TO SEDUCE A SINNER

Author: Elizabeth Hoyt ISBN: 0446406929 11/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: GRAND CENTRAL
Time Period: Georgian

Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale, has a problem: he needs to marry and produce an heir to the title. All Jasper wants is to find a lady who will put up with him long enough to wed so he can retreat to his life of debauchery—a life that keeps the haunting memories of his past at bay. Knowing that Jasper is under pressure to marry, Melisande Flemming grasps her fate with both hands and volunteers to wed him. Although Jasper is initially only interested in producing an heir, he soon becomes entranced by his wife—prim and proper by day, wanton by night—and vows to learn her secrets. Melissande, however, is determined to keep her husband at a distance. She has loved, and lost, before, and will do anything to keep him from learning her terrible weakness: she's secretly been in love with him for years. But to her chagrin, her husband pursues her, wooing her as if she were a paramour, not his lady wife. As Melissande and Jasper embark on a passionate game of cat and mouse, secrets from the past begin to resurface.... threatening to tear them asunder.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I’m just going to say it: I like Elizabeth Hoyt’s work; I LOVE her as Julia Harper—but I can’t stand this series. TO SEDUCE A SINNER was just as boring and coma-inducing as the first in the Legend of the 4 Soldiers series, TO TASTE TEMPTATION. The thing that has boggled my mind is that I LOVED her Princes trilogy. I couldn’t put those books down, but it took me ridiculously long to read TO SEDUCE A SINNER because I kept putting it down in exchange for anything else.

For me, the problem is that I just can’t seem to muster up enough to care about the overarching mystery. If the story had just been about the love story between Jasper and Melisande I probably would have rather enjoyed the story. I liked that Jasper had just enough of rakehell in him to keep things interesting. I also liked that while Melisande was categorically head-over-heels in love with Jasper, she still had enough of spitfire in her to keep Jasper on his toes. Above all, I still think Hoyt’s writing style is superior, I just don’t find myself interested in this series whatsoever.

Those who liked TO TASTE TEMPTATION will likely enjoy this as well, but I think this is where the Legend of the 4 Soldiers and I part ways.

Jilian Vallade