A witty, sensual tale that is reminiscent of The Beauty and The Beast. Absolutely delightful! Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:
Hawk, a member of the Guardians of the Sword, had been unable to save his wife and son from the fire that killed them. He had arrived while it was underway, but was too late, although he sustained some serious burns from his efforts. Afterwards, deep in grief, he had joined the Guardians, accepting their most dangerous missions to atone for his guilt at not saving his family and no longer caring whether he lived or died. But now, years later, the Guardian of the Sword needs a new leader and his mentor has Hawk in mind for the position. Needing a blood connection to the leadership, Hawk plans to court and wed his mentor’s niece, even though she is not his type. But that doesn’t matter, as he has no plans to ever fall in love again. The loss of loved ones is just too great. He has returned to his estate, and the memories therein, in order to prepare his home for his new bride. In England, he begins carrying out the renovations to his home, even as he drinks way into the night to elude the ghosts of his past. But then an unexpected guest arrives on his doorstep.
Ten years ago, at the age of thirteen, Skye Wilde fell for Hawk and was dismayed to discover that he was already wed. Not long afterwards, he tragically lost his wife and son. Afterwards, he left the country, but he has recently returned home with the intention of courting and marrying his mentor’s niece. But Skye is determined to win him for herself, knowing that the marriage he intends to go through with will only ruin his life. As for loss, Skye knows all about it, having lost both of her parents at sea and she still suffers nightmare from the tragedy.
It takes some convincing to get Hawk to agree to let her stay the night. But after a night of excessive drinking to avoid his own troubles, he hears her in the throes of a nightmare. Coming to her rescue, his offer of comfort quickly turns intimate and with the possibility of pregnancy, he tries to do the honorable thing, but she does not want marriage under these circumstances. Staying in his home, she undertakes helping with the renovation while he decides to take on the task of finding her uncle’s lost love. Will she be able to win his love before he begins his planned courtship, or is she setting herself up for heartache?
An absolutely delicious tale, SECRETS OF SEDUCTION, the third book in New York Times bestselling author Nicole Jordan’s LEGENDARY LOVERS series, is a clever, adult take on the well-known BEAUTY AND THE BEAST story. Getting Hawk to change his mind about love seems like an impossible task when Skye arrives at his doorstep, but she is determined, even as he fights her every step of the way. Still, the chemistry between them is combustible and I could not help rooting for them all through the book. The search for her uncle’s lost love, whom he believes to be dead, is especially heartwarming and will bring tears to your eyes. I also enjoyed Skye’s aunt, who offers her niece the SECRETS OF SEDUCTION, which Skye employs in trying to win Hawk.
For fans of Ms. Jordan’s PLEASURE series, this book is also the fifth and final book, featuring Hawk’s long awaited story. Packed with tragic events, grief, healing, seduction, family dynamics, secrets and love, this story is unforgettable and a definite keeper. Do not miss it!
Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com