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heyhaley17's review
2.0
The plot was fine but I have trouble dealing with the time period and setting of the books. I can't deal with imagining the characters in those clothes, no matter how historically accurate. It takes away from the manliness of the men. But that is all personal preference.
loverofromance's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS, SO FAIR WARNING, UPON READING THE REVIEW.
Seduction is the first book in the Spymaster’s Men trilogy and written by one of my favorite old-school authors. Brenda Joyce has written some of my favorite books and it was such fun to return to this author and delve into some more unique types of historicals. I will be honest that it was the cover that really won me over in convincing me to read this one. I know ….I know, I probably say that frequently but it’s definitely the truth in this case. I don’t know how anyone can see this cover and resist not picking it up. I also have a weakness for historical’s that have a non Regency era setting. This story and the trilogy takes place while mostly in England in the Georgian era which also coincides with the French Revolution and that is definitely the primary focus of this book and series. I definitely found myself intrigued by this book and despite some of its flaws, was such an enjoyable and stunning read.
SEDUCTION IS A SEXY ANGST-FILLED ROMANCE THAT DELVES INTO COMPLEXITIES THAT FEATURES:
Dominic Paget-Military man,an Earl in the aristocracy, a spy for the crown
Julianne Greystone-a gentlewoman, fighter for the rebels in France, sister and defender of the innocent and despises member of the Aristocracy.
Seduction is a story that begins with our hero, Dominic, who has been fighting in France along with other English fighting men in defending the rule of law in France against the rebels that are burning and terrorizing innocents including members of his own family. When he is injured, our heroine takes him in and works on healing his injuries. Julianne believes him to be a French hero not even realizing how close he is to being her enemy. Despite her brother’s chagrin and patience, she fights against England and their interests. She has connections and friends that are traitors but Julianne has a naive look at the issues happening with France. Julianne’s goal is to help those in need and those struggling to survive. Through the process of tending to Dominic’s injuries, Julianne and Dom forge a fierce connection to each other. Their relationship turns into a passionate love affair, but when reality comes rushing back, they each get a huge wake-up call, as they realize the truth about each other and they are on opposite sides of the war. Will Dominic and Julianne be able to find a common ground or stay enemies despite the love they hold for each other?
Seduction was such a unique and different story that I wasn’t expecting. I will be honest, I didn’t even read the blurb about this book so I had ZERO clue what this book was truly about. I am so happy that I did that actually because it allowed me to really enjoy this one without even knowing what was going to happen. I will be honest I did have some issues with this book. It really revolved around the heroine. She could be very naive at times about the war and the complexities of what was occurring in France. And also there are portions in this book in which she betrays Dominic to her friends. Now the first time it happens I couldn’t understand to be honest. This was after she realized she loved him even knowing who he was and what he stood for. It was pretty unclear her motivations behind it, it did feel like she was angry and was lashing out but it did feel petty at the moment. Now when it happens later in the book, it makes more sense as she is being coerced but it was still a struggle in wondering why she didn’t come to him with it. Now I get it was probably just a plot choice by the author, but I felt for the hero to be betrayed in such a way by the woman he loved and trusted. He was truly such a solid hero, and he definitely deserved the heroine to grovel more than what we received. And yes if the heroine errors she definitely NEEDS to do a grovel. It just didn’t feel as satisfying as I was expecting it to be. The hero was much more gracious and forgiving than she deserved in my opinion. Despite my issues with this book, I still quite enjoyed it, it just didn’t reach a full five star (it probably would have if there had been a good grovel from the heroine and she hadn’t betrayed him in the earlier section of the book) The writing was stellar, the time era in which this book was set in was so refreshing. I do love the French Revolution type of era, even though it has some similarities with the Regency era, it still offers something unique that sets it apart from your standard regency.
Overall I found Seduction to be a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat sexy romance that will deliver historical authenticity, a diverse array of complexities, and a swoony read to curl your toes in such delectable ways.
THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS, SO FAIR WARNING, UPON READING THE REVIEW.
Seduction is the first book in the Spymaster’s Men trilogy and written by one of my favorite old-school authors. Brenda Joyce has written some of my favorite books and it was such fun to return to this author and delve into some more unique types of historicals. I will be honest that it was the cover that really won me over in convincing me to read this one. I know ….I know, I probably say that frequently but it’s definitely the truth in this case. I don’t know how anyone can see this cover and resist not picking it up. I also have a weakness for historical’s that have a non Regency era setting. This story and the trilogy takes place while mostly in England in the Georgian era which also coincides with the French Revolution and that is definitely the primary focus of this book and series. I definitely found myself intrigued by this book and despite some of its flaws, was such an enjoyable and stunning read.
SEDUCTION IS A SEXY ANGST-FILLED ROMANCE THAT DELVES INTO COMPLEXITIES THAT FEATURES:
Dominic Paget-Military man,an Earl in the aristocracy, a spy for the crown
Julianne Greystone-a gentlewoman, fighter for the rebels in France, sister and defender of the innocent and despises member of the Aristocracy.
Seduction is a story that begins with our hero, Dominic, who has been fighting in France along with other English fighting men in defending the rule of law in France against the rebels that are burning and terrorizing innocents including members of his own family. When he is injured, our heroine takes him in and works on healing his injuries. Julianne believes him to be a French hero not even realizing how close he is to being her enemy. Despite her brother’s chagrin and patience, she fights against England and their interests. She has connections and friends that are traitors but Julianne has a naive look at the issues happening with France. Julianne’s goal is to help those in need and those struggling to survive. Through the process of tending to Dominic’s injuries, Julianne and Dom forge a fierce connection to each other. Their relationship turns into a passionate love affair, but when reality comes rushing back, they each get a huge wake-up call, as they realize the truth about each other and they are on opposite sides of the war. Will Dominic and Julianne be able to find a common ground or stay enemies despite the love they hold for each other?
Fear rules the streets—the people. There is power for those who can cause the fear. And the innocent like Nadine are caught up in the violence and are its victims.
Seduction was such a unique and different story that I wasn’t expecting. I will be honest, I didn’t even read the blurb about this book so I had ZERO clue what this book was truly about. I am so happy that I did that actually because it allowed me to really enjoy this one without even knowing what was going to happen. I will be honest I did have some issues with this book. It really revolved around the heroine. She could be very naive at times about the war and the complexities of what was occurring in France. And also there are portions in this book in which she betrays Dominic to her friends. Now the first time it happens I couldn’t understand to be honest. This was after she realized she loved him even knowing who he was and what he stood for. It was pretty unclear her motivations behind it, it did feel like she was angry and was lashing out but it did feel petty at the moment. Now when it happens later in the book, it makes more sense as she is being coerced but it was still a struggle in wondering why she didn’t come to him with it. Now I get it was probably just a plot choice by the author, but I felt for the hero to be betrayed in such a way by the woman he loved and trusted. He was truly such a solid hero, and he definitely deserved the heroine to grovel more than what we received. And yes if the heroine errors she definitely NEEDS to do a grovel. It just didn’t feel as satisfying as I was expecting it to be. The hero was much more gracious and forgiving than she deserved in my opinion. Despite my issues with this book, I still quite enjoyed it, it just didn’t reach a full five star (it probably would have if there had been a good grovel from the heroine and she hadn’t betrayed him in the earlier section of the book) The writing was stellar, the time era in which this book was set in was so refreshing. I do love the French Revolution type of era, even though it has some similarities with the Regency era, it still offers something unique that sets it apart from your standard regency.
However, you are the one bright light in this difficult circumstance. I like being here with you, Julianne. I have no regrets
Overall I found Seduction to be a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat sexy romance that will deliver historical authenticity, a diverse array of complexities, and a swoony read to curl your toes in such delectable ways.
csquared85's review
2.0
Problematic all the way around. The historical minutiae bogged down the narrative, the "naive but intelligent" heroine is really just plain dumb as a post and repeatedly makes the worst decisions ever, and the hero is kind of a cad. He doesn't *need* to seduce the heroine like he says does, and he takes her up as a mistress with no intent to marry her for most of the book, showing very little concern for her reputation and future marriage prospects despite how much he luuurrrves her. Their relationship is built entirely on lust, and all I ever learned about the characters besides their political affiliation was how good-looking they each were. They basically fall in love off-screen, since Brenda Joyce only TELLS us that they have a deep intellectual connection without ever writing a single conversation that would lead us to that conclusion ourselves.
Boring, but largely inoffensive.
Boring, but largely inoffensive.
lpcoolgirl's review
5.0
Great book, really enjoyed it, love how the same kinda basic plot, romance wise, can be so different and unique with each author, characters, and setting!
beckymmoe's review
3.0
I wanted to love this book. It takes place during the French Revolution, a time period that has always fascinated me. It's about spies, a topic I've loved since "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" days. It's a historical romance, currently one of my favorite genres. However, even with all of that in it's favor, it was...okay.
The history of the book was well-written, and the pacing was decent. For the most part I really liked the hero, Dom; though at the end he does make an awfully abrupt turn-around, it wasn't completely unbelievable, just a bit quick. The heroine's brothers--Jack and Lucas--have real promise, and I hope future books will be about one or both of them.
The heroine, though--different story. Juliette just seemed to make one poor choice after another, tended toward the overdramatic, and was often naive to the point of ridiculousness. I'm still not convinced that the thing that made Dom's mother see her in a better light really would have done so...not that she was wrong to warm up to Juliette, really, but that's not the deal clincher that would have done it for me had I been in her situation.
I'm willing to give the next book in the series a try; even though this one wasn't one of my favorites the series definitely has promise.
The history of the book was well-written, and the pacing was decent. For the most part I really liked the hero, Dom; though at the end he does make an awfully abrupt turn-around, it wasn't completely unbelievable, just a bit quick. The heroine's brothers--Jack and Lucas--have real promise, and I hope future books will be about one or both of them.
The heroine, though--different story. Juliette just seemed to make one poor choice after another, tended toward the overdramatic, and was often naive to the point of ridiculousness. I'm still not convinced that the thing that made Dom's mother see her in a better light really would have done so...not that she was wrong to warm up to Juliette, really, but that's not the deal clincher that would have done it for me had I been in her situation.
I'm willing to give the next book in the series a try; even though this one wasn't one of my favorites the series definitely has promise.
inlibrisveritas's review
4.0
Seduction is a historical romance with the backdrop of the French Revolution. Our heroine is Julianne Greystone, an independent woman who believes in the Revolution, and finds herself caring for a man she believes to be a Jacobin. In this case of mistaken identity, we are treated to a wonderful rollercoaster of events that kept me entertained for hours.
This romance seemed far more interested in the historical aspect that many others I have read and found myself actually curious about the events that were alluded to. It’s clear that Joyce did her research and tried to paint a very vibrant image of the time period. Mistaken identity takes on a new feel when war comes into play. I liked the added intrigue that came from Bedford’s involvement with Julianne, and all the little surprises along the way. I will say if you lean more towards fluff romance then this is probably one to skip as it does get into the politics of the time as both Paget and Julianne are very active in that part of their society. Personally, I liked the change of pace from the usual fluffy romances that kind of ignore the historical events of the time.
I do like our couple though they can both be maddeningly stubborn. Julianne is an optimist and a support of the French Revolution, she believes in democracy and has somewhat romantic notions of what the war is really like. Paget, however, has seen what the war does to people and supports the monarchy. These two get themselves into situations that were entirely avoidable if they took a moment to truly think on their course of action, but they both think they are doing what’s best for other people. The romance between them is passionate and of course rife with issues stemming from Paget’s lie to Julianne’s desire to help the cause. They could be so frustrating but it was such a satisfying pairing in the end.
Overall I really liked the added historical context and the writing was wonderful, though I can readily acknowledge that this one is not for everyone.
This romance seemed far more interested in the historical aspect that many others I have read and found myself actually curious about the events that were alluded to. It’s clear that Joyce did her research and tried to paint a very vibrant image of the time period. Mistaken identity takes on a new feel when war comes into play. I liked the added intrigue that came from Bedford’s involvement with Julianne, and all the little surprises along the way. I will say if you lean more towards fluff romance then this is probably one to skip as it does get into the politics of the time as both Paget and Julianne are very active in that part of their society. Personally, I liked the change of pace from the usual fluffy romances that kind of ignore the historical events of the time.
I do like our couple though they can both be maddeningly stubborn. Julianne is an optimist and a support of the French Revolution, she believes in democracy and has somewhat romantic notions of what the war is really like. Paget, however, has seen what the war does to people and supports the monarchy. These two get themselves into situations that were entirely avoidable if they took a moment to truly think on their course of action, but they both think they are doing what’s best for other people. The romance between them is passionate and of course rife with issues stemming from Paget’s lie to Julianne’s desire to help the cause. They could be so frustrating but it was such a satisfying pairing in the end.
Overall I really liked the added historical context and the writing was wonderful, though I can readily acknowledge that this one is not for everyone.
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