Title: A Gentleman Seduced
Author: Sharon Page
Published in August 2004 by Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Erotic Regency Romance
ISBN: 1-4199-0006-4
Diana Tiverton is an unusual young lady. She has an inordinate lust for life, but then maybe that is not so unusual after all considering where she is now. It all started in her half-sister's parlor. Ivory Wilson is a very popular madam, and very few even know of her relationship to Diana. It is a closely guarded secret, for Diana's parents wish for at least one of the girls to make a good match. Diana decided she wished for adventure before she got married, and she figured Ivory could and would be able to help in this undertaking. The idea was to have one night, a single and glorious night of scandalous adventure, without getting caught of course, then settle down with her soon-to-be husband Steven. One night of deliciously dark fun, was that too much to ask for? She was going into a marriage that held no love, and for all she knows no passion. Was it so wrong to want to indulge in a delightfully risqué night before settling down to the drudgery of married life? Diana doesn't think so and she is determined to cajole Ivory into going along with her desires. She knows her sister well, and although Ivory will be looking out for her, and the rules she set are not really to Diana's liking, she is thrilled to have whatever opportunity she can get before she is tied to the boredom of married life.
This was, However, far more than she bargained for, seeing Stephen in her sister's brothel. She felt betrayed at the sight for he had shown her none of the passion she longs for in her life and hopefully her marriage. She wonders just exactly what he had in mind for her in marriage, and why he chose not to show her any passion that resided within his soul. Diana longs for passion, it is the stuff of her dreams, and the nature she wishes to follow. Her half sisters have followed their hearts in this matter, and Ivory's brothel is only one example of the delights they have found. She wants a piece of the action before she is thrown to the winds of stodgy propriety, into the realms of loveless and very staid and proper marriage. She expects nothing from her married life, for Stephen has given no hints of the depths of his desire until she sees him at Ivory's. Shock, hurt, and an odd sense of betrayal causes her to push forward with her plan and to so do with Lucien. His appearance is fateful and plays into her plan perfectly, and to that end, she embarks on her adventure. Though doubts assail her, she is determined, and she is certain that only Lucien can fulfill her every desire. Now she finds herself deep in exactly the kind of adventure she wished for, and in the hands of a most experienced rake...
He didn't know what he was getting into when he went after the girl. He realized it wasn't Ivory, but the cry and the distress called to something deep inside of him. Lucien Northcote, Viscount Pembroke, is a rake of the first water, a man of the world and a lover of women. Spoiled and jaded, he was sure that nothing could capture his attention, but the girl in his arms has proved him wrong. Diana's entrancing proposition has him in knots, and it is his most fervent desire to fulfill her wishes. He was intrigued from the beginning, the innocent joy in her, the quest for life tugs at every fiber of his being. To find she is engaged to his best friend and fellow rake Stephen, Lord Denonshire, is a shock, yet she begs him to give her what she requests. The prospects facing Lucien are clear. Either he panders to her wants, and protects her, or sets her loose in the world to fall into the hands on one who may not respect her requests, and would leave her not only ruined but desolate as well. For some reason, his protectiveness rises to the fore, and he commits to the day, to three days actually, and promises Diana that her every decadent wish will be fulfilled while her virginity is preserved.
The trap Lucien finds himself in is one of his own making. The seduction of an innocent such as Diana, no matter how eager, holds a myriad of small pitfalls he has been totally unaware of until now. If someone had told him he could not remain jaded and detached while instructing her on the finer points of sex, Lucien would have scoffed and called him liar. Her total joy in life, absorption in him, and Diana's willingness to learn and experience all he has to teach fascinates him, and her willful abandonment to the pleasures he gives captivates his being to the exclusion of all else. As the strings weave around him, he finds that Miss Diana Tiverton is not only his willing captive for the duration, but he soon suspects that she has captured more than just his attention for the time being. He finds himself considering something more, yet the idea of marriage shakes and appalls him. She seems amenable to being his mistress after her marriage, but Lucien doesn't want to think about that particular prospect. The idea seems good, for he is loathe to give up his single life yet, but the beguiling Miss Tiverton may hold the key to changing his mind. It all boils down to what Lucien wants, and really, how bad does he want the chit in his life, and his bed, and on what terms....
For those who believe everyone has a true love, and for those who don't, Ms Sharon Page writes a story that can and will delight, enthrall, and carry you away. In A Gentleman Seduced, her characters are well constructed, with enough true personality traits you would expect to see them in the street. The problems they face are those of everyone of the time in that the young ladies of marriageable age were expected to be, and remain, demure and innocent, while the men were expected to carry on as they saw fit. Love was not really in the equation, and for a young and adventurous miss such as Diana, the situation was totally intolerable. As she goes about setting things to rights, she runs into some problems. When The Viscount Pembroke comes to her rescue, Diana and Lucien find themselves in a situation neither can refuse. Diana's innocence, and Lucien's vast and extensive erotic experience are to be put to the ultimate test. The games of seduction are afoot, and the winner of the adventure may just be both Lucien and Diana as he takes her on a lust and sex filled tour of the erotic pursuits she wishes to explore. The question at this point will be who will be seducing whom?
Sharon Page has a delightful take on the regency period, and in her erotic tale, A Gentleman Seduced, she takes a rake and an innocent, adds adventure and a smattering of love, and comes out with a tale worthy of the bards. From the halls of one of the most popular brothels in London, Lucien gleans the gift of a lifetime. When his path crosses that of Miss Diana Tiverton, Lucien's life will never be the same again. The very thing he never thought to desire, becomes his most ardent wish, and as the tables are turned on him, he and Diana must make the decision of a lifetime. Each is willing to explore the physical side of sex with no strings attached, but neither Lucien nor Diana are wanting or prepared or planned for the love they find with each other. A Gentleman Seduced is a delightfully sexy, erotic and fun filled read that you cannot miss. Ms Page had filled every page with a deliciously spicy flavour that you will definitely enjoy. Look for A Gentleman Seduced at Ellora's Cave, pick up a copy, sit back and enjoy!
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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