Strictly Seduction

Rating:
Summary: I really wanted to like this book...
Review: but the book itself kept getting in the way. The plot did recover the same ground over and over, and both the hero and the heroine were not particularly sympathetic. Both were stubborn in the most stupid ways, but Madeline is slightly more sympathetic, but she is also almost unbelieveably gullible regarding her first husband.

Yes, the love scenes "sizzle," but too often they seem to be stuck into the book either for their own sake (rather than for any dramatic development) or to pad the word count. In addition, they often seemed somewhat sordid, with Maddie's "mistress" wager & marital fears a flimsy excuse for her behavior.

Perhaps it's nitpicky, but it annoyed me to no end: Ms. Bradley cannot seem to master correct pronoun usage. It would not have been so bad if she hadn't done it so often, in such a short span of pages. Hint for Ms. Bradely (and anyone else who needs it): if you're not sure whether to use "he" or "him" (for example) as in "The man offered Jane and him some advice," leave out the other person and use only the pronoun in question (Would you really say, "The man offered he some advice"?). A small matter, but it ripped me out of the story every time.

Sigh. What to rate this book? It had its good points, though I'm having trouble remembering them at the moment.....I suppose 2 & 1/2 stars, though I'm not prepared to go up to 3.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Read--couldn't turn the pages fast enough!
Review: Despite reviews by some people who don't seem to know a good book when it hits them upside the head, this is a great read. Full of tension and deep relationship.

Brock Taylor was impoverished as a boy and wants more than anything to be successful. When he falls in love with Maddie as a youth, she is above him. He wants to keep her well be worthy of her and goes away to make those things happen. He is crushed when Maddie marries someone else instead.

Maddie married another man because she had few choices. Providing a name for her baby was most important. She's moved heaven and earth to give her daughter a good home. Her aunt and the woman's companion live there too. Money is very tight. Enter the now wealthy Brock and the fireworks erupt!

I liked both of these characters. They each had struggles I understood and felt deeply. Without giving too much away, Brock and Maddie come together again in the context of business. They make a seduction wager to settle their differences. The seduction is soon very personal. This read is full of sizzle and emotion. I loved it and am recommending it to all my friends!

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't Put It Down!
Review: This book captured me on page one and I read it in one sitting. Brock and Maddie intriqued me as very distinct, real characters and Ms. Bradley did a wonderful job of showing how both needed to grow and change.

This plot was not your 'average' plot. The hero, a stable boy at her father's house, fell in love with and abandoned a very young Maddie, who unbeknownst to him was pregnant. He leaves to become a man worthy of her and that's just what he does, thinking that she's betrayed him by marrying someone else. So when her very indebted husband dies, he sees his chance to get her back and also to get her land that he needs.

Ms. Bradley very craftily creates a hero with a past that has overcome his stable boy beginnings, but lacks the one person to complete his life, Maddie. So he goes after what he wants most in life and he gets her. But in the process of learning his life lessons, Maddie teaches him a thing or two about love and seduction. This tale is a very powerful, gripping love story that leaves you feeling satisfied at the end. You know that the characters have felt real emotions and have changed and grown into people that deserve each other.

If you enjoy stories that show powerful women overcoming huge obstacles to find love, then this story is for you. But beware, Ms. Bradley has some love scenes that leave the pages smoking with sensuality. This book is not for the timid reader who doesn't enjoy experiencing all that life has to offer.

I can't wait for Ms. Bradley's next book and look for her soon to be on the best sellers list. Move over Mary Jo Putney and Judith Ivory, a new talent has emerged. Enjoy!