THEN COMES SEDUCTION

Author: Mary Balogh ISBN: 9780440244233 4/2009 HISTORICAL Publisher: DELL
Time Period: Regency

In a night of drunken revelry, Jasper Finley, Baron Montford, gambles his reputation as London’s most notorious lover on one woman. His challenge? To seduce the exquisite, virtuous Katherine Huxtable within a fortnight. But when his best-laid plans go awry, Jasper devises a wager of his own. For Katherine, already wildly attracted to him, Jasper’s offer is irresistible: to make London’s most dangerous rake fall in love with her. Then Jasper suddenly ups the ante. Katherine knows she should refuse. But with scandal brewing and her reputation in jeopardy, she reluctantly agrees to become his wife. Now, as passion ignites, the seduction really begins. And this time the prize is nothing less than both their hearts.…

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

THEN COMES SEDUCTION was typical Balogh fare for me. The story of the second Huxtable sister, Kathleen, it's a simple, much quieter romance set between two people who are thrown together in marriage in order to prevent the possible ruination of an innocent through an ill-conceived, secret wager of seduction placed years before.

First, we have the rakish and handsome Jasper Finley, Baron Montford, who accepts the wager and sets out to seduce the innocent and beautiful Kathleen Huxtable, one night in Vauxhall Gardens. But, for whatever reason and despite the unexpected passion his attempted seduction unleashes between Kathleen and himself, Jasper can't do it. He lets her go with a stern warning, of course, and there's no more contact between them... until three years later, when the wager is uncovered and Kathleen finds herself in near ruin with the ton. There's no other choice for Kathleen than marriage to Jasper if she is to spare her family from being ostracized and salvage her own reputation.

This is a character driven story and, as always, Balogh's strong points in showcasing her characters' development and growth as the storyline progresses—especially in Jaspar's case who, in the beginning isn't a very likeable individual—come to the forefront. I actually enjoyed this book much better than FIRST COMES MARRIAGE, the first book in the series, because of that slow progression—the falling in love and emotional development were much stronger here and a lot more believable.

These first two books of the Huxtable series have been truly enjoyable reads, and if THEN COMES SEDUCTION is any indication how these stories will get better as the series go on, then Balogh's fans, not to mention readers of historical romance in general, can look forward to some really enjoyable romantic reads.

Nancy Davis