THE PLEASURE SEEKERS

Author: Melanie George ISBN:0743442733 11/2003 HISTORICAL Publisher: POCKET BOOKS
Time Period: Regency

Lovely Lady Bliss Ashton has her pick of the attractive, sophisticated men in Regency society...and she's rejected them all. But when Caine Ballinger, the Earl of Hartland - famous the length and breadth of England for his sexual prowess - lays siege to her, she's finally tempted to fall. Not just because of the passion he arouses in her untutored body; it's also the hint of vulnerability she sees beneath the arrogant, dangerous facade he shows to the world. Caine is only wooing Lady Bliss to win a bet, so he can regain his ancestral estate - with the added attraction that by seduction her, he'll get revenge against her father. All he's interested in is getting her luscious body beneath his, then publicly shaming her. So why does he feel so strange when her gentle fingers stroke his hard body, or her soft words soothe his tortured soul? And when the bet is revealed, Caine has to choose...between his longtime dream and the woman he craves with all his heart. More information can be found on Melanie's website: http://www.melaniegeorge.com/

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

This is my first Melanie George book, and I have to admit I found it rather formulaic with nothing new in plotline nor characters. Slow going at first, the pace eventually picked up about halfway through with some very riveting confrontations between the good, the bad and the wicked, but unfortunately they all lead to a somewhat anti-climatic climax for me.

My biggest problem with this book, however, stems from a total lack of chemistry between the heroine, Bliss, and the brooding and tortured hero, Caine. They have great sex, hate each other one minute and fall in love the next, but there's just no sparks flying between the two of them that I could pick up on, which made the sex just sex on paper pages to me. (I would like to give kudos, though, for Ms. George's creation of a thoroughly enjoyable, sluttish and devious female villain.)

If you enjoyed the romances of about 10-15 years ago with tortured heroes who possessed a cruel streak, and don't mind rereading a plot you know you've read several times before, then you will probably enjoy THE PLEASURE SEEKERS much, much more than I did.

Nancy Davis