The Secret to Seduction

After months of anticipation it pains me to rate "TSTS" with three stars. The first half of the novel starts out slowly. There is a lot of "thinking" from Sabrina's POV and not much dialogue from either character.

I found the author's style of repeating words and phrases over again in the same paragraph tedious and unnecessary. I also thought the sentence structures were hard to follow and had to reread passages repeatedly.

I thought Rhys's love and desire for Sabrina unconvincing. Partly because so little of the story was told from his perspective as a whole. The tension and love scenes were so tepid that I cannot fathom how "The Libertine" would be so overcome with lust, forsaking all others, based upon what I read.

The emotional and dramatic aspect of "TSTS" finally picks up about the last 100 pages or so, which is why I rated the book with 3 stars and not less.

This, the third in the stories of the Holt sisters, delighted me as much as the last two. According to the backstory, Susannah (BEAUTY AND THE SPY), Sylvie (WAYS OF BEING WICKED) and Sabrina (this book) are the daughters of Richard - a popular and handsome politician - and his beautiful and clever mistress Anna. When the three girls are only three, four and five years old, Anna is framed for the murder of Richard and must flee the country, leaving the girls in the care of a family friend who found each girl a different home.

In the first two books, Susannah (raised as a society belle) and Sylvie (raised as a prima ballerina) first discovered their hitherto unknown history, and then discover each other. Now it is Sabrina's turn.

Beautiful Sabrina has been raised in a vicar's family, which explains her strict upbringing, her "even temperment," and her compassion for the poor and for those who must find it "terribly uncomforatble to be at the mercy of the sort of uncontrollable passions that lead to duels." Fortunately for Sabrina (and the readers), she meets her match in Rhys Gillray, Earl of Rawden, aka The Libertine, writer of seductively beautiful poetry about . . . seduction. Rhys has indulged his passions for so long that he's become restless and bored with it all. Then he encounters the prim Sabrina and decides that dissolving her primness is the perfect antidote to his boredom.

Long's dialogue is a joy to read. She gives her characters exactly the right words spoken with precisedly the right tone. And, even better, what her characters say and do is often surprising . . . going beyond the standard romance script, so that you may want to immediately re-read an exchange just for the pleasure it brings.

In her scenes of passion, Long also chooses just the right details to describe in just the right words. She evokes anticipation, tension, and passion in a way that draws the reader into the scenes, without any of the purple prose or florid description to which some writers feel compelled to descend.

I found the story laugh aloud funny in some places, tenderly moving in others. I think most readers will be rewarded.

Vicar's daughter Sabrina Fairleigh believes that she is in possession of an even temperament and not one to give to her baser needs. She doesn't have those. Her convictions are going to be put to the test though when she accompanies her friend Mary Capstraw to La Montage, the country seat of the Earls of Rawden. The current Earl is also known as "The Libertine" penning such intimate poems women can't help but loose themselves to their inflamed desires. But Sabrina is made of sterner stuff and she has a goal. She wants to travel as a missionary alongside her father's curate Geoffrey, who just so happens to be the cousin of Rhys--the Libertine himself. So if she is so set on her course why is she so drawn to Rhys and his kisses. Will this trip end up leading to her ruin?

Rhys is bored and in need of diversion. The prim and proper Sabrina Fairleigh is the perfect choice. She is too sure of her convictions and at the same time very disconcerting to his base instincts. When he should walk away and leave her alone, he finds himself drawn to her, to tease her, prod her and force her to realize she is no better then anyone else. What he is not counting on is becoming caught up in the passion that springs between them. Such opposites could never get along well or could they? When they are caught in a compromising situation he does the right thing and marries her. But will the passion cool once the games are over?

This is the first time I've read Ms. Long and I was truly entertained. This title is part of a three book series, this being the last story. And it's a strong stand alone. So, if you're like me and series challenged, you won't feel left out or confused when reading this book. Ms. Long's writing style combines humor and tenderness in a well modulated pace. There were several times I found myself laughing out loud at the situations our protagonists got themselves into.

Character development was slow at times and Rhys was almost obnoxious with his attitude but in the end Ms. Long and her talent for crafting a story saved him from being an unlikable character. I would have like to have seen a wee bit more of the story from his point of view. It would have explained some of his reactions to the situations he found himself in rather by his design or someone else's. It would have also given depth to the sensual connection between him and Sabrina.

Sabrina was a charming character. I could relate to her in many ways. Her realization that she was no better then others was sweet and entertaining. Truthfully it was what kept me reading the story. Her experiences of so many "firsts" were well told and done so in a fresh way.

The secondary storyline of the three sisters finally finding each other, combined with the secondary characters which were varied and likable only added depth to this tale. Ms. Long writes a sensual tale that pulls readers in. Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Once you open the pages of this book, you will be ensnared. All the characters are a pleasurable, believable group, adding the frosting onto an expertly designed masterpiece. ~Affaire de Coeur

I have to say, the 3rd book in the Holt Sisters trilogy didn't do it as much as the previous books for me. Like another reviewer has pointed out, the book has a slow start. Excruciatingly slow that I found myself pressing the 'next' button on my Kindle repeatedly many times to skip those boring pages. Too many pages were wasted in Sabrina's head, with nothing really interesting for this reader to learn. I never did warm up to Sabrina either: she's judgemental, righteous, and a bit too sure of herself. She's at least honest though, I'd give her that.

The ending to the romance between Sabrina and Rhys was concluded nicely enough, but that's not the problem. The problem was the conclusion of the villain's fate, or rather, the non conclusion of his fate. It was really disappointing that the author left the ending in such a way. Or perhaps she has a 4th book in mind for him? Who knows...

I'm sorry to say that this book is the weakest in the trilogy.

This is best of all her books. The Libertine is a character that is quite different from my regency heros - war hero, poet and rake and the heroine is actually appealing with her blend of intelligene and naïveté.

a little like what i did for a duke a really yummy read with some achingly lovely moments i did not like some of the plot near the end as i found it slightly unrealistic but it is worth 5 stars for the many butterflies to the stomach !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!spoiler ..................i wonder though if it had not been for the housekeeper sending those little notes would he have gone back to her?he left her for three weeks does not sound very romantic and she herself was pretty mean in the end the mistress seemed to have loved him more at some point! but i absolutely loved the scene at persephony how sensually yummy!

a little like what i did for a duke a really yummy read with some achingly lovely moments i did not like some of the plot near the end as i found it slightly unrealistic but it is worth 5 stars for the many butterflies to the stomach !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!spoiler ..................i wonder though if it had not been for the housekeeper sending those little notes would he have gone back to her?he left her for three weeks does not sound very romantic and she herself was pretty mean in the end the mistress seemed to have loved him more at some point! but i absolutely loved the scene at persephony how sensually yummy!

I am so pleased to have found books by Julie Ann Long. I started reading her books a month ago and have read all I could find. I loved THE SECRET TO SEDUCTION. I am so glad I have found an author who writes as well and Mary Balogh, McNaught, Medeiros and Kelypus. I laughed and cried reading SECRETS. Now I am waiting for her next book due out in Dec 2011.