Sinful Pleasures

Templar Knights #2

by Mary Reed McCall

A Noble Knight...

Once, Lady Alissende de Montague and Sir Damien de Ashby were passionate, secret lovers -- until the day Alissende had to turn her back on him, shattering both their hearts and changing their lives forever. Knowing he would never love another, Damien cast off all earthly concerns to dedicate his life to the Templar Knights. But now, his life endangered, he is thrust back into a world he'd left behind...coming face-to-face with the proud beauty who'd once spurned him.

A Wicked Promise...

Alissende will use her influence to save the man she still loves in exchange for his protection from the detestable, powerful earl bent on claiming her. It is a perilous bargain, forcing Damien to reunite with the one woman who could make him reject his vows for the temptations of the flesh. For their love rekindled will only burn deeper, threatening to consume them in the flames of dangerous intrigue and forbidden desires...

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Medieval, Historical, Second Chance, British Literature

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 30, 2006

About the author

Award-winning historical author MARY REED MCCALL also writes contemporary fiction as M. REED MCCALL . She was a finalist for Romance Writer's of America's Best First Book RITA Award and has won the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Medieval Romance. She grew up in a rural area of Upstate New York as part of a large and loving family. Before becoming a writer, she first considered a career in national security, studying for a brief time at the University of Leningrad before completing undergraduate degrees in Russian and English back in the United States, followed by a Master's degree in English Literature. The sixth of seven girls in her family, Mary now makes her permanent home in New York State, with her husband and children. When she is not writing or involved with family activities, she teaches high school and college level English.

Reviews

[Fonch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ladies and gentlemen I do not usually dedicate myself to writing reviews at this time, but I was tired of politics, and angry with the program, which I usually see I have decided to give myself a break. (Tomorrow I will try to write a review of "Hyperversum" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9... . There I'm going to write it backwards. First on facebook, and then on Instagram, because I'm going to write it in two languages. I'm going to do the same with "Right to dream" by @juan_manuel_de_prada https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... which will be written in Spanish, and in Catalan).

One of my favorite topics is the Crusades, in fact, I earned a lot of criticism from the Woke for defending Christians, and they branded me with the typical falsehoods when I criticized the book "The Crusades" by Dan Jones, who am a Nazi, far-right. The same outbursts as always. One of my favorite subjects was the Templars, which were gaining ground thanks to Brian de Bois Gilbert in Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (Despite being the bad guy. He is very well played by both George Sanders and Sam Neill. Not to mention the Jewish Rebecca played by Elizabeth Taylor, and Olivia Hussey). A redemption of the character where the Templar (actually I think the protagonist was a hospitable), if he got the Jewess it happened in "Iacobus" by Asensi. But I think that the Templar novels, which I liked the most in my crazy youth were (not now, of course) "The treasure of the Templars" (that book outside Spain was called "Non nobis") by Hanny Alders https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... (instead "The Lord of the Cathars" was https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... disappointing). I also liked Jan Guillou's first two books by the Swedish Templar Arn https://www.goodreads.com/series/5173.... But due to the Masonic component, and esotericism I was moving further and further away from the Templars. Every time I liked the hospitable "The Ottoman" by Ball (Ironfire) in the English version https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9... , "Angels in iron" by David C. Pratta https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... , or "Knights of the True Cross" by David Camus https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... (the son of Albert Camus https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ) (about the protagonist of this novel the hospitable Morgennes, for me he has been one of the best gentlemen of fiction I have ever met, and a role model). In fact, it seemed to me that they had more glory than the Templars. In fact, I am saddened that there has not been a boom of novels of the Teutonic Order except Henrik Sienkiewicz's novel https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , or of the Order of the Dragon (regardless of Dracula https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... , which is already very tiresome).
I suppose that heresies, which were loved in youth are hated in old age. I also read horrendous novels "Beltran a Templar in Exile," or "The False Pilgrims" by Nicholas Wilcox https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... With a pseudo-Gnostic plot à la Dan Brown. Also within the bad, which is Spanish romanticism (yesterday I told my cousin) there were estimable products such as "El monte de las ánimas" by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , or a novel, which looks very similar to this one by Reed McCall "El Señor de Bembibre" by Enrique Gil Carrasco (which a server thinks better than this novel) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... that told the end of the Templar Order in Castile (where the Templars were declared innocent), and the romance between Álvaro Yáñez, and the protagonist. Much like Damien de Ashby, and Alissenda. I had some qualms about reading this novel. Not only the weariness of the Templar theme, but because I do not like that a religious breaks the vow of celibacy. But things improved when I saw the prologue, and that one of the books in the bibliography was the history of the Templars by Piers Paul Read https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (apart from this volume the bibliography, which the author consulted, did not seem bad at all). (Apart from this volume, the bibliography, which the author consulted, did not seem bad at all). The one I hold in great esteem, is perhaps the last great English novelist. Always with the forgiveness of my friends Fiorella de Maria https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , and Corinna Turner https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . The thing seems more scandalous than it actually is. If you are cinephiles, as I was in another life. There's a movie, which I love called Shadowlands https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... . The Professor says the miniseries is even better. But in Richard Attenborough's film there is a dialogue in which Joy tells C.S. Lewis something like if he is not surprised by people's gossip, presupposing outrageous things, when the truth is that Joy, and Jack are married, and do nothing at all. Well, something similar happens here. Alissenda advised by her mother (Blanche), and her priest cousin Michael (despite the criticisms of the Inquisition, just. Although Damien loses faith. The Church is not attacked, nor the Catholic religion which is a point in favor of this novel) before the harassment he is suffering from Hugh Lord Hamwick (his cousin, and brother of the priest). They decide to rescue Alissenda's former love, who is imprisoned by the French Inquisition, and get a temporary absolution permit. Although Damien is apparently hurt, he agrees to marry Alissenda by proxy, and defend her from Hugh, but with conditions (Hugh reminds me a lot of Henry Rider's villain of "The Brethren" Haggard https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , who was also called Hugh by the way, also waiting for Zofia Kossak Szucka https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... at the moment is the best novel about the Crusades, which I have read, and the Count of Lemos the villain of the "Lord of Bembibre" by Enrique Gil Carrasco). During the story I compare Damien de Ashby a lot with Richard the Bastard Ruddlan of "The Treasure of the Templars / Non Nobis", who also falls in love with a noble Beatrice of Morley (although paradoxically with whom he ends up sleeping is with a prostitute named Meg the Red, and if he has children with someone it will be with her, because let's say that the inquisitors of the Inquisition turned him with their tortures into a powerless, that was something, that I expected, that could have happened to Damien of Ashby), and tells the persecution in England, which is not so present here. In fact, I have been surprised by the benevolent image offered of Edward II, as a kind King, and more indulgent than Edward I hammering Scots for some, long-stilted for others (of this king the novels, which best leave him are "Quiet Light" by Louis de Wohl https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , and "The Black Rose" by Thomas Costain https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... recommend Henry Hathaway's wonderful movie to everyone, even though a server is not a fan of Tyrone Power). So used to Braveheart https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... (The paradox is that despite the fact that in the film Braveheart Edward I is defined as a bloodthirsty pagan. The truth is that he was the last Christian sovereign to leave for the Crusades, and instead as this novel tells Robert Bruce was excommunicated for murdering Comlyn the Red in a Church, and once dead to lift the excommunication the Scots had to go to Spain to fight against the Muslims in Teba Malaga with the heart of the King embalmed https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... ) or the Accursed Kings https://www.goodreads.com/series/1677... I have been surprised by the positive image that is given of Edward II. It didn't look very good in "The Treasure of the Templars/Non Nobis" either. It does not come to the case of Christopher Marlowe's "Edward II" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... (which for me is the best of the plays of kings, counting those of William Shakespeare https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/series/1020... ), but it is closer to the play of the Elizabethan writer. Damien (later we will see his motives, which for its beauty has an air of Leslie Howard, Anthony Andrews, or Brad Pitt) proposes that the marriage only lasts nine months, and that it not be consummated. Alissenda, in spite of everything, accepts. I thought I had found two errors in this novel, but it turns out that I had not. The habit of the Franciscans is also gray, and Gregory IX (Cardinal Hugolin) made them part of Tribunals of the Holy Office. I thought it was originally reserved for the Dominicans. The novel has flaws moves with very few characters, pretends nothing more than to be a romance novel , and does not want to be a historical novel with more pretensions. Surprisingly the male characters are more interesting than the female ones, I mean both Damien and Friar Benedictus. On the other hand, Alissenda is a bit bland, not to mention mother Blanche. Some dialogues are very bad. The good thing is that, although it is difficult to read the first two hundred pages, it goes from less to more. The scenes of Glenheim are very good, and those of the Odiham tournament, although they are not as good as those of "Hyperversum". Edward II's approach is very interesting, and the cameo of the characters of the first novel "The Temptation of the Templar" such as Richard Cantor is very good (not to mention that one of the subplots referring to Damien's past is very interesting, and may be the plot of the third part). The sex scenes are very good especially the second, and the ending is acceptable, and I think it's the perfect word to define this novel. Acceptable. My grade is (2'5/5) PS. Regarding the end of the Templars, they only had two solutions or the one proposed by the author, which due to proximity is the most convenient, for the characters of this story (so does "Beltran a Templar in exile", or have gone to Portugal where King Dinis interesting monarch where there are created the Order of the Knights of Christ, and offered welcome to the Templars (and this is the solution that Hanny Alders takes in "The Treasure of the Templars/Non Nobis"). Regarding my opinion on the subject of the Templars, for me they were one more victim of one of the most underhanded, hypocritical, and evil kings, that the hypocrite, and bad Christian Philip IV the Fair, that has ever existed. For me the real responsible for the crime, and he stained the honor of the Church with this infamy, but he himself was an enemy of the Church, and he achieved what Frederick II Hohestaufen had tried unsuccessfully, and had failed, which is the submission of the Church by temporal power, and for me he was the creator of today's secular totalitarianism, and the mirror in which the Protestants, and the enlightened, looked to undermine the power of the Church. He used men, who feared no God, to accomplish his wicked ends, and among his victims were Pope Boniface VIII, the Jews, the Templars, and his greed was about to unleash a persecution against the Lombards, but he was called to the Judgment of God much earlier.
Yes, I am asked, if I am in favor of the Order of the Knights of the Temple of Solomon being re-established, and rehabilitated, as it does in "666, and Juanita Tabor" by Hugo Wast https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... . Years ago I would have told you, yes without hesitation. But now I would say, no. It is true that in my opinion they are innocent of the crimes, which were imputed to them, and were acquitted in Castile, and in the Holy Roman Empire, but their end was not very edifying. They have not earned their refoundation. Some engaged in banditry like Robert Longwy, and the fact that some Gnostic groups claim them as the Freemasons, the Illuminati, or the Rosicrucians claim them does them no favors. Although they have been compared to the Jesuits, their end was not the same. The Jesuits were not condemned, simply the Papacy yielded to the power of the French, Spanish, and Portuguese enlightened monarchies (so it was not very difficult later to re-found the Jesuits). Although the vow of Clement V was subjected to coercion, and he was a servant of Philip IV. In spite of everything they have been condemned, and in matters of faith the Church is not wrong so I see a possible refoundation very complicated. Apart from who can be heirs of the Templars, because many have pretended so, and there is no unitary group. Moreover, when Benedict XVI studied the issue, some groups, which allegedly represented the Templars, began to ask for compensation not from the French Republic. (which in my opinion should assume the indemnities for the cause of the destruction of the Templars), but to the Catholic Church. With such a materialistic spirit I see a rehabilitation very complicated, and a possible refoundation, but since God is the Lord of History, who knows what his designs are, and what future he will have prepared for us.

[Monique Takens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit boek is in het Nederlands vertaald verschenen:Een huwelijk als redding - Candlelight Historische roman 746 .
Geen slecht verhaal maar toch heb ik hele stukken tekst overgeslagen omdat deze auteur de neiging heeft om te lang over gevoelens en gedachten door te gaan waardoor het voor mij te langdradig wordt . Dus .. gewoon overslaan en verder lezen waar weer wat gebeurt .

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe the low ratings for this book. If you like this era of history this is a good book.

[Valentina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encanta la pequeña parte que he leído, dquiero continuar leyendo para dar una reseña completa de la misma

[Zenei · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started off pretty good, despite the fact that I am not particularly fond of the picture of the hero on the cover (seems young and sort of soft) so I had to kind of block that out and try to picture him differently. Luckily the author manages to make him seem strong and at least in the beginning, gives him a sense of personality. The heroine also started off pretty good. I was able to get a sense of who she was. However, the author's phrasing was inconsistent. Good at times but very contrived at others. When she was on though, she was reminiscent of Marsha Canham or Kathleen Woodiwiss. But then it started to get a bit irritating. The way both the hero and heroine could barely contain themselves through the charade of a wedding I thought, was sort of ridiculous. This is a Templar Knight who had been highly trained and who had withstood torture for a year! And now he can barely control himself just looking at the heroine? Ok. Catch me in the right mood and I'll fall for anything... The author spends to much time, pages and pages on how the heroine drove the hero to complete distraction where he could think of nothing else. This was a bit much for me. I mean I got the point after the first few paragraphs. You really have to wonder how he was ever able to stay celibate while a Templar. And I also did not like the fact that the book started out with them reuniting from five years ago. It was like reading a sequel when you had not read the first book yet. She tells you about it in retrospect but you don't get to read it as it happens. You really don't get the details of why the heroine rejected him until later on in the book. When an author skips ahead and then tells you about what happened in past tense, well this has always been a pet peeve for me and this author does that a lot. Another thing that bothered me was the way all the characters and circumstance were as expected or happened as expected. The very definition of contrived. An example would be the confrontation in the practice yard with one of the men the hero was training. The way in which the author portrayed this guy as a typical bully and then did a total about face after the sparring fight. This was a bit pretentious to me. I found myself skimming over pages because nothing interesting was going on besides the hero's barely uncontrollable lust. And this got old quickly. However it started to get interesting again when the bad guy showed up. But he was kind of typical and predictable too. I began to notice that when the story started to become more interesting, the skill of the actual writing seems to suffer somewhat. It was sort of like the author got caught up in the action of what was going on with the tournament and all, and then seem to sacrifice creativity, prose and depth. Another thing was that even though this is a book on medieval romance about a Templar Knight, there really isn't much history here. I mean there just wasn't much of a story surrounding the romance. I guess that is a matter of taste though. Some people like the emphasis of a historical romance to be on the romance and I prefer that the history, time, place and atmosphere play a prominent albeit natural part of the romance. When I think of books like "Through a Dark Mist, On a Highland Shore, Clandara and Highland Rose with its rich history and highly developed main and secondary characters... I don't know. I just don't get that from this book. However I will probably read it again in the future to see if it has a better second go around.

[Vmontgzz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Termine de leer Los Pecados del Placer de Mary Reed McCall y me gusto, nunca habia leido nada de templarios y esta bien, me parecio algo mas real la forma en que la autora explica la forma en que ellos se separaron, ella era muy joven y simplemente se asusto de lo que se le podria venir encima, la mayoria de las veces en los libros de estos temas te ponen a la chicas de 17 años muy maduras y la verdad es dificil creerselo pero bueno son ficcion, asi que al leer este es mas facil entender porque actuo asi la protagonista y como ahora despues de 5 años y de haber vivido y sufrido por su decision es una persona mas madura. Aunque a ratos me mareaba con tanto deseo contenido de parte de ambos protagonistas, eso de que se morian de ganas de ponerse las manos encima pero ninguno lo hacia. Y me gusto que ella no es de las que simplemente cae rendida a sus brazos, la parte en que despues de que el se la pasa coqueteandole mientras la enseña defensa personal y la deja totalmente frustrada despues de cada cesion, ella entonces decide seguir el consejo de su madre y le paga con la misma moneda y lo toma desprevenido y luego le cambia el juego me encanto.

[Kathryn Mooers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plenty of romance mixed with just the right amount of humor. Even my husband enjoyed this one (which is rare considering he does not care for romance books). For anyone looking for a good historical romance novel that will stick with you, this is it. Very hard to put down!