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LORD OF TEMPTATION by Paula Quinn
Historical
February 2006 - Warner Forever
LORD OF TEMPTATION
Paula Quinn's LORD OF TEMPTATION, is a passionate tale about a young slave girl, who is trying to survive the cruelty and deception at Devonshire, while hoping to escape to a better world. An exciting read from the first page to its astonishing climax.
When Dante Risande, emissary from King William, arrives at Devonshire to investigate Bryce Dermott’s possible connection to the rebel Wake, he finds things are worse than expected. And when Lord Bryce is poisoned, his brother, Edgar, immediately blames a slave, Gianelle, for his death. Sure that something is terribly wrong, Dante claims the right to investigate the murder.
Finally deciding he needs to get Gia and her friend Casey, who is almost an image of his dead sister, to safety at Graycliff, he and his man, Balin, escape with the women. And though seven men attack them on the way, Gianelle recognizes one as being from Devonshire, Dante is able to kill them easily.
Gia falls in love with Graycliff’s roaring surf, sharp cliffs and crags, and she is astonished at Dante’s kindness with both commoners and the people of his court. Yet, she refuses to submit to his love, for he is known to love women only for a time before sending them away, and she has had enough of that, since her father left her to be sold. But when Dante finally convinces her of his love, they are married.
Soon after, Edgar arrives and threatens Gia, but Dante orders, “Stay, and die. Flee, and you can wait for my revenge.” Yet Dante must leave Gia to meet with the king. And while he rides away with his men, an enraged Edgar plots his death with Wake, although Wake knows it will a sneak attack, for Edgar is a coward. And so Edgar watches from behind, smirking as an arrow from ambush finds its target, and Dante falls from his horse.
In the meantime, Gia disappears, and Casey fears that Edgar has taken her. So she engages the only servant left, James, who is nearly blind, to accompany her to Winchester to make an appeal to the king. But will she arrive in time, or will Edgar win after all?
Reviewed by Lucele Coutts on 2/2/2006. |
