Surrender of a Siren: A Novel (Wanton Dairymaid Trilogy)

I am usually a fan if Ms Dares work but found this series disappointing. This book was the best of the four, with a reasonably well developed hero who was not a caricature, and an OK heroine, but the underlying premise was a little thin. Readable but might struggle to stay on my ‘keeper’ shelf.

5 stars (Feather light spoilers for an earlier book, Goddess of the Hunt. Nothing that should ruin your enjoyment of the earlier work, and it doesn't need to be read first. However, SoaS begins where that book left off.) What I Bring to The Party: I'm a fan of romance novels and a recent fan of Tessa Dare. What's It All About? Sophia, longing to experience passion and adventure, books passage on a ship sailing to the West Indies, and concocts a false identity. She meets Gray, the owner of the ship. She experiences the aforementioned passion and adventure. The characters: Sophia made her first appearance in another Tessa Dare novel, Goddess of the Hunt. Lucy, the heroine in GotH, at first mistook her for a sedate lady without a radical thought in her little head, but discovered that Sophia had quite the mischievous imagination. The women became fast friends and Lucy gifted her one of her most prized possessions - a book about a wanton dairymaid, which figures delightfully into SoaS as well. I enjoyed this character and the first book and was glad to see her personality remained much the same. Sometimes when characters carry over, authors alter them to fit the new plot. Amusingly enough, her stories of an imaginary lover and one story in particular is repeated in both books as she tries to convince the hero that she's more experienced that she really is. She's an artist, but she would have been one heck of a writer too. What I liked about Sophia is that she's a woman who has fantasies and desires even before she meets Gray - there's no hedging as a lot of books do in making the heroine only "awaken" when the hero arrives. She's sweet and innocent, but also clear that she has wants that she's not allowed to share in polite society, and so she must escape that society. The hero, Gray, wants to be respectable after years of being disreputable in order to secure a future for his siblings. Getting involved with Sophia is not in his plans. He, in fact, promises his brother who is the ship's captain that he won't even kiss her. And he doesn't for a really long time, but that doesn't mean that the time before that was wasted or chaste. In fact, a lot of *interesting* things occur before he kisses her, and this was foreshadowed when he made the promise. I like very much that he didn't take giving his word as a light thing, and fought his attraction more than most heroes do in similar circumstances. He was convinced he wasn't a good guy, but his actions and choices said something else. Gray's brother, Joss, was a hard person to like. He had several rightful grievances, but he didn't seem to want to give his brother a break. By the end, he was much more sympathetic a character. Of note was the way the crew of the ship were rendered by the author. They were rough, but for the most part sympathetic as Sophia takes an interest in stories of their lives and loves. I like Tessa Dare's narrative style a lot. She seems to be a natural born story tel

Sophia Hathoway, a beautiful London society miss, flees her family and betrothed mere days before her wedding. Seeking passage aboard the Aphrodite under the guise of a governess, Sophia longs to feel passion. She's tired of being treated like the prim, proper and innocent young woman she was raised to be. For deep inside Sophia resides a yearning for passion and the sweet seduction of a man. Aboard the Aphrodite, Sophia is swept away on the grandest adventure her heart could ever desire! Gray swore that he would turn over a new leaf, becoming a respectable man in societies eyes, but most importantly in the eyes of his brother Joss, who happens to be the captain of the Aphrodite.In the past Gray has done things that's shamed him, and he's ready to start anew in an attempt to make up for his selfishness. But he never anticipated the beauty seeking passage aboard his ship. With her seductive innocence, Gray is left with a terrible ache for the woman known to him as Ms. Jane Turner. He never thought being respectable could be so hard. Neither Gray nor Sophia expected the raging storm, sweeping them into a vortex of desire and yearnings the likes of which neither of them ever experienced. This is the second book in Tessa Dare's trilogy (Goddess of the Hunt, Surrender of a Siren, Lady of Persuasion), and I loved it more than the first one! Tessa Dare is simply amazing with her prose. Delightfully enchanting, her words connect seamlessly, creating wonderful characters and some very hot, very intense scenes. My favorite being the one that Gray pushes Sophia head first into her own raging passions during his sitting when she sketches him.What a breathtaking scene. It even brought a tear due to its intensity. Surrender of a Siren ranks exceedingly high on my list of historical romances, and I'm left without any hesitation to pick up another of her books in the future. She's definitely made her place among my keeper shelf!

I love when a new author bursts on the scene, puts out a great first book, and then exceeds my expectations on her follow-up. With "Surrender of a Siren," Tessa Dare reaches the potential she showed in "Goddess of the Hunt," but with even sharper writing, humor, and dialogue. Plus, she has clearly done her research about 19th c. life on the high seas, and the insertion of sensory and historical details here and there add depth and interest to the plot. Sophia was first introduced in "Goddess of the Hunt," but here she becomes a much more likeable and complex character. Determined to seek true passion and cease pretending to be a demure Miss, Sophia leaves her fiance, Toby, at the altar and races off to board a ship to Tortola. She immediately both frustrates and intrigues Captain Grayson, the owner of the ship, and he, in turn, frustrates and intrigues Sophia. From there, the two embark on a flirtation complicated by two things. First, that Sophia is pretending to be Jane Turner, a governess traveling to her next post, and secondly, that Gray is doing his best to stop his raucous, womanizing ways and be more respectable for his sister's sake. The result is a nicely paced push and pull with sexual tension that slowly builds. In fact, whereas "Goddess" opens with a kiss between the hero and heroine, this novel gives us more time to get to know the characters before they actually give in to their attraction. There's never a dull moment in this book, but it also never feels over-done. In fact, I think Tessa Dare did a great job of paring down the story while still developing her characters to a point where it's easy to find them charming and likeable. The conflict also builds to a fun, witty, and surprising conclusion in a courtroom (I won't say more). Finally, there are great supporting characters in this novel, namely Stubbs and Joss, which shows that Dare is able to add layers and build up to future books without sacrificing the momentum of the current novel. If you like Julia Quinn and Eloisa James, I think you'll enjoy Tessa Dare's books. I, personally, can't wait for the next one. Grade: A

Wanting to experience a grand adventure, real life and true passion, Sophia Hathaway jilts her fiancé and disappears. After packing up her paints and sketchbook, the pampered heiress assumes a new identity and secures passage on the merchant ship Aphrodite. Sophia pretends to be a governess named Jane Turner heading for Tortola to begin her new position. With these actions, Sophia knows she has been labeled as a fallen woman. She is about to learn that the real world is far different from the romantic fantasies she imagines. Benedict "Gray" Grayson used to be a privateer. This is to be the ship's maiden voyage as a respectable merchant ship. No longer will Gray be a conscienceless scoundrel who sails the seas for profit and pleasure. Gray immediately knows that there is more to the lovely governess than meets the eye. He also understands that everyone is allowed their secrets. But when Sophia's perception, kindness, sass, and artistry begins to stir his heart, Gray simply cannot resist her. ***** FIVE STARS! Time wise, this story begins immediately following the ending of Lucy's tale, Goddess of the Hunt. Sophia was a secondary character in the previous book and I had been hoping she would get her own story told. I believe this adventure to be even better than the last. Author Tessa Dare has a wonderful writing style that allows the story to flow smoother than a calm day at sea. An enticing plot with engaging characters, this romance is pure delight. ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.