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Legend of the Four Soldiers #2
To Seduce a Sinner
Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale, has a problem: he needs to marry and produce an heir to the title. All Jasper wants is to find a lady who will put up with him long enough to wed so he can retreat to his life of debauchery—a life that keeps the haunting memories of his past at bay. Knowing that Jasper is under pressure to marry, Melisande Fleming grasps her fate with both hands and volunteers to wed him. Although Jasper is initially only interested in producing an heir, he soon becomes entranced by his wife—prim and proper by day, wanton by night—and vows to learn her secrets.
Melisande, however, is determined to keep her husband at a distance. She has loved and lost before, and will do anything to keep him from learning her terrible weakness: She's secretly been in love with him for years. But to her chagrin, her husband pursues her, wooing her as if she were a paramour, not his lady wife. As Melisande and Jasper embark on a passionate game of cat and mouse, secrets from the past begin to resurface ... threatening to tear them asunder.
Melisande, however, is determined to keep her husband at a distance. She has loved and lost before, and will do anything to keep him from learning her terrible weakness: She's secretly been in love with him for years. But to her chagrin, her husband pursues her, wooing her as if she were a paramour, not his lady wife. As Melisande and Jasper embark on a passionate game of cat and mouse, secrets from the past begin to resurface ... threatening to tear them asunder.
359 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2008
352 people are currently reading
6239 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Hoyt
46 books7,176 followersElizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with three untrained dogs and one long-suffering husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 902 reviews
March 12, 2023
Oh my. I don't even know what to write. To Seduce a Sinner was one of the best romance books I have ever read in my entire life! It would have to rank in my top three of all-time, if not
the
number 1 slot, because at this time I'm hard-pressed to think of two romances that I liked better.
I can't even write a review. Maybe later, but I'm really not sure what I would write. Was just so, so fantastic.
I picked this up after finishing Elizabeth Hoyt's Notorious Pleasures last night, thinking to read a few pages and then go to sleep. Not only was I up until 4:30 am, but I couldn't fall asleep for over half an hour once I'd finished it because I had such a stupid, silly grin on my face and was on one of those natural highs that a really great romance gives you (or is that just me ...?).
Honestly, even my favorite romances, there is always something I can criticize and that I would have wanted done a little differently. Here, just as it was, it was absolutely 100% perfect. What else is there to say?
Note: This is the second book in the series but the first one I've read, so although I know Jasper appeared in the first book (and think that Melisande did as well?), I hadn't read that book before reading this one. Did not at all mar my enjoyment though and think it can easily be read separately.
(Review written May 2011)
I can't even write a review. Maybe later, but I'm really not sure what I would write. Was just so, so fantastic.
I picked this up after finishing Elizabeth Hoyt's Notorious Pleasures last night, thinking to read a few pages and then go to sleep. Not only was I up until 4:30 am, but I couldn't fall asleep for over half an hour once I'd finished it because I had such a stupid, silly grin on my face and was on one of those natural highs that a really great romance gives you (or is that just me ...?).
Honestly, even my favorite romances, there is always something I can criticize and that I would have wanted done a little differently. Here, just as it was, it was absolutely 100% perfect. What else is there to say?
Note: This is the second book in the series but the first one I've read, so although I know Jasper appeared in the first book (and think that Melisande did as well?), I hadn't read that book before reading this one. Did not at all mar my enjoyment though and think it can easily be read separately.
(Review written May 2011)
May 16, 2019
Just what you want in a HR. Sweet, funny, old-fashioned people who probably stunk, no running water or toilets, streets with sewage in them, raging syphilis, and balls. So romantic!
Our hero is the guy who got cheated on by his fiancee from the last book. He is one of those life-of-the-party guys, funny and friendly. At the start of this book he has another fiancee who tells him - on their wedding day - that she is in love with another man. Yeah, this guy is now a two-time loser. He is a viscount so he has to do his duty and get married. He's so desperate at this point that he'll take anyone (well, with the right bloodline, of course. No commoners! Nobody is THAT desperate!).
Any blue blood will do
Well, if she has the money for an artist to paint her, she's good enough.
Luckily for him, his first fiancee's best friend has been secretly in love with him for the past six years. She finds out he was left at the altar and pounces! Gotta give her points there. She knew what she wanted..
But, then the wedding night happened. And, she realized that what she wanted wasn't a 20-second sexual encounter followed by him immediately leaving the room to go to his own.
So, their wedded bliss started out not-so-blissful to be sure. But, this was one of those books where they fell in love after getting married and it was super sweet. They both had a LOT of baggage. Him from the war, and her from a past love-gone-wrong. She literally brought one bag in with a little dog-from-hell inside. One of those dogs that barks at absolutely everything and thinks that it rules the roost. You know those kind? The kind that make you seriously reconsider the whole dog vs. cat debate and think maybe having a box of shit in your house would still be better than this ankle-biting asshole that never shuts up? Yeah, that kind. So, the new husband has to figure out how to deal with the little monster as well as figuring out why his wife doesn't seem all that happy.
Item #1:
Item #2:
Anyway..
The book was well-paced, had a lot of funny moments, and the characters were likable. There is also a storyline that is continued from the last book and not yet resolved. On to the next book to see where that goes. Also, the couple from the next book were introduced and it's going to be a scarred hero/ beautiful heroine thing. Should be fun!
Our hero is the guy who got cheated on by his fiancee from the last book. He is one of those life-of-the-party guys, funny and friendly. At the start of this book he has another fiancee who tells him - on their wedding day - that she is in love with another man. Yeah, this guy is now a two-time loser. He is a viscount so he has to do his duty and get married. He's so desperate at this point that he'll take anyone (well, with the right bloodline, of course. No commoners! Nobody is THAT desperate!).
Any blue blood will do
Well, if she has the money for an artist to paint her, she's good enough.
Luckily for him, his first fiancee's best friend has been secretly in love with him for the past six years. She finds out he was left at the altar and pounces! Gotta give her points there. She knew what she wanted..
But, then the wedding night happened. And, she realized that what she wanted wasn't a 20-second sexual encounter followed by him immediately leaving the room to go to his own.
So, their wedded bliss started out not-so-blissful to be sure. But, this was one of those books where they fell in love after getting married and it was super sweet. They both had a LOT of baggage. Him from the war, and her from a past love-gone-wrong. She literally brought one bag in with a little dog-from-hell inside. One of those dogs that barks at absolutely everything and thinks that it rules the roost. You know those kind? The kind that make you seriously reconsider the whole dog vs. cat debate and think maybe having a box of shit in your house would still be better than this ankle-biting asshole that never shuts up? Yeah, that kind. So, the new husband has to figure out how to deal with the little monster as well as figuring out why his wife doesn't seem all that happy.
Item #1:
Item #2:
Anyway..
The book was well-paced, had a lot of funny moments, and the characters were likable. There is also a storyline that is continued from the last book and not yet resolved. On to the next book to see where that goes. Also, the couple from the next book were introduced and it's going to be a scarred hero/ beautiful heroine thing. Should be fun!
September 1, 2016
I wanted this to be over. It was tedious. There’s no dialogue. There’s no relationship development.
STORY BRIEF:
She has loved him from afar for several years. They’ve never talked. He enjoys socializing and has had many lovers. He needs to produce an heir and is jilted by two fiancés. Melisande sees this as her chance. She approaches him and offers marriage. He says yes. (I do not understand why he said yes.) She is shy, prim, and proper.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
Their conversation is so boring. I could never understand how they could enjoy being together, converse, and fall in love. For most of the book their conversation is “Did you sleep well?” “Yes, thank you.” “Shall we have cook pack a lunch for us?” “Yes that would be good.” He asks her what her favorite food is. She replies that she has none. After a few days of this, he realizes he loves her. He calls her my lady wife and my heart. They both have secrets. His secret is that he still feels stress from fighting in the army causing him to sleep on the floor. Also he feels he doesn’t deserve happiness. Her secret is that she loves him. She tells herself it will be a disaster if he ever discovers this. This feels like a book about nothing.
There are several sex scenes that are ok but not special. One publisher’s summary was misleading. It stated “But to her chagrin, her husband pursues her, wooing her as if she were a paramour, not his wife.” I found the opposite to be true. For some reason Jasper is reluctant to have sex with Melisande. It’s like he doesn’t see her as a woman. So, she is the one who must initiate things - coming to him, undressing him, etc. One of the sex scenes toward the end was overly dramatic where he was demanding to know her secret (which was she loved him - but horrors - she didn’t dare to tell him that). This was the major relationship event.
Secondary stories involve Jasper talking to various men trying to discover who the traitor was. (See next paragraph.) For conflict, a few times outside bad guys came along to attack or cause stress.
This is book 2 in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series. There is a mystery that flows through all the books which I believe will be solved in book 4. There was a British traitor who caused some men to be taken prisoner and tortured seven years ago. Jasper spends a lot of time investigating this, but it’s not resolved in this book. Thus a somewhat disappointing cliffhanger feel.
UNRELATED FAIRY TALE:
In many of the author’s books (maybe all, I’m not sure) she has a short fairy tale unrelated to the main story that she divides into short paragraphs. She puts one paragraph at the beginning of each chapter of the book. In the physical books, I skipped those. In the audiobook I couldn’t skip them. I was annoyed at having to listen to them. They took me out of the story. They felt like TV commercial interruptions. They caused me “a little bit of stress” trying to remember what happened in the previous excerpt. I wish she wouldn’t do this.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Anne Flosnik does a fine job.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 9 hrs and 45 mins. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 7. Setting: 1765 England and Scotland. Book copyright: 2008. Genre: historical romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Elizabeth Hoyt books. Dates are copyright dates.
PRINCES TRILOGY series:
5 stars. The Raven Prince. 2006
4 stars. The Leopard Prince. 2007
1 star. The Serpent Prince. 2007
LEGEND OF THE FOUR SOLDIERS series:
2 stars. To Seduce a Sinner. 2008
4 stars. To Beguile a Beast. 2009
STORY BRIEF:
She has loved him from afar for several years. They’ve never talked. He enjoys socializing and has had many lovers. He needs to produce an heir and is jilted by two fiancés. Melisande sees this as her chance. She approaches him and offers marriage. He says yes. (I do not understand why he said yes.) She is shy, prim, and proper.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
Their conversation is so boring. I could never understand how they could enjoy being together, converse, and fall in love. For most of the book their conversation is “Did you sleep well?” “Yes, thank you.” “Shall we have cook pack a lunch for us?” “Yes that would be good.” He asks her what her favorite food is. She replies that she has none. After a few days of this, he realizes he loves her. He calls her my lady wife and my heart. They both have secrets. His secret is that he still feels stress from fighting in the army causing him to sleep on the floor. Also he feels he doesn’t deserve happiness. Her secret is that she loves him. She tells herself it will be a disaster if he ever discovers this. This feels like a book about nothing.
There are several sex scenes that are ok but not special. One publisher’s summary was misleading. It stated “But to her chagrin, her husband pursues her, wooing her as if she were a paramour, not his wife.” I found the opposite to be true. For some reason Jasper is reluctant to have sex with Melisande. It’s like he doesn’t see her as a woman. So, she is the one who must initiate things - coming to him, undressing him, etc. One of the sex scenes toward the end was overly dramatic where he was demanding to know her secret (which was she loved him - but horrors - she didn’t dare to tell him that). This was the major relationship event.
Secondary stories involve Jasper talking to various men trying to discover who the traitor was. (See next paragraph.) For conflict, a few times outside bad guys came along to attack or cause stress.
This is book 2 in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series. There is a mystery that flows through all the books which I believe will be solved in book 4. There was a British traitor who caused some men to be taken prisoner and tortured seven years ago. Jasper spends a lot of time investigating this, but it’s not resolved in this book. Thus a somewhat disappointing cliffhanger feel.
UNRELATED FAIRY TALE:
In many of the author’s books (maybe all, I’m not sure) she has a short fairy tale unrelated to the main story that she divides into short paragraphs. She puts one paragraph at the beginning of each chapter of the book. In the physical books, I skipped those. In the audiobook I couldn’t skip them. I was annoyed at having to listen to them. They took me out of the story. They felt like TV commercial interruptions. They caused me “a little bit of stress” trying to remember what happened in the previous excerpt. I wish she wouldn’t do this.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Anne Flosnik does a fine job.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 9 hrs and 45 mins. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 7. Setting: 1765 England and Scotland. Book copyright: 2008. Genre: historical romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Elizabeth Hoyt books. Dates are copyright dates.
PRINCES TRILOGY series:
5 stars. The Raven Prince. 2006
4 stars. The Leopard Prince. 2007
1 star. The Serpent Prince. 2007
LEGEND OF THE FOUR SOLDIERS series:
2 stars. To Seduce a Sinner. 2008
4 stars. To Beguile a Beast. 2009
July 31, 2013
Another amazing and wholly different historical romance from Elizabeth Hoyt. This lady can really write no wrong.
Melisande was introduced in the previous book as the somewhat dowdy wallflower-by-choice friend. She's very much not caught up in the fashionable fops of London, although she does run in the same circles. She attends what propriety demands, but she prefers quite evenings at home and quiet clothing when she does venture to the occasional party. And from the last book, we also know that she's been in love with Jasper Renshaw for years, even though he was engaged to her best friend. And yet Jasper never even knew her name.
This story begins, however, with Jasper's newest fiancee' calling off the wedding while standing in the church. Jasper is so jaded, so ready to get this marriage business over with. And so Melisande steps in, offering herself as his bride. And he accepts. Marriage, done! Now comes the unexpected.
Quiet, strong willed, dowdy Melisande is quite the passionate creature. This was such a surprising pleasure for me to read. I tend to not like forward women in my romance, but the way that Hoyt created Melisande was very unusual. The woman is the epitome of A lady in the street but a freak in the bed. I loved it! And so does Jasper, even though Melisande worries that he'll find her enthusiasm disgusting. Oh, no...Jasper is thrilled!!
Check this out:
What is it about the words cunny and cock in a historical romance novel that gives me instant hot flashes? Holy wow! This was one hot, HOT read!!!! Bordering on erotic, but only while the sexy times are happening. The plot itself is equally as engaging, as Jasper continues to hunt for the man who sold secrets to the French, and in turn, got his regiment not only slaughtered, but tortured. And Jasper is now the tortured one, living with the memories of his soldiers screams in his head. Poor Jasper...his demons won't leave, and he can't figure out how to let Melisande help him deal. He sees her as his interesting wife...a surprisingly good companion, a sexy siren in bed, and the future mother of his children.
But Melisande wants more. She loves him desperately, and her steady, quiet devotion begins to seep into his soul, dragging those demons into the light and forcing him to face them.
A wonderfully rich love story, a surprising passion between a frumpy, fading, on the shelf woman and a man who surrounds himself with lively society just to escape his nightmares...all around, this is what romance should be: the melding of two people who find in each other exactly what they didn't know they needed or wanted. I love when he calls her "My lady wife..." The sentiment changed through out the story into something tender and beautiful.
Oh, and I'm SO EXCITED for the next book, To Beguile a Beast, which is about a horribly scarred recluse and a longtime mistress running from her past with her two children. It sounds like the PERFECT book for me, and I'm already sympathetic to both characters after meeting them here.
EDIT TO ADD:
A Huge thanks to Anna (Bobs her hair) for the link to an absolutely marvelous epilogue...
http://www.elizabethhoyt.com/extras/a...
Melisande was introduced in the previous book as the somewhat dowdy wallflower-by-choice friend. She's very much not caught up in the fashionable fops of London, although she does run in the same circles. She attends what propriety demands, but she prefers quite evenings at home and quiet clothing when she does venture to the occasional party. And from the last book, we also know that she's been in love with Jasper Renshaw for years, even though he was engaged to her best friend. And yet Jasper never even knew her name.
“I watched you for years,” she whispered. The tears were drying on her cheeks, and heat was building within her. If he would just touch her. Touch her there. “I watched you and you never saw me.”
This story begins, however, with Jasper's newest fiancee' calling off the wedding while standing in the church. Jasper is so jaded, so ready to get this marriage business over with. And so Melisande steps in, offering herself as his bride. And he accepts. Marriage, done! Now comes the unexpected.
Quiet, strong willed, dowdy Melisande is quite the passionate creature. This was such a surprising pleasure for me to read. I tend to not like forward women in my romance, but the way that Hoyt created Melisande was very unusual. The woman is the epitome of A lady in the street but a freak in the bed. I loved it! And so does Jasper, even though Melisande worries that he'll find her enthusiasm disgusting. Oh, no...Jasper is thrilled!!
Check this out:
“She sat up and swung a long slender leg over his hips. Then she sat straight and tall, and so prim on top of his throbbing prick. “Take me inside, my lady wife,” he whispered. “Put me in your pretty cunny.” He thought he saw her frown in the dark, as if disapproving of an inappropriate subject at tea. She might look prim and proper when at tea in the afternoon, but at night and with him, she was a wanton creature. “Ride me, my heart,” he urged. “Ride me until you weep on my prick. Ride me until I fill you with my seed.”
What is it about the words cunny and cock in a historical romance novel that gives me instant hot flashes? Holy wow! This was one hot, HOT read!!!! Bordering on erotic, but only while the sexy times are happening. The plot itself is equally as engaging, as Jasper continues to hunt for the man who sold secrets to the French, and in turn, got his regiment not only slaughtered, but tortured. And Jasper is now the tortured one, living with the memories of his soldiers screams in his head. Poor Jasper...his demons won't leave, and he can't figure out how to let Melisande help him deal. He sees her as his interesting wife...a surprisingly good companion, a sexy siren in bed, and the future mother of his children.
But Melisande wants more. She loves him desperately, and her steady, quiet devotion begins to seep into his soul, dragging those demons into the light and forcing him to face them.
A wonderfully rich love story, a surprising passion between a frumpy, fading, on the shelf woman and a man who surrounds himself with lively society just to escape his nightmares...all around, this is what romance should be: the melding of two people who find in each other exactly what they didn't know they needed or wanted. I love when he calls her "My lady wife..." The sentiment changed through out the story into something tender and beautiful.
Oh, and I'm SO EXCITED for the next book, To Beguile a Beast, which is about a horribly scarred recluse and a longtime mistress running from her past with her two children. It sounds like the PERFECT book for me, and I'm already sympathetic to both characters after meeting them here.
EDIT TO ADD:
A Huge thanks to Anna (Bobs her hair) for the link to an absolutely marvelous epilogue...
http://www.elizabethhoyt.com/extras/a...
August 21, 2016
I could hardly finish it. Imo, story development was very poor. Heroine supposedly loved hero for years, though I neither read an emotinal scene nor an affection one. Heroine was so cold, so distant that it didn't help to know her so I can say that there was not a chracterization about her.
Everything was disjointed, heroine's so called love for hero, her passionate personality at nights, hero's obssesion for finding the traitor at war, his sudden intrest for his wife without any evidence for it... I think, I can say enourmous things about the book but almost all of them are not good.
I think, I should be more careful when choosing an Elizabeth Hoyt book, as it seems I can hardly be satisfied by her stories.
Everything was disjointed, heroine's so called love for hero, her passionate personality at nights, hero's obssesion for finding the traitor at war, his sudden intrest for his wife without any evidence for it... I think, I can say enourmous things about the book but almost all of them are not good.
I think, I should be more careful when choosing an Elizabeth Hoyt book, as it seems I can hardly be satisfied by her stories.
March 6, 2017
2.5/3 stars
This was in-between for me. Not bad, not great. It just fell completely flat for me. First Elizabeth Hoyt book I've read, while I ended up liking it, I struggled w/ this particular story. It took me awhile to get to even 'liking' it to be honest. I wasn't blown away and the characters took a while to grow on me. I was half way into the book and found myself not caring for either the hero or heroine...not a good a sign. I was told by several that this series was best read in order or else I would be lost. The only two that caught my interest were this one and TBAB simply because of the blurb on the back of the book. I know there is a mystery plot that weaves throughout the four books, but I'm more interested in the couple's stories. As for this couple's story, let's just say, not what I was expecting to get.
Lady Melisande Fleming has been in love with Lord Vale for years and when he's left at the alter unexpectedly, Melisande jumps at the chance and offers to be his bride. The issue I had right from the start and made this story drag out forever for me was the heroine's stand point of refusing to let Jasper know about her true feelings and not letting him in when he would try to woo her. She wanted him for herself but REFUSED to let him know anything about her true feelings and didn't want to open up her heart. That made absolutely no sense to me. I just couldn’t understand the whole point of her being brave enough to propose marriage to him only to turn around and act stiff and reserved around him, fearing he would find out her true feelings. It defeats the whole purpose of getting married if you ask me. You've wanted him, you got him yet you don't want to love again? Huh? She found love once before and was burned badly by it and doesn’t want to go through that again, understandable but why put yourself out there again, marry the man of your dreams, the man you love but not want to give anything in return or open up to him? It was very frustrating to say the least. I also found it selfish as hell, to offer the man you love marriage only to box him in a loveless marriage all because you don't want to put your heart on the line. Plus her standoffish and brittle and sometimes impatient attitude towards him did not endear me to her. It was emphasized more than once that she's secretly loved this man for years yet her behavior around him left me completely baffled. He would ask her questions about herself and she would instantly be suspicious and on guard and ask him why. It drove me nuts everytime she would put up a wall and snap at him 'you don't know me'... yeah? well if you tried talking to him then maybe he would know you. RME.
I just really have no patience for brittle uptight heroines who go out of their way to make things more difficult not only for themselves but the hero as well. It's nonsensical and to be blunt...idiotic.
As for the plot, I wanted more. I felt it was one of those books where it fell into the tedious pattern of depicting the married couple's life day by day where nothing really happens except the constant 180 turns w/ Melisande or Jasper clamming up and avoiding one another. It was like the two lived completely separate lives. I found it incredibly bizarre how he would go out at evenings to balls and gatherings and not even bother to ask her to accompany him. Um huh?? Of course she's not a social butterfly and hates going out but I felt he could have compromised. Same goes for her. I just did not get that connection or chemistry between the two. It was very frustrating because I felt some of the characters' motivations weren't explained or didn't make sense. I also thought the dialogue/grammar was a little weird at times but I guess it's more because I'm new to Hoyt's writing style maybe??
That being said, things started to pick up in the second half of the book, I grew to like and understand both characters more and see the affection and secrete love grow stronger I just really wish Hoyt emphasized this more through the book and did something more with it. I really liked the last chapter wished I got more of that through the book. lol I also felt Jasper's PTSD from the his soldiering days could have been pushed more. We saw him talking about it, thinking about it but he covered a lot of it up with a jolly humorous facade who'd like to laugh and have fun. Yes, he finally opened up to Melisande about it and it played into the mystery plot of who betrayed his regiment during the Spinner's Falls massacre, but I wanted more, was expecting more.
I also thought the little side-love story between Melisande's maid Sally and Jasper's valet Mr. Pynch was really sweet and endearing. The little snippets of them was very cute and made me actually want more of them. They made such a surprise pairing, complete polar opposites, I love stories like that. All in all, it was good her writing style takes some getting used to though. It didn't really motivate me to read her other books but I'm gonna give her another try. I just really hope the next one is better than this. *crosses fingers*
This was in-between for me. Not bad, not great. It just fell completely flat for me. First Elizabeth Hoyt book I've read, while I ended up liking it, I struggled w/ this particular story. It took me awhile to get to even 'liking' it to be honest. I wasn't blown away and the characters took a while to grow on me. I was half way into the book and found myself not caring for either the hero or heroine...not a good a sign. I was told by several that this series was best read in order or else I would be lost. The only two that caught my interest were this one and TBAB simply because of the blurb on the back of the book. I know there is a mystery plot that weaves throughout the four books, but I'm more interested in the couple's stories. As for this couple's story, let's just say, not what I was expecting to get.
Lady Melisande Fleming has been in love with Lord Vale for years and when he's left at the alter unexpectedly, Melisande jumps at the chance and offers to be his bride. The issue I had right from the start and made this story drag out forever for me was the heroine's stand point of refusing to let Jasper know about her true feelings and not letting him in when he would try to woo her. She wanted him for herself but REFUSED to let him know anything about her true feelings and didn't want to open up her heart. That made absolutely no sense to me. I just couldn’t understand the whole point of her being brave enough to propose marriage to him only to turn around and act stiff and reserved around him, fearing he would find out her true feelings. It defeats the whole purpose of getting married if you ask me. You've wanted him, you got him yet you don't want to love again? Huh? She found love once before and was burned badly by it and doesn’t want to go through that again, understandable but why put yourself out there again, marry the man of your dreams, the man you love but not want to give anything in return or open up to him? It was very frustrating to say the least. I also found it selfish as hell, to offer the man you love marriage only to box him in a loveless marriage all because you don't want to put your heart on the line. Plus her standoffish and brittle and sometimes impatient attitude towards him did not endear me to her. It was emphasized more than once that she's secretly loved this man for years yet her behavior around him left me completely baffled. He would ask her questions about herself and she would instantly be suspicious and on guard and ask him why. It drove me nuts everytime she would put up a wall and snap at him 'you don't know me'... yeah? well if you tried talking to him then maybe he would know you. RME.
I just really have no patience for brittle uptight heroines who go out of their way to make things more difficult not only for themselves but the hero as well. It's nonsensical and to be blunt...idiotic.
As for the plot, I wanted more. I felt it was one of those books where it fell into the tedious pattern of depicting the married couple's life day by day where nothing really happens except the constant 180 turns w/ Melisande or Jasper clamming up and avoiding one another. It was like the two lived completely separate lives. I found it incredibly bizarre how he would go out at evenings to balls and gatherings and not even bother to ask her to accompany him. Um huh?? Of course she's not a social butterfly and hates going out but I felt he could have compromised. Same goes for her. I just did not get that connection or chemistry between the two. It was very frustrating because I felt some of the characters' motivations weren't explained or didn't make sense. I also thought the dialogue/grammar was a little weird at times but I guess it's more because I'm new to Hoyt's writing style maybe??
That being said, things started to pick up in the second half of the book, I grew to like and understand both characters more and see the affection and secrete love grow stronger I just really wish Hoyt emphasized this more through the book and did something more with it. I really liked the last chapter wished I got more of that through the book. lol I also felt Jasper's PTSD from the his soldiering days could have been pushed more. We saw him talking about it, thinking about it but he covered a lot of it up with a jolly humorous facade who'd like to laugh and have fun. Yes, he finally opened up to Melisande about it and it played into the mystery plot of who betrayed his regiment during the Spinner's Falls massacre, but I wanted more, was expecting more.
I also thought the little side-love story between Melisande's maid Sally and Jasper's valet Mr. Pynch was really sweet and endearing. The little snippets of them was very cute and made me actually want more of them. They made such a surprise pairing, complete polar opposites, I love stories like that. All in all, it was good her writing style takes some getting used to though. It didn't really motivate me to read her other books but I'm gonna give her another try. I just really hope the next one is better than this. *crosses fingers*
February 4, 2018
This one is my favorite of the four, excellent story, excellent characters and a really, really happy HEA.
May 20, 2012
The beginning pissed me off. The description of her plainness was horrid. I ended up pitying the girl and wanting her to just keep her pride and not even bother. He was very blatant in his perusal and how he found almost nothing to be satisfactory. Plus, the idea of a girl waiting around as some guy bags everyone is pathetic. Grow some back bone and move on, he probably has venereal disease anyway...but oh wait i forgot the male sluts of the ton that some people call heroes are always "so very careful about those things" :[
April 17, 2022
4 Estrellitas. Vuelvo con la "Leyenda de los cuatro soldados", y encontramos un libro bastante parecido en cuanto a ritmo al primero, cuyo romance me ha convencido más.
No esperaba un romance entre Jasper y Melisande, no los veía como pareja, pero conocer su historia me ha gustado, y más conociendo los secretos que ocultaban ambos personajes.
El libro empieza poco después donde acaba el primero. Jasper ha encontrado una nueva novia tras el plantón de Emeline, y está a punto de casarse. Heredó el vizcondado de Vale a la muerte de su hermano, cuando volvió de la guerra en las colonias, y su título le exige casarse y dar un heredero.
Melisande lleva varios años enamorada en secreto del vizconde Vale. Pero Jasper jamas se fijaría en ella. Desde su desafortunada historia en el pasado, Melisande ha procurado no llamar la atención sobre sí misma y vestirse con las prendas más insulsas posibles para que nadie se fije en ella. Conociendo esto, no entendía por qué Melisande, siendo la mejor amiga de Emeline no le confesaba a ésta su amor por él mientras Emeline estuvo prometida con Jasper.
Aún así, la nueva novia de Jasper se arrepiente en el último momento, y Jasper vuelve a quedarse sin novia. Es entonces cuando Melisande, que estaba invitada a la boda por ser familia de la novia, se arma de valor y la propone a Jasper casarse con ella. El no, ya lo tiene, y Jasper necesita un heredero, y ella querría ser la dueña de su propia casa y no depender de la caridad de su hermano. Para su sorpresa, Jasper acepta, cualquier novia le conviene, si puede darle herederos.
Pero el inicio de su matrimonio no será fácil. Sí, en el fondo, Melisande lo quiere para sí porque lleva mucho tiempo amándolo. También sabe que es un hombre con un pasado lujurioso y lleno de conquistas con mujeres hermosas, pero Melisande no sabe que Jasper lucha contra un complicado pasado, que una parte de él murió en Spinner's Fall, y que está tan ansioso como Samuel Hartley por descubrir quién los traicionó.
El libro transcurrirá por un lado intentando buscar al traidor, y por el otro el romance de los protagonistas, descubriéndose a sí mismos y haciendo que funcione lo que ninguno de los dos pensaba que podía funcionar. Por parte de Melisande, podría decirse que el trabajo está hecho porque ya estaba enamorada de Jasper, pero ¿en qué momento puede Jasper darse cuenta de lo que se estaba perdiendo tras la apariencia de la sosa Melisande?
Aunque al principio me ha costado un poco, con el transcurrir de los capítulos el libro me ha convencido. Ha sido una historia muy hermosa y he disfrutado bastante del viaje a Escocia. También me ha encantado Ratón, el perrillo faldero de Melisande; pero lo que más me ha gustado es el fragmento inicial de cada capítulo, el trozo de las historias del libro de Emeline, "La leyenda de los cuatro soldados" que está traduciendo Melisande.
Llegado aquí, espero no tardar mucho en leer el tercer libro. En éste conocemos a los que serán los protagonistas del siguiente y me han dejado con muchísimas ganas.
No esperaba un romance entre Jasper y Melisande, no los veía como pareja, pero conocer su historia me ha gustado, y más conociendo los secretos que ocultaban ambos personajes.
El libro empieza poco después donde acaba el primero. Jasper ha encontrado una nueva novia tras el plantón de Emeline, y está a punto de casarse. Heredó el vizcondado de Vale a la muerte de su hermano, cuando volvió de la guerra en las colonias, y su título le exige casarse y dar un heredero.
Melisande lleva varios años enamorada en secreto del vizconde Vale. Pero Jasper jamas se fijaría en ella. Desde su desafortunada historia en el pasado, Melisande ha procurado no llamar la atención sobre sí misma y vestirse con las prendas más insulsas posibles para que nadie se fije en ella. Conociendo esto, no entendía por qué Melisande, siendo la mejor amiga de Emeline no le confesaba a ésta su amor por él mientras Emeline estuvo prometida con Jasper.
Aún así, la nueva novia de Jasper se arrepiente en el último momento, y Jasper vuelve a quedarse sin novia. Es entonces cuando Melisande, que estaba invitada a la boda por ser familia de la novia, se arma de valor y la propone a Jasper casarse con ella. El no, ya lo tiene, y Jasper necesita un heredero, y ella querría ser la dueña de su propia casa y no depender de la caridad de su hermano. Para su sorpresa, Jasper acepta, cualquier novia le conviene, si puede darle herederos.
Pero el inicio de su matrimonio no será fácil. Sí, en el fondo, Melisande lo quiere para sí porque lleva mucho tiempo amándolo. También sabe que es un hombre con un pasado lujurioso y lleno de conquistas con mujeres hermosas, pero Melisande no sabe que Jasper lucha contra un complicado pasado, que una parte de él murió en Spinner's Fall, y que está tan ansioso como Samuel Hartley por descubrir quién los traicionó.
El libro transcurrirá por un lado intentando buscar al traidor, y por el otro el romance de los protagonistas, descubriéndose a sí mismos y haciendo que funcione lo que ninguno de los dos pensaba que podía funcionar. Por parte de Melisande, podría decirse que el trabajo está hecho porque ya estaba enamorada de Jasper, pero ¿en qué momento puede Jasper darse cuenta de lo que se estaba perdiendo tras la apariencia de la sosa Melisande?
Aunque al principio me ha costado un poco, con el transcurrir de los capítulos el libro me ha convencido. Ha sido una historia muy hermosa y he disfrutado bastante del viaje a Escocia. También me ha encantado Ratón, el perrillo faldero de Melisande; pero lo que más me ha gustado es el fragmento inicial de cada capítulo, el trozo de las historias del libro de Emeline, "La leyenda de los cuatro soldados" que está traduciendo Melisande.
Llegado aquí, espero no tardar mucho en leer el tercer libro. En éste conocemos a los que serán los protagonistas del siguiente y me han dejado con muchísimas ganas.
July 19, 2015
Does anyone have some smelling salts? Because I'm perilously close to fainting from too much fangirling.
Oh, dear Lord this was such an amazing read! I almost didn't read this because To Taste Temptation, the first book in the series, frustrated me so much it was all I could do not to throw my Kindle across the room. But this... God, this just makes me want to do a victory dance. Needless to say, To Seduce a Sinner is a keeper.
Let me fangirl about Jasper first.
I absolutely loved him to bits! He was such an amusing person and played the part of the rakish wastrel very well. His wittiness also elevated brightened up the book and made the slow start very bearable for me. And I'm not usually drawn to such a character, with my preference for stoic and reserved men, but he was so sweet, caring and cute that I found myself falling for him early on in the book. He didn't have a nasty bone in his body, and I love, love, love him for it!
While I loved Jasper immediately, I can't say the same for Melisande. Yes, I understood her intentions and I believe they justified her actions in the story, but she takes some time to warm up to. I found her a bit too snarky at the beginning, especially when she was bent on protecting her heart from Jasper, but she became more and more likeable as the story progressed. At around 75% of the book, I was thoroughly enchanted by her strength of will and honesty. I liked how she didn't mince her words around Jasper--how she spoke her mind. She was fierce when the situation warranted it, but she can also be kind and caring.
The secondary romance between Sally, Melisande's lady's maid, and Mr. Pynch, Jasper's valet, was very cute and entertaining. I absolutely giggled whenever they flirted.
The sex scenes were great, but weren't as hot as those found in her other books, like The Raven Prince and The Leopard Prince. And while I'm not a big fan of BDSM, I was surprised to see myself unperturbed by the subtle sadomasochist undertones in the scenes. Note that they're very subtle, like a slight power play between the participants and a scene where Melisande was tied to the bed. Take my word for it that they didn't give me the creepers at all. In fact, they actually seemed natural and damn exciting. Good job, Ms. Hoyt.
I do have a few issues with the story, though.
But first, I have to make it clear that there's no doubt in my mind that Melisande and Jasper were meant to be together. I think they complemented each other well; Melisande would reign in Jasper's penchant for tomfoolery, while Jasper would bring laughter to Melisande's otherwise serious life. My issue lies in the way Ms. Hoyt handled Jasper's attraction to his new wife. On one second, he barely noticed her, and then--BAM--he's in lust with her. It was just too sudden, too unnatural. I also thought that the angst was a tad bit overplayed in the story, making Jasper seem a little overdramatic at times.
Despite its flaws, this is still a really enjoyable book. I would definitely read it again in the future. And I'm very excited for the next one in the series; Alistair and Helen were built up nicely here and I'm curious to witness their love story.
September 30, 2024
This is one of my very faves by Elizabeth Hoyt, and one of my fave HRs period.
THIS is how you write a reformed rake, ladies and gents! He might sleep around, but he's not overt about it. He has a deep pain (as apparently all rake tropes do), but sleeping around is not a side effect or even an excuse. By nature, he simply wants to enjoy life. He's passionate and likes to be with people. He enjoys women and sex. So sue him.
As I said in my status updates below, I also like the fact that he's not gloriously good-looking. he has no issues finding bed partners because he's a compelling MAN. Because he knows how to seduce and make women want him. Bc he's hard and rugged and confident in his own skin.
BUT, give him a reason to love, give him the woman he wants to love, and he will never look at another for as long as he lives (as he himself vowed). He needs someone who can be his equal, who can handle him and put him in his place if he needs it. Who can also match his passion stroke for stroke.
EH's HRs always have good sex. Passionate, intense, emotionally-charged sex. And she also always have humor in the books, however dry. Good thing I like dry wit best.
I compare this to many other rake books that have been written, including some other ones written by EH herself, including my recent read of Mary Balogh's
, and they all come up short.
This is the reformed rake + plain Jane benchmark, folks!
And extra credit for the cover. HR covers nowadays are just ghastly.
Extra, extra credit for Suchlike and Pynch! (Satyr statue indeed!)
THIS is how you write a reformed rake, ladies and gents! He might sleep around, but he's not overt about it. He has a deep pain (as apparently all rake tropes do), but sleeping around is not a side effect or even an excuse. By nature, he simply wants to enjoy life. He's passionate and likes to be with people. He enjoys women and sex. So sue him.
As I said in my status updates below, I also like the fact that he's not gloriously good-looking. he has no issues finding bed partners because he's a compelling MAN. Because he knows how to seduce and make women want him. Bc he's hard and rugged and confident in his own skin.
BUT, give him a reason to love, give him the woman he wants to love, and he will never look at another for as long as he lives (as he himself vowed). He needs someone who can be his equal, who can handle him and put him in his place if he needs it. Who can also match his passion stroke for stroke.
EH's HRs always have good sex. Passionate, intense, emotionally-charged sex. And she also always have humor in the books, however dry. Good thing I like dry wit best.
I compare this to many other rake books that have been written, including some other ones written by EH herself, including my recent read of Mary Balogh's
, and they all come up short. This is the reformed rake + plain Jane benchmark, folks!
And extra credit for the cover. HR covers nowadays are just ghastly.
Extra, extra credit for Suchlike and Pynch! (Satyr statue indeed!)
April 8, 2021
2.5⭐
I wish I could say that this was a great book but it was so extremely boring. I loved the first two chapters, I thought that the plot idea was awesome, but then it was soooo boring. The characters were boring, the conversations were boring, the middle of the book almost put me to sleep. I kept reading to see if it would get better, and I just realized that I finished it and it is still very boring. Less so than the middle but still...
I wish I could say that this was a great book but it was so extremely boring. I loved the first two chapters, I thought that the plot idea was awesome, but then it was soooo boring. The characters were boring, the conversations were boring, the middle of the book almost put me to sleep. I kept reading to see if it would get better, and I just realized that I finished it and it is still very boring. Less so than the middle but still...
October 2, 2013
Still digging the story within a story at the beginning of each chapter. The story of Laughing Jack gives great insight to Jasper's character.
Oh Melisande, when she says she stood by and watched Vale become engaged to Emeline and then Mary but when Mary threw him to the side she thought to herself why not why not try to claim him? Oh how I like characters in silent pain.
Worst. wedding. night. ever. Nothing else need to be said about this.
Oooh Vale needs to be taught manners after their second time of having sex he just leaves her, feel so bad for Melisande and how she doesn't understand yet his pain and demons which keep him from her.
They both make these huge confessions but then don't ever really talk about them again. It's a build up to finally baring their souls and then ok over now. So crazy that Melisande's big secret is never discussed again and trust me folks for this time period her secret is pretty big.
Hoyt did a good job of setting up the next story in the series, makes me want to read it.
Oh for christ sakes, so even though it clearly looked like Matthew Horn was the traitor he wasn't the traitor for Spinner's Falls. Ugh, I just want to know who the traitor is, hate when authors make something soo obvious then say nope it's not soo obvious going make you work for it some more.
Annoying how Vale always addresses Melisande as sweet heart, sweet wife, my heart, lovely wife, and so on over and over. Ugh, I like endearments as much as the next gal but overload! Melisande is a pretty name roll with it.
Good story just Melisande and Jasper Vale never did it for me. They had some witty comments and I can see how they fit together as a couple just not the extra umph or chemistry which turns average books into keepers . The quality of writing and overall story raised this book from being a C even though I thought the main characters and love story was missing something.
Oh Melisande, when she says she stood by and watched Vale become engaged to Emeline and then Mary but when Mary threw him to the side she thought to herself why not why not try to claim him? Oh how I like characters in silent pain.
Worst. wedding. night. ever. Nothing else need to be said about this.
Oooh Vale needs to be taught manners after their second time of having sex he just leaves her, feel so bad for Melisande and how she doesn't understand yet his pain and demons which keep him from her.
They both make these huge confessions but then don't ever really talk about them again. It's a build up to finally baring their souls and then ok over now. So crazy that Melisande's big secret is never discussed again and trust me folks for this time period her secret is pretty big.
Hoyt did a good job of setting up the next story in the series, makes me want to read it.
Oh for christ sakes, so even though it clearly looked like Matthew Horn was the traitor he wasn't the traitor for Spinner's Falls. Ugh, I just want to know who the traitor is, hate when authors make something soo obvious then say nope it's not soo obvious going make you work for it some more.
Annoying how Vale always addresses Melisande as sweet heart, sweet wife, my heart, lovely wife, and so on over and over. Ugh, I like endearments as much as the next gal but overload! Melisande is a pretty name roll with it.
Good story just Melisande and Jasper Vale never did it for me. They had some witty comments and I can see how they fit together as a couple just not the extra umph or chemistry which turns average books into keepers . The quality of writing and overall story raised this book from being a C even though I thought the main characters and love story was missing something.
February 4, 2021
Reread 2021 - downgrading slightly.
I still adore this book. It just didn’t pack the the same punch I remember. Melisande is an interesting heroine and character study, and I really like Jasper too. There were times, though, that I thought something along these “did I really get that much meaning from this one sentence previously?”
I think there is some case of evolving tastes. One example:
Me previously: actual bodice removal by tearing or ripping - YES please
Me now: do Hoyt books always feature some type bodice ripping?
This was my first ever series ever by Hoyt. I read it at least 12 years ago for the first time and would reread frequently early on because I was spending too much on ebooks and free ones can be disappointing. It holds a special place in my book-lover heart for that reason. This reread went mostly as I expected - there is some problematic content, I knew that going in. The parts I loved, I still loved — they just weren’t handled quite as deftly as I remembered or expected.
I still adore this book. It just didn’t pack the the same punch I remember. Melisande is an interesting heroine and character study, and I really like Jasper too. There were times, though, that I thought something along these “did I really get that much meaning from this one sentence previously?”
I think there is some case of evolving tastes. One example:
Me previously: actual bodice removal by tearing or ripping - YES please
Me now: do Hoyt books always feature some type bodice ripping?
This was my first ever series ever by Hoyt. I read it at least 12 years ago for the first time and would reread frequently early on because I was spending too much on ebooks and free ones can be disappointing. It holds a special place in my book-lover heart for that reason. This reread went mostly as I expected - there is some problematic content, I knew that going in. The parts I loved, I still loved — they just weren’t handled quite as deftly as I remembered or expected.
May 26, 2023
Wow, I don't remember the last time I felt this sorry for the FMC🙃
The FMC, Melisande has loved Jasper for YEARS. For such a long time that he's been with so many women, he can't even remember anything about them.
At some points Melisande's love was just miserable, that sweet sweet girl honestly deserved better.
Melisande blinked rapidly, then looked back to the little box with the garnet earrings. They were quite lovely, but she never wore earrings. Her ears weren’t pierced. She touched one of the garnets with a fingertip and wondered if he’d ever looked—really looked—at her at all.
OH MY GOD, even his apologies were like this, WHAT ARE YOU DOING JASPER???🤼♀️
He did change for the better, eventually. He had a sweet tongue and a great charm, like a classic historical romance MMC does... But still, I couldn't help but swoon over his words😍
He would give anything to unravel this woman. He wanted to search out her innermost secrets and bare her soul. And when he knew her secrets, knew what she kept hidden away in her heart, he would guard it and her with his life.
OMG, I do love a tortured asshole MMC. Can do no wrong...
Him not seeing her love even after they got married was unfortunate. Especially how he acted on their wedding night. UGHHH, he was just vile at the beggining.
Oh, but I loved suffering with Melisande🙌🏻
“I watched you for years, I watched you and you never saw me.”
The FMC, Melisande has loved Jasper for YEARS. For such a long time that he's been with so many women, he can't even remember anything about them.
At some points Melisande's love was just miserable, that sweet sweet girl honestly deserved better.
Melisande blinked rapidly, then looked back to the little box with the garnet earrings. They were quite lovely, but she never wore earrings. Her ears weren’t pierced. She touched one of the garnets with a fingertip and wondered if he’d ever looked—really looked—at her at all.
OH MY GOD, even his apologies were like this, WHAT ARE YOU DOING JASPER???🤼♀️
He did change for the better, eventually. He had a sweet tongue and a great charm, like a classic historical romance MMC does... But still, I couldn't help but swoon over his words😍
He would give anything to unravel this woman. He wanted to search out her innermost secrets and bare her soul. And when he knew her secrets, knew what she kept hidden away in her heart, he would guard it and her with his life.
OMG, I do love a tortured asshole MMC. Can do no wrong...
Him not seeing her love even after they got married was unfortunate. Especially how he acted on their wedding night. UGHHH, he was just vile at the beggining.
Oh, but I loved suffering with Melisande🙌🏻
“I watched you for years, I watched you and you never saw me.”
May 4, 2022
Melisande is a spinster who has loved Jasper, Lord Vale, from afor. After he is left at the alter she proposes a marriage of convenience which Jaspers accepts. Having love and lost before, Melisande is determined to hide her true feelings to avoid the hurt, knowing that she can't go through heartbreak again. All while Jasper hides his own pain from his memories and nightmares of war.
I'm a sucker for a reformed rake and Jasper fit the bill for a gentleman/rake. Melisande was interesting, her aloof nature made he different from many other heroines in MC. It was really a joy to see these two come to understand and love each other. I think this is one of my favorite Elizabeth Hoyt books I have read to date.
I'm a sucker for a reformed rake and Jasper fit the bill for a gentleman/rake. Melisande was interesting, her aloof nature made he different from many other heroines in MC. It was really a joy to see these two come to understand and love each other. I think this is one of my favorite Elizabeth Hoyt books I have read to date.
March 18, 2020
So boring.
March 20, 2016
Divna, zaista divna knjiga. <3
Ona ima sve elemente koje volim u knjizi: velikog junaka koji ne može da pobegne od svojih ožiljaka iz prošlosti, obična ali veoma pametna i zanimljiva heroina, koja je godinama do ušiju zaljubljena u njega (on to ne zna, naravno), zabavna komunikacija među njima, malo humora... i jednostavno, ljubav za sva vremena.
Možda sam našla još jednu moju novu omiljenu autorku. :)
November 6, 2008
So, yesterday was kind of sucktastic. It was a Monday (always bad) and the weather had turned cold. And for some reason my turtleneck collar would not stay flat (stupid, I know, but when your clothes are bugging you all day you get a little crabby).
When I got home and found my box of books I’d ordered from BAM, however, things picked up. I got Robyn Carr’s A VIRGIN RIVER CHRISTMAS, Julie Anne Long’s LIKE NO OTHER LOVER and Elizabeth Hoyt’s TO SEDUCE A SINNER. I set aside the Carr because I wasn’t ready for Christmas just yet (it’s not Halloween yet, no matter what Walgreens tries to tell me). And the JAL I wanted to save for the weekend. And to be honest, I’ve been waiting for Jasper Renshaw’s book since I read the last page of TO TASTE TEMPTATION. So, I made a cup of tea, grabbed the Hoyt and curled up to read.
Six hours later…bleary eyed, I closed TO SEDUCE A SINNER with a contented sigh. God, that was a good read.
When Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale is left at the altar by the pretty widgeon he had chosen for her large…assets, he is less upset by her decampment than by his massive hangover. Enter, Melisande, best friend of Jasper’s previous fiancee Emeline, and whose name he can’t quite remember. She’s loved Vale from afar for six years and sees his sudden freedom as a sign and makes her move. She offers to marry him. Intrigued, Vale agrees and they marry a few weeks later.
What ensues is a journey from lust to love, from secrets to truth, from loneliness to companionship. As with all of Hoyt’s heroes and heroines, they bicker, they make-up, they work their way toward happiness. And it’s a fascinating, romantic, utterly captivating ride.
Y’all know I love Elizabeth Hoyt. Have done since The Raven Prince, but this book is my favorite thus far. It’s got everything I love: plain but feisty heroine, sexy/witty/unconventionally handsome hero, and some serious chemistry. Not to mention the ways in which Hoyt takes romantic convention and turns it on it’s ear. All my favorite authors do it, and Hoyt is especially skilled at it. She knows just what to do to keep me, the reader, wanting more. A+
When I got home and found my box of books I’d ordered from BAM, however, things picked up. I got Robyn Carr’s A VIRGIN RIVER CHRISTMAS, Julie Anne Long’s LIKE NO OTHER LOVER and Elizabeth Hoyt’s TO SEDUCE A SINNER. I set aside the Carr because I wasn’t ready for Christmas just yet (it’s not Halloween yet, no matter what Walgreens tries to tell me). And the JAL I wanted to save for the weekend. And to be honest, I’ve been waiting for Jasper Renshaw’s book since I read the last page of TO TASTE TEMPTATION. So, I made a cup of tea, grabbed the Hoyt and curled up to read.
Six hours later…bleary eyed, I closed TO SEDUCE A SINNER with a contented sigh. God, that was a good read.
When Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale is left at the altar by the pretty widgeon he had chosen for her large…assets, he is less upset by her decampment than by his massive hangover. Enter, Melisande, best friend of Jasper’s previous fiancee Emeline, and whose name he can’t quite remember. She’s loved Vale from afar for six years and sees his sudden freedom as a sign and makes her move. She offers to marry him. Intrigued, Vale agrees and they marry a few weeks later.
What ensues is a journey from lust to love, from secrets to truth, from loneliness to companionship. As with all of Hoyt’s heroes and heroines, they bicker, they make-up, they work their way toward happiness. And it’s a fascinating, romantic, utterly captivating ride.
Y’all know I love Elizabeth Hoyt. Have done since The Raven Prince, but this book is my favorite thus far. It’s got everything I love: plain but feisty heroine, sexy/witty/unconventionally handsome hero, and some serious chemistry. Not to mention the ways in which Hoyt takes romantic convention and turns it on it’s ear. All my favorite authors do it, and Hoyt is especially skilled at it. She knows just what to do to keep me, the reader, wanting more. A+
February 4, 2021
OH THIS BOOK.
1) I'm not sure 'pussy' is a word I want to be reading to describe a vagina in the mid-1700s. JUST SAYING.
2) WHY IS ALL THE FOOD BOILED?
3) TOTALLY SKIMMED ALL THE PLOTTIER BITS!!
4) As meh as this was, I still may read the next one because.
1) I'm not sure 'pussy' is a word I want to be reading to describe a vagina in the mid-1700s. JUST SAYING.
2) WHY IS ALL THE FOOD BOILED?
3) TOTALLY SKIMMED ALL THE PLOTTIER BITS!!
4) As meh as this was, I still may read the next one because.
December 20, 2020
3,5 stars!
June 15, 2009
This was one of the worst romance books I've ever read. There was no chemistry, the attraction seems forced and the conversations are so dull that after a while I skipped most of the nonsense. And hello, is anyone interested in the story of the maid and valet's love?
And the steamy scenes were not really steamy, they were rather crude and funny. I mean, it's not their love and care for each other that brings them together but their lust and need for pleasure. There are no answers to why these two completely different people are for each other.
Another annoying thing was the drastic change in the characters between day and night. I wanted to slap Melisande and shake her to her senses and start speaking her mind instead of thinking quietly inside her mind, come on, how could you expect Jasper to be aware of you when all you do was avoid mixing in the crowds and silently longing for his love? And then blame him for not noticing you, how stupid is that?
And as if this ridiculousness wasn't enough, there was that irritating dog, Mouse, always nagging and disturbing my already crumb-sized interest in the book.
And the steamy scenes were not really steamy, they were rather crude and funny. I mean, it's not their love and care for each other that brings them together but their lust and need for pleasure. There are no answers to why these two completely different people are for each other.
Another annoying thing was the drastic change in the characters between day and night. I wanted to slap Melisande and shake her to her senses and start speaking her mind instead of thinking quietly inside her mind, come on, how could you expect Jasper to be aware of you when all you do was avoid mixing in the crowds and silently longing for his love? And then blame him for not noticing you, how stupid is that?
And as if this ridiculousness wasn't enough, there was that irritating dog, Mouse, always nagging and disturbing my already crumb-sized interest in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2021
Elizabeth Hoyt continues to delight me. I just love how she tells a story, I don't even care if I am starting to rate them all the same. I just love them so much.
September 20, 2025
3 Stars
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The characters and premise.
The Not-So-Good: The pacing and ending.
The Bad: The side mystery. I just wasn't all that invested 🤷🏻♀️
Overall: This was alright. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. I was a little underwhelmed and even bored at times. I did like the characters and how they progressed to deeper feelings, but everything else was a little meh.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Melisande and Jasper's story. Jasper gets left at the alter for the second time when Melisande propositions him to marry her and he agrees. Melisande has been secretly in love with Jasper for years and he has never really noticed her. There is some mystery behind his regiment being attacked years prior that resulted in most of his men being killed, some sexy times, and some sweet scenes...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Melisande and Jasper in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good, a little slow at times but I never skimmed.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Jasper. I liked him. I appreciated how loyal he was to the h instantly.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Melisande. I liked her. I appreciated her strength and ability to look the big picture instead of stressing about the small stuff.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes, but mild
Heat level: Good. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a good place but I would've liked more of a jump ahead glimpse into their future
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The characters and premise.
The Not-So-Good: The pacing and ending.
The Bad: The side mystery. I just wasn't all that invested 🤷🏻♀️
Overall: This was alright. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. I was a little underwhelmed and even bored at times. I did like the characters and how they progressed to deeper feelings, but everything else was a little meh.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Melisande and Jasper's story. Jasper gets left at the alter for the second time when Melisande propositions him to marry her and he agrees. Melisande has been secretly in love with Jasper for years and he has never really noticed her. There is some mystery behind his regiment being attacked years prior that resulted in most of his men being killed, some sexy times, and some sweet scenes...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Melisande and Jasper in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good, a little slow at times but I never skimmed.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Jasper. I liked him. I appreciated how loyal he was to the h instantly.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Melisande. I liked her. I appreciated her strength and ability to look the big picture instead of stressing about the small stuff.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes, but mild
Heat level: Good. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a good place but I would've liked more of a jump ahead glimpse into their future
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
November 10, 2015
ah I don't want this book to end. I told myself to stop at 70%.
So instead of finishing the book, I am poring over the reviews. It is always absolutely fascinating to see different opinions on one book and how everyone responds differently. Since I am on the positive side, I pay more attention to negative reviews. I want to know what ticked them off, what annoyed them. It is kind of an anthropological inquiry for me.
Since many reviews have done a great job of detaling the plots, I will leave that out in this particular review. I want to say something about the characters and the relationship. I like the story, and it has everything to do with being able to relate to the personalities.
Let's start with Melisande. Some say that Melisande is boring, unfeeling, passive and a doormat. I suppose she is all that, if you do not know what it is like to be an introvert with a pride issue. So very often that we are a lot of things, it is how you see it that makes the real difference. I suppose for someone who appreciates an outgoing girl who is outspoken and full of life, one would find Melisande bland and boring. She was 28 years old, once heartbroken by a then suitor and secretly in love with Jasper, the hero in this book, for 6 years. I could totally imagine why she would keep quiet and like to stay in the background. It is bad enough that you are in love with someone how hardly notices you. I would most certainly hide away any affections. Not everyone wants to wear her heart on her sleeves in love.
I don't want to "fight" for love nor do I appreciate aggressive pursuits of females. This is something I simply would not do. If someone else wants to do it, be my guest. It doesn't mean I think it is smart. Any introverts would understand, being reserved does not mean being a doormat. It simply means: I do not deem it necessary to speak up. If that makes me passive or boring, I can live with that. For me, it is better than having a "loud" personality. I think this is why I feel an affinity to Melisande. I feel that I know at least a part of her, the part where she held herself in pride and silence, the part that she did not feel comfortable disclosing unless in the protection of darkness.
Then there is her fortitude, Quiet strength. Melisande is a "plain Jane" character. Most writers would capitalize on that, make her an insecure spinster. But Elizabeth Hoyt took a different route. Melisande may not be the most beautiful girl in the room, but she is a woman. And every woman, plain or not, has her charms.
For most of the book, I had great fun with Jasper. I thought him funny. I read that some readers thought him a cad and find his first "lovemaking" attempt pathetic. Maybe so. But this is how Elizabeth Hoyt intended it to be, no? She wanted to write a lame first sex scene because how could it be good? I appreciate that scene much better than I would have a fantastic sexual awakening. This is about 2 people coming to learn about each other physically without knowing each other well. If the first time turned out to be awkward, is this so unusual? I mean it is great and all that the man is a great lover, but I get tired of great lovers. If skills are all what matters, why do we bother with getting to know each other? Men should just display their "skills" in courtships and we pick whoever is best at "firing our passions".
I have always felt that sex scenes in romance novels are abused. Many writers use sex to spice things up for the readers. Not Elizabeth Hoyt. She writes steamy intimate scenes but she puts them there for a reason. It provides the characters an opportunity to really see each other as a partner in an intimate act. It is the time where 2 people come together in bodies, and in a Hoyt novel, in souls.
This book is not my favorite book ever, in the sense that I am not emotionally invested in Jasper and Melisaned. There are other stories who really hit a note in my heart, To seduce a sinner is not one of them (hence no 5 stars). But it is well-written and an extremely entertaining romance story. Great character development. Worth every penny.
So instead of finishing the book, I am poring over the reviews. It is always absolutely fascinating to see different opinions on one book and how everyone responds differently. Since I am on the positive side, I pay more attention to negative reviews. I want to know what ticked them off, what annoyed them. It is kind of an anthropological inquiry for me.
Since many reviews have done a great job of detaling the plots, I will leave that out in this particular review. I want to say something about the characters and the relationship. I like the story, and it has everything to do with being able to relate to the personalities.
Let's start with Melisande. Some say that Melisande is boring, unfeeling, passive and a doormat. I suppose she is all that, if you do not know what it is like to be an introvert with a pride issue. So very often that we are a lot of things, it is how you see it that makes the real difference. I suppose for someone who appreciates an outgoing girl who is outspoken and full of life, one would find Melisande bland and boring. She was 28 years old, once heartbroken by a then suitor and secretly in love with Jasper, the hero in this book, for 6 years. I could totally imagine why she would keep quiet and like to stay in the background. It is bad enough that you are in love with someone how hardly notices you. I would most certainly hide away any affections. Not everyone wants to wear her heart on her sleeves in love.
I don't want to "fight" for love nor do I appreciate aggressive pursuits of females. This is something I simply would not do. If someone else wants to do it, be my guest. It doesn't mean I think it is smart. Any introverts would understand, being reserved does not mean being a doormat. It simply means: I do not deem it necessary to speak up. If that makes me passive or boring, I can live with that. For me, it is better than having a "loud" personality. I think this is why I feel an affinity to Melisande. I feel that I know at least a part of her, the part where she held herself in pride and silence, the part that she did not feel comfortable disclosing unless in the protection of darkness.
Then there is her fortitude, Quiet strength. Melisande is a "plain Jane" character. Most writers would capitalize on that, make her an insecure spinster. But Elizabeth Hoyt took a different route. Melisande may not be the most beautiful girl in the room, but she is a woman. And every woman, plain or not, has her charms.
For most of the book, I had great fun with Jasper. I thought him funny. I read that some readers thought him a cad and find his first "lovemaking" attempt pathetic. Maybe so. But this is how Elizabeth Hoyt intended it to be, no? She wanted to write a lame first sex scene because how could it be good? I appreciate that scene much better than I would have a fantastic sexual awakening. This is about 2 people coming to learn about each other physically without knowing each other well. If the first time turned out to be awkward, is this so unusual? I mean it is great and all that the man is a great lover, but I get tired of great lovers. If skills are all what matters, why do we bother with getting to know each other? Men should just display their "skills" in courtships and we pick whoever is best at "firing our passions".
I have always felt that sex scenes in romance novels are abused. Many writers use sex to spice things up for the readers. Not Elizabeth Hoyt. She writes steamy intimate scenes but she puts them there for a reason. It provides the characters an opportunity to really see each other as a partner in an intimate act. It is the time where 2 people come together in bodies, and in a Hoyt novel, in souls.
This book is not my favorite book ever, in the sense that I am not emotionally invested in Jasper and Melisaned. There are other stories who really hit a note in my heart, To seduce a sinner is not one of them (hence no 5 stars). But it is well-written and an extremely entertaining romance story. Great character development. Worth every penny.
May 8, 2019
One of those romances you can’t decide if you want to commit to hate or to forget. Like many GoodReads reviewers who did not enjoy Elizabeth Hoyt's To Seduce a Sinner, I too am not impressed for similar reasons.
Jasper and Melisande, virtual strangers to each other, agree to a marriage of convenience after a turn of events leaves Jasper jilted at the altar for the second time in a row, and lucky Melisande is present and in the position to throw her hat into the ring. After making sure her dowry checks out, Jasper more or less shrugs and takes her up on the offer.
Melisande is a wallflower at a glance with a scandalous secret while Jasper is a lighthearted and affable hero haunted by his military past. The set-up sounds interesting enough, but judged apart as individuals and together as a couple, they don’t work as characters and the story falls flat.
They lack chemistry with each other, and it’s both of their faults.
Melisande has harboured an obsessive crush on Jasper after discovering depth behind his charming mask, yet when she succeeds in becoming his wife, she decides “not by word or deed must she let him know how she really felt” to the point where she is flabbergasted and suspicious of his attempts to get to know her and god forbid, accompany her during the day. She’s a bit of a stick in the mud, and it does not make sense at all that she wouldn’t go all in, at this point, to win his love after she proposes the marriage. Did she use up all her gumption in chapter one? Or did she have to resort to this artificial conflict because without it there would be none? It is irrational for Melisande and it is not enjoyable for the reader. There isn't much happening, scene-wise.
Much of the so-called banter is cringeworthy but the St. Aubyn pond story is where I lost my patience and actively started to dislike the story:
“Yes, well, and what was worse, Reynaud had slipped his traces as well.”
She swallowed. “And?”
“Unfortunately we chose to meet up the pond.”
“Unfortunately?”
He winced, remembering. “Somehow we got the notion to build a raft.”
The story goes on for about a page and a half like this where Melisande's contributions, conversation-wise is thus: “and?”, “oh?”, “how so?”, “that’s all?” and “oh dear.”
Riveting.
Jasper’s not off the hook, either. Although sociable by nature and a popular man, Jasper’s reputation as a rake is so in question. Their wedding night is an utter travesty and he leads his own separate life, until he realizes he knows nothing about his wife, snoops around her room, doesn’t find anything and decides to get to know her. He decides he’s in love with her after she says his first name. Ugh.
There are also two quaint jokes about food that are a bit dated: Lady Vale glaring at the pastries, in an internal struggle to eat them, not to eat them, and Mr. Whippering being whipped by Aunt Esther for daring to eat muffins bad for his digestion.
If it wasn’t for the mystery of Spinner’s Falls, I’m not sure I would have finished To Seduce a Sinner. This is my first read by Elizabeth Hoyt and I hope she has good stories, but this one isn't it. There are better vanilla HRs to spend one's time.
Jasper and Melisande, virtual strangers to each other, agree to a marriage of convenience after a turn of events leaves Jasper jilted at the altar for the second time in a row, and lucky Melisande is present and in the position to throw her hat into the ring. After making sure her dowry checks out, Jasper more or less shrugs and takes her up on the offer.
Melisande is a wallflower at a glance with a scandalous secret while Jasper is a lighthearted and affable hero haunted by his military past. The set-up sounds interesting enough, but judged apart as individuals and together as a couple, they don’t work as characters and the story falls flat.
They lack chemistry with each other, and it’s both of their faults.
Melisande has harboured an obsessive crush on Jasper after discovering depth behind his charming mask, yet when she succeeds in becoming his wife, she decides “not by word or deed must she let him know how she really felt” to the point where she is flabbergasted and suspicious of his attempts to get to know her and god forbid, accompany her during the day. She’s a bit of a stick in the mud, and it does not make sense at all that she wouldn’t go all in, at this point, to win his love after she proposes the marriage. Did she use up all her gumption in chapter one? Or did she have to resort to this artificial conflict because without it there would be none? It is irrational for Melisande and it is not enjoyable for the reader. There isn't much happening, scene-wise.
Much of the so-called banter is cringeworthy but the St. Aubyn pond story is where I lost my patience and actively started to dislike the story:
“Yes, well, and what was worse, Reynaud had slipped his traces as well.”
She swallowed. “And?”
“Unfortunately we chose to meet up the pond.”
“Unfortunately?”
He winced, remembering. “Somehow we got the notion to build a raft.”
The story goes on for about a page and a half like this where Melisande's contributions, conversation-wise is thus: “and?”, “oh?”, “how so?”, “that’s all?” and “oh dear.”
Riveting.
Jasper’s not off the hook, either. Although sociable by nature and a popular man, Jasper’s reputation as a rake is so in question. Their wedding night is an utter travesty and he leads his own separate life, until he realizes he knows nothing about his wife, snoops around her room, doesn’t find anything and decides to get to know her. He decides he’s in love with her after she says his first name. Ugh.
There are also two quaint jokes about food that are a bit dated: Lady Vale glaring at the pastries, in an internal struggle to eat them, not to eat them, and Mr. Whippering being whipped by Aunt Esther for daring to eat muffins bad for his digestion.
If it wasn’t for the mystery of Spinner’s Falls, I’m not sure I would have finished To Seduce a Sinner. This is my first read by Elizabeth Hoyt and I hope she has good stories, but this one isn't it. There are better vanilla HRs to spend one's time.
July 27, 2013
4.5 stars...Links and Commentary
A friend recently posted a review for this book. With Duchess Nicole's permission I'm including a link to it here. Nicole captures so much of what makes To Seduce a Sinner a fulfilling romance.
Elizabeth Hoyt breaks away from the archetypical hero and heroine. She provides an emotionally tormented hero with survivor's guilt and a bad case of post-traumatic disorder. His sociable and easy-going nature survives captivity and psychological torture. Jasper, the hero, enjoys the ton's social whirl; however, the heroine finds the same setting loaded with meaningless chatter and insipid people. Melisande is an introverted heroine. It's a different story in the bedroom. Not so shy, our Melisande! Her dirty talk is not jarring, either. Melisande has a vast array of emotions and experiences to support her behavior.
To Seduce a Sinner was my first Elizabeth Hoyt book. It's one of my top 5 re-reads. If you haven't tried this author's work this book can stand alone, despite being part of a series. Another book I highly recommend is Hoyt's The Raven Prince and Maiden Lane series.
FYI - You can find Jasper & Melisande's Epilogue on the author's website
A friend recently posted a review for this book. With Duchess Nicole's permission I'm including a link to it here. Nicole captures so much of what makes To Seduce a Sinner a fulfilling romance.
Elizabeth Hoyt breaks away from the archetypical hero and heroine. She provides an emotionally tormented hero with survivor's guilt and a bad case of post-traumatic disorder. His sociable and easy-going nature survives captivity and psychological torture. Jasper, the hero, enjoys the ton's social whirl; however, the heroine finds the same setting loaded with meaningless chatter and insipid people. Melisande is an introverted heroine. It's a different story in the bedroom. Not so shy, our Melisande! Her dirty talk is not jarring, either. Melisande has a vast array of emotions and experiences to support her behavior.
To Seduce a Sinner was my first Elizabeth Hoyt book. It's one of my top 5 re-reads. If you haven't tried this author's work this book can stand alone, despite being part of a series. Another book I highly recommend is Hoyt's The Raven Prince and Maiden Lane series.
FYI - You can find Jasper & Melisande's Epilogue on the author's website
April 20, 2011
Yummy.
Let me try to explain.
You've just finished a pretty satisfying meal at a nice restaurant and a dessert cart rolls around and there are mounds of decadent desserts and one plain chocolate mousse cake. Most people wouldn't even look twice at the chocolate mousse cake and instead go for the large syrupy cake that is currently on fire BUT that would be a mistake. That cake, though plain compared to everything else, is a melt-in-your-mouth slice of baked goodness. Neither too sweet or too dry; it's very nearly perfect.
Which brings me to our main character Melisande Fleming. She is that plain piece of chocolate cake who has been in love with Jasper Vale for six years, since his return from the war in the Colonies, but Jasper has been too busy looking and sampling the other desserts to notice her. Melisande, Emeline's best friend from the previous Four Soldiers book, is 'plain'. Most of that is due to her own decision. Dressing in drab 'squirrely' browns, plain cut gowns and with an aversion to crowds, Melisande is an expert at hiding in plain sight. She is smart, funny, quick, stubborn and has the capacity to love "big" with both her mind and body. She proposes to Vale and then seduces him, more with her mind than her body but it sure is great to read the parts about their unions.
Vale, is the complete opposite of Melisande. Outgoing, friendly and knows how to gather a crowd - he has his own secrets as well. While Melisande's hiding is a way for her to hide her heart and her feelings, Vale is hiding his fear. As he continues the quest that was set forth in the first book, of finding out who the traitor was at Spinner's Falls, he finds himself following paths that are not easy or simple and then he faces the largest problem of all - he is falling in love with his wife.
I enjoyed reading the scenes with Vale and Melisande and their sparring. Hoyt is good at having her characters speak to each other without revealing anything but yet revealing everything.
What is also a really good thing with this series so far is that each book introduces the characters for the next book in a way that they are part of the story without becoming the main characters. They are just interesting enough for the reader to want to know more.
Melisande, unlike Emeline, is more of a heroine that I can identify with and I'm glad I continued to read the series because if I had stopped at Emeline's story I would have missed out on this tale of secrets, love and truth.
Let me try to explain.
You've just finished a pretty satisfying meal at a nice restaurant and a dessert cart rolls around and there are mounds of decadent desserts and one plain chocolate mousse cake. Most people wouldn't even look twice at the chocolate mousse cake and instead go for the large syrupy cake that is currently on fire BUT that would be a mistake. That cake, though plain compared to everything else, is a melt-in-your-mouth slice of baked goodness. Neither too sweet or too dry; it's very nearly perfect.
Which brings me to our main character Melisande Fleming. She is that plain piece of chocolate cake who has been in love with Jasper Vale for six years, since his return from the war in the Colonies, but Jasper has been too busy looking and sampling the other desserts to notice her. Melisande, Emeline's best friend from the previous Four Soldiers book, is 'plain'. Most of that is due to her own decision. Dressing in drab 'squirrely' browns, plain cut gowns and with an aversion to crowds, Melisande is an expert at hiding in plain sight. She is smart, funny, quick, stubborn and has the capacity to love "big" with both her mind and body. She proposes to Vale and then seduces him, more with her mind than her body but it sure is great to read the parts about their unions.
Vale, is the complete opposite of Melisande. Outgoing, friendly and knows how to gather a crowd - he has his own secrets as well. While Melisande's hiding is a way for her to hide her heart and her feelings, Vale is hiding his fear. As he continues the quest that was set forth in the first book, of finding out who the traitor was at Spinner's Falls, he finds himself following paths that are not easy or simple and then he faces the largest problem of all - he is falling in love with his wife.
I enjoyed reading the scenes with Vale and Melisande and their sparring. Hoyt is good at having her characters speak to each other without revealing anything but yet revealing everything.
What is also a really good thing with this series so far is that each book introduces the characters for the next book in a way that they are part of the story without becoming the main characters. They are just interesting enough for the reader to want to know more.
Melisande, unlike Emeline, is more of a heroine that I can identify with and I'm glad I continued to read the series because if I had stopped at Emeline's story I would have missed out on this tale of secrets, love and truth.
May 3, 2012
This is one of my favourite books of all time. It has all the elements I love in a book; great scarred hero, heroine head over heels in love with hero for years when he doesn't know it, plain but very smart and interesting heroine, great conversation between hero and heroine, some humour, interesting little twists and discovery on both sides of the wonders of each other - the heroine who already loves the H, but finds there's even more wonders to discover in him, and the H who didn't even really know h existed until he married her out of hand, and the discovery that she's so much more than anyone has ever known. He finds he's inadvertently married an absolute gem of a woman, and not because she suddenly becomes beautiful on the outside, but because she's so wonderful on the inside, she then shines.
I loved that the heroine had been in love with the hero for years and the reason he went, for her, from being just a shallow social rattle to absolute hero in the heroine's eyes - a chanced moment in time that she stumbled on that changed her world. I loved the conversations between the pair, the heroine trying so hard to keep her love a secret from H, and H knowing that she has secrets and vowing to discover what they are. Him continually trying to discover what makes her tick, and her continually trying to conceal it. I loved the way he went about discovering her secrets. I loved especially when the H discovered one of her biggest secrets, the way he cherishes her when a shallower man would have turned from her.
It's a book about both H and h discovering each other - the heroine trying to work out why the H shows such a shallow face to the world, what he's hiding, and the H discovering there's more to his little mouse than meets the eye.
This writer really knows how to write. She's one of my favourite authors, with so many really wonderful books. Although I must say she does miss from time to time, and for me she goes from greatness to mediocrity and back again all the time. But when she's on, like this book, gosh, she writes a wonderful book. To me, this book is so very underrated, but lucky me, I know it's a great one!
All in all a keeper of the highest order and one a very few books I will reread from time to time.
ETA: I read this book three years ago, and it is still in my top 5 books of all time and I can't see it being surplanted any time soon.
I loved that the heroine had been in love with the hero for years and the reason he went, for her, from being just a shallow social rattle to absolute hero in the heroine's eyes - a chanced moment in time that she stumbled on that changed her world. I loved the conversations between the pair, the heroine trying so hard to keep her love a secret from H, and H knowing that she has secrets and vowing to discover what they are. Him continually trying to discover what makes her tick, and her continually trying to conceal it. I loved the way he went about discovering her secrets. I loved especially when the H discovered one of her biggest secrets, the way he cherishes her when a shallower man would have turned from her.
It's a book about both H and h discovering each other - the heroine trying to work out why the H shows such a shallow face to the world, what he's hiding, and the H discovering there's more to his little mouse than meets the eye.
This writer really knows how to write. She's one of my favourite authors, with so many really wonderful books. Although I must say she does miss from time to time, and for me she goes from greatness to mediocrity and back again all the time. But when she's on, like this book, gosh, she writes a wonderful book. To me, this book is so very underrated, but lucky me, I know it's a great one!
All in all a keeper of the highest order and one a very few books I will reread from time to time.
ETA: I read this book three years ago, and it is still in my top 5 books of all time and I can't see it being surplanted any time soon.
March 28, 2025
One of my all time favourite books. He's ex-military, significant PTSD. The h offers herself when he's jilted, and although she has loved him for years, he didn't even know her name. Her reticence intrigues him, he sees her as a puzzle to solve. Loved this couple.
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