Seductive

"Seductive", Thea Devine's eagerly-awaited new novel, showcases the skillful blending of highly sensual adventure and deep emotional attachment that are the hallmarks of erotic romance -- and of Brava, Kensington's new trade paperback imprint. Thea Devine, dubbed "the Queen of Erotic Romance" by Romantic Times, pushes the boundaries of women's fiction to its breathtaking limits, in a riveting tale of desire and danger.

With nowhere left to go and a fortune in imperial Russian jewels to protect, Nicholas Massey had only one choice -- to return to Shenstone, his late uncle's home and the legacy he had never intended to claim. The son of an expatriate Englishman and a Russian noblewoman, Nicholas was a consummate spy, yet murder and betrayal had forced him into the open -- and into direct contact with his uncle's widow, the lovely and aloof Elizabeth. Elizabeth...with her intriguing ties to the Russian court and her isolation at Shenstone. Elizabeth...with her intrusive questions and her mysterious secrets. Elizabeth... who would soon discover that Nicholas numbered among his talents those of a very persuasive, and fantastically accomplished lover.

Although most erotic romances do not require much in the way of plot, Devine (Sinful Secrets) delivers a multilayered story that sizzles with sexual energy from start to finish. At the turn of the 20th century, proud Elizabeth purposefully marries elderly William Massey, earl of Shenstone, despite her infatuation with Peter, a Russian aristocrat. The marriage elevates Elizabeth into England's highest social circles, but it isn't until her husband's death that she begins to believe that she may have a future with Peter. Before she can claim Shenstone, her late husband's aggressive nephew, the enigmatic Nicholas Massey, arrives to nab his uncle's title and his land. Nicholas's secret plan is to root out the "Unseen Hand," a ruthless killer who is intent on finding a fortune of stolen Russian jewels, but he is easily distracted by Elizabeth's presence. There's no romance to be had between the two, however, and Nicholas takes advantage of the impoverished widow by proposing that she sleep with him so that she can remain at Shenstone and encourage Peter to propose. Elizabeth swiftly succumbs to Nicholas's brutal advances, but Devine's crude dialogue ("You need no more than this one inch of my penis to pleasure you, my lady ripe and ready") does little to enliven their superficial union. Predictably, the two fall in love, and Nicholas discovers that the mysterious murderer is really one of his own guests. A dark and explicit erotic romance that is unfit for the faint of heart, this feisty bedroom drama will please fans of Susan Johnson and Bertrice Small.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

When her late husband's nephew and heir suddenly reappears to claim his inheritance, a move that would leave her destitute, the cool, pragmatic Elizabeth Massey enters into a sexual bargain with the interloper that nets her a consummate lover and a love she had never imagined. A tsar's ransom in Russian jewels, a clever, relentless murderer, and an intricately plotted story with more than a few surprises add to a historical romance that pushes the sexuality levels to the limits of the genre with an explicitness that practically sends the pages up in flames. Not for the squeamish or faint-hearted. Devine (Night Moves) is a noted veteran writer of highly erotic romance and lives in Larchmont, NY.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.