Title: Dangerous Seduction
Series: Nemesis, Book 2
Author: Zoe Archer
Genre: Historical Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: November 26, 2013 by St. Martin’s
Alyce Carr has no time for the strange man in her little Cornwall village, no matter how breathtakingly handsome he is. Life in Trewyn doesn't allow for much fun—the managers of the copper mine barely provide the miners and their families with enough food. Outsiders are suspect and flirts are unimaginable, but Simon Sharpe is as keen as his name…and Alyce can't ignore him for long.
As the founder of Nemesis, Unlimited, Simon Addison-Shawe is well accustomed to disguise and deceit. Yet he's not prepared for Alyce's dogged defense of her people and the injustices the copper mine has dealt them. With Alyce's help he can change the fate of an entire town, and convincing her to join him is only part of the thrill. Together, they ignite a desire in each other much too powerful to deny. But at what cost?
Reviewed By: J9
In a Nutshell: I count on this author to write an engaging story with good characters and an equality-based romance and that’s what I got here.
The Set Up: Simon is on assignment in Cornwall for Nemesis Unlimited, an organization dedicated to bringing justice to common people in Victorian England. Simon’s assignment is a copper mine company that enslaves its workers, including Alyce. Simon invites sharp-witted Alyce to help him in his quest for justice but the two have an attraction they can’t deny.
Why I Read this Book: I’m a fan of Zoe Archer’s primarily for the feminist philosophy that permeates her equality-based romances.
What I Liked: Simon and Alyce are different than your average historical romance leads. Alyce is working class who has never been outside her small village but she’s got a fierce independence and intelligence to do anything. This author never has heroines do stupid things to further the plot and I appreciate this with Alyce, as well as how Simon and the rest of the Nemesis agents respect her too. Simon may be the second son of an aristocrat but he’s more comfortable with servants and workers like Alyce. They both have an honesty and integrity to their characters and they bring this to the romance which I particularly enjoyed. Alyce may be a virgin but she’s aware of her body and sexuality and is no passive participant in her and Simon’s sexual encounters. This author doesn’t write particularly erotic romances with just a few sex scenes the entire book but they’re realistic and meaningful for the characters.
What I Also Liked: I liked the plot of Nemesis working for justice for the copper mine workers. Simon and Alyce join forces to formulate and carry out a plan to trick the owners into selling it to the miners. I liked this well plotted and paced plot and think other readers will to.
I also like the secondary characters of Alyce’s brother and sister-in-law who just want to earn a decent living and raise a family. Simon’s fellow agents are great too, from Marco the founder of Nemesis to Jack and Eva, leads from book one. This author writes secret organizations really well (see her The Blades of the Rose series if you don’t believe me) and I love Nemesis Unlimited here. I get the setting of Victorian England that I want but with my modern equality-based philosophy among the agents of men and women who respect each other and work together for a common good.
What I Didn’t Like: While Dangerous Seduction was an enjoyable read, it lacked the ever coveted ‘wow’ factor.
IMO: Like all of Archer’s books, Dangerous Seduction is a solid read. Any reader can pick this book up and enjoy it because even if it’s not the most erotic of romances, it’s a good one.
J9’s Rating:
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