Miranda Chase lives a rather ordinary life working as a shop girl at her uncle's bookstore. She passes her time penning correspondence, losing herself in a good book, and dreaming of traveling to the continent for the grand tour. Her usual excitement comes in the form of her friend, Georgette, as they devour the gossip pages. However, she never anticipated that a stranger entering the bookshop would fluster her on so many levels. His simple request leads to a very provocative discussion on the newest rage to sweep the ton, an erotic tale on seduction. How could she let the man irk her? How can she prove her stance that the book has a deeper meaning?
Maximilian Landry, Viscount Downing, lives a rather carefree existence, always looking for the next conquest. He loves nothing more than a good challenge, and his encounter at the bookstore has him reveling in his choice of subjects. Miss Chase certainly has a flair and an intelligence that he has found sorely lacking in the ladies of society. He only hopes that she will prove to be a worthy opponent, and he intends to savor every moment that he has in her presence. He cannot wait to see how she will respond to his tauntingly sensual game. Will she live up to his expectations? Or will she fail as miserably as all of the others?
Anne Mallory shamelessly teases and heats up the pages with this invigorating historical romance. She has a decidedly witty writing style, and I was immediately enamored by the fun, flirty manner in which Miranda and Maximilian behave. The brilliant chemistry between them kept me intrigued, and made the book hard to put down.
In SEVEN SECRETS OF SEDUCTION, innocence meets debauchery proves to be much more than a simple seduction. I was quite sated by my first sampling of Ms. Mallory's work and I am sure I will try another selection in the future. SEVEN SECRETS OF SEDUCTION lures the reader in, keeps them interested, and delivers a shockingly good romance.
Scandalous and provocative, The Seven Secrets of
Seduction is an intoxicating insight into the mind of
men and the desires of women--and the book has all the
ton talking.
Secret #1: Every good seduction begins with a baited
hook...
Well-educated, but not part of society, Miranda Chase is
just as captivated by the erotic pages as everyone else in
London. Intrigued by the layers she sees beneath the book's
surface, she writes an editorial about it, never realizing
that her passionate words will draw and actual
viscount to her uncle's bookshop.
Maximilian, Viscount Downing, has very particular ideas
about passion and sees truth only in desire. He freely
flaunts his sensual power and seeks nothing more than
another conquest--the one that could justify his entire
debauched existence. But Miranda's blend of innocence,
trust, and love cause a strange thing to happen on the way
to this seduction. Something that just might
threaten the very fabric of his jaded heart...
His eyes held hers, dark and hot.
Nothing for it but to succumb. A lazy, languid feeling stole
down her limbs, mixing with the anxiety and anticipation.
βOrganizing books is a much more perilous diversion than Iβd
thought,β he said in his husky, edged voice, warm and
dangerous. βBut equally rife with opportunity.β He gazed at
her lips. βDo you surrender?β
βSurrender to what?β It was as if she couldnβt catch her breath.
βTo whom.β
βTo whom?β The words barely formed on her tongue, heavy and low.
He smiled, a long slow pull of lips, and leaned down. A hint
of bergamot combined with the smell of the books surrounding
them, spines triangled, pages fanned apart, allowing the
scent of fresh bindings and musty parchment to linger.
She licked suddenly dry lips, only an inch from his. βWhat
are you doing, my lord?β A rational question surfacing from
somewhere amidst the chaos.
His gaze traveled her face. βIβm embracing the beauty around
me. Or under me, as it is.β
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