TEST
With My Seduction, Connie Brockway kicks off her Rose Hunters trilogy, a series that promises great adventure, beautiful romance, and characters more interesting than many seen recently. Though not a DIK for me, this book did remind me of all the reasons why I like Brockway so much.
As the book opens, we learn that not only is Kate Blackburn a war widow, she and her family have been left destitute by the recent death of their father. In a truly evocative prologue, Kate meets three unusual young men who, after telling her that her father gave his life for theirs in France, pledge themselves to her family as a way of repaying the debt. If ever she is in need, she has only to send a yellow rose to the abbey at St. Bride’s and help will come.
Three years later, Kate finds herself on the road to the Scottish Highlands to seek out her deceased cousin’s brother-in-law, now a wealthy marquis. Kate is in dire economic straits and it is her hope that she can win the heart of this Scottish marquis, thus securing the economic future of herself and her sisters. However, Kate’s plan goes awry when her maid abandons her and she is stranded on the road as cold is settling in.
Fortunately, Christian (Kit) McNeill, one of the three men who pledged himself to Kate’s family, rides to the rescue after, unknown to her, a yellow rose was sent to St. Bride’s on her behalf. Kit offers (demands, even) to escort Kate to the home of the Scottish marquis. As they travel north across Scotland, the two, amidst the adventures they encounter, truly get to know one another.
Kit and Kate are compelling and flawed characters. Despite the shock of widowhood, losing her father, and sudden poverty, Kate is the rock on which her sisters depend and, though strong, she is far from saintly. She is very honest in her abhorrence of poverty, her dislike of selflessness, and her willingness to sacrifice herself – and possibly her beliefs – in order to gain some measure of financial security. Kit, for his part, is an orphan with some rather unique training. Following his initial meeting with Kate, he spent three years as a soldier, but he does not see himself as a hero. To his mind, he is only a poor man with little to offer and little good left in him.
Despite the demons with which each wrestles, Kit and Kate gradually find they prefer to be together rather than apart. The attraction between them is intense, and because of their economic situations and inner turmoil, often tortured. This is one of those rare books, though, where the reader truly feels the conflict along with the characters.
Watching Kit and Kate learn to love both the light and dark in each other is very touching and their romance feels genuine in that each gets to know the other gradually, layer by layer, just as people do in real life. Though there are some flashbacks at awkward moments and some plot twists at the end which pulled me out of the story a bit, My Seduction is still an enormously compelling read. After finishing it, I found myself anxiously anticipating the next two novels of the trilogy. I only hope I don’t have a long wait.
Grade: B+
Book Type: European Historical Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 24/04/04
Publication Date: 2004
I enjoy spending as much time as I can between the covers of a book, traveling through time and around the world. When I'm not having adventures with fictional characters, I'm an attorney in Virginia and I love just hanging out with my husband, little man, and the cat who rules our house.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.