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Regency Rogues #3
The Sinner Who Seduced Me
A dedicated Young Corinthian agent, James Marlowe accepts the riskiest of missions—to go undercover as a traitor and infiltrate a deadly French crime organization. He is prepared for all matters of intrigue—everything but a surprise encounter with the only woman he has ever loved. Five years ago, the exquisitely stunning Clarissa Collins spurned James’s love and broke his heart. Now the accomplished painter is in peril up to her lovely neck, and only he can protect her.
Lady Clarissa is being blackmailed by malicious men—but that is nothing compared to the torture of being so close to James, the enthralling man who seduced Clarissa, then betrayed her. Despite the hurt and misunderstanding that still simmer between them, their passion ignites anew. With their lives and England’s safety hanging in the balance, they must work together to save everything they hold dear. Can Clarissa and James escape the enemy’s clutches and find their way back to each other’s hearts . . . this time forever?
Lady Clarissa is being blackmailed by malicious men—but that is nothing compared to the torture of being so close to James, the enthralling man who seduced Clarissa, then betrayed her. Despite the hurt and misunderstanding that still simmer between them, their passion ignites anew. With their lives and England’s safety hanging in the balance, they must work together to save everything they hold dear. Can Clarissa and James escape the enemy’s clutches and find their way back to each other’s hearts . . . this time forever?
263 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published July 26, 2011
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August 18, 2016
Probably the weakest in the series so far and a poor follow-up from a very strong build up in books One and Two. Annoying main characters, terrible "spy" plot, a cartoon villian, and little tie-in to the rest of the series.
Full Review posted below:
I had a very difficult time writing a review for The Sinner Who Seduced Me because I had a very difficult time reading it. Perhaps most of my disappointment came from having high expectations after being pleasantly surprised by Book Two of the series. In that story I felt that the author had created well rounded characters, a suspenseful plot, and a romance that I could believe. Unfortunately for every good point that I read in the second book the opposite was the case for the third. The characters in this one were very one-note, the spy plot was silly, and I couldn’t lose myself to the romance between the main characters. In the end, even if I had read this book as a stand-alone title I found very little to recommend it.
At the end of The Angel in my Arms, we are led to believe that Young Corinthian agent James Marlowe was a turncoat working for the French organization Les Moines. At the beginning of book three it’s revealed that James was never a traitor but has become entrenched within Les Moines on orders to identify members of the group and subvert their activities. The perceived failure of his assignment in Lulworth has made Les Moines anxious to complete a successful mission to gain funds for Napoleon’s war efforts. The assignment this time is a rich Canadian living in London who wants a portrait of his daughter painted by an exclusive French artist. James is told by Les Moines to impress the services of the painter, have the portrait completed quickly and the commission will be collected by the organization. Unfortunately when the artist is injured his assistant inserts herself into the plan by volunteering to replace the artist herself. James is shocked to learn that the assistant is Lady Clarissa Collins, the woman who he’d loved five years before.
If we were to ignore the rest of the secret mission plot that throws the two main characters together, this story is supposed to be about love lost and reborn. The shame of it is that I don’t believe that either character had been “in love” with the other that first time around. Sure they shared a youthful passion and a sexual relationship that made both of them burn, but in the flashbacks we learn there was never a real trust between them. After the break-up both characters became emotionally stunted, with Clarissa fleeing to Paris and James dedicating his life to the Corinthians, never growing past the hurt they had caused one another. When they meet again, all of those raw emotions are still there and the two characters just start right out of the gate trying to hurt the other person.
Of the two main characters, Clarissa was the weakest to me. She excuses all of her actions in the book by claiming she has a passionate soul and she cannot deny her passions. What she really seemed to have was a lack of common sense hiding behind all of that emotion. She endangers herself by getting involved in Les Moines’s scheme without knowing any of the details. She complicates the mission on many occasions by just saying what comes to mind rather than deferring to James who is the real spy. When their client’s daughter Iris, who is little more than a spoiled brat herself, manages to manipulate Clarissa’s “passions” by making a play for James it leads to silly side missions that do little more than force James to endanger his cover by having to save them. I was never convinced that Clarissa truly grasped how dangerous this scheme was to her, her family, or even James. And the few times that the pressure really got to her she fell back on her old excuse of just being too passionate and cried.
On the flip side, James wasn’t the strongest character either. I was at a loss to understand what made James such a great spy for the Corinthians organization. He may have managed to get into Les Moines, but they never trust him, and one of the lowest members of that group was able to ferret out where James’s true loyalties were. His half-hearted attempts to convince Clarissa of the danger became very tiresome. Also, for a man who claimed that she had betrayed him and that he hated being emotionally tied to her, he sure was quick to try and get right back into bed with her. The failure of the romance in the book was in how unconvincing this second chance was. So much of the rebuilding of their relationship seemed to be within internal monologues rather than the two of them talking to one another about what went wrong the first time. We are told that Clarissa and James start to see each other differently, yet right up to a critical moment of the book both are still reminding themselves that they don’t want or need a relationship with the other. Then, in a turn around that made my head spin they both have magical epiphanies and realize that they had never stopped being in love. Voilà! Relationship repaired and they are back together just in time to beat the bad guy.
If I may borrow from the artistic side of this story for a moment, a great painting has to have depth to draw the viewer into the piece. An artist can create that depth by adding subtle layers to the canvas, building out until a fine piece of art is revealed and the viewer can take joy in finding all the small details the artist used. Sadly, everything in this book was painted very thick, from the passions of Clarissa, the dedication of James, the evilness of Pettibone and Les Moines, and the “love” rebuilt between the main characters. As the reader I didn’t get that joy of the small details making up a greater whole but was struck by how poorly it all flowed together. And to use that infamous quote: “I may not know art but I know what I like.” I didn’t like this book one bit.
Full Review posted below:
I had a very difficult time writing a review for The Sinner Who Seduced Me because I had a very difficult time reading it. Perhaps most of my disappointment came from having high expectations after being pleasantly surprised by Book Two of the series. In that story I felt that the author had created well rounded characters, a suspenseful plot, and a romance that I could believe. Unfortunately for every good point that I read in the second book the opposite was the case for the third. The characters in this one were very one-note, the spy plot was silly, and I couldn’t lose myself to the romance between the main characters. In the end, even if I had read this book as a stand-alone title I found very little to recommend it.
At the end of The Angel in my Arms, we are led to believe that Young Corinthian agent James Marlowe was a turncoat working for the French organization Les Moines. At the beginning of book three it’s revealed that James was never a traitor but has become entrenched within Les Moines on orders to identify members of the group and subvert their activities. The perceived failure of his assignment in Lulworth has made Les Moines anxious to complete a successful mission to gain funds for Napoleon’s war efforts. The assignment this time is a rich Canadian living in London who wants a portrait of his daughter painted by an exclusive French artist. James is told by Les Moines to impress the services of the painter, have the portrait completed quickly and the commission will be collected by the organization. Unfortunately when the artist is injured his assistant inserts herself into the plan by volunteering to replace the artist herself. James is shocked to learn that the assistant is Lady Clarissa Collins, the woman who he’d loved five years before.
If we were to ignore the rest of the secret mission plot that throws the two main characters together, this story is supposed to be about love lost and reborn. The shame of it is that I don’t believe that either character had been “in love” with the other that first time around. Sure they shared a youthful passion and a sexual relationship that made both of them burn, but in the flashbacks we learn there was never a real trust between them. After the break-up both characters became emotionally stunted, with Clarissa fleeing to Paris and James dedicating his life to the Corinthians, never growing past the hurt they had caused one another. When they meet again, all of those raw emotions are still there and the two characters just start right out of the gate trying to hurt the other person.
Of the two main characters, Clarissa was the weakest to me. She excuses all of her actions in the book by claiming she has a passionate soul and she cannot deny her passions. What she really seemed to have was a lack of common sense hiding behind all of that emotion. She endangers herself by getting involved in Les Moines’s scheme without knowing any of the details. She complicates the mission on many occasions by just saying what comes to mind rather than deferring to James who is the real spy. When their client’s daughter Iris, who is little more than a spoiled brat herself, manages to manipulate Clarissa’s “passions” by making a play for James it leads to silly side missions that do little more than force James to endanger his cover by having to save them. I was never convinced that Clarissa truly grasped how dangerous this scheme was to her, her family, or even James. And the few times that the pressure really got to her she fell back on her old excuse of just being too passionate and cried.
On the flip side, James wasn’t the strongest character either. I was at a loss to understand what made James such a great spy for the Corinthians organization. He may have managed to get into Les Moines, but they never trust him, and one of the lowest members of that group was able to ferret out where James’s true loyalties were. His half-hearted attempts to convince Clarissa of the danger became very tiresome. Also, for a man who claimed that she had betrayed him and that he hated being emotionally tied to her, he sure was quick to try and get right back into bed with her. The failure of the romance in the book was in how unconvincing this second chance was. So much of the rebuilding of their relationship seemed to be within internal monologues rather than the two of them talking to one another about what went wrong the first time. We are told that Clarissa and James start to see each other differently, yet right up to a critical moment of the book both are still reminding themselves that they don’t want or need a relationship with the other. Then, in a turn around that made my head spin they both have magical epiphanies and realize that they had never stopped being in love. Voilà! Relationship repaired and they are back together just in time to beat the bad guy.
If I may borrow from the artistic side of this story for a moment, a great painting has to have depth to draw the viewer into the piece. An artist can create that depth by adding subtle layers to the canvas, building out until a fine piece of art is revealed and the viewer can take joy in finding all the small details the artist used. Sadly, everything in this book was painted very thick, from the passions of Clarissa, the dedication of James, the evilness of Pettibone and Les Moines, and the “love” rebuilt between the main characters. As the reader I didn’t get that joy of the small details making up a greater whole but was struck by how poorly it all flowed together. And to use that infamous quote: “I may not know art but I know what I like.” I didn’t like this book one bit.
August 9, 2011
"Trust: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. " Dictionary.com
The Sinner who Seduced Me is the third in the Regency Rogues series, and according to Stefanie Sloane's website, three more have been added to the series for future publication. This was a distressing book for me to review, because I believe Stefanie Sloane is a very talented writer. I was looking forward to The Sinner who Seduced Me with antici...pation. It was the first book I grabbed when my new shipment came in. However, I had some problems with this story and it turned out to be my least favorite of the three Ms. Sloane's written to date.
Spoilers follow. This is a second chance at love story, Clarissa and James were at one time in love, lovers and almost married...and then they broke each others hearts. And, here is where I started to have trouble. It seems that Clarissa's father is/was also a member of the spy group James belongs to. And it appears that her father is having an affair, but not really. Clarissa's mother is deeply hurt, hence Clarissa is hurt. Now, Clarissa expects James to side with her in this matter, but he sides with her father because he knows the truth. However, he can't tell Clarissa because it's secret stuff. He does however, expect her to trust him on this, without telling her anything. And she expects him to be on her side. So, this drives a wedge between them. I thought their reaction to this issue was a tad bit over the top. Now, I believe that when you love someone, there should be trust; however we are human after all, and one should also be realistic with trust. To trust a person you love doesn't mean that they are always going to do what you want or that they are never going to do something that will be hurtful, so to break off a relationship and hate each other for five years because of something that should have been resolved between someone else (parents in this case) seemed to be somewhat excessive to me.
However, I read on. Five years pass, they are thrown together once again and they're still growling at each other. Both of them acting like children. Try as I might, I could not find any sympathy for these two characters. However, if I gave up on my couple, I still have the intrigue in the book.
Good ol' intrigue. And, it was here that a pet peeve reared it's ugly face. It seems that the French need money, so for some reason they are going to force an artist to paint a portrait of a rich Canadian's daughter and then they will get money to do some nefarious deeds. Well, as luck would have it, our heroine, Clarissa is there the day the bad guys come to the artist's studio. The bad guys accidentally break his arm. His painting arm. Well, it seems that Clarissa can also paint, so she decides to disguise herself as a man and with the help of a petulant James, they journey back to England, where the rich Canadian is staying with his beautiful daughter. Ok, I can suspend belief and accept Clarissa as a guy (pet peeve), but, then we are introduced to one of the most irritating obnoxious secondary characters ever, Iris.
Iris, the beautiful daughter of the rich Canadian. Iris, encroaches her way into this book and almost takes over the whole story. She tries to seduce James, she throws tantrums, she wants adventure; they take her to a Cyprian ball, get her out of trouble, to a boxing match, get her out of trouble. They don't take her to the gambling hell. Doesn't matter, because she goes on her own! Clarissa, disguised as a boy and James get her out of trouble, again. Oh, by the way, Iris is dressed up as a boy when she goes on these adventures. So, we have two females disguising themselves (double peeve).
I was also disappointed that Clarissa and James decided not to tell her mother about the infidelity that didn't really happen. So, at the end of the book her parents still remain separated and there wasn't any hint as to whether that problem was going to be taken care of.
I was disappointed with this story. I wanted to knock Clarissa and James' heads together - they were just very irritating. There was way too much bickering from a couple who (in my opinion) didn't have a good reason to be mad at each other. Then there was the dreadful Iris, a distraction to the story and given way too much line space. I was s-o looking forward to this book! Now, this doesn't mean I won't read the next in the series, because I fully intend to...however, I may not pick it up from my pile as fast as I did this time.
The Sinner who Seduced Me is the third in the Regency Rogues series, and according to Stefanie Sloane's website, three more have been added to the series for future publication. This was a distressing book for me to review, because I believe Stefanie Sloane is a very talented writer. I was looking forward to The Sinner who Seduced Me with antici...pation. It was the first book I grabbed when my new shipment came in. However, I had some problems with this story and it turned out to be my least favorite of the three Ms. Sloane's written to date.
Spoilers follow. This is a second chance at love story, Clarissa and James were at one time in love, lovers and almost married...and then they broke each others hearts. And, here is where I started to have trouble. It seems that Clarissa's father is/was also a member of the spy group James belongs to. And it appears that her father is having an affair, but not really. Clarissa's mother is deeply hurt, hence Clarissa is hurt. Now, Clarissa expects James to side with her in this matter, but he sides with her father because he knows the truth. However, he can't tell Clarissa because it's secret stuff. He does however, expect her to trust him on this, without telling her anything. And she expects him to be on her side. So, this drives a wedge between them. I thought their reaction to this issue was a tad bit over the top. Now, I believe that when you love someone, there should be trust; however we are human after all, and one should also be realistic with trust. To trust a person you love doesn't mean that they are always going to do what you want or that they are never going to do something that will be hurtful, so to break off a relationship and hate each other for five years because of something that should have been resolved between someone else (parents in this case) seemed to be somewhat excessive to me.
However, I read on. Five years pass, they are thrown together once again and they're still growling at each other. Both of them acting like children. Try as I might, I could not find any sympathy for these two characters. However, if I gave up on my couple, I still have the intrigue in the book.
Good ol' intrigue. And, it was here that a pet peeve reared it's ugly face. It seems that the French need money, so for some reason they are going to force an artist to paint a portrait of a rich Canadian's daughter and then they will get money to do some nefarious deeds. Well, as luck would have it, our heroine, Clarissa is there the day the bad guys come to the artist's studio. The bad guys accidentally break his arm. His painting arm. Well, it seems that Clarissa can also paint, so she decides to disguise herself as a man and with the help of a petulant James, they journey back to England, where the rich Canadian is staying with his beautiful daughter. Ok, I can suspend belief and accept Clarissa as a guy (pet peeve), but, then we are introduced to one of the most irritating obnoxious secondary characters ever, Iris.
Iris, the beautiful daughter of the rich Canadian. Iris, encroaches her way into this book and almost takes over the whole story. She tries to seduce James, she throws tantrums, she wants adventure; they take her to a Cyprian ball, get her out of trouble, to a boxing match, get her out of trouble. They don't take her to the gambling hell. Doesn't matter, because she goes on her own! Clarissa, disguised as a boy and James get her out of trouble, again. Oh, by the way, Iris is dressed up as a boy when she goes on these adventures. So, we have two females disguising themselves (double peeve).
I was also disappointed that Clarissa and James decided not to tell her mother about the infidelity that didn't really happen. So, at the end of the book her parents still remain separated and there wasn't any hint as to whether that problem was going to be taken care of.
I was disappointed with this story. I wanted to knock Clarissa and James' heads together - they were just very irritating. There was way too much bickering from a couple who (in my opinion) didn't have a good reason to be mad at each other. Then there was the dreadful Iris, a distraction to the story and given way too much line space. I was s-o looking forward to this book! Now, this doesn't mean I won't read the next in the series, because I fully intend to...however, I may not pick it up from my pile as fast as I did this time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
thrown-back-to-the-library-gods
December 2, 2014I should always know to stop reading books when I end up tweeting quotes from the book.
Her backside was so round and firm, James could have bit into it right then and there.
I probably could have powered through this book, but I'm sick and tired and I was starting to gravitate to watching TV and thinking about napping. I made it about 37% before giving up.
I'm still kind of confused about Clarissa's and James's falling out, though. A rumor went around that Clarissa's father (James's mentor) was having an affair and it destroyed her mother and Clarissa's life as she knew it, and she felt betrayed by James when he didn't believe the rumor. He felt betrayed because she didn't "love" him enough to believe him? I don't know. The whole scenario made me roll my eyes more than anything. All this over a rumor? It's the ton. Rumors are all they do. Investigate! Find proof!
The writing style wasn't a favorite of mine, with an abundance of adjectives and adverbs that felt like it crossed the line into telling and/or over-describing. There were also passages that were obviously meant to be back story, but it bordered info-dump-ish (now a word!) and made me want to skim.
Despite siding with James in the whole Clarissa-James betrayal (James, being the secret agent/spy person, knew more about the situation than Clarissa, though clearly he was unable to tell her more at the time), I was less than enamored of his amorous pursuits. One owes to the quote above (ass biter!), and the other when he entertained the thought of having sex with someone not the heroine just because she was willing and in bed with him and well, he was hard for the heroine -- who was in a nearby suite, so it's not like she was a far distant memory. Skeevy is what I'd call that scene.
I stopped not long after that.
Her backside was so round and firm, James could have bit into it right then and there.
I probably could have powered through this book, but I'm sick and tired and I was starting to gravitate to watching TV and thinking about napping. I made it about 37% before giving up.
I'm still kind of confused about Clarissa's and James's falling out, though. A rumor went around that Clarissa's father (James's mentor) was having an affair and it destroyed her mother and Clarissa's life as she knew it, and she felt betrayed by James when he didn't believe the rumor. He felt betrayed because she didn't "love" him enough to believe him? I don't know. The whole scenario made me roll my eyes more than anything. All this over a rumor? It's the ton. Rumors are all they do. Investigate! Find proof!
The writing style wasn't a favorite of mine, with an abundance of adjectives and adverbs that felt like it crossed the line into telling and/or over-describing. There were also passages that were obviously meant to be back story, but it bordered info-dump-ish (now a word!) and made me want to skim.
Despite siding with James in the whole Clarissa-James betrayal (James, being the secret agent/spy person, knew more about the situation than Clarissa, though clearly he was unable to tell her more at the time), I was less than enamored of his amorous pursuits. One owes to the quote above (ass biter!), and the other when he entertained the thought of having sex with someone not the heroine just because she was willing and in bed with him and well, he was hard for the heroine -- who was in a nearby suite, so it's not like she was a far distant memory. Skeevy is what I'd call that scene.
I stopped not long after that.
August 23, 2011
This is book three of Stefanie Sloanes debut trilogy this year and while I liked it, I didn't really love it either but I think that was because I personally don't like to read a lot of the 'secret spy' type stories so maybe if I had waited a bit after reading The Angel in My Arms I might have enjoyed it a bit more. That being said, if you have not read The Angel in My Arms yet, I suggest that you do first as something quite shocking in there leads to the events that happen in this book.
James Marlowe is undercover on a dangerous mission and it is thrown into more upheaval when his first love, Lady Clarissa Collins is forced to portray her male painter teacher in order to protect her mother. Clarissa is furious to be in the care of the man who broke her heart but James had his reasons for saying what he did at the time and neither has really recovered from it. There is quite a bit of back and forth on this subject and I wish it had been cleared up a bit sooner but James and Clarissa obviously still have strong feelings for each other that leads to some funny and hot encounters. Will James come clean about his past, not to just Clarissa and her mother, but to his friends as well? And will James and Clarissa be able to move on from their past to find happiness together for the future? If you have enjoyed Stefanie Sloanes previous books, this is another solid addition to the series and I look forward to more books next year. 3 1/2 stars
James Marlowe is undercover on a dangerous mission and it is thrown into more upheaval when his first love, Lady Clarissa Collins is forced to portray her male painter teacher in order to protect her mother. Clarissa is furious to be in the care of the man who broke her heart but James had his reasons for saying what he did at the time and neither has really recovered from it. There is quite a bit of back and forth on this subject and I wish it had been cleared up a bit sooner but James and Clarissa obviously still have strong feelings for each other that leads to some funny and hot encounters. Will James come clean about his past, not to just Clarissa and her mother, but to his friends as well? And will James and Clarissa be able to move on from their past to find happiness together for the future? If you have enjoyed Stefanie Sloanes previous books, this is another solid addition to the series and I look forward to more books next year. 3 1/2 stars
August 11, 2011
2.5 stars. I really wanted to like this book more than I did. But this one was just okay. There were a few things that contributed to my feelings...
* I just didn't like Marlowe as well as the last two heroes.
* I like the IDEA of two people who were in love and some big thing came between them and drove them apart, but James and Clarissa's issue? I was like, "Ummm... that's IT? You should get over that..... 4 years and 364 days ago...." It seemed more like a mad-for-a-day issue, rather than a mad-for-5-years issue.
* I like Mulan-type stories (girl masquerades as a guy), but this one just didn't feel.... plausible to me. I don't know why, considering I was just READING it, rather than SEEING it... But I guess it's the time period? The clothing just isn't as.... concealing... as clothing in China or the American West (another I read).
* I'm an engineer. I don't "get" artists.
* The whole undercover with the enemy thing. I think it's a great IDEA... but it just didn't work for me in this case. The bad guys just weren't scary to me at all. They seemed more like stupid lug-headed morons.... And while I'm at it...
* The whole plot just really didn't do anything for me. Sorry, Stefanie, but... James kept saying, "This is a dangerous situation, Clarissa.... Your mom's life is in peril!" But for some reason, I never felt it. It was like a lot of random things about....
* IRIS. WOW, GIRL. YOU ARE ANNOYING. I get that she wanted to seduce James, because he's supposedly hott and interesting. And I get that James could have slept with her for the good of the mission. But then Clarissa's like, "How about we go out on the town to some CRAZY-RIDICULOUS places instead?" Except they just weren't that interesting to me. I was like, "Oh.... a horse race..... Whatever. Oh.... a boxing match........ woo? Oh... a gaming hell........... k....." But mostly any time Iris was on the page, it was annoying.
* And the last one... Maybe I just wasn't reading between the lines enough, but
That's quite a lengthy list, but although James and Clarissa were far from my favorite hero/heroine duo, they did work well together, and I WAS routing them on. And the writing was good. Despite the list, it wasn't BAD! The main emotion the book inspired in me was indifference. *shrugs*
* I just didn't like Marlowe as well as the last two heroes.
* I like the IDEA of two people who were in love and some big thing came between them and drove them apart, but James and Clarissa's issue? I was like, "Ummm... that's IT? You should get over that..... 4 years and 364 days ago...." It seemed more like a mad-for-a-day issue, rather than a mad-for-5-years issue.
* I like Mulan-type stories (girl masquerades as a guy), but this one just didn't feel.... plausible to me. I don't know why, considering I was just READING it, rather than SEEING it... But I guess it's the time period? The clothing just isn't as.... concealing... as clothing in China or the American West (another I read).
* I'm an engineer. I don't "get" artists.
* The whole undercover with the enemy thing. I think it's a great IDEA... but it just didn't work for me in this case. The bad guys just weren't scary to me at all. They seemed more like stupid lug-headed morons.... And while I'm at it...
* The whole plot just really didn't do anything for me. Sorry, Stefanie, but... James kept saying, "This is a dangerous situation, Clarissa.... Your mom's life is in peril!" But for some reason, I never felt it. It was like a lot of random things about....
* IRIS. WOW, GIRL. YOU ARE ANNOYING. I get that she wanted to seduce James, because he's supposedly hott and interesting. And I get that James could have slept with her for the good of the mission. But then Clarissa's like, "How about we go out on the town to some CRAZY-RIDICULOUS places instead?" Except they just weren't that interesting to me. I was like, "Oh.... a horse race..... Whatever. Oh.... a boxing match........ woo? Oh... a gaming hell........... k....." But mostly any time Iris was on the page, it was annoying.
* And the last one... Maybe I just wasn't reading between the lines enough, but
That's quite a lengthy list, but although James and Clarissa were far from my favorite hero/heroine duo, they did work well together, and I WAS routing them on. And the writing was good. Despite the list, it wasn't BAD! The main emotion the book inspired in me was indifference. *shrugs*
October 4, 2011
I reviewed this book for Romance Reader At Heart website:
RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:
This is the third Regency Rogues novel (THE ANGEL IN MY ARMS was the first; THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE was the second), and, as in the previous two books, we’re following a Young Corinthian—in this case, James Marlowe—into danger as he infiltrates Les Moines (The Monks), an organization tied to Napoleon. At the end of THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE, it was necessary for James to make sure that his Young Corinthians thought him a traitor and dead. The only other person to know his mission was the leader of their group, Carmichael.
Lady Clarissa Collins is a very talented portrait painter, and after a scandal involving her father, she’s forced to flee London with her mother in tow. It has been five years since that scandal, and she’s now living in Paris under the tutelage of Bernard St. Michelle, a famous French painter.
As the story opens, we meet Clarissa as she tries hard to immerse herself in her work and the care of her mother. It has been awhile since she gave herself permission to think of a man she deeply loved, so when that man shows up in Paris, she’s taken aback. Once she realizes that he’s one of the bad guys, she’s furious. Memories of James Marlowe and the reasons behind their breakup assail Clarissa all through the coming weeks as she realizes that now, in order to keep her mother safe, she will be working very closely with him.
James’ feelings mirror her own as he’s surprised to find Clarissa in Paris. For James, to have the woman who broke his heart years ago in this proximity is torture; and not telling her the reasons behind his joining the organization is tearing him apart. As this estranged couple grapples with their past and try to come to terms with it, we’re drawn into their story and can’t help but feel compassion for both. We root and hope that the misunderstandings of the past will not be repeated, and that their love for each other will be enough to overcome all that’s in their way.
Will these two highly intelligent, passionate and wounded souls, ever find it in their hearts to forgive each other and give their reunion and love a second chance? You’ll find out if you read THE SINNER WHO SEDUCED ME. This story had so much going for it. I really enjoyed James and Clarissa's unexpected reunion, and I just loved the way they ‘danced’ around each other, trying very hard to excuse each other’s actions from five years ago.
Ms. Sloane has outdone herself in weaving this fast-paced story of intrigue, seduction, and sensual romance. Her stories so far have been well written, fast-paced, and highly entertaining. I’m looking forward to more of the Regency Rogues, especially Carmichael's story.
Melanie
RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:
This is the third Regency Rogues novel (THE ANGEL IN MY ARMS was the first; THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE was the second), and, as in the previous two books, we’re following a Young Corinthian—in this case, James Marlowe—into danger as he infiltrates Les Moines (The Monks), an organization tied to Napoleon. At the end of THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE, it was necessary for James to make sure that his Young Corinthians thought him a traitor and dead. The only other person to know his mission was the leader of their group, Carmichael.
Lady Clarissa Collins is a very talented portrait painter, and after a scandal involving her father, she’s forced to flee London with her mother in tow. It has been five years since that scandal, and she’s now living in Paris under the tutelage of Bernard St. Michelle, a famous French painter.
As the story opens, we meet Clarissa as she tries hard to immerse herself in her work and the care of her mother. It has been awhile since she gave herself permission to think of a man she deeply loved, so when that man shows up in Paris, she’s taken aback. Once she realizes that he’s one of the bad guys, she’s furious. Memories of James Marlowe and the reasons behind their breakup assail Clarissa all through the coming weeks as she realizes that now, in order to keep her mother safe, she will be working very closely with him.
James’ feelings mirror her own as he’s surprised to find Clarissa in Paris. For James, to have the woman who broke his heart years ago in this proximity is torture; and not telling her the reasons behind his joining the organization is tearing him apart. As this estranged couple grapples with their past and try to come to terms with it, we’re drawn into their story and can’t help but feel compassion for both. We root and hope that the misunderstandings of the past will not be repeated, and that their love for each other will be enough to overcome all that’s in their way.
Will these two highly intelligent, passionate and wounded souls, ever find it in their hearts to forgive each other and give their reunion and love a second chance? You’ll find out if you read THE SINNER WHO SEDUCED ME. This story had so much going for it. I really enjoyed James and Clarissa's unexpected reunion, and I just loved the way they ‘danced’ around each other, trying very hard to excuse each other’s actions from five years ago.
Ms. Sloane has outdone herself in weaving this fast-paced story of intrigue, seduction, and sensual romance. Her stories so far have been well written, fast-paced, and highly entertaining. I’m looking forward to more of the Regency Rogues, especially Carmichael's story.
Melanie
Read
May 22, 2012I had a very difficult time writing a review for The Sinner Who Seduced Me because I had a very difficult time reading it. Perhaps most of my disappointment came from having high expectations after being pleasantly surprised by Book Two of the series. In that story I felt that the author had created well rounded characters, a suspenseful plot, and a romance that I could believe. Unfortunately for every good point that I read in the second book the opposite was the case for the third. The characters in this one were very one-note, the spy plot was silly, and I couldn’t lose myself to the romance between the main characters. In the end, even if I had read this book as a stand-alone title I found very little to recommend it.
At the end of The Angel in my Arms, we are led to believe that Young Corinthian agent James Marlowe was a turncoat working for the French organization Les Moines. At the beginning of book three it’s revealed that James was never a traitor but has become entrenched within Les Moines on orders to identify members of the group and subvert their activities. The perceived failure of his assignment in Lulworth has made Les Moines anxious to complete a successful mission to gain funds for Napoleon’s war efforts. The assignment this time is a rich Canadian living in London who wants a portrait of his daughter painted by an exclusive French artist. James is told by Les Moines to impress the services of the painter, have the portrait completed quickly and the commission will be collected by the organization. Unfortunately when the artist is injured his assistant inserts herself into the plan by volunteering to replace the artist herself. James is shocked to learn that the assistant is Lady Clarissa Collins, the woman who he’d loved five years before.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
At the end of The Angel in my Arms, we are led to believe that Young Corinthian agent James Marlowe was a turncoat working for the French organization Les Moines. At the beginning of book three it’s revealed that James was never a traitor but has become entrenched within Les Moines on orders to identify members of the group and subvert their activities. The perceived failure of his assignment in Lulworth has made Les Moines anxious to complete a successful mission to gain funds for Napoleon’s war efforts. The assignment this time is a rich Canadian living in London who wants a portrait of his daughter painted by an exclusive French artist. James is told by Les Moines to impress the services of the painter, have the portrait completed quickly and the commission will be collected by the organization. Unfortunately when the artist is injured his assistant inserts herself into the plan by volunteering to replace the artist herself. James is shocked to learn that the assistant is Lady Clarissa Collins, the woman who he’d loved five years before.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
December 21, 2011
Stefanie Sloane (The Devil in Disguise, The Angel in My Arms) continues the daring adventures of the Young Corinthians spy organization with this latest installment in her Regency Rogues series.
Five years ago, James Marlowe broke Clarissa Collins's heart and disappeared from her life--according to Clarissa. In James's recollection, Clarissa broke his heart and sent him away. Now a British double agent concealed within the French espionage organization Les Moines, James is shocked when Les Moines' attempt to force a Parisian artist into helping them results in his reunion with Clarissa, now apprenticed to the artist. In a matter of moments, Clarissa is pressed into service in place of her injured mentor, and the couple find themselves attempting to maintain a disguise, paint a portrait, dodge hostile spies and control a debutante bent on debauchery. If they fail, not only will the lovers lose all hope of a happy reconciliation, but Les Moines will kill Clarissa's mother.
Sloane's intricate plot makes for a more satisfying read than a tale of love and lust alone. James and Clarissa must rebuild their trust in each other, and the obstacles they face together give them plenty of opportunity. Undoubtedly the most charming obstacle is Iris, the society miss who steals the show with her scandalous behavior. Deadlier concerns--such as a rogue spy with a vendetta against James--keep suspense high until the final confrontation, but the reader will mainly look forward to seeing a happy resolution of the two soul mates' long-standing quarrel.
***This review originally appeared in Shelf Awareness Readers Edition. Sign up for this free and awesome newsletter at http://www.shelf-awareness.com for the latest news and reviews! This review refers to an ARC provided by Shelf Awareness.***
Five years ago, James Marlowe broke Clarissa Collins's heart and disappeared from her life--according to Clarissa. In James's recollection, Clarissa broke his heart and sent him away. Now a British double agent concealed within the French espionage organization Les Moines, James is shocked when Les Moines' attempt to force a Parisian artist into helping them results in his reunion with Clarissa, now apprenticed to the artist. In a matter of moments, Clarissa is pressed into service in place of her injured mentor, and the couple find themselves attempting to maintain a disguise, paint a portrait, dodge hostile spies and control a debutante bent on debauchery. If they fail, not only will the lovers lose all hope of a happy reconciliation, but Les Moines will kill Clarissa's mother.
Sloane's intricate plot makes for a more satisfying read than a tale of love and lust alone. James and Clarissa must rebuild their trust in each other, and the obstacles they face together give them plenty of opportunity. Undoubtedly the most charming obstacle is Iris, the society miss who steals the show with her scandalous behavior. Deadlier concerns--such as a rogue spy with a vendetta against James--keep suspense high until the final confrontation, but the reader will mainly look forward to seeing a happy resolution of the two soul mates' long-standing quarrel.
***This review originally appeared in Shelf Awareness Readers Edition. Sign up for this free and awesome newsletter at http://www.shelf-awareness.com for the latest news and reviews! This review refers to an ARC provided by Shelf Awareness.***
May 22, 2022
This was my first time reading a book by this author and I can say that it entertained me, but I wasn’t enamored with the hero and heroine.
There are spies, nefarious plans, and a double hostage situation. We also had a spoiled, but complex, secondary character who carried most of the action of the plot.
The romance was not very interesting in that James and Clarissa fell in love years ago and separated because of a disagreement. Then they make up and confess that they still love one another. There really was no journey towards the reconciliation other than their internal musings. And, at times, I felt James would have been perfectly fine with any woman as indicated in a scene where the heroine is in the room next to him and a different woman is making him contemplate intimacy with her because she is mostly nude and he is physically ready, just not emotionally invested in this particular woman.
The spy plot did not make a lot of sense to me and I wish that there was resolution with Clarissa’s mother knowing the truth about her husband, but I was entertained, just not emotionally engaged.
There are spies, nefarious plans, and a double hostage situation. We also had a spoiled, but complex, secondary character who carried most of the action of the plot.
The romance was not very interesting in that James and Clarissa fell in love years ago and separated because of a disagreement. Then they make up and confess that they still love one another. There really was no journey towards the reconciliation other than their internal musings. And, at times, I felt James would have been perfectly fine with any woman as indicated in a scene where the heroine is in the room next to him and a different woman is making him contemplate intimacy with her because she is mostly nude and he is physically ready, just not emotionally invested in this particular woman.
The spy plot did not make a lot of sense to me and I wish that there was resolution with Clarissa’s mother knowing the truth about her husband, but I was entertained, just not emotionally engaged.
October 19, 2011
I really like to concepts of Stefanie's books, this one however had a female lead that was pretty far fetched... but then again... aren't they all? She was very wishy washy. Going from one extreme to another... kind of drove me nuts for a while, then I decided to go with the flow. I do however like to have all of the "loose ends" tied up at the end of the book... and it seems that in all three of the books I have read so far that has not happened. This one we have a father that supposedly was seeing another woman... or maybe not... but nothing is heard from him? Where is he? He has friends, ummmm what gives? Did he die? What the heck? He was the Male Leads mentor... then vanished from his life... poof? What? Too many unanswered questions. I'm not certain that I will read the next book in the series for this very reason. She is wrapping more loose ends as she goes, but this one was a big one to leave hanging.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2012
Boring. Too much backstory for this couple. The reason for their breakup didn't ring true for me. Of course, I had just finished an outstanding (funny and fast paced) alpha male story the night before, so that might be why I felt such a let down.
This story is about two oridinary people with a bitter past based on a secret kept for five years. I can't imagine the parents of the heroine (especially the father who loves his wife) would allow the deception go on that long and allow his noble wife and daughter live in France while England wared with Bonapart. Nor can I understand why the daughter shunned the love of her life (they had sex before marriage) just because he stood up for her father. Arguments happen between people who love each other.
Obviously, neither of them knows how to love so they will never find a happily ever after. I decided not to waste any more time and set the book down.
This story is about two oridinary people with a bitter past based on a secret kept for five years. I can't imagine the parents of the heroine (especially the father who loves his wife) would allow the deception go on that long and allow his noble wife and daughter live in France while England wared with Bonapart. Nor can I understand why the daughter shunned the love of her life (they had sex before marriage) just because he stood up for her father. Arguments happen between people who love each other.
Obviously, neither of them knows how to love so they will never find a happily ever after. I decided not to waste any more time and set the book down.
August 3, 2011
I'm not sure what went wrong here...I really liked the first two books in this series, but this one just fell flat. My biggest problem is that I found the entire plot completely implausible. I found the elaborate kidnapping/masquerade in order to get money just dumb...there would have been a lot more expedient methods to get money from the Bennetts. I didn't find anything credible about James' and Clarissa' break-up and renewed romance. Both the Young Corinthians and Les Moines organizations were silly and pointless. I actually felt irritated when I finally finished this one. But, I was intrigued by the excerpt from the 4th book, and since I liked the first two books, I do plan on continuing on with the series.
March 10, 2013
I received the book as a present from Stefanie Sloane and I want to thank her for those three great books (first 3 in the series).
The third book in Regency Rogues series contains enough action, suspense and mystery as its predecessors, 'The Devil in Disguise' and 'The Angel in My Arms'. It's an easy to read and rather captivating story. The book combines intrigue, suspense, and romance that make one keep turn the pages until the end of the story. All the characters are written so good, with their own life stories, that one either loves them, dislikes them or detests them (just as the writer intended for us to feel!)
The third book in Regency Rogues series contains enough action, suspense and mystery as its predecessors, 'The Devil in Disguise' and 'The Angel in My Arms'. It's an easy to read and rather captivating story. The book combines intrigue, suspense, and romance that make one keep turn the pages until the end of the story. All the characters are written so good, with their own life stories, that one either loves them, dislikes them or detests them (just as the writer intended for us to feel!)
May 22, 2012
Tons of action in this book!!! James is always battling with Clarissa through the whole book and its hilarious how Clarissa is always confusing him! Clarissa is very dramatic and is trying to figure out who she is and what she feels. I literally finished this in one day because I did not want to put this book down!!!
August 11, 2011
Perfect! Just the right amount of story, suspense and love. It was a fast read, but I didn't find the need to skip chunks of text to get to the story. I really like this author and this series. I have read the first three. There are three more to come.
December 30, 2014
I am very much enjoying this series of romance novels. They are light quick reads and exactly what you would expect from a regency romance novel. The characters are engaging and the plots are interesting and the romance is wonderful.
August 10, 2014
Blah. I've officially decided I do NOT like Ms. Sloane's books. The hero and heroine here are both morons. I like the spy premise, given that my other guilty pleasures are usually historical mysteries, but this is just crap.
June 18, 2011
The last book in the series was definitely a let-down. It followed the same formula as the others which means Sloane is using a cookie cutter to write her books.
October 27, 2011
This was a very enjoyable Regency series.
August 10, 2016
The best story of the three. Like the spy meeting and protecting his lost love who has to become his partner. Carmichael does seem to find love his spies. Looking forward to the next.
Want to read
September 17, 2012K
December 30, 2012
enjoyed the book very much. is the 4th book i have read in the series and will continue to read more. love the spy vs Napoleon theme. it is very interesting.
February 22, 2013
Plot was pretty good, I liked the characters but it lacked the passion I'm accustomed to in other books and I think the subplot could have been better developed.
March 31, 2020
Marlowe and Clairese- an enjoyable engaging story with a wonderful HEA
March 8, 2023
Sweet, fun, second-chance romance that was highly enjoyable
4.5/5 Stars
0.7/5 Spice
4.5/5 Stars
0.7/5 Spice
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