Rating: 
Summary: So-so
Review: I think that my biggest pet peeve about this the usage of names that were familiar to me already. Craven reminded me of Lisa Kleypas' Dreaming of You, The Duke of Monmouth made me think of Suzanne Enoch's Reforming a Rake and Althorp reminded me of the estate where Princess Diana was buried. Despite all these flashbacks and needs to re-read other books least the plot was orginal and written in good taste.
Rating: 
Summary: Sensual with substance!
Review: Never having read Emma Holly before I was a bit wary of this book. I didn't want to read about nothing but endless meaningless sexual encounters and hoped there would be more story to it than that. Wow, was there ever! I was surprised at the character development and depth of story. Merry and Nic were both complex, compelling, likeable characters. You cared what happened to them. Both Merry and Nic have secrets. But while they are together, it seems nothing else matters. Society's rules don't apply. Merry, the unconventional, independent, open-minded and utterly unfashionable daughter of a Duke is trying to avoid marriage long enough to receive her inheritance and live on her own. But her mother is being blackmailed into marrying Merry to the son of a former lover. To avoid her fate, Merry poses as a servant in need of a job and agrees to sit for infamous painter and rake Nicolas Craven in order to ruin her reputation so that she won't have to marry. Nic turned his back on Society and his past long ago to live his own unconventional, wild life as an artist. But he is racked with guilt and depression over events from his past and an underlying dissatisfaction with his current life. But the minute Merry enters his life, he is attracted to her vibrancy, independence and courage. Obviously, sparks fly and over the course of the painting, the two fall for each other. But once the painting is finished and the day of reckoning when the painting is to be unveiled approaches Merry must truly face the consquences of her actions and how they will affect not just herself, but her family, friends and Nic as well. Nic has his own day of reckoning when his past finally catches up with him, causing him to reexamine his life, his responsibilities, his feelings for Merry and his future. I really enjoyed this book. Yes, the sex scenes are a bit more than the typical romance, but nothing that caused me to get creeped out. There was plenty of emotion to ensure that the sexual relationship was not empty and cheap. The pace is fast and I didn't want the story to end. A great read.
Rating:
Summary: A Scorcher!
Review: I made the mistake of trying to read Beyond Seduction by the pool on a hot day! It is soooo hot, better read inside. Absolutely loved it. Also absolutely loved Shade of the Maple by Kirk Martin (fortunately switched to reading this one by the pool! not steamy, but incredibly romantic).
Rating:
Summary: Heated Up The Place
Review: This was my first very senual or erotic reading. I really enjoyed it. Very good characters with emotions that brought you into the story. This story was extremely easy to read and stay with. I am glad that I read Emma Holly's first book " Beyond Innocence" before getting into this one. I really enjoyed the last 4 or 5 chapters where everything came together better that I had expected. I am excited about reading some more from this author. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in romance stories. I was a little concerned that it might get into to much sex in a not so good way, but it was just right for me.
Rating:
Summary: A book all romance lovers will enjoy!
Review: Beyond Seduction by Emma Holly is a romance story that all romance novel readers will enjoy! Ms. Holly leaves no stone unturned in this most enjoyable story. Steamy seduction, passion and romance combined with page turning excitement that transport the reader back in time to a truly romantic period full of raging emotions and heated attraction between people. Beyond Seduction is a book I have no doubt you will enjoy as much as I did!
Rating:
Summary: "Beyond" great
Review: I have read Emma Holly before she wrote historical romance and wrote just erotica. I REALLY liked her books then because she actually wrote a story with the erotica instead of a story that was just sex. While that may be good, you can only handle so much sex (haha) and then you need some plot in the mix. Her newest book does both very nicely. It had a very intriguing male character. At times he seemed bi-polar and the author handled this possibility tactfully, making him sympathetic. I only wish she wrote more often! Another good book involving an eccentric artist (who really is bi-polar) that falls in love is 'The Portrait' by Megan Chance. Try it!
Rating: 
Summary: HOT! HOT! HOT!
Review: I don't write as many reviews as I should. However, I feel Ms Holly is getting better with each book she writes. The characters in this book are believable and interesting. Merry and Nic are both characters that you can care about. The relationship they have develops over time and deepens with each day. I really enjoyed this book. I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Seduction is THE erotic romance of the year
Review: It's truly a guilty pleasure to see Emma Holly going beyond innocence to present a full-fledged seductive read. Her debut historical romance Beyond Innocence though racy and steamy comes out of platitude because of the constraint of its typical plot. In Beyond Seduction, she delivers a much more provocative romance that explores different facets of sexuality. Merry Vance, the daughter of Duke of Monmouth cherishes her freedom and has no intentions of abiding by her mother Lavinia's fervent wishes for her to marry Baron Althrop's son Ernest. Fear of her past affair with Althrop being exposed to her husband, she is forced to compromise Merry's happiness. Merry is pushed to the wall and finds herself succumbing to being a model for the notorious but talented artist Nicolas Craven in a twist of fate. What she did not gamble on was the inexplicable attraction that bounded Merry to the complex Nicolas... Emma Holly's latest historical romance may be sexually explicit and at some times challenging the boundaries of romance to hint of decadent carnal adventures like menage a trois and homosexualism. It is precisely Ms. Holly's courage to push the envelope that makes Beyond Seduction her most accomplished historical romance. Her characters, Merry and Nicolas are flawed and both vulnerable with their insecurities. Merry's plain beauty catches the eye of Nicolas in his portrait of her as Godiva. It is her candor and independence - and ultimately her undying love for Nicolas that makes him confront his own demon and guilt to his "son". Beyond Seduction is lusciously tempting with the flagrant sexuality but it is even more evocative and poignant when Merry and Nicolas both fight off temptations and remain committed. It explores facets of sexuality - from naivete, experimentation to understanding faith and promises. Though I would like the ending to be less abrupt with Lavinia's sudden shift of character and less fairy tale like, it remains quinessentially a romance. Ms. Holly has proven that she has gone further beyond seduction to present a romance with heart that rekindles wounded souls. This is no doubt the erotic romance of the year.
Rating:
Summary: Hated it to End!
Review: I loved this story. Merry Vance was smart and independent and Nicolas Craven was very sexy and tender. It was interesting from the start, not a slow, tedious beginning until you get to the good stuff. It was a delight all the way through. The love scenes are generally passionate but not too erotic for this period (although it does get a little explicit in some places). I tried to read Menage but it was too much mindless sex for me. This book has heart, it has romance, it has good dialogue. It's a great read.
Rating:
Summary: This book surpasses my expectations...
Review: and has made me a bona fide lover of Emma Holly's historical/erotic romances. What really makes this book special is that Merry Vance is depicted as a plain, red haired, freckled twenty year old woman who is able to capture the attention of the gorgeous, sensual painter..Nic Craven. Merry has always thought of herself as a plain drab woman until nic brings out her own special beauty and sensuality that scorches the pages of this terrific novel. Merry is running from the pressures of an arranged marriage and devises a plot to pose nude for the notorious painter Nic Craven. This man is not afraid to express his sexual feelings or desires and blatantly sets out to seduce Merry into his bed and paint the best portrait he has ever done. This book is loaded with alot of sexually charged erotic bedroom scenes and it may not be suitable for ever reader. I prefer a more realistic "encounter" between the hero and heroine and this book delivers and more. I would highly recommend Beyond Seduction for readers who love hot,erotic scenes and romance.
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