Temptation & Twilight (The Brethren Guardians, #3)

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Temptation & Twilight (The Brethren Guardians #3)

by Charlotte Featherstone (Goodreads Author)

3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 · rating details · 384 ratings · 93 reviews

Iain Sinclair, Marquis of Alynwick, is certain there is a special hell for him. An unrepentant rake, he holds nothing sacred – except for beautiful Elizabeth York. For years, Alynwick has tried to forget the woman he loved so well, and treated so badly. A woman who could hold nothing in her heart for him except hatred.

All of society believes Elizabeth, blind daughter of a...more

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Published June 19th 2012 by HQN

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Apr 30, 2012 UniquelyMoi *Dhestiny* BlithelyBookish rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: must-buy, author-charlotte-featherstone, series-brethren-guardians, historical-romance, reviewed-by-me, series-finished

(No Spoilers)

Temptation & Twilight is the third and final book in the Brethren Guardians series and is filled with twists & turns, angst & heartache, passion & romance… it’s safe to say, this story has it all, and it’s delivered with so much sensuality that the entire experience feels like a dream.

From his very first words in Seduction & Scandal I’ve been captivated by Iain Sinclair, the man, the kilt and what’s not under it, the brogue that slips through when his guard is do...more
(No Spoilers)

Temptation & Twilight is the third and final book in the Brethren Guardians series and is filled with twists & turns, angst & heartache, passion & romance… it’s safe to say, this story has it all, and it’s delivered with so much sensuality that the entire experience feels like a dream.

From his very first words in Seduction & Scandal I’ve been captivated by Iain Sinclair, the man, the kilt and what’s not under it, the brogue that slips through when his guard is down… everything about him has attracted me. We’ve come to see him as an unrepentant rake, a self indulgent man who knows what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it, regardless of who gets hurt. But all that aside, finally getting to know the real Iain, the man who’s so self deprecatingly vulnerable that he dares not show that side of himself to anyone, not even his friends, I couldn’t help but fall hard for him.

We’ve also seen quite a bit of Elizabeth, sister to Adrian, Lord Sussex, in previous books, and yet never really gotten to know her. That all changes in this story as we’re allowed a deeper look into her sightless life, her fears, her dreams… and what an amazing woman she is. Though I knew she and Iain would one day have their own story, I never really felt them as a couple, but all those doubts are gone now and in my mind and heart, they are the perfect match.

Even though we finally learn the true identity of that purely evil being, Orpheus, and understand the true reasons why the Brethren Guardians became his target, I’m sorry to say that this story moved a bit slow for me, the plot never grabbing hold as it did in the previous books. It was Iain and Elizabeth who kept me coming back for more, waiting and watching as they put their pasts, their heartbreak and their mistrust behind him to move forward and find their happily ever after, one so richly deserved.

Temptation & Twilight was provided by netgalley.com in behalf of Harlequin/HQN in exchange for an honest review.
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Jul 16, 2012 .þµŋψà. [Punya Reviews...] rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: brilliant-cover, charlotte-featherstone, highlander-scot, arc-reviewcopy-netgalley-edelweiss, favorites, oh-honey-shag-me-silly, i-cried-like-a-baby, i-wanna-have-your-babies

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...

In my estimation, Iain and Elizabeth are the best pair of the Brethren Guardian series. I’ve no hesitations saying this because this book was just so good and also, to me, the best installment of the series; not just because it was the end of this series but this was full of so much emotion, angst and revelations that caught me by surprise. I was totally cheering for this pair from book #1 and I wasn’t disappoin...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, series-better-read-in-order, blind, promiscuous-hero, reformed-rake, unrequited-love, betrayal, estranged-lovers-or-marriage, family-issues, angsty-read, steam-level-hot, 2012-read, most-anticipated-reads, kilts-ahoy, would-buy-it-for-the-cover, groveling-hero, romantica, historical-experienced-heroine, arc-review-held, arc, auto-buy, june-2012, realistically-sized-heroine

Oh man, this book was such a delicious blend of agony and awesomeness.

Unfair as it may be, the biggest thing that kept this from being a 5-Star book was Iain's slut-tastic behavior. I love a good reformed rake but having it thrown in my face isn't really something I care for. {Don't worry, that's SO not a spoiler -- Iain's womanizing is something that's harped on for the entire series thus far}

That said...

*falls over* This book really was incredible, with all sorts of angst and anger and bitter...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Anna (Bobs Her Hair) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, ebook, netgalley, arc

Grade: C- or weak 3 stars

The Story
Three aristocratic men, descendants of the Knights Templar, are each secret custodians of sacred relics – a pendant, a chalice, and a scroll - from the Holy Land. They call themselves the Brethren Guardians. An enemy, only known as Orpheus, has been attempting to steal the relics, which allegedly gives a mortal untold power. The Guardians must uncover their enemy’s identify and stop him before all is lost.

Iain Sinclair, Marquis of Alynwick, is a Brethren Guardi...more

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May 31, 2012 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, review

Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

Oh. My. Goodness. I could not put this book down. It was everything I was hoping for and so much more. When I first began this series by Charlotte Featherstone I immediately found myself gravitating towards the sparks between Elizabeth and Iain. There was just so much tension between them that I kept hoping that there was a story there. When I finished Charlotte's previous book Pride & Passion and learned that they did indeed have a share...more Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

Oh. My. Goodness. I could not put this book down. It was everything I was hoping for and so much more. When I first began this series by Charlotte Featherstone I immediately found myself gravitating towards the sparks between Elizabeth and Iain. There was just so much tension between them that I kept hoping that there was a story there. When I finished Charlotte's previous book Pride & Passion and learned that they did indeed have a shared past and that they would be the hero and heroine of the next book, June could not come fast enough. I've been itching to get my hands on this book and believe me it was definitely worth the wait. Oh how I LOVED it.

Twelve years ago when Lady Elizabeth York was just nineteen and Iain Sinclair, Marquis Alynwick was twenty one they had a torrid affair. Both spent the summer learning and loving one another. When Iain began to realize that his feelings for Elizabeth were growing stronger and into love he decided to break things off. He walked away from the only woman who ever held his heart and for the last twelve years he has spent his time living in regret. In an effort to forget his feelings for Elizabeth he has become the most notorious rake in London and has also taken on the moniker Mad Marquis.

For Elizabeth to say the last twelve years were hard for her is a vast understatement. Shortly after Iain walked away from her without any explanation what so ever she lost her eyesight. She has an ailment that was passed on from her mother that caused her to go blind. Because of this, Elizabeth has spent the last twelve years having to rely on others while at the same time keeping the love affair she had with Iain a secret from everyone. She is still hurt and in pain and definitely doesn't want anything to do with Iain. To make matters worse is the fact that he is a Brethren Guardian along with her brother and he is constantly around.

When Iain is involved in a duel, and slightly injured he begins to realize that he doesn't want to ignore what is in his heart anymore. He is tired of denying himself of Elizabeth and the love he feels for her. He was foolish to walkaway all those years ago and he is determined to make her see that he is changed and that he loves her.

I seriously was anxious the whole entire time I read this book. I felt the pain both Elizabeth and Iain were experiencing and I felt the love they both felt for one another. There was just so many sparks between the two and I found myself quickly turning the pages to see what was going to happen. Would Elizabeth finally relent and forgive Iain for his past transgressions? Why exactly did Iain leave in the first place if he loved her so much? Seriously, I couldn't stop reading, watching everything unfold. These two have both been to hell and back and there was one specific scene with Elizabeth that broke my heart. I could feel her pain and I just wanted to make it better.

The author did such a good job conveying the pain and love between these two characters. Their story was truly one of redemption and forgiveness. If you are looking for a book that is filled with angst and drama I highly recommend Temptation & Twilight. It is definitely my favorite of the series and it is definitely going on my keeper shelf.

**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Bookswithbenefits rated it 1 of 5 stars

Best line: "There was a special place in hell for men such as him. A small berth closest to the hellfires, one that reeked of smoke and brimstone and rotting souls." (self-description by the hero)

Worst Line: "Ye were supposed to be me second!" (The hero lettin' loose with his oh-so-cliched, passion-induced brogue.)

Synopsis: He's a rake. She's an angel with stores of passion. He seduced her years ago, abandoned her, and then let himself fall into utter ruin and sin trying to do the dirty work for...more

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Oct 29, 2012 adoree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Voilà un beau moment de Featherstone.

Personnellement, ce dernier épisode sera celui m'a fait le moins vibrer. Peut-être parce qu'un bon 2/3 du livre est un peu une redite du tome précédent mais sous l'angle de la relation entre Iain et Elizabeth. Remarquez, c’est ce qui fait l'originalité du livre. Une scène décrite sous le point de vue de Lucy et Adrian dans le tome précédent (en suivant leur aventure). La même scène décrite par Elizabeth et Iain dans ce tome. C'est très curieux comme effet ma...more Voilà un beau moment de Featherstone.

Personnellement, ce dernier épisode sera celui m'a fait le moins vibrer. Peut-être parce qu'un bon 2/3 du livre est un peu une redite du tome précédent mais sous l'angle de la relation entre Iain et Elizabeth. Remarquez, c’est ce qui fait l'originalité du livre. Une scène décrite sous le point de vue de Lucy et Adrian dans le tome précédent (en suivant leur aventure). La même scène décrite par Elizabeth et Iain dans ce tome. C'est très curieux comme effet mais ça m'a plu. Parcontre, ça a fait des longueurs…

Les longueurs CF s'y connait. Pratiquement tous les livres que j'ai lu de cette auteurs ont une partie à rallonge (sauf dans une nouvelle qui était vraiment parfaite). Cette fois, je dirais qu’elles sont utiles pour planter et développer les sentiments des héros.

Mais bon, la recette magique fonctionne toujours. Vous savez celle où on ne peut lâcher un livre alors qu’on dort pratiquement. Que lorsque l’histoire est finie, on ne peut s’empêcher d’y repenser… voilà, celle-là est bien présente.

Le héros est un vrai libertin en repentir. Ceci dit, CF se garde bien de faire l’erreu de le faire devenir Saint en 2 pages (d’ailleurs, je doute que ce genre de personnage ne devienne jamais un pantoufle au coin du feu). C'est un beau coquin pour notre plus grand plaisir. C'est pourquoi, j'ai fondu comme une glace au soleil à chaque fois qu'il décrivait ses sentiments pour l'héroïne. Il pouvait aussi bien être poète que cru. Et, ça, j’adore !

L'héroïne est bien assortie au héros. On est loin des héroïnes des tomes précédents qui étaient assez casse-noisettes. Celle-ci ne doute pas toutes les 4 lignes. Elle n'est pas exécrables non plus. Elle équilibrée malgré sa cécité (et CF n'en fait pas des tonnes avec cet handicap). Elle se protège pour ne plus être blessée. Bref, une belle héroïne.

Comme toujours, CF nous fait partir sur de fausses pistes ou impressions erronées. Elle décrit à merveille la rédemption, l’espoir, la peur d’aimer et de souffrir et le pardon.

La fin cependant est plutôt mal fagotée. Là, pour le coup, elle ne tire vraiment pas en longueur... Je dirais même que c'est du domaine de l'express o_O. Dans ma hâte à lire, j'ai du m'y reprendre à 2 fois pour me rendre compte comment mourrait un des méchants. CF m'étonne toujours dans ses choix au niveau du développement de la narration. Là, où les autres auteurs en auraient fait une tonne, CF utilise 2-3 phrases et s'attarde sur autre chose. C’est d’ailleurs un peu déstabilisant. On s’attend et puis ça ne passe pas ou alors c’est très bref comme description.

Bref, je lui mettrai 4 étoiles (alors que les 2 autres en ont 5). Parce que pleins de détails rendent ce roman attachant. Et puis je suis une inconditionnelle de cette série. Et tout simplement parce qu’il le mérite.
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Jul 05, 2012 cupcake rated it 3 of 5 stars

First, let's be real clear: this book has nothing to do with vampires. So those of you searching for the latest in Edward and Bella's romantic travails (and really it is time to LET THEM GO, especially since the unfortunate portmanteau of Renesmee) need to keep on keeping on.

Temptation & Twilight is part of a series about the Brethren Guardians (the others are Pride & Passion and Seduction & Scandal, which I did not read and I had no problems understanding this one), a trio of men re...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Kristin Anders rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kristin by: eArc courtesy of NetGalley

Shelves: historical-romance, imperfect-heroine-romances, romance-books-reviewed

The Brethren Guardians series rating: N/A (haven't read them all)

"Temptation & Twilight" is the third and final book of the Brethren Guardians series and can be read as a stand alone novel.

How are the sex scenes?

88% of this book has no sex, but there are many crude references to it. The 12% is moderately descriptive.

How are the story lines?

Wonderful. Orpheus is about trying to murder the Brethren Guardians, Ian is seducing a married woman to obtain secrets for the Brethren and Elizabeth is b...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Ni_kii rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anti-hero, annoying-male-character, man-whore, strong-female-charcter, blind-character, steamy, romantic-suspense, historical

The Brethren Guardians are men descended from the Knights Templar, a group who have a quest to protect ancient relics that hold untold power. They have been fighting (in the last two books) to keep these relics safe from the mysterious Orpheus, a bad man who seems to have insider information and be only intent on causing evil. Iain Sinclair (also known as the Marques of Alynwick) is the whorish one of the Brethren Guardians. Iain’s way of contributing to the cause is to sleep with a woman he hat...more The Brethren Guardians are men descended from the Knights Templar, a group who have a quest to protect ancient relics that hold untold power. They have been fighting (in the last two books) to keep these relics safe from the mysterious Orpheus, a bad man who seems to have insider information and be only intent on causing evil. Iain Sinclair (also known as the Marques of Alynwick) is the whorish one of the Brethren Guardians. Iain’s way of contributing to the cause is to sleep with a woman he hates to try to get information during pillow talk. He doesn’t particularly enjoy his task, but is willing to do whatever it takes to stop the relics being taken.

Not only is Iain a big whore, he is also in love with the lovely Elizabeth York. Elizabeth is the blind sister of one of his fellow Brethren and has already lost her virginity to the man-whore years previously to this story. Now they coexist in a state of false hostility, each of them hiding true emotion behind apathy and animosity. Too much time has passed for explanations and excuses to be readily accepted, but one thing clear is that neither is unaffected. Iain is not discrete about his conquests, each notch on his bedpost common knowledge; Elizabeth cannot bring herself to acknowledge her love for a man who treats women as disposable.

When a new man starts sniffing around the lovely Elizabeth at a time when things are hotting up for the Brethren, Iain cannot help but smell a rat. This hunch, along with a massive case of jealousy, spurs him to try to reignite a relationship long since dead. Elizabeth has been burned once; she won’t make it easy for him to get close to her again, no matter how much her body craves him. Iain has to use every dirty trick in his arsenal to help him get through her walls, but will it be enough? Moreover, will the impending deadly showdown with Orpheus render all his efforts useless anyway?

Confession number one; I haven’t read the books one and two in this series. Confession number two; historical fiction is not my genre of choice, but I really wanted to read a Charlotte Featherstone novel. Considering both of these confessions, I really enjoyed this book! I will recommend that you read the other tales simply to understand the background to the story Arc. The writing is so fluid that I will DEFINITELY be reading another book by this author. I loved the world that she created; the mixture of historical fact and fiction was compelling! I wanted to read more, even if my gaps in knowledge of the back-story were quite confusing, and I finished this book in a few hours.

Elizabeth was the best character in this twisted love story. I enjoyed her strength of character and convictions. Yes, she was blind, but she didn’t wallow in misery. She accepted her limitations and worked towards her strengths; she really was a worthy heroine. I loved that the author really thought about how the disability would affect more than her day-to-day life; there is a scene between her and Iain where he doesn’t tell her explicitly how he feels so she fills in the blanks with her previous knowledge. Of course she gets it completely wrong, thinks the worst and chucks him out...I never realised little things like not seeing facial expressions could cause so much drama.

Iain was a difficult hero to love. He used sex as a tool and this made him unworthy for a heroine such as Elizabeth. At one point in the tale, he goes from the woman he is sleeping with for information to trying to seduce Elizabeth...as worthy as his cause is, his methods left a lot to be desired. He did try to become a better man, tried to become worthy, but I’m not sure it wasn’t too late. I loved the way he seduced her, using his knowledge of her and his natural charm to seduce every aspect of her. In this way, he was perfect, but then again maybe that is a comment on his practice in this area. No matter how many nice things he did, there were always slimy undertones. The only time I truly saw a glimmer of the man he could be was when he reacts to the scene where Elizabeth chucks him out and changes, making sure he is clear in his words and gestures. I am all for second chances, but I didn’t get the impression that Iain wouldn’t easily slip back into old habits if it suited his purpose.

The side story was fabulous and completely compelling. The outcome of the whole “who is Orpheus?” mystery probably didn’t mean as much as it would be to series readers, but I enjoyed the mystery all the same.

All in all this was a fabulous book by an author I will read more from. With a fabulous heroine and a heartbreaking love story, I think this series has something for everyone. (less)

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Jun 18, 2012 Polished Bookworm rated it 3 of 5 stars

My full review can be found at: polished bookworm.com

Iain Sinclair, Marquis of Alynwick and Laird of the Clan Sinclair, is a desolate rake whose beautiful exterior masks the ugliness he feels inside, he doesn’t like who he sees when he looks in the mirror. Unbeknownst to his fellow Brethren Guardians, Alynwick once had a torrid and ill-fated love affair with Elizabeth York, the duke’s now-blind sister. In the twelve years since he broke Elizabeth’s heart –and in the process, his own– Alynwick ha...more

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Jun 05, 2012 The Window Seat added it

Temptation & Twilight was slightly disappointing to me, with it taking me twice as long as it normally does to finish. I believe most of my disappointment comes from expecting a lot from this storyline and only finding half of what could have been. The book opens approximately two weeks prior to the end of the previous book, so right away I was frustrated that I had to re-read events that I’d already seen. True, now we were seeing those same moments in the thoughts of Ian Sinclair and Elizab...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Melody May rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, romance, historical

Yesterday I just finished Temptation and Twilight by Charlotte Featherstone. The third book in The Brethren Guardian series.

In the story, we see our hero Iain Sinclair, the Marquis of Alynwick, in his chambers of with a woman who supposedly has information about the man called Orpheus. Debauching his way to get answers, Iain is emotionally closed off from the rest of the world, except to one. However, he never wants to reveal that information.

Lady Elizabeth York, a strong, beautiful, intelligent...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review written for www.books-n-kisses.com

This is the third in the Brethren Guardians series and having not read the first two in the series I must say that I was kind of lost with the background story. Apparently in the first two books the Brethren Guardians have been after “Orpheus” but there is not a lot of storyline in the book to explain the reason why they are pursuing him.

I enjoyed this story but it was just a bit too long for me. The synopsis makes it sound like Iain and Lizzy spend a lot...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Andrea Guy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, historical-romance, netgalley, regency, regencyvictorianreadingchallenge

his is book 3 in the Brethren Guardian trilogy. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book because of the tension between Iain and Elizabeth. It was a little too much to handle. Iain was entirely too overprotective for anyone, especially Elizabeth not to realize that he had feelings for her. There conflict takes up a little to much space in the book and the story plods along at the beginning. It is hard to decide if you like Iain or not, especially when Lizzie is being pursued by Lord...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Amanda P rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: hot-and-steamy, historical-romance, own-as-an-ebook, review-copy-provided

Review:
I found this book on NetGalley, and I just had to request it. I don’t read that many historical romances, but I am a sucker for when one of the characters has a disability to overcome, because it makes them just that more real, so when I saw the heroine was blind, I had to have it. It didn’t hurt our hero is a rake, and is there anything better than a reformed rake, especially a Scottish one? Lol! Although, this is the third book in the series, I have not read the first 2 books, I think i...more Review:
I found this book on NetGalley, and I just had to request it. I don’t read that many historical romances, but I am a sucker for when one of the characters has a disability to overcome, because it makes them just that more real, so when I saw the heroine was blind, I had to have it. It didn’t hurt our hero is a rake, and is there anything better than a reformed rake, especially a Scottish one? Lol! Although, this is the third book in the series, I have not read the first 2 books, I think it would be beneficial to read the first two books, but I don’t think it is necessarily a requirement. It’s basically a secret society of gentleman that has to stay secret and battle an unknown villain, we’ve all read this concept before, and so you can slide into pretty easily without the first two books but of course you are missing some details. Now that also being said, I really really enjoyed this book and this authors writing style so I highly recommend checking out the first two books, I know I will be.

Elizabeth, is our heroine and such a strong one at that. She starts off a strong confident woman, sure she has a disability, but she is content with herself. She is aware that it isn’t likely she will ever marry and have her own children and sure she wishes that wasn’t the case, but she has come to terms with it. Now, all of the sudden she has the attention of not one but two men, one who could be her perfect match, who shares all of her interests and doesn’t seem to mind her blindness. The other is the man who nearly destroyed her 12 years ago, when she was young and venerable, the one who she has turned her heart against ever since. Now, she is confronted with choices she never thought she would have to make, now she has thoughts she never thought she’d have again and vulnerabilities she thought she had buried 12 years ago. We take this emotional journey with Elizabeth and its heart breaking at times. Too see her break down and for her fears and insecurities due to her blindness surface is heart rendering and I think C. Featherstone did an excellent pulling the emotion from Elizabeth and making the reader feel each emotion that Elizabeth is feeling. When Elizabeth is breaking you are breaking with her, going through it with her and you can’t pull away. Featherstone sucks you and keeps you there connected to her characters. When Elizabeths hopes and fears are swirling around and her confusion is at its peak you are routing for her and hoping she’ll make the best decision, you want her to get her happily ever after with the right man for her whoever that may be.

Iain is a hulking brute of highland deliciousness, of course raised by unfeeling, unwanting parents he is an unfeeling lush of a man. An unrepentant rake that has exactly one regret in life, which he won’t even acknowledge to himself until he is facing death on the field of “honor”. His one regret is Beth, even after 12 years she still holds his heart and he has realized he is willing to do anything to win her back. He knows how badly he messed up all those years ago and he knows it won’t be easy but he is willing to do the work and prove that he can be a better man. With a lot of reformed rakes we don’t really see the hero really working for it he kind of skates by on his good looks and charm, you don’t actually see him trying to change, but I really felt Iain’s desire to change and better you see it and his desire to win Elizabeth back. He was willing to put in the work. As she was pushing him away, he’s like yeah I deserved that, but damn it I’m going to weather the storm because you’re worth it and I’ll still be here through everything you throw at me. Iain manages to pull a few moves that really pull at the heart string I want to go into them but that would spoil the moments in the book so I’ll leave them for you to discover, but damn C. Featherstone, you can really pull the romance out of an Alpha. But worry not ladies Iain maintained his highlander alpha maleness. He about choked out Sheldon (Elizabeth’s other potential male) more than once, has a fondness for scotch and is not above seducing our fair Elizabeth with great skill. He is still a man’s man at heart!

You quickly get caught up in the story within the first couple of pages, I knew right away that I was going to enjoy this book and settled right in to be kept up late. The sensuality and chemistry between Iain and Elizabeth about scorched the pages, it was that sizzling. I wished I could jump into the pages and take Elizabeth’s places for just one scene it was that damn hot. But the story never got lost, we actually had the hunt for Orpheus who was our resident bad guy, as well as our sub-plot of the “Veiled Lady” which Iain agrees to help Elizabeth solve. The Veiled Lady actually takes up less of the plot then the blurb suggests and the main hunt is for Orpheus, which will take you on many twists and turns before the mystery unfolds. Added to the Veiled Lady and Orpheus there is a Curse, hovering over Elizabeth and Iain’s houses that they have to deal with, just to add a bit of paranormal to this exciting tale. The real story for me tho was between Elizabeth and Iain, at times their dialogue was poetic , other times exciting as they clashed wills, but whatever was going on between these two, it was not boring that is for sure. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good romance; it has everything you could want: intrigue, sensuality, excitement, mystery, and a Highlander to boot.

One thing that did drive me slightly batty was the math, and I may be completely off base here. So if someone else read this book and interpreted this differently call me on my shit. Math was never my strong suit. Ok so here it is… Elizabeth is “nearly 30” so to me that would make her about 28, 29 years old. Iain left her and broke her heart 12 years ago, this was mentioned several times if I recall. So this would put her around 17ish when he left her. It was also mentioned a couple of times that she lost her sight completely a couple of months after he left, this timing actually becomes very important. So we know that she is completely blind within a couple of months of his leaving. However, it is also mentioned several times that she is 19 when she goes completely blind. So was she 17ish or was she 19 it doesn’t add up, unless I wasn’t reading right which is possible but I doubt it, but if I was, someone call me on it. I mean it doesn’t really matter, but I am always doing the math in my head when authors do this, I say either state their ages outright so you know, we know and there is no room for interpretation or error or completely leave it out because you get people like me who go nutty trying to figure it out for no reason at all. And yes I know I’m being obsessive compulsive but I can’t seem to help myself. :-/

Rating:
4.5
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May 18, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

You can see my full review here: scATX Reads.

I was excited about this book because of what we were told about Elizabeth and Iain in the second book of the Brethren Guardian series, Pride & Passion. It’s not that T&T disappointed but that I felt as if the chemistry between the characters was more forced than I expected or wanted it to be.

Like the other Brethren books, I felt like the actual Brethren plot hindered things rather than propelling the narrative forward. I found myself skimming...more

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May 14, 2012 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars

See more at EBookObsessed.com

The final chapter of the Brethren Guardian, focuses on Iain Sinclair, the Marquis of Alynwick. The Brethren are decedents of the Templer Knights charged with hiding several religious treasures, including the Holy Grail.

Iain is an unrepentant womanizer and rake…or is he? Iain is about fight a duel for being caught in a compromising situation with the wife of Lord Larabie. Being caught in the compromising position was all part of the plan. He and his fellow Brethren b...more See more at EBookObsessed.com

The final chapter of the Brethren Guardian, focuses on Iain Sinclair, the Marquis of Alynwick. The Brethren are decedents of the Templer Knights charged with hiding several religious treasures, including the Holy Grail.

Iain is an unrepentant womanizer and rake…or is he? Iain is about fight a duel for being caught in a compromising situation with the wife of Lord Larabie. Being caught in the compromising position was all part of the plan. He and his fellow Brethren believe Lady Larabie knows the villain, Orpheus, and will introduce Iain to the man who has been a danger to them, their families and the secrets they hide. But as possible death looms over his head, there is only one thought that fills him. He wants to see Elizabeth again and apologize for the wrongs he did to her a dozen years ago. He also wants her to know that she is always in his thoughts and if he survives the night, he wants to start anew with her. When he walks into the room and sees Elizabeth’s hand on the arm of the Earl of Sheldon, he looses his head and attacks him and drags Elizabeth out of the room. He then learns what he fears most, that Elizabeth has no desire to forgive him or to ever see him again.

Lady Elizabeth York might have lost her sight, but she has not lost her mind. It is one thing to be young and innocent and allow yourself to be seduced, used and tossed away by a cad like Iain Sinclair, but she is almost 30 and does not intend to be fooled again by his tempting touches and sensual murmurs. If only she can get her treacherous body to agree.

As the fight for Elizabeth’s affections begins, the hunt for Orpheus heats up. The real question will be does Orpheus fall into the hands of the Brethren or will the Brethren fall into the trap set by Orpheus.

I was unaware when I chose this book that it was the third of a series, but I had no trouble catching up with the happenings of the series. I was simply intrigued with the idea of a sightless heroine and how that would be addressed. With all the reading that I do, I am always amazed when a story can keep me in the dark until the final reveal. Every time I thought I had Orpheus nailed down…not him!! Who is lying? Who can be trusted? This story twists and turns so much, and admitted in the end, I was bug-eyed…screaming “What!!” I did not see that coming. Very well done!!!

Elizabeth was a remarkable heroine. Even though blind, she was headstrong and independent. Iain’s inner monologue was amazing in his feelings for Elizabeth and his true desire to make up for his past actions and how much he loved and admired her and how desperately he wanted a future with her.

Here’s the catch – Iain is not much of a sharer of his feelings, and every time Iain got near Elizabeth he turned into a drooling beast in heat. Don’t get me wrong, many of Iain’s attempts as seducing Elizabeth left me fanning myself to cool down, but story wise, Iain would have been better off declaring at the beginning that he intended to seduce her into an offer of marriage. Poor, blind Elizabeth was trying so hard not to be made a fool again and be used and tossed aside by a master scoundrel, she kept pushing him away and getting more angry. If only he started his seduction with the forewarning that he wanted a lifetime with her, things wouldn’t have been so frustrating for both Iain and the audience.

When they finally got to the point of discussing what had happened between them in the past and how it affected both their lives, it was heartbreaking, and when Iain finally confesses to Elizabeth and kissed her goodbye knowing that in finally confessing the truth, he would loose her forever, I was teary eyed.

With the exception of Iain’s dog in heat attempts at seduction, this a well written, captivating story.

Received an ARC from netgalley.com, courtesy of Harlequin Books. Thank you.
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May 24, 2012 Farrah rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...

Not as good as I hoped it would be...
The idea sounded so good, but it just didn't turn out the way I hoped it would.

The one saving grace of the book is that I was fond of Elizabeth. I liked her strength and ability to survive all she's been through. I especially loved how she handled herself during the action of the last part of the book. It was admirable how she protected herself despite her blindness.

But everything...more This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...

Not as good as I hoped it would be...
The idea sounded so good, but it just didn't turn out the way I hoped it would.

The one saving grace of the book is that I was fond of Elizabeth. I liked her strength and ability to survive all she's been through. I especially loved how she handled herself during the action of the last part of the book. It was admirable how she protected herself despite her blindness.

But everything else fell flat.

For one, though I admired Elizabeth's strength, I also though she was overly stubborn. For example, her brother wouldn't let her help with Brethren Guardian business other than discussions because of her blindness. She got all offended-but it makes perfect sense to disallow a blind woman from going into a dangerous situation. She could very easily get hurt, or someone else could get hurt trying to protect her. But she went around being all angry at her brother for keeping her safe-even though he promised to tell her everything that happened. I got very frustrated with her.

I didn't like Iain either. For one, the first scene of the book is Iain thinking about how much he dislikes the woman he was just sleeping with. Not a great first impression. However, I could understand the reason why he put up with the woman. But it got worse. A little while later he has a sudden epiphany that he never stopped loving his lover from years ago (Elizabeth). And suddenly, after years of supposedly pining for her, he decided he has to win her back after having a near death experience. It just didn't seem realistic to me. After all these years, now he decides to try to make up for his despicable actions of the past. I didn't by the near death experience epiphany. It wasn't done well enough for me to believe he was a changed man. Then later he starts trying to woo Elizabeth back. But he was such a jerk about it. The first thing he does is yank her away from a man she was walking with and try to kiss her at a party. But, I ask you, what right did he have to get all jealous and possessive. And he continues like this. He had no right to act as if he owned her. If he had tried to woo her, I would have adored him, despite his past actions. But he just stuck a claim and stubbornly hung on to it, even though Elizabeth had wanted nothing to do with him. He was a jerk the whole time, and I just couldn't like him.

The plot itself was interesting, but that wasn't the focus of the book. About 95% of the book was Iain and Elizabeth's screwed up relationship. The meager 5% was the actual story of what happened. That actual story of deceit and intrigue was good, but there wasn't much of it.

My last problem is how misleading the summary is. I'm okay with summaries that don't reveal the main plot, but this was over the top. The whole summary is about a secret diary and the "veiled lady" and how the mystery drew the lovers together. Honestly, the diary was only mentioned for about 5 pages about three-quarters into the book. Within them, the entire arch is introduced and solved and then promptly forgotten about. I think if the story had actually followed the idea of this lovers' mystery bringing Iain and Elizabeth together, I would have liked this book so much more. But it wasn't, and I ended up being disappointed.

Temptation & Twilight isn't terrible.But it wasn't good. It had some redeeming qualities that kept me interested but the parts I didn't like ruined the whole book for me.

Sorry to say this,but: 2/5

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy(less)

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Jun 20, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have some very mixed feelings about this book. I've been waiting and waiting for Elizabeth and Alynwick's story ever since we first met them in book one of the trilogy. The way these two clearly pined for one another was captivating and I was very curious to see the big explanation of what drove them apart all those years ago. One of the things that bothered me the most while reading, was the fact that explanation let me down. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I fully expected this story to pick...more I have some very mixed feelings about this book. I've been waiting and waiting for Elizabeth and Alynwick's story ever since we first met them in book one of the trilogy. The way these two clearly pined for one another was captivating and I was very curious to see the big explanation of what drove them apart all those years ago. One of the things that bothered me the most while reading, was the fact that explanation let me down. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I fully expected this story to pick up where the last one left off, but it didn't. In fact, the first 90% of the book overlapped with the timeline of the other stories. I can't say it was redundant, because it wasn't. We see events and perspectives we weren't privy to before. But it did have me off balance, trying to recall details from the other books that are casually referenced here. Not only that, but I kept waiting and waiting for the big kidnapping that ended the last book. I was waiting a long time.

As the story begins, Alynwick is working to seduce a married woman with ties to Orpheus. He was hoping he could use his connection to her to unmask the villain working against the Brethren Guardians. Watching our hero whore himself out did not endear him to me. In fact, I spent the whole story waiting for a redemption of his character that never came.

After being shot in duel, Alynwick comes to the realization that he is in love with Elizabeth and regrets discarding her after their love affair 12 years ago. The thing is, she refuses his advances. She knows him for the manslut he is and will not open herself to trusting him again. So he pushes and she flees. Then he pushes more and she flees again.

I actually did like Lizzie. She is blind, but doesn't want her infirmity to define her. She is still hurt, but wants to keep living her life. She even tries to move on. But Alynwick won't let her. I actually found myself rooting for Sheldon, the other guy courting her. That's not a good sign for the hero.

I didn't feel like Alynwick properly atoned for his actions. He just kept trying to get in Lizzie's pants. Even when she is crying over the hurt he caused her. And then, when he gives his big explanation as to why he left her, instead of making me sympathetic, it actually made me dislike him more.

The writing is very good. Featherstone definitely made me give a damn about what was going to happen. And I was blown away by the villain reveal. It was brilliant and totally unexpected. It made perfect sense for anyone who has been following the series. For a new reader, though, it probably would have been a WTF moment.

I don't know. I just couldn't get past wanting to kick the hero in the 'nads. I never felt like he deserved his happy ending, so when all was said and done I was a bit unsatisfied. Hard to rate, because what was good was very good, but what bothered me --really bothered me.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley(less)

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May 30, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: big-girl-books, historical, netgalley, read-2012

Complete review at Big Girl Books

In two weeks, Featherstone’s third and last book in the series, Temptation & Twilight, will be released. You guys, you will not be disappointed in the series-ender. Like the other two books before it, it is filled with secrets, passion, angst, and loyalty. More clues will be revealed, more questions will be answered, and love will play a large part of it all.

Temptation & Twilight finally delves into the lives of Elizabeth York, sister of Lord Sussex, and...more

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May 27, 2012 Lucie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had not read the first two opus of this trilogy that combine romance and Templars's legend. However, the author quickly put me soon up to date on what happened in the previous volumes, so I have not been penalized. I found the idea of incorporating the Templars rather interesting. It has come to spice the story and bring rhythm to the plot. I also had fun in the company of different characters. Villains who will stop at nothing even murder. The great guardians who proudly protect their secre...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Gaile rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, 19th-century

This is the third book in the Brethren Guardian series. The last one ended in a cliff hanger which unfortunately this one did not begin from.
Instead this one repeats chapters from the second book although from a different character POV. Maybe she did this for the Jenny Come Latelys who may not have read the previous books. These chapters are interspersed with some new erotic ones. I was still bored as the chapters from the previous book continued 3/4th of the way through. Fnally about then I cam...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Chrystina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-arc

This book was really hard for me to review. I really enjoyed the book about half of the time and the other half I just wasn't feeling it. There were some really good parts to it and if you're reading the series, you will want to read this one too.
Elizabeth's character was one that I really liked. She was probably my favorite part of the book. She is blind but tries to be as independent as possible. She was intelligent, kind, and very likable.
While I love a good bad-boy in a romance novel, Iai...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Romance, historical romance

Recommended to Angela by: netgalley

Shelves: ebook

So, I started reading this book and had to stop a couple chapters in because I hadn't read the first two books of this series. So I downloaded the first two books read them in a couple days then came back to this one. I have mixed feelings about this book. First the book opens with Iain getting dressed after a "meeting" with a married woman. While this affair is going on he's pining after Elizabeth, the blind sister of his friend Sussex. This book also takes place at the same time as the second...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Katie(babs) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf-award

DNFed by page 50. I'm not a fan of the hero who is introduced after sleeping with a married woman who he can't stand. He thinks his latest lovers has tiny boobs and not curves he can hold on. What a winner! They jabber on for page after page until he thinks he's going to die. He confronts the heroine who he loves, but for some reason can't have, and basically molests her at some party because he's sexually frustrated although he just had his wick in another honeypot less than an hour before.

So n...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: charlottle-featherstone, made-me-tear-up

I so badly want to give this book 5 stars but for some reason, I haven;t figured out yet, I just can't. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Iain was such a dark, brooding character. He needed love so badly.

Poor Elizabeth, the hell she endured in her past in the present. I can only hope her future will be better.

Maybe that's the reason I can't give 5 stars? I need more? I need to know that she is all right.

Really a great heart wrenching story!

How I pictured Iain..

I'm still looking for a good pic...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Linda Baker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I did not realize that this was the third book in a trilogy when I requested it from netgalley. The author did a very good job in bring us up to date on what had happened in the previous two books, but I think it would be better read in the proper order. I really could not make an emotional connection with Iain Sinclair but thought that Elizabeth was a great character. Her blindness made her much more interesting and her ability to cope with her disability was impressive. I liked Temptation and...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Diana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, this volume was a little slow to get started and runs concurrent with the second volume (which I read so long ago, I forgot some of the order of events). Reader beware, this series MUST be read in order, otherwise you will know things in advance and out of sequence in a way that might ruin the enjoyment of the story. The only volume that can really stand alone is the first one about Isabella.

Although the mystery of the story was reasonably intricate, I didn't think this was as good as eith...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-2012, romance-regency

I really enjoyed this book, a finale in a series about the Guardian Brethern. Iain has always been the womanizer, using his body to obtain information in their war against evil.

Elizabeth is the sister of Sussex and knows and even articipates in Brethern activities. Once Elizabeth and Iain were lovers but he tossed her aside. Thrown together under dire circumstances, their love is re-kindled; it had really never died.

Iain is tormented just like Black and Sussex, but Elizabeth understands more tha...more

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About Charlotte Featherstone

Hi I write erotic historical romance for Harlequin Spice, as well as erotic paranormal romance under the name Sophie Renwick. In 2011, I'll be debuting my mainstream, Victorian set historicals through HQN.

I love talking about books, and have found some new friends, and really good book recommends here on Goodreads. I really love this community.

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Books by Charlotte Featherstone

Seduction & Scandal (The Brethren Guardians, #1)

Pride & Passion (The Brethren Guardians, #2)

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Quotes from Temptation & Twilight

“...It’s always only ever been you. And it always will be, Beth. You have my heart. My love. And my regret that I am not the man you deserve.” — 5 people liked it

“She reached for his wrist, clutched it. “How do I look?”
“Hurt. Pained. Destroyed.”
“If I could look into your eyes, what would I see in them, Iain?”
“Devastation. Shame for what I was. Hatred for the vanity and arrogance of my youth. A love for you that has never, ever died, but has only grown and matured, and become all-consuming. Tears,” he said, and pressed his face to hers so she could “see” them. “Because I know it is truly over now that the truth is out, and I don’t know how I’m going to live without you. Forgive me,” he whispered, then stole a kiss from her lips. “Forgive me, and the boy I was, and the man I turned out to be.” — 3 people liked it

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Temptation & Twilight (The Brethren Guardians #3)

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