More Than Seduction

Commoner Anne Smythe runs a health spa for women. Stephen Bristol, a wounded aristocratic soldier, needs her services. It would be scandalous for a man to even cross the threshold of a haven for women but Stephen's fed-up sister, Eleanor, along with his commoner friend, Charles, dump him on Anne's doorstep and run for London. Stephen has been irascible and unhappy since being wounded in Spain. Anne, seeing that she has no choice, takes him in and attempts to help him. The pampered Stephen finds that he is attracted to her no-nonsense attitude. Meanwhile, Charles discovers that he's in love with Eleanor. Will these two aristocrats stoop and find happiness below their exalted status? Toss into the mix Anne's lesbian helper Kate, the crazy man next door Willie, who runs a semi official jail and is in love with Anne, his abused sister Prudence, and Camilla, a former mistress of Stephen's - a slutty aristocrat, and you've got trouble. Stephen also has a fiancée in London who loves someone else but feels duty bound to stick with him. MORE THAN SEDUCTION started a bit slow but heated up after all the characters were introduced. There was plenty of sex and intrigue as the characters attempted to overcome the barriers posed by class and status in England at an earlier period. It would have been helpful if we had been told exactly what time period was involved. For readers of romance it is a good choice. (RAWSISTAZ Rating: 3.5) Reviewed by alice Holman of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Setting - Rural England - 1813 --- Mrs. Anne Smythe has has turned her farmhouse inheritance into a going concern as a healing spa for women. Near Bath, the hot springs on her property seems to have some healing properties, and her innate knowledge of healing has attracted a modest but privileged clientele. Hearing of the healing properties, Lady Eleanor has come to beg Anne to accept her brother, war hero, Captain Stephen Chamberlin, as new patient. When Anne adamantly refuses and Eleanor thinking that this was the last hope she had for her brother, she had her footmen drag her brother out of her coach and propped him up on Anne's doorstep - then she took off! Anne despised the nobility and was furious at the audacity of Lady Eleanor, but the pathetic heap of humanity that was the unconscious, and filthy war hero couldn't be ignored. Anne would keep him and arrange for his return to his family estate as soon as possible. Cleaning him up and after putting Stephen's childish arrogance in his place, she agreed to help heal him and before long the healing waters began to work their magic both in healing Stephen and unleashing Anne's latent sexuality as they embarked on a most erotic love affair. In spite of his lofty heritage, he was only a third son, penniless, and now living on the largesse of his father unless he married an heiress. Anne, doesn't fool herself into thinking that anything good could come of the affair, only her heart had fallen irrevocably in love even though her good sense wished otherwise. What I've come to expect from this author are deeply sensual and erotic sexual nuances and in this, I wasn't disappointed. Not only did she give the main protagonists a powerfully sensual tale but, a secondary sizzler featuring Lady Eleanor and Stephen's friend Charles, which by the way, ran neck and neck to the main story. There was sufficient depth to the story, and I could feel for Stephen over his injuries, but would have liked to strangle him when he couldn't commit or even try to come up with some possibilities for the woman he professed to love! With Eleanor and Charles, even though she was a bit dim witted at one point, she seemed to deal with her relationship much better, even though her previously bitter marital experience gave her just cause to be wary. One has to applaud Ms. Holt as well, for her adeptness in handling the lesbian issue in a thoughtful and tasteful manner. Unfortunately, what I truly did have a bit of trouble with, was the manner in which Stephen dealt with the very brutal Willy McGee - not that the sick pervert didn't deserve what was done to him but whew - it did bother even my sensibilities! Bottom Line - While fans of Holt will find this an interesting and highly sensual tale, it will touch on issues that might be uncomfortable for some. Just don't discount this altogether because for those who love their romances filled with the spice and the erotic, this is one is for you!!! (...)

Cheryl Holt and Nicole Jordan have a lot in common. Both authors can write steamy sex scenes, but their stories generally lack something. Most of their books leave this reader unfulfilled. Cheryl Holt filled MORE THAN SEDUCTION with sweltering sex scenes, but in the end I was disenchanted. The story opens in 1813; Anne (Paxton) Smythe has inherited property near Bath -- Bath famous for its mystical hot springs; waters believed to have mysterious healing properties. Anne Smythe works hard to maintain her successful healing spa/bathing business. A business open for women and for women only! Lady Eleanor Chamberlin Dunworthy will hear none of it. She begs Anne to take her brother in, Captain Stephen Chamberlin, a crippled war veteran. When Anne refuses, Lady Eleanor literally dumps him on her doorstep . . . Anne Smythe is a feisty woman; she refuses to put up with Stephen Chamberlin's childish behavior. Of course, Stephen and Anne become lovers. Unfortunately, Captain Chamberlin knows that he and Anne cannot be. They are from different worlds. He has nothing to offer Anne. So they must be content for the moment and not look to the day Stephen will leave. Cheryl Holt writes the beginning of her book with vigorous spirit. I enjoyed Anne in the starting pages; in fact, the female characters carry this book. Stephen's sister, Eleanor, and her tale are a wonderful addition to the story. I almost wished Eleanor had her own book! And I must applaud Cheryl Holt for her handling of the homosexual relationship she chooses to explore. Regardless of your feelings on this subject, Holt does write this section well. My discontent? I wish Holt had delayed the sexual fulfillment, relying instead on desire and lust while Anne helped Stephen recover. With the hurried sexual activity, the characters never seem to grow in the reader's mind or heart. Instead, they remain cold. There just isn't enough depth to their personalities. The story is sexual, but insensitive. Finally, Holt astounded me with the handling of the villain. Part of me thought wee Willie received his just dues, but a bigger part of me thought "whoa." Grade: B Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.

Sometimes I come to expect Holt books to be a little steamier than this one and for that I give it only 4 stars. The premise of the book is a wonderful one -- A defeated, war torn hero so totally shattered with his mind and body that he cares not to live. When Stephen Chamberlain was left at the doorstep of the 28 year old Anne at her healing spa - that was his condition. The spinster Anne had no men on her premise and no intention of having any men there. But Stephen was so pitiful how could she not try to help him. And the beginning of their interlude showed great promise - I just think Holt could have had Stephen be a tortured sole a bit longer and not so easily start to heal under Anne's care. You felt the love but it seemed to happen too quickly - There were the secondary character plots too that were good, Stephen's sister and his best friend Charles (who also had had a rough life) and their love seemed real too. However I do not think the book was long enough to show all of the character development with both emotional stories. In addition their is the intrigue of the horrible next door neighbor Willie who was one sick man - thinking he was a magistrate fighting for purity and justice and had quite a little sicko prison of torture next to Anne's healing spa. This book has a lot of good stuff going on for it but all of it might have been a little bit more developed. With all of this one can see why the bedroom scenes were less frequent and that is kind of a bummer in a Holt book!! I would give it at least a 4 though and if you are a Holt lover as I am - give it a look most of you will enjoy it very much!

In 1813 Anne Paxton Smyth, illegitimate daughter of an earl, pretends to be a widow so that she run Mrs. Anne Smythe's Healing Spa and Bathing Emporium for women. Lady Eleanor Chamberlin arrives desperately pleading with Anne to nurture her war wounded brother Stephen back to health. Anne says no in spite of the vast sum of money offered. Hopeless, Eleanor leaves Stephen on the stoop before departing. Anne takes Stephen inside to hide him from her female patrons. When he acts ugly she returns in kind refusing to let him wallow in pity. Stephen soon finds a reason to live as Anne heals his body and soul with her love for him that he reciprocates. However, a nasty patron uses a local stalker to harm and perhaps kill Anne if necessary with only Stephen and Anne's assistant trying to keep her safe. This is an entertaining Regency romance that showcases how love can overcome battle fatigue syndrome, but not easily especially when physical injuries are also present. Anne is a terrific heroine, but the anguish of Stephen makes the tale as a veteran who wants to die until his angel saves his soul. Treachery adds suspense but feels unneeded as this is a wonderful character study starring two delightful protagonists enhanced with a second subplot of love between his sister and his most loyal pal. Harriet Klausner