To Tempt a Rake

December 20, 2010
From the first page of this sequel to To Sin with a Scoundrel and To Surrender to a Rogue, Elliott sweeps her readers up in a scintillating and sexy romance between Katharine Kylie Woodbridge and Comte Giovanni Marco Musto della Ghiradelli. Kate, an outspoken, strong-spirited woman somewhat improbably raised as a pirate, is more than a match for Ghiradelli, who spies on England while pretending to be a dissolute wastrel. Intrigued by Kate's past, Ghiradelli pursues her, only to realize he's encountered her before in a Naples brothel. As their story plays out against a backdrop of continental politics, obscure botanical poisons, family arguments, and erotic statuary, heated passions come to a boil. A secondary romance between Kate's grandfather and her fellow bluestocking Lady Charlotte Fenimore is charming but never intrusive.

January 1, 2011
Kate Woodbridge is having a difficult enough time trying to fit into polite society without having to deal with Marco, the Conte of Como. After her parents death, Kate honored their last wishes by returning to England to live with her grandfather, the Duke of Cluyne, but independent, outspoken Kate seems to constantly clash with her stuffy, proper grandfather. The last thing Kate needs is to become involved with a notorious rake like Marco, who continues to flirt with Kate despite her best efforts to send him packing. However, when Kate finds herself tangled up in a murder investigation, having someone with Marcos unique skills might not only be useful, it could also save Kates life. Elliott expertly sifts a generous measure of dangerous intrigue into the plot of her latest impeccably crafted Regency historical, which should prove all too tempting to readers with a craving for deliciously clever, wickedly sexy romances.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)