His Wicked Seduction

His Wicked Seduction by Lauren Smith

Horatia Sheridan has only ever loved one man.  From the moment her brother’s best friend, Lucien Russell pulled her from her parents wrecked carriage and comforted her in the aftermath of their horrific deaths her heart has utterly belonged to him.  However, it has become increasingly clear that he will never marry her, and since her London Seasons have all ended in disaster she has decided to take matters into her own hands.  If she is to end up as a spinster, then she will have at least one memory of passion to take with her…and it will be with the gentleman of her heart.

The League of Rogues might have earned their reputations by doing whatever they wanted, but they still operated under strict rules of honor.  Rule number two:  None shall seduce the sister of another member, or they shall face satisfaction on the field of honor.  It is this very rule that keeps Lucien Russell, Marquess of Rochester, from pursuing the only woman who might ever matter him.  But when the League’s old enemy rears his ugly head again and makes threats of the lives of the entire Sheridan Family, Lucien offers to host them all for the Holidays in an attempt to keep them safe.  Will Lucien be able to resist the temptation of Horatia being so close, or will honor among friends win out in the end?

Like its predecessor, HIS WICKED SEDUCTION is packed full of action, adventure, mystery, humor, and, of course, seduction.  There are lots of wounded heroes and dangerous scenarios, and many, many opportunities to remember first hand why the members of the League of Rogues are so irresistible. 

In the anatomy of the League, if Ashton is the leader, Cedric the duty-bound rallying post, Charles the affable mascot, and Godric the strong influence, then Lucien is the dirty little secret.  His friends know his proclivities and tend to look the other way, but that doesn’t mean they approve.  His position in the League seems to be cemented by his fierce loyalty to Cedric, and in turn the other members.  He truly is a caring man and sees and understands beauty is a way the others don’t, but his area of influence seems to be tainted by his activities.

Horatia’s character is a lot less complicated than Lucien’s she is very much liked by everyone she meets, but her preference of a good book over the company of others puts her at a social disadvantage on the Marriage Mart.  Her love for Lucien is pure and innocent (up to a point), and the story of her efforts to influence his love life is priceless.  Yet for all of her character predictability, she balances Lucien so well that you can’t help but really like her.

The true magic of this book lies in two very distinct realms, the first being the villain.  To have a convincing mystery/action/adventure you have to have a villain reprehensible enough to be hard to defeat and easy to hate.  Hugo Waverly meets both of these criteria, but we also get a small glimpse as to the incident behind Waverly’s madness.  Instead of eliciting pity, the tale simply adds to the reader’s comprehension of his complete lunacy.

The other realm of magic that this book holds is the introduction of Lucien’s wonderfully raucous family.  As a whole they are a brood of hellions bent of driving their mother crazy with their individual quirks and eccentricities.  Linus, the youngest brother, in particular is an out of control scoundrel who seems to greet the coming of the Sheridans as an opportunity for more mischief-making with his old cohort, Audrey.  Of course the woman behind the family is not much tamer than her children.  Meddling and loving in equal parts, Lady Rochester cements herself as one of the great literary matriarchs.

Over all, this book was wonderful continuation of a now great series.  I look forward with bated breath to the third book in the series scheduled for release Fall 2015. 

Continuity/Flow – 5

Sex – 5 

Characters – 5

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5

Red Hawk's Woman

Red Hawk's Woman by Karen Kay

When Red Hawk first saw Effie Rutledge frolicking in the water he was immediately drawn to the light and joy that seemed to emanate from within her.  The short time they spent playing together, though neither spoke the other's language, was the happiest time in Red Hawk's short life, and it was a time that would carry him through the journey he was about to embark on.  For it was not joy that would save his Clan from the curse of a vengeful god, but mercy toward an enemy.  And he had only eighteen years to achieve the impossible.

Effie Rutledge first heard about the Lost Clan as a child listening to her father recount the legend to his best friend.  Seventeen years later, Effie leads an archaeological expedition into the heart of Blackfoot country at the behest of her father in order to find clues as to the existence of the Clan, and possibly locate the final two artifacts the legend speaks of as a path to redemption for the Clan.  Unfortunately, someone - or something - doesn't want her to succeed, and several incidents convince many that the expedition just might be cursed.  In need of a new guide, Effie discovers an Indian watching her curiously in town and approaches him about taking the job.  It isn't until after he is already hired that Effie learns Red Hawk is the little boy she has never been able to forget.  Soon they embark on an adventure fraught with pleasure, mystery, and a danger neither of them were prepared for.

When I first started reading romance novels as a teen my only options were whatever my mother or grandmother were reading (I was a bit of a sneak and thought they didn't notice).  Their collective preference at the time was Native American, Pioneer, and Western Historical Romance.  Consequently I became very adept in deciphering the differences between the three sub-genres, which all often took place in similar settings with similar characters.  What set the Native American Romance apart was the "useless white man" stereotypes, and this story had those in abundance.  Everything is there from greed for gold, the fact that the white man cared nothing for nature, and the white man's inability to track or scout due to his being generally unobservant.

However, there is a twist.  This story also incorporates a Paranormal Romance angle.  The legend of the Lost Clan is fantastical enough, but that still lends to basic Native American mysticism, which is an easily explained and generally accepted belief among historical aficionados.  What is not as easily accepted is the actual existence of Spirit Guardians and vengeful gods who take physical form.  The inclusion of these elements in the story allows the reader to immerse themselves in a world of fantasy at the same time that they are learning about the cultural differences and practices of the mid-to-late 1800s.  Karen Kay plots all of this in such away that she actually makes archaeology sound fun and exciting without resorting "The Mummy" methods (where they forget that the characters actually have to work to uncover artifacts).

The supporting characters in the story lend credence to the mystery that encompasses the plot and never really give the reader a true peak at whether they can be trusted.  As a reader you are constantly guessing at who the bad guy really is, and that leads to a satisfying reading experience.

Overall, this is an adventurous romp through Native American culture with side trips detailing the white man's incompetence, and somehow none of this comes off as offensive.  That alone is impressive.  My only complaint would be that I would have liked to have seen their romance grow more gradually.  It seemed very rushed, but I guess they had seventeen years to pine for each other.

Continuity/Flow – 4

Sex – 4 

Characters – 5

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5