Seduction by Brenda Joyce
Review by Jerelyn H. (I-F-Letty)
I had read all of Brenda Joyce’s mysteries and loved them, and was happy to get a chance to read one of her historical novels. Ms Joyce truly is a journeyman writer of romantic fiction in its many genres. I was immediately captured by the characters, Charles/Dominic and Julianne and their families. This is my first 5 star of the year I started it after dinner and finished it by breakfast, which is always a good sign.
Seduction takes you on quite a ride. Set during in the summer of 1793, you meet the Greystoke family of Cornwall in particular Julianne the youngest sister. Intelligent and well read, a devotee of Thomas Paine’s The Rights of Man, she is one of those in England caught up in the romance of the French Revolution. Enamored with the humanitarian values the Revolutionaries espoused. She is helped along in these beliefs by her radical leaning friend and hopeful suitor, Tom with whom she has started a correspondence society with revolutionaries in Paris. While innocent in their inception these societies were dangerous clearing houses for information and a useful tool for spies.
When her brothers suddenly appear with a horribly wounded man, who they say they think is a smuggler, and wish for her to tend until they can get back. Julianne is left in the dark as to his real identity, and left to make her own conclusions. While in a raving fever Charles/Dominic speaks only in French and cries out a revolutionary slogan, and relives much of the horror he has seen, all this leads Julianne to think his is a wounded soldier of the revolution and that if her family finds out whom he really is they will turn him into the local authorities. So begins a very interesting and page turning story that I found to be very well researched and true to the time period.
There is a group of writers that write a more historically accurate romance which borders on historical fiction, Ms. Joyce explains this in the afterward. For me I like my historical romances to be well researched when speaking of actual events, getting the facts straight as she delves a little deeper into the politics of the time and the mindset of the characters in this book. When dealing with spies and especially people who have lost everything and forced to run for their lives, nothing is black and white, Ms. Joyce deals with this beautifully and it was never boring, the love story was understandably complicated, but there was no doubt that whatever happened it was meant to be.
I am glad to recommend this book and I thank the publishers and the folks at Net Galley where I obtained my copy. Seduction will be released February 2012.
Sounds interesting!
This looks good!
Love historical fiction. This sounds interesting, putting this on my reminder list.
Sounds pretty good!!
Thanks again Jerelyn, You are always introducing me to new authors here!