LORD OF TEMPTATION

Author: Paula Quinn ISBN: 0446615951 2/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: WARNER FOREVER
Time Period: Medieval - 1071 England

Norman lord Dante Risande never met a woman he couldn’t seduce…until a lovely slave named Gianelle refuses his bed and piques his interest. So when she’s accused of murder, he can’t sit idly by. As the King’s right hand, it’s his duty to investigate. But in order to save her, he must buy her. A slave all her life, Gianelle wants nothing to do with men. Especially this silver-eyed, velvet tongued warrior. What she wants is her freedom, not to become another of Dante’s conquests. But as the only suspect in the killing of her last master, she has no choice except to put her faith in Dante…a man who questions everything, including her innocence.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Paula Quinn has written a top notch and worthy successor to LORD OF DESIRE which featured another yummy hero, Dante's brother, Lord Brand. But perhaps what sets LORD OF TEMPATION a bit above her first medieval offering is how she skillfully weaves the subplots that abound in LORD OF TEMPTATION into one complex and intriguing storyline. Quinn has a unique way of blending her characters into historical and fictional settings and events that will leave the reader spellbound.

Gianelle, the beautiful young slave of abusive masters, is determined to free herself and her young friend, Casey, no matter what risks they must take. Shortly after one of her owners is discovered poisoned inside the castle, the two are caught outside the walls in the act of escape by Dante, Lord Risante.

Noble, honest, and attracted to this defiant Norman slave for reasons—other than lust—he cannot fathom, Dante feels honor bound to protect her. The only way he can do that is by marrying the girl, causing another set of problems in his mission for the king—to investigate the dead man's brother, Edgar, as a possible traitor to King William.

In Dante and Gianelle, Quinn has created the perfect antagonistic and yet sexually magnetic romantic pairing. Everything about this medieval romance, from the complexity of the plot and the characters who perpetrate it, to the historical backdrop, smoldering sexual tension and the satisfying climatic ending, make this a "no-brainer" for a Top Pick award from me.

"Resist him if you can..." it says on the cover of this book. My comment back to you on that would be, "Do yourself a favor... and don't!" Because if you do, you will miss out on this truly enjoyable and exceptional medieval romance.

Nancy Davis