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An Unlikely Husband #4
The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest
Love and Betrayal...Regency Style
The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest is Book One of Mary Campisi's Regency historical series, An Unlikely Husband.
When Holt Langford, the new Earl of Westover, returns to England after twelve years at sea, he resembles more pirate than nobleman, a far cry from the scrawny youth whose father shipped him off to become a man. No one recognizes him, and he'll use this anonymity to enter a game of subterfuge in order to expose the scoundrel who has vowed to destroy Holt's family business.
Unfortunately, that scoundrel has a devoted daughter, Sophie Seacrest. Sophie can't deny her attraction to the unorthodox stranger who stirs her blood and makes her think things no proper lady should. Holt and Sophie are drawn into a seductive tangle and just when he's about to reveal his true identity and his honorable intentions, she discovers the truth and must choose between love and family duty.
An Unlikely Husband Series:
Book One: The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest (Sophie & Holt's story)
Book Two: A Taste of Seduction (Francie & Alexander's story)
Book Three: A Touch of Seduction: a novella (Ariana & Jason's story)
Book Four: A Scent of Seduction (Julia & Jon's story)
The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest is Book One of Mary Campisi's Regency historical series, An Unlikely Husband.
When Holt Langford, the new Earl of Westover, returns to England after twelve years at sea, he resembles more pirate than nobleman, a far cry from the scrawny youth whose father shipped him off to become a man. No one recognizes him, and he'll use this anonymity to enter a game of subterfuge in order to expose the scoundrel who has vowed to destroy Holt's family business.
Unfortunately, that scoundrel has a devoted daughter, Sophie Seacrest. Sophie can't deny her attraction to the unorthodox stranger who stirs her blood and makes her think things no proper lady should. Holt and Sophie are drawn into a seductive tangle and just when he's about to reveal his true identity and his honorable intentions, she discovers the truth and must choose between love and family duty.
An Unlikely Husband Series:
Book One: The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest (Sophie & Holt's story)
Book Two: A Taste of Seduction (Francie & Alexander's story)
Book Three: A Touch of Seduction: a novella (Ariana & Jason's story)
Book Four: A Scent of Seduction (Julia & Jon's story)
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 8, 2011
720 people are currently reading
1255 people want to read
About the author
Mary Campisi
80 books419 followersMary Campisi is the author of over 40 emotion-packed novels that center around hope, redemption, and second chances.
Mary should have known she'd become a writer when at age thirteen she began changing the ending to all the books she read. It took several years and a number of jobs, including registered nurse, receptionist in a swanky hair salon, accounts payable clerk, and practice manager in an OB/GYN office, for her to rediscover writing. Enter a mouse-less computer, a floppy disk, and a dream large enough to fill a zip drive. The rest of the story lives on in every book she writes.
When she's not working on her craft or following the lives of five adult children, Mary's digging in the dirt with her flowers and herbs, cooking, reading, walking her rescue lab, Henry, or, on the perfect day, riding off into the sunset with her very own hero/husband on his Ultra Limited aka Harley.
If you would like to be notified when Mary has a new release, please sign up at http://www.marycampisi.com/book/book-...
website: marycampisi.com
e-mail: mary@marycampisi.com
blog: marycampisi.com/blog/
twitter: twitter.com/MaryCampisi
facebook: facebook.com/marycampisibooks
Instagram: instagram.com/marycampisiauthor/
Mary should have known she'd become a writer when at age thirteen she began changing the ending to all the books she read. It took several years and a number of jobs, including registered nurse, receptionist in a swanky hair salon, accounts payable clerk, and practice manager in an OB/GYN office, for her to rediscover writing. Enter a mouse-less computer, a floppy disk, and a dream large enough to fill a zip drive. The rest of the story lives on in every book she writes.
When she's not working on her craft or following the lives of five adult children, Mary's digging in the dirt with her flowers and herbs, cooking, reading, walking her rescue lab, Henry, or, on the perfect day, riding off into the sunset with her very own hero/husband on his Ultra Limited aka Harley.
If you would like to be notified when Mary has a new release, please sign up at http://www.marycampisi.com/book/book-...
website: marycampisi.com
e-mail: mary@marycampisi.com
blog: marycampisi.com/blog/
twitter: twitter.com/MaryCampisi
facebook: facebook.com/marycampisibooks
Instagram: instagram.com/marycampisiauthor/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
August 26, 2015
What was up with this story? It was free and I had no idea who this author was, so I thought "Why not start reading something of hers that does not cost money?" I have always thought that the free ebooks serve as a foretaste of the works of authors, especially lesser known ones. If this book was supposed to serve to attract more readers for her other books, somebody somewhere made a gross misjudgment. Simply put, the writing was not great, the plot felt so disjointed and the characters were ninnies.
First off, I felt like I was missing something. Is there another book before this that would somehow make that 'off' feeling go away? Well, not that I can see. There is a small subplot of a married couple called Francie and Alexander where Francie is trying to match-make or something. Pray tell, who in the whole wide world are these people? Are we given an explanation? Nope. After finishing the book, the preview of book 2 is the story of Francie and Alexander. What?? How can they be in love and married during book 1 and then book 2 is ABOUT them. Where is the continuity? I'm so confused still.
Secondly, the hero is a little bit of a douchebag and the heroine is a sex-crazed idiot. He treats her badly many a times throughout the story. Every time I think that she is going to stand up to him and tell him to buzz off until he learns how to treat women, esp. her, with respect, she ends up on her back. I'm sorry, where is your self-respect? I know he's hot and sexy and the desire is so great and bla bla bla. But there comes a time when you just have to call a spade a spade. Instead, she rewards his bad behaviour with sex? Frustrating to read.
Thirdly, there is a hint of a villain. While in other novels, a villain lets their presence known by some harrowing incidents peppered throughout the story, this one doesn't. I almost imagine this villain in the shadows tapping their fingers in glee over what they will do to make the hero/heroine pay, but they never make their presence feel threatening or dreaded. Instead, the story chugs along as if they don't exist and you forget they are there until the next one-off scene where again they are tapping their fingers together in evil glee. That's how much impact the villain had on me throughout the story - nada.
Fourthly, any big revelations about family members are treated so poorly. No tearful reunions, no admonitions or shock. Everything is taken in stride. I'm sitting here, going "OMG, this should be good when the truth comes out." And then... nothing. So disappointing.
Anyway, that was my overall rant about this book that could have been so much more under the right author, but sadly ended up being a debacle I would rather forget.
First off, I felt like I was missing something. Is there another book before this that would somehow make that 'off' feeling go away? Well, not that I can see. There is a small subplot of a married couple called Francie and Alexander where Francie is trying to match-make or something. Pray tell, who in the whole wide world are these people? Are we given an explanation? Nope. After finishing the book, the preview of book 2 is the story of Francie and Alexander. What?? How can they be in love and married during book 1 and then book 2 is ABOUT them. Where is the continuity? I'm so confused still.
Secondly, the hero is a little bit of a douchebag and the heroine is a sex-crazed idiot. He treats her badly many a times throughout the story. Every time I think that she is going to stand up to him and tell him to buzz off until he learns how to treat women, esp. her, with respect, she ends up on her back. I'm sorry, where is your self-respect? I know he's hot and sexy and the desire is so great and bla bla bla. But there comes a time when you just have to call a spade a spade. Instead, she rewards his bad behaviour with sex? Frustrating to read.
Thirdly, there is a hint of a villain. While in other novels, a villain lets their presence known by some harrowing incidents peppered throughout the story, this one doesn't. I almost imagine this villain in the shadows tapping their fingers in glee over what they will do to make the hero/heroine pay, but they never make their presence feel threatening or dreaded. Instead, the story chugs along as if they don't exist and you forget they are there until the next one-off scene where again they are tapping their fingers together in evil glee. That's how much impact the villain had on me throughout the story - nada.
Fourthly, any big revelations about family members are treated so poorly. No tearful reunions, no admonitions or shock. Everything is taken in stride. I'm sitting here, going "OMG, this should be good when the truth comes out." And then... nothing. So disappointing.
Anyway, that was my overall rant about this book that could have been so much more under the right author, but sadly ended up being a debacle I would rather forget.
April 10, 2022
England 1817. Got to 41%, read ahead and DNF.
Comments on Holt and Sophie---
(1) Would a Regency miss allow a stranger to
kiss, fondle her, & partially disrobe her etc?
No wonder the H mistook her for a non-virgin.
(2) Holt sought revenge, posed as Gregory &
took too long to discuss his real identity w/ the h.
(3) Both immature MCs had hot tempers & should
've been quiet long enough to listen to another POV.
(4) H abruptly left for mos., after the ceremony,
& the h attended balls & danced w/ OM. Huh?
(5) Sophie wasn't 'the sharpest knife in the drawer.'
She flaunted propriety & then acted surprised RE
outcomes for her.
(6) Just insta-lust. Holt showed zilch sensitivity
when he de-flowered Sophie. He had no finesse,
just groping & thrusting and hurry hurry.
Comments on Holt and Sophie---
(1) Would a Regency miss allow a stranger to
kiss, fondle her, & partially disrobe her etc?
No wonder the H mistook her for a non-virgin.
(2) Holt sought revenge, posed as Gregory &
took too long to discuss his real identity w/ the h.
(3) Both immature MCs had hot tempers & should
've been quiet long enough to listen to another POV.
(4) H abruptly left for mos., after the ceremony,
& the h attended balls & danced w/ OM. Huh?
(5) Sophie wasn't 'the sharpest knife in the drawer.'
She flaunted propriety & then acted surprised RE
outcomes for her.
(6) Just insta-lust. Holt showed zilch sensitivity
when he de-flowered Sophie. He had no finesse,
just groping & thrusting and hurry hurry.
November 8, 2022
Read: 2011
One of my first hr I ever read so it was good enough for me to continue reading a whole genre.
One of my first hr I ever read so it was good enough for me to continue reading a whole genre.
May 7, 2015
Not a likeable character in the whole book. Far-fetched with too many baaaaad sex scenes
May 24, 2016
More reviews available at my blog, Beauty and the Bookworm.
This was a terribly frustrating historical romance. I did not like it. Here's why.
It's about Holt, a long-vanished heir to an earldom that has returned after his father's death. However, he's not yet sure that he wants to take his position as earl. What he does want to do is mend the rift between his family and the Seacrests; currently they're in the midst of a feud that might very well destroy Holt's family's business. On his first day out and about, though, he runs into Sophie and they immediately have a tryst--though no sex. And so Holt gets sucked into her charm...
I feel like Campisi didn't know where she wanted the plot of this to go. It starts out like the feud is going to be a central point of the plot when Holt's brother alleges the Seacrest family has paid people to burn several of Holt's family's ships. Holt immediately inserts himself into the Seacrest family as a business partner, and helps them mend the business. The feud is never really mentioned again. Instead, a different feud emerges--one that alleges that Holt's mother and Sophie's father had an affair, and that is what has caused the argument. And then there's some lady creeping around in the shadows--but not until two-thirds of the way through the book--who wants Holt for herself for some really weird reasons. And then there's a bunch of other convoluted stuff going on that seems like it wants to be Jane Eyre-gothic but instead it just comes across as muddled and confused.
Sophie was sweet, Holt made me want to punch him. He claims that Sophie can't be a virgin, because no virgin reacts to amorous situations like she does. He says mean, hateful things and then just abandons her after coercing her into marrying him. And then, just a few pages later, he's all possessive and he loves her and blah-blah-blah. He's a psycho. Which, given his mother, makes sense. Geeze.
The pacing here was also very strange. It goes from zero to sixty and back to zero--nothing happens, and then there's suddenly a tryst with no build up at all, and then they're back to almost ignoring each other until the next tryst, which again comes out of nowhere. And once everything seems like it's resolved, it feels like Campisi felt like the book just wasn't long enough, so she tacked another plot onto the end which hadn't really been present throughout the rest of the book. And then there's Francie! Why was she even included? She had no impact on the plot at all; the process and outcome were exactly the same as they would have been if she hadn't been featured at all. And why did every appearance of hers have to feature her having sex with her husband? I get it, it's a historical romance and those are known for their steamy scenes, but it seems that the focus of those should have remained on the main couple (and those scenes were pretty good!), not some superfluous extras that were just tacked on to the side.
This book was a hot mess. I liked Jason and would like to know his story, but I don't think I'm quite intrigued enough to brave Campisi's plot constructions again.
1.5 to 2 stars out of 5.
This was a terribly frustrating historical romance. I did not like it. Here's why.
It's about Holt, a long-vanished heir to an earldom that has returned after his father's death. However, he's not yet sure that he wants to take his position as earl. What he does want to do is mend the rift between his family and the Seacrests; currently they're in the midst of a feud that might very well destroy Holt's family's business. On his first day out and about, though, he runs into Sophie and they immediately have a tryst--though no sex. And so Holt gets sucked into her charm...
I feel like Campisi didn't know where she wanted the plot of this to go. It starts out like the feud is going to be a central point of the plot when Holt's brother alleges the Seacrest family has paid people to burn several of Holt's family's ships. Holt immediately inserts himself into the Seacrest family as a business partner, and helps them mend the business. The feud is never really mentioned again. Instead, a different feud emerges--one that alleges that Holt's mother and Sophie's father had an affair, and that is what has caused the argument. And then there's some lady creeping around in the shadows--but not until two-thirds of the way through the book--who wants Holt for herself for some really weird reasons. And then there's a bunch of other convoluted stuff going on that seems like it wants to be Jane Eyre-gothic but instead it just comes across as muddled and confused.
Sophie was sweet, Holt made me want to punch him. He claims that Sophie can't be a virgin, because no virgin reacts to amorous situations like she does. He says mean, hateful things and then just abandons her after coercing her into marrying him. And then, just a few pages later, he's all possessive and he loves her and blah-blah-blah. He's a psycho. Which, given his mother, makes sense. Geeze.
The pacing here was also very strange. It goes from zero to sixty and back to zero--nothing happens, and then there's suddenly a tryst with no build up at all, and then they're back to almost ignoring each other until the next tryst, which again comes out of nowhere. And once everything seems like it's resolved, it feels like Campisi felt like the book just wasn't long enough, so she tacked another plot onto the end which hadn't really been present throughout the rest of the book. And then there's Francie! Why was she even included? She had no impact on the plot at all; the process and outcome were exactly the same as they would have been if she hadn't been featured at all. And why did every appearance of hers have to feature her having sex with her husband? I get it, it's a historical romance and those are known for their steamy scenes, but it seems that the focus of those should have remained on the main couple (and those scenes were pretty good!), not some superfluous extras that were just tacked on to the side.
This book was a hot mess. I liked Jason and would like to know his story, but I don't think I'm quite intrigued enough to brave Campisi's plot constructions again.
1.5 to 2 stars out of 5.
November 9, 2014
Silly and terminally anachronistic.
February 13, 2016
Regency Romp with some Family Twists
Set in England in 1817, this is the story of Sophie Seacrest, oldest daughter of the Earl of Rendhaven, a spirited young miss who is in no hurry to wed, that is until she succumbs to the sexual charms of Holt Langford, new Earl of Westover, returned from years away upon his father’s death.
It’s a well-told story and a bit of a Regency romp. When Holt returns from his years in the West Indies, he looks more like a pirate than a British lord. His brother, Jason, tells him Sophie’s father, their neighbor, the Earl of Rendhaven is trying to destroy the Langford shipping business for revenge (it seems their father dallied with Rendhaven’s wife, who is now dead).
Holt decides to take the matter in hand to destroy the Rendahaven’s shipping business, adopting a fake identity as a merchant named Gregory Thurston. He also wants to observe the nobility to see if he wants to accept his title. The first person he intends to observe—and perhaps have his revenge on—is Rendhaven’s oldest daughter, Sophie.
When Holt rescues Sophie in a storm and steals a kiss in a most forward way, she does not resist. I liked Holt’s brash manner but Sophie’s willingness to fall in his arms was a bit unusual for a Regency innocent. Holt (posing as Gregory) quickly falls for Sophie and then it’s an on again off again love affair with him trying to lose himself in the arms of other women and failing. The alpha hero tumbled in the end.
There was a lot going on in this story and sometimes we got only a small glimpse of some of the threads. For example, there are no ship scenes and little about the shipping business.
I liked the author’s voice and will likely read more of hers. But this one had a lot of sex, more than might have been necessary, and Sophie had moves like a courtesan. With “seduction” in the title, perhaps I should not have been surprised. Still, it’s a clever tale that will hold your interest.
An Unlikely Husband series (a trilogy with a novella):
The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest
A Taste of Seduction
A Touch of Seduction (novella)
A Scent of Seduction
Set in England in 1817, this is the story of Sophie Seacrest, oldest daughter of the Earl of Rendhaven, a spirited young miss who is in no hurry to wed, that is until she succumbs to the sexual charms of Holt Langford, new Earl of Westover, returned from years away upon his father’s death.
It’s a well-told story and a bit of a Regency romp. When Holt returns from his years in the West Indies, he looks more like a pirate than a British lord. His brother, Jason, tells him Sophie’s father, their neighbor, the Earl of Rendhaven is trying to destroy the Langford shipping business for revenge (it seems their father dallied with Rendhaven’s wife, who is now dead).
Holt decides to take the matter in hand to destroy the Rendahaven’s shipping business, adopting a fake identity as a merchant named Gregory Thurston. He also wants to observe the nobility to see if he wants to accept his title. The first person he intends to observe—and perhaps have his revenge on—is Rendhaven’s oldest daughter, Sophie.
When Holt rescues Sophie in a storm and steals a kiss in a most forward way, she does not resist. I liked Holt’s brash manner but Sophie’s willingness to fall in his arms was a bit unusual for a Regency innocent. Holt (posing as Gregory) quickly falls for Sophie and then it’s an on again off again love affair with him trying to lose himself in the arms of other women and failing. The alpha hero tumbled in the end.
There was a lot going on in this story and sometimes we got only a small glimpse of some of the threads. For example, there are no ship scenes and little about the shipping business.
I liked the author’s voice and will likely read more of hers. But this one had a lot of sex, more than might have been necessary, and Sophie had moves like a courtesan. With “seduction” in the title, perhaps I should not have been surprised. Still, it’s a clever tale that will hold your interest.
An Unlikely Husband series (a trilogy with a novella):
The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest
A Taste of Seduction
A Touch of Seduction (novella)
A Scent of Seduction
July 27, 2015
I liked the quality of the writing, but there were several "misses" in the plot that kept me from really loving this book. The historical accuracy seems a bit questionable. Ms. Campisi would do well to have a critical reader proof her books more carefully -- for example, on one page, the character spent all night thinking of an answer to her problem (?), but she had just stated that she had only come up with it that morning. A small point, but the kind of error that slowly deflates a reader's confidence. There was also a lot more "action" and a lot less conversation that would have rounded out the plot, and the reader is just supposed to not think too much and accept everything. I liked the characters and the plot line had great potential, but it just didn't hit the mark for me. Now for the spoiler part: did he just stop being a spy for the Crown? Was he ever going to tell her what he did all of those years? Could that have played into the story more? Could Holt really just forget that his mother just conveniently drowned? Are we supposed to feel warm and mushy toward Vivian now that she has told us that ridiculous story? There's more, but that's enough. All of that being said, I did enjoy the suspense and it was somewhat diverting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2017
So... the main guy is a complete arsehole who thinks rape is fine, the "heroine" alternately a strong woman with no need to simper to obtain a husband just because society dictates, yet still instantly okay with letting herself be pretty much raped by said arsehole as soon as he kisses her. Yeah... Mkay... No.
The story is equally weird. There's apparently a backstory we're supposed to be in on, the matchmaking Francine with a history of failures but doesn't let that stop her. There are the adulterous parents, the bitter and jealous spinster aunt, a hint of spying for the Crown that's never developed, bastard children, uncontrollable girls, questionable murders, arson and corporate subterfuge and a plot to destroy rival business (es) that quickly morphs into helping them expand because, goddamnitall, Sophie is just irresistible and doesn't deserve it. All this us interspersed with variations if "C'mere, c"mere, go away, go away," sex that needs no foreplay, even where virgins are concerned, and the occasional upper-crust soirée to stave off boredom.
In sum: Hated the people, hated the convoluted (yet weirdly simplistic) story. The fact it was free didn't help.
The story is equally weird. There's apparently a backstory we're supposed to be in on, the matchmaking Francine with a history of failures but doesn't let that stop her. There are the adulterous parents, the bitter and jealous spinster aunt, a hint of spying for the Crown that's never developed, bastard children, uncontrollable girls, questionable murders, arson and corporate subterfuge and a plot to destroy rival business (es) that quickly morphs into helping them expand because, goddamnitall, Sophie is just irresistible and doesn't deserve it. All this us interspersed with variations if "C'mere, c"mere, go away, go away," sex that needs no foreplay, even where virgins are concerned, and the occasional upper-crust soirée to stave off boredom.
In sum: Hated the people, hated the convoluted (yet weirdly simplistic) story. The fact it was free didn't help.
July 19, 2023
I have a list of authors that I'll read when I run out of new releases from my regular authors. There is nothing wrong these authors that their books have become the "back up" reads. It is usually because they are new authors I haven’t gotten around to reading yet or authors that don't really have a lot of books in my genre. Mary Campisi is one of those authors. I know she does have quite a few books in other genres which I won’t read and she only has this 5 book series, which is my genre. I read Book 1 from this series back in February and loved it and just finished up book 2 and 3. I was going to turn around and start one of my new release authors but thought I’d like to go ahead and just finish up this series.
I am glad I decided to read the rest of this series back to back. I am loving all the characters. I really enjoyed reading Holt and Sophie's story. I love all the little twists Mary puts into her stories. I don't know if that is something she puts in a lot of her reads but it adds a little extra depth to the story telling. I love these rough and tough main characters. This was another very good read.
I am glad I decided to read the rest of this series back to back. I am loving all the characters. I really enjoyed reading Holt and Sophie's story. I love all the little twists Mary puts into her stories. I don't know if that is something she puts in a lot of her reads but it adds a little extra depth to the story telling. I love these rough and tough main characters. This was another very good read.
December 1, 2019
Not your typical romance, plenty of twists and surprises to keep the readers interest.
December 4, 2019
As a general comment, here is a link to a more general complaint of mine regarding romance novels (this novel was cited as an example of the problems I discuss in my complaint).
---------------------
DNFed.
-Problematic quote the first (chapter 4), where the 'hero' is referring to an earlier time where they made out in a cottage on her father's lands (she has just tried to slap him because he's being an ass): "I wouldn't advise trying that again," he warned. "You may be the daughter of an earl, but we both know you are no lady."
Slut-shaming makes a man soooo attractive!!
-Problematic quote the second (chapter 8), where the 'hero' berates and blames the heroine for almost getting raped by another assh*le:
"As you should," he said, "and you may begin by putting an end to the foolish behavior I witnessed this evening."
(...)
"Your willfulness nearly got you attacked. Any man could have pressed his favors upon you and you would not have been able to protect yourself."
-Problematic quote the third (chapter 8), because nothing says romance like having the 'hero' continue to sex up the main female character while she tries to get him to stop.
"'Look at me.' The words spoken so softly could have been those of a lover, but she sensed the underlying menace in his tone and hazarded a glance in his direction. Fire burned deep in his dark eyes as he vowed, 'I'll show you exactly what it means for a man to press his favors upon a woman so you'll not be mistaken again.' He grabbed her waist and hefted her onto his lap. She tried to squirm away but he merely pushed her onto the cushions of the carriage and leveraged the upper portion of his massive body on top of her. He pinned her arms above her head, his tongue forcing her lips apart, and thrust inside. She tried to fight but he was too strong. Then the kiss gentled."
---------------------
DNFed.
-Problematic quote the first (chapter 4), where the 'hero' is referring to an earlier time where they made out in a cottage on her father's lands (she has just tried to slap him because he's being an ass): "I wouldn't advise trying that again," he warned. "You may be the daughter of an earl, but we both know you are no lady."
Slut-shaming makes a man soooo attractive!!
-Problematic quote the second (chapter 8), where the 'hero' berates and blames the heroine for almost getting raped by another assh*le:
"As you should," he said, "and you may begin by putting an end to the foolish behavior I witnessed this evening."
(...)
"Your willfulness nearly got you attacked. Any man could have pressed his favors upon you and you would not have been able to protect yourself."
-Problematic quote the third (chapter 8), because nothing says romance like having the 'hero' continue to sex up the main female character while she tries to get him to stop.
"'Look at me.' The words spoken so softly could have been those of a lover, but she sensed the underlying menace in his tone and hazarded a glance in his direction. Fire burned deep in his dark eyes as he vowed, 'I'll show you exactly what it means for a man to press his favors upon a woman so you'll not be mistaken again.' He grabbed her waist and hefted her onto his lap. She tried to squirm away but he merely pushed her onto the cushions of the carriage and leveraged the upper portion of his massive body on top of her. He pinned her arms above her head, his tongue forcing her lips apart, and thrust inside. She tried to fight but he was too strong. Then the kiss gentled."
January 31, 2015
WONDERFUL ROMANCE!!
I really enjoyed reading The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest!! This is a very well laid out story. A great cast of characters. The story moves pretty quickly. I read most of it in one sitting. The romance and the seductions is very sensual, but not vulgar or over erotic.
Holt Langford is the new Earl of Westover. His father has died and Holt has returned after spending 12 years away building a shipping business and doing other things for the crown. Holt was sent away by his father and there was great animosity that Holt felt toward his father and his rogue's ways. Holt is using a false name Gregory Thurston. He is trying to flesh out the person who has burned 3 of the the Langford ships and one of there warehouses. He believes its the Earl of Rendhaven. There families were close at one time but now they are arch enemies becasue of Edward, Holt's deceased father had an affair with Rendhaven's wife. Sophie is Rendhaven daughter and while out riding in a storm she is thrown from her horse. Gregory/Holt comes to her aid and the rest is as they say history. The beginning of a wonderful romance full of angst and struggles for both of them. Especially when Sophie finds out who he really is. They have very heated sensual love scenes. There are quiet a few twist and turns in the story. I was just a little surprised. I highly recommend The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest!! I am looking forward to book 2 in the series.
I really enjoyed reading The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest!! This is a very well laid out story. A great cast of characters. The story moves pretty quickly. I read most of it in one sitting. The romance and the seductions is very sensual, but not vulgar or over erotic.
Holt Langford is the new Earl of Westover. His father has died and Holt has returned after spending 12 years away building a shipping business and doing other things for the crown. Holt was sent away by his father and there was great animosity that Holt felt toward his father and his rogue's ways. Holt is using a false name Gregory Thurston. He is trying to flesh out the person who has burned 3 of the the Langford ships and one of there warehouses. He believes its the Earl of Rendhaven. There families were close at one time but now they are arch enemies becasue of Edward, Holt's deceased father had an affair with Rendhaven's wife. Sophie is Rendhaven daughter and while out riding in a storm she is thrown from her horse. Gregory/Holt comes to her aid and the rest is as they say history. The beginning of a wonderful romance full of angst and struggles for both of them. Especially when Sophie finds out who he really is. They have very heated sensual love scenes. There are quiet a few twist and turns in the story. I was just a little surprised. I highly recommend The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest!! I am looking forward to book 2 in the series.
October 10, 2015
Este foi o primeiro livro que li desta autora. E confesso que gostei muito. O livro conta a história de Sophie e Holt cujos pais eram amantes, o que acabou por tornar as famílias inimigas. Hol retorna depois de anos afastado de casa, pois seu pai o enviara a um tio para se tornar um homem forte, em vez do rapaz fraco e envolvido com os livros. Lá ele sofreu nas mãos do tio que maltratava os jovens para amadurecerem a custas de torturas. Holt fugiu e foi para num navio, cujo dono cuidou dele, e o tratou como pai. Holt tinha ódio do pai por isso, e quando ele chega já é um homem feito, atraente e com aspecto de pirata. Sophie, por outro lado, vive com um pai bebum amargurado pela traição da esposa, uma tia amarga e a irmã que ficou muda quando a mãe morreu. O encontro entre eles é eletrizante, a atração é imediata. Mas os segredos entre eles, ou seja, o fato dele não revelar quem é, acaba por separá-los.
É um livro com bons personagens, tanto os principais quantos os que darão continuidade a série; com cenas apaixonantes, traição, e um personagem secreto que fica a espreita pronto para dar o bote. É um romance com toques de surpresa e com uma leitura agradável, com altos e baixos e um bom encerramento.
É um livro com bons personagens, tanto os principais quantos os que darão continuidade a série; com cenas apaixonantes, traição, e um personagem secreto que fica a espreita pronto para dar o bote. É um romance com toques de surpresa e com uma leitura agradável, com altos e baixos e um bom encerramento.
May 26, 2017
This started off well but I found there was too much sex, which was boringly repetitive and not much lead in to each occurrence. I think the author could also benefit from reading a few other Regency Romances to find all the different ways of describing what goes on between two people and stop resorting to the same trite phrases all through the book.
If most readers are like me they like to feel some anticipation, some teasing, being able to wonder if the two star crossed individuals will end up together or not. There was a plot but as the book ended all I was left with was an impression of a mad dash between sexual encounters.
On the whole, it was boring, boring, boring!
If most readers are like me they like to feel some anticipation, some teasing, being able to wonder if the two star crossed individuals will end up together or not. There was a plot but as the book ended all I was left with was an impression of a mad dash between sexual encounters.
On the whole, it was boring, boring, boring!
September 30, 2017
I tried to read for the second time and once again did not finish. The H is TSTL, now her wants her, now he doesn't, so many plot devices made the story seem as if the writer didn't quite know how to make up her mind, so threw it all in there. Not for me.
January 28, 2012
This was such a good book. I liked the mystery and the romance in the book. I don't think I have read any other books by Mary Campisi, but I will be reading more of them now.
March 16, 2017
Skipped whole sections of character development.
March 9, 2018
I probably shouldn’t have read this book. The premise sounded pretty good though, so I was willing to give it a shot. Unfortunately, this book had the exact kind of hero I dislike strongly, and was replete with gaps, unexplained plot points, and more repetitive sex scenes than substance.
First, our hero. Holt Langford shows up and shocks his former household, because he apparently now looks like a large hairy pirate and wears a large ruby medallion. That was about all I gleaned from the author’s description. His own brother doesn’t recognize him, and it takes his sister noticing his eyes to determine who he is; I mean, really? The author beats us over the head with the fact that no one recognizes Holt because he’s “so different” from the scrawny sickly bookworm he used to be at eighteen.
Two things about this annoyed me:
1) the author gives us a huge stigma around the nerdy beta type. Admittedly this is a pet peeve of mine, because I enjoy reading beta hero romances, but I’ll buy into a well-written alpha hero every now and then.
2) The author doesn’t even tenuously connect Holt’s past self with who he is now (AKA maybe he’s still really knowledgeable about obscure topics, maybe he still enjoys reading). Nope. He’s just muscles and a hairy chest and sex. It left a sour taste in my mouth, because all of Holt’s past acquaintances (and his family, for that matter) buy into this drastic change. Granted, we’re given a reason for why Holt had to toughen up, but it’s not explored in any detail whatsoever (which seemed particularly egregious, because we’re led to believe Holt was not the only member of the nobility put in this position; he’s certainly got contemporaries/others sons of other noble families who went through the same thing).
The plot was thinly stretched at best. The Langford clan is rival to the Seacrest clan, and Sophie is the only person in society that has bought into her father’s explanation for the feud. Even the Langfords know what’s what. I found Sophie’s complete ignorance to be extremely implausible, and the real explanation even moreso. Characters frequently made revelations that fell into the plot like stones in water, and sank; no plot point, no matter how shocking, seemed to make a real difference to Sophie or Holt.
At multiple points in the story, the characters of Francie and Alexander appear, and really don’t seem to have much relevance to the story. I think the author intended Francie to act as matchmaker, but there was really no point to her involvement, as Sophie and Holt got along without much intervention. Even Julia, who was supposed to be a close friend of Francie’s, didn’t seem all that close to her, and Jason’s efforts to separate them because of Francie’s “bad influence” seemed like an unneeded distraction. I could barely bring myself to care about Sophie and Holt’s unnecessary sex scenes, and Francie’s and Alexander’s scenes seemed like pointless copy-paste.
I didn’t go into this book with my heart set on disliking it, but Sophie’s and Holt’s story really managed to bore me — I would not recommend this book.
First, our hero. Holt Langford shows up and shocks his former household, because he apparently now looks like a large hairy pirate and wears a large ruby medallion. That was about all I gleaned from the author’s description. His own brother doesn’t recognize him, and it takes his sister noticing his eyes to determine who he is; I mean, really? The author beats us over the head with the fact that no one recognizes Holt because he’s “so different” from the scrawny sickly bookworm he used to be at eighteen.
Two things about this annoyed me:
1) the author gives us a huge stigma around the nerdy beta type. Admittedly this is a pet peeve of mine, because I enjoy reading beta hero romances, but I’ll buy into a well-written alpha hero every now and then.
2) The author doesn’t even tenuously connect Holt’s past self with who he is now (AKA maybe he’s still really knowledgeable about obscure topics, maybe he still enjoys reading). Nope. He’s just muscles and a hairy chest and sex. It left a sour taste in my mouth, because all of Holt’s past acquaintances (and his family, for that matter) buy into this drastic change. Granted, we’re given a reason for why Holt had to toughen up, but it’s not explored in any detail whatsoever (which seemed particularly egregious, because we’re led to believe Holt was not the only member of the nobility put in this position; he’s certainly got contemporaries/others sons of other noble families who went through the same thing).
The plot was thinly stretched at best. The Langford clan is rival to the Seacrest clan, and Sophie is the only person in society that has bought into her father’s explanation for the feud. Even the Langfords know what’s what. I found Sophie’s complete ignorance to be extremely implausible, and the real explanation even moreso. Characters frequently made revelations that fell into the plot like stones in water, and sank; no plot point, no matter how shocking, seemed to make a real difference to Sophie or Holt.
At multiple points in the story, the characters of Francie and Alexander appear, and really don’t seem to have much relevance to the story. I think the author intended Francie to act as matchmaker, but there was really no point to her involvement, as Sophie and Holt got along without much intervention. Even Julia, who was supposed to be a close friend of Francie’s, didn’t seem all that close to her, and Jason’s efforts to separate them because of Francie’s “bad influence” seemed like an unneeded distraction. I could barely bring myself to care about Sophie and Holt’s unnecessary sex scenes, and Francie’s and Alexander’s scenes seemed like pointless copy-paste.
I didn’t go into this book with my heart set on disliking it, but Sophie’s and Holt’s story really managed to bore me — I would not recommend this book.
February 6, 2018
It was actually good
I wad a tually avoiding reading this for quite some time as I read reviews on goodreads, most of them negative. But now after finally reading I realized sometimes opinions do differ.
The story begins with hero Holt coming home after long time only after the death of his father implicating his hatred towards him. There is a family feud between H and h's family due to reasons later disclosed in books.
Save it to say that H decides to use h as a pawn to compensate his company losses. But then everything changes as he meets her and is attracted to her. Stubborn that he is he would not confess to feel anything and so he does the only thing he could think of . He offers her to be his mistress and when she refuses he goes on berating her and using debauchery to exorcise from his system. Well of course he was a fool to believe he could do that and there are a series of misunderstandings (not silly and all to blamed on H) that leads to end of their betrothal. Then he disappears only to return later meet her at the end of aisle on eve of her marriage. To ANOTHER MAN . Still not able to come to terms with his feelings he goes to do more mistake and more sexy make up sex. Then come the plot of villain; which either should not have been used (story was good without it too) or should have been more explored. I only didnt like that the aithor never mentions the inner mechanisms of their shipping company around which story centered. Overall it is a good read . Of course others may disagree.
I wad a tually avoiding reading this for quite some time as I read reviews on goodreads, most of them negative. But now after finally reading I realized sometimes opinions do differ.
The story begins with hero Holt coming home after long time only after the death of his father implicating his hatred towards him. There is a family feud between H and h's family due to reasons later disclosed in books.
Save it to say that H decides to use h as a pawn to compensate his company losses. But then everything changes as he meets her and is attracted to her. Stubborn that he is he would not confess to feel anything and so he does the only thing he could think of . He offers her to be his mistress and when she refuses he goes on berating her and using debauchery to exorcise from his system. Well of course he was a fool to believe he could do that and there are a series of misunderstandings (not silly and all to blamed on H) that leads to end of their betrothal. Then he disappears only to return later meet her at the end of aisle on eve of her marriage. To ANOTHER MAN . Still not able to come to terms with his feelings he goes to do more mistake and more sexy make up sex. Then come the plot of villain; which either should not have been used (story was good without it too) or should have been more explored. I only didnt like that the aithor never mentions the inner mechanisms of their shipping company around which story centered. Overall it is a good read . Of course others may disagree.
August 23, 2018
This book captivated me from the very beginning as it had been some time since a read Regency Historical Romance. I have been going back into my Kindle library to find some old books I have purchased but have not read Yet and so far I have found some gems. This is one of the gems I have found and enjoyed to read as it was full of what I always want in a regency romance with a few twists and turns along the way.
Holt Langford, future Earl of Worcester has returned from years away and know the death of his father has given him the change to return for just a short time. He may be home but he does not what anyone to know so he goes by an allies name and stays long enough to help his family with a business problem.
Sophie Seacrest, oldest daughter of the Earl of Rendhaven. Sophie is a spirited young woman and has no desires to wed in a hurry until she meets a Mr Thurston that may have her succumbed to his sexual charms.
We soon learn that two families have a tangled story that spans into this generation from the sins and mistakes of the last generation.
The story moves pretty quickly with captivating main characters and supporting characters. It full of sexual encounters that some reader may not enjoy but I found the book to be totally entertaining.
Holt Langford, future Earl of Worcester has returned from years away and know the death of his father has given him the change to return for just a short time. He may be home but he does not what anyone to know so he goes by an allies name and stays long enough to help his family with a business problem.
Sophie Seacrest, oldest daughter of the Earl of Rendhaven. Sophie is a spirited young woman and has no desires to wed in a hurry until she meets a Mr Thurston that may have her succumbed to his sexual charms.
We soon learn that two families have a tangled story that spans into this generation from the sins and mistakes of the last generation.
The story moves pretty quickly with captivating main characters and supporting characters. It full of sexual encounters that some reader may not enjoy but I found the book to be totally entertaining.
April 25, 2019
Loved the book! Holt has been away for many years! When he shows up at his ancestral home his brother does not recognize him. It takes his sister to look into his eyes to know him. Holt doesn’t want the Earldom but is back just for a short while to find out who has been sabotaging Langford shipping.
Sophie Seacrest and family is the Langford’s competitor and enemy. When Sophie is thrown from her horse in a storm Holt brings her to the gamekeepers cottage. She thinks he is the new game keeper. He tells her his name is George!
She meets him again when he starts to do business with Seacrest Shipping. They become
close and he thinking shes not virtuous, asks her
to be his mistress! She is furious and doesn’t want
to see him again.
When she finds out his true identity then she believes all is lost! A great story with a few
twists and turns!
Sophie Seacrest and family is the Langford’s competitor and enemy. When Sophie is thrown from her horse in a storm Holt brings her to the gamekeepers cottage. She thinks he is the new game keeper. He tells her his name is George!
She meets him again when he starts to do business with Seacrest Shipping. They become
close and he thinking shes not virtuous, asks her
to be his mistress! She is furious and doesn’t want
to see him again.
When she finds out his true identity then she believes all is lost! A great story with a few
twists and turns!
July 16, 2017
Love and Betrayal. . . Regency Style
The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest is Book One of Mary Campisi's Regency historical series, An Unlikely Husband.
When Holt Langford, the new Earl of Westover, returns to England after twelve years at sea, he resembles more pirate than nobleman, a far cry from the scrawny youth whose father shipped off to become a man. No one recognizes him, and he'll use this anonymity to enter a game of subterfuge in order to expose the scoundrel who has vowed to destroy Holt's family business.
Unfortunately, that scoundrel has a devoted daughter, Sophie Seacrest. Sophie can't deny her attraction to the unorthodox stranger who stirs her blood and makes her think things no proper lady should. Holt and Sophie are drawn into a seductive tangle and just when he's about to reveal his true identity and his honorable intentions, she discovers the truth and must choose between love and family duty.
I really enjoyed this book it had me hooked from the start to the end. Would recommend this book if you love romance novels.
The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest is Book One of Mary Campisi's Regency historical series, An Unlikely Husband.
When Holt Langford, the new Earl of Westover, returns to England after twelve years at sea, he resembles more pirate than nobleman, a far cry from the scrawny youth whose father shipped off to become a man. No one recognizes him, and he'll use this anonymity to enter a game of subterfuge in order to expose the scoundrel who has vowed to destroy Holt's family business.
Unfortunately, that scoundrel has a devoted daughter, Sophie Seacrest. Sophie can't deny her attraction to the unorthodox stranger who stirs her blood and makes her think things no proper lady should. Holt and Sophie are drawn into a seductive tangle and just when he's about to reveal his true identity and his honorable intentions, she discovers the truth and must choose between love and family duty.
I really enjoyed this book it had me hooked from the start to the end. Would recommend this book if you love romance novels.
August 1, 2019
I personally was not a fan of this book or the characters for that matter. I thought Holt was an ass who manipulated Sophie and made her feel bad if she pushed away from him. The first time they met, they almost immediately started making out, which he initiated and almost forced on her, plus when she pushed him away, he blamed her for egging him on when she was passive in the whole thing until they started kissing. There also wasn't much of a plot until the last 10 pages when a mysterious bad guy comes in. Only after that does Holt seem to care about Sophie beyond just having sex with her. Sophie was kinda a strong character as long as she wasn't anywhere near Holt. As soon as Holt was near, all she could think about was him and sex. Also, the sex scenes weren't even that good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2017
So basically... My betrothed says he wont force me to marry him... He then goes out and screws the whole town... Then comes back to me to marry me... But he won't even be a little sexual before we are married. This portrayal of a man is so off that I can't even kind of like this book. It is actually a bit disgusting to me. It is like the author wanted a clean book, but still wanted a rake and have some titillating stuff happening behind the scenes. It almost felt more dirty then just having explicit sex scenes. I did not like this story at all.
August 14, 2018
Good story. Holt (Gregory Thurston) returns to England after a long absence. He is now the Earl, but not sure he wants the title. He meets Sophie Seacrest,daughter of the arch rival of Holt's family's shipping. There has been a feud between the families since his father's time. Rumors abound about why Holt was sent away when he was young and about Sophie's mother 's death. Holt and Sophie fall in love, but she thinks he is Gregory. They marry. Though they have issues, can the two make a life for themselves? Can they retain their love? Who really killed Sophie's mother?
December 30, 2024
It was hard to read. There were 5+ POVS which added nothing to the story. One characters POV seems to simply be placed in the book earlier so we can jump back to them later for the author to plug the next book.
The secrets and the lies I assume were supposed to add complexity but they were just frustrating to have in the book because I didn't think they added anything to the story itself. Even the spicy scenes were repetitive with the same motions and foreplay. When you yawn during spice it's bad..
Unimpressed
The secrets and the lies I assume were supposed to add complexity but they were just frustrating to have in the book because I didn't think they added anything to the story itself. Even the spicy scenes were repetitive with the same motions and foreplay. When you yawn during spice it's bad..
Unimpressed
February 11, 2018
Holt and Sophie (aristocrats naturally) meet in England in 1817. This is the story of how they navigate the lies, secrets, and misunderstandings of a developing relationship and eventually end up happily ever after. Some scenes seem contrived. Some weren’t convincing and the story was somewhat choppy. There we quite a few unanswered questions. However, it was a fairly entertaining pass-the-time read.
August 8, 2018
Surprises around each door
Holt was sent away by his father at the age of 18. What no one knew was his uncle abused him and other boys who were weak. He hide in a ship before he was found by the captian. When he came home the only one who knew it was him was his sister. He took another name to help with the shipping company. What he didn't know was his hard heart will sofen to the neighboring estate who were at odds
Holt was sent away by his father at the age of 18. What no one knew was his uncle abused him and other boys who were weak. He hide in a ship before he was found by the captian. When he came home the only one who knew it was him was his sister. He took another name to help with the shipping company. What he didn't know was his hard heart will sofen to the neighboring estate who were at odds
December 11, 2017
It was awkward, I'm not going to lie. The beginning scene at the groundskeeper's cabin made no sense, the scene in the carriage where he was going to "teach her a lesson" made no sense, the interchange between the main character and her future husband blew hot and cold so often it gave me whiplash...but I couldn't put the book down. That's the only reason it got 2 stars instead of 1.
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