Monday, December 10, 2007

Paula Quinn - Lord of Seduction - Risande Trilogy 3

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A battle of wills has begun, for a lethal warrior is in pursuit of a lady's heart, but the refined lady is reluctant to give in to him .....

Gareth ap Owain is a Welsh prince and warrior who lives solely for his land and his people. There is nothing he will not do to secure peace and prosperity for his land, even if that means he has to marry the enemy. He has travelled a long way to meet King William of England to seal a treaty that should secure the peace between both countries and to claim the woman who is rightfully his, lady Tanon Risande. They once spent a whole summer together as children and Gareth never forgotten the spirited girl, but the girl is gone and in front of him stands a refined, obedient Norman lady who is very reluctant to marry him. Determined to make her come willingly into his arms, it will take all his seductive skills to get this spirited passionate girl he once knew back...

Lady Tanon Risande's world is turned upside down when this savage fierce warrior dashed into King William's court and claimed her under the cloak of peace and some old treaty. She is astonished when she learns his name, is this lethal feral warrior really Gareth, the boy she once knew and fell in love with? Not wanting to disappoint her parents or her King she is willing to do what is required of her. She reminds herself over and over again that he only marries her to secure peace for his country, but her breath falters every time he is near and sinfully smiles at her. She is determined not to fall in love with him but old love never dies easily...

With this final part of the Risande trilogy Paula Quinn consolidates her skills as a writer. This trilogy turns out to be really addictive, once you start to read you can't stop and in all honesty it is one of the best I have read in many years. These three stories are not inferior to one another, what story you like the most depends on your personal taste in heroes, but that you will like these stories is indisputable.

One of Miss Quinn's talents is that she knows how to interlace historical facts in a story. For instance in this story we learn a lot about the medieval conflict between Wales and England without it becoming overwhelming. She pens down things so vividly that you can actually picture Gareth's village, the cottages, the glen or the Celebration feast, I love this part of the book!

She also knows how to create a cast of characters that you will adore. All of her heroes make your heart beat faster and Gareth is no exception, he is an honourable fierce warrior who seeks peace for his country no matter what and at the same time he is this sexy devil determined to win his bride's heart. But now he is facing a dilemma, in order to gain the peace he so much desires he has to betray the one person he loves the most. As for Tanon, she is a beautiful spirited woman who knows her duty and she tries to make the most of a tricky situation, she has to live in a savage country without the luxuries she is used to, but she holds on to her dream to have an affectionate marriage. The chemistry between Tanon and Gareth is so strong and so full of passion, that their encounters are sizzling hot and make you hungry for more!

Tanon to Gareth and vice versa:

"What are you doing in my room? Allowing the view to convince me that I'm not making the biggest mistake of my life by marrying you." "Knave." "If I was a knave you 'd be flat on your back in this bed, my lady."

Almost all of her secondary characters have enough dept that they could sparkle in a story of their own. Who will not like Madoc, Cian, Tomas and Alwyn, the rough warriors Gareth has surrounded himself with or Hereward and Rebecca, it is so endearing to see their love blossom, they will steal your heart! I was also thrilled to see Brand and Dante again in this story. The plot is thrilling and very well written with a climax that takes your breath away!

Paula Quinn ends this trilogy with a bang! She delivers yet another fabulous fast paced medieval story that will keep you riveted to your seat! This story has it all, a cast of characters you will adore, a lush and heated romance, humour and a breathtaking climax! Paula Quinn sweeps you off your feet with the intensity of her writing and I cannot wait to read her next novel!

From now on I will buy anything with her name on it!

4,5 stars