TLC Book Tours Book Review: Lord Of Temptation

Author: Lorraine Heath
Title: Lord Of Temptation
Publisher: Avon
Publish Date: Sept 25, 2012
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: TLC Book Tours and the publisher

Book Blurb: Three young heirs, imprisoned by an unscrupulous uncle, escaped—to the sea, to the streets, to faraway battle—awaiting the day when they would return to reclaim their birthright.

Once upon a time, he was Lord Tristan Easton—now he is Crimson Jack, a notorious privateer beholden to none, whose only mistress is the sea. But all that will change when exquisite Lady Anne Hayworth hires his protection on a trip into danger and seduction. . .

Desperation brought Anne to the bronzed, blue-eyed buccaneer. But after the Captain demands a kiss as his payment, desire will keep her at his side. She has never known temptation like this—but to protect her heart, she knows she must leave him behind. Yet Tristan cannot easily forget the beauty—and when they meet again in a London ballroom, he vows he won't lose her a second time, as fiery passion reignited takes them into uncharted waters that could lead the second lost lord home...

Review: I've really been getting into historical romance again. I'm not sure why. I usually go for  regencies, but this one is a Victorian novel, set in the early days of Queen Victoria's reign.

It is hard not to love both characters in this story. Anne is head strong and not your typical Victorian woman.  It is hard to believe that a woman would undertake the journey she did just to visit the grave of her fiance. It really is touching.

Her growing feelings for Tristan cause her such frustration on the journey. She feels guilty for denying Walter her love while she's beginning to have strong feelings for Captain Jack. (Every time I thought of him as Captain Jack..I alternately saw Johnny Depp and John Barrowman.)

Tristain was the kind of hero you long for in these historical romances. He's strong on the outside, but inside he's a real softy. His seduction of Anne was slow, but more than just the romance it was how he treated his crew, especially Mouse.

I love how their relationship progressed, even though they both knew it shouldn't. I'm trying to figure out how Anne didn't feel guilt at all the luscious sex she was having before marriage when she lived in Victorian England. She was very free with her favors in a time when that wasn't quite the thing!

I preferred the time that was spent on Revenge to the time in London. Some of the characters there didn't ring quite true. I liked Walter's brother Chetwyn, who was a really good sport about his relationship with Anne, but Hermoine was borderline psycho, and she changed her feelings too quickly to be believable at the end.

This book is part of the Lost Lords of Pembrook series. It is the second of three, but the books can be read as stand alone stories. It is an enjoyable read and it will make you want to grab the first book in the series which is about Tristain's brother Sebastian and Mary.

Rating: 4 flowers