manner. To tell an employee he planned to seduce her the next day after their first meeting would lay a man wide open for legal action under the sexual harassment act. There was no leading up to a love affair. It just started out with Tyler telling her his intentions and from there it was....well...it was YUCK. I share books that I purchase with a reading buddy and I plan to give her the option about reading this book. I wouldn't recommend it to her because I wouldn't want her to get the idea I enjoyed any part of it. If she didn't already know I had it, I wouldn't tell her about it at all. With that, I think I've made my point.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Michelle--College Point, NY, May 10, 2001

By 

"mm423" (College Point, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seduction by Design: A Classic Love Story (Hardcover)

First of all, I would like to say that I usually love Sandra Brown books. But I was totaly disappointed in this book. The story line was too predictible and the heroine was too weak.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a Major Rip Off, August 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Seduction by Design: A Classic Love Story (Hardcover)

OK. Sandra Brown has decided to recycle romances she wrote 20 years ago. They repackage the product in a hip, new hardcover title and sell it as "new"... Only they decide to come up front and admit in the front of the book that it's a reprint from 20 years ago. Not a problem. UNTIL YOU READ THE BOOK.

I'm sorry. I am a librarian and I understand the value of "new editions" that come out every year, updating "old" editions. But rich, lazy Sandra Brown didn't even BOTHER to read the "old" book and update it. Example....Little 11 year old Faith wears her hair in pigtails but would like to look like Stevie Nicks. She plays "electronic games" or "computerized games" in restaurants and begs to spend the night at a friend's house because her TV has an "Atari" and she also has some cool "albums". PULLLEZE.

There's more (descriptions of the "hip" outfits) but I won't go into it. People waste incredible amounts of money on hardcover books. Fortunately for me, I just checked it out at my library. But my director wasted HIS money because the book was not a "new edition" in the least. I so don't look forward to reading the other two "updated books" I have on my desk.

Don't even think of buying this book.