Book Review: A Season of Seduction by Jennifer Haymore

This story has a twist since the adventurer wants to tie the knot and the widow is not yet ready for marriage.

A Season of Seduction by Jennifer Haymore

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Forever; 1 edition (October 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446540285
• ISBN-13: 978-0446540285

Genre: Historical Romance
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Product Description
Although the widowed Lady Rebecca has sworn off marriage, men are another matter. London's cold winter nights have her dreaming of warmer pursuits-like finding a lover to satisfy her hungry heart. Someone handsome, discreet, and most importantly as uninterested in marriage as she is. Someone like Jack Fulton.

A known adventurer and playboy, Jack seems like the perfect choice. There's just one problem: Jack isn't interested in an affair. He needs the beautiful, mysterious Lady Rebecca to be his wife. And he doesn't have much time to persuade her. A secret from Jack's past is about to surface, and by Christmas Day he'll be either married to Rebecca or dead. (2010)

Review: Once I hit midway in this book I did not put it down until the end.

I struggled with the beginning of the book which has a brief introduction of “bluestocking” Rebecca getting ready to meet Jack at a discreet hotel for her first night with a man since the death of her husband four years earlier. Jack is introduced with his more manipulative and permanent plans. The story then slides right into a 35 page seduction scene. Things get more interesting when the plot thickens as the love making is interrupted by Rebecca’s brother, cousin and a group of witnesses. Now Rebecca’s reputation is in an uproar but Jack moves forward to do the right thing and offer for her.

It is understandable that Rebecca has major issues of trust resulting from a very bad first marriage. It is more difficult to understand how she expects to ignore the scandal.  Rebecca is more discreet than the blurb implies but she is pretty determined that she will not be pushed into marriage to a man she really doesn’t know.

Jack wants more than Becky’s money but he started out with lies and now has to overcome his original motive without her finding out.  Jack saved the book for me as he sets out to woo Becky and convince her to marry him.  He really is a charmer, not a rogue, but he is in a dilemma because he needs to marry her quickly and get to her dowry funds in less than six weeks. He would be patient with her but he just doesn’t have the time.

The second half of the book just sped by with the unique courtship, romance, tension and betrayal.  I was caught up to learn how they scramble out of the mess that Jack’s behavior caused.  Rebecca shows a lot of spunk to cope with the pain and loneliness and subsequent chance for forgiveness.

I had trouble with the cynical character of Rebecca’s close friend, Cecilia. She appears to flaunt the rules of society with her loose liaisons and yet there was no indication of trouble with the gossips and she was easily welcomed into Becky’s family.  That just didn’t ring right to me.

I enjoyed the plot as it developed around Rebecca’s lack of trust and Jack’s courage and determination.  There was plenty of conflict to keep it interesting and to have me rooting for the couple to get together.

xxx

Thank you to Hachette who provided this book for review and giveaway.

Learn more about the author in the Q&A Interview too.