THE PRICE OF PLEASURE

Author: Connie Mason ISBN: 084395745X 12/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: DORCHESTER
Time Period: Georgian, France 1798

The Black Widow That was what she was called by the desperate prisoners incarcerated in Devil's Chateau. Young and beautiful, she was rumored to buy men for purposes both scandalous and secret. Whatever she did with them one thing was certain: Her unfortunate victims were never seen again. But when she whisked Reed Harwood out of the cell where he'd been left to die for spying against the French, he discovered the lady was not al she seemed. Fleur Fontaine was the most exquisitely sensual woman he'd ever met, yet there was an innocence about her that belied her sordid reputation. Though he'd been tortured and starved by his jailors, his body reacted eagerly to her nearness. Only a dead man would fail to respond to the sight of those ebony curls, the touch of those luscious lips. Reed was not head yet, but was he willing to pay... The Price of Pleasure

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Take a daring prison break, a handsome-as-sin accused spy and a beautiful woman who, by all accounts, uses men for her own decadent desires, and throw them all together and you'll have an idea of what Connie Mason's THE PRICE OF PLEASURE is all about. I have to say that this story was hot and intriguing enough that I completely forgot the world outside for about two hours! I was swept into a time long gone, but where passion and the workings of the human heart weren't at all different than they are now.

Fleur Fontaine is the kind of woman who, even in widow's weeds, attracts the attention of almost any man. Reed Harwood is a man bound by fate, pulled along a path left to him by his heritage. He is determined to do what he knows he must, regardless of the ramifications. He did not want the earldom, but knows he has little choice but to take what is his due. Together, the couple desperately tries to overcome their attraction-something that grows more difficult with every passing day. Reed wonders if his stay in prison has addled his brain—why else would he be so obsessed with this woman?

I enjoyed this book for a variety of reasons, but the singular most pressing reason is that, as usual, Connie Mason has written characters that pretty much leap from the page. While the action is well written and pulls the story along steadily, Fleur and Reed are people that I easily cared about. I wanted them to find satisfaction-hopefully with each other-but wasn't quite sure if they would or not. I'll not give away the ending to THE PRICE OF PLEASURE, but I will say that it made sense. This was a great diversion for a snowy day and I can easily recommend this book for a bit of light historical reading.

Kay James