The Pursuit of Pleasure

October 18, 2010
Essex's Georgian-era romance debut fails to marry drama with plausibility. British naval captain Jameson Marlowe pursues the traitors sending weapons to revolutionary France by purchasing a lovely Dartmouth home with land that includes a likely smugglers' cove. He intends to fake his death and infiltrate the gang. To keep the house from passing to his cousin, he proposes to his childhood friend Lizzie Paxton, but forbids her to actually live in the house. Contrary-minded Lizzie naturally moves in, dangerously interfering with both Marlowe's and the smugglers' plans. While the sex scenes are sizzling, Marlowe treats Lizzie quite callously, and his patronizing attitude toward her is infuriating, even if it's period-accurate. Their surprise at falling in love is implausible given their lifelong mutual obsession; both author and characters seem to have confused lust and love.

December 1, 2010
For Lizzie Paxton, the independence a widow enjoys is quite tempting. Its just that Lizzie doesnt really want the bother of first dealing with a husband. Fortunately, Captain Jameson Marlowe has an offer for Lizzie that she cant refuse. Since he is about to sail away on his next commission for the British Royal Navy and will not return for eight years or more, if Lizzie marries him immediately, she will have all of the conveniences of married life without the inconvenience of a husband. Seduced by Jamesons proposition (and his scorching kisses), Lizzie accepts his proposal, but before the ink is even dry on their marriage certificate, Lizzie receives a letter informing her that her new husband has been killed in the line of duty. Its exactly what Lizzie wants, but somehow Lizzie would give up everything just to get Jameson back. Essex delivers page-singeing passion and dangerous intrigue in her enthralling, sensual, and richly rewarding debut.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)