Lord of Seduction

The Risande family is loyal and true to King William and reluctantly agrees to give their beautiful daughter Lady Tanon to the Welsh in marriage in order to try and keep peace. Lady Tanon and Prince Gareth first meet as children one summer when he arrives with his uncle and eldest brother Cedric, who is supposed to her betrothed. Gareth finds Tannon to be a delight and they become good friends. As the years go by she grows into a beautiful young woman, and word arrives that the Welshmen have been killed in one of the numerous border and Welsh battles. As another marriage is arranged for Lady Tannon to the despicable Lord Roger deCourtenay, who only wants her for her dowry, she wonders about what might have been. But it is Gareth she has always wondered about, not Cedric. On the day her betrothal is to be announced to Roger, Gareth shows up reminding King William of the Welsh agreement, as he is now Prince Gareth ap Owain. A tournament to fight for the Lady's hand is arranged, which Gareth easily wins. Tanon cannot keep her eyes off the handsome Gareth wondering about his male beauty, but she believes he is marrying her only to have peace between the two countries, when she longs for the kind of love her parents have enjoyed. She does not recognize that what she is feeling is desire and passion because she is a true innocent and the scene where she is asking her dear godfather King William about female wiles and the wedding night is sweet and well-written. Gareth is handsome and sexy, but also a strong leader, warrior and hero. His men and people love and admire him, and are concerned when they see that their prince really married for love, not just as a peace agreement. Gareth realizes marrying Tannon will bring peace. He also realizes he is not only lusting for Tannon, but has been in love with her since his youth and is concerned the little girl he remembered, turned refined young beauty, will find it difficult to live in his wild Welsh land. Tanon is afraid to go into a strange land with people who are at war with the Normans, but she is not only beautiful, but strong and independent and her character as heroine does not suffer, as she never once whines about the completely different conditions in which she now lives. Gareth is so taken with her beauty, inner and out, and the desire and passion that builds between them is sexy, with a touch of sweetness. Gareth's people come to respect her and this makes Gareth love her even more. Tannon learns the secret behind why Gareth is such a good warrior - he dances well - and the scenes where he teaches his people are fun and with Tannon, sexy! With so much intrigue, deception, and some surprises at the end; blended with the developing seduction and passion between Tannon and Gareth, Lord of Seduction seduces the reader who will find it difficult to put the book down. Paula Quinn's writing style flows and her character and story development is near perfection. A good, solid, sexy romance that should not be overlooked by medieval romance fans.