The Pleasure Seekers

This is a very bittersweet romance. Ms. George certainly knows how to write a tortured hero and keeps us in suspense as to the outcome right up until the last pages. Caine, a former rake and now a down on his luck "kept man" is very appealing as the tortured hero with an emotional wound that only our heroine Bliss (hate the name --sounds like a porn star) can heal. Bliss is complex and interesting in her own right as an early feminist and nonconformist and Caine is drawn to her almost against his will. He wants to hate her because she's the daughter of the man he blames for his father's demise, but he can't get her out of his mind. He agrees to a bet regarding whether he can seduce her, but hates himself for it and nearly drowns in guilt after he succeeds. He's so haunted by her that he follows her to Paris after he has seduced her and she flees. A former womanizer, He wants her for his own, but knows he doesn't deserve her and has nothing to offer her. After she rejects him, he returns to England to set about reforming and bettering himself so he will have something to offer her and be worthy of her love. He returns to Paris to claim her, not knowing that she is pregnant with his child. She suspects he is offering marriage only because of the child, but he shows her a note he pennned only months earlier during his previous trip and left to the angel on Chopin's grave (reputed to grant lovers' wishes) in which he asked for the priviledge of loving Bliss for the rest of her life. Caine's pain is so heartbreaking that you just want to put your arms around him and hold him, and the story is very bittersweet. It's all the sweeter because of all the pain both characters went through before they could accept each other and admit their love. As usual for Ms. George, the sex scenes are very sensual and well written.

The Pleasure Seekers is an intense read that draws you in from the first chapter. Caine is one of the most tortured heros I have ever encountered in a romance and Bliss is a perfect match for him. She sees beyond his cold outside to the passionate, caring man on the inside. Caine and Bliss' story is an intense and rewarding journey.

I loved this book! Ms. George knows how to write hot, sexy, tortured TO DIE FOR heroes like Caine Ballinger, and Parris is his perfect foil. The ending was such a twist and brought tears to my eyes. Don't miss this story!

Ms. George is at the top of her game here. She has always been a sensual writer, but this is her best, not only for the sexual chemistry but for the amazing depth and sensitivity. Though her hero, Caine Ballinger, is a complete roue, never has a man been so thoroughly deserving of a second chance, a man so tortured and broken that you wish you could go back in time and take care of him. His connection with Bliss, a strong, smart and self-sufficient young woman is incredible. She never does what one expects. I am anxiously waiting for the next book in this series. It can't come soon enough.

I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH HOW I LOVED THE PLEASURE SEEKERS. MELANIE GEORGE HAS A WAY OF MAKING CHARACTERS JUMP OFF THE PAGE. CAINE IS STRONG, BUT OH-SO TORTURED. BLISS IS JUST AS STRONG, AND SOMETIMES STRONGER - AS WELL AS BEING SMART, SOPHISTICATED, AND DEVOTED TO THOSE SHE LOVES. I ONLY WISH THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES WAS COMING OUT SOONER. FROM THE SNEAK PEAK INSERTED AT THE BACK OF THE BOOK, I CAN ALREADY TELL IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER FANTASTIC READ. BRAVO, MS. GEORGE!!!