Heather Grothaus returns to the story of the three Foxe sisters in book two of her frothy and captivating medieval trilogy.

Cecily Foxe's sweet and biddable nature combined with her interest in helping the poor and sick earned her the nickname Saint Cecily. After the death of her parents, she found a measure of peace within the church and cherished a dream of joining nearby Hallowshire Abbey when she could be certain of her vocation. All those plans were blown away by a dark and stormy night within the ancient Foxe Ring of standing stones when a temptation too great to withstand in the form of sexy, irreverent Lord Oliver Bellecote fell at her feet.

Lord Oliver Bellecote has everything in life he never wanted. With the death of his beloved elder brother August the yoke of responsibility for their ancestral lands fits uneasily across his shoulders. He had been trained for nothing more onerous than wenching and ale-guzzling, skills ill-suited to keeping Bellecote viable for the next generation. Now he must meet his duties head-on even marrying to continue his line. But not until he heals up from his tumble.

NEVER SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL is a deeply beautiful love story in a scintillating setting of humor and suspense. Heather Grothaus has a gift for breathing life into her characters, engaging readers with real people whose reactions mirror our own, not shallow caricatures stiffly mired in our own view of the past. She skillfully uses research-based details of life in medieval times without bogging down her compelling tales in the slightest

I have enjoyed Grothaus' medieval warriors series but the Foxe sisters hold a special place on my bookshelf. Three sisters left to fend for themselves, and more importantly keep their home, Fallstowe, intact against the power of the king sets up an interesting over arching storyline. In book one, Never Kiss a Stranger, the youngest of the sisters found love and happiness with a landed farmer, not the usual path a historical romance takes. In book two, NEVER SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL a young Abbey- bound maiden discovers the meek exterior carefully cultivated over years that hides a passionate and even shrewish personality. Book three will focus on Sybilla's story. She has given up much to ensure the safety of her sisters against the wrath of the king with little care for her own reputation. She has used her cunning mind and magical gifts to keep Fallstowe from the king's hands but time is running out. Her fate will be revealed in Never Love a Lord--January 2013. I can hardly wait!