St. Martin's Press
Featuring: Colin Byrd, Viscount Ratcliffe; Portia Crompton
320 pages ISBN: 0312943458 EAN: 9780312943455 Mass Market Paperback Add to Wish List
Olivia Drake's brand new trilogy is based on the common
historical romance framework of 3 sisters. It also has many
of the old standbys; a misunderstood hero, the blackest of
villains hiding behind a congenial face, even an abduction.
On the surface, the romance follows well-trodden plot lines
but Olivia Drake does not trot out a formulaic romance.
There are enough intriguing twists in her tale to satisfy
even the most jaded reader.
The heroine of SEDUCING THE HEIRESS is not a poor but blue-
blooded slip of a girl, she is a sturdy, intelligent
commoner whose rich dowry makes her the focus of much
unwanted flattery and attention. She has no real interest in
a proper marriage or fitting into society but attempts to do
what is acceptable for the sake of her younger sisters. Her
heart is still captured by the heat and color of India, and
her childhood sweetheart, son of the Maharajah.
She is intrigued by the hero at their first encounter
(facilitated by a well-thrown strawberry) but is horrified
at her lack of perception when rumor paints him a profligate
gambler accused of patricide.
Viscount Radcliffe makes no bones about his search for a
wife. He needs money, badly, and would have pursued Portia
if she'd weighed as much as his horse and had an uglier
visage.
Once he meets her, he is predictably swept away by desire.
He is attracted by her beauty, of course, but even more by
her wit and direct to-the-point questioning of his motives.
He doesn't bother to lie about his situation, but baldly
states both his attraction and his need for her inheritance.
The sexual tension between the two is developed well by
Drake, and the love scenes crafted with honesty and romance,
and enough heat to steam up your contact lenses.
The main storyline is satisfying, but what truly endeared
the book to me were the more minor characters. A pregnant
prostitute, a young thief turned 'tiger', the nursemaid from
India clinging to her incense and altars; and especially
Portia's younger sisters. They will make even quirkier
heroines than Portia has, and I look forward to their
stories in the next few books of the series.
Her wealth and beauty have made Miss Portia Crompton the
catch of the season. Secretly determined to wed the
maharajah’s son she left behind in India, Portia ignores the
money-hungry bucks who ply her with bouquets and bonbons.
But one suitor will not be deterred: Colin Byrd, Viscount
Ratcliffe. He is persistent and presumptuous—and wickedly
tempting.
Colin has no delusions about romance. He’s a rogue, a
womanizer, and a murderer, and seduction comes as easily to
him as breathing. Portia’s fortune is an irresistible lure
until Colin’s mercenary scheme hits a snag. Winning her
dowry is no longer enough—he wants her heart and her
passion. The more adamant she is in her refusal, the more
determined he is to seduce her…
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