Touch of Seduction (Primal Instinct, #4)

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Touch of Seduction (Primal Instinct #4)

by Rhyannon Byrd (Goodreads Author)

4.15 · rating details · 398 ratings · 36 reviews

Sold into slavery as a child to a cruel taskmaster, tiger-shifter Aiden Shrader trusts no one. Not even his own kind. Yet as a member of the Watchmen--the organization of shape-shifters who keep watch over the ancient nonhuman races--Aiden is fiercely protective of the helpless. Never more so than when he's asked to guard a little girl with witches' blood--and her beautifu...more

Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages

Published April 1st 2010 by HQN Books (first published 2010)

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Apr 04, 2010

Melindeeloo rated it

Shelves: paranormal-romance, paranormal-romance-shapeshifters, shapeshifters

I liked it but...

Bad boy shapeshifting Watchman Aiden is sent to protect a half witch/Merrick child and her Aunt Olivia. From the moment Aiden scents Olivia, Aiden is drawn to her, even though abuse in his childhood has left Aiden with a distrust of human females. But even though Aiden knows he 'should' pass his charges off to the other Watchmen and put distance between himself and the woman who threatens his control of his barely leashed beast - Aiden finds himself unable to let go...more I liked it but...

Bad boy shapeshifting Watchman Aiden is sent to protect a half witch/Merrick child and her Aunt Olivia. From the moment Aiden scents Olivia, Aiden is drawn to her, even though abuse in his childhood has left Aiden with a distrust of human females. But even though Aiden knows he 'should' pass his charges off to the other Watchmen and put distance between himself and the woman who threatens his control of his barely leashed beast - Aiden finds himself unable to let go of the woman he knows he will never be able to trust.

This was a mixed read for me. I really liked the intensity of romance between the shy insecure school teacher and the gorgeous almost feral shifter with his own painful sense of unworthiness. And I liked both that Byrd shifted focus from the Merricks to the Watchmen and that in this fourth book, we finally get both a good hero and a good heroine - one who is brave without being to stupid to live and one who has enough self-worth not to beg for the love she deserves.

What I didn't like, and this may be enough to keep me from continuing with the series, is that Byrd is just too heavy handed with the villains in this series. Although as readers we need to know that the Cassus are just too evil, I have a really hard time revisiting their depravity each and every book - their ultimate pleasure is feeding on flesh during rape - and there's not a word with enough yuck-ness to describe how distasteful I find this. Since the series is romance centric, the switch back and forth is even more disturbing to me - between wonderful romantic sex and murderous evil sex -eeww. And really, I think that this could have been toned down - skipping the first hand descriptions by the Cassus - and just getting the second hand accounts of the results I would still have 'gotten' just how truly awful these guys were. End rant, sorry.

Even though Byrd's erotica roots show from time to time and I am not crazy about lingering descriptions of body parts and fluids, she mostly avoids cruder language for those of us who prefer steamy to true erotica. So if I could have skipped the two chapters with the Cassus, I would have rated the book a notch higher. I loved the Watchmen, loved the romance and the leads, and I loved the presence of recurring characters from previous books.
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May 21, 2010

Cherise rated it

Shelves: arc-or-review-copy, paranormal-fantasy-romance

I ordered this book and decided the storyline sounded a little too complex to begin at book 4. So I went back and ordered and read books 1-3 and I am glad I did, because I think I would have been totally lost in this complex world of supernatural happenings. Plus I would have missed out on 3 other spectacular reads and couples!

This book introduces some new groups of supernatural characters and creates some more unusual alliances. It also brings us up to date on the other couples f...more

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Aug 13, 2011

Something's Gotta Give rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: digital-library-has-it, owned, romance, shifters, vampire-and-the-likes, ryhannon-byrd, reviewed

Book 4 of the Primal Instinct Series...

And in my humble opinion, one of the best in the series...

Aiden is a sexy tiger. One with a dark and troubled past. He's been through things that have broken him and ultimately caused a distrust of humans.

Olivia is a kindergarten teacher that was used by her most recent boyfriend and has low self esteem. Coupled with her growing up around the Mallory witches, Olivia has purposefully shut down her emotions.

Aiden was se...more

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Apr 13, 2011

Ally rated it

Shelves: 2011, ebook, paranormal-romance

I was quite apprehensive about reading this book because it didn’t appeal to me but after doing a little research I thought this was a good place in the series to start, even though it’s the fourth book I had no problem picking up what was going on and what was what or who was who, which I thought was brilliant.
I loved Olivia, I found her funny, smart a truly interesting character that I couldn’t help but get pulled into the story for her and her niece little Jamie (who really stole the bo...more

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Jan 21, 2012

Kathryn rated it

Recommended to Kathryn by: Abbie Rhoade

Shelves: pnr, adult

So, this book was recommended to me and when I looked at it, I thought, Totally interested!! Then I saw it was the 4th book in this series and I was a little worried b/c I had not read any of the previous books...
BUT, Abbie did a fantastic job with picking this particular book, b/c I did not need to read the others in order to fully enjoy Touch of Seduction.

This book starts off action packed plus very steamy and it NEVER lets up...I love how every page has you so drawn in and ...more

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Jan 27, 2012

Heidi Rice rated it

This is the first Rhyannon Byrd book I've read and I'll defo be reading others. I heard about it on Twitter and picked it up from there. Now I'm not a huge fan of paranormal which is the only reason I didn't give it 5-stars because I got a bit lost in the backstory with all the detail of the paranormal world-building for the series. That said, that's entirely my fault and not the author's, so I'm sure readers who love paranormal and have read the rest of the series in its proper order (like sens...more

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Aug 13, 2010

Casee rated it

Shelves: read-2010

I seem to be reading this series backward. After finishing this book, I intended to rectify that. I went to the used bookstore expecting to find books 1-3. Imagine my disappointment when they had not one Rhyannon Byrd book.

Aiden is a tiger shifter that hates humans. He doesn't have disdain for humans, he really hates them. His mother was a human, who when she realized what he was, took full advantage by selling him. He was sold into sexual slavery that lasted years until he was old e...moreI seem to be reading this series backward. After finishing this book, I intended to rectify that. I went to the used bookstore expecting to find books 1-3. Imagine my disappointment when they had not one Rhyannon Byrd book.

Aiden is a tiger shifter that hates humans. He doesn't have disdain for humans, he really hates them. His mother was a human, who when she realized what he was, took full advantage by selling him. He was sold into sexual slavery that lasted years until he was old enough to plan an escape. The man that was responsible for his imprisonment was also human. So imagine his surprise when both he and his tiger react fiercely to human Olivia Harcourt.

After one of her sisters is murdered and the other one kidnapped (I don't know much about this since I'm reading the series backward), Olivia decides to take her niece (who is the daughter of the murdered sister) and run. She doesn't know where. What she does know is that she will do anything to protect her niece. I think that was what I admired most about Olivia. Growing up as a human in a house of witches, Olivia knows her limitations. That doesn't stop her from doing whatever is necessary for Jaime.

Olivia and Aiden's attraction is fierce and fast. Olivia isn't used to being wanted. In fact, she's not even used to wanting. She's dulled her emotions for so long that it comes as second nature to her now. That is a challenge to Aiden's beast, one he can't resist.

I really liked the relationship aspect of the book. I liked the family unit that Aiden, Olivia, and Jamie formed. It was sweet reading about how someone as big and powerful as Aiden could interact with a child. The problem in the end was Aiden's major issue with trust. It's true that trust has to be earned, but there is only so much you can do before it's just a leap of faith.

I've read that the bad guys are over the top, but they aren't to me. Perhaps it's because this is only the second book I've read. All I know is that I liked it!

4.25 out of 5.(less)

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May 05, 2010

~V~ rated it

Shelves: favorites

This is a series that I've def. enjoyed..and this book, the 4th in the Primal Instincts series is by far my favorite! Aiden, the sexy, tortured tiger shifter was ultra yummy!..and Olivia was a surprisingly tough little cookie and a good match for him, even with her stuttering that came on when she was nervous or upset..that was actually kind of cute. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that Rhyannon Byrd toned down the Casus' point of view some in this book (not so much the violence, which I...more

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Sep 24, 2011

Someone rated it

*giggle*
This was my first erotica book :D and oh-boy was it an eye opener.
Really good read. Just couldn't put it down. It's like watching a really good movie packed with actions and romance.
I do want to give this book 5 stars but unfortunately the book does not have much deep literacy value.
So I'd say it's a 5/5 for paranormal romance erotica genre.
I like how the main character was self-conscious because I'm kind of like that. If anyone knows any other paranormal romance...more

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Oct 26, 2011

Joanna rated it

This is Aiden and Olivias story. This still has the tortured male lead but he is not as bull headed or as stubborn as her first three books. He has a horrific past that is hard to let go of and Olivia has her own issues. She is the only human in a family of half merrick half witch step sisters so she has always felt out of place.

Together they give each other the love they need and in the midst of all the chaos is the Jamie, the daughter of her eldest stepsister who has been killed by ...more

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Apr 09, 2010

Danica Avet rated it

I wasn't sure how I'd like this book. I read the first 3 in the series, and though they were good, they weren't excellent. This book, however, was friggin' fantastic!

I L-O-V-E Aiden. He's so sexy. Olivia was a surprise for me. I think she was the perfect heroine for Aiden's lost soul hero. The danger was very well placed and played out. I could have done without the reiteration of the 3 previous books, but understand why Ms. Byrd went over what happened before.

All in all...more

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Oct 03, 2010

Darcy rated it

Shelves: 2010

Aiden is one of those heroes that you fall in love with right away. He is such an Alpha male that there is the possibility that he could turn you off with his overbearing ways, but once you hear his back story you just love him more. Olivia is more than a match for him and it is great to see them both circle each other. Their chemistry was just explosive and their fighting the attraction to each other just seemed to ignite things between them even more, which just lead to some very hot scenes...more

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Apr 15, 2010

Kaleigha rated it

I was so glad when I first heard that there would be another trilogy from Rhyannon Byrd's Primal Instincts series. I really enjoyed the first three, and had high hopes for the next. Well, one down and I wasn't disappointed. This time out, we get into the mysterious Watchmen, starting with Aiden.

Aiden is a tiger shifter with a tortured past. Barely able to tolerate humans, he still serves as their fierce protector. So, Aiden is more than a little surprised when his latest assignm...moreI was so glad when I first heard that there would be another trilogy from Rhyannon Byrd's Primal Instincts series. I really enjoyed the first three, and had high hopes for the next. Well, one down and I wasn't disappointed. This time out, we get into the mysterious Watchmen, starting with Aiden.

Aiden is a tiger shifter with a tortured past. Barely able to tolerate humans, he still serves as their fierce protector. So, Aiden is more than a little surprised when his latest assignment catches his interest from the first moment he scents her. Not only is Olivia a full human, she is a somewhat shy, repressed kindergarten teacher on the run with her 3 year old niece. For a man who spends no longer with humans than he has to, usually the thought of being stuck with a woman and a kid would be hell. But in this case, Aiden can't get enough. And that is what scares him.

Olivia is the only full human in her other family. Her "normal" life is turned upside down with the murder of one sister, the capture of the other, and the monsters hunting both her and her young niece. So when a huge, menacing man comes from nowhere to protect them, Olivia is not sure how to react. And even though she knows she is way out of the sexy, powerful Aiden's league, she still finds herself drawn to him. Even though the attraction seems mutual, Olivia is not sure what to believe. All she knows is that she feels safe with Aiden, and very quickly comes to trust him with their lives.

As Aiden and Olivia run for their lives from the Cassus, and a deadly new enemy, they find themselves drawn to each other. But neither of them is without emotional issues and past baggage, and the scars from their pasts threaten to keep them apart. Especially for Aiden, the horrific childhood he suffered makes him believe that he and Olivia can have no more than a passing fling. But with each moment spent in her company, Aiden grows more and more attacted. More determined to keep her safe...and more afraid of what will happen when Olivia decides to walk away.

In a lot of books, the hero has a tragic past, and Aiden is no exception. And that past has colored every action, made him a loner unable to trust humans. But what Aiden hides is his overwhelming shame at what his life was, and his pain at what he sees as his failings. And while Aiden is a fierce warrior, it is Olivia who is the strongest of the two. She finds the courage to reach out for what she wants - Aiden - and move past her own issues for a chance at love.

With his easy charm and complex heart, Aiden made a great hero. From his battles with the Cassus to his battles with his own demons, Aiden is a protector through and through. Olivia is shy, a bit repressed, but finds her own strength in the middle of the chaos. Thrust into a strange world filled with monsters, her thoughts are always to protect not just her niece, but Aiden as well. I liked her development from stuttering and afraid to strong and brave, and she was more than a match for Aiden.

It seems like so long ago that I read the first three books, and it took me a while to get back into this world. I had forgotten how truly repulsive the raping, flesh eating Cassus are. Not the usual charmingly evil bad guys, but repulsive monsters feeding on pain and fear. It can be a bit heavy when they make their kills, a bit disturbing, but then you just cheer more when they get what is coming to them.

Two of the side characters get quite a bit of time in this one, and that is Noah and Kellan. Kellan's story I believe got it's set up here, and I liked it. I wanted more of Noah, but I have high hopes he will be getting his own turn. Maybe book 7, if we are lucky. This was a very good book, and left me wanting more. (less)

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Apr 07, 2010

Celeste rated it

Shelves: paranormal

Really enjoyed Touch of Seduction by Rhyannon Byrd. I'm so glad she's going to write about the Watchmen... because I LOVE me some Watchmen!! And SHOOOO-WEE - this book was so STEAMY. I couldn't put it down. My only complaint is that I found the segue's to characters other than the H/h to be very boring... and I found myself skimming through them to get back to the "good parts!" LOL

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Apr 05, 2011

Melanie rated it

Shelves: paranormal-romance, shifters-i-d-love-to-were, rhyannon-byrd, primal-instinct, library

Finally!! The Primal Instincts Series just got interesting. After pushing through the first three books in this series, which were nothing special, I decided to try the next one and am glad I did. I always thought the series had promise and now we are starting to see it. In this book, Aiden and Olivia are finally main characters who have some hot chemistry together and a believable HEA journey. I am looking forward to the next in the series and hope it continues to get better and better!

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Jan 31, 2012

A.S. Johnson rated it

The best one of this series as far as I'm concerned. Ligther feel to it, less back and forth about the Merrick and Caucus. Romantic everything! Like it best of all that I've read. Faster pace than other books and more light hearted, found my self chuckling at moments and enjoying the tension between the two love birds. Would have loved it if Olivia had turned out to be some primal animal or another tiger like our lover boy, but it was still good. I was kind of hoping she'd end up being another s...more

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Aug 29, 2010

Stacie added it

Very good read. Aiden is a shapeshifter of the tiger breed. He mets a schoolteacher named Olivia. She is trying to protect her niece who has witches blood in her. Aiden is also a watchman and has been sent to guard over her and her niece. But as soon as Aiden gets her scents he knows that she is a potential mate for himself.

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Jul 23, 2011

Kim rated it

Shelves: paranormal, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 09, 2011

July rated it

Shelves: home-library

Wow, Aiden is the Sexy Tiger-Shifter who is sent after Olivia and her little niece Jamie who is half Merrick and Half Mallory(witch) who are the sole surviors of the Causus attack on Olivia's half sisters. Aiden and his other watchmen will try their best to get them to safety. Along the way, Aiden and Olivia must fight off their intense passion for one another.. Aiden must guard child and women with his life.

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Jan 19, 2012

Anne Violet rated it

Aiden is very hot and I love the love scenes with them, but I skip the chapters when its from villains viewpoint, the glee in their violence towards women is too much for me.

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Dec 30, 2010

Jennifer rated it

SPOILER. There is only one reason I didn't give Touch of Seduction a full five star rating...the tortured hero could not accept his feelings for the heroine until the very end of the book. Normally this would be a major turn off for me. But Rhyannon Byrd was able to create a very sexy and likable hero that I wanted to keep reading about, until he found his HEA. And the sex scenes... WOW. Steamy without being nasty (not that nasty is bad, just not what I'm always in the mood for). Although the ap...more

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Jul 18, 2011

Cami Hensley rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, shifter

First book I've read by Byrd and first I've read in the series. GREAT Book... I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.

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Jun 11, 2010

Sharon (twilightcrazie) rated it

Shelves: nook, paranormal-romance, shifters-weres

These books are getting better and better!

Loved Aiden and Liv together. Her scent was intoxicating to him. And he knew he was a goner!!!!!

I really like the intro of all the new preternatural beings!!

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Aug 14, 2011

Lisa M rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, nook-color, paranormal-romance, shifter

I enjoyed the story of Aiden and Liv and cried at their dark moment (always a good thing), but (view spoiler) Hot to scorching.

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Aug 28, 2010

Maldivianbookreviewer rated it

Shelves: paranormal-romance, rhyannon-byrd, erotica, opposites-attract, brooding-hero, dangerous-hero, unforgettable-hero, explosive-passion

Loved my first novel from the Primal Instinct series.
My review: http://bit.ly/ckFcN7

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Dec 02, 2011

Mandy rated it

This was just ok. Not as good as the others in the series that I've read so far. There was some pretty heavy cheese in this one!

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Jul 21, 2010

~*~Princess Nhya~*~ rated it

WOW!!! Read this one. I don't want to give anything away about this one. So if you like this author or genre, I highly recommend this one.

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Jun 02, 2010

Stephanie rated it

I'm enjoying this series. I like the mythology she's created and the romance is hot! Gotta love that.

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Oct 22, 2010

Liz rated it

I really liked this book. The charaters came off as being really people and you really connected with them.

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Jul 19, 2011

G rated it

Shelves: paranormal-hot

Wow. 4 and 1/2 stars!

Great story. If you liked Christine Feehan's Carpathian series or J.R. Ward's BDB series, do yourself a favor a get this one too. There is hot passion, danger and suspense all in an intriguing paranormal world. Read Book 1 first and then the others in order, so you get the details of this fantasy world locked down. Then enjoy the ride. Touch of Seduction is Book 4 and by now it's all exciting story with the world-building completed.

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About Rhyannon Byrd

Rhyannon Byrd is an avid, longtime fan of romance and the author of the provocative Primal Instinct and Bloodrunners series. She has been nominated for three Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards, including best Shape-shifter Romance, and her books have been translated into French, Spanish and German. After having spent years enjoying the glorious sunshine of the American South and Southwest, Rh...more

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Touch of Surrender (Primal Instinct, #5)

Last Wolf Standing (Blood Runners, #1) (Harlequin Nocturne, #35)

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