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I think it’s interesting when authors turn villains into heroes. This is what Laurel McKee has done in Lady of Seduction, the third in her Daughters of Erin trilogy. And Grant Dunmore, last seen in Duchess of Sin does make a good hero.
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Several years ago, Grant Dunmore was the toast of Dublin, his glow lighting drawing rooms across the city. However, when the woman he was pursuing rejected him in favor of his cousin, he took drastic measures and kidnapped her – and her younger sister, Caroline. While holding Caroline captive, they had a surprisingly deep conversation before the building in which they were in caught on fire, and Grant was badly burned.
Four years later, Caroline has been married and widowed, but never forgot Grant or the extremely rare and beautiful book of Irish fairy tales he owned. Caroline studies Irish history and its role in mythology, and to study such a text would be immensely important to her research. This is why she risks a dangerous sea voyage to Muirn Inish, a small and remote island off the coast of Ireland. She nearly drowns when her boat sinks, but Grant rescues her. The connection they experienced four years earlier is still there, and has grown with time. However, it soon becomes clear to Caroline that Grant is involved in something mysterious, dangerous, and possibly treasonous.
Politically, this book is a bit confusing. The story leads up to the rebellion in Dublin in 1803, and France has a role in it all as well. The situation is not explained particularly well, so placing the characters in the context of 1803 Ireland was a bit difficult (and I know English/Irish history probably a little better than the average American). Because this is the third in a trilogy, there were some questions about events in the previous two novels that did not get answered. This was a bit frustrating, but not insurmountable, and I did enjoy the novel.
Grant and Caroline are both good characters, and I really liked them together. His apparent change from a Society Darling to a reclusive, mysterious hermit is quite interesting, and plays a large role in how he sees his relationship with Caroline. Their relationship feels more mature than that in most historicals, as she is a widow and they are not necessarily confined by the rules of society in this isolated setting. As a side note, Caroline is very young for a widow–20– and there are some aspects to her life that deserved more explanation, such as her grown stepchildren.
The scenery and imagery were nicely done. It was all very evocative, from the island to the Irish countryside. Ireland is not the rarest locale for historical romances, but it does not get the attention it deserves. Unfortunately, its history is not particularly happy, especially for those who longed for its independence from Great Britain during the nineteenth century. However, while Ireland does not get its Happy Ending at the end of this novel, our characters do, and I enjoyed watching them take that path.
Grade: B-
Book Type: European Historical Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 21/06/11
Publication Date: 2011/06
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.