A lot of potential with this story but it ended up being a big disappointment. Most of the story consisted of the two main characters getting together (aka kissing, etc), then they talked to themselves separately about the incident one at a time. There is so much repetition of the character's inner dialogues it drives you crazy! Blah blah blah. If the hero, Black, would just tell Isabelle he would like to marry her, instead of just talking about bedding her, that would take the conflict away. Story ended nicely though. You could skip a couple of hundred pages in this book and not miss anything. Definitely not a keeper. ( )

Deliciously Gothic. Suffers somewhat from being the first book in a series, meanders a bit in the middle where the past story is being told and then the series is being setup. A book that cries out to be read during a cloudy dreary day. Very interested in reading Suffex's story, next in the series.Recommended for individuals wanting a dark and broody story ( )

Seduction & Scandal
4.5 Stars

Synopsis:
Growing up as the result of a scandalous affair, Isabella Fairmont knows what poverty is and vows never to succumb to the lure of passion. Isabella’s dreams of a proper marriage are thwarted once the enigmatic Earl of Black begins to pursue her. A man with a mysterious past and dangerous secrets, Lord Black is obsessed with Isabella and will do anything to protect her even as he attempts to seduce her.

Review:
An immensely entertaining read.

The intricate plot revolving around sacred Templar relics and a mysterious adversary seeking power and immortality is extremely compelling. The elements of masonic lodges, séances in cemeteries, secret messages and Death as a Byronesque hero may be somewhat melodramatic but ultimately contribute to the dark and Gothic atmosphere of the story.

The writing is well-paced and easy to follow through the twists and turns of the story. My one small nitpick is that the excerpts from Isabella’s journal are distracting and do not really contribute to Lord Black’s characterization or his developing relationship with Isabella.

Lord Black is simply incredible - dark, brooding and so sexy – he fulfills every one of my tortured hero criteria. Isabella is a sweet heroine and while she does struggle with her feelings for Black, she never allows him to dominate her. Unfortunately, her characterization is not always inconsistent (she is supposedly a sturdy Yorkshire lass but suffers from debilitating headaches and swoons from fright). Black and Isabella have a sizzling chemistry and the seductions scenes are wonderfully sensual and steamy.

The secondary characters are also well developed with their own distinct motivations and personalities. The undercurrents of tension in the relationships of Adrian & Lucy and Iain & Elizabeth, are particularly intriguing and will apparently be explored in future installments.

Even though Black and Isabella's story is resolved satisfactorily in this book, readers are left with numerous unanswered questions regarding the conspiracy subplot. The author promises to address these in the sequel, and I look forward to finding out what happens in the rest of the series. ( )

An historical romance with enough magical elements to make it a paranormal, the heroine has a troubled past due to her mother and the choices she made. Now the heroine lives with her uncle and writes romance novels about her vision of Death. He’s dark, mysteries and charming, just like the hero. The sparks fly very quickly between the two characters but the heroine refuses to be like her mother and through away reason to passion. The hero hides secrets. Secrets about knowing her previously, about the Brethren he belongs to who protect magical objects. He is, however, a marvel guy. He’s very passionate about the heroine, cares about her safety and worries about her heath due to the crippling dreams she has nightly. The heroine was frustrating at times with her stubborn refusal to give in to the hero even though she can plainly see his torment at having her deny him. As the story goes on, his calm begins to crack to show his overwhelming love to her. But on the other hand, never once during all these scenes when he declares lust and craving for her did he ask her to marry him. I thought that was strange. Of course she’s not just going to sleep with! Firstly is a period piece and she is a lady. Secondly, her mother was a skank and threw herself as every sexy man she came across. You can understand her desire for a husband and a safe marriage. Although the guy courting her is a prick and completely ignores her most of the time and show open disgust at her writing, he’s still offering to marry her! But latterly everyone in the story is telling her to throw herself into an affair with black, her reaallly annoying cousin, Black himself and even the blind girl. How could Lucy tell her to give into passion when doing so brought so much heartbreak to herself? All in all, it started off very nicely and I loved Black’s character throughout the book, but the story fizzled after a while. ( )

Isabella is the result of her mother's passion for romance, leaving them destitute. After her mother's death, Isabella was taken in by her uncle and cousin and is determined to make a respectable match to overcome her mother's sordid past. Medieval scholar Knighton seems a perfect choice, a tad boring, but safe. Isabella is writing a novel, the hero of which is the brooding and mysterious Death. Then she meets Lord Black at a ball, a man who is very much like her hero. But he's not a safe bet so Isabella tries to resist her attraction to him.

The book seemed repetitive, the scenes just re-hashed previous ones. The plot was okay but the whole thing needed serious editing. ( )