SHE TEMPTS THE DUKE by Lorraine Heath

Avon

January 31^st, 2012
978-0-06-202246-2
Historical Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher

3.5 Hearts

Wounded warrior Sebastian Easton has lived for one thing-revenge…revenge against the uncle who stole his birthright, his youth and his two brothers who scattered with Sebastian after escaping his uncle’s ‘care’. Now grown, Sebastian is determined to get what is rightfully his-his home, his brothers and he cannot forget the young girl who helped him and his brothers escape all those years ago.

Lady Mary Wynne-Jones has paid dearly for helping the three rightful hearts of the Duke of Keswick escape their uncle and now grown; Mary finds she is torn between her betrothed and the one man who she shared a forbidden kiss with before he melted away in the night. Now when Mary and Sebastian meet once again, two hearts will long for one another as passion wars with retribution as Sebastian and Mary find that love is the one thing that can heal the most hardened of hearts and soothes the soul.

Lorraine Heath gives readers the story of Sebastian Easton, the rightful Duke of Keswick. Sebastian along with his two brothers were forced to leave their home, birthright and everything familiar in order to escape from their devious uncle’s plans to dispose of them. Ms. Heath delivers a wonderfully flawed hero, a courageous heroine and a passionate love that is based on friendship. The hero, Sebastian, is scarred inside and out, been at war, separated from his brothers, now way to know where they went, he comes back to claim his title, his home and the one woman who helped him and his brother all those years ago. SHE TEMPTS THE DUKE is a gripping, wild ride from start to finish. Ms. Heath’s masterful storytelling is right on track with this wonderful story. Full of action, romance and more, SHE TEMPTS THE DUKE is one story I have been waiting for.

Meet Sebastian Easton. The rightful Duke of Eastwick, forced to flee when he and his brothers were just boys, scattered like the wind, he is on a mission now after years of war & battles to reclaim what is his and find his brothers. Sebastian is a man with demons, a battle weary warrior who thirsts for revenge against the man who caused him and his brothers so much pain. This is a character you can not help but fall for. There is just something about Sebastian that had me wanting to wrap my arms around him and give him a hug. Family plays a big part in the story as does the one person Sebastian has dreamed about-Lady Mary Wynne-Jones. She was the one person who helped him and his brothers so long ago. These two are very enjoyable together. Mary tempers Sebastian’s thirst for revenge and rough edges while Sebastian finds he can feel the love he needs from Mary. What I loved the most was how this friendship Mary had with Sebastian was kept alive in their hearts, deep in the nights when despair tries to take hold for Sebastian. The connection these two have is delightful, romantic and equally enjoyable as well. The characters are well written, showing their vulnerabilities even as the reader finds they have a core of steel that, when called upon, stands tall and the test of time. The secondary characters are just as enjoyable and I really loved seeing the different yet distinctive ‘voices’ some of the characters had in the story.

SHE TEMPTS THE DUKE is a perfect story to read if you enjoy adventure, romance and a love so powerful, it will heal the most shattered of souls. Ms. Heath has created a trilogy of stories set around these three brothers that left me eager for more. I would love to read more about some of the secondary characters that intrigued me. I can’t wait to see what else this author dreams up for her readers to enjoy. In the meantime, I am going to go back and read these three books again and fall in love with the Easton brothers-Sebastian, Rafe & Tristan.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement