"As bittersweet as it was beautiful! An impressive conclusion to the series!"
Reviewed by Heather Lobdell
Posted July 29, 2012
Romance Historical
The Seduction of Lady X is the fourth of the Secrets of
Hadley Green series. If you have not read the series THE
SEDUCTION OF LADY X can be read as a standalone novel,
however to truly
understand and appreciate the story I believe that the
series should be read in its entirety. Packed with
unrequited love, the terrors of regency married life, and
the pain of not being socially acceptable this one was as
sweet as it was heartbreaking.
THE SEDUCTION OF LADY X presents to us an unlikely pair. The
story begins by telling the tale of Lady Olivia and her
marriage to the Marquis of Carey. The marriage is a horrible
one with an abusive husband; and by abusive I mean on all
levels that a husband can be abusive. The only sunshine in
the Lady's life is the steward, Harrison Tolly, who was born
a bastard of a Lord. Suddenly on the scene is Lady Olivia's
unmarried and certainly pregnant sister Alexa Hastings.
Alexa is in dire straits and needs the help of her sister in
a most grievous way. Unmarried pregnant women are socially
scorned, publically humiliated, and completely ruined.
Knowing the heartache of bastardry, and wanting to be
Olivia's knight in shining armor, Harrison comes to the
rescue and offers to marry Alexa pretty much sight unseen.
In the midst of this chaos Harrison is informed that despite
his birth his father has died and he is the sole heir and
the new Earl of Ashwood.
Alexa was not a very strong character for me; she lacked the
intelligence and strength that I wanted to see in her. She
remained, throughout the book, a mixture of a child with
childish ways and a lady trying her best to make her
way in the world. Despite the love Alexa could see between
her sister and her husband she clings to her marriage
far longer than need be.
Olivia on the other hand was a very strong woman. Her story
was tragic on so many levels that my heart just broke for
her. I loved how London portrayed her strength, endurance,
and her will to go on. This woman has a backbone of steel
and was in desperate need of a happily ever after.
THE SEDUCTION OF LADY X by itself was very well written. I
loved the
complexities that had to be overcome; true to London's style
nothing is ever easy. However, as part of the series I did
have a few disappointments. First, the series is based
around jewels that were stolen, yet I did not feel that
they remained important as they should have for the series.
Second, the series left quite a few questions unanswered
almost as if London is planning a fifth? What about the Earl
that vanished before we knew his dark secret? Did he die or
is he lying in wait for another victim? What about the aunt?
Did she kill herself or did the Earl really stage her suicide?
I am hoping for more answers from Ms. London, but until then
we are left feeling that the series as a whole is yet
unresolved.
SUMMARY
The would-be Earl of Ashwood sets his romantic sights on a forbidden prize in the enchanting third novel from Julia London’s addictively sexy new series.
The surprising news that dashing steward Harrison Tolly, illegitimate son of the Earl of Ashwood, is the rightful heir to his father’s estate comes at a most inopportune time. With a wedding on the horizon and a baby on the way, a new life of privilege and prestige would be a blessing but for one problem: his heart belongs to another woman.
Harrison keeps his desires for his employer’s wife, Lady Olivia Carey, so hidden that even she does not know of his devotion. Her callous husband, Marquis Carey, went into a rampage after Olivia’s troublesome younger sister returned from her tour of Spain pregnant, and Harrison impulsively stepped in to save the entire family from scandal. Now, like Olivia, he is trapped in a loveless arrangement. When a tragic accident claims the marquis’ life soon thereafter, can Harrison seize his chance and cast aside one sister for another? Or will doing so expose the Carey family’s darkest secret—and ruin his only chance to win Olivia’s heart?
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