THE SCORPION & THE SEDUCER

Author: Bonnie Vanak ISBN: 0843959754 5/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: DORCHESTER
Time Period: 1907 England and Egypt

Jasmine Tristan was no stranger to the upper crust of English society. And yet, though adopted by a viscount, she was called the "Brown Scorpion" and knew the cruel sting of isolation. When her anger won out, her mother voiced fears. Was Jasmine truly bad at her core, like her sultan father from whom they'd fled? How could she be, when with Lord Thomas Claradon she'd known a moment of pure beauty? Their kiss had been scorching as a desert sun. But like a sandstorm, it was misdirecting: Thomas's mother's disdain and his loyalty to family and duty put him forever out of reach. Only a return to her birthplace, a quest to find her roots, would bring Jasmine the answer—and it would prove that true love could triumph over ignorance, passion over prejudice.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Vanak is back and she has brought a new intriguing Egyptian styled romance with her. This time, she features Badra's daughter, Jasmine, as a feisty but lonely heroine who struggles to figure out just where she belongs—Egypt or England. I love Jasmine's spirit and drive, but I have to say I do not agree with some of her judgments and decisions, which makes it hard for me to like her as much as I do her mother.

Anyway, the setting is beautifully staged, as always, and the romantic part of the storyline tugs on my heartstrings as it should. I find the "Who wants the heroine dead?" mystery to be somewhat lackluster, and wish the focus on the story had stayed more on the world keeping the hero and heroine apart, but I can live with it. As far as the hero is concerned, there are times I cannot stand him. And yet, I understand his torment, so obviously he is a character that gets under my skin.

While THE COBRA AND THE CONCUBINE continues to be my favorite read by Bonnie Vanak, reading this direct continuation of it is a reward in itself.

Shannon Johnson