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Then Comes Seduction
First published 2009 · 419 pages
A scandalous wager transforms into a tender, emotionally rich exploration of trust and vulnerability within a marriage of convenience.
What it feels like
Reading this Regency romance feels like stepping into a glittering ballroom where the real drama happens in the quiet, intimate glances between dances. It unfolds at a steady, character-driven pace, trading breakneck action for deep, emotionally intelligent character studies. The mood shifts gracefully from the scandalous thrill of a high-stakes wager to a tender, swoony exploration of a marriage of convenience. The elegant prose focuses heavily on the internal lives of the protagonists, peeling back the cynical layers of a notorious rake and the guarded innocence of a fiercely loyal heroine. It will thoroughly delight readers who crave historical romances where emotional intimacy and the slow, vulnerable build of mutual trust are the true heart of the story.
- Mood
- intimate
- swoony
- tender
- scandalous
- Tone
- earnest
- romantic
- emotionally intelligent
- wry
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- redemption of a rake · vulnerability and trust · marriage of convenience · family loyalty · the weight of reputation
- The writing
- Elegant and perceptive, prioritizing rich internal monologues and emotional nuance over flashy action.
- The arc
- Begins with a cynical, high-stakes game of seduction and deepens into a profoundly vulnerable journey of mutual trust and genuine love.
- Who it's for
- Fans of Regency romance who prefer their rakes to be emotionally unpeeled layer by layer, and who love a marriage-of-convenience trope that focuses on building genuine intimacy.
Content notes
- gambling and wagers
- alcohol consumption
- threat of social ruin
About the book
author Mary Balogh sweeps us back in time to an age of scandal and glittering society--and brings to life an extraordinary family: the daring, passionate Huxtables. Katherine, the youngest sister--and society's most ravishing innocent--is about to turn the tables on the irresistible rakehell sworn to seduce her, body and soul....In a night of drunken revelry, Jasper Finley, Baron Montford, gambles his reputation as London's most notorious lover on one woman. His challenge? To seduce the exquisite, virtuous Katherine Huxtable within a fortnight. But when his best-laid plans go awry, Jasper devises a wager of his own. For Katherine, already wildly attracted to him, Jasper's offer is irresistible: to make London's most dangerous rake fall in love with her. Then Jasper suddenly ups the ante. Katherine knows she should refuse. But with scandal brewing and her reputation in jeopardy, she reluctantly agrees to become his wife. Now, as passion ignites, the seduction really begins. And this time the prize is nothing less than both their hearts....From the Paperback edition.
Description from Open Library.
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