Treacherous Temptations by Victoria Vane

Book Blurb :

A reluctant heiress resigned to her fate… Mary Elizabeth Edwardes has one of the largest fortune’s in England, but has no desire to leave her quiet country existence… and even less to acquire a husband she cannot choose for herself.

A dissolute nobleman bent on retribution… Trapped in a duplicitous existence since scandal destroyed his fortune and family name, Lord Hadley Blanchard has spent the better part of a decade posing as a disaffected exile while spying and seducing in the service of the English Crown.

A dangerous game of seduction, and intrigue… When summoned from abroad by a former lover, Lord Hadley perceives an opportunity for vengeance at last. By employing the full measure of his seductive charm, he woos the ward of the man who destroyed his life, little knowing that winning Mary’s fortune will mean risking his own treacherous heart.

**AUTHOR’S NOTE
TREACHEROUS TEMPTATIONS was very much inspired by the dark and romantic novels of the 18th century in which virtue vs. vice and plots to despoil virgins were very popular themes, books like Clarissa Harlowe by Samuel Richardson or Les Liaisons Dangereuses by LaClos. Similar to these classic tales, my story features an innocent country girl who, unlike the former heroines, is neither insipid nor naive, but still inadvertently becomes a pawn in a deadly game of revenge and intrigue.

Tash M

Review:

Let me just say that Victoria Vane has done it again and provided us with another rogue who can equal the Devil. I can’t remember when I first started reading Vane’s books but I have become a fan and was excited to read her latest book, Treacherous Temptation. This book follows another wild rake who honestly takes the cake of all the characters that Vane has ever written because of his actions as a young man and his antics to get back his title.

Lord Hadley Blanchard is known for seducing and you could say that he was responsible for his father’s death, which led to a series of events wherein he lost his estate and title. Forced into exile as the family name is now in ruins, he roams the Continent as a rake, but he is actually an agent for the Crown, a position he took to fund his fun at first. He has, though, grown up since taking the job and he’s not the young man he used to be. He realises that he needs to make something of his life instead of wasting it away and he has to because he has no plans to get married.

It’s been seven years since he has been in England but news comes that he can potentially gain back his estate and title so he hurries back, as he has been trying for years but with no success, because honestly the family was a scapegoat for the South Sea Scandal. He has to get Sir Richard, the man responsible for his ruin and now his employer, to help him, but Richard has more pressing issues dealing with his guardian.

Mary Edwards is the heiress to a vast fortune, and at nineteen she is a perfect marriage candidate for some impoverished gentleman, except she is not worldly like her guardian wants her to be. Therefore, she is taken to London and handed over to Lady Barbara, Hadley’s stepmother, to prepare her for the season. Now Barbara is little better off than Hadley as she is the lover of Sir Richard and was able to keep her house but she is lacking capital and she needs money. Therefore, Barbara forms her own plan to control Mary and her fortune by bringing Hadley into the picture. Needless to say that Richard plans to take advantage as well because she is rich and he wouldn’t be a politician for nothing. He leaves Hadley to try and regain his title and maintains his disguise as Italian nobility while pursuing Mary because Barbara wants her money and her plan is to marry her to Hadley.  Should I say more? It’s shaping up to an eclectic cast of characters who all have plans for Mary including Mary herself.

This is the first novel from Vane, and I have enjoyed this new book loaded with characters that you will fall in love with are not drama free and will keep you entertained until the very end as the pages are filled with mysteries and trouble. Hadley and Mary, I love this couple; two people who are total opposites who fall in love despite the deceptions and villains in their way. Mary was the perfect foil for Hadley, she just wants to run the estates, she’s not interested in marriage so when she makes the move after finding out the truth I was surprised at first but then he reasons that the girl has a good head on her shoulders. Poor Lady Barbara! She was so determined to be the instigator for Mary meeting Hadley and setting them up.

Hadley, his past few years have been dictated by others because of his father actions and he’s not interested in marriage because of what happened. It seems Lady Barbara is going about it all wrong trying to get him interested. But never doubt a scheming woman as she will be thinking of something to make up for her disappointment in order to succeed. I thought Sir Richard was going to be the villain to watch out for as he already invested so much but I was surprised as I read on that it is Lady Barbara. It’s a nice turn of events with villain against villain to sort who will succeed at controlling the girl and Hadley too.

Vane knows how to write a book and once again made sure that all characters have meaty roles and solid places in the story. She knows how to develop a character and a story to the point that leaves a reader satisfied and not wanting more. 5 couples. You don’t want to miss this story. Vane knows how to write a historical that is naughty as well as a delight.

Publisher : Entangled Publishing

Source : Publicist Provided for review

Released : January 21st 2013

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