Seduced by His Touch

I have to admit that I have been on a romance novel kick lately and picked this out for a pleasant quick read. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. Unlike many romance novels, I enjoyed the whole book and didn't find myself "skipping" ahead to get to the "good parts". The intermediate story held my interest (though after awhile, the author did overplay the whole "missed messages and opportunity" and "denial" themes to where by the end it was like "just be done with it already!"). One of the things I really liked about this novel was the progression from lust to a true connected relationship. It seems like often many romance novels focus on the lust, the couple gets together and everyone lives happily after ever after... THE END. Instead this story went beyond that and dealt with the evolution that every couple must go through after the initial lustful passionate part of the relationship. The characters are likable for the most part -- they may be a bit too perfect but lets face it... this is a romance novel and character development isn't expected to be on the level of Tolstoy or Trollope! The plot is (for the most part) predictable though there were a couple of twists which I have to admit I didn't see coming. This is the first Tracy Anne Warren book I have read but based on the strength of this story, I will be reading the first book in the trilogy and will probably look forward to the last book which is going to be released for the Kindle in January. No -- this isn't an intellectual piece of literature. It is definitely a guilty "escapist" pleasure but as far as guilty pleasures go, this one is much better done than others I have read. Highly recommended for the genre!

The chemistry between Jack and Grace is memorable long after the story is finished. For me, this one is a keeper. There is a tenderness in their love that feels very real. Warren has a talent for creating heroes and heroines who leap from the page and into your heart.

Despite a plot we've all seen before, I really enjoyed the heck out of this book. Lord Jack Byron (brother to the Duke of Clybourn) loses a ridiculous sum of money to a very wealthy cit in a card game. Although it certainly appeared to me that the cit cheated Jack, that's never actually stated. The man will erase the debt as well as provide an insanely huge dowry if Jack will meet, seduce, and marry his daughter, Grace Danvers. Cliched set-up, but very nice execution. Grace, of course is not the gorgon Jack expected. Although she's not a fashionable beauty (too tall, red hair, feminine curves hidden by dress styles, too intelligent for society, not ton), she's pretty anyway and easy to get along with. Jack finds himself hating the deception, although the amount of money he owes is so huge, he can't tell the guy to stuff-it and court the girl the 'right way'. One funny thing is that Warren set up various moments where I felt I knew what was going to happen and then she didn't use them in the ways I predicted. So she turned some of the cliches on their heads. Jack does something TSTL in the beginning (in addition to the huge gambling loss) and I felt the shoe would drop at any moment, but that particular one evolved differently. It was nice to be wrong. Again, I'm really liking Warren's characters. Their chemistry is unmistakable. There is a stretch in this book where I wanted to shake one of the characters for cutting their nose off to spite their face and the other one for not speaking up, but I couldn't really see where the action was inorganic. And when the book ends and we get our HEA, it's very romantic and lovely. Tracy Anne Warren has a new fan in me. She may indulge in tried and true plot devices but I do like her characters and I'm very much looking forward to the next book due out in early 2010.

Tracy Ann Warren has taken a well used plot, nobleman is forced to marry rich heiress, and breathed some life into this scenario. Her characters are engaging and the romance is believable. Lord Jack Byron, ladies man and card sharp, owes a huge gambling debt to a London merchant. To pay off his vowels he agrees not only to marry the merchant's daughter but also to woo her into loving him, so that she will want to marry too. He is not looking forward to this task. Tall, red haired Grace is surprised that handsome Jack is paying court to her. He is solicitous and deeper than she ever credited him. She knows she is falling fast for him; he is wonderfully attentive and makes her feel special. When he proposes she feels like the luckiest woman on earth. Jack genuinely likes Grace she is unconventional, kind hearted and sincere. Jack feels terrible for deceiving her but he knows that she will never find out about his deal with her father or will she? This is a marvelous romance. Jack and Grace are well suited and admirable. Jack realizes fairly quickly that Grace is a boon companion and he desires her too. Grace is charmed by Jack and her self confidence grows by leaps. The leads have a white hot romance; both have no problems expressing their longing for each other. When unexpected events happen in Grace's life she does both the expected and unexpected, expected for her time period but in some ways unexpected for a romance. I liked this about her; she was pragmatic yet romantic too. Her hopeful but cautious attitude was a constant throughout the novel. Jack is a romantic hero, sensual and affectionate, he is the kind of man any woman would love, and Grace is no exception. He is thoughtful and very kind and it was easy to see why Grace wanted him during even the most trying of circumstances. Ms Warren does an excellent job of showing, not just telling, how this couple loves each other. Jack is especially good at demonstrating his feelings through actions. This is the second novel of the Byron series and it is just as good, possible even a little better, than the previous novel.

I loved the 1/2 of the book and then thought about just reading the last chapter because it was same old story - handsome society man tricks plain women into marry for her money --- but it's better than that. The writting so good that same plot (boy gets girl, boy looses girl ect....) is excellent. I finished it in a day... A pure romance! Looking forward to Lord Jack Byron's brother's story At the Duke's Pleasure due out Jan. 2010.