The Seduction of an Unknown Lady

After the first book in the MacBride Family Trilogy, "The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell," the MacBride family is back in England after the tumultuous ending in India, with two wounded and brooding brothers Alec, the Duke of Glendon and his brother Aidan, but also a happy ending with Annabel MacBride and Simon Blackwell's marriage. "The Seduction of An Unknown Lady" highlights Aidan, who is continuing to struggle with his physical and emotional injuries that took place in that final battle. Home in England as a hero, he feels anything but a hero, and spends many a long night brooding, until one night on a dark street he meets and rescues an Unknown Lady. Immediately something draws the handsome Aidan to the lonely and beautiful, Fionna Hawkes. Aidan has his physical and emotional struggles to deal with after the family's return, being partially blind in one eye, but also feeling deep guilt over the loss of numerous comrades in a battle in which he blames himself for. Fionna is a local bookseller and writer who secretly uses the pen name, F. J. Sparrow so she can assist her ill mother and provide the best of care for her. Friendship soon develops into passion and a growing love as Aidan spends more and more time with Fionna. Fionna is frightened by Aidan's seduction and the intense passion she feels for him, while at the same time she understands the inner struggles he deals with and feels the need to help him, but at the same time does not trust enough to share her own burdens of her mother's illness and secret writing with Aidan. When Aidan discovers Fionna needs his protection from an unknown follower, he realizes that the beauty he has been seducing and is falling in love with has many unknown secrets. Aidan feels he must do whatever he can to help this beauty and what haunts her deep inside. Mysteries are revealed as love and passion bloom and soon Aidan learns that by revealing the unknown Fionna and the demons that haunt her dark world, she has helped him overcome his demons. Eventually their friendship and love deepens into more than a simple seduction of an unknown lady. Every book Samantha James writes is a delight. Her writing style is captivating with characters that have depth and struggles to overcome. Her sensual scenes between the love interests are well-written while at the same time discovering true love and happiness are what really matter. It will be interesting to read Alec's story next, as the MacBride Family is one that is endearing and one which the reader can become absorbed in and enjoy. Ms. James has written another sensual romance with mystery and suspense that are again, like this story, difficult to put down.

Fionna Hawkes has an active imagination that is for sure, she leads a secret life as an author of a series of `demon filled who done it's'. One thing that she doesn't know anything about is seduction. But, when Fionna encounters Lord McBride while on one of her nightly strolls, she has feelings for the gentleman she hasn't felt before. Though she does try to protect herself against him, he in the end helps to protect her. He finds himself so very intrigued by the mysterious Fionna, especially with her naiveté. Lord McBride has always loved a mystery and sets out to unravel the one of Fionna. Can he not only defend her but convince her that they are meant to be together? Who better to help her determine what is going on when it becomes apparent she has a stalker, than a man who was a strategist for the Army? If you are picking up The Seduction Of An Unknown Lady expecting your normal girl want boy and boy gets girl story threaded through the "ton" and lots of parties you are in for a wonderful surprise. Your heroine in this story not only had a profession, she even has a secret second profession. I loved how Ms. James took us down a path or dark and almost gothic scenes in this book. I enjoyed her writing style as well as the mysterious portions of her plot; I didn't guess who did it until almost the end. I think you will enjoy The Seduction Of An Unknown Lady as much as I did which is why I Joyfully Recommend it. Tanya reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I'm not one to be swayed by negative reviews, since so often what appeals to one person doesn't appeal to another. So with an open mind, I bought this book and I'm SO glad did. I liked the fact that it was different--no flitting around from one silly party to another. It's one of those books where I felt everything the characters did--their snappy banter made me chuckle. I loved the way Aidan pursued Fionna from the get-go and refused to give up. Fionna's character had so much depth. Her protectiveness of her mother, her caring and compassion, her frustration over the situation. She was torn between loyalty and love, and it was portrayed in such a way that I experienced every emotion she felt. In sum, a fabulous read. (P.S. One reviewer questioned the spelling of her name. Just out of curiosity I looked at several baby name books. And there it was, spelled with both one "n" and two.)

In 1852 Lord Aidan McBride is stunned to see a single female walking the streets of London by herself. He offers to escort her, but she almost skewers him with the deadly weapon she carries, her parasol. Bookshop owner Fionna Hawkes distrusts the aristocratic hunk who swears he wanted to insure she was safe. Aidan comes to Fionna's bookstore seeking the latest horrors tales by F.J. Sparrow. He does not know why, but she seems so much friendlier once he mentions the novels he desires. They argue over the tales such as the demon of Dartmoor and other things and soon walk the city together. However, though she is falling in love, her plate is full between caring for her hospitalized mentally ill mom, running her bookstore, and writing F.J. Sparrow novels. He falls in love too, but he knows she keeps a secret from him that makes him doubt she trusts him. Additionally, neither is aware that an unknown adversary is watching, stalking and waiting for the right moment to catch Fionna alone. THE SEDUCTION OF AN UNKNOWN LADY is an excellent Victorian romance with some suspense that is slowly simmered throughout the plot. Fionna is terrific as she has no time for romance, but never met anyone like Aidan before who refuses to leave her alone as he fell in love over their Sparrow discussions. Samantha James is a sure shot when it comes to historical romances as affirmed by this strong tale. Harriet Klausner

Two lonely people tread the streets in the blackest depths of the midnight hour... One walks deliberately--to let free the demons of her imagination... One walks determinedly--to banish the demons that torment his soul. Neither realizes something evil may be lurking in the dark... In her latest novel, THE SEDUCTION OF AN UNKNOWN LADY, Samantha James creates a mesmeric and thoroughly intriguing romantic tale that successfully captures the style, flavor and essence of the classic gothic romance. The author gives us a heart stirring narration of her heroine, Fionna Hawkes and hero, Aidan McBride's intensely passionate love story--set in the cold winter of 1852 London, during the Victorian Era. This is kind of a "dark" story--with several extremely poignant and heartrending elements--but I never felt it was too dark. I felt Ms James completely gains the reader's attention with her clever--and knowledgeable--use of the shadowy, eerie gothic writing style to create a wonderfully dark, mystifying, and sometimes ominously sinister atmosphere in the story. I know I was totally captivated. And Ms. James deftly sets up many delightful--or perhaps, a better choice of words would be frightful, mysterious, and occasionally disturbing--twists and turns in her skillfully constructed and multi-layered storyline... all strategically designed to keep her readers a bit unsettled, continuously guessing, and anxiously turning the pages. And I thought she did a really superb job with the story's mood and tone, effectively using setting and language that was frighteningly suggestive--of fear, terror, gloom, menace, danger, secrecy, and a hint of the supernatural/paranormal--to appeal to all our emotions and senses. This spooky visual imagery worked so well that there were definitely moments that I felt a little prickling, spine-tingling chill on the back of my neck, and had a disquieting sense of unease right along with Fionna. At times I was so deeply immersed in the story that had anyone tapped me on the shoulder, I would surely have jumped out of my chair. Also, I absolutely appreciated Ms. James use of the "story within the story" literary technique... which included pieces of the fictional author F J Sparrow's scary tale, The Demon of Dartmore at the beginning of every chapter... and ran parallel to Fionna and Aidan's story. It was an ideal combination of titillating horror and romance that enhanced the main story, and set the mood of each chapter perfectly. I really liked how Ms. James wrote both Fionna and Aidan; I thought they were interesting, genuinely likable, and very relatable, believable characters. Fionna's an unconventional heroine; a strong, intelligent and fiercely independent woman who wants to be in charge of her own destiny--and for a woman of her time she is, to a degree--but when Aidan enters the picture she becomes deeply conflicted by her need for independence and her desire for love. I thought Fionna was truly a