The Risande family is
loyal and true to King William and reluctantly agrees to give their
beautiful daughter Lady Tanon to the Welsh in marriage in order to try
and keep peace. Lady Tanon and Prince Gareth first meet as children one
summer when he arrives with his uncle and eldest brother Cedric, who is
supposed to her betrothed. Gareth finds Tannon to be a delight and they
become good friends. As the years go by she grows into a beautiful
young woman, and word arrives that the Welshmen have been killed in one
of the numerous border and Welsh battles. As another marriage is
arranged for Lady Tannon to the despicable Lord Roger deCourtenay, who
only wants her for her dowry, she wonders about what might have been.
But it is Gareth she has always wondered about, not Cedric. On the day
her betrothal is to be announced to Roger, Gareth shows up reminding
King William of the Welsh agreement, as he is now Prince Gareth ap
Owain. A tournament to fight for the Lady's hand is arranged, which
Gareth easily wins. Tanon cannot keep her eyes off the handsome Gareth
wondering about his male beauty, but she believes he is marrying her
only to have peace between the two countries, when she longs for the
kind of love her parents have enjoyed. She does not recognize that what
she is feeling is desire and passion because she is a true innocent and
the scene where she is asking her dear godfather King William about
female wiles and the wedding night is sweet and well-written. Gareth is
handsome and sexy, but also a strong leader, warrior and hero. His men
and people love and admire him, and are concerned when they see that
their prince really married for love, not just as a peace agreement.
Gareth realizes marrying Tannon will bring peace. He also realizes he
is not only lusting for Tannon, but has been in love with her since his
youth and is concerned the little girl he remembered, turned refined
young beauty, will find it difficult to live in his wild Welsh land.
Tanon is afraid to go into a strange land with people who are at war
with the Normans, but she is not only beautiful, but strong and
independent and her character as heroine does not suffer, as she never
once whines about the completely different conditions in which she now
lives. Gareth is so taken with her beauty, inner and out, and the
desire and passion that builds between them is sexy, with a touch of
sweetness. Gareth's people come to respect her and this makes Gareth
love her even more. Tannon learns the secret behind why Gareth is such
a good warrior - he dances well - and the scenes where he teaches his
people are fun and with Tannon, sexy! With so much intrigue, deception,
and some surprises at the end; blended with the developing seduction
and passion between Tannon and Gareth, Lord of Seduction seduces the
reader who will find it difficult to put the book down. Paula Quinn's
writing style flows and her character and story development is near
perfection. A good, solid, sexy romance that should not be overlooked
by medieval romance fans.
Publisher: Warner
Forever (December 2006)
Reviewed
by Beverly,
Beverly Romance Books
