Rating: 
Summary: Intense Characters
Review: I have found this book hard to put down, as I have found all of Ms. Hunter's stories and definitely rates 5*s despite some contrived scenes especially with the antagonist. The romance is excellent because the hero is intense and mysterious, the heroine strong, their attraction mesmerizing. Everything I like in a romance which this book basically is.My only problem with Ms Hunter's books (as with all my most favorite authors) is it's hard to pick up another book of lesser quality right after.
Rating: 
Summary: Good or bad? Depends what you compare it to...
Review: I like a good escapist read as much as anyone else. Some time ago, I happened on Madeline Hunter's medieval novels. I liked a lot of things about them. Most important, they did not contain anachronisms. The people in them acted like people who lived then really acted. Women in her books acted like it was normal to be treated as pawns in political marriages, even if they did not like it. (Just as an aside, I always hate it when heroines are outraged at arranged marriages, when they grew up in a class and society where that is the norm -- anachronism destroys suspension of disbelief.) Within this setting, her medieval novels contained interesting characters who had true human depth. Those characters were not stereotypes. I found all her books well worth reading, and worth keeping. Engrossing, well-plotted and paced, with compelling characters, they provided me with wonderful escape reading. But I am really a sucker for a good regency romance, so I was very excited when I heard that this same author had decided to write a series of books set in my favorite period. This is the first book in that series. While the book remains more true to its historical time than many set in this time period, it is in many ways a weaker book than her earlier efforts. The first thing I noticed is that the plotting was heavy-handed. It was obvious what was going on long before she revealed the details, which even made it easy to guess who some of the mystery characters would turn out to be. Moreover, I did not feel connected to the heroine. She struck me as alternately stupid and vapid, with occasional flashes of the kind of emotional strength required to lure a man away from a life focused on revenge. The plot is a well-worn enough one that the in this kind of book, the characters and writing have to carry the book, and these characters were not strong enough (nor was the writing graceful enough) to do that. This was still far better a book than most historical romances set in this time period, and it was not a complete waste of my time to read it. However, compared to what she has done in the past, Madeline Hunter disappointed me this time around.
Rating: 
Summary: A solid romance novel . . .
Review: I share the concern of another reviewer that many recent romances use the plot as an excuse for sex. This book, however, does not fit into this category. The hero's personal issues are tragic and compelling, making this book different from others that I felt were contrived. While I felt that the logic of his revenge plot that involved the heroine to be seriously lacking, I enjoyed them as a couple and was moved by the resolution of the narrative. This is a solid book.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't get into it.
Review: I started reading this with such enthusiasm. I was so happy to find another Madeline Hunter novel after reading all of her medieval books. I really didn't like this and finished it just because I was hoping it would turn out great. It didn't.
Rating:
Summary: The Seducer
Review: I thought this book was wonderful, in deference to a few of the latest reviews, so I had to give my own opinion. I never felt that it lagged during any of the sequences and I found the relationship between Dianne and Daniel to be refreshingly mature. I do wish that we could have seen a bit more insight into what made Dianne tick, but I see how that fits into the story line since she was literally sheltered in a very strict school for most of her life. She had been naive because in essence, she had the experiences of childhood and other than being taught academics, I am sure she learned little about life outside those walls. And there was nobody there to take Dianne under their wing and teach her the facts of life either. There was a bit more of story that could have been expanded on about the school-mistresses "extra-curricular" activities, but I didn't feel left out of it at all, just curious with how that whole thing ended. All-in-all, I felt the book was very hard to put down and I am looking forward to reading more from this new author of mine :-)
Rating:
Summary: The Seducer
Review: I was captivated by the characters in all of Madeline Hunter's books; The Seducer, The Saint, The Charmer and The Sinner. All are a must read. In the Seducer, Daniel St. John has been Diane Albret's guardian for 10 years. He placed her in a school in France and visited her once a year. She has named him The Devil Man. He finally removes her from the school when he realizes that she is 20 years old. As the story unfolds a mystery evolves, along with a growing love for each other. Romance, mystery and seduction. A very good story. Please, read all of the books.
Rating:
Summary: A Refreshing Addition to the Regency Setting
Review: I was heartbroken when I heard that Madeline Hunter was abandoning the medieval time period for the done-to-death Regency setting, but I needn't have worried. Hunter's THE SEDUCER is no cookie-cutter, wallpaper historical, but rather a rich portrayal of life in postwar England. Orphan Diane Albret is both terrified and fascinated by her self-styled guardian, Daniel St. John. When St. John comes to her school in France to see to a disciplinary matter and discovers her true age, Diane throws herself on his mercy and asks that he help her find a suitable position in England. The more time Diane spends with Daniel, the more her previous terror is eclipsed by her fascination. For his part, Daniel grooms Diane to be the perfect tool for some long-awaited vengeance. But somewhere along the way, he realizes that he can't sacrifice Diane in such a heartless fashion - not when his own heart is involved. Hunter breathes new life into the guardian-ward plot, and the suspense of whether love or vengeance will win the day was drawn out with great finesse. One of the things I love about Hunter is that her heroes can be ordinary men - merchants and younger sons of the nobility - and her heroines can actually use the brains they are purported to have. In a genre peppered with the biggest rakes holding the biggest titles and bluestockings who run around like brain-dead twits, such characters are refreshing indeed. THE SEDUCER is the first of a quartet of books, and I cannot wait to dive into the remaining three books. Though I still hold out hope that someday Hunter will return to the medievals she so excels at, her Regencies are a credit to the genre.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I was looking forward to Madeline Hunter's new series, but I was disappointed with this first installment. Neither the hero nor heroine of this novel were likeable and the revenge back story didn't keep my interest. Diane's character is supposed to be young and sheltered, but I found her to be way too stupid and passive to be believable. Her complete dependence on Daniel also made their romance distasteful. Even though I was disappointed with the Seducer I found the excerpts of her next two books to be amusing so I will probably still buy her next novel given that I liked Hunter's earlier books.
Rating:
Summary: Sensual and Witty!!!!
Review: I've read all of the books in this series, but I read them out of order. So, when I picked up The Seducer it was more out of a sense of obligation to read the entire series and because I truly enjoy Ms. Hunter's writing style and voice. I didn't think I needed to read this book because I'd read all the others. I was so blown away by this story. It is humorous and sensual and is now my favorite of all the books in this series. It is a must read. If you haven't read it, buy it today. If you have, read it again!
Rating:
Summary: Well-written and looking forward to more
Review: I've read and loved all of Madeline Hunter's medievals and rushed to buy this first novel of her 19th century-period romances. Ms. Hunter has a real talent for creating couples with great chemistry and maintaining enticing sexual tension throughout her novels (with some great spicy love scenes thrown in along the way). And this book did not disappoint me.
| 
