Dance of Seduction (Swanlea Spinsters, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Sabrina Jeffries (Author) "Lady Clara Stanbourne was descended from a long line of reformers and rogues..." (more)
Key Phrases: belle ange, gaze shot, Lady Clara, Aunt Verity, Lord Ravenswood (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
She won't let a thief steal her heart ...

It's difficult enough for Lady Clara Stanbourne to run her London home for reformed young pickpockets without having to contend with a criminal in business right next door! The mysterious Morgan Pryce is obviously dealing in stolen property, and she will never allow the handsome scoundrel to lead the children astray! Pryce is very much mistaken if he believes her a delicate rose he can wilt with soft words and passionate, unspoken promises. Now if only Clara could douse the fiery yearning the charming cad ignites inside her ...

This bold, beautiful temptress is indeed a distraction -- and Morgan wishes he could tell the exquisite Clara the truth: that he is working undercover to break up a notorious crime ring. His mind should be on his duty -- not wondering how it would feel to hold Clara in his arms and taste the sweetness of her luscious lips. But now that she has entered into his most dangerous game, Morgan knows he must have her, despite the very real peril to his secret mission ... and to his heart!

About the Author

After a patchwork of jobs like technical writing and teaching, I have decided that my favorite job so far (even more than manning the ice cream machine at a summer camp) is novel writing. In novels, I can meddle in people's lives without getting into trouble, and that's what I live for.

The rest of the time I enjoy meddling in the lives of my son and my husband, who show their appreciation by sending me back to the computer as much as possible. I also enjoy traveling (either in real-time or on the Internet), reading books by other meddling authors, and going out to dinner or for ice cream (I can't let go of that summer camp job!).

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (March 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060092130
• ISBN-13: 978-0060092139
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #33,792 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 4 in The Swanlea Spinsters Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When an author gets the hero right...no explanation needed., June 20, 2005

By	Nicole Wagner (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Lady Clara is a spinster 28 year old who is involved in charity work at a home for pickpocket children. Morgan is an ex-spy naval captian who is posing as a "fence" in order to catch a master thief named Spector. They are at odds from the beginning, fighting a powerful attraction, and losing quickly. The interchanges between the two main characters are so witty and funny I couldn't resist liking them immediately. The part of the story I really enjoyed is Morgan's desperation for Clara's love. It made the hot scenes practical smoulder on the page. A nice departure from the norm because Morgan is a strong man totally undone. So romantic..sigh...
**A note to the publisher...I would never have bought the book at the store with that ridiculous cover. I missed out reading a marvelous book for two years because of that cover. The only reason you need a bodice ripper cover is because the book is SO awful no one is going to read it except for the sex. Sabina Jefferies deserves a cover like Julia Quinn or Lisa Kleypas. she writes just that good.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hot-chocolate reading!, April 1, 2003

By	Carol A. Strickland (Efland, NC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Settle down for a luscious read! You can count on Sabrina Jeffries to deliver strong-willed Regency heroines (and heroes) who demand more to their lives than just sitting around and sipping tea while gossipping about the ton.

Our heroine is a reformer, passionate in her mission, and our hero's noble but secret mission could snag her efforts and the lives of her young charges. Secondary plots (one of them just a tad obvious, sorry) derive from our heroine's mission and enrich the storyline by giving us an engaging cast that surrounds h/h.

Jeffries writes some of the sexiest scenes in the biz, full not only of heat but of emotion. She never lets these scenes overpower her plots. They enhance this one wonderfully and if your toes haven't contentedly curled before, they will afterward.

I'm not quite sure how the front cover or the title ties into the book, though. Both make it seem (imo) as if this were some kind of harem setting when it's all quite improperly-properly British. Ah, marketing departments! At least we're rid of all the "Lord" and "Love" confusion of earlier series. The back cover is quite reminiscent of "A Dangerous Love" and "After the Abduction," but is the best of the three.

Recently I've reread a few of Jeffries' previous works. The enjoyment is there just as much the second time around as it was the first. These are keepers!

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mildly disappointing sequel to After the Abduction, April 28, 2003

By	baltimore0502 "Hon!" (BALTIMORE, MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

My first and only other book by this author was After the Abduction which I thoroughly enjoyed. So when I found out that this one was about Morgan, Sebastian's intriguing twin brother, I was really looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, I found this story to be pretty predictable and very slow until about mid-way through. Though Morgan and Clara are both likable characters and their romance very sweet, I didn't find the sustained, crackling sexual chemistry of the prior book (ATA). Oh, there are definitely glimpses of the witty, snappy dialog this author is capable of and some very entertaining seduction scenes, but overall this book is just OK - not a stand-out or a must-read.

Lady Clara Stanbourne is a crusading reformer trying to move pickpockets off the streets and into better lives. But when mysterious Captain Morgan Pryce opens a shop nearby Clara worries that he is a threat to her young impressionable charges (not to mention her own peace of mind, for he is devilishly handsome!). She quickly suspects that he is a "fence" - a dealer in stolen goods - and tries everything she can think of to get him out of the neighborhood and away from her kids. Morgan is both amused and attracted by this beautiful avenging angel trying to save the world. If only she could save him, but that seems unlikely given what he's done in his life. But when she learns who he really is and what he's actually doing in Spitalfields, well that changes everything. Especially the sensual undercurrent of their turbulent relationship, which up to now, both have tried to suppress. And as they give in to their attraction, what will the future hold?

I felt too much time was spent on her home for pickpockets, the kids therein, and the villain, the Specter, who was really not very threatening or scary. Maybe my expectations were just too high, but I wouldn't recommend this book unless you're really a fan of this author or you really want to read Morgan's story. And what's with the cover art? The book describes Clara's hair as "chestnut" not blonde and it is hardly in character to have a naked, sheet-draped Lady Clara stretched out provocatively on a chaise longue! I hate these overblown covers that seem to have little to do with the story inside!