Customer Reviews

Seduction of a Proper Gentleman (Superior Collection)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Set in England, the year 1854. According to a legend, five hundred years ago this very season two border families, one Scottish and one English, were supposed to be joined in marriage to end the years of violence between them. But the marriage never occurred. An old woman, who had lost everyone she loved to the bloodshed, was furious that it would continue. She cast a curse on the families involved. If they did not join in marriage by the end of five hundred years, both families would cease to exist and terrible, dreadful things would happen.

Lady Kathleen MacDavid is the widow of Sir Kenneth. She is the granddaughter of the dowager Countess of Dumleavy, the niece of the current earl, Malcolm, and his sister, Hannah. Kathleen did not believe in the curse until recently and now seeks to wed Oliver Leighton, the Earl of Norcroft, to break the curse. Though Kathleen has come to accept this marriage between the two families as inevitable, she is still reluctant and uneasy. Kathleen and Hannah travel via train to the country, where Oliver is spending time at Norcroft Manor with his mother, Lady Norcroft (Edwina). Hannah, who dabbles with magic, wants Kathleen to pretend to lose her memory. When Kathleen refuses, Hannah casts her spell.

Oliver Leighton and his mother are surprised when the unconscious is brought to Norcroft Manor by two locals and a lady en route to Lord Darlington's current party. When the lady finally awakens, it is without her memory. The doctor is sure the memory will return eventually. Until then Edwina insists the lost lady remain at the manor. Oliver is suspicious and doubts the memory loss; however, it only takes a few days and tests to totally convince him. She is given the temporary name of Kate. Oliver cannot help but become smitten by the lady.

Exactly one week after Hannah's spell was cast, Kate wakes up with her full memory. But how will she convince Oliver of a curse, much less of magic? And once Kathleen/Kate tells everything, will Oliver believe her or hate her?

***** This is the last story in the The Last Man Standing saga. I dreaded seeing it end. Author Victoria Alexander breathes life into her characters and I feel as though I know them well. I will miss these friends terribly. However, this also means that the author is free to begin a new trilogy and I have no doubt I will feel as though I am making new friends. I have rarely found an author that can create such wonderful people, loosely link them all together in some manner, and do so in such a way that it all seems believable.

The couples from the previous novels are mentioned briefly at the beginning, to help refresh the memories of readers. Afterward, the entire story focuses on the main couple. There are some secondary characters, Oliver's cousins, who enter the story mid-way. I cannot help but wonder if these three female cousins will be the next trilogy. I can hardly wait to see. All-in-all, this is a light and romantic read that I found to be totally delightful. Brava! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This is a historical romance with a dash of magic, a curse and good old fashion lust! Lady Kathleen MacDavid is told by her grandmother that she must marry the Earl of Norcroft to break a 500 year old curse. She ignores her grandmother then all the men she either love or is starting to have feelings for DIE. She decides to seek out the Earl of Norcroft but before she can come up with a plan her aunt (either pushes her/performs a spell) and she hits her head and looses her memory. She ends up at the Earl of Norcroft home where she attempts to remember her past while falling for the Earl. Enjoy!

The final book of the Last Man Standing series (I would recommend them all); A Little Bit Wicked (Last Man Standing, Book 1),What a Lady Wants (Last Man Standing, Book 2), Secrets of a Proper Lady (Last Man Standing, Book 3).

If you enjoy this genre I would also suggest; A Wallflower Christmas, The Wedding Ghost (Zebra Regency Romance), The Lost Duke of Wyndham (Two Dukes of Wyndham, Book 1) and A Rake's Guide To Pleasure (Zebra Historical Romance).

The fourth and final installment in the Last Man Standing series by Victoria Alexander is Seduction of a Proper Gentleman. The series is based around a wager made by four gentlemen - Viscount Warton, Viscount Cavendish, American Daniel Sinclair, and the Earl of Norcroft. The stakes of the bet are a shilling contributed by each gentleman and a bottle of cognac, all of which will be given to the last man of the group to remain single. Seduction of a Proper Gentleman is the story of Oliver Leighton, Earl of Norcroft, and his road to wedded bliss with Lady Kathleen McDavid.

Determined to end a 500-year old curse on her Scottish family, Lady Kathleen McDavid travels to London with her Aunt Hannah in search of the one man in the entire world she must marry to save her family. His name is Oliver Leighton, and he is the Earl of Norcroft. Upon arriving in London, Kathleen bumps into the Earl of Norcroft as he is leaving his club after an evening of leisure. But when he mistakes Kathleen for a beggar and gives her the winning shillings from the wager, she wonders what kind of husband this man will become. Aunt Hannah feverishly tries to convince Kathleen to use some family magic to snag Oliver as her husband. Kathleen steadfastly refuses as she wants to be honest with her future husband and quite frankly she doesn't believe magic will work. But Aunt Hannah has no qualms about a little magic and thus casts a spell upon the unbeknownst Kathleen. Kathleen wakes to find herself lying on a sofa in the country home of the Earl with no memory of how she got there, let alone of who she is. The only thing that Kathleen knows is there is an attraction between her and the Earl.

Oliver Leighton cannot believe he is the last man standing. Of all the gentlemen who took part in the wager, Oliver was the only one not opposed to the idea of marriage and yet here he is alone again. His friends have found marriage and happiness. And now, Oliver believes he is ready to find his. However, when a beautiful young woman appears at his country home supposedly suffering from amnesia, Oliver puts his quest for happiness aside to find out exactly what this woman is hiding or more importantly what this woman wants. Though he is suspicious of Kathleen's motives, Oliver finds it hard to control his desires and not fall for the captivating nuances of his houseguest.

I absolutely love books with wonderful dialogue, and this is just one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much. Victoria Alexander delivers the dialogue with finesse and humor. The lively banter between Kathleen and Oliver is perfect. Throw in a few meddling family members, a quirky butler, and a little bit of magic and you have the makings for a wonderfully delightful story. Be sure to pick up a copy of Seduction of a Proper Gentleman and enjoy the experience.

[...]

To break a century old curse, that plagues her family as well as the Leighton family, Lady Kathleen MacDavid has to cast every society rule to the wind and seduce and marry Oliver Leighton, the Earl of Norcroft. But how should she do that, especially because he is a stranger. Together with her sister she comes up with the idea to pretend that she has lost her memory, but her sister casts a spell and the pretending becomes reality. How will Oliver react when he finds out the truth, especially because he is falling for the mysterious lady.

As always Ms. Alexander gifts her readers with an enjoyable historical romance, this time even with a light touch of paranormal due to the magic that Kathleen's sister Hannah uses to help Kathleen in her quest to win Oliver's heart. The funny and sensual characters make the book so enjoyable. She really has a way to draw her reader into the story and you have the feeling you are becoming a part of it.

There are quite a few interesting secondary characters, like Oliver's cousin, who might be good material for upcoming books.

SEDUCTION OF A PROPER GENTLEMAN is the last instalment of the Last Man Standing series, but like all of the previous books you can also read this one as a stand-alone.

If you are looking for a light romantic book to spend a cold winter evening with SEDUCTION OF A PROPER GENTLEMAN is the perfect choice for you. You can't do anything wrong with a book by Ms. Alexander.

Courtesy of Loveromances and More

Could it be MAGIC...

For most people falling in love and trusting your heart to another can be a somewhat risky thing to do, though usually well worth the gamble. For Lady Kathleen MacDavid falling in love can be a hazardous venture, or to be more precise, a truly perilous one for the gentleman she falls in love with. But then, most people don't have fate, destiny AND a 500 year old curse hanging over their heads. Now, the lovely Lady Kathleen considered herself to be an intelligent, responsible and reasonably sensible woman--no simple thing when you were raised in a family of rather impractical women who dabbled in the mystic arts; and believed in things like spells, charms, superstitions and magic--Oh, and of course, the family CURSE.

According to old family legend, it all started hundreds of years ago with two feuding border families--an English one and Kathleen's Scottish ancestors, who, in order to end the hostility and violence were to be joined thru marriage. But somehow the marriage never took place and an old woman who'd lost most of her family in the warfare had put a curse on both families--declaring they be united in marriage--or terrible, dreadful things would happen and both family lines would die out. They'd had 500 years to break the curse, but apparently no one had; and the deadline--autumn of 1854--was fast approaching.

At first Kathleen thought the whole thing was utter nonsense, but after years of untimely deaths, a string inexplicable tragedies and the peculiar inability of perfectly healthy members of her family to reproduce--leaving Kathleen as the last of her line--had forced her to become a believer. So to break the curse and save her family, she was willing to travel to England and sacrifice herself on the alter of matrimony to--the last male descendent of the English family--Oliver Leighton, 12th Earl of Norcroft.

Now, would it be too much to hope that Lord Norcroft believed in magic as well???

*****

I'm always a little nervous when I read the final book in any series because honestly--due to high expectations--a last book can sometimes make or break a series for the reader. So I'm thrilled to say that I thought SEDUCTION OF A PROPER GENTLEMAN was an absolutely PERFECT ending to Victoria Alexander's excellent "Last Man Standing" quartet.

From the charming and "magically" mysterious prologue, to the incredibly fitting conclusion of the "tontine", and the utterly delightful glimpse into the HEA of the characters that I've come to love--thirty years into their future--in a wonderful epilogue ... I loved-loved-loved Oliver and Kate's enchanting, funny and romantic tale. It was pure MAGIC!

I thought Kate was the ideal heroine for Oliver; they had great chemistry together and both were kindhearted, amiable, affectionate and "family oriented". I had loved Oliver throughout the series; he was a dependable and honorable man--the most sensible of all the "guys"--and just an all around nice fellow who very much deserved to find love. Though I definitely enjoyed the irony of Oliver winning the bet--he was unashamedly a romantic and the only one not running away from love, so of course, he would be the last to find it. And I was very happy with how Oliver's character evolved in the story, the author allowed him to be more lighthearted, playful, charmingly flirtatious and sexy. And he was made to endure some unpredictable and hilarious mishaps as well.

Though, aside from the terrific humor and delightful absurdity of the "curse" I felt there was a much deeper--dare I say profound--theme running below the lighthearted surface of the story... Reminding us that BAD things do happen to GOOD people and usually with no rhyme or reason to them. And to survive the sorrowful times of your life, or make the terrible times bearable, you need to trust in your inner strength--and you absolutely must have HOPE in your heart.

I felt Kate was that kind of person. She was a strong, courageous, and remarkable heroine because no matter what life threw at her she kept her sense of humor, and she kept picking herself up and carrying on. I loved her--and she's become one of my all time favorite heroines. I also thought the amnesia scenario matched the storyline so well; I love the whole--chance to start over/start fresh--thing. Kate's struggle to come to terms with her loss of memory and sense of being "lost" added another poignant layer to the storyline. She had to deal with a roller-coaster of emotions and I couldn't help but feel her frustrations and fears. Yet, she handled losing her memory remarkably well, much better than I think I would have been able to cope. Her self-reflections were full of tender moments that tugged at the heartstrings and also several laugh out loud moments; such as when she was assembling a list of what she perceived to be her newly discovered character flaws.

I love romantic comedies and I've been a big fan of Victoria Alexander's historical romances for several years. I believe she has a genuine gift for--lighthearted--romantic storytelling that is complemented by the lustrous comedic "voice" of a true humorist. Her stories are passionate--unquestionably--optimistic and entertaining, offering her reader's sophisticated, intelligent and insightful observations on life, relationships and love. All of her characters are compelling and realistically drawn--coming complete with all the flaws, endearing quirks and eccentricities that make them unique, and distinctly human. Ms Alexander's books are my comfort reads because they never fail to bring a smile to my face, lift my spirits and just make me happy... I can't ask for more then that from any author. If you're a HOPEFUL romantic like I am and you're looking for a story to make you feel happy inside--I highly recommend picking up a copy of this heartwarming story.

I also recommend the other Victoria Alexander's other books in this series ... Let It Be Love (prequel) A Little Bit Wicked (Last Man Standing, Book 1) What a Lady Wants (Last Man Standing, Book 2) Secrets of a Proper Lady (Last Man Standing, Book 3)

This was an excellent series and could not wait till I finished all of them

Lady Kathleen McDonald's grandmother has told her more than once that the only way to break a family curse is for Kate to marry the Earl of Norcroft. Not quite sure she believes in the curse, Kate puts her trepidations aside and begins her journey to London only to lose her memory after falling at the train station during a stop. Unsure of her name, what she was doing, or where she was going causes Kate to worry upon regaining consciousness. The biggest worry, however, is the fact that she finds herself ensconced in the country home of Oliver Leighton, a man she finds compelling but reserved. A man she knows she should remember.

Oliver Leighton is the winner of a bet he and his three best friends made months ago. The last friend left unwed, Oliver finds himself happy for his friends but somewhat envious as well. Oliver knows as the Earl of Norcroft he must find a wife but he is unwilling to settle. He wants to marry a woman who he can love. When an unconscious young woman is brought to his country home and wakes up claiming amnesia, Oliver is immediately suspicious of her motives. The fact that he desires her doesn't sit very well with him either. Who is this woman and why does he want to be around her?

The setting of SEDUCTION OF A PROPER GENTLEMAN is set during the Regency Era in England which happens to be one of my most favorite time frame in European history. I love the rules and often times crazy stipulations the members of society have to go through in order to find a spouse. Oliver knows his duty. He is an earl and as an earl, must marry for procreation purposes. Oliver's feelings about marriage just differ from the norm, however, and that makes him a man after my romance loving heart. Seeking a life mate, he does not want to settle for anything less than mutual desire. He is focused on being proper and fully aware of his roll in society. He was no less than sensual but so much more than sexy!

Kate's characterization is written in such a way that I found myself smiling more than once at her antics. She is loyal to her family and since she has decided to honor her grandmother's wishes, she fully means to follow through. Her bout of amnesia sets her course a bit off track but Kate perseveres. Curious about the amnesia storyline and how it could possibly end nicely, I could not stop reading and I can happily say the conclusion is better than I envisioned.

SEDUCTION OF A PROPER GENTLEMAN will entertain and delight. Victoria Alexander has written it in such a way that readers will be hard pressed to not read SEDUCTION OF A PROPER GENTLEMAN in one sitting. Often light hearted, the banter and desire between Kathleen and Oliver is truly beautiful. Historical romance as it is meant to be, SEDUCTION OF A PROPER GENTLEMAN is a welcome addition to anyone's library.
***Natalie S. Courtesy of Wild on Books***

Oliver Leighton, the Earl of Norcroft, is the last man standing after a bet amongst four men as to whom would remain unmarried the longest. Rather ironically, Oliver was never opposed to marriage, as the other three men were, but simply desired only to marry for love. He hadn't felt the need to get married but now that his friends had moved on into their new lives he feels a little lonely.

When Oliver returns to his country estate he is soon surprised by the arrival of an unconscious woman who appears to have amnesia. Over the next days the woman tries to remember her life - she doesn't even know her name and so Oliver and his mother call her Kate. As Oliver spends time with her he begins to wonder if she's the ideal future countess - but nothing can be done when they don't know who she is.

As Kathleen MacDavid recovers her memory she realises she has fallen in love with Oliver - and that her meeting with him isn't as accidental as it appears. Can Oliver understand why they have to marry, will he believe in the curse that has beleaguered their families for hundreds of years, and even if they marry, will the curse ever be broken?

This was an enjoyable and lighthearted tale with most of the action taking place between Oliver and Kate/Kathleen as she tries to remember who she is. The difficulties of her amnesia were well written although once her memories came back I felt the story faltered a little. Oliver himself was occasionally a rather variable character, switching from being stiff and haughty to warm and friendly in a rather changeable manner. The story was perhaps a little drawn out in the end but it was a pleasant enough read with a couple of sub-plot romances.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

I only read this book because a friend of mine loaned me her copy, knowing how much I love Regency books. I'm delighted that I did not waste my own money buying a copy of this book. I will refrain from commenting on the author's writing ability, since I have not read any of her other books. I sincerely hope they are more substantial than this one.

There are far too many issues to mention in my humble review, but I will begin with the most obvious. The whole issue of the family curse and magical element borders on the preposterous. It makes the heroine seem ridiculous to chase this man only because she feels it is her duty to break the curse. And oh, by the way, he's devastatingly handsome and wealthy...isn't that a coincidence? The book could have ended about 100 pages sooner, when they both realize they're in love and want to marry one another. However, it seems the author had a page requirement to meet, and so she throws in another ridiculous scenario. Although they are in love, now he refuses to marry her? Why? Well, perhaps you can read and tell me if it makes more sense to you than it did to me.

I decided to give the book a two-star rating (as opposed to only one), because there are a few moments that show real promise. There is real chemistry between the two, and their dialogue is at times very entertaining. Unfortunately, those moments occur so infrequently as to do little to offset the outrageous premise.

I could not put this book down. It was a page turner. Funny and Sexy is a hard combination to put togather but this is what Victoria Alexander did!