The Temptress (The Bride Quest)

"The Temptress" is an amzing read. A story from a time period that I honestly love. Romance and chivalry, damsels and marriages of convenience.To win a young damsel's hand in marriage seems a simple challenge until the chase begins - Esmeraud's challenge makes her far more exciting than Bayard had dared hoped - But when he follows her across the waters and has to resuce the seductive little minx in disguise he not only knows he has found her but he suddenly realizes she is much too intriguing to ever let her slip through his hands."The Temptress" is a magical tale that I found to be both exciting and appealing.John SavoyC.E.O. & Financial AdvisorSavoy InternationalMotion Pictures

This is not your average romance. The maiden, Esmeraude is more then willing to give up her virginity and the hero isn't so sure it's a good idea. I had a laugh riot with this one, you meet a wonderful family, and though I haven't read the other bride quest novels, you never miss a beat. I just couldn't put this story of love, magic and even Saints down. It is a must read and I highly recommend it.Tisha D. Boldery

For fans of the Bride Quest books, this is a can't miss installment. 'The Temptress' restored my interest in the series. Delacroix's writing, which had seemed a little tired lately, has been rejunvenated. The characters are as interesting as ever, the plot was full of unexpected twists and turns and the hero and heroine persued each other - I like that. There was some faults, however, which caused me to assign a rating of four instead of the five the book deserves. Namely, contrived plot devices (heroine just "happens" to drop a key piece of evidence for the bad guy to find?) and lack of any real threat from the competition until the end of the book. This heroine was never really in peril.Also, Finlay and Mihairi deserved more attention. I especially would have like to see some of Finlay's battle for Mihairi's hand. There was a great buildup and then it was over.Nevertheless, this was definitely a book to include in your collection and will enthuse anyone with flagging interest in the series.A WORD TO CLAIRE DELACROIX: Put a family tree in the books. I forget how everyone is related and it's nice to be reminded of all of the stories that have passed.

In 1194, Bayard returns home from the Crusades, but worries over a pending attack on his family holdings. His family scoffs at his warning, thinking he suffers from paranoia from post Crusader battle syndrome. To keep his Montvieux safe, Bayard knows he must act alone. He decides a marriage of convenience will provide the alliance needed so he accepts an invitation to participate in a contest of brawn and brains to win the grand prize of marriage with Esmeraude. The lovely young lady wants a marriage built on love and trust rather than on military and political needs. She sends her wannabe husbands on a wild chase leaving clues and riddles for her suitors to decipher. Ultimately Bayard finds a disguised damsel in distress and realizes he has found the ultimate award Esmeraude. Though attracted to her, he refuses to let his heart open up to her until a rival forces Bayard to choose between a love of a lifetime or a political union. THE TEMPTRESS is an exciting vividly written medieval romance that take the audience along for a merry ride. The story line is fun and quite entertaining as Esmeraude (picture a twelfth century woman singing "You Don't Own Me") uses her intelligence to implement her plan to marry for love only. As usual Claire Delacroix proves how powerful the historical romance sub-genre can be when a grandmaster writes the tale.Harriet Klausner