The Art of Seduction

From Publishers Weekly A case of mistaken identity fuels the plot of George's (The Mating Game) wholly unbelievable Victorian-era romance. When Dominick Carlisle is seduced by a masked beauty whom he believes is Annabelle Sutherland, he proposes. But upon discovering her flagrante delicto with his brother, he quickly rescinds his offer and enlists in the military, leaving behind his one true love, Annabelles sister Parris, the real masked beauty. Eight years later, Dominick and Parris come face to face again after she has been jilted at the altar by another. Their attraction remains strong, but Parris, hurt by his having abandoned her, doesn't want anything to do with him. Add the scheming Annabelle, who wants Dominick for her own now that he is a duke, and you have a hopelessly twisted love triangle that fails to excite or even amuse. Fortunately, the action picks up when Parris, aka Lady Scruples, and her cousin Gwen disguise themselves as barmaids to catch Jason, the earl of Stratford, compromising a lady's virtue. Gwen's description of Jason is one of the books many cliches, "[H]is stomach! It was like he had swallowed a washboard." Though romances are often explicit, this novels extreme focus on physical perfection and steamy sex scenes will leave readers longing for something with more depth.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. From