LORD OF TEMPTATION by Lorraine Heath

Publisher:   Avon

Date published:   September 25, 2012

ISBN:  978-0062100023

Genre:   Historical Romance

Book format:  Paperback

Obtained via: Publisher

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

On the eve of their father’s burial Sebastian, Tristan and Rafe are locked away in the tower of their ancestral home by their uncle. Twenty-two minutes younger than his twin, Sebastian, Tristan Easton, is the second son…the spare. He doesn’t begrudge Sebastian his place. In fact, he supports and defers to his twin. When Sebastian says the boys, which include their younger brother, Rafe, must flee their family home before their uncle kills them, Tristan follows his brother. When the boys decide they must separate to remain safe, Tristan accepts Sebastian’s decision to go to sea.

Life wasn’t kind to Tristan. Leastways not early on. Determined to have his revenge against his uncle Tristan learns the ways of the seas, ultimately winning his own ship, one he captains under the name of Crimson Jack. Willing to take coin for pretty much any task, Tristan can also afford to turn down any job that doesn’t suit him. When Lady Anne Hayworth seeks him out he may have met his match.

Betrothed to a soldier Lady Anne is neither bride nor widow nor unattached woman. Instead she is somewhere in between, a foot in several worlds, belonging in none. Her finance went off to war in the Crimea and never returned. Anne seeks to journey to her finance’s grave to say goodbye but she wants not do it in her own time in her own way. When she approaches Tristan (Jack) he initially tells her no, then keeps her from finding another to sail her to Scutari. He finally agrees but his price is nothing Anne ever expected to pay.

I had a bit of a time getting into Lorraine Heath’s LORD OF TEMPTATION, book 2 of her Lost Lords of Pembrooke series mainly because initially I didn’t find Anne or Tristan all that likeable. They didn’t seem to connect to each other and not to me as a reader. Then, a few pages in, when Anne discovers what Tristan is about and he names his price the story began to click for me.  Ms. Heath created Tristan with a wonderfully impish and delightfully humorous side. Despite a tragic life in the years following his father’s murder his own innate lightheartedness remained.  Ms. Heath does a fabulous job of bringing that playful side out as well as a romantic heart that can only be brought out by the right woman. Tristan tries, admirably so, to be tough and uncaring but underneath is a man so warm and loving any woman would want him for her own.

I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes that took place on Tristan’s ship, Revenge. Ms. Heath paints a vivid picture of romance on the high seas. The parallels between the raging storm at sea and the passionate turmoil that draws Tristan and Anne to each other while at the same time pulls them apart is page turning reading. I totally enjoyed book 1, SHE TEMPS THE DUKE and want to stamp my foot because now I’m going to have to wait for Rafe’s story…there is a Christmas novella due out in December, but not a word about Rafe’s story—and that one will be the most mysterious of all.

I’ve been a fan of Lorraine Heath’s since I read TEXAS DESTINY about fifteen years ago. I’ve loved her western romance and am finding I enjoy her historicals just as much.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.