The Pleasure Trap: A Novel (The Trap Trilogy)

I have enjoyed all of Elizabeth Thornton's novels, this was a real page turner, love it when you have to guess who the villain is, & you are still guessing almost to the end of the book.Could not put the book down once I started it, the story was well executed & fast paced, enjoyed the interaction between Hero & Heroine, well worth the money & definately a keeper to read again in the future.

Eve Dearing is a Gothic Romance writer under the name of Mrs. Barrymore. She hides herself under baggy clothing and undesirable hairdo's trying to keep a low profile. At 24 she is too old to be single, but Eve doesn't want to be married. She has the gift of sight; something she has learned is not always accepted. Ash Denison has a reputation as a charmer and a ladies man. He's always in style, a war hero and has a few secrets. He also isn't too interested in marriage. When he's asked to undercover the identity of a writer who is turning up past secrets, he reluctantly takes on the task. When Ash first sees Eve he is convinced there is more to the controlled, frumpy and aloof writer; their chemistry is palpable. Soon the two of them find themselves working together in a race to find a writer and a murderer. Although the chemistry between Ash and Eve is pretty instantaneous their relationships builds gradually and realistically. Their personalities are fun and they compliment and play well off of each other. The Pleasure Trap starts off with a very enthralling first chapter and doesn't slow its momentum. It is an enjoyable combination of mystery, suspense, historical and paranormal romance. Throughout this book I was on the edge of my seat as page by page I was treated to a well crafted mystery that involved both past and present. This was my first book by Ms. Thornton and I was thoroughly impressed and entertained, it will not be my last. Enjoy!

I was very satisfied with this book. I couldn't put it down and was through with it in less than a day. I really recommend this read, along with the two other books in this series.

This is a believable love story written by an author with a deep understanding of human emotions in all its complexities and contradictions and a healthy respect for the less-easily understood. The characters, both major and minor, are believable, fully-developed, and psychologically consistent both to themselves and to the time & society they inhabit. The same is true for the relationships and interactions between characters, at all levels. What we have here is a beautiful love story crafted by an author who has respect for her reader's intelligence, maturity, and time/money. An inmense rarity these days when authors just churn out books and related series with flighty and sophomoric but politically-correct heroines who are really not particularly bright 21st century sorority sisters in 19th century costumes. Looking back at my collection of keepers, I have kept a higher percentage of Elizabeth Thornton novels than almost any other author. (The older Mary Balogh books are the only other contenders.) If you haven't read this author before, I highly recommend her. (You might start with this series and work your way back.)

Eve Dearing was only a little girl in 1806 when her mother, Antonia, died. She woke up in her little bed, hearing her mother's voice within her mind calling out to her. Eve followed the voice to find her mother dying near a quarry, just outside of London. Antonia had always had a sixth sense. The family called it the Claverly Charisma. As Antonia died, she imprinted a picture within Eve's mind, a premonition of future danger, and warned Eve to be careful. From then on, Eve refused to believe that she had the Claverly charisma. In 1818, Eve has become a lovely lady. When her father remarried, Eve moves in with her Aunt Millicent, who has a small portion of the Claverly charisma. Eve writes Gothic romances, which are all the rage now. Since Gothic romances are sneered at by many, no writer dares to reveal her true identity. All authors write under a pseudonym. Eve is known as Mrs. Barrymore. Eve and Millicent go to attend the annual writer's symposium, as they do each year, and then prolong their time in town with Lady Sally Sayers to take in the Season. Eve plans to have a Season in her next novel and needs the experience to make her tale more real. Along for the trip is Eve's dog, Dexter. After years of battling the French, Viscount Ash Denison wants only to enjoy and savor the good life. Then a friend asks Ash to attend a writer's symposium to unmask the true identity of Angelo. Angelo has been resurrecting fourteen-year-old tragedies of high society families and writing them in articles for the newspapers to print. However, Angelo writes up the accidents as if they were murders instead. The latest article implied that Ash's simple-minded brother, Harry, did NOT accidently drown at the young age of ten, but was murdered instead. Thus, Ash's spy mission has become personal, especially since Ash had loved his brother. Ash meets Eve at the symposium and is instantly interested in her. Ash even begins to dream of ravishing her. Eve is dreaming the same. Neither knows that they are sharing dreams together. Had the thought crossing their minds, they would have laughed. Ash does not believe in sixth sense and Eve refuses to believe she still has the Claverly charisma. But then one of the Gothic romance writers, Lydia, plays a dangerous game by pretending to be Angelo. Eve and Ash's dream is interrupted by Lydia's scream when she is attacked. More danger comes into play when a patient escapes from the hospital (Bedlam) nearby. However, the scariest part is that Eve's gift is reawakening and she is, somehow, getting inside the mind of a killer. The killer is after Nell, the little escapee who witnessed Lydia's attack, and turns his sight on Eve as well. ***** W-O-W! That is all that came to my mind when I finished this book. Author Elizabeth Thornton has a new fan in me! This story has all the pleasure of a Historical Romance, all the suspense of a Mystery Thriller, and some Super Natural Romance tossed in for good measure. I read this entire boo